After a recent review completely butchered the basis of the AT Roll -- in misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and plain confusion -- I was worried our players might be confused as to the AT Roll's purpose, etc.

The AT Roll, as it says in the rules, "reflect(s) the effect of infantry anti-tank methods -- short range rockets, burning gasoline, magnetic mines etc. It is a dice roll, based on the cover provided by terrain, needed to kill an enemy vehicle." That pretty much spells it out -- but still the reviewer's mind was blown that it was easier to kill a vehicle in a city at night, than in broad daylight in the open!

While I cannot believe more than a handful of you could be confused by this, and those by the dis-infommation provided by the one above individual, I'll explain further...

An AT Roll represents the action of a very few (very brave) individuals who go out from their platoon armed with, say, a magnetic AT mine. These men, then slip through the intervening terrain to their target, leap out at the unsuspecting vehicle, paste the mine on the side and escape. Their chances are directly (and not inversely) related to the abundance of cover, limitations of visibility, etc. Cities provide ample ways to sneak up on a vehicle, broad open fields do not.

With the above in mind, the dice rolls and modifiers on the AT Roll Table should make good sense, even if you disagree with the exact value arrived at.

For those looking for more detailed personal accounts of AT Rolls in real life, see:

The Forgotten Soldier. Guy Sajer. Brassey's. 1990.

War on the Eastern Front. James Lucas. Jane's. 1979. (Especially, chapter 3: "The Last Days of Tank Destruction Unit DORA II in Brandenburg during April, 1945." An outstanding chapter devoted to the SS AT Battalion DORA II at the end of WWII.)