THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM AN EARLY DRAFT. THEY ARE RETAINED HERE FOR REFERENCE ONLY

The following rules below are not complete, and are currently being worked on.  They are provided below to give a flavour of how the system might work.  A more refined set is nearing completion.

1.    Game System.   CMBO.

2.    Total Number of Players.   The number of players required for the campaign is 22.  This equates to 11 per side, a Commanding Officer (CO) and 10 Unit Commanders (UCs) under him.  The CO does participate in any actual games himself.  He is there purely in a co-ordinating and planning role.

3.     Aim Of The Campaign.   To possess more sectors and units than your opponent at the end of the campaign.  (The number of units and sectors is added together for each side to give a total.)

4.     Duration Of The Campaign.   5 rounds.

5.     Size Of The Strategic Campaign Map.   10 sectors wide by 9 sectors deep.

6.     Orientation Of The Strategic Map.   The map runs north to south.

7.     Initial Set Up Positions.   The Allies start in the North and the Heer in the south.

8.     Tactical Maps.  Each sector will be represented in game play by a Tactical Map created / provided by the Umpire.

9.     Tactical Map Composition.   Every Tactical Map will be a mirror map, the composition of which will be decided by the umpire prior to the start of the campaign.  In addition the Strategic Map will have an index showing which map will used to reflect the terrain in a particular sector.

10.    Period The Campaign Is Set In.   November 1944.

11.    Location Of The Campaign.   Normandy.

12.     Overview Of The Forces Available.   The forces available to each side roughly represent a Divisions worth of troops.

13.     Unit Types.   There are 6 types of unit available in the campaign.

Type Movement Comment
Divisional HQ. 1 The HQ unit.  One per side.  2,000 points worth of Infantry and Heavy Weapons.  No Tanks allowed.

Infantry Battalion. 1 A unit, which does not have sufficient transport (trucks or APCs) to carry all of its Infantry.  It may include Tanks.

Mech Battalion.
 3 The unit is fully mechanised.  It includes sufficient transport for all its Infantry and Heavy Weapons, but has no Tanks.

Armoured Battalion.
 2 The unit is fully mechanised.  There are sufficient trucks/APCSs to embark all troops and Heavy Weapons.  In addition it has Tanks.

Artillery Battalion. 1 Each side has 2 Battalions.  See Para X for full details of the composition and their abilities.

Recon Aircraft Flight. Unlimited A flight of aircraft to undertake Recon duties.  They operate from an airfield.  (See Para X for more details).  N

14.     Numbers Of Each Type Of Unit.   There are 24 units per side:
1 x HQ
2 x Artillery Battalions
1 x Recon Flight
20 Other units.  (The composition of which is decided by the CO.  Dependant on his selection, that will influence the Type of unit it is classified as)

14a.     Unit Composition.   The composition of the Artillery Battalions and the Recon Flight is set by the Umpire.  All other units are configured by the CO, and must be chosen from the Force Selection spreadsheet.  The composition remains unchanged during the campaign.

13.     Unit Strength.   Each configurable unit is 1,800 pts strong.

15.     Force Selection Available.   The Force Selection available is based on the Fion Kelly 75 rules.

16.     Troop Experience.  All troops start with a ‘Green’ Rating, however this may increase up to Elite as the game progresses.  See Para XX.

17.     Strategic Map Movement – Direction Of Movement.   Units cannot move diagonally, only horizontally or vertically.

18.     Strategic Map Movement.   There are 2 types of movement available:

    a. Combat Move.   This occurs when a unit tries to move into an enemy territory.  The max distance permissible is one sector.

    b. Non-Combat Move.   This occurs when a unit tries to move from a sector held by them at the start of their turn into another sector held by them at the end of the turn.  The max distance it is permissible to move is 3 sectors.  Note that it is possible that this move may be interrupted or reduced to 1 sector by hostile activity.

c.     A unit that is attacking out of a controlled sector, cannot itself be attacked.

19.     Maximum Number Of Combats Allowed.   The maximum number of combats that can take place is 10.  As both sides start with 24 units, over time as the front line becomes staggered, it is theoretically possible that more than 10 attacks could be launched.  With only 10 players per side this is not possible however.  Uncontested combat (See Para X) does not count against this limit.

20.     Instances When Attacks Must be Ordered.   Unless impossible due to attack or movement constraints COs must endeavour to make attacks.  If they are unable to the opposition then must if possible.  This rule is included to try and ensure where possible all players have battles to fight in each round.

21.     Pinning.   It is not possible to voluntarily withdraw a unit from a sector that has been attacked, even if the unit had been given a movement order away.  The exception to this rule is if units are stacked together.  In that event one may move away, but one must stay.

22.    Maximum Number Of Attacks.   It is theoretically possible that a unit could find it self completely surrounded.  Only 2 attacks can be made into that sector however, as to do otherwise would contravene the stacking rules if the attack were successful.  Note that although 2 units are attacking, as per the stacking rules, only one will undertake the combat.

25.     Ownership Of Sectors.   At the start of the campaign the initial set-up map indicates the ownership of sectors at that time.  Ownership can change due to success or failure in combat, or an uncontested combat move.

26.     Uncontested Combat.  A unit, which moves into sector, which is owned the enemy, and is not defended by an enemy unit, will capture that sector.

27.     Supply – Determination Of.   A unit must be able to trace an uninterrupted line of ‘friendly’ sectors to its baseline at the start of the turn to be considered in supply.  (It does not matter if any or all of those sectors subsequently are fought over).

28.    Impact Of Being Out Of Supply.   A unit that is out of supply cannot:

a. Launch an attack, it may only defend.

b. Be allocated any HQ forces.  (See Para X)

29.     Initiative And The Movement Sequence.   One side or the other is always considered to hold the initiative.  That side has the opportunity to move first.

30.     Initiative – How To Determine Which Side Has It.

a. At the start of the game.   Initial initiative is decided by a roll of the dice to determine which force is Side A and Side B.  Side A declares his first unit to move, followed by Side B, this sequence is followed until both sides have issued orders to all units.  (It is acceptable for a unit to be given an order of Hold)

b. In Subsequent Rounds.   Subsequently, the winner of the most combats in the previous round will always go first, being able to declare 3 attacks initially, then both sides alternating.  Should the number of won combats be a draw, then revert to Para (a) above.

31.     Experience PointsRating.   Units and UCs achieve experience points for participating in combat.

 Lost / Drawn Battle Win
Units 0.5 1.0
UCs 0.5 1.0

32.     Experience Rating.   All units start this campaign as Green troops (apart from the HQ which starts as Veteran), and all UCs start with a Regular rating.  A combined combination of the points below will lead to units being upgraded.

  Unit Commanders (UC) Points
Unit Points   0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
 0.0 Gre Gre Gre Reg Reg Reg Reg Reg Vet Vet Vet
 0.5 Reg Reg Reg Reg Reg Reg Reg Vet Vet Vet Vet
 1.0 Reg Reg Reg Reg Reg Reg Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet
 1.5 Reg Reg Reg Reg Reg Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet
 2.0 Reg Reg Reg Reg Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet
 2.5 Reg Reg Reg Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet
 3.0 Reg Reg Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Elite
 3.5 Reg Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Elite Elite
 4.0 Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Elite Elite Elite
 4.5 Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Elite Elite Elite Elite
 5.0 Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Vet Elite Elite Elite Elite Elite
 

34.    Turn Sequence

a. Determine (based on the previous turns results) which side holds the initiative.   (Umpire)

b. Advise HQ force selections to Umpire.   (COs)

c. Adjudge supply status and advised COs if any units out of supply.   (Umpire)

d. Strategic Map Movement Phase.  COs advise in sequence to the umpire which units are moving.   (COs & Umpire)

e. Confirmation of combat.  COs are formally advised of which units are attacking and which are defending, and in which sectors.  (Umpire)

f. C/Os assign their Players to units involved in combat, and advise all concerned (including the Umpire).   (COs)

g. Experience points of the Units in combat and the assigned UC is combined together and the Experience rating of the units is adjudged.   (Umpire)

 h. Umpire sets up the games and posts them out.   (Umpire)

i. Games are played, and results advised to the COs and the Umpire by a screen dump of the final screen.  (Players)

j. Strategic Map is adjusted to reflect the outcome of the combat.   (Umpire)

(1) Victorious units are awarded / or retain possession of the sector they fought over.

(2) Defeated units, if attacking remain in the sector from where the attack was launched.

(3) Defeated units that had been defending a sector are forced to retreat into a neighbouring friendly sector.  See Para X on destroying units.

(a) The COs advise the Umpire which sector the units retreat into.

k. Where the HQ forces fought is made public. (Umpire)

l. Unit and UC experience points are awarded.  (Umpire)

m. Web site is updated and all players advised of the result.   (Umpire)

35.    Replacement Of Destroyed/Damaged Vehicles Between Battles.  After each combat, any losses incurred by a unit in previous are made good, and the unit is retuned to 100% strength.  (Although highly unrealistic this rule is required to reduce the administrative burden of running this campaign to a minimum).

36.    Destroying Units.   A unit is destroyed if it:

a. Has to retreat off the strategic map.

b. Is forced to retreat, but there are no friendly neighbouring friendly sectors where it can move to without contravening stacking limitations.

37.    Role Of The Umpire.  The umpire will attempt to run the campaign for the enjoyment of all the players.  He will not participate as a player himself.
 
 

END