All attacks (except for assault attacks, which are described on pages 33-34) are resolved by performing the following steps, known as the attack sequence:

  1. Determine the total attack strength. This value is equal to the appropriate firepower value of the unit making the attack, plus half (round up) the firepower value of each unit supporting the attack with combined fire (see page 29 for more information about combined fire).
    As explained on page 22, use a figure’s firepower against infantry if the target unit is a squad, use the unit’s vehicle firepower value if the target unit is a vehicle.
    A squad’s firepower value is equal to the cumulative firepower value of every figure in the squad that is participating in the attack. The attack strength of a squad containing four regular infantry attacking an adjacent vehicle, for example, would be 4 (1 firepower for each of the four regular infantry).
    Remember that a unit taking a Fire and Movement action has its firepower value halved (round up).
    Example: A squad containing 4 elite infantry figures has taken a Fire and Movement action and is attacking an enemy squad. The full firepower of the squad is 8 against infantry, but during a Fire and Movement action, that value is halved. The squad therefore rolls 4 attack dice when firing.
  2. Determine the total defense strength of the target unit. This is equal to the target unit’s armor value plus any cover for terrain and fortifications. See the sidebar on this page for more information on armor and cover values. Note that only vehicles have armor values.
    Example: A German SdKfz 251 half-track (which has an armor value of 1) in rough terrain (which provides 1 cover) would receive a total defense strength of 2.
  3. Declare attack type. If the target of the attack is a squad, the attacking player must now determine whether the attack is a normal attack or a suppressive attack (see page 28).
    If a player forgets to designate the type of attack, the attack is always considered to be a normal attack.
  4. Roll the attack. To resolve any attack in TOI, take a number of black dice equal to the total attack strength, and a number of red dice equal to the total defense strength, then roll all these dice at once.
  5. Determine hits. Determine the number of successes rolled on the black dice. Whether an attack die result is a success depends on the range type of the attack:
    Range Successful results
    Long Range All “6” results
    Normal Range All “5” and “6” results
    Close Range All “4” “5” and “6” results
    After determining the number of black dice successes, subtract the number of successes showing on the red dice. Red dice always score successes on “5” and “6” results, regardless of range.
    The final number is the amount of “hits” incurred by the target unit. If this number is zero or negative (i.e., more red dice successes than black dice successes), no hits are achieved and the attack is over.
  6. Resolve hits. Hits are resolved in different ways, depending on whether the attack is a normal or suppressive fire attack, and whether the target unit is a squad or a vehicle.

Normal Attacks and Suppressive Attacks

As described above, when the target of an attack is a squad, the attacking player must decide whether his attack will be a normal attack or a suppressive attack before rolling the dice. Vehicles are not affected by suppressive attacks.
Normal attacks inflict casualties, reducing the strength of enemy squads. Suppressive attacks disrupt the effectiveness and morale of an enemy squad, possibly completely routing the squad. It is the attacker’s responsibility to determine which of these attack types will benefit his tactical situation the most.
Depending on the attack (normal or suppressive) and the type of target unit, hits will have different effects. In the rules below, each iteration of attack and target type is outlined in detail.

Normal Attacks Against Squads

When a squad sustains hits from a normal attack, the owner of the squad must take casualties, that is, destroy an equal number of figures from the squad. A destroyed figure is removed from the squad and placed back in the box. When the last figure is removed from a squad, the squad base is likewise removed from the game and placed back in the box. Note that even though the mortar crew and the machine gun crew have two base pegs, they are considered only one figure.
Example: An already weakened squad with 2 regular infantry figures and 1 officer figure is the target of a normal attack and receives 2 hits. The owner of the squad must now take 2 casualties (remove 2 figures). The player chooses to destroy the 2 regular infantry, leaving the officer.
Note that if a pinned or disrupted squad (from a previous suppressive attack) sustains hits from a normal attack, its pinned or disrupted status is not affected, nor does the pinned or disrupted status have an effect on the casualties the squad must take.

Normal Attacks Against Vehicles

The effect of hits against a vehicle depends on the state of the vehicle before the attack. A vehicle that has not previously been assigned a damage token is said to be undamaged.

When an Undamaged Vehicle Is Hit

  • If an undamaged vehicle takes one or two hits, place a damage token with the “lightly damaged” side faceup next to vehicle, indicating that this vehicle is now lightly damaged.
  • If an undamaged vehicle takes three hits, place a damage token with the “heavily damaged” side up next to the vehicle.
  • If an undamaged vehicle takes four or more hits, it is immediately destroyed, removed from the game, and placed back in the box.

When a Lightly Damaged Vehicle Is Hit

  • If a lightly damaged vehicle takes one or two hits, flip its damage token to its “heavily damaged” side.
  • If a lightly damaged vehicle takes three or more hits, it is immediately destroyed, removed from the game, and placed back in the box.

When a Heavily Damaged Vehicle Is Hit

  • If a heavily damaged vehicle takes one or more hits in an attack, it is immediately destroyed, removed from the game, and placed back in the box.

Damage tokens must remain with a vehicle as it is moved on the board. Read more about the damage tokens in the “Vehicle Damage” sidebar.

Suppressive Attacks Against a Squad

When a squad sustains hits from a suppressive attack, the result depends on the condition of the squad prior to the attack. A squad that is neither pinned nor disrupted is said to be in normal condition.

When a Squad in Normal Condition Is Hit By Suppressive Fire

  • If a squad in normal condition takes one or two suppressive hits, place a condition token with the “pinned” side faceup next to the squad, indicating that this squad is now pinned.
  • If a squad in normal condition takes three suppressive hits, place a condition token with the “disrupted” side up next to the squad, indicating that this squad is now disrupted.
  • If a squad in normal condition takes four or more suppressive hits, the entire squad is routed. Routed squads, including all figures therein, are removed from the game and placed back in the box.

When a Pinned Squad Is Hit By Suppressive Fire

  • If a pinned squad takes one or two suppressive hits, flip the condition token to its “disrupted” side, indicating that the squad is now disrupted.
  • If a pinned squad takes three or more suppressive hits, the entire squad is routed: It is removed from the game and placed back in the box.

When a Disrupted Squad Is Hit By Suppressive Fire

  • If a disrupted squad takes one or more suppressive hits, the entire squad is routed: It is removed from the game and placed back in the box.

Condition tokens must remain with a squad until removed during a future Status Phase. See more information about the effects of the two conditions in the “Squad Conditions” example.

 

  

Cover and Armor

When resolving an attack, the attacking player must roll a number of defense dice equal to the target unit’s overall defense strength. Defense strength comes from two sources: cover and armor.
Units may benefit from cover bonuses provided by certain terrain types (such as woods), fortification markers (such as pillboxes and entrenchments), and other game effects.
Example: A squad in a woods hex (+2 cover) that also has a smoke marker on it (+2 cover) would have a total defense strength of 4.
When attacked, vehicles also add their armor value to their defense strength. A vehicle’s armor value is listed on the player reference sheets.
Example: An M3A1 half-track (armor value 1) in a woods hex (+2 cover) would have a total defense strength of 3.
Note that some game effects, such as a flamethrower squad’s “Flaming Death” ability, reduce a target’s cover value. Effects that modify cover do not affect armor, and vice versa.

 

Vehicle Damage

The damage tokens are used on vehicles, reflecting two levels of damage to the vehicle: lightly damaged and heavily damaged.
Besides moving the vehicles closer to destruction, damage affects vehicles in the following ways:

 Lightly Damaged: A vehicle that is lightly damaged receives –1 to its movement value and –1 to its armor value.

 Heavily Damaged: A vehicle that is heavily damaged may not move, it receives –1 to its armor value, and its firepower value is halved (round up).
Example: If the M4A1 Sherman tank (movement 7, armor 4, firepower 7 against infantry, and firepower 8 against vehicles) were to be heavily damaged, it would have a movement value of 0, an armor value of 3, firepower 4 against infantry, and firepower 4 against vehicles.

Opportunity Fire

If a vehicle becomes damaged during its activation by enemy Op Fire, it is immediately fatigued: It may not attack and must remain in the hex in which it sustained the damage.
Exception: Being only lightly damaged by enemy Op Fire does not cause a heavy vehicle to become fatigued.
A damaged vehicle may be activated to enter Op Fire mode as normal

Squad Conditions

A condition token reflects the morale of a squad that has been subject to suppressive fire.
Besides pressing a squad closer to routing (which eliminates the entire squad), pinned and disrupted conditions affect squads in the following ways:

 Pinned: A squad that is pinned may not move, fire, or take any special action. Exception: An officer’s “Rally” ability allows any fresh, pinned squads in the same hex as the officer to be activated with a Concentrated Attack action, but the squad’s firepower value is halved.

 Disrupted: A squad that is disrupted may not move, fire, or take any special action, regardless of the presence of an officer. Having an officer in the same hex, however, will cause the disrupted condition to be removed during the next Status Phase, rather than be downgraded to a pinned condition.

Opportunity Fire

If a squad becomes pinned or disrupted during its activation (normally as a result of opportunity fire), it is immediately fatigued: It may not attack and must remain in the hex in which it was attacked.
A pinned or disrupted squad can never be placed into Op Fire mode; a squad in Op Fire mode that is pinned or disrupted is immediately fatigued.

Other Rules

A pinned or disrupted squad may never perform special actions (such as laying smoke or clearing mines).

 See detailed FAQs here: Pinned and Disrupted.

 

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