Introduction This is a simple game for you to play on your own one evening when you have nothing better to do! A game can be played in as little as an hour, it's enjoyable and is not too taxing on the old grey matter. I play using WW2 figures but you can play any period you like, with maybe a couple of alterations to the weapons table. The scenario centres round a built-up area where a small enemy force has hidden in the buildings. You are the commander of a group of soldiers whose job it is to clear the enemy from the buildings. Do this and you will be rewarded with your next meal, fail and well, you'll have to find your own food! Life is tough either way but a little easier on the stomach if you succeed! Note that you can't simply storm in and destroy the buildings using explosives and fire, you must capture all the buildings intact. Any enemy troops will either have to be put out of action or taken prisoner. Shooting prisoners is also not allowed. Requirements small table 2ft x 3ft (at most) a few buildings a few figures per side one 10-sided die (zero equals 10) tape measure paper, pen and safety-scissors! suppression/neutralization/dead markers (optional) Some simple rules for firing and hand-to-hand combat are included but you can use whatever set you are most comfortable with. Playing Area A small playing area 2ft x 3ft is plenty but it really does depend on how many buildings you have available or indeed how many you want to use. Place the buildings and any other terrain suitable for a built-up area on the table. I position my buildings about 15-25cm apart and use walls, fences, trees etc to make it look the part. Forces For your own forces, choose 1 man per building (for easier games choose 2 men per building) and place off-table somewhere. Choice of weapons is up to you but try to be realistic for the period you are playing! For the enemy forces, you need to cut out small bits of paper roughly 4cm x 4cm and these are referred to as Cards in the rules. Choose 1 man per building, write each one on a card (e.g. rifleman, machine gunner etc.), fold the paper in half then half again and place in a pile somewhere. Now cut out more bits of paper (2 per building, or 1 per building for easier games) but this time leave them blank and fold as before. Place these on the same pile and mix 'em all up! Now roll the die and remove 1 card if 5-7, 2 cards if 8 or more (don't look at them until after the game). Friendly Actions A friendly soldier can perform one of the following actions per turn: move outside a building fire outside a building move half and enter a building search a building or be part of a search team fire at an enemy soldier in a building engage an enemy soldier in hand-to-hand combat exit a building and move half guard up to two prisoners Friendly Soldier Busy A friendly soldier is classed as busy if any of the following apply: moved searched for enemy in building engaged enemy this turn (fired at or assaulted) guarding prisoners suppressed or neutralized Movement All figures move 20cm normal, 10cm cautious. Deduct 50% when entering/moving in/exiting a building, crossing obstacles and suppressed. Game play It's up to you how you deploy your forces and which side(s) of the table they come on. When told to draw a quantity of cards, pick the required amount from the pile. If the card has a soldier written on it, place the soldier in the building where he/she was discovered, place the card to one side, then refer to the relevant section. If the card was a blank, fold it up again and return it to the pile. Move one figure at a time and if your soldier is: the first soldier this turn within 15cm of a building not occupied by friendly troops, go to section 1 one of the first two soldiers this turn entering a building not occupied by friendly troops, go to section 2 searching a building (not first turn entering, three turns per building max), go to section 3 the last one to leave a building, go to section 4 Section 1 Roll the die: 1 = draw 1 card, if a soldier, fire at friendly soldier (can return fire if OK) 2-9 = nothing 10 = draw 1 card, if a soldier, open fire with friendly soldier (enemy classed as in cover, enemy return fire if OK) Once an enemy soldier is discovered, place the figure at a window nearest the friendly soldier. Unless the enemy soldier is put out of action, roll the die each time a friendly soldier is within line-of-sight and refer below. Roll for enemy soldier first if friendly soldier moves/fires within 15cm, otherwise roll after friendly action. +1 suppressed +1 under fire this turn -1 hidden -1 loading weapon +1 per friendly soldier approaching/entering building if enemy soldier fled here in a previous turn 1 or less = reload weapon - cannot fire for the remainder of the turn and cannot be targeted by friendly fire 2-5 = hide - cannot fire or be targeted by friendly fire 6+ = fire If friendly troops enter the building and the enemy soldier is hidden, test to search the building but if draw x cards, the enemy soldier is automatically discovered on the first draw. Section 2 Roll the die: 1 or 2 = draw 1 card, if a soldier, fire at friendly soldier (return fire if OK) 3-8 = nothing 9 or 10 = draw 1 card, if a soldier, open fire with friendly (enemy classed as moving cautiously, enemy return fire if OK) When an enemy soldier is discovered in a building occupied by friendly troops, test each turn to see what action the enemy soldier carries out. Always test for enemy soldiers before any friendly troops carry out their actions. If an enemy soldier was neutralized during the previous turn, he/she will surrender if this test is applicable. Roll the die and modify: +1 per additional friendly soldier in the building (unless currently busy) +2 enemy soldier suppressed +1 per enemy soldier surrendered, wounded or killed in the building -2 per friendly soldier wounded or killed in the building 2 or less = the enemy soldier launches an assault at friendly soldier 3-7 = the enemy soldier fires at friendly soldier (friendly soldier classed as moving cautiously) 8-9 = the enemy soldier runs for it and exits the building (see Enemy Soldier Exiting a Building) 10+ = the enemy soldier surrenders (see Enemy Surrender) Section 3 Roll the die and modify: +1 per additional man searching (unless currently busy) +2 per additional turn spent searching (maximum of three) +2/-2 small/large building 7 or less = nothing 8 or 9 = draw 1 card 10 or 11 = draw 2 cards 12+ = draw 3 cards If an enemy soldier is discovered, roll the die, modify, then refer to the result. +1 per additional friendly soldier in the building (unless currently busy) +1 per enemy soldier already discovered in the building +2 per enemy soldier already surrendered in the building 1 or less = the enemy soldier launches an assault at friendly soldier 2-3 = the enemy soldier fires at friendly soldier (friendly soldier classed as moving cautiously, in cover) 4 = friendly soldier assaults enemy if within building otherwise fire (enemy classed as in cover) 5 = friendly soldier fires at enemy (enemy classed as in cover, if OK, return fire) 6-8 = enemy soldier runs for it (see section on Enemy Soldier Exiting A Building) 9+ = enemy soldier surrenders (see section on Enemy Surrender) Section 4 Roll the die: 1 = draw 1 card, if a soldier, fire at friendly soldier (friendly soldier classed as moving normally) 2+ = nothing Entering A Building A friendly soldier can enter an enemy occupied building. Test any located enemy soldiers as Section 2. Neutralized enemy soldiers surrender automatically. Searching A Building A building can be searched for up to three turns and any number of friendly troops can carry out a search. They cannot, however, carry out any other activity that turn such as firing at an enemy soldier out of a window, guard a prisoner etc. Enemy Soldier Exiting A Building Exit the building and move (before any friendly fire) 10cm towards the nearest unoccupied building. Friendly troops can open fire if they have yet to carry out an action for the current turn. If there is nowhere to go, roll the die: 4 or less indicates he/she surrenders, otherwise fire at nearest friendly soldier. Continue to move the enemy soldier 20cm per turn (before any friendly actions take place) until reaching the destination building, then he/she will be classed as hidden. Friendly troops test as normal when approaching/entering the building, but when told to draw x cards, disregard the first one and place the enemy soldier in the building. Enemy Surrender All prisoners must be guarded for the remainder of the game. One friendly soldier can guard up to two prisoners. They can move around at 10cm per turn if you wish but it's probably best to leave them in the building where they surrendered. VICTORY OR DEFEAT The game ends if any of the following occurs: all the buildings are/have been occupied by friendly troops and you have used up your searches all your troops are killed or out-of-action you think you have discovered all of the enemy troops Once all the buildings have been entered by your troops and you have used up your searches, stop the game. Open all the remaining pieces of paper. If any enemy troops are revealed, you lose! Otherwise, victory is yours! Obviously if all your troops are KO, then you lose - big-time! Firing Calculate the factors, roll the die and refer to the result: +8 Pistol (maximum range 20cm) +7 Rifle +6 Sniper Rifle +5 SMG +4 LMG +2 target in doorway, window or behind cover +2 moving cautiously +4 moving normally +1 target moving cautiously +2 target moving normally +1 range 20cm to 30cm +3 range over 30cm +2 firing suppressed Result: 2 less results in the soldier being suppressed (half-move, recovers at the end of next turn, two suppressions result in neutralization) 1 less results in neutralized (cannot move or fire, reduce to suppression at end of next turn) equal or greater and the soldier is out-of-action for the remainder of the game (remove from play and place a casualty marker/figure if you wish!) Hand-To-Hand Combat Roll the die for each figure and modify: +1 rifle butt +2 entrenching tool +3 bayonet +4 sword +5 pistol +2 initiating assault -2 target in cover -5 suppressed Highest score wins, the loser is KO. If the score is equal, fighting continues next turn. Contact If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail me at pete@wargamesdirectory.com or visit http://www.wargamesdirectory.com/. Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #135 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Solo Wargamers Association. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com