Errata | Questions on the Rules :: Combat :: Tactics :: Air Combat & Air Supremacy :: Direct Strikes :: Supplies :: Artillery Usage :: Mapboard :: Movement, Attacks, Withdrawals & Control :: Cards :: Victory Conditions | Submit New Question

Errata

  Historic Scenario: Impregnable Fortress
British Deployment Card
First spotted by Ian Yeo, Singapore

Error:
According to the troop manifest there are 7 British Bren Gun Carriers. However, only 6 British Bren Gun Carriers are shown on the Deployment Map.

Correction:

The seventh British Bren Gun Carrier should be placed in the Seletar sector.
  Historic Scenario: Impregnable Fortress
Japanese Starting Supplies
First spotted by Willem Boersma, The Netherlands

Error:
The Japanese Deployment Card shows that the Japanese player starts with 40 supplies, but the Rulebook states that the Japanese player starts with 30 supplies.

Correction:

The Japanese player starts with 40 supplies.
  Mapboard
Axis-of-Attack

Error:
The mapboard indicates that the Defender has a +1/2 bonus against attacks from across rivers, but it does not indicate a bonus against attacks from across the much wider Straits of Johor in the north or from the sea in the south.

Correction:
The Defender has a +1 bonus against attacks from all Axis-of-Attacks (in other words, both from across the Straits of Johor in the north and from the sea in the south). Amphibious landings just got much deadlier. Invaders beware!
  Mapboard
Buloh-Kranji Defence Bonus
First spotted by Willem Boersma, The Netherlands

Error:
No defence bonus is given for the river separating Buloh sector and Kranju sector.

Correction:
There is a +1/2 defence bonus between Buloh sector and Kranji sector.
 
Axis-of-Attack
Movement & Stacking
First spotted by Willem Boersma, The Netherlands

Error:
There are no rules for the movement of units from one Axis-of-Attack to another Axis-of-Attack.

Correction:
A unit may move from an Axis-of-Attack to another already activated Axis-of-Attack. Distance does not matter. However, the unit must end its turn in the destination Axis-of-Attack. A unit from a land Axis-of-Attack (A to F) cannot move to a sea Axis-of-Attack (G to I) and vice-versa. An Axis-of-Attack has no stacking limit.
 
Axis-of-Attack
Water Crossing
First spotted by Willem Boersma, The Netherlands

Error:
No rule or exception was stated that allows non-water-crossing units (such as artillery units and armour units) to cross a water obstacle via an Axis-of-Attack.

Correction:
Non-water-crossing units (such as artillery units and armour units) can cross water via an Axis-of- Attack. This is one of the special properties of an Axis-of-Attack. It is important to note that once across, the non-water-crossing unit cannot cross back.

A player can think of this as days of once-off invasion-specific preparation allowing certain non-water-crossing units to be able to cross water. In fact, historically, during the Battle of Singapore, some Japanese tanks were “floated” across the Straits of Johore.
  Tactics
Flanking Manoeuvre
First spotted by Elijah Lau, Singapore

Error:
In the rulebook, it is not stated whether the Attacker or the Defender chooses the die to be lost.  The line "...the Attacker gets to remove 1 die from the defending unit..." strongly implies the Attacker has the choice.

Correction:
The Defender chooses the die to remove as a result of being flanked.  The line in the rulebook should read "...the Attacker gets to force the Defender to remove 1 die from the defending unit..."
  Combat Board
Defender Stats
First spotted by Alexis Wong, Singapore

Error:
The Combat Board does not show the defence stats for fixed artillery units.

Correction:
Fixed artillery units defend at

  Victory Conditions
Period to Hold an Objective
First spotted by Willem Boersma, The Netherlands

Error:
When an army captures its last objective needed for a victory, it is not stated in the rulebook or the scenario cards whether the game is over immediately, or whether the opposing side has a time period in which to reclaim that objective.

Correction:

For casual players, the game is over immediately upon the capture of the last objective.

For more serious players, the potential winner has to hold onto all the objectives needed for victory for one full turn (i.e. until his next turn), before a win is declared. This affords all the opponents the fair opportunity of one turn with which to reclaim at least one of the objectives and reverse the win.

Players may wish to agree on which convention to adopt prior to starting the game.

Questions on the Rules

Combat & Combat Withdrawal

  1. Must the Defender always place his units first? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes. The Defender always places his units first.

  2. The Combat Board only has diagrams for a limited number of aircraft and artillery. For instance, there is only 1 bomber aircraft diagram. Does this imply that there is a limit to the number of aircraft or artillery units that can join in combat? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. There is no limit to the number of air or artillery units that can be brought into combat, regardless of the spaces available on the combat board.

  3. Must the Attacker always roll his dice first? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. There is no rule on which player rolls his dice first. However, the convention is for the Attacker to roll first or for both players to roll simultaneously. In fact, the probabilities do not change whichever player rolls first.

  4. Can an attacking unit attack more than 2 times? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. After attacking two times, an attacking unit is fatigued and cannot attack any more.

  5. What happens if both rounds end in a draw? - Updated Nov 2009
    The Attacker’s unit is fatigued and is returned to the map sector where the combat occurred.

  6. Can a Defender’s unit defend more than 2 times? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes. A Defender’s unit can defend indefinitely. There is no limit to the number of times a Defender’s unit can defend, as long as it continues to be successful.

  7. Defending units are allowed to withdraw voluntarily from combat and all units must withdraw together. Is it legitimate for defending units to withdraw just before ground combat begins? - Updated Dec 2009
    Yes. This is a legitimate tactic. Other than immediately ceding control, the withdrawing defenders face the risk of Strikes from the attacker. The attacker’s supplies are not “wasted”, as supplies used for artillery would have had a chance to eliminate withdrawing defenders (in order), while the ground units committed would have achieved their objective of capturing the sector without risking any casualties.

  8. When exactly can a withdrawal be made? - Updated Apr 2010
    An attacker or defender may withdraw at any time, as follows:
    • Withdrawing Attacker: Must have fought at least one combat round. All units must withdraw.
    • Withdrawing Defender: Need not have fought any combat rounds. All units must withdraw.

  9. How are strikes handled during a withdrawal? - Updated Apr 2010
    Strikes during a withdrawal are handled very simply, as follows:

    • Staying Player: Following the declaration of a withdrawal, the staying player gets to “use up” (fire) all his remaining unused strike units (both air & artillery units). This is the advantage of being the staying player. The staying player rolls for each of these strikes as per normal. “Suppressed” results are ignored. The withdrawing player’s units are eliminated in order (i.e. the withdrawing player’s point unit, now acting as the rearguard, gets removed first and so forth down the line).
    • Withdrawing Player: Following the declaration of a withdrawal, the withdrawing player may finish rolling any declared strikes. All remaining unused strike units are wasted. Hence, in effect, only the staying player’s point unit has a chance of being affected.

  10. During a withdrawal, can the staying player’s air units strike at the withdrawing units? - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes, for unused air units. Air units operate in the same way as all other strike units and are governed by the same rules.

  11. For the purposes of direct strike, does a new pair of point units facing off mean both sides bringing forward a new point unit or just one side bringing forward a new point unit? - Updated Jun 2010
    Just one side bringing forward a new unit is sufficient.

Tactics

  1. Can the Attacker commit 3 units and use both Flanking Manoeuvre & Force Concentration at the same time? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. The Attacker may only use one tactic at a time.

  2. For Force Concentration, can the Attacker choose which die to add from the supporting unit? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes. If the supporting unit’s unit strength is represented by more than 1 type of die, then the Attacker can choose the type of dice to add. Under normal circumstances, the Attacker would usually add the strongest type of dice.

  3. For Flanking Manoeuvre, what happens if the defending unit’s unit strength is only represented by one die?
    Does this mean an automatic win for the Attacker?
    - Updated Nov 2009
    No. Using the Flanking Manoeuvre against a unit with 1 die as its unit strength does not result in an automatic win. However, the unit is penalised by having to subtract 1 from its highest die result.

  4. Does participating as supporting unit use up 1 “attack”? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes. A unit supporting the point unit uses up 1 of its attacks. After 2 attacks, the supporting unit is fatigued, just as though it is the point unit.

  5. Can the Attacker change his mind and switch a unit’s tactic (e.g from Flanking Manoeuvre to Force Concentration) between combat rounds? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. A unit is committed to the tactic that the player has chosen. This reflects real combat where units cannot simply change their tactical role as they wish in the short duration of a skirmish. As a commander, choose your tactics wisely.

  6. Can the Attacker swap the roles of the point unit and the supporting unit? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. The point unit cannot be made the supporting unit and vice versa. Therefore, it is important to place your units in the correct order before starting the battle.

  7. What happens if the point unit is fatigued, but the supporting unit has 1 “attack” left and there are no more attacking units left to be the next point unit? - Updated Nov 2009
    The supporting unit can use up its last “attack” in a Standard Attack. This is the only circumstance whereby a supporting unit can become a point unit.

Air Combat & Air Supremacy

  1. When fighting for Air Superiority, can the point unit engaged in combat be changed each round? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes. Each point unit can fight as few as one round or fight indefinitely, if the player so wishes.

  2. When fighting for Air Superiority, can defending or attacking air units retreat? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes. Air units can retreat at any time after at least 1 round of air combat, effectively yielding control of the skies over to the opponent. The retreating unit goes to the Aircraft Repair Box.

  3. When & how are air units deployed for Strikes? Is it possible to avoid interception by enemy air units by declaring a Strike late? - Updated Jan 2010
    Air units have no strike range (unlike artillery units). Hence, they can only do Strikes in their current sector, assuming they are in the air (i.e. deployed) and not caught on the ground. Air units are governed by the same Direct Strike rules as artillery units and so cannot declare “early” or “late”. An air unit is deployed to a sector during a player’s turn. Hence, during a player’s turn, he can see where an enemy air unit is and deploy his available air units to either intercept or evade accordingly. However, even if he chooses to evade, on his opponent’s turn, his opponent’s air units will be able to intercept his air units. Hence, it is generally extremely difficult to completely avoid any form of interception. Once in combat, opposing air units must fight to establish Air Superiority first, before any ground combat occurs. Hence, once opposing air units are in the same sector, interception is guaranteed and at least one round of air combat would occur.

  4. Is it possible to attack air units on the ground with ground units? - Updated Jan 2010
    Yes. Air units on the ground do not have Defend stats on the Combat Board and cannot participate in defence. If a sector with a air unit on the ground is attacked & captured, the air unit is immediately eliminated.

  5. Is it possible to attack air units on the ground solely with air units? - Updated Jan 2010
    No. Under the current rules, it is not possible to attack grounded air units solely with air units. The attack must involve at least one ground unit as per normal attack rules.

  6. Is it possible to attack or destroy airbases? - Updated Jan 2010
    No. Under the current rules, it is not possible to attack or destroy airbases.

Direct Strikes
  1. When conducting a Strike, if I have already hit my opponent’s point unit, can I cancel the remaining Strikes? Conversely, if none of my Strikes hit, can I immediately call for more Strikes from any remaining strike units?
    - Updated Nov 2009

    No. The decision of how many units and which units to commit to a Strike is made before any Strike is resolved. This decision is absolute and final for that round of combat. All committed Strikes must be used and no new Strikes may be added. In effect, all the Strikes happen simultaneously. Once the best result has been obtained, the remaining Strikes are unfortunately wasted. In the same vein, it is also illegal to observe the result of one Strike before deciding to conduct more Strikes for that same round of combat.

  2. When conducting a Strike, can a non-point unit be targeted? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes & No. The target must always be the current point unit or the supporting unit, if any. No other units, including opposing artillery units, can be targeted.

  3. The Attacker’s point unit has been hit by a Strike. Is the Attacker’s supporting unit affected? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. Unlike combat, the results of a Strike only apply to the target of the Strike. However, instead of bringing up a new unit, the supporting unit can choose to become the next point unit and conduct a Standard Attack.

  4. The opponent’s point unit has been hit by a Strike and a new point unit has moved up. Can I declare new Strikes? - Updated Nov 2009
    Yes. New Strikes may be declared whenever a new pair of point units faces off.

  5. Can I continue to conduct Strikes if I have no more ground units left along the central axis? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. There must always be at least one pair of point units facing off along the central axis before a Strike can be conducted. Any unused striking units are wasted.

  6. What are the fundamental principles to remember for Direct Strikes? - Updated Dec 2009
    The fundamental principles are as follows:
    • Strikes are declared whenever a new pair of point units faces off, but before any die is rolled.
    • Each Strike targets exactly one unit. This can be either a point unit or a supporting unit.
    • A player cannot observe the results of a Strike then declare new Strikes. All Strikes must be declared at once, before any die is rolled.

  7. Do defending strike units (including air units) receive a defence bonus when the defender is entitled to one? - Updated Apr 2010
    No. The bonus only applies to ground units placed along the central axis of the combat board.

Supplies

  1. Do I collect the same number of supply tokens for every scenario and for every time period? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. The number of supply tokens collected varies from scenario to scenario, from time period to time period and from player to player.

  2. I have an attacking unit in a contested sector. It is a new turn. Do I need to pay supply for it to renew its attack? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. Supply is only paid for new attacking units moving into a contested sector. No supply is needed for units already in a contested sector to continue fighting.

  3. Is any supply needed to attack and capture an unoccupied enemy-controlled sector? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. It is sufficient to move into or through the sector.

  4. Can an out-of-supply (surrounded) unit that wins a battle in a contested sector with an opponent’s Supply Point capture supply tokens from his opponent? - Updated Dec 2009
    Yes. The unsupplied winning attacking units have not only captured supplies, but have also captured the Supply Point and hence are now in supply.

  5. If all of the Supply Points of a side are captured, does that side still receive supply tokens? - Updated Dec 2009
    Yes. A player with no Supply Points still receives supplies as per normal. However, he cannot use them as no supply lines can be traced, since there is no originating Supply Point. Hence, he cannot take any actions that require supplies. Definitely not a good situation to be in.

    Example:

    If the Japanese player captures Tiong Bahru, Keppel and Queenstown sectors from the Commonwealth players, the Commonwealth players will still receive supply tokens but cannot use them until they re-capture at least one Supply Point. This may prove impossible if the re-capture requires the launching of an attack.

  6. When do I check for whether a unit is in-supply or out-of-supply? Is it affected by how recently supply was lost and whose turn it is? - Updated Jan 2010
    Supply line checks are done at the point when an action that require supply is about to be taken (e.g. launching an attack or firing an artillery unit). It is a check done “at that instance” and is not affected by how recently supply was lost and whose turn it is.

    Example:
    For example, there are some Japanese units are on South West Islands sector. The British just captured Tuas sector by launching an attack from Clementi sector.

    In other words, the British now control both Tuas sector and Clementi sector. These are the only two sectors adjacent to South West Island. This means that it is not possible for the Japanese force to trace any supply line into the South West Islands sector at all during the Japanese turn. The Japanese units are now out of supply and cannot launch any attacks or take any actions that required supply (such as fire artillery from the sector).

    Further, both Tuas sector and Clementi sector contain British units and are not empty sectors. Clementi sector contains a fixed artillery unit (the 15" fortress gun). Hence, the Japanese units cannot simply move into Clementi and will need to launch an attack to capture Clementi. This effectively means that the Japanese force is now stuck on South West Islands until the situation changes.

  7. Is any supply needed to use an air unit for a direct strike? - Updated Mar 2010
    No. Supply is never needed for using air units, even in a direct strike role.

  8. Can supply lines out from an Axis-of-Attack be traced across water, such as the Straits of Johore? - Updated Jun 2010
    Yes. When tracing a supply line out from an Axis-of-Attack, the first sector may be across water. This is one of the special properties of an Axis-of-Attack. Subsequent sectors must follow the normal rules for tracing supply lines.

  9. Is a unit in-supply if it's in a contested enemy sector, as long as a legal supply line can be traced? - Updated Jun 2010
    Yes. A unit is in-supply as long as a legal supply line can be traced, even if it is in a contested enemy sector. The ending point of a supply line can be a contested enemy sector, although the rest of the supply line must go through friendly sectors only.

  10. Can a supply line be traced through a contested but friendly sector? - Updated Jun 2010
    Yes.

  11. Does an attacking unit need to be in-supply in both the sector it is attacking from and the sector it is attacking into? - Updated Jun 2010
    No. Supply line checks are done at the point when an action that requires supply is about to be taken. Hence, the attacking unit only needs to be in-supply in the sector it is attacking from.

    Despite being in-supply, do remember that units in a contested sector cannot launch an attack on another sector (i.e. move directly into an uncontested enemy sector).

Artillery Usage

  1. When determining artillery range, where do I start counting? - Updated Nov 2009
    The sector that an artillery unit is currently in does not count. Start counting from its neighbouring sector. Hence, an artillery unit with a range of 1 can fire into all its neighbouring sectors.

  2. Can an artillery unit be used for both Offensive Artillery Barrage and Defensive Artillery Barrage in the same time period (e.g. Night of 10 February 1942)? This means that it may be firing multiple times in that time period.
    - Updated Nov 2009

    Yes. An artillery unit may be used multiple times during a time period. However, it may only be used once per player’s turn.

    Example:
    In the Historic Scenario, a Japanese artillery unit can be used 3 times each time period (e.g. the Night of 10 Feb 1942) – once on their own turn (for Offense), once on the Australian turn (for Defence) and once on the British turn (for Defence). Since Australian & British units are on the same side and cannot attack each other, an Australian or British artillery unit can be used 2 times each time period – once on their own turn (for Offense) and once on the Japanese turn (for Defence).

    This reduces the “book-keeping” by players on which artillery unit has fired in a particular time period.

  3. Can I make Strikes without committing any ground units? - Updated Nov 2009
    No. There must always be at least one pair of point units facing off along the central axis before a Strike can be conducted. If you commit no ground units, then you have no point unit on the central axis and no Strikes can be conducted.

  4. Can artillery units fire out of an Axis-of-Attack? - Updated Mar 2010
    Yes. An artillery unit can fire out of an Axis-of-Attack. The Axis-of-Attack functions like a sector. Note that the grey sea zones are not sectors. Hence the coastal sector counts as the first sector for ranging purposes.

    Example:
    An artillery unit on Axis-of-Attack B can fire into Tengah sector. An artillery unit on Axis-of-Attack F can fire into Pasir Ris sector.

  5. Do artillery units receive the defence bonus when their sector is under attack? - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes. In such as case, they function & defend as normal ground units and so received the defence bonus.

  6. Can an artillery unit in a contested sector perform strikes against a unit in a different sector? - Updated Jun 2010
    No. In any single player's turn, an artillery unit may only be moving or firing (striking) or defending. An artillery unit in a contest sector would be defending as a normal ground unit and cannot be firing.

  7. Can Australian artillery units support a battle during the British player's turn and vice versa? - Updated Jun 2010
    No. You can only control your own units and hence you cannot use the units of another army even if they are on the same side as you.

Mapboard

  1. Which sector does the 6” gun on the small island between Blakang Mati sector & Keppel sector belong to?
    - Updated Dec 2009

    The small island (known as Pulau Brani) is colour-coded the same as Blakang Mati sector and hence belongs to Blakang Mati sector.

  2. Which sectors can I attack from Ubin sector, when there is no Axis-of-Attack out of Ubin sector? - Updated Dec 2009
    Ubin sector is adjacent to Punggol, Pasir Ris, Changi & Tekong sectors, as indicated by the grey sea zones linking Ubin and these sectors. Ubin is designed as a sector instead of an Axis-of-Attack, so as to cater to alternative scenarios where the Japanese may not start in control of Ubin island.

  3. I would like to fire the guns on Tekong island. Which sectors are Tekong sector adjacent to? - Updated Dec 2009
    The grey sea zones are not sectors. Hence the first adjacent sectors to Tekong are Ubin & Changi. This applies for all game purposes, such as range and attacks. There is no special rule.

  4. Is the straits in the north and the sea in the south that the various Axes-of-Attack cross consider “water obstacles”? This affect withdrawals from combat. - Updated Dec 2009
    Yes. The straits in the north (known as the Straits of Johor) and the sea in the south (known as the Strait of Singapore) are considered “water obstacles”. Both these bodies of water are much wider than the rivers on Singapore island that are also “water obstacles”.

  5. Which player controls the empty sectors at set up? Does the player that moves into an empty sector first automatically assume control? - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes. The first player who moves into an empty sector assumes control. For this reason, the initial control of the empty sectors is actually not critical, as it neither impedes movement nor affects deployment in any way.

Movement, Attacks, Withdrawals & Control

  1. I still don’t understand whether a suppressed unit can withdraw across a water obstacle. Can you explain that again? - Updated Nov 2009
    To make this simple to understand, no unit may withdraw across a water obstacle unless it fulfils all of the following conditions:
    • The unit is an attacking unit. Defending units may never withdraw across water.
    • The Attacker just made an attack across a water obstacle into the contested sector the current turn. The withdrawing unit need not be one of the fresh attacking units.
    • The unit must withdraw back to a sector from which an attack was launched the current turn.

    Example:
    If Japanese units holding Tuas sector are attacked by British units from Clementi sector, the Japanese cannot withdraw to the South West Islands sector for two reasons:
    • Retreating or suppressed units may only withdraw to a neighbouring uncontested friendly sector. However, South West Islands sector is currently controlled by the British.
    • The South West Islands sector is across water. No defending unit may withdraw across water.

  2. During my turn, can my units in a contested sector move out of that sector into an adjacent friendly sector? Into an adjacent contested sector? - Updated Dec 2009
    Yes. An engaged unit may move out of a contested sector, as per normal movement rules. They may move into another contested sector, as per normal movement rules, but supplies will need to be used, as per normal supply rules.

  3. During my turn, can my units in a contested sector launch an attack into a new uncontested sector?
    - Updated Apr 2010
    No. An attack must always be launched from an uncontested sector that is in supply. A unit in a contested sector cannot launch an attack directly into a new uncontested sector. However, the unit may first move into an uncontested sector then attack another sector in the same turn, if it still has movement left.

  4. During my turn, can I first withdraw all my units from a contested area, then attack that same area either with the same units or with other units? This would then convert me from a Defender into an Attacker and allow combat to continue on my turn. - Updated Dec 2009
    Yes. This is a legitimate tactic. The cost of this tactic is that control of that sector first switches to the former Attacker (following the complete withdrawal of the former defending units). This may be significant for various reasons. Thereafter, the former attacking units are now the defending units of the sector, hence permitting a (counter-attack) by the former Defender. Another cost is that the unit “swap” by the former Defender requires supplies, as per normal attacking rules.

  5. Does an objective sector need to be both friendly and in-supply to count towards victory? - Updated Dec 2009
    No. An objective sector only needs to be friendly-controlled to count towards victory. Yes. Unsupplied defenders will continue to control that sector, until eliminated. The important point to note is that victory conditions are dependent on control , not supply. Design-wise, this allows for desperate “last stand” battles. For instance, if a surrounded & unsupplied defending British infantry unit manages to hold out against the Japanese until the scenario ends, its heroic defence would (& should) deprive the Japanese of a strategic objective and a higher level of victory. The same rule also applies to unsupplied and surrounded Japanese defenders holding onto a strategic objective. Similarly, because control is the determining factor, keeping a sector contested on the last round without pushing out or eliminating the defenders in that sector does not (& should not) contribute to the attacker’s victory in any way.

  6. If a sector that only has fixed artillery units is attacked, what happens? - Updated Jan 2010
    Although a fixed artillery unit is immobile, it is still considered a unit. Hence, a sector with only fixed artillery unit(s) is not an empty sector. To capture such a sector, an attack needs to be launched as per normal attack rules.

    Example:
    If the Australian player moves all units out of Pasir Laba, except for the immobile 6” Australian fortress gun, the Japanese player would still need to launch an attack (and pay the necessary supplies) to capture Pasir Laba.

  7. Can a fixed artillery unit defend, since it has no Defend stats on the Combat Board? - Updated Jan 2010
    Yes. A fixed artillery unit defends with the same stats as a field artillery unit: . Please refer to the errata above.

    For all intents and purposes, a fixed artillery unit functions the same way as a field artillery unit, except with zero movement and with special combat outcomes (see below).

    An artillery unit (both fixed & field) fighting in its own sector cannot do Direct Strikes. Instead it must fight as a normal ground unit (along the central axis of the Combat Board).

    For fixed artillery, an “eliminate” combat outcome results in a capture, while a “suppressed” combat outcome results in elimination. If the Attacker captures some guns in a sector, but the Defender ultimately wins the battle, the Defender retains control of sector and all captured guns are immediately treated as eliminated instead.

  8. Can a field artillery unit attack, since it has no Attack stats on the Combat Board? - Updated Jan 2010
    No. Artillery units do not have Attack stats on the Combat Board and hence cannot launch attacks. They can only support attacks using direct strikes.

  9. Are British and Australian units allowed to share a sector? - Updated Mar 2010
    No. British and Australian units cannot occupy the same sector, even though they are on the same side. They may only pass through each other’s sector. This means that careful coordination between the two Commonwealth players is needed to ensure that allied units have a legal sector to move to when suppressed from combat. Remember, a suppressed unit with no legal sector to retreat to is eliminated instead.

  10. Do Axes-of-Attack have any stacking limit? - Updated Mar 2010
    No. An Axis-of-Attack has no stacking limit.

    In Scenario 01: The Almost Naked Island, there is an initial deployment limit for each Axis-of-Attack (with different limits for main attacks and feint attacks). This limit is lifted once the game starts.

  11. Is it necessary to keep units already in a sector separate from any reinforcing units when the only way of retreat is across a water obstacle, since the former are eliminated when suppressed, whereas the latter may withdraw across the water obstacle? - Updated Apr 2010
    No. There is no need to keep the previously committed units and the reinforcing units separate. As long as a single unit attacked or reinforced that turn across a water obstacle, then all units (that can cross water) can retreat via that water obstacle during that turn. The main reason is to reduce book-keeping by players.

    The player can think of this as getting the newly reinforcing unit to mount a rescue operation for
    their comrades trapped across the river.

  12. Is a player allowed to withhold deploying an air unit? - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes. This is a legitimate tactic. Deploying aircraft in any particular turn is not mandatory and is entirely the prerogative of the various field commanders.

    Example:
    The Japanese player has deployed all their air units on Turn 1. The British player can decide not to deploy his single air unit in Turn 1, so as to have air superiority on Turn 2, while all the Japanese air units are refuelling.

  13. What is the defence bonus if a sector is attacked from across a few defence lines that grant different or no defence bonuses? - Updated Apr 2010
    In such as situation, the defences have been outflanked and the defender always gets the lowest possible defence bonus.

    Example:
    An attack is launched against Buloh sector from Axis-of-Attack B (defence bonus +1) and Mandai sector (defence bonus +1/2). The applicable defence bonus drops to +1/2.

    Example:
    An attack is launched against Paya Lebar sector from Hougang sector across the Serangoon Defence Line. Some attacking units attack via on-road movement (defence bonus +1/2), while other attacking units attack via off-road movement (no defence bonus.) The applicable defence
    bonus drops to 0.

  14. Can different suppressed or withdrawn units retreat to various different sectors? - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes. A suppressed or withdrawn unit retreat to any adjacent legal sector. Just handle each suppression or withdrawal on its own. It is then clear that different units can end up retreating to different sectors. There is no special rule for multiple retreats or suppressions.

  15. Can withdrawing units use their maximum movement value (e.g. 3 along a road for an infantry unit)?
    - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes & No.

    If a unit is simply moving out of a contested sector during the “Move Units & Declare Attacks” phase, then it may move its full movement. There is no special rule.

    If a unit is withdrawing from combat in the middle of a battle, then the legal sectors to retreat to are the same as though they are suppressed. These are always an adjacent sector. Again, there is no special rule.

  16. Is a unit moving out of a contested sector during normal movement subject to any form of penalty (e.g. direct strikes)? - Updated Apr 2010
    No. If a unit is simply moving out of the contested sector during the “Move Units & Declare Attacks” phase, then it moves normally without any penalty or disadvantage. Normal movement is not subject to any attacks. There is no special rule.

  17. Can a unit retreat to a sector occupied by only an air unit of another friendly player? - Updated Apr 2010
    No. Units from different armies cannot share a sector. This is regardless of whether the units are ground units or air units. There is no special rule.

  18. Can a unit retreat to a sector occupied by only an air unit of an opposing player? - Updated Apr 2010
    No. A sector with an enemy air unit would be controlled by the enemy and hence not a legal sector for retreat. There is no special rule.

  19. Can a unit share a sector occupied by only an air unit of another friendly player? - Updated Apr 2010
    No. Units from different armies cannot share a sector. This is regardless of whether the units are ground units or air units. There is no special rule.

  20. Can an air unit land at an airfield controlled by another friendly player? - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes & No.

    If the sector controlled by a friendly player is not empty, the air unit cannot enter it. Units from different armies cannot share a sector. This is regardless of whether the units are ground units or air units. There is no special rule.

    If the sector controlled by a friendly player is empty, then the air unit can land (i.e. end its movement) in it. Control immediately switches to the air unit’s player. This is similar to a ground unit ending its movement in an empty sector controlled by a friendly player. There is no special rule.

  21. Do sectors become contested the moment an attack is declared during the “Move Units & Declare Attacks” phase? - Updated Apr 2010
    Yes. The newly attacked sectors count as contested sectors immediately after the “Declare Attacks” phase.

  22. Can I engage multiple sectors in the same turn to deny the opponent of sectors for retreat for that turns?
    - Updated Apr 2010

    Yes, it is a legitimate tactic to engage multiple sectors to deny the opponent of sectors for retreat. The player can think of this as launching an all-out assault across the entire front. This is also a way to crush a pocket of resistance, where all sectors in the encircled pocket are engaged at once.

    However, if the defender is supplied and/or successfully defends in some sectors, then during the defender's turn, the defender can shift some of its units around between these contested sectors to re-establish a good defence perimeter, since it is legal to move units from a contested sector to another contested sector, as long as supplies are paid.

    An unsupplied pocket pressured on all fronts is in a perilous situation, since it does not have the supplies to move units into another contested sector (i.e. re-deploy along the pocket perimeter).

    One historical example is the Battle of Bastogne where the Germans failed to exert sufficient all-round pressure, thus allowing the US defenders to continually shift their limited forces around to meet successive assaults.

  23. There are a number of possibilities for movement in terms of the state of the starting sector and ending sector, such as friendly-vs-enemy, contested-vs-uncontested. What are the definitive rules on all movement?
    - Updated Jun 2010

    Please refer to the following table:

    ORIGIN SECTOR
    DESTINATION SECTOR
    Friendly Controlled
    Enemy Controlled
    Uncontested
    Contested
    Uncontested
    Contested
    Friendly Controlled
    Uncontested

    [requires supplies]

    [requires supplies]
    Contested
    Enemy
    Controlled
    Uncontested
    It is not possible to start in an uncontested enemy-controlled sector.
    Contested

    [requires supplies]

    [requires supplies]

  24. Is it legal to first move a unit from a friendly uncontested sector into an enemy uncontested sector, making the latter contested, and then move a unit from another already contested sector into the newly contested sector in the same movement phase? - Updated Jun 2010
    No. It is not a legitimate tactic to move units from a contested sector into an uncontested sector that just became contested in the same movement phase. All the unit movements in the same movement phase actually happen simultaneously rather than sequentially (regardless of the sequence the actual “planning” is done in). All sectors change their status from contested to uncontested and vice-versa simultaneously. Hence, the destination sector would need to be contested at the beginning of the turn, not mid-way through the same movement phase.

Cards

  1. I can’t find the Situation Cards anywhere in the box. Are they missing? - Updated Dec 2010
    No. The Situation Cards are not included in the main game box set. They are available as an add-on (also known as an “expansion pack”) to the game, which is sold separately.

  2. The rules stated on a Situation Card contradict the general rules of the game. Which one do I follow?
    - Updated Nov 2009

    Always follow the rules on the Situation Card. The purpose of the Situation Cards is to create special rules and special situations for players to adapt to.

  3. I just drew and played an Event Card. Do I get to draw another Situation Card? - Updated Nov 2009
    No.

  4. Why do we draw cards at the end of a turn, rather than at the beginning? - Updated Nov 2009
    There are two gameplay reasons for this. First, it forces players to make choices about Situation Cards to discard. If cards are drawn at the beginning of a turn, the player is most likely to try to play enough Situation Cards that turn, so that they don’t have to discard any at the end of a turn. Second, it adds to the unpredictability of play. Players may choose to keep certain Situation Cards with a plan in mind, but the situation may have changed by the time they can play the Situation Cards, when their next turn arrives.

Victory Conditions

  1. Is it possible for both the Japanese and Australian players to win the game by both achieving “Victory”? Since the Australian “Victory” is to have 12 units left in supply at the end of the game, why should the Australian player engage in combat at all? - Updated Mar 2010
    Yes & no. The winner is the player with the highest level of victory. If both the Japanese & Australian players to achieve “Victory” at the end of the game, they draw. This is the only “draw” possible from the victory conditions for the Historic Scenario. All other victory combinations require overlapping conditions meaning that there will be a clear winner.

    If the Australian player started the game with the intent of just achieving “Victor”, it is highly likely that the Japanese will achieve a higher level of victory.

    Historically, in the final days of the battle before the surrender, Major-General Bennett did order his units to stop firing on Japanese units and just secure the Australian HQ in a bid to preserve his strength. Japanese units were able to cross Australian fields of fire unmolested to assault British positions. The Australian victory conditions reflect this historical event.

  2. Does an objective sector need to be both friendly and uncontested to count towards victory? - Updated Jun 2010
    No. An objective sector only needs to be friendly-controlled to count towards victory. Whether that sector is contested or unsupplied has no bearing. Hence, merely cutting-off or contesting a defender-controlled position does not deprive the defender of a victory nor does it contribute to the attacker's victory in any way.

    Game-design-wise, this is to negate contrived tactics like throwing in a single infantry unit at the last moment for a “technical” block of an opponent's victory. It also allows for a single defender to have a last stand against a massive assault and, if successful, contribute towards either victory for his or her side or denying victory to the opposing side.

    So, to put it simply – if you can't dislodge the defender, you really haven't achieved your objective and you have no glory of victory.

New Question?

If the above does not answer a question that you have, please send us your rules-related question using the following form.

Name:  

Email:

 

Game:

 

Q1 Title:

 
Q1 Details:    

Q2 Title:

 
Q2 Details:    

Q3 Title:

 
Q3 Details:    

Q4 Title:

 
Q4 Details:    

Q5 Title:

 
Q5 Details:    


     

Please note that you will not receive a reply to your question. Instead, a new Question & Answer may appear on this page, so check back often. We do read every question that is sent to us. However, due to resource constraints, we may not be able to immediately create a new Question & Answer on this page for it. We seek your understanding in this.

 

 
© 2009 WorldsForge Private Limited. All rights reserved. Best viewed with IE 8.0 at 1024 x 768 resolution.