Q: Does “turn” stand for one “Game Round”, or one “Action Turn”?
A: The terminology in TOI can be a little misleading sometimes, especially when terms are not fully written out in the rules book. Any references to the words “round” and “turn” mean:
Round = a “Game Round”, which has three phases, see below.
Turn = a player's “Action Turn”, which is part of the Action Phase.
Q: Can a heavily damaged tank remove razor wire?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/170422
A: Read the callout on page 28, in the example under Heavily Damaged. It states that the vehicle has 0 movement points. (So, it cannot spend any to remove the wire!)
Q: In a 2-player-game, can you mix and match units from division-1 and division-2? i.e. Take an officer from division-1 and mix it with elite infantry from division-2.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/378818
A: No, when building squads, you cannot intermix between the two divisions. Note: you can always do squad transfers later when the game starts. Actually, this one is official. What makes this confusing is that in the rules it states that in a two player game the darker and lighter bases have no effect.
Which is true, the bases are interchangeable, but the starting forces are not, which has caused some confusion.
Q: Say you have 4 units and your opponent has 12. It is two actions per turn. If all of your units have been activated, can you keep doing other actions like “Activate Strategy Card” or “Special Action”?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/517341
A: Yes, if you can. “If a player can take no more actions during his Action Turn, his Action Phase is over.” (Page 12) Using your example, as long as you can perform two actions (like “Activate Strategy Card”) then your Action Phase is not over. However, if you can only perform one more action, and cannot perform a second action, then your Action Phase is over.
Game Round (round):
1) Action Phase:
a) Action Turn (turn) - 1st player (determined by initiative).
• The player must take a number of actions indicated by the scenario.
b) Action Turn (turn) - 2nd player.
• The player must take a number of actions indicated by the scenario.
c) Repeat a) and b) until end of Action Phase (rules book, page 12).
2) Command Phase.
3) Status Phase.
Q: If the victory conditions for a scenario include the control of a building (like "last stand")...what constitutes that control?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/293911
A: You need at least one friendly squad in any one hex of the building. If both players have squads in the building, then neither player "controls" the building.
Q: Can I just pass when it comes to my turn and do nothing?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/169545
A: You cannot pass! "A player must take the number of actions indicated by the specific scenario." You may end your action turn early, but that just means your opponent will have an unlimited number of actions for his last action turn, or until he also declares he is finished.
Q: Machinegun crews that are doubled up in one squad really only have 2 hit points? (or casualty capacity). They're awful fragile aren't they?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/181387
A: Yes and yes they are.
Q: An undamaged tank on the move gets hit by Op Fire and is lightly damaged. Is his movement rate immediately reduced by 1 point because of this or only the next time it moves?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/181463
A: It happens immediately.
Q: 1) Can a squad placed in Op Fire mode in step 3 of the Status Phase participate in a squad transfer in step 4 of the Status Phase (assuming no other restrictions are in place (as per p16 of the rulebook))?
2) If a concealed squad participates in a squad transfer is it revealed (i.e. the concealed marker removed from the board)?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/325526
A: 1) Yes, 2) No.
Q: Does the active player have to declare what action he will take with a unit before he does it? So you can't just move a squad three hexes, than decide whether to assault, fire, or move another hex?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/186262
A: You have to declare before you begin moving.
Q: Any thoughts as to infantry shooting at tanks? Their normal range against tanks is one, making a two hex distance long range and three out of range. The rules state that long range needs a six for a hit, normal range needs a 5 or 6 and close range needs a 4, 5 or 6. Since 1 is normal range but it's also close range, should they need to roll 5 or 6, or 4, 5 or 6?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/182493
A: 4, 5, or 6 at range one; 6 at range two. That’s the way it is. The armor makes up for chances, and infantry can use improvised explosives & grenades (consensus). Tankers never liked having enemy infantry close to their tank.
Q: In Tide of Iron, does each figure represent one soldier?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/4829913
A: No. Each squad (one base with up to four figures) is a representation of somewhere between 10 to 24 soldiers – it varies a little from scenario to scenario. The easiest way to look at this is to think of each base as a small group of soldiers (about 12 maybe) and the figures – and specialty tokens – represent what type of squad it is and its threshold level (2 to 4 hits) before being removed from play.
Q: If a squad enters a wood hex with a street. Does it always cost 1 movement point?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/171872
A: Only if it enters along the roadway. Otherwise you have to pay for the woods cost. (consensus)
Q: Anti-tank specialization squad... Is the +3 FP added on to the unit (against vehicles) subject to the half-FP rule, or is it added on after you half the power?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/181907
A: All additions/subtractions happen before divisions/multiplications – see top of page 35 of the rulebook under "Calculating Modifiers." Remember, you round up, page 40; Halving Firepower.
Q: Can you perform a Fire & Movement action and enter an entrenchment as part of that action? That is, move into an entrenchment and then fire?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/169414
A: Yes, with a “Fire and Movement” action, a unit can fire then move, or move then fire. (page 11)
Q: When an engineer builds an entrenchment, does he have to spend movement points to enter the entrenchment? If another squad is in the same hex, does it have to spend MV's to enter it?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/169666
A: In order: No and Yes. (See page 44, “Dig Entrenchment” under “Engineers”)
Q: Can I make a Concentrated Fire attack (full firepower) using engineer squads and lay smoke?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/499379
A: No, the card says, “Your engineer units may spend 2 movement points to place one smoke marker in the same hex.” Which means you have to use an “Advance”, “Fire and Movement”, or “Assault” action to lay smoke. No movement allowed during “Concentrated Fire” action (full firepower).
Q: When does smoke expire?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/172614
A: As per the core game designer, smoke is meant to last for at least one full turn. If this poses a memory issue, when smoke is placed, place two markers instead of one and remove one smoke per stack per Status Phase. It would have been better if on page 47, the second bullet under "Smoke", stated, “Smoke markers are removed during the Status Phase of the next Game Round.” (Actually, this clarification is official)
Q: What causes a unit to be fatigued?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/169272
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/168960
A: Under the following 6 circumstances:
1. After the active unit has completed its activation, it is fatigued (unless placed in Op Fire mode).
2. An active infantry unit that suffers a successful suppressive attack while moving during its own activation by an enemy unit in Op Fire mode becomes fatigued. (However, an active (moving) infantry unit that suffers casualties from a normal attack by a unit in Op Fire mode is not fatigued and may continue moving.)
3. A vehicle that suffers a successful normal attack (vehicles are not affected by suppressive attacks) while moving during its own activation by an enemy unit in Op Fire mode must stop moving, may not attack, and becomes fatigued – except heavy vehicles as noted, page 28 & 32.
4. Infantry in Op Fire mode that become pinned or disrupted (from a successful suppressive attack) is immediately fatigued. (However, both infantry and vehicles in Op Fire mode that suffer a successful normal attack are not fatigued.)
5. After resolving their Op Fire attack, the active unit and all those supporting the attack are fatigued – except for machineguns as noted, page 37.
6. Attacking and their supporting units are fatigued at the end of an Assault. Defending units of an assault are only fatigued if they are forced to retreat, not if they win the assault.
Q: What happens to a heavy damaged vehicle (which can't move) that is forced to retreat due to an Assault Attack?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/511760
A: Any units that cannot retreat are destroyed. It is a good idea to allocate a hit to heavily damaged vehicles. Note, that trucks are “Fragile” and are destroyed when it becomes heavily damaged.
Q: Can I shoot through my own units to hit a hex behind it?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/170364
A: Yes. Units do not block line of sight or impede firing. For ground scale, hexes are so much bigger than what the unit(s) can physically occupy.
Q: Is it a misprint that the German MG has a higher Attack value then the allied one?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/22825
A: No. They were superior to the American and British MGs in reality. There are some discussions on this topic, see link above.