play book - gmt games · 2016. 2. 27. · sdkfz 251/9 “stummel” sp gun half-track. 4 operation...

PLAY BOOK

20.0 Examples of Play ................................................... 221.0 Linking Scenarios into a “Grand Campaign” ........ 1922.0 Key Differences from Red Winter ......................... 20

Table of Contents23.0 Tips and Strategies ................................................. 2124.0 Unit Abbreviations ................................................. 2425.0 Counter Manifest ................................................... 25

GMT Games, LLC • P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232-1308www.GMTGames.com

Operation Dauntless Play Book2

© 2015 GMT Games, LLC

20.0 Examples of PlayWe have used two methods for the illustra-tions appearing in this book. For examples that required stacking of three or more units in a single hex, we have displayed the coun-ters at their true size relative to the hexes. For all other examples, we opted to display the counters as oversized in order to make their stats more visible. This seemed like the best way to present the information. I apologize if the two side-by-side methods are at first a bit jarring for the reader.

All of the following examples assume it is a day turn with unlimited LOS.

20.1 Loading and MovementIn the German Action Phase, the German panzergrenadier infantry company in 0718 wishes to move to 0411 (indicated by British control marker) but does not have enough MPs. The half-track unit in 0315 is an inde-pendent transport that qualifies to move this panzergrenadier infantry company (and note that it does not have to belong to the same company as the infantry to qualify, per 4.5.2). However, the half-track unit does not wish to enter 0411 itself because it could be fired upon by the British tank troop to the north (ARC via Movement Trigger) that has LOS to that hex.

The solution is as follows: The half-tracks move via road to 0718 (paying 3 MPs) and load the infantry (+2 MPs). They proceed to move to 0312 via road (+5 MPs), while remaining out of LOS of the British tanks be-cause the waterway hexside blocks LOS (per 10.6.1). The half-tracks unload the infantry in 0312 (+2 MPs) and now have spent 12 of their 18 MPs. Next, they return via road to their starting hex of 0315 (+2 MPs). They have spent a total of 14 MPs. The panzergrenadier infantry in 0312 may move a total of one hex during the turn in which they were transported, per 4.5.3. They move to 0411.

20.2 Transport Pool Losses The British Transport Pool starts at 2. After taking two transport losses, the marker is at zero. When a third loss occurs, the marker is flipped over and moved upward one cell to 1. The German player is awarded a total of 4 VPs for these losses at the end of the scenario—1 VP each for the two losses prior to depletion and 2 VPs for the one loss following depletion.

SdKfz 251/1 Transport half-track

Operation Dauntless Play Book 3


20.3 Stacks and MovementThis example involves tracking move-ment by class. It is the British Action Phase and the British stack wishes to move to Le Montoir (0916) while avoid-ing the ZOC of all German units. It first enters the adjacent field hex with each unit paying 1 MP (see yellow arrows). As it enters the woods just north of the German panzers (recall that ZOC does not extend into close terrain) the infantry and mortars—both leg units—each pay 2 MPs, while the tanks—tracked—pay 6 MPs. Since the panzers’ ZOC does extend into light bocage, the next hex the stack enters must be another woods hex. As this would cost the tanks another 6 MPs, the stack cannot enter; they have already expended 7 of their 11 MPs. If the tanks were not present in the stack, it still could not enter because the mortars would be out of MPs after arriving in the woods hex, having spent 3 of their 3 MPs. If the British infantry moved alone, it could reach the second woods hex by expending all 5 of its MPs. If the tanks moved alone, they could reach Le Manoir in a single move by using the road bonus, ignoring the eZOC of the German infantry and spending 10.5 of their 11 MPs (see green arrows and black numerals).

20.4 Adjacent Defensive Support20.4.1 Example #1In the following illustration, it is the British Combat Phase and the British are performing a Combat against the German infantry company in 1211, contributing CS from all four adjacent British in-fantry companies. The German pioneer platoon in 1313 can perform Adjacent Defensive Support against the stack in field hex 1312, but the German MG in 1311 cannot provide Adjacent Defensive Sup-port because it is in an eZOC apart from that originating from the target hex (in this case, from the Carrier Platoon). The German IG in 1111 can provide Adjacent Defensive Support against the stack in field hex 1210 because an eZOC (of the British MG platoon, in this case) does not extend into close terrain. The German Stummels in 1209 can also provide Adjacent Defensive Support because they are AFVs and ignore eZOC.

SdKfz 251/9 “Stummel” SP gun half-track



20.4.2 Example #2In the illustration below, the British units are performing a Combat against the German infantry company in 0513, contributing CS from all adjacent British units. The German MG platoon in 0413 can perform Adjacent Defensive Sup-port against the British stack in field hex 0412 because the MG platoon is not in an eZOC apart from that of its target. The German pioneer platoon in 0613 cannot perform Adjacent Defensive Support vs. the British MG platoon in field hex 0612 because the German unit is in an eZOC of the British Carrier Platoon in 0713. The German mortars in 0312 can perform Adjacent Defensive Support against the British stack in field hex 0412, despite the presence of the adjacent Sherman troop in 0411, because an eZOC does not extend into a Strongpoint.

20.5 RAT ResultsIt is the British Combat Phase. British infantry companies stacked in field hex 1315 declare a Combat against an ad-jacent German unit in 1215. The German player declares defensive support from two units: a MG platoon in 1317, two hexes away from the British attackers, and a mortar unit in 1518, four hexes away. The MGs have a RAS of 4 and the following DRMs apply: field +1 and two infantry companies in target hex +2. The German player rolls a 7, which is modified to 14. This results in the placement of a Suppressed marker that will shift the impending Combat 1 column left in favor of the defender. The mortars (RAS 5) are in a position to self-spot. DRMs: As above, and addition-ally, +1 for self-spotting. An 8 is rolled, modified to a 17. A second Suppressed marker is placed. Additionally, the British player must suffer a step reduction to one of his attacking units (British player’s choice).

German Heavy Machine Gun (MG34)Panzergrenadiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division.



20.6 Combat with SupportIt is the British Combat Phase. The British player declares a Combat against German hex 1108 with the British stack in 1008. He declares offensive support from the MG platoon in 0907 and Sherman tank troop in 0908. The German player declares defensive support from the pioneer platoon in 1107, IGs in 1206, and Stummels in 1209. Note that the German recon platoon in 1208 cannot provide sup-port because it cannot make a Ranged Attack from an eZOC—this does not apply to the Stummels because they are AFVs, and AFVs ignore eZOC. Note that the German recon half-tracks in 1009 cannot contribute support because they are adjacent to the target hex, and Ranged Attacks against adjacent hexes are only allowed in three very specific situations (and this isn’t one of them; all involve the ARC or a target hex that is field terrain, see 10.0). The British armored cars in 1309 could provide offensive support, but each unit can perform only one action per Combat Phase, and the British player is saving them for AT Fire later in the phase.

The offensive support is resolved first. All British units are rotated 90 degrees clockwise as they fire, to indicate that they have taken their one action for the Combat Phase. The tanks have a RAS of 5, and the following DRMs apply: Close terrain (–1) and Dug-In (–1). The British player rolls 2d6, which yield a 6 that is then modified by the firing unit’s RAS (+5) and the net DRM (–2) for a modified result of 9 = No Effect. Now, the MG platoon fires (same RAS and DRMs apply) and rolls an 11, which is modified to a 14 = Suppressed.

A brown (British) Sup-pressed marker is placed near the target hex.

The defensive support is resolved. The follow-ing DRMs apply to all three firing units: Close terrain (–1) and two company-sized infan-try units in target hex (+2), so the net DRM is +1. The pioneer pla-toon (RAS 3) rolls a 10, which is modified to a 14 = Suppressed. A gray (German) Suppressed marker is placed near the British stack. The Stummel section (RAS 4) rolls a 9, which is modified to a 14 = Sup-pressed, so a second marker is placed. The IGs (RAS 2) roll a 6, which is modified to a 9 = No Effect. Note that the IGs could use the German MGs as an ad-jacent spotter. The IGs are rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise so that their Fired arrow is on top. The other two German units are rotated 90 degrees clockwise as

they fire, to indicate that they have taken their one action for the Combat Phase. The support nets out at one German Suppressed marker, for a shift of 1L to the Combat Ratio.

The Combat is now resolved by using the CRT. There are 13 total CS points attacking vs. 4 defending (black-box CS units have their CS doubled when defending) for base odds of 3:1. The following Combat Ratio modifiers apply: net Support (1L), close terrain (1L), Dug-In (1L), Armor Bonus (1R). The net shift is 2L, for a final Combat Ratio of 3:2. The British player rolls 2d6, which yield a result of 8, for a result of 0/2. As the defender has a Retreat Limit of 2 hexes (MA minus 2), it can take both losses as either Retreats or step reductions. Since it is a single-step unit, the decision is ob-vious; the MG retreats two hexes to 1206. Note that both hexes of the Retreat placed the MGs further from the attacking stack. The British may Advance After Combat into the vacated hex, but must then stop because they do not qualify for a Multi-hex Advance (8.7.1; Carrier Platoons are treated as infantry in this respect and do not qualify, per 12.6.1).



20.7 AT Fire and Combat with SupportIt is the British Combat Phase. The British player wishes to perform a Combat against hex 1110, but he knows that he will not be able to capture the hex until all AFVs in that hex have been eliminated or run off (since AFVs ignore losses from the CRT). He therefore declares AT Fire from one of his Sherman tank troops in 1109 before declaring the Combat. Note that the Shermans can see the Stummels because they are in an adjacent hex. The following DRMs apply to the AT Fire roll: Penetration (+8; AT–Armor = 10–1 =9, but the Penetra-tion DRM is capped at +8), Range (–1), Close Terrain (–4). The net DRM is +3. A roll of 2d10 yields a 12 for the first Sherman troop, modified to a 15 = step reduction. The Stummels are eliminated. The Sherman troop that fired is rotated 90 degrees clockwise to indicate that it took an action. Note that the second Sherman troop in 1109 never fired. As all AT Fire attacks are declared individually, these Shermans can contribute CS to the impending Combat.

The British player now declares the Combat against hex 1110 by all adjacent units excluding the Sherman troop that already took

its action. He declares offensive support from all units in 1008 and 1108, plus three off-map 25-pdr Gunner Batteries (RAS 6) and two off-map Assets: Fighter-Bombers (RAS 7) and a Medium Battery (RAS 8). The German player declares defensive support from all units in hexes 0910, 1111, 1211, and 1311, as well as three off-map units: a towed 105mm battery (RAS 5), a 105mm “Wespe” SP Bat-tery (RAS 6), and an 88mm Flak Battalion (RAS 9). Note that the Grille platoon in 0911 cannot participate unless it has a spotter of the same division. It could use the Panzer Lehr transport half-tracks in 0910 as its spotter, but would receive a –1 DRM for a non-adjacent spotter, and since the Grille platoon gets flipped to a Fired side after firing, the German player decides to save their fire for some other use.

Offensive support is resolved first. The following DRMs apply to all attacks from offensive support: Close Terrain (–1), Dug-In (–1), Company-sized infantry unit in target hex (+1); the net DRM is –1.

The Carrier Platoons (RAS 6) fire with a net modifier of +5 (RAS of 6 and net DRM of –1). The roll of 2d6 on the RAT yields an 8

(+5 = 13) = No Effect. The infantry company (RAS 5) fires with a net DRM of +4. The dice yield a 5 (+4 = 9) = No Effect. The Sherman tanks (RAS 5) fire with a net DRM of +4 and roll a 10 (+4 = 14) = Suppressed. A brown Sup-pressed marker is placed near the target hex. The MG platoon (RAS 5) fires with the same DRM and rolls a 10 (+4 = 14) = Suppressed. A second Sup-pressed marker is placed. The mortar platoon (RAS 5) fires and receives a +1 DRM for self-spotting. The dice yield a 5 (+5 = 10) = No Effect. The mor-tars are rotated counter-clockwise 90 degrees to indicate Fired.

The off-map 25-pdr Gun-nery Batteries (RAS 6) roll as follows: 11, 6, 6. Each roll is modified by +5 to 16, 11, and 11, for one additional Suppressed marker. The off-map As-sets (RAS 7 and 8) roll a 9 and 7, each modified by +6 and +7, respectively, to 15 and 14, for two more Suppressed markers. There are a total of five brown Suppressed markers on the target hex, but the British player has failed to inflict any step reductions from support. Both Assets are



flipped to their Spent side and placed on the Turn Track two turns in the future.

The defensive support is resolved next. The Panzer IV platoon (RAS 6) targets hex 1209. The following DRMs apply: Field (+1), two company-sized infantry units in target hex (+2) for a net DRM of +3. 2d6 yield a 3, modified by +9 to a 12 = No Effect. The MGs (RAS 4) and pioneers (RAS 3) fire at the same hex, with the same DRMs applying. The dice yield 2 and 5, modified to 9 and 11, respectively; both No Effect. The IGs (RAS 2) fire at the attacking stack in 1209. The same DRMs apply, as well as a +2 for self-spotting (net +5). The dice yield an 7, which is modified to a 14 for a Suppressed result. The half-track unit in 0910 (RAS 6) fires at hex 1109; the net DRM is +3. The dice yield a 10, modified to a 19 = Suppressed + 2 step reductions. The British player reduces both infantry companies and places a gray Suppressed marker near the affected hex.

The off-map towed 105mm artillery (RAS 5) fires at hex 1109, hoping for another step reduction, and rolls an 8, which is modified to a 16 = Suppressed. The Wespe battery (RAS 6) fires at the same hex and rolls 3, modified to a 12 = No Effect. The Flak Battalion (RAS 9) also fires at 1109 and rolls a 6, modified to an 18 = Sup-pressed + 1 step reduction. The step reduction cannot be taken from a Sherman tank troop as it is an AFV. The British player eliminates one of the reduced infantry companies. The German off-map units are flipped to their Fired sides and the German player rolls for each unit to see when it will return to play, placing it on the Turn Track accordingly. There are a total of four gray Suppressed markers on the British attackers’ hexes.

All on-map units of both sides that conducted Support (apart from those that were marked Fired) should be rotated 90 degrees clockwise to indicate that they took an action.

Now the Combat is resolved on the CRT. Recall that one British infantry company was reduced and one eliminated, and the Stum-mel section was eliminated. Also note that the Shermans have their CS halved when attacking into close terrain (Red-boxed CS). There are 22 total CS points at-tacking vs. 7 defending for a base Combat Ratio of 3:1. The follow-ing modifiers apply to the Combat: Armor Bonus (1R; in favor of the British due to the inclusion of the Sherman troop and Carrier Platoon that are contributing CS), all attackers in field (1L), close terrain (1L), Dug-In (1L), Sup-pression from Ranged Fire (1R; 5 attacker Suppressed markers minus 4 defender). The modifiers net out at 1L, so the final Combat Ratio is 2:1.

The British player rolls 2d6 and consults the CRT. The dice yield a 6 = 0/1. The German player can either reduce the defending infantry company and remain in the hex, or retreat one hex. He opts to reduce the infantry company since he is planning to reinforce the hex with nearby German units during the impending German Action Phase. He also plans to pull back the reduced company to a village hex five or so hexes away from all attacking units, in order to attempt Recovery on the following turn.

Panzergrenadiers of 12th SS Panzer Division in Fontenay-le-Pesnel.



20.8 Temporary Reveal Upon Firing The following four examples illustrate different situations where Concealed units may be revealed after firing. In these illustrations, it is the British portion of a day turn (unlimited LOS).

20.8.1 ARC Reaction Fire RevealIn the illustration below, it is the British Action Phase. A Sherman tank troop is moving into field hex 0708 and triggers the ARC (Reaction Fire to a Movement Trigger) from a panzer platoon that is Concealed in light bocage hex 0906. This AT Fire attack is a Fire Trigger, and after the attack is resolved, the Shermans, or some other unit that has LOS to the panzers’ hex (such as the 6-pdr AT guns in 0606), may immediately Return Fire across one of the panzers’ frontal hexsides. If neither British unit does so, the opportunity is lost and the Panzers become Concealed again. If the Shermans opt to Return Fire, they cannot continue moving.

20.8.2 Friction Fire RevealIn the illustration used for the previous example, it is still the British Action Phase. The British infantry company moves from field hex 0604 to field hex 0605 and takes FF from a Concealed German MG platoon in bocage hex 0602. The MG platoon is now temporarily revealed. After the FF is resolved and the moving British infantry company either finishes that hex-to-hex portion of its move or halts due to the effect of the FF, the British player may immediately fire on the MG platoon with a vehicle unit, such as the armored cars in 0705 (and note that the ARC is not triggered unless one or both units involved are vehicles). It does not matter if the cars have already taken an action. The fire must enter through one of the MG platoon’s front hexsides to qualify (per 6.2), with frontal determined by the MG’s facing at the instant that it performed the FF. In this case, the British armored cars qualify because they are a vehicle that is in range and with LOS to the MG’s hex, and their LOS enters through one of the MG’s frontal hexsides. However, the British mortars in 0505 would not qualify. The mor-tars can self-spot the MG’s hex through a frontal hexside, but cannot Return Fire because they are not a vehicle; they could, however, take a shot as the next action, per 5.3.1. The British Carrier Pla-toon in 0701 is treated as an AFV for purposes for Return Fire (per 12.6.1) but cannot trace LOS through a frontal hexside. The British MGs in 0802 can trace LOS along a hex spine between the front and flank hexside and is therefore considered to be firing through a frontal hexside (per 6.2) but they are not a vehicle.

A better sequence of actions for the British player might have been to first move his cars adjacent to the MGs (as AFVs, they are im-mune to any effects of Ranged Fire, including FF from the MGs). The cars can then serve as an adjacent spotter for the mortars that can make a non-supporting Ranged Attack in an attempt to suppress the MGs before he finally moves the infantry into the field. Note

that the mortars could self-spot the target hex in this situation (+1 DRM), but the MG would remain concealed (–1 DRM), so the net DRM would be the same as if the cars were spotting for the mor-tars. However, using the cars as a spotter is the better tactic in this situation since they can also serve as the spotter for any number of off-map artillery units.

British Vickers Machine Gun



20.8.3 ARC Return Fire RevealThe following is an admittedly extreme example of the ARC. In the illustration below, it is the British Combat Phase. The British 6-pdrs in 0705 fire upon the Panzer IVs in 0708 and trigger the ARC. Note that the ARC is limited during the Combat Phase, so each unit is rotated 90 degrees clock-wise after firing and is no longer eligible to participate in the ARC or take any other action during the current phase. The Germans Return Fire at the revealed 6-pdrs with their ar-mored cars in 0606. The British Return Fire at the revealed cars with their standard Shermans in 0805. The Germans Return Fire at the revealed Shermans with their Panthers in 0910. The British Return Fire at the revealed Panthers with their Firefly-enhanced Shermans in 0906. The Germans Return Fire at the revealed Firefly-enhanced Shermans with their AT guns in 1008. The British Return Fire at the revealed AT guns with their Carrier Platoon in 1006 (via Ranged

Attack). The Germans Return Fire at the revealed Carrier Platoon with their Stummels in 1108 (via either Ranged Attack or AT Fire). The British Return Fire at the Stummels with their armored cars in 1208. The Germans Return Fire at the cars with their Tigers in 1211. The British Return Fire at the revealed Tigers with their Achilles in 1206. The Germans Return Fire at the revealed Achilles with their Panzer IVs in 0708.

Note that each unit took only one action, and in each case the fir-ing unit was within AT Range (or Range, in the case of the Ranged Attacks) and had a LOS to the target unit. Also note that the Return Fire was through a frontal hexside in all cases where the target lost Concealment for purpose of one Return Fire attack; this was not necessary in the case of the British cars firing on the Stummels because adjacent units are always revealed when LOS > 0.



20.9 LOSRecall that all examples assume it is a daylight turn with unlimited LOS.

20.9.1 Intervening High GroundThe German recon platoon in 1207 cannot see the British tanks be-cause of the intervening hex of higher ground. The German armored cars can see the tanks because the higher ground lies along only one side of a hex spine. The British infantry company can see the cars and recon platoon because there is no intervening blocking terrain, and elevation does not create dead zones in this game. The British MGs can see the German MGs and AT guns but not the other two German units due to blocking terrain.

20.8.4 Ranged Attack RevealThe following example illustrates how supporting Ranged Attacks can trigger the ARC. It is the British Combat Phase. The British are conducting a Combat against the Strongpoint using all three adjacent units. They declare offensive Support from the AA tanks in 1311, the mortars in 1111, and the MGs in 1211. Note that the armored cars in 1112 cannot provide Support because friendly units block LOS for direct fire. The German player could contribute any of his three AFV units to defensive support (since AFVs ignore eZOC and each such unit has LOS to at least one attacking unit) or he could wait and use them for Reaction Fire. He opts for the latter. After the British AA tanks resolve their Ranged Attack, they are targeted by Return Fire by the German recon half-tracks in 1314. Note that the other two German AFV units have no LOS to the British AA tanks. The British armored cars can Return Fire at the recon half-tracks. Next, the British MGs resolve their fire. The Germans Return Fire with their Stummels in 1214. As ARC is limited during the Combat Phase, the recon half-tracks are done for the phase. Note that the panzers in 1414 have no LOS to the MGs. Finally, the British mortars resolve their Ranged Attack. All German AFV units except the panzers have taken an action, and the panzers have no LOS to the mortars.

Had he been wise, the German player would have contributed his panzers to defensive support (since they can’t see any of the British supporting units). They could have been used to target the attackers in 1313 (since units contributing CS to a Combat are always revealed for the purpose of supporting fire).

Note that the British Carrier Platoon in 1113 cannot be targeted by Return Fire (even had the Stummels not already fired) because contributing CS to a Combat is never a trigger for the ARC.

A British motorcyclist passes a knocked out Sherman and (in the background) Panther in Fontenay, June 25, 1944.



20.9.2 Seeing Over and Into Blocking TerrainThe German IGs in hex 0602 can see both British infantry companies be-cause they can see over one adjacent lower elevation bocage hex and into the first non-adjacent lower elevation bocage hex. They can see the Sher-man tanks because they can see into the first non-adjacent lower elevation bocage hex within 4 hexes, but they cannot see the British Carrier Pla-toon because their LOS is blocked by the bocage in the Shermans’ hex.

The German MGs in 0802 can see into the village hex at 0905, reveal-ing the British 6-pdrs. They can see the British MGs in 0903 because ad-jacent hexes are always spotted and adjacent units are always revealed (so long as LOS > 0). They can see the British mortars in 1003 because they can see over one adjacent hex of lower elevation bocage or village.

20.9.3 LOS Works Both Ways; Concealment Does NotBoth British units are on higher ground with respect to the German units. The Firefly-enhanced Shermans can see the German MGs and pioneers, but not the Stummels. Since LOS works both ways, this means that the MGs and pioneers can see the Shermans as well.

The British infantry company can see all three German units, and although that means that all three German units can see the infantry’s hex, only the adjacent MGs can actually see the infantry; they are concealed with respect to the other two German units. If the infantry fired or contributed CS to a Combat, they would reveal themselves with respect to the Stummels and pioneers.

Sherman VC Firefly



20.11 Flanking Fire20.11.1 Flanking Determined by MovementIn the illustration below, it is the British Action Phase. The Firefly-enhanced Sherman tanks move as indicated by the yellow arrow. Reaction Fire from the Panzer IVs in 0807 or the Pumas in 0607 would pass through a frontal hexside. Reaction Fire from the Grille platoon in 0906 would pass through a flank hexside and qualify for the Flanking Fire DRM.

20.11.2 Flanking Determined by Return FireContinuing with the same example, we’ll assume that the Germans react to the Shermans’ Movement Trigger by performing Reaction Fire with the Grille platoon. 2d10 are rolled and modified by –2 (AT minus Armor = –3, +3 DRM for Flanking Fire, –2 for range). Note that the –2 DRM for Armor > AT Rating does not apply when the Flanking Fire bonus applies. The Shermans Return Fire at the Grille Platoon. The Shermans’ facing is now considered to be towards 0906, with the hexsides bordering 0706, 0806, and 0807 being frontal. Any immediate Return Fire from the Pumas would qualify for the Flanking Fire bonus. However, if the Grille platoon or Panzer IV platoon performs Return Fire, the attack would not qualify for the Flanking Fire bonus, as the fire passes through a frontal hexside.

During the impending British Combat Phase, the Shermans’ facing is reset and again determined by their first movement or fire. Fire directed from the Shermans towards any of the three German units is through a frontal hexside, as a unit’s facing is not determined until it moves or fires. Note that the Grille platoon is again Concealed and could not be fired upon by the Shermans unless it fired first (by performing Return Fire at some other British unit, not shown).

20.10 Friction FireIn viewing this example keep in mind that FF is a Ranged Attack that is conducted as a unit or stack is moving into or out of a field hex. Since it is a Ranged Attack, the target of the attack is technically always a hex (specifically, a field hex) rather than a unit or stack.

The British infantry company wishes to move and Assault the Ger-man recon platoon. It moves as indicated by the yellow arrow. The British player pauses after each hex of his move in order to allow his opponent the chance to conduct FF. As the British unit enters field hex 0904, the Germans may conduct FF with either their recon platoon or MG platoon, but not both. Note that FF by the recon platoon is allowed even though it is a Ranged Attack against an adjacent unit. The German player chooses the MG platoon and rolls 2d6, modifying the result by +5 (RAS of 4, +1 DRM for field). The DRM for company-sized infantry units in the target hex (Ranged Attack Modifier #1) does not apply to FF. A 9 is rolled. The modi-fied result of 14 is exactly what was needed for an effect; the British player must halt movement or suffer a step reduction. If the British unit halts, it cannot conduct an Assault this phase. If the British unit decided not to halt, took the step reduction, and continued moving to 0804, the Germans could conduct FF again with either German unit. Since both entered and exited hexes are field, the German player specifies whether he is targeting the unit in 0904 or 0804.

SdKfz 234/2 Puma



20.12 Flanking Fire in AssaultsIn the illustration below, it is the British Action Phase and the British player is conducting two all-AFV Assaults with each of his Sherman tank troops—one against each German AFV unit.

In the first Assault (against the Tiger section in 0514), the net modifier for Tactical Advantage is a +1 (for 2 steps attacking 1 step) so the British player draws two chits. He draws “AA” and “No AT Fire” and chooses the former. Note that the “AA” will translate into “A” since he has only one AT-capable unit. He rolls 2d10 which yield a 6 and a 9. The 9 qualifies him for the Flanking Fire DRM (+3 vs. a Tiger) since the terrain in the Assault hex is non-field. His unmodi-fied roll of 15 is modified by –2 (AT minus Armor), –2 (Terrain), and +3 (Flanking Fire) to yield a modified 14, for a step reduction that eliminates the Tiger section.

In the second Assault (against the Panzer IV platoon in 0515), the net modified for Tactical Advantage is a +2 (+1 for 2 steps attacking 1, and +1 for attacking from close terrain into field) so the British player draws three chits. He cannot qualify for the Flanking Fire DRM since the target hex is field.

20.13 Fire Along a Hex SpineIn the illustration below, the Achilles troop in 1307 wishes to fire at the Panzer IV platoon in 1508. Return fire from any German unit shown would be through a frontal hexside—even in the case of the recon half-tracks in 1405 since their fire would enter the Achilles’s hex along a hex spine between the frontal and flank hexsides.

If the Achilles instead fires at the Tigers in 1408, the British player may specify whether his facing is towards 1407 or 1308 (since his fire is along a hex spine). If he chose 1407, the Return Fire from any shown German unit would be through a frontal hexside. If he chose 1308 (presumably to face some other German unit to the south—not shown), the Return Fire from either Auf unit would qualify for the Flanking Fire bonus, but Return Fire from the Panzer IVs or Tigers would not.

The Bordel in June 2010, after a period of heavy rain, as photographed by Lead Researcher Vincent Lefavrais during his tour of the battlefield. The Bordel is a “ditch” dividing fields in the background and most vegetation

has been removed. This is the view from map hex 0510, facing south.



For his second attack, the German player declares his Stummels vs. the Carrier Platoon. Since the Stummels have a printed AT Range, they do not draw Modifier Chits and use the normal AT Fire Table Modifiers. The following DRMs apply: Penetration (AT–Armor = 6–1 = +5), Close terrain (–4/–2; the –2 is used against an assaulting attacker), Firing from a hex marked Suppressed (–1/–4; the –1 is used for AFVs and the Stummels are AFVs). Note that AT Range in hexes is considered zero during an Assault, so there is no negative DRM for AT Range. The net DRM is +2. 2d10 are rolled and yield a 14, modified by +2 to a 16 = step reduction. As Carrier Platoons track losses on the Transport Pool, the British Transport Pool marker is moved one space on the Information Track. The British player must make a Survival Roll. 1d6 is rolled, yielding a 6. The Carrier Platoon does not suffer a step reduction.

The British now make their AT Fire attack, choosing to use their Carrier Platoon vs. the Stummels (the only vehicle unit and therefore the only possible target). As the Carrier Platoon has no printed AT Range, they draw Modifier chits (four in this case, because it is a day turn): Target has Orange-box CS (–5 since the Stummels indeed qualify), Target is open-topped (+4; the Stummels again qualify), Flanking Fire (+1 for vehicles like the Stummels with an Armor of 3 or less), Friendly infantry + MG steps (+2; +1 per step and there are two such steps). The net DRM is +2. 2d10 are rolled yielding a 9, modified by +2 to an 11 = No Effect.

The Assault is now resolved using the CRT. There are 15 total British CS attacking (recall that the Shermans are now reduced and Red-boxed CS units are halved attacking into close terrain) vs. 8 CS defending (recall that Black-boxed CS units have their CS doubled on the defense); the 15:8 attack is rounded in favor of the defender and uses the 3:2 column. The following Combat Modifiers apply: Armor Bonus (both sides qualify, so the 1R and 1L cancel out), Suppression from Ranged Fire (2R; there are two Suppression markers, both in the attackers’ favor), Orange-boxed CS unit (1L), Yellow-boxed CS unit (1L), All Attackers in Field (1L) and Ger-man Combined Arms Bonus (1L); the net modifier is 2L. The final odds are 2:3. Also note that the flame-throwers (Yellow-boxed CS) of the pioneers and the high caliber guns (Orange-boxed CS) of the Stummels really helped the Germans in this Assault. 2d6 are rolled, yielding a 4 for a result of 2/0. The first two attacker losses must be taken as step reductions in an Assault. The British player reduces both infantry companies.

20.14 Assaults20.14.1 Tactical Advantage ProcedureIt is the British Action Phase and a British stack in a field hex is assaulting a German stack in a Dug-In village hex, as shown in the illustration below. Earlier in the same Action Phase, British off-map artillery achieved two Suppressed results against the target hex. The following Tactical Advantage Modifiers apply to the British Assault: +3 for friendly minus enemy infantry and MG steps (6 British steps to 2 German steps = +4, but the max modifier for this is +3), –4 for assaulting from field into close terrain, +1 for one or more Suppressed markers, –1 for 12SS units defending, for a net modifier of –1 (in the defender’s favor). The German player draws two Tactical Advantage chits from the cup. The draw yields “DDA” and “AA” and the German player chooses the former. The defend-ing German units can make two AT Fire attacks, followed by one by the British attackers.

Note that only two German units can make AT Fire attacks (the MGs have no AT rating) so the only choice involved for the German player is the order of his attacks. He first declares an attack by the pioneer platoon against the Sherman tanks. As the pioneers have no printed AT Range, their AT Range is zero (AT Fire usable in Assaults only) and they use the chit draw to determine DRMs. It is a day turn, so four Modifier chits are drawn from the cup. The resulting chits and their associated DRM are: Penetration (AT–Armor = 12–8=+4), Ter-rain in Assault hex (Village=+5), No DRM (+0), Target’s Combat Strength (–5). The net DRM is +4. 2d10 are rolled and yield a 10, modified by +4 to a 14 = step reduction. Note that all DRMs listed below the AT Fire Table are ignored; only the DRMs determined by the drawn Modifier chits are used. The British player reduces his Sherman tank troop.

The Panzerfaust 30 was a single-shot recoilless anti-tank weap-on consisting of a disposable launch tube and a 149mm high explosive warhead. It had a very limited range of about 30m.



20.14.2 All-AFV AssaultIt is the German Action Phase and a stack of Panthers is preparing to assault a stack of British Sherman II DDs.

The Panthers move as a stack from 1608 to 1509, and a Sherman troop responds with Reaction Fire. The applicable AT Fire Modifiers are: Range (–1), Penetration (AT–Armor = 0). The net DRM is –1. 2d10 are rolled and yield a 9, modified by –1 to an 8 = No Effect. A Panther platoon responds with Return Fire, effectively dropping itself off in 1509 as it is now unable to continue moving or assault-ing as part of the stack. The applicable modifiers are: Range (–1), Penetration (+8). The net DRM is +7. The dice yield an 11 which is modified to an 18 for a step reduction to the Sherman troop. The British player opts to Pass (he might have performed Return Fire or Reaction Move). The ARC ends and the remaining three Panthers may continue their movement. They have already spent 1 MP, and spend 2 more (the cost of the target field hex, +1 MP) to conduct the Assault.

The Assault is resolved as an all-AFV Assault since there are no non-AFV units on either side. There are six AT-capable attacking vehicle steps vs. seven defending, and 6–7 = –1 modifier. The de-fending British player draws two Tactical Advantage chits. The draw yields “DDA” and “A” and the British player chooses the former. The Shermans may fire twice, followed by one shot by the Panthers.

The first Sherman troop fires. DRMs: Penetration (+0), Range in hexes (+0) = net DRM of zero. 2d10 are rolled, yielding an 8 = No Effect. The second Sherman troop fires (same DRMs) and rolls a 14 = step reduction. A Panther platoon fires. DRMs: Penetration (+8; AT–Armor = 10, but the max is +8), Range in hexes (+0) = net +8. Roll of 2d10 = 6 (modified to 14) = step reduction.

Both players may call off the Assault, starting with the phasing player (Germans). The German player opts to press the Assault. The British player is feeling lucky and opts to stand as well. The procedure continues for another round. There are now five steps at-tacking six (5–6 = –1) so the Tactical Advantage modifier is still –1. The defending British player draws two Tactical Advantage chits. The draw yields “AAA” and “DA” and the British player chooses the latter. The Shermans may fire once, followed by the Panthers.

The modifiers are the same as before: +0 for the Shermans and +8 for the Panthers. The Shermans roll a 14 for another step reduction. The Panthers roll an 8, modified to a 16, for another step reduction.

Once again, both players may choose to call off the Assault or con-tinue. This time, the British player decides to pull out. He voluntarily withdraws his Shermans (per 9.3) one or two hexes such that each hex withdrawn places them further away from the hex from whence the Assault originated. He moves them two hexes to 1210 (off-map, down and left). The Panthers that participated in the Assault may not Reaction Fire at either of these two moves (but the Panthers that were dropped off in 1608 can Reaction Fire). The assaulting Panthers must advance into the vacated hex. They may continue moving and/or assaulting (see 12.1.2 Overruns) if they wish to do so, since they have MPs remaining.

The crew of Sherman tank “Akilla” of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry pose after having destroyed five German tanks in one

day on June 30, 1944, near Rauray.



20.15 Armor Reaction Cycle (ARC)20.15.1 Extended ARCThe following is an admittedly extreme example of how the ARC might be initiated, perpetuated, and end.

During the British Action Phase, a British infantry company moves from field hex 0807 to field hex 0808. A German MG platoon in 0710 performs FF against the moving infantry, choosing to target it in the entered hex as opposed to the exited hex (since there will be no –1 DRM for range of 3 hexes). The infantry company’s move is temporarily paused while the FF is resolved. The British player puts the “MPs Remaining” marker in cell 4 of the Information Track as a reminder. The FF results in “No Effect” and the infantry may continue moving. However, a nearby British Sherman tank troop in 0707 has range and LOS to the German MGs, and performs Return Fire against them. Note that in this case the MG fire was both FF and a Fire Trigger for the ARC.

The tank fire is resolved as a Ranged Attack on the RAT and yields “Suppressed.” The tank fire, in turn, draws Return Fire from the Grille platoon in 0508, continuing the cycle. This fire is resolved as AT Fire and results in “No Effect.” The Grille platoon is marked Fired and can no longer participate in the cycle. Since the Shermans

use direct fire, they do not get marked Fired and may be eligible to participate in the ARC again. The German MGs could also partici-pate, were they not marked Suppressed.

The British Humber armored car troop in 0909 uses Return Fire against the Grille platoon (and note that the original Sherman troop might have done so instead, as it has AT Range and LOS to the unit). The cars resolve their attack against the Grilles using the AT Fire Table and eliminate them.

The German Panzer IV platoon in 1309 conducts Return Fire against the armored cars and inflicts a step reduction. The cars conduct a one hex Reaction Move to 0908, placing themselves behind a woods hex and out of LOS of all German units that can affect them with Reaction Fire (the Grille platoon has been eliminated and the MG has no AT rating). As no German units can react to the cars’ Move-ment Trigger, the cycle ends. The British Action Phase continues where it left off, with the movement of the British infantry company (conveniently noted on the Information Track).



20.15.2 ARC With a TwistIn this example, the sequence of events unfolds similarly to that in the preceding example, but with a few twists.

The British Infantry company moved into the field at 0712 and took FF from the German MGs in 0812. Note that this fire is allowed even though it is a Ranged Attack against an adjacent unit; it is FF and therefore one of the three exceptions outlined in the first paragraph of 10.0.

The Shermans in 0611 cannot perform Return Fire on the MGs because the intervening friendly infantry company blocks the direct fire Ranged Attack. The Humbers in 0713 perform Return Fire instead —and note that they may do so even though they are adjacent because Return Fire Ranged Attack (11.5.2.2) is another of the exceptions listed in the first paragraph of 10.0. The Grille platoon in 0513 Return Fires on the Humbers. The Shermans in 0611 Return Fire on the Grille platoon. The Panzer IVs in 0411 Return Fire on the Shermans.

20.16 FF or Reaction Fire as a Fire TriggerThe following three examples all use the same illustration.

They should help elucidate whether or not situations qualify for Reaction Fire.

20.16.1 Movement Trigger During the German Action Phase, a German panzer platoon moving to 0806 is within LOS and AT Range of a unit with an AT rating—the British 6-pdr platoon in 0606. This is a Movement Trigger and initiates the ARC. The 6-pdr may Reaction Fire or Pass.

20.16.2 Movement Trigger by an Unarmored Vehicle During the German Action Phase, a German truck unit moving to 0708 is within LOS and Range of a unit with a RAS—the British Carrier Platoon in 0608. This is a Movement Trigger and initiates the ARC. The Carrier Platoon may Reaction Fire or Pass. This Reaction Fire could be either AT Fire or a Ranged Attack since the trucks are vulnerable to both; the British player must choose (alternatively, the Carrier Platoon could choose to use FF against the trucks, since the trucks are moving into a field hex). If a Ranged Attack, it is re-solved using the RAT. If AT Fire, the Carrier Platoon uses its RAS value of 6 in lieu of an AT rating, and resolves the fire using the AT Fire Table. The panzer platoon in 0806 could perform Return Fire against the Carrier Platoon.

20.16.3 Fire TriggerIt is the British Action Phase and a British infantry company moving into field hex 0504 takes FF from a German MG platoon in 0802. As neither unit is a vehicle, this is FF and not Reaction Fire. If the German recon half-tracks in 0804 fired instead, the fire would still be FF and not Reaction Fire (since only movement by vehicles qualifies as Movement Triggers). The German fire would be a Fire Trigger for the British Sherman tanks in 0602 which could perform Return Fire (and note that they could do so even against the MG platoon if it was the one to fire, since one of the two units involved is a vehicle; this would be a Return Fire Ranged Attack).

Sherman II DD



20.17 Unarmored Vehicles Taking FireIt is the German Action Phase and a German recon half-track unit fires at a British Loyd Carrier unit (a 6-pdr AT gun on its “Towed” side). The Loyd Carriers have an Armor rating of zero, so they can be affected by either normal Ranged Attacks or AT Fire. For this example, the German player uses AT Fire. The half-tracks’ RAS of 6 is greater than their AT rating of 4, so the German player opts to use the RAS rating in lieu of the AT rating to conduct the attack. The fire is resolved using the AT Fire Table. The RAS of 6 is treated as an AT rating of 6 and translates into a +6 DRM. AT Fire attacks are always resolved against a vehicle unit (not a hex or stack). The towed AT guns are unaffected (no roll is made on the RAT).

The German player rolls 2d10. The only applicable DRMs are range (–2) and Penetration (AT–Armor = 6–0= +6), for a net DRM of +4. The dice yield a 13, for a modified result of 17 = step reduction. The target has a circled Armor rating, so the loss is recorded as a Transport Pool reduction; the British Transport Pool marker is moved one cell on the Information Track. The British player must roll on the Survival Table to determine the effect on the towed 6-pdrs. He rolls 1d6, which yields a 2. The 6-pdr troop is eliminated; the unit counter is placed in the Dead Pool. Note that the Transport Pool reduction is not negated in any way due to the elimination of the transported unit. If the British player had rolled a 3 or higher on the Survival Table, the 6-pdrs would have suffered no effect.

20.18 Digging InAn infantry company spends two turns to place a Dug-In marker in a hex. During that time, a friendly AT gun unit enters the hex. On the turn following the placement of the Dug-In marker the infantry company leaves the hex. The AT gun unit remains in the hex, as does the Dug-In marker.

20.19 Retreating into a Strongpoint.A reduced infantry company with a MA of 5 is 2 hexes away from a friendly Strongpoint when it suffers a Combat result of 0/3. Its Retreat Limit of 3 hexes (MA-2) means it can retreat 3 hexes to fulfill all 3 losses, but if it retreats 2 hexes into a Strongpoint hex to fulfill the first and second loss, it may end its Retreat and the remaining loss is ignored. If the Combat result had been a 0/4, the unit would still have to take a step reduction (eliminating it) since its Retreat Limit is 3. If it had been at full strength, it could have taken the first loss as a step reduction, then retreated into the Strongpoint to satisfy 2 more losses, then ended its Retreat and ignored the final loss.

If a single-step unit with a MA of 6 (Retreat Limit of 4) receives a Combat result of 0/4, it can retreat into an adjacent Strongpoint and ignore all further losses. However, a result of 0/5 would eliminate the unit.

20.20 Fire ControlExamples of FC Classes and Die Rolls

When you make an AT Fire attack you roll 2d10 (using the black dice) and need to achieve a modified 14 or higher to inflict a step reduction. Any time you use the Optional Rules for FC and make an AT Fire attack using a unit with a FC Class other than Standard (any + or – FC rating), you roll a total of four dice instead of the usual two. One of these is the red d6 “Fire Control die.” You also roll 3d10 (the two usual black dice plus the red one). Note that FC Class Poor uses a negative value, but the FC die always produces a positive number.

20.20.1 StandardLet’s say you are attacking with a FC class Standard unit, like a Sherman tank troop. You only roll 2d10. If the modified result (after any DRMs for range, penetra-tion, etc.) is 14 or higher, you do a step reduction to

the target. A modified result of 13 or lower yields No Effect.

SdKfz 250/9 Recon half-track



20.20.2 PoorYour unit’s FC rating is –2, so you roll all four dice.

d6 result of 1 or 2 = FC effect kicks in, and you use the lowest two d10 results. This means that if the red d10 has a lower value than one of the black d10’s,

you replace the black die result with the red die result. Note that you’re still only adding up two of the three dice results to generate a number from 2-20.

d6 result of 3 or higher = no FC effect. Ignore the red d10 and use the results of the two black dice, as you’d normally do.

20.20.3 GoodNow let’s say your unit’s FC rating is +2. You roll all four dice.

d6 result of 1 or 2 = FC effect kicks in, and you use the highest two of three d10 results.

d6 result of 3 or higher = no FC effect. Ignore the red d10 and use the results of the two black dice, as you’d normally do.

21.0 Linking Scenarios into a “Grand Campaign”Players desiring a longer, more involved Campaign Game may link multiple scenarios together using the following rules.

Design Note: Most of the short scenarios contained in this game are small “slices” of Operation Dauntless and are subsumed by the Campaign Game. These rules effectively allow the players to start on June 16th with the battle for Cristot, and incorporate the Cristot and Le Parc de Boislonde scenarios as prequels to the Campaign Game. The game is not playable as a single, continu-ous scenario because there were too many uneventful gaps in the twelve-day period.

The following three scenarios are played in order: 18.1, 18.4, and 18.5. Each scenario is played independently, per its normal rules and Victory Conditions, with all units removed from the map and Turn Track between scenarios, except that the following are observed for consistency:

• Any units eliminated in an earlier scenario remain so in a later one unless Reconstituted by Replacement rolls, as described below.

• VPs earned for enemy losses do not carry over into later scenarios.

Design Note: However, any eliminated units might not recon-stitute in time to be present in a later scenario, making it harder for their side to achieve a win. The loss of these units will be felt by the owning player.

• Transport Pools are reset at the start of each scenario, per scenario

instructions. VPs earned for Transport Pool losses do not carry over into later scenarios.

• Between scenarios 18.1 and 18.4, all reduced infantry units are returned to their full-strength sides. Both players are allowed one Replacement roll for each reduced non-infantry unit on the map, Turn Track, or in the Withdrawn box, with a +2 DRM on each roll. They also receive one Replacement roll for each step of each

unit in the Eligible for Reconstitution box, with a +2 DRM on each roll.

• Units in the Withdrawn box are removed from the box at their current step strength and become available per 18.4. Units in the Eligible for Reconstitution box that failed to recover remain in that box at the start of 18.4; they do not count for VPs or affect that scenario in any way, but they are not available for setup or as Reinforcements. They are eligible for Replacement rolls once again as of the night turn present in 18.4.

• Between scenarios 18.4 and 18.5, all reduced infantry units are returned to their full-strength sides. Both players are allowed one Replacement roll for each reduced non-infantry unit on the map, Turn Track, or in the Withdrawn box, with a +4 DRM on each roll. They also receive one Replacement roll for each step of each unit in the Eligible for Reconstitution box, with a +4 DRM on each roll.

Design Note: While it may at first seem too generous, given the small nature of these scenarios, to allow for more Replace-ments here than in the full Campaign Game, players should be reminded that a much longer span of time is passing between scenarios—six days between 18.4 and 18.5. We are looking at the grand sum of manpower replacements and recovered/repaired vehicles over the period from the night of June 16 to dawn on June 25.

• Units in the Withdrawn box are removed from the box at their current step strength and become available per 18.5. Units in the Eligible for Reconstitution box that failed to recover remain in that box at the start of 18.5; they do not count for VPs or affect that scenario in any way, but they are not available for setup or as Reinforcements. They are eligible for Replacement rolls once again during the night turns in 18.5.

• Final victory is determined by the results of scenario 18.5, using the normal 18.5 Victory Conditions, except that either player earns 14 additional VPs for each of the previous two scenarios won, to a maximum of 28 VPs for winning both.

Play Note: The German player should expect to begin the Campaign Game with fewer units than the historical allot-ment—especially armored recon (Auf) units. This is because the 12SS voluntarily pulled out of Cristot at night rather than performing a fighting withdrawal with their recon units, as the hypothetical Cristot scenario assumes. Players wishing to take a more rigidly historical approach to linking scenarios should start with 18.4, applying only those bullet rules above that pertain to 18.4 and 18.5.

British infantry, carriers, and towed 6-pounder AT guns relocate to the site of the next battle.



22.0 Key Differences from Red WinterOperation Dauntless is a bit more complex than its predecessor, mainly due to the inclusion of Concealment, ARC, and a more de-tailed AT routine. However, players familiar with Red Winter (RW) will quickly recognize the underlying core game system. Looking through the illustrated examples of play (20.0) should prove helpful to RW players. Additionally, these players may want to review the following list of key differences between the two games:

• Field is a new terrain type that effectively replaces frozen lake. If you mentally associate the two, you’ll have an easier time with some of the rules. For example, Combats and Ranged Attacks against units in field receive a beneficial column shift and DRM, respectively. Adjacent defensive support and Friction Fire are only allowed vs. units in field, just as they were only allowed against units in frozen lake in RW.

• Units can now perform Ranged Attacks and AT Fire in lieu of other actions during their Action Phase. In game terms, this means you can potentially Suppress a hex before you Assault it.

• Friction Fire (formerly optional) is now mandatory. When your units cross open field they will get shot at. Using Ranged Attacks to suppress enemy units during your Action Phase helps before crossing fields.

• Assaults now cost +1 MP (vs. +2 in RW).• There are 2:3 and 3:2 columns on the CRT, and the CRT has been

calibrated to favor the attacker slightly more as compared to the RW CRT.

• Both sides are able to attack, defend, and counterattack quite effectively and consistently during much of the game; the “swing” from attacker to defender, or vice versa, is not so obvious here as it was in RW.

• The units are covering a much narrower front than in RW. The focus is less on wild maneuvers as on mastery of combined arms tactics. As a result, the game has a bit more of a puzzle-like feel. For example, you may need to cross a field with an infantry company. But before you can do that, you’ll need to move a tank unit to prevent an enemy MG nest from firing. But before you can move the tanks, you’ll need to use your mortars to suppress an enemy AT gun. That will require getting a recon unit next to it to act as a spotter…

• Dug-In markers work like before, but provide only a –1 DRM for both direct and indirect Ranged Attacks.

• A new type of improvement, the German Strongpoint, can be placed as markers. Some are already drawn on the map, representing walled farms and the like. These function like the Hotel in RW, providing a –2 DRM to Ranged Attacks. Combats and Assaults against these hexes are at a 2L column shift, and additionally the defender ignores the first loss.

• The Germans enjoy a favorable column shift for the Combined Arms Bonus (using infantry and armor together in the same Combat or Assault).

• Certain vehicle types qualify for beneficial column shifts in Combats and/or Assaults, as denoted by orange- or yellow-boxed CS. Examples include the British Centaur IV CS Tank, AVRE,

and Crocodile flamethrower tank, and the German “Stummel” SP gun, “Grille” SP Infantry Gun, and Flammpanzerwagen.

• Some terrain types (village, woods, and heavy bocage) are classified as close terrain, and ZOC extends out of but not into these hexes. This has very important ramifications on several aspects of game play—most notably movement, Retreat, Recovery, and the ability to conduct Ranged Attacks.

• Units in close terrain that do not fire and are not adjacent to enemy units are Concealed. Concealed units cannot be targeted by AT Fire; their hex can be targeted by Ranged Attacks, but with a negative DRM.

• LOS comes into play much more than previously, putting a premium on the hilltops. Units on higher ground (on the uphill side of a slope hexside) can see over one hex of adjacent non-woods blocking terrain, and into the first non-adjacent hex of non-woods blocking terrain, spotting any Concealed units lurking there. And while LOS still works in both directions, spotting Concealed units in a hex doesn’t.

• MAs are classified as leg, tracked, or wheeled, and this affects the cost to enter some terrain types.

• AFV units have the following new ratings: AT rating, AT Range, and Armor.

• Moving or firing units may initiate the Armor Reaction Cycle (ARC). The rest of the game is basically put on hold until this cycle exhausts itself. Vehicles or AT-capable units trade shots or conduct a one-hex Reaction Move until no units qualify, or until one side opts to Pass. The ARC usually occurs during the Action Phase.

• Infantry units have their own AT ratings, but these have a range of 0 hexes (usable only in Assaults).

• Many units now have their own transports, and these are classified as either independent (having their own, separate counters for the transports) or attached (in which case the flip-side of the unit counter depicts the unit in its loaded or towed state).

• Losses to attached transports are tracked using Transport Pool markers on the Info Track rather than removing their counters from the map, reflecting the relative ease with which these types of vehicles could be replaced (at least in the early stages of the battle…).

• You need to rotate your units to track their actions in this game! In RW it wasn’t usually necessary to do so, but in Operation Dauntless, failing to do so is a recipe for confusion.

• There are a large number of Reinforcement units in this game, and they are handled similarly to the Variable Reinforcements (Soviet tanks) in RW. Some of these units begin on the map but in an inactive state, activating when the owning player spends points to commit them. Others begin off-map and enter only when purchased.

• The British player has a rather unique type of unit at his disposal: the Carrier Platoon. These act as a sort of lightly armored cavalry unit. In game terms they are an odd amalgam of infantry and armor, possessing some traits of both.

• Optional rules for Operational Sector Markers (OSM) add a degree of command & control to the game.



23.0 Tips and StrategiesHandling of Physical Components. Each hex will hold four coun-ters without physical stacking, and the stacking limit in this game is a convenient four units for most purposes—not including transports and markers. Clipping the dog-ears from the corners of your counters will greatly facilitate your ability to move “stacks” (actually groups of side-by-side units) of four counters from hex to hex, or rotate these stacks, without disrupting nearby units. I suggest using your thumb in the center of these stacks of four, to move the stack by sliding it along the map—and a sheet of thin plexiglass to protect your map and hold it flat really helps in this regard. The thumb method is especially handy for rotating a stack of four counters to mark them “action taken.” In particularly dense map areas with four counters facing off against four counters on all sides, players may wish to use the “Fired” markers to keep track of which stacks have taken their action during the Action Phase, rather than rotating them 90 degrees—even though this is not technically the intended use of these markers. I didn’t have enough countersheet space to include “Action Taken” markers. You’ll soon be in good practice with moving stacks about the map, and I think players will agree that any inconvenience inherent in the “thumb method” is far outweighed by the players’ ability to view all of their stacks without physically unstacking the units. Finally, if you don’t already use them, get yourself a pair of blunt-tipped tweezers for grabbing and rotating those hard-to-reach units in the center of densely populated map areas.

Both PlayersBoth players should strive to build “assault stacks” near but behind the frontlines, and in positions that afford maximum flexibility. The best strategy for doing this differs greatly between the two sides and is discussed in more detail below.

It’s usually worth pulling back your reduced infantry units such that they are four or more hexes from the enemy and in a village or Strongpoint hex before attempting Recovery. For the British during the first day of the battle, this typically means the St. Pierre / La Butte area, or the Cristot area. For the Germans, village hexes are more numerous and there are enough on-map Strongpoints to serve the same purpose. Reduced British infantry units will sometimes need to remain in place while attempting Recovery, in order to hold the frontline, with a relatively low success rate due to the proximity to enemy units and a lack of other positive DRMs (except possibly the +1 for village). The Germans can’t afford to remain in place and attempt Recovery. Not only do they suffer an automatic –1 DRM to all their attempts, but they have fewer infantry companies and suffer a greater reduction in CS when reduced. Pulling back in order to benefit from multiple positive DRMs is normally the German player’s only viable option.

When performing multiple Ranged Attacks against a hex with one or more infantry companies, it’s usually to your advantage to start with the weakest attacks first, then work your way towards the strongest. This will guarantee the highest rate of Suppressed and step reduction results (in case some of the targeted infantry companies are elimi-nated by earlier attacks and the net DRM is reduced because of that).

Don’t forget that Suppressed markers in the target hex of an Assault yield a bonus to the Tactical Advantage chit draw. Therefore hitting a defending hex containing AFVs with Ranged Attacks—even if it

can’t destroy them outright—can be helpful and is an oft-overlooked strategy. In our playtests, we referred to this tactic as “buttoning.”

Players should also have a look at the Strategic Notes for scenario 18.1, many of which are applicable to all scenarios.

FF vs. ARC. New players may at first be confused as to what con-stitutes FF as opposed to the ARC. FF is only against Field hexes (it may help to think of “field” as being a third “F”), involves a moving target, and may take place when the target moves into a field hex or out of a field hex. FF’s purpose is to cause the moving stack to either halt or suffer a step reduction. The ARC always involves a vehicle unit and can target a unit in any terrain type. The ARC can be Reaction Fire (in response to a Movement Trigger), Return Fire (in response to a Fire Trigger), or a Reaction Move (in response to a Fire Trigger). Reaction Fire, unlike FF, always takes place when a hex is entered (never exited), and the hex need not be Field.

British PlayerThe British left flank at the start of the Campaign Game consists of mostly open fields—good tank country. Perhaps counter-intuitively, this means the British should mostly avoid it. Generally speaking, the British tanks are outranged and outgunned by the German tanks, and should stick to the bocage. Of course, the German line begins paper-thin in this region and makes a tempting target! It’s up to the British player to decide whether to take the gamble. This map region also makes a good place for the British to set up some 17-pounder AT guns overlooking the open fields.

Slow and steady wins the race as the British. Consider Monty’s creed of casualty conservation, then apply it whole-heartedly to your play style. You’ll need to keep up your momentum (hopefully capturing a new German-occupied hex or two almost every turn) in order to keep the Germans off balance, falling back, and shuffling their front lines. But don’t bite off more than you can chew in a given game turn. You can’t afford to lose too many units. Unfortunately, Assaults can be very costly (since the first two attacker losses in an Assault must be taken as step reductions), and you’ll mainly need to Assault to capture German-controlled hexes. This presents quite the conundrum for the British player.

In general, you should only do Assaults when you can achieve the Tactical Advantage (net positive modifier to Tactical Advantage) plus multiple Suppressed markers. The British can generally afford to take their time and be methodical, using their artillery and mortars to maximum effect. Occasionally, they will need to act a bit more rashly, seizing an opportunity to grab up new territory via a multi-hex advance or by pouring through a breach formed by a preceding Assault; the Carrier Platoons excel in the latter role. These situations are the exception rather than the norm. If too many unfavorable As-saults are pressed, losses to British infantry and tanks will mount very quickly and the British player’s three Reinforcement Points per turn may not prove sufficient to get enough units back into the fray quickly enough to secure a British win.

The British should strive to form up new assault stacks turn after turn, using them to conduct an Assault on the turn following their formation. On turns that some units are actively assaulting, other units should be recovering and/or forming up new assault stacks. These stacks should be near enough to the front line to reach a variety of targets, depending on the evolving situation on the front after resolving artillery barrages and any preceding Assaults. An as-



sault stack should, for the British, ideally contain two full-strength infantry companies, plus at least one armored unit (tanks or Carrier Platoon), for four total units. It is important to have two recoverable steps of infantry in each assault stack wherever possible (read: two full-step infantry companies and/or Carrier Platoons). Since the at-tacker must take the first two losses as step reductions in an Assault, these units can absorb the punishment if the Assault goes poorly, as will often be the case. Following step reductions to these units, spend a turn pulling them back such that they are four or more hexes from all enemies, and preferably in a village hex, in order to attempt recovery on the following turn with the maximum beneficial DRMs. Following their recovery, form them into a new assault stack. The entire process, from Assault to Assault, will take about five turns: a turn to pull back a reduced unit to a safe distance, a turn or two to recover, a turn to move forward into a position where a new Assault stack will be formed, and, finally, a turn to conduct a new Assault.

A common mistake for newcomers is to play the British too aggres-sively. Time is on your side, but just barely. Keep the momentum rolling in that you do things in the most efficient way possible, keeping to a strict timeline, but try to plan your attacks semi-conservatively so that final odds are at least 3:2 or 2:1. Rotate out reduced units and withdraw battered battalions whenever possible. Try not to stack two infantry companies in hexes that aren’t close terrain. Otherwise, the enemy can target and eliminate them with massed artillery (especially those horrendous 88mm flak battalions!). Take Monty’s creed of casualty conservation to heart and let your superior artillery, Assets, and firepower do the work for you. Don’t be afraid to spend a turn or two setting up to achieve better odds. Also, knowing whether to conduct an Assault or a Combat (or both) is key to success for claiming a particular hex while keeping your casualties low.

The AT Line. The slow-moving 17-pounder AT guns may seem mostly irrelevant in the early game turns when they have no tar-gets, but as the game situation evolves, their importance cannot be understated. Set up in prime defensive positions such as hills overlooking field regions, they will discourage the German player from running amok behind the British frontlines. But more regularly and importantly, they will prevent the Germans from recapturing lost hexes via armored counterattacks—or at least cause the German player to weigh gravely the decision to conduct such counterattacks.

Relocating the 17-pdrs during the course of the Campaign Game will be necessary in order to keep up with the British infantry advance. However, the guns are extremely vulnerable during their multi-turn transit, giving the British player cause to think hard about risk vs. reward before undertaking this endeavor. When he finally relocates the guns, he’ll want to limber half or fewer at a time in order to leave the remainder deployed to discourage a German armored breakthrough. Historically, mobilizing and redeploying these guns was notoriously difficult and time consuming. In the game, it will effectively take the British player a turn to limber them, one or more turns to move them, and then another full turn to ready them. The British player should therefore choose their positions carefully.

The first worthwhile relocation of the 17-pdrs is likely to take place late on June 25 or early on June 26 and amount to a new AT defensive line along the south edge of Fontenay (12SS sector) and just south of the Bordel (Panzer Lehr sector). The location of this line is very important because it effectively defines the playable map area for the German player; his tanks, even Panthers and Tigers, will not

be able to move near or beyond a line of well-placed 17-pdrs. As the British infantry push slowly southward, the British player must struggle to keep his 17-pdrs in relevant positions. If he takes too long to relocate them, the Germans can (and frequently will) perform effective local counterattacks to throw back the British infantry and retake their positions.

Night Turns. The British player should protect his tanks on night turns by grouping them together whenever possible, then setting up infantry units or AT guns with linked ZOC (2-3 hexes apart) to form a screen.

British Setup. This section pertains to the Campaign Game and any other scenarios that begin on the 0400 June 25 turn. The British player has no real choices to make on turn 1 other than his setup. A “normal” setup consists of two British infantry companies in each forward (south-most) setup hex. Each of these hexes should contain four units—the others can be MGs, Carrier Platoons, or tanks, just so long as each stack has at least one AFV unit (tank or Carrier Platoon) in order to grant an Armor Bonus. The mortars and 6-pdr AT guns should setup in the row just behind the forward hexes. Feel free to experiment with setup—the above is only a general guideline.

Turn 2 is of critical importance to the British player. On turn 2, the British player must exploit the Germans’ inability to move (on turn 1) where possible—maneuvering to capture ground or cut off German units.

German PlayerThe Germans must be even more cautious than the British. Minimiz-ing losses is paramount, as is the need to inflict as much damage as possible. Make the British pay for every hex gained! In many cases, the best approach is to lurk Concealed in bocage or woods and wait for opportunities to use Reaction Fire with the superior German tanks. Then melt back into the bocage (Pass rather than Return Fire), or even scoot back a hex (Reaction Move), in order to preserve the German tanks once the ARC has been initiated—unless the German AFVs have a clear advantage in the net DRM. Although the Germans are on the overall defensive, the German player cannot always wait for the British to come to him. The Germans must know when to organize armored counterattacks and go on the offensive in order to tidy up their front lines, lest a particular sector (Tessel Woods, perhaps?) become hit from three of four sides.

The German player can’t always afford to build assault stacks. His front line defense will often be too thin to spare the needed units. But when realistic, they should form one or more assault stacks with at least two steps of infantry, supported by four or more steps of tanks, and at least one step of Stummels (for the Orange-boxed CS column shift). If possible, throw in a flamethrower unit (Pioneer or Flammpanzerwagen) as well for the additional Yellow-boxed CS effects.

Whereas the British can form up new assault stacks turn after turn, rotating in fresh units and pulling back reduced infantry to the dis-tant villages to recover as needed, the Germans will typically need to collapse their assault stacks voluntarily shortly after their use in order to fill gaps in the front line. This is quite consistent with the historical use of short-lived Kampfgruppen in these battles.

At the beginning of the Campaign Game, the German player should strive to keep Panzer Lehr units west of the Bordel, and 12SS units east of it. He should note that the fairly lenient VP penalty associated



with operating units on the wrong side of the German Divisional Boundary makes it possible for the German player to weigh the cost of doing so on case-by-case basis. When necessary, he may voluntarily forfeit some VPs in order to send a handful of tank pla-toons and infantry to a hotspot on the wrong side of the boundary, effectively forming a small Kampfgruppe for a few game turns. This type of play is encouraged and probably necessary for a German victory. Once the KG Wünsche marker becomes available, it should be used as efficiently as possible to provide an “umbrella” over as many stacks as possible on the wrong side of the boundary. As the game progresses—typically by late-day on June 25 or during the first half of June 26—the German player will likely need to shift the German Divisional Boundary. Historically, this happened on the evening of June 25, when it was shifted 1.5 km (a bit less than four hexes) to the east. German Setup. The first major consideration for the German player is how to set up his units. This pertains mainly to the Campaign Game and any other scenario that begins with the 0400 game turn of June 25 (turn 1, Turn Track B). Setup strategies can be divided into several general categories, each with their own strengths and weakness.

1) Field Line. The Germans place units in the hexes that are as far forward (north) as possible, manning the fields north of Fontenay and the Bordel, in order to buy time and fall back into the village and behind the river. This grants them time but makes them more vulnerable on turn 1.

2) Defensible Terrain Line. This middle-of-the–road strategy places the forward German units in defensible terrain—behind the Bordel on the west and the north-most Fontenay village hexes in the center and east. This gives the Germans a shot at holding the forward hexes for a turn and leaving the Brits stranded in the field. The downside is contact at a 2R column shift that favors the British on turn 1.

3) River Line. This conservative setup places the Germans behind the Bordel, including in Fontenay. It has the advantage of avoiding all contact with the British on turn 1 when their Assaults are at 2R (due to the Halt requirement upon reaching a waterway).

There is no correct setup and the German player should feel free to experiment with any combination of the above.For new players, the following hexes make good Strongpoint loca-tions: 1111, 0513, 0711, 0714, 0717, and 1216. Note that many of these are unlikely to come into play in a 4 turn or 7 turn scenario—but neither will you grant the British player VPs for them.The Germans will also have to consider the setup of certain support units: transport half-tracks, Stummels, pioneer platoons, and IGs. In general, I recommend keeping the transport half-tracks at least 2-3 hexes behind the frontline hexes during setup. They are very vulnerable to Assaults. Normally, two hexes behind the frontline is sufficient, but keep in mind that the British will move twice before the Germans can move on turns 1-2. If you’re desperate enough to use half-tracks to bolster defense (not recommended, as discussed elsewhere), use a lot of them—at least 3-4 steps—so that they won’t all be eliminated in a single Tactical Advantage procedure; they can then prevent the enemy from entering the hex (since AFVs are im-mune to losses from the CRT in Combats and Assaults). Use of the Stummels in the frontline hexes is very tempting since they provide an Orange-boxed CS bonus, and may cancel the British Armor Bonus as well. Although they will often be useful in this role,

they will drop like flies. They should be kept a reasonable distance behind the infantry until they are needed to act offensively as part of a localized counterattack. Just be sure to stack them with enough infantry to have the edge in the Tactical Advantage chit draw. Note that on the offensive, they can grant you up to three column shifts: Armor Bonus, Combined Arms Bonus, and Orange-boxed CS. For the IGs and sIGs, there is a trade-off between gaining a column shift for a turn or two (due to their Orange-boxed CS), and losing the opportunity to make weak indirect fire Ranged Attacks for the remainder of the game. Ideal positions for the IGs are hexes that af-ford them the +2 DRM for self-spotting—but that’s a consideration only after the fog has cleared.You’ll have to decide whether to spread out your pioneers along the frontline, where their Yellow-boxed CS will grant you a column shift in Assaults, or keep them behind the frontlines where they can dig in in a single turn. The latter setup really helps on turn 2 when the Germans can’t move (but can still recover or dig in), while the former helps to wither the British Assaults on turn 1. As the Germans, keep in mind that you can’t move on turn 1, so the British player will get to go twice before you can react. Set up accordingly. For example, be sure to defend the Bordel crossing near 0311 and 0411. Even though the British must march in a straight line on turn 1, on turn 2 they are free to move as they like, and they will surely cross in this region if they can do so unopposed.A common mistake for a new German player is to defend too ag-gressively. Don’t be afraid to fall back a hex or two into close ter-rain rather than defending in field or light bocage. You’ll also need to shuffle units around each and every turn in order to ensure that there are no soft spots in your front line. While you won’t always have enough units to cover your entire front effectively, you can at least ensure that your weakest link is also in the place that is least necessary to defend (Hints: The open fields to the east. In Fontenay, non-bridge hexes are less valuable than those with bridges). Take a look at the overall game situation by the middle of June 25, circa turn 8 or 9. Have the British captured Tessel Woods and roughly two thirds of Fontenay? If not, you should ask yourself: Was the German sacrifice required to prevent these gains worth it? If there are more than about a dozen German units in the Dead Pool by turn 8, you are probably defending too aggressively. If you can make it until turn 10 when the price to commit 12SS Panzers, Panthers, and recon companies drops, things will get easier for you—at least for a while.It’s normal for your MG units to die off first due to their relatively low Retreat Allowance; keep them alive as long as possible by stack-ing them with infantry. Even so, you’ll usually see those MG units accumulating in the Dead Pool faster than other unit types. Don’t fret! Instead, view their sacrifice as a necessary one and focus on keeping your infantry companies and tank platoons out of the Dead Pool. And protect those mortars and “Grille” SP sIGs! They may seem relatively ineffective on an individual basis, but collectively, they’ll really help you out over the long haul.

Tips for Solitaire PlayIn general, Operation Dauntless works very well for solitaire play, where one player plays both sides to the best of their capabilities. Since the game uses no cards or hidden information, no changes need to be made to make it solitaire suitable. Players wishing to intro-duce a higher degree of chaos into their solitaire experience should consider using the Optional Rules for Fog of War and Friendly Fire.



24.0 Unit AbbreviationsIn the interest of conserving space the following abbreviations are used on the unit counters and in the setup instructions.

British3”: 3 inch (81.5mm) mortars.

4.2”: 4.2 inch (107mm) mortars.

6-pdr: 6-pounder (57mm) AT guns.

17-pdr: 17-pounder (76.2mm) AT guns.

25-pdr: 25-pounder (87.6mm) off-map gunner batteries.

10DLI: 10th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.

11DLI: 11th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.

22D: 22nd Dragoons, 30th Armoured Brigade, RE (Sherman V Crab flail tanks).

24L: 24th Lancers Tank Regiment (Sherman tanks).

6DWR: 6th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

7DWR: 7th Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

49: 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division (a.k.a. “The Polar Bears”).

82/RE: 82nd Assault Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, 1st Assault Brigade, RE (AVRE).

141RAC: 141st Royal Armoured Corps.

A, B, C, D: ‘A’ Company, etc. (or in the case of the British Tank Regiments, ‘A’ Squadron).

AT: Anti-Tank guns (6- or 17-pdr including SP 17-pdr “Achilles”).

AVRE: Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (Churchill AVRE assault tanks armed with 290mm petard spigot mortars).

CP: Carrier Platoon.

FR: Field Regiment, Royal Artillery.

Hal: Hallamshire Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment (a.k.a. “Hallams”).

HT: Half-tracks (independent transport).

Ken: 2nd Battalion, The Princess Louise’s Kensington Machine Gun Regiment (MGs and 4.2” mortars).

KOYLI: 4th Battalion, The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

KRRC: 12th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps (motorized).

Linc: 4th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment (a.k.a. “Lincolns”).

MG: (Medium) Machine Guns (Vickers guns).

Mtr: Mortars.

RA: Royal Artillery.

RAF: Royal Air Force.

Rec: 49th Regiment Reconnaissance Corps.

RDG: 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Tank Regiment (Sherman tanks).

RE: Royal Engineers.

RMASG: Royal Marines Assault Group (Centaur IV amphibious close support tanks).

RSF: 11th Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers.

S: Scouts (British Scout Platoons).

SRY: 1st Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Tank Regiment (a.k.a. “Sher-wood Rangers”) (Sherman tanks).

TS: 1st Battalion, The Tyneside Scottish (a.k.a. “Tyne Scots”).

German101: 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion (Tiger tanks).

12SS: 12th SS “Hitlerjugend” (“Hitler Youth”) Panzer Division.

192: 192nd Panzergrenadier Regiment, 21st Panzer Division.

21PD: 21st Panzer Division.

26: 26th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, 12th SS Panzer Division.

654: 654th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion (Jagdpanther tank destroyers).

901: 901st Panzergrenadier Lehr Regiment, Panzer Lehr Division.

992: 992nd Heavy Artillery Battalion.

Art12: 12th SS Armored Artillery Regiment.

Art130: 130th Armored Artillery Regiment.

AT: Anti-Tank gun platoons (PaK 40).

Auf: Aufklärungsabteilung (Armored Reconnaissance Battalion).

FL: “Flammpanzerwagen” section.

Flak12: 12th SS Flak Artillery Battalion.

Flak4: 4th Flak Assault Regiment.

HT: Half-tracks (independent transport).

IG: Infantry guns.

MG: (Heavy) Machine Guns (MG34 and/or MG42).

Mtr: Mortars.

Panzer Lehr: Panzer Lehr Division.

Pi: Pioneer (combat engineers).

Pi12: 12th SS Armored Pioneer Battalion.

Pi130: 130th Armored Pioneer Battalion.

Pz12: 12th SS Panzer Regiment.

Pz130: 130th Panzer Lehr Regiment.

sIG: “schwere” (heavy) Infantry Guns.

SP: Self-Propelled Guns (SdKfz 251/7 “Stummels”).

Werf12: 12th SS Projector Battalion (rocket artillery).

Sherman Crab



25.0 Counter Manifest


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play book - gmt games · 2016. 2. 27. · sdkfz 251/9 “stummel” sp gun half-track. 4 operation...

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