Introduction

In the years since Scorched Earth (hereafter SE) was published, a number of people have expressed concerns that partisan units in the game function quite differently than their historical counterparts. Specifically, partisans in SE are used primarily to interdict hexes from enemy occupation. A typical example of this is to place partisans (even dummies) in rail hexes in front of German railroad engineers to prevent their regauging said hexes. Another example is to put partisans (or dummies) in the hexes directly behind a line of Axis units immediately prior to a Soviet offensive. In the ensuing attacks, DR results will require the Axis to retreat two, rather than one, hexes--which can really blow open a position.

The unofficial revision below changes the primary function of partisans to one of nuisance attacks and sabotage instead of hex blockage. It also clarifies a few ambiguities. To make distinguishing our revisions from the original SE Rule 40 easier, the revised sections have been italicized.

In addition, there is some debate as to the exact kinds of sabotage partisans can carry out. For instance, why can partisans blow ports while actual combat units cannot? Or, there seems to be evidence indicating that partisans performed few, if any, acts of sabotage against airfields and air units. However, in the interests of changing the rules as little as possible, we left those activities as originally defined. We suggest that you decide for yourselves exactly which partisan activities you will allow in your game until the official version is published.

Lastly, we want to thank Jason Long, Roy Lane, Trey Nelson, Greg Bartels, Jan Musil, and everybody else who contributed.

Rule 40 - Partisans (Optional)

This optional rule may be used in place of the occupation rule (Rule 33). If this rule is used, the optional isolation and ownership rule (Rule 39L) must also be used. If the optional bridge rule (Rule 39A) is not used, ignore the mention of bridges below.

A. Definitions

1. Partisan Unit. A partisan unit is any unit of the following unit types partisan infantry, partisan cavalry, partisan parachute. The counters for partisan units have two sides a hidden side and a revealed side, as shown on the unit identification chart. The hidden side shows the general characteristics of a partisan unit, while the revealed side shows its specific characteristics. The hidden side of partisan units is used to hide the actual strengths and compositions of a player's partisan forces from the opposing player.

The Soviet player has two partisan forces: Soviet partisans and pro-Soviet Polish partisans. These forces are printed in the same colors and are distinguished by unit identifications. Pro-Soviet Polish partisans have "Pol" printed on their counters.

2. Anti-Partisan Units. All security and police are anti-partisan units. All SSPolice, SS, and NKVD units of any unit types are anti-partisan units.

3. Anti-Partisan Zone of Control (APZOC). An APZOC is exerted into hexes the same as a regular ZOC. All I RE or larger anti-partisan units have APZOCs. (Note: Only anti-partisan units have APZOCs.) An APZOC has effects as described below; it does not have the effects of a regular ZOC.

B. Partisan Effects

1. Partisan Units. Partisan units operate differently than do regular combat units, and the following rules define these differences. If a standard rule is not mentioned below, then partisan units are affected by it the same as other units. Note: The standard SE rules sections to which the following paragraphs refer are given in parentheses at the end of the paragraphs.

A partisan unit does not own the hex it occupies. Ownership of the hex is determined as if the unit was not there. (3F)

A partisan division does not have a ZOC. (5)

A partisan unit, regardless of its unit type, may move the same as a light infantry, mountain, or cavalry unit, as the owning player wishes. A partisan unit is not affected by ZOCs when moving. Instead, it is affected by enemy APZOCs. Movement costs for APZOCs are the same as for regular ZOCs. (6)

A partisan unit may move through (but not end its movement in) hexes occupied by enemy units, except hexes occupied by anti- partisan units. (6)

A partisan unit may not move by rail or use administrative movement. (6, 7)

Any unit may move through hexes occupied by enemy partisan units. Normally, units may not end a phase in a hex occupied by partisans. However, under certain conditions partisans may be "displaced". See Section H below. (6)

The presence of an enemy partisan unit in a hex does not affect the administrative or strategic rail movement of units. (6, 7)

Partisan units have a limited attack ability against a hex containing enemy units. The attack strengths of the partisan units are quartered when attacking. This attack is resolved in the combat phase similar to other attacks. However, if the combat result is not DR, DH, or DE, then the attacking partisans are eliminated with no effect to the defenders. Further, results of DR, DH, and DE are treated as DR by the defenders. (9)

A partisan unit may retreat into or through enemy ZOCs. It may retreat through an enemy-occupied hex to reach a hex not occupied by enemy units if such is the only retreat route available. A partisan unit may not retreat into or through an APZOC or through a hex containing an anti-partisan unit and is eliminated if required to do so. (9F)

Any unit may retreat through a hex containing enemy partisan units if they are otherwise unable to retreat except through enemy ZOCs. A unit may not normally end its retreat in such a hex but may retreat through any number of such hexes until it reaches a hex where it may stop retreating. However, under certain conditions partisans may be displaced (Section H below) by retreating units. (9F)

A partisan unit may retreat before combat. (91)

A partisan division is supported. However, it may provide support only for other partisan units. (11)

A partisan unit is not affected by isolation in any way. A partisan unit is always in supply. (31, 12)

A partisan unit may not overrun or be overrun. (13)

A partisan unit may not operate in the Arctic. It may not enter the Arctic through movement or appear in the Arctic through recruitment. (30)

A partisan unit never yields special replacements when eliminated. (34133)

A partisan unit may not break rail lines, damage airbases, or destroy bridges per the standard SE rules. (7C, 17D, 39A)

Partisan units may engage in sabotage. In a hex, a partisan unit may make a sabotage attempt if it spends 6 MPs to do so. All partisan units attempting the same type of sabotage (see below) in a hex are combined into a single attempt. For each sabotage attempt, consult the success table, applying all partisan operations modifiers. If the attempt is successful, the result is applied immediately. The types of sabotage and the effects of successful sabotage attempts on them are as detailed on the sabotage attempt table below.

A partisan unit must be in the hex of its target in order to make a sabotage attempt against it. For attempts against bridges, the bridge is considered to be in the partisan Unit's hex only if the partisan unit is in a hex adjacent to the bridge hexside and no enemy unit is in a hex adjacent to the bridge hexside.

2. Hidden Units and Dummies. A partisan unit operates with its hidden side face up, so that the opposing player doesn't know the specifics of the unit. The revealed side of a partisan unit is shown to the opposing player only as follows: when the unit attacks an enemy unit, when it attempts an act of sabotage, when it is attacked and does not retreat before combat, or when it is removed from play (for whatever reason). Once shown, the partisan Unit's revealed side remains face up until the end of the current phase, at which time its hidden side is placed face up again.

In addition to actual partisan units, dummy partisan units are available. A dummy partisan unit operates the same as other partisan units, except that it may neither attack nor make any sabotage attempt. A dummy partisan unit is removed from play when its revealed side is shown to the opposing player. The owning player may voluntarily remove from play any of his dummy partisans units at any time.

C. Recruitment

Partisan units enter play through recruitment of partisan infantry brigades. For each partisan force, all of its partisan infantry brigades that are not in play are kept in a general recruitment pool. When a partisan infantry brigade is eliminated, it is placed in the pool and may subsequently reenter play. If there are no units in the pool when reinforcements are called for, the reinforcements for that turn are forfeited.

Partisan recruitment for a player occurs in his initial phase. Recruitment allows a player to take partisan infantry brigades from his recruitment pool and bring them into play. Also, for each partisan infantry brigade recruited the player receives a dummy partisan unit printed in the same colors as the brigade, if any are available. In general, when a partisan unit (including a dummy, which may be placed separately) is received, it is placed inside its recruitment area in a hex that is a) enemy owned, b) not occupied by an enemy unit, c) not in an enemy APZOC, and d) not adjacent to a friendly nonpartisan unit. If no such hex is available, the reinforcement is forfeited.

A partisan unit (including a dummy) may not move in the player turn it is recruited.

Territory in the Arctic is ignored for all partisan recruitment purposes.

1. General Recruitment.

a. Soviet. On the II turn of each month starting with Aug II 41, the Soviet player recruits partisan infantry brigades in his military districts. He recruits partisans in each MD that contains any Axis non-partisan units or Axis-owned cities, except for the Baltic MD. (The Soviet player never receives any partisans due to general recruitment in the Baltic MD.) The basic recruitment rate is 2 partisan units per MD and is modified as follows:

subtract 1 from the rate in 1941
add 1 to the rate in 1943 and 1944
halve the rate if any part of the MD has poor weather
halve the rate for the Ukrainian MDs (Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov MDs)
halve the rate if there are no Soviet non-partisan units in the MD.

Note: Do all additions and subtractions to the rate before doing any halving. Round fractions down after all halving is done.

For each MD, the Soviet player receives partisan infantry brigades equal in number to the modified rate of the MD. These are placed in the MD. Exception: Soviet partisans entering play through general recruitment may not be placed in Bessarabia or in territory between the 1939 and 1941 Finnish borders.

b. Pro-Soviet Polish. On the II turn of each month starting with Jun II 42, the Soviet player recruits one pro-Soviet Polish partisan infantry brigade if there are any Soviet non-partisan units in central Poland. The recruited unit is placed in central Poland.

c. Anti-Soviet. On the II turn of each month starting with Jun II 42, the German player receives one anti-Soviet partisan infantry brigade. This unit is placed in the Soviet Union.

d. Finnish. On the II turn of each month from the start of the game, the German player receives one Finnish partisan infantry brigade if Finland is Axis Allied and if there are any Soviet units inside the 1941 Finnish borders.

2. Special Replacements. Soviet partisans (only) may be recruited through special replacements. When eliminated units do not yield special replacements due to isolation, their losses are used for partisan recruitment. The player receives partisan infantry brigades equal to half (rounding down) the number of special replacement infantry R.Ps he would have received for these units.

Soviet partisans are formed in this manner when isolated Soviet units inside the Soviet Union are eliminated. These units are placed anywhere in the Soviet Union (including the Baltic MD,

Sabotage Attempt Table

Type of Sabotage Attempt : Effect of Successful Attempt
Break a rail line : Rail line in the hex is broken
Damage an airbase : Airbase capacity is reduced by 1
Damage a port : Port capacity is reduced by 1
Destroy a bridge : Bridge is destroyed
Destroy an air unit : One air unit of the partisan player's choice is destroyed.

Bessarabia, and territory between the 1939 and 1941 Finnish borders) in MDs that have Soviet non-partisan units present. If possible, no more than half (rounding down) of the partisan infantry brigades received in this manner may be placed in any single MD.

Example: Over the course of a turn, the Soviet player has had 55 attack strength points worth of isolated units eliminated inside the Soviet Union. During his initial phase, he calculates the special replacements--this generates (11)-and halves it (5). The Soviet player receives 5 partisan infantry brigades, and, if possible, may place no more than two in any one MD.

D. Operational Partisan Commands. On the II turn of each month starting with Jun II 42, the Soviet player receives one operational partisan command unit. An operational partisan command unit is a partisan parachute headquarters unit. The unit is placed in any hex in the Soviet Union containing a Soviet partisan unit (including a dummy partisans unit.) An operational partisan command unit influences the operations of other Soviet partisan units, per the partisan operations modifiers on the success table. Unlike other partisan units, operational partisan command units ignore APZOCs when retreating.

E. Partisan Divisions

On and after Jun II 42, partisan divisions may be assembled from partisan brigades, if any division counters are available. Once assembled, partisan divisions may be broken down in partisan brigades, if sufficient brigades are available. The phasing player may assemble or break down his partisan divisions in his initial phase (only). (The general SE rules for assembling and breaking down units apply; see Rule 15.) A partisan infantry division may be assembled from/broken down into three partisan infantry brigades. A partisan cavalry division may be assembled from/broken down into two partisan infantry brigades. Partisan brigades are placed in the recruitment pool (and may subsequently be recruited) when used to assemble a division; they are taken from the pool when used to break down a division.

F. Dismissal

During each initial phase (friendly or enemy), a player must dismiss his partisan units that are in friendly owned hexes or are adjacent to friendly non- partisan units. When dismissing a partisan unit, the player must either disband the unit or withdraw it from play. A dismissed partisan infantry brigade is returned to its recruitment pool. A dismissed operational partisan command unit is available to reenter per Section D above. A dismissed partisan division may be assembled from other partisan infantry brigades in following turns.

A partisan unit is disbanded per the disbanding rule (Rule 34FI). In general, a disbanded partisan unit yields infantry RPs equal to its printed combat strength. However, a disbanded operational partisan command unit yields one infantry RP.

A partisan unit has an associated force. When the unit is disbanded, it yields infantry RPs for its force. The associated forces of partisans are:

Soviet partisans: Soviet national forces (all Soviet forces except foreign contingent and defected Axis-Allied nations).

Pro-Soviet Polish partisans: Soviet

Polish foreign contingent forces.

Anti-Soviet partisans: German Eastern Troop forces.

Finnish partisans: Finnish forces.

A partisan unit is withdrawn from play per the withdrawal rule (Rule 34C), except that it may be withdrawn even if isolated.

If Finland becomes non-belligerent, surrenders, or defects to the Soviets, all Finnish partisans are immediately withdrawn from play.

G. Operational Limits

Partisans may operate only in certain areas and may not leave these areas voluntarily. If forced to leave their operational areas, partisan units are eliminated instead. The operational areas are:

Anti-Soviet Partisans:

the Soviet Union (1941 borders)

Finnish Partisans: Finland

Pro-Soviet Polish Partisans:

central Poland

Soviet Partisans:

the Soviet Union (1941 borders), central Poland, Rumania, Hungary, Bulgaria

Due to the antipathy of the local population, Soviet partisans in the Baltic MD, in Bessarabia, or outside the Soviet Union may not retreat before combat. (Note that this applies to Soviet partisans in central Poland but not to Pro-Soviet Polish partisans.)

Due to low-level Soviet security forces not represented in the game, partisan units controlled by the German player may not enter or be recruited in Sovietowned cities and fortresses in the USSR.

H. Displacement.

Normally, units may not end a phase in a hex occupied by enemy partisans. However, under certain conditions partisans may be displaced by friendly units. Through Jun II 1942, if a friendly unit 1 RE or larger and with an attack factor greater than zero ends a phase in a hex occupied by enemy partisans, the partisans must displace. After Jun II 1942, a friendly division is required to displace partisans. Exception: Regardless of size, friendly units using administrative or strategic rail movement may neither displace partisans nor end a phase in a hex containing enemy partisans. If a unit does not meet the requirements, it may not displace enemy partisans and may not end a phase in a hex containing enemy partisans.

All displacement occurs at the end of a phase, is not a retreat, and is not affected by APZ0Cs. The displaced partisans are moved by the owning player to an adjacent hex not prohibited to normal movement or occupied by enemy units. If no adjacent hex is available, then the partisans are displaced to the nearest legally available hex. If no such hex exists, the partisans are eliminated instead.

I. Nationalist Partisans (Optional). Nationalist partisans are Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, and Ukrainian partisans. Separate recruitment pools are maintained for each of these nationalities. The unit identifications on these units show their nationalities "Lith" (Lithuanian), "Lat" (Latvian), "Est" (Estonian), "Ukr" (Ukrainian).

The recruitment areas for the nationalist partisans are as follows Lithuanian Lithuania, Latvian Latvia, Estonian Estonia, Ukrainian the western Ukraine. On the 11 turn of each month from the start of the game, the German player receives one partisan infantry brigade for a nationality if its recruitment area contains any Soviet non-partisan units or any Soviet-owned cities. The partisan unit is placed in its recruitment area.

When required to be dismissed, a nationalist partisan unit must be withdrawn from play. It may not be disbanded.

Except for the Ukrainians, nationalist partisans may only operate in their recruitment areas. Ukrainian partisans may operate anywhere in the Ukraine. recruitment is limited to the western Ukraine, however.)