Michael Resch - 10:30am Aug 29, 1999 PST (#254 of 271) Work on Cossacks has led David and the playtesting crew to update the Mission Order rules. The following are the updated rules as of 8/28/99: MISSION ORDER SUMMARY Mission Orders (MO): Formations implementing a MO have their expenditure of Movement Points (MP) restricted. A MO may also require formations to perform different types of movement during the Movement and Counter-Movement Phases. If a formation fails to comply with the MO requirements given below, it loses one ML for each day that the current impulse consists of. Each MO type is explained below: Advance: All units which belong to formations on the Advance MO must expend any MPs they use moving through hexsides designated on the Mission Requirements Diagram (printed on the Strategic Chart) as an advance hexside. They may not move through the hexsides designated as exclusively retire hexsides. They may not expend MPs while stationary in a hex, unless they are performing reconnaissance, entering Entrenchment Mode, or placing a combat marker. If an infantry unit of a formation on the Advance MO enters the ZOC of an enemy combat class unit, it must place a combat marker, if it has sufficient MPs remaining to do so. Each Impulse a unit of a formation on the Advance MO must decrease the distance between the closest enemy combat class unit and itself by a minimum of one hex if possible, with the exception of combat class units within a fortress complex (i.e., Units on the Advance MO need not decease the distance between themselves and enemy combat class units stacked with or surrounded by a group of fortress units each with the same formation identifier). NOTE: This exemption is meant to allow Armies on the Advance MO to bypass fortress complexes. EXCEPTION: Main depots, supply units and army HQ units may move freely through any hexside while on the Advance MO. EXCEPTION: Formations where all Combat Class units are Shattered may move freely through any hexside and may expend MPs while stationary to enter Replacement Mode. Retire: All units which belong to formations on the Retire MO must expend any MPs they use moving through hexsides designated on the Mission Requirements Diagram (printed on the Strategic Chart) as a retire hexside. They may not move through the hexsides designated as exclusively advance hexsides. They may not expend MPs while stationary in a hex, unless they are performing reconnaissance, entering Entrenchment Mode, destroying bridges/rail lines or placing a combat marker. No unit of a formation on the Retire MO may voluntarily decrease the distance between the closest enemy unit and itself during any part of an impulse; it must increase the distance between the closest enemy unit and itself by a minimum of one hex if possible (exception: Units of an Isolated formation may decease the distance between the closest enemy unit and itself if moving through a retire hexside). No unit of a formation on the Retire MO may perform a Stand Fast combat option (Standard Rule 10.54B). EXCEPTION: Main depots, supply units and army HQ units may move freely through any hexside while on the Retire MO. EXCEPTION: Formations where all Combat Class units are Shattered may expend MPs while stationary to enter Replacement Mode. NOTE: If a unit force-marching fails a MC, and the MO of its formation is Retire, then any SPs lost count as Prisoner Points to the opposing player (Standard Rule 12.52). Hold: All units which belong to formations on the Hold MO have the movement point costs on the TEC doubled, with the exception of units in Road Mode (i.e., terrain costs are not doubled for units moving in Road Mode). The MP cost to place combat markers is doubled. Railroad movement rates are not effected. There are no hexside movement requirements for a formation that is in the Hold MO. EXCEPTION: Main depots and supply units do not have TEC costs doubled while under the Hold MO. Flexible: All units which belong to formations on the Flexible MO may expend all MPs available to them moving through any hexside they choose, and without any hexside movement requirements on them. EXCEPTION: Main depot and supply units that belong to an army on the Flexible MO may not move at all; they must remain stationary in their hex. Cavalry and Engineer Exceptions: All units which are attached to a Cavalry formation with a corresponding Command Counter (Corps, Division or Brigade) are exempt from MO restrictions. All Engineer units are exempt from MO restrictions. Consider these units to be on the Flexible MO. David Bolt - 08:05pm Sep 6, 1999 PST (#262 of 271) Currently playing "Clash of Eagles: The Eastern Front 1914" The companion game to HBtLF. David Steacy Antonio asks in #240: "#1 In a Retire Order, must a unit expend ALL its available movement points to retire, or can it use less than the total MPs? Standard Rule 7.15B (Retire Mission Order) states that units which belong to formations with the Retire Mission Order must "expend any MPs they use moving through hexsides designated on the Mission Requirements Diagram (on the Strategic Chart) as a retire hexside." The rule further stipulates that "all available MPs must be used to move through hexes using the retire hexsides." This rule finishes with the statement "it must increase the distance between the closest enemy unit and itself." Simply put, a unit must move at least one hex away from the nearest enemy unit when under the Retire Mission Order. This takes precedent over all other considerations. Then, said unit must then continue moving away from enemy units by expending all available MP moving through retire hexsides. Two exceptions to this movement are given in Standard Rule 7.15B -- digging entrenchments and placing combat markers. Another exception would be road-naval-rail mode. The new (optional) Mission Order Summary we are using to playtest "Clash of Eagles" (see #254 below) also provides for reconnaissance and destroying rail lines/bridges. Players should note that between digging entrenchments (3MP + MC) and placing an intensive combat marker (2MP) a player has the option to spend as much as 5MP in a hex without be forced to move through a retire hexside once the first hex has been retired to. "For example, assume a unit has 4 MPs available: Could it spend Zero movent points and just remain in the hex?" No - see above. To simplify your example, let us further assume this unit has an "infantry" mobility rating (i.e., 1 MP to enter a clear terrain hex). All responses below assume the expenditure of 1MP to enter a clear terrain hex… "Could it just spend 1 MP to retire 1 hex? (Assuming clear terrain.)" If a unit spent 1MP to retire one hex into clear terrain, then it would have 3 more MP to spend under the Retire Mission Order. If a unit entrenched it would expend 3MP and make a morale check. The unit in question could also choose to spend the MP in order to place a combat marker. If the unit in question expends 2MP to place an intensive combat marker in the clear terrain hex, it would still have one MP left (too little to entrench with) and would then be forced to retire through one of the hex in question's retire hexsides. However, if all the hexes adjacent to the retire hexsides cost more than 1 MP to enter, the retiring unit would have to remain in this clear terrain hex as it would not have sufficient MP to enter an adjacent hex. "Could the unit spend 2 MPs to place a combat marker on an adjacent enemy unit?" No, as it would first have to retire one hex. As we know from your example above, at least one of the hexes adjacent to the unit in question's hex is a clear hex, so it would have to spend only 1MP to enter that hex. As to whether this unit would have to continue retiring to another hex would depend on the MP cost to enter hexes adjacent to the retire hexsides of the newly occupied hex. If these too were clear terrain hexes, then the unit in question would retire two clear terrain hexes and then it would have sufficent remaining MP to place a combat marker, bringing its MP expenditure to an end as it would not have sufficent MP to enter an adjacent hex. BTW, a player could also choose to enter more costly terrain types in other adjacent hexes, a unit need not only enter the cheapest terrain cost when retiring. In an additional BTW, A unit places the combat marker on itself, with the marker oriented through the frontal hexside of the unit adjacent to the enemy unit it is attacking. "Or must the unit expend ALL 4 MPs to retire?" A unit must retire at least one hex. Then it may expend MP to entrench (3MP) or place a combat marker (1-2MP) but only if in doing so the unit no longer has sufficent MP to move through retire hexsides into adjacent hexes. "Can a unit remain the same distance away from an enemy unit while moving? (Note: the last sentence of 7.15b reads that a unit must INCREASE the distance from an enemy unit.)." No #2 Can a unit under an ADVANCE or RETIRE mission order expend movement points to? Enter or exit road, naval, or rail mode?" Yes "Enter Replacement mode?" No "Recover Morale levels?" No "Destroy rail lines?" No (However, see #254 in this folder - the new Mission Orders allow this) "Convert or Repair rail lines?" No (However, see #254 in this folder - the new Mission Orders allow this as engineers and cavalry are now exempt from MO restrictions) "#3 When are Formations on the German Strategic Chart released?" Exclusive Rule 11.51A releases "the three cavalry corps on the German Strategic Chart" at the beginning of the second impulse of the Opening Game Turn. The remainder are released at the beginning of the final impulse of the Opening Game Turn. "#4 Can German reinforcement formations be assigned to German Armies while the Schlieffen Plan is still in effect?" Yes. Note that incoming reinforcements are placed initially on the Strategic Chart. A player always places reinforcement formations on the Strategic Chart. The exception to this would be if a reinforcement unit enters the map within the CCR of an army or army detachment HQ, otherwise it would be outside of the Command Control Radius of a headquarters unit upon entering the map (a restriction that does not apply to Strategic Formations). "IE: On Game Turn One the Germans receive 15 RR Eng Regts. What Charts (Army, Army Detachment, Strategic) may these RR units be assigned to?" Any he chooses. "#5 Does the +1 MPs for Allied Units to cross the "German" border include the France/German Alsace-Lorraine border or is only for the pre-1870 French/German border?" The 1914 Franco-German border, not the 1870 border. This reflects the presence of small border guard and Landsturm detachments at small road junctions and the like. "With regard to the Early Release of German Units, (11.51c; third event) does "… in Germany," mean only inside the pre-1870 border?" The errata published by Clash of Arms last year (4/1/98) provided a clarification to Exclusive Rule 12.51C: All German units are released if any are attacked in Germany north of the 5400 hexrow. South of the 5400 hexrow the following applies: The German Seventh Army and any Strategic Formations located south of the 5400 hexrow are released when the first French unit enters Alsace. "#6 Belgian initial Order. We believe that the intial Mission Order for Belgian units is a modified "Retire" that allows Belgian units to move towards Antwerp. A "Hold" order would release all German Armies, while an unchanged "Retire" would prevent some Belgians from moving to Antwerp since they would be moving closer to the Germans anyways. Is this correct?" Your interpretation of the Belgian modified "Retire" MO is correct. However, I do not understand when you state that a "Hold" MO "would release all German Armies." "#7 When an Army is listed as having a specific Mission Order in the scenario set up, what deos this mean? Given that the Army must be given a Mission Order anyways, why would the intial order be of any concern?" This is the MO counter that begins the scenario on the Army Chart. The 1st player may immediately attempt to change orders during the 1st Player Command Phase. However, whichever player becomes the 2nd player in the scenario will be under these orders until the 2nd Player Command Phase in the middle of the impulse. Most scenarios do not stipulate who is the 1st Player in a scenario, so it was necessary to list both. "#8 What happens when units that are stacked with a fortress leave or retreat from the fortress hex that is adjacent to enemy units that are under a combat marker? Do the attacking units get to advance and then must have combat in the hex?" The "Pursuit" Attacker Combat Option (Standard Rule 10.53D) allows for a unit that has a combat marker to enter a hex vacated by an adjacent enemy unit. Standard Rule 10.53D1 stipulates a Morale Check (MC) to enter a hex vacated by the enemy as a result of combat. Standard Rule 10.53D2 allows a unit to enter a hex vacated by an enemy unit that moved away during the preceding Counter Movement Phase. Pursuit is always optional, so the attacking units in your question would not have to enter the enemy fortress unit's hex, but if they did they would have to attack the fortress unit (Standard Rule 13.22A).