ColdWarCommander
Fast-Play Tabletop Wargame Rules For Combined-Arms Operations, 1946+
by Peter Andrew Jones
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
ColdWarCommander
Fast-Play Tabletop Wargame Rules For Combined-Arms Operations, 1946+
Introduction
Cold War Commander is a set of wargame rules that allow you to re-create combined-arms operations covering the
Cold War and post-Cold War era, from the First Indochina War right up to the present day, using miniatures on a
tabletop. Players each take command of a Battlegroup, which can be anything from a company right up to a division.
The rules attempt to provide a good balance between playability and historical accuracy, allowing players to perform
like their historic counterparts with a game system that is easy to use and fast to play. The rules are suitable for solo,
two-player and multi-player games, at home, at the club, or at a tournament.
Miniatures
You will need suitable miniatures to play the game and they can be any scale from 2mm right up to 28mm, including
6mm, 10mm, 15mm and 20mm. Your miniatures can be based or unbased as this makes no difference when playing
the game. It is recommended that you halve all weapon ranges when using 2mm scale miniatures, add 50% when using
15mm scale miniatures and double all weapon ranges when using 20-28mm scale miniatures.
Battlefield
A playing area 120cm by 150cm (4ft x 5ft) will provide ample space for average-sized battles using 6-10mm scale
miniatures. For players using 2mm scale miniatures, a playing area half this size will be adequate. For players using
15-20mm scale miniatures, an area 180cm by 240cm (6ft x 8ft) or larger will be necessary. Small games are composed
of between 20 and 40 playing pieces per side, mid-sized games between 40 and 60, and large games up to 100 playing
pieces. One centimetre on the tabletop represents either ten or twenty metres in real life, depending on the level of
command you choose. Games will typically last from two to four hours in real time, with one game turn representing a
variable length of time of up to thirty minutes.
You will need to provide suitable scenery for your table to make it look like a real battlefield. This can be as basic or
as complex as you like, but the features you should include are hills, woods, roads, rivers and buildings. As a general
guide, there should be at least one third to one half of the table covered with scenery for most battles as this will avoid
the unrealistic situation of troops having a clear line-of-sight from one side of the table to the other.
Tools & Markers
You will need a handful of six-sided dice, a directional die and a tape measure. The directional die is a normal six-sided
die with arrows marked on it instead of pips, but if you don’t have one, a simple circle of card with an arrow drawn on
both sides will be OK. The tape measure should have measurements in centimetres marked on it.
It is a good idea to get some markers to indicate various situations in the game. A handful of tiny six-sided dice are
ideal for recording hits against units and if you have two different colours, for example red and white, the red die can
be used to indicate when units are suppressed. Alternatively, you can make your own markers using dead and wounded
soldiers and spare bits from your models mounted on small circular bases - this gives added realism to the game!
Cotton wool puffs are ideal for simulating smoke screens.
Online Support
The game is fully supported on the world wide web at:
www.coldw ar - com m ander . com
Written by Peter Andrew Jones 2004-06. Published by Specialist Military Publishing Ltd. With thanks to Marijan,
Rick Priestley, William De Prêtre, Ron Koontz & Class, Bob Barnetson, Mal Wright, Mark Lewis, Mike Dryden, Jason
Ralls, Rolf Grein, Matt Irsik, Arrigo Velicogna, Terry Ollila, Paul Gardner, Tom Burgess, Bob Chapman, Michael
Farley, Olaf Meys, and Mick Brookes & the Barnsley Wargames Club. Thanks to Neil at Miniature Figurines, Richard
at TerrainMat.com, Alan Hume for the lend-lease West German vehicles and Nik Harwood for the lend-lease Gulf
War minis. Apologies to Tony at ERM, Geoff at QRF and Rolf at Liberation Miniatures for not getting their minis into
the book - I just didn’t have the time to paint them - sorry guys. Special thanks to Chris Leach for giving me a hard
time about the rules - cheers Chris! A final thanks to you for buying the game.
Copyright © Specialist Military Publishing 2012. All rights reserved. Last updated on 6 June 2012.
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Contents
Cold War Commander
Game Concepts................................................. 5
Overview .................................................................................5
Units, Formations & Battlegroups .........................................5
Attacks, Hits & Saves ..............................................................5
Suppression, Fall-Back & Knock-Out.....................................5
Testing For Casualties ............................................................6
Optional Rules ........................................................................6
Visibility ........................................................... 7
Line-of-Sight ...........................................................................7
Linear Terrain .........................................................................7
Area Terrain ............................................................................7
High Ground ...........................................................................7
Aircraft & Helicopters .............................................................7
Smoke Screens ........................................................................7
Dug-In .....................................................................................7
Environment ...........................................................................7
Line-of-Sight Examples ..........................................................8
Sequence of Play .............................................. 9
Phases .....................................................................................9
Before the Battle .............................................. 10
Table Set-Up ...........................................................................10
Schedules ................................................................................10
Air Superiority ........................................................................10
Scheduled Phase .............................................. 10
Initiative Phase ................................................ 11
Fire ..........................................................................................11
Move........................................................................................11
Deploy .....................................................................................11
Counter-Fire ...........................................................................11
Recce (Optional Rule) ............................................................11
Initiative Phase Example ........................................................12
Command Phase .............................................. 13
Command Modifiers ...............................................................13
Dense Terrain .........................................................................13
Actions ....................................................................................13
Command Bonus ....................................................................14
Command Blunder .................................................................14
Command Movement .............................................................14
Command Units ......................................................................14
Replacing A Command Unit ...................................................14
Commanding Officer...............................................................14
Command Phase Example ......................................................15
Movement ........................................................ 19
Passengers...............................................................................19
Towed Guns ............................................................................19
Water Obstacles ......................................................................19
Movement Example ................................................................19
Terrain ............................................................. 20
Open Terrain ...........................................................................20
Linear Terrain .........................................................................20
Area Terrain ............................................................................20
High Ground ...........................................................................20
Wet Terrain .............................................................................20
Frozen Terrain ........................................................................20
Impassable Terrain .................................................................20
Field Defences .........................................................................20
Command Units ......................................................................20
Firing ............................................................... 21
Calculating Firing ...................................................................21
Firing Modifiers ......................................................................21
Scoring Hits ............................................................................21
Saves........................................................................................21
Knock-Out ...............................................................................22
Suppression ............................................................................22
Fall-Back .................................................................................22
Suppressive Fire .....................................................................22
Opportunity Fire .....................................................................22
Stabilisation ............................................................................22
Howitzers ................................................................................22
Firing Example .......................................................................23
Infantry Support Weapons ............................... 25
Machine Guns .........................................................................25
Mortars ...................................................................................25
Recoilless Rifles ......................................................................25
Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons .................................................25
Anti-Tank Guided Weapons ............................. 25
Evasive Action.........................................................................25
Anti-Tank Guided Weapons Example ....................................26
Artillery Support .............................................. 27
Spotter Aircraft .......................................................................27
Requesting Artillery Support..................................................27
Artillery Support Bonus ..........................................................27
Artillery Support Blunder .......................................................27
Resolving Artillery Support ....................................................27
Smoke......................................................................................28
Illumination ............................................................................28
On-Table Artillery ...................................................................28
Counter-Battery Fire...............................................................28
Rolling Barrage (Optional Rule) ............................................28
Artillery Support Example......................................................28
Special Munitions ............................................ 30
Cluster Bombs .........................................................................30
Family of Scatterable Mines (FASCAM) ................................30
Precision Guided Munitions (PGM).......................................30
Napalm ....................................................................................30
Thermobaric Munitions..........................................................30
Chemical Weapons .................................................................30
Air Support ...................................................... 31
Spotter Aircraft .......................................................................31
Requesting Air Support ..........................................................31
Air Support Bonus ..................................................................31
Air Support Blunder ...............................................................31
Resolving Air Support.............................................................31
Anti-Aircraft Fire ....................................................................31
Fire-Zones ...............................................................................32
Air Support Example ..............................................................32
Helicopters ...................................................... 33
Attack Helicopters ..................................................................33
Spotter Helicopters .................................................................33
Transport Helicopters ............................................................33
Air Assault Example ...............................................................34
Close Assault .................................................... 35
Assault .....................................................................................35
Support ...................................................................................35
Response .................................................................................35
Contact ....................................................................................35
Resolution ...............................................................................36
Calculating Hits ......................................................................36
Allocating Hits ........................................................................36
Outcome ..................................................................................36
Consolidate .............................................................................36
Retreat.....................................................................................36
Close Assault Example............................................................37
Engineering...................................................... 39
Flamethrowers ........................................................................39
Obstacle Clearance..................................................................39
Bridging ..................................................................................39
Demolition ..............................................................................39
Booby Traps ............................................................................39
Dozer Blades ...........................................................................39
Minefields ........................................................ 40
Mine Clearance .......................................................................40
Weather (Optional Rule) ........................................................40
Snipers ............................................................. 41
Night Fighting .................................................. 41
Fortifications ................................................... 41
Constructions (Optional Rule) ...............................................41
End Phase ........................................................ 42
End of the Battle ............................................... 42
Breakpoint ..............................................................................42
Reaching An Objective............................................................42
Deciding The Winner..............................................................42
Fighting Battles
Scenarios ......................................................... 43
Objectives ................................................................................43
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Contents
Game Duration .......................................................................43
Artillery & Air Support ...........................................................43
Table Set-up ............................................................................43
Field Defences .........................................................................44
Scenario 1. Encounter .............................................................44
Scenario 2. Assault..................................................................44
Scenario 3. Counter Attack .....................................................44
Scenario 4. Deliberate Attack .................................................44
Scenario 5. Breakthrough Attack............................................44
Scenario 6. Exploitation .........................................................45
Scenario 7. Pursuit ..................................................................45
Scenario 8. Encirclement........................................................45
Scenario 9. Break-out .............................................................45
Scenario 10. Diversionary Attack ...........................................45
Scenario 11. Airborne Assault .................................................46
Scenario 12. Amphibious Assault ...........................................46
Scenario 13. River Assault ......................................................46
Scenario 14. Bridgehead .........................................................47
Scenario 15. Search And Destroy............................................47
Scenario 16. All-Round Defence .............................................47
Scenario Checklist...................................................................48
Multi-Player Battles ......................................... 48
Solo Play .......................................................... 48
Fixed Formations (Optional Rule) .........................................48
Deployment ...................................................... 49
Static Deployment ..................................................................49
Mobile Deployment ................................................................49
Flank Deployment ..................................................................49
Recce Deployment ..................................................................49
Hidden Deployment ......................................... 50
Hide (Optional Rule) ..............................................................50
Reserves ........................................................... 51
Ambush ............................................................ 51
Field Defences .................................................. 51
Army Lists 1946+
Introduction..................................................... 52
Organisation ...........................................................................52
Army List Data ................................................. 53
Stat Lines ................................................................................53
Troops .....................................................................................53
Arm of Service.........................................................................53
Move........................................................................................54
Attacks.....................................................................................54
Hits ..........................................................................................54
Save .........................................................................................54
Cost .........................................................................................54
Limit ........................................................................................54
Notes .......................................................................................54
Additional Information ..........................................................55
Infantry Upgrade ....................................................................55
Command Unit Upgrade ........................................................55
Transport Units ......................................................................55
Tactical Doctrine .............................................. 56
Morale Grades (Optional Rule) ..............................................56
Conflicts ........................................................... 57
Army Lists ........................................................ 58
French Army, First Indochina War (48-54)...........................59
Viet Minh, First Indochina War (48-54) ................................61
United Nations, Korean War (50-53).....................................63
Communist Army, Korean War (50-53) ................................65
Israeli Army, Arab-Israeli Wars/Modern (56+) ....................67
Arab Army, Arab-Israeli Wars (56-82) ..................................70
South Vietnamese Army, Vietnam War (57-75).....................73
American Army, Vietnam War (62-73) ..................................75
Viet Cong, Vietnam War (57-68) ............................................77
North Vietnamese Army, Vietnam War (57-75) ....................78
Indian Army, Indo-Pakistan Wars (65-71).............................79
Pakistani Army, Indo-Pakistan Wars (65-71) ........................81
South African Army, Angolan War (75-90) ...........................83
Angolan Army, Angolan War (75-90) ....................................85
Ethiopian Army, Ogaden War (77-78) ...................................87
Somalian Army, Ogaden War (77-78) ....................................88
Mujahideen, Soviet-Afghan War (79-89)...............................90
Soviet Army, Soviet-Afghan War (79-89) ..............................91
Iranian Army, Iran-Iraq War (80-88) ...................................93
Iraqi Army, Iran-Iraq War (80-88)........................................95
British Army, Falklands War (82) ..........................................97
Argentine Army, Falklands War (82) .....................................99
Iraqi Army, Gulf Wars (91-03) ...............................................101
American Army, Cold War/Gulf Wars/Modern (46+) ..........103
British Army, Cold War/Gulf Wars/Modern (46+) ...............107
French Army, Cold War/1st Gulf War/Modern (46+)...........110
West German Army, Cold War/Modern (60+)......................113
NATO Army, Cold War (50-90) .............................................115
Soviet Army, Cold War/Modern (46+) ..................................117
WarPac Grade 1 Army, Cold War (55-90) ..............................123
WarPac Grade 2 Army, Cold War (55-90) .............................125
Chinese Army, Cold War/Modern (46+) ...............................127
Cold War Commander Reference Sheet ........... 129
Appendices
Miniatures ....................................................... 131
Scales.......................................................................................131
Availability ..............................................................................131
Basing......................................................................................132
Painting ...................................................................................132
Picture Reference ....................................................................132
Ramblings of the Designer ............................... 133
Changes & Additions ........................................ 135
Bibliography .................................................... 136
Abbreviations ................................................... 136
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Game Concepts
Cold War Commander
Game Concepts
It’s always useful when reading a new set of rules to understand some of the concepts used in the game. This section
will hopefully do just that!
Overview
Players alternate between turns, with turns being broken down into four phases. Play continues until either one side
reaches its objectives or it breaks and withdraws from the battlefield as a result of suffering too many casualties. The
game will also end when the last turn of a scenario has been played or one side concedes defeat.
The first phase of a turn is where scheduled artillery and air strikes take place. The initiative phase follows and allows
troops in close proximity to the enemy to respond to their immediate situation without having to wait for orders to
be issued. The command phase is where command units attempt to issue orders to their troops and if successful, the
troops carry out actions such as move or fire. The command system represents the core of the game and allows the
unpredictable nature of combat to be simulated in a simple yet elegant way. The fourth phase is the final phase of a turn
where troops recover from poor morale and players determine whether any scenario objectives have been attained.
The different types of action in the game are resolved in exactly the same way, so troops firing small-arms are calculated
the same as tanks firing guns which are calculated the same as artillery firing a barrage. Not only does this allow for
very fluid game play, but it also allows troops to support one another by accumulating sufficient hits against enemy
units in a turn to be able to knock them out of the game. No longer do the different arms of service act independently
of one another, but players should use combined-arms to get the most out of their troops, and ultimately, the game.
Units, Formations & Battlegroups
Each miniature, or stand of miniatures if they are mounted on bases, is referred to as a Unit. A unit represents a
platoon of infantry or vehicles, or a battery of guns, when playing the game at the brigade or divisional level. Whilst
this is a more abstract method of play, it does allow you to fight larger battles without needing loads of miniatures.
However, you can also play games at the company or battalion level by simply stating that each unit represents a squad
of infantry, or a single vehicle or gun. This gives a realistic simulation where what you see on the table is what you get
in real life. Some conflicts lend themselves to this level of play, whereas others lend themselves to the higher level.
A Formation is a convenient term to use for all the units you will issue orders to at any one time during a turn.
Formations aren’t fixed as in other games, units can be in a formation one turn then you can split them up into three
different formations the next turn. There are also no restrictions on the distance each unit can be within a formation as
this is built into the command system. Essentially, the further away a unit is from a command unit, the more difficult
it will be to order - simple!
Finally, all the formations under your command are said to be a Battlegroup.
Attacks, Hits & Saves
All units in the game have three main stats: Attacks, Hits and Saves. Attacks indicate the offensive capability of the unit
when it opens fire. This could be infantry firing small-arms, tanks firing guns, or aircraft firing rockets. Whenever you
use your attacks against an enemy unit, your opponent will get to make a saving roll as long as the unit has a save value.
Save values represent the armour of the unit. Not all units have a save value, such as infantry or trucks. If an attack
isn’t saved, it causes a hit against the unit and a unit can only take a certain number of hits before it is knocked-out of
the game. This is the hits value of the unit and shouldn’t be confused with the number of hits it has taken. Incidentally,
hits inflicted against a unit are removed at the end of the turn so there is no major bookkeeping in the game except for
units that are suppressed.
Suppression, Fall-Back & Knock-Out
Units that take hits in a turn are likely to keep their heads down until the firing dies down. This is called Suppression
and it affects the morale of your troops. Should units take further hits when they are suppressed, they will Fall Back.
They really aren’t happy about coming under fire again and try to get out of the way. There is the possibility that they
will run away if they fall back too far at any one time - this is known as a rout, although for the purposes of the game
they are said to be knocked-out. Units are also knocked-out when they take sufficient hits in a turn to match their hits
value. Knocked-Out is a convenient term used to describe units that are no longer fit for battle. They may have taken
cover out of harm’s way, they may have run off the battlefield, or they may be casualties lying around waiting for a
medic. It may even be that they are dead and that vehicles have been destroyed, but it is not necessary to know exactly
what happened except that they are no longer in the game.
5
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Game Concepts
Testing For Casualties
The rules use the same basic steps when testing for casualties, whether that be infantry firing at infantry, tanks firing
at tanks, or artillery firing a barrage.
1. take the attack value of each unit attacking the same target;
2. apply any modifiers to the attack value of each unit;
3. one hit is achieved for each die roll equal to or greater than the score required to hit the target (see Scoring Hits
on page 20)
4. group the dice according to the score required to hit the target, then roll each group of dice;
5. if the target has a save value, the opposing player should roll one die for each hit taken in the current attack - one
hit is saved for each score equal to or greater than the save value of the unit;
6. if the total number of unsaved hits against the target is equal to or greater than its hits value, it is knocked-out,
otherwise place a marker next to the unit to indicate the number of unsaved hits against it;
7. roll one die for each unsaved hit taken in the current attack, unless the unit was knocked-out;
8. the unit will become suppressed if any of the die are equal to or greater than the score required to hit the unit; if
the unit is already suppressed, total the scores of the dice and the unit will fall-back this distance in centimetres
directly away from the nearest visible attacking unit;
Optional Rules
There are several optional rules in the book that add more detail to the game - it is up to you whether you use them or
not, but remember to agree with your opponent before the game if you intend to use any.
Aerial view taken from a Lynx helicopter showing British Chieftain tanks of the BAOR lying
in wait for an expected WarPac ground offensive, West Germany, 1988. Whilst this situation
would historically have been an exercise, this doesn’t stop you from playing games based around
hypothetical scenarios, such as the ever-popular Cold War battles during the 1970s and 1980s.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
6
Visibility
Visibility
Front, Flank & Rear
The front, flank and rear aspects of
a unit are important in the game. To
determine these, draw an imaginary
line at a 45° angle from each corner
of the base. Units are in a particular
aspect if they have at least half of their
Line-of-Sight
base over the line. If undecided, roll
A line-of-sight is a straight line that extends from the base edge of one unit one die: a score of 1-3 says the unit is
to the base edge of another unit. Units may trace LOS in a 180° arc from the to the left of the line, 4-6 and it’s to the
front base edge, except those units with restricted visibility that are limited right of the line.
to a 90° arc from the front base edge (as indicated by ‘R’ in the notes column
of the army lists). Command units, recce units and anti-aircraft units are the
Flank
only troops in the game that have full 360° visibility. However, when firing at
ground targets, anti-aircraft units are limited to 180° visibility.
Visibility in the game is based around line-of-sight (LOS). If you can trace a
straight line from one unit to another unit and this line doesn’t cross anything
that blocks LOS, the troops can see one another. The basic rule is: if troops
can see, they can be seen, although there are exceptions. Do not confuse lineof-sight with line-of-fire (see Firing on page 20).
Front
Rear
Line-of-sight is blocked by any of the following:
• intervening linear terrain, area terrain, high ground, and smoke screens
• other units, except command & recce, troops on foot and deployed guns
Flank
Linear Terrain
Linear terrain is defined as walls, fences and hedges. LOS is blocked by linear terrain unless either the target or the
observer are in base-contact with the terrain. The exception to this is when troops are dug-in (see Dug-In below).
Area Terrain
Area terrain is split into two types: low area terrain (crop fields, tall grasses, scrub and heath land) and high area terrain
(orchards, woods, forest, jungle and built-up areas). All area terrain has a boundary, which is the edge of the area
occupied by the terrain. It is advisable to clearly mark-out the boundaries of area terrain before the game.
LOS is blocked by area terrain unless either the target or the observer are in base-contact with the boundary. LOS
inside depends on the unit being observed: troops on foot, recce units, deployed guns, and dug-in troops of any type,
can only be seen up to 5cm distance. All other troops can be seen up to 10cm distance when inside high area terrain and
20cm distance when inside low area terrain. Troops can see over one section of low area terrain as long as that section
is no more than 10cm wide.
High Ground
To determine LOS to and from high ground, you need to calculate the crest-line as and when required during the game.
Draw an imaginary line across the centre of the high ground, parallel to the front base edge of the unit on lower ground
and this will be the crest line in relation to that unit. Any troops on or forward of this line are within LOS, those behind
it are out of sight. Use the same method when both the observer and the target are on high ground (see page 8).
Units observing from high ground can see into, through, and over, low area terrain ignoring the normal LOS obstruction
rules and the distances listed above. However, high area terrain still blocks LOS.
Aircraft & Helicopters
Aircraft and helicopters are assumed to be low-flying during the game, so LOS will be blocked by intervening high area
terrain and smoke screens. LOS is not affected by linear terrain or low area terrain.
Smoke Screens
There is no LOS inside a smoke screen - troops must be on the boundary of the screen to see or be seen.
Dug-In
Troops may be dug-in at the beginning of the game when in defence - they cannot dig-in during the game. Dug-in troops
remain out-of-sight of the enemy when they are placed in base-contact behind linear terrain or in base-contact with the
inside boundary of area terrain - situations where troops would normally be seen. However, once dug-in troops move
or open fire, they give away their position, allowing the opposing side to determine LOS as normal. In addition, troops
on foot, recce units, command units, and deployed guns are deemed visible once a unit is within 5cm. All other dug-in
troops will be deemed visible once a unit is within 20cm.
Environment
See page 39 for details of how to include the effects of weather in the game and page 40 for details of how to include
night fighting in the game.
7
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Visibility Examples
Line-of-Sight Examples
These examples indicates how line-of-sight works in the
game. The picture below indicates the three different
visibility arcs in the game: 360º, 180º and 90º. The
majority of units have a visibility arc of 180º.
90º
The ATGW unit in the centre of the British line has
LOS to all three Soviet T-80 units. Note that LOS
through low area terrain is limited to 10cm. This
distance can only be through one section of low
area terrain. In this example, LOS passes through
an area of scrub as indicated by the two small bars
on the lower arrow.
180º
360º
Visibility Arcs
West Germany, 1984
Soviet T-80 tanks advance through rural West Germany
during the summer of 1984. The Soviets are unaware that
troops of the BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) are on their
flank. The British
force is composed of
an HQ, three infantry
units, one ATGW unit
and a Challenger I
tank unit. Should the
British open fire, there
will probably not be
much left of the T-80s,
as they have exposed
their flank and the
range is very close,
making kills almost
inevitable. However,
the Challenger would
first have to contact
the hedge to gain LOS
to the T-80s.
A
1
2
3
B
These two infantry units are in base-contact with
the hedge, so may see over it to the tank in the
This picture shows LOS that is blocked by
centre. LOS to tank 1 is blocked by the woods for
terrain. Note that LOS blocked by enemy units
unit A and blocked by tank 2 for unit B. LOS to
is not indicated.
tank 3 is blocked by tank 2 for unit A and blocked
by more than 10cm of low area terrain (the scrub)
for unit B.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
8
Visibility Examples & Sequence of Play
High Ground Example
To calculate the effects of high ground in the
game, first draw an imaginary line from the front
base edge of the required unit in the direction of
the high ground, as near to straight ahead as
possible (Pic 1).
Pic 1
Next, draw another imaginary line at right angles
to the first line down the centre of the high ground
(Pic 2). Any units on or forward of this line will be
within line-of-sight. Units behind this line will be
out of sight.
The same applies for units on high ground
observing troops below them. The basic rule of
visibility is: if troops can see, they can be seen.
Pic 2
A
B
Infantry units A and F are forward of the line, so
are within LOS. Infantry unit B is on the line, so
is also within LOS. The ATGW unit D, near the
line, is just behind the crest so is out of LOS. The
mortars C and E are on the reverse slope, so these
units are definitely out of LOS.
Although you should test for each unit separately
(in this case, all three BMPs), in most situations
units in the same formation will have the same
LOS to units on high ground, so this calculation
will only have to be done once.
C
D
90º
E
F
Sequence of Play
The game begins once both players have deployed their battlegroups on the table (see Deployment on page 48). The
first player should play one complete turn before the second player plays a turn, with the current player being referred
to as the Active Player. Each turn is called a Player Turn, two of which make up a Game Turn. A player turn is divided
into four phases: Scheduled, Initiative, Command and End phases and a player should play each of these phases in
turn. Continue alternating turns between players until the game ends (see End Of The Battle on page 41).
Phases
The active player should play each of the following four phases in turn:
Scheduled
resolve scheduled artillery and air support;
Initiative
units within initiative distance of the nearest visible enemy unit may carry out an action;
enemy units under assault may return fire;
resolve close assaults initiated during this phase;
engineering units carry out engineering tasks;
Command
issue orders to units and carry out actions as the orders are issued;
resolve close assaults as soon as they are initiated;
move command units once all units have been ordered;
End
remove all outstanding hits;
remove all suppression markers for the active player;
remove smoke markers from the previous game turn;
check scenario victory conditions;
9
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Before the Battle & Scheduled Phase
Before the Battle
Table Set-Up
See Table Set-Up on page 42 for details of how to set-up the table.
Schedules
Artillery and air strikes can be scheduled to take place on specific turns during the game using assets bought as part of
your battlegroup. Artillery and air strikes can also be requested by dedicated FAO/FAC during the command phase, but
do not require assets when doing so.
Assets represent the number of scheduled strikes available to a battlegroup, with one asset allowing one artillery or
aircraft unit to attack one target at the beginning of a specific turn during the game. Targets can be attacked multiple
times in a turn, but each artillery or aircraft unit may only use one asset per target.
You must purchase artillery units to be able to use artillery assets in the game. Similarly, you must purchase aircraft
units to be able to use air assets in the game. The number of assets you can purchase is specified in the army lists, e.g.
artillery assets limited to two per artillery unit means that you can purchase two assets for each artillery unit in your
battlegroup.
Players should write down on paper before the game begins, the units attacking, the type of fire (artillery only) and
the number of the turn each strike takes place. Put the paper face-down at the edge of the table and only reveal to your
opponent when each strike occurs. As scheduled support is planned before deployment, targets can be any point on the
table. Such targets are known as Registered Targets.
Scheduled support is resolved during the Scheduled Phase of a turn (see Scheduled Phase below). Ambush locations
and scheduled air assaults are also determined before the game (see Ambush on page 50 and Transport Helicopters
on page 32).
Air Superiority
The side that controls the skies holds the advantage when it comes to combined-arms warfare. Both sides should each
roll a single die before the game and apply the air superiority modifier from the relevant army list (if any) to the score.
Some lists state that there is no possibility of gaining air superiority, in which case, skip the test. Compare the two die
rolls as follows:
Result
Description
Equal
Contested. No air support is available to either side during the current game turn. Scheduled support
that was due to arrive will be cancelled and no requests for air support may be made by either side
during the current game turn. Both sides re-take the test for air superiority at the start of the next
game turn.
Greater, but
not double
Partial Air Superiority. The opposing side suffers a -1 command penalty when requesting air support
throughout the game. In addition, the player with partial air superiority should roll three attacks
against each air strike (including scheduled support), calculated in the same way as anti-aircraft fire.
Double or
greater
Full Air Superiority. The opposing side suffers a -2 command penalty when requesting air support
throughout the game. In addition, the player with full air superiority should roll six attacks against
each air strike (including scheduled support), calculated in the same way as anti-aircraft fire.
Deployment
See Deployment on page 48 for details of how to deploy your battlegroups on the table.
Scheduled Phase
All scheduled artillery and air support is resolved during this phase. Refer to page 26 for details of how artillery support
is resolved and page 30 for details of how air support is resolved in the game.
Scheduled support may be cancelled or delayed during the command phase by an FAO in the case of artillery or an FAC
in the case of aircraft. To cancel or delay a schedule, the FAO/FAC must make a successful command roll. A double six
indicates that no further requests may be made to cancel or delay the schedule, otherwise a successful roll means the
schedule is cancelled immediately or delayed by one turn, depending on which option you choose. Refer to page 12 for
details of how to make command rolls.
When a schedule is cancelled, the assets allocated to it are lost and cannot be used during the game. Artillery and
aircraft units that are part of a cancelled or delayed schedule cannot be issued any further orders during the turn they
are cancelled or delayed.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
10
Initiative Phase
Initiative Phase
Initiative represents the ability of troops to respond to an immediate situation their superiors may not be aware of. In
game terms, this means troops using their initiative may carry out an action during the initiative phase, as well as being
issued orders later in the turn during the command phase. A unit acting on its initiative may carry out one action in
response to the nearest visible enemy unit within initiative distance. This distance is based on the tactical doctrine of
the army: 15cm for rigid, 20cm for normal, 25cm for flexible and 30cm for guerrilla (see Tactical Doctrine on page 55).
Initiative is carried out by the active player who may choose the order in which his units are played.
Players should note that a unit may only use its initiative against an enemy unit it can see at the time it reacts. This
means a unit could block the line-of-sight of other units as a result of its move and similarly, a unit could open up a
line-of-sight for other units when it moves. Suppressed units, command units and units that carried out opportunity
fire in the previous turn may not act on their initiative (see Opportunity Fire on page 21).
Engineers carry out engineering tasks during the initiative phase (see Engineering on page 38).
Fire
A unit may fire at the nearest visible enemy unit within initiative distance provided it is within weapon range and lineof-fire. Resolve the firing immediately before moving on to the next unit (see Firing on page 20).
Move
A unit may move in response to the nearest visible enemy unit within initiative distance. Move the unit up to its
full move distance in any direction, including into base contact with the enemy unit if there is sufficient movement
available. The unit may change the direction it is facing as part of the move. All the rules for movement apply (see
Movement on page 18). If the unit is in dense terrain, it may not carry out a move action. A unit that moves into contact
with an enemy unit is said to assault that unit. Players may choose to resolve the assault immediately, or they may delay
the assault to allow other units to move in support of the assault. However, all assaults initiated during the initiative
phase must be resolved before moving on to the command phase (see Close Assault on page 34).
Deploy
A unit may mount or dismount transport, limber or unlimber towed guns, if within initiative distance of the nearest
visible enemy unit (see Actions on page 12).
Counter-Fire
A unit under assault, and any units within 10cm of a unit under assault, may open fire provided they are unsuppressed
and have line-of-fire to the enemy unit at any point during the assault move. The active player may not change his mind
about assaulting once the inactive player has declared counter-fire. Resolve the firing immediately before moving on
to the next unit. Units may use counter-fire against each assaulting unit. Troops suppressed during an assault move
continue to make contact with the enemy.
Recce (Optional Rule)
The main role of reconnaissance is to gather information about the enemy. In order to simulate this in the game,
a recce unit may attempt to communicate with the nearest command unit during the initiative phase of a turn.
Line-of-sight between the two is not required. Measure the distance from the recce unit to the nearest enemy
unit. The score required to communicate will be 1 per full 10cm distance, e.g. 1 up to 10cm, 2 up to 20cm, 3 up
to 30cm. Roll one die and the communication is successful if the score is equal to or greater than that required.
A score of one always fails. Once the communication is successful, you may choose one of the following:
• add one to the command value of the command unit for the duration of the turn (CO, HQ, FAO or FAC)
• issue orders to on-table mortars to fire at the enemy unit during the command phase (CO or HQ)
• request artillery support against the unit during the command phase (FAO)
• request an air strike against the unit during the command phase (FAC)
Note that when you choose to issue orders to on-table mortars, or request artillery or air support, you still have
to make command rolls during the command phase - the recce options above just allow you to target the enemy
unit nearest to the recce unit.
Recce units may only fire at enemy units during the initiative phase or by using opportunity fire (see page 21).
When firing during the initiative phase, recce units must fire at the nearest visible enemy unit, but they can fire
up to their maximum range. When under fire, recce units count cover as one category better. This does not apply
when they are engaged in an assault. Recce units may only carry out one action during the initiative phase, so
they may move, fire, or communicate. They may not be issued orders in the same turn that they communicate.
11
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Initiative Phase Example
Initiative Phase Example
The initiative phase allows troops who are in
close proximity to the enemy to react in a limited
way without requiring orders. In this example,
an American column is moving along a road in
the Vietnamese countryside. There are M113s,
trucks and a Patton tank in the column. Viet
Cong guerrillas are advancing towards the road
- three infantry units and an HQ.
The first picture indicates the position of both
sides at the start of the Viet Cong turn. Units
must be within their initiative distance of visible
enemy to be able to use their initiative. In the
case of the Viet Cong, this distance is 30cm. The
three infantry units in this example may use
their initiative as they are each within 30cm of
an American unit.
Dave, the VC player, decides that the unit on the
left will assault the tank, the unit in the centre
will move to support the assault, and the unit on
the right will open fire at the truck.
Pic 1
Troops may use their initiative against the nearest
visible enemy unit within initiative distance.
Pic 2
Troops must carry out their initiative action
against the closest enemy unit they can see at the
time they react. This is important to remember
as the action of one unit could block that of
another unit, and likewise, the action of a unit
could open up line-of-sight for another unit.
In this example, Dave decides that the unit firing
at the truck will carry out its action first. The
firing is resolved immediately.
The unit carrying out the assault is next. To
assault an enemy unit, the unit carrying out the
assault must have sufficient movement available
to be able to move into base contact with the
enemy unit. In the case of infantry, this is 10cm,
so the VC unit is moved into base contact with
the tank as the distance between the two is just
under 10cm.
Finally, the unit moving in support of the assault
moves forward 10cm. Units can support an
assault as long as they are within 10cm and LOS
of a friendly unit in contact with an enemy unit.
Assaults during the initiative phase may be
carried out as soon as a unit moves into base
contact with an enemy unit, or the player can
delay the assault to allow other units to move
into position to lend their support. However,
all assaults initiated during the initiative
phase must be resolved before moving on to the
command phase of the turn.
In the case of this example, the assault is carried
out once the supporting unit has moved into
position. With that, the initiative phase is
complete.
In the case of these Viet Cong guerrillas, any unit
within 30cm of visible enemy may carry out an action.
Pic 3
An assault move
against the tank.
This VC unit moves
forward to support
the assault.
Each unit using its initiative
carries out its action immediately.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
This VC unit opens
fire at the truck.
Viet Cong HQ
12
Command Phase
Command Phase
Orders are issued and their actions carried out in the command phase. Command units issue orders to units by making
command rolls. Each command unit has a command value ranging from 7 to 10. The higher the value, the more orders
the command unit is likely to issue in a turn. A command unit may issue more than one order in a turn, but must
complete issuing its orders before you move on to the next command unit. A command unit may issue orders to any
number of units at a time as a formation. You may choose the sequence in which your command units are played.
To issue an order, state the command unit you are going to use and indicate each of the units you intend to order,
together with the actions they are going to carry out. Such units are said to be under command. Take the command
value of the command unit and adjust this value for any of the command modifiers that apply. You must roll equal to
or less than the modified command value on two dice for the order to be issued. A successful command roll means that
each unit under command may carry out one action.
An unsuccessful command roll means the order was not issued and the command unit may issue no further orders that
turn. If the CO fails a command roll, no further orders may be issued by any command units that turn. A unit may only
receive orders from one command unit in a turn, although it may be ordered multiple times in succession. Once you
stop issuing orders to a unit, it may not be issued orders again that turn.
Command Modifiers
The following modifiers should be applied to the command value each time an order is issued:
Modifier Description
Note
-1
a unit used opportunity fire/evaded ATGW last turn, or carried out an initiative action this turn
-
-1
each successive order to the same unit or formation of units
1
-1
if the farthest unit from the command unit is further than 20cm away, per full 20cm distance
2
-1
moving through or out of dense terrain or smoke
3
-1
assaulting the enemy
-
Note 1. If a unit or formation of units have already been issued orders in the current turn, the command unit suffers
a -1 penalty for each additional order, e.g. deduct one for the second order, two for the third order.
Note 2. If the distance between the command unit and the farthest unit you wish to order is further than 20cm, the
command unit suffers a -1 penalty per full 20cm distance, e.g. deduct one for units from 21-40cm distance, two for
units from 41-60cm distance. Recce units and on-table mortar units are not affected by this modifier, neither are
units travelling their entire move along a road.
Note 3. If any of the units are being ordered to move through or out of dense terrain or smoke, deduct one from the
command value (see Dense Terrain below and Terrain on page 19).
Dense Terrain
Movement through dense terrain is problematic as the terrain slows troops down and makes it difficult for them to
keep in formation. Dense terrain differs according to the type of troops as detailed below. Note that some terrain is
considered impassable to certain types of troops (see Terrain on page 19).
Troops
Dense Terrain
Troops on foot
mountains, partially wet terrain, soft snow, wire obstacles
Trucks, towed guns all terrain except open ground and roads
All other troops
high area terrain, wet terrain, frozen terrain
Actions
A unit may carry out one action when issued an order and the action is carried out immediately. When issuing orders
to more than one unit at a time, the units may carry out the same action, or each unit may carry out a different action.
You may choose the sequence in which the actions are carried out. Troops and transport are treated as a single unit
when the troops are in the transport, but as separate units when the troops dismount.
Action
Description
Move
a unit may move up to its maximum move distance in any direction
18
Deploy
a unit may mount/dismount transport or limber/set-up towed guns (ATG/RR/AAG/SAM)
18
Fire
a unit may fire once at a single enemy unit within range, line-of-sight and line-of-fire
20
13
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Page
Cold War Commander
Command Phase
Command Bonus
When making command rolls to issue orders to troops and double one is scored, a single order is issued, but two
actions may be carried out. The first action must be the action declared prior to making the command roll. The bonus
action can be any action, even if this action would normally incur command penalties, such as assaulting the enemy.
Command Blunder
When making command rolls to issue orders to troops and double six is scored, the command unit is said to have
blundered. When this occurs, roll one die and consult the following table. Where units do not fulfil the specified
criteria, they do nothing. Note that where it states all units, this means all units to which the command unit was issuing
orders to at the time the blunder occurred, but does not include the command unit itself.
Score Result
1 or 2
CEASE FIRING! Roll one die and the command unit takes this number of attacks from firing. The
command unit will be hit on 4+ in all situations. Roll for suppression as normal and if suppressed, the
command value of the command unit is reduced by one for the duration of the player’s next turn.
3 or 4
PULL-BACK! All unsuppressed units in the open half-move directly away from the nearest visible enemy
unit. Troops may move round obstacles and impassable terrain as long as they don’t move closer to a
visible enemy unit. Units forced into enemy units, suppressed friendly units, impassable terrain or offtable are knocked-out. Units forced into unsuppressed friendly units, halt, and both are suppressed.
5 or 6
CROSS-FIRE! Roll one die and the three units nearest the command unit each take this number of attacks
from firing to their front. No need to roll for suppression for units that have already been issued orders
during the turn as this is removed at the end of the turn, but make a fall-back roll for each unit that is
already suppressed.
Command Movement
At the end of the command phase, each unsuppressed command unit may move up to its full move distance subject to
the terrain restrictions on page 19.
Command Units
Command units are different from regular units in that they cannot be the target of enemy fire. However, they can
be caught in artillery and aircraft fire-zones, in which case they are treated just like any other unit. When overrun by
an enemy unit, a command unit must join a friendly unit within half its move distance, otherwise it is knocked-out.
Command units cannot overrun enemy command units.
A command unit that is forced to join a unit must remain in base contact with that unit until the player’s next turn and
it will take all the consequences that the unit suffers: if the unit becomes suppressed, the command unit will become
suppressed, if the unit is knocked-out, the command unit is also knocked-out.
Replacing A Command Unit
A command unit (either the CO or an HQ) may be replaced when knocked-out during the game. Place the replacement
command unit anywhere on the table at the beginning of the player’s next turn. Use the same model as the one that was
knocked-out. The command unit cannot issue any orders or move during the turn it is placed on the table. In addition,
the command value is reduced by one for the remainder of the game. A command unit can only be replaced once in a
game. FAOs and FACs cannot be replaced once knocked-out.
Commanding Officer
The CO can attempt to issue orders to units that failed to receive any orders from an HQ earlier in the turn, but will be
subject to a -1 command penalty when doing so. All other command rules apply. The CO can also deploy units from the
reserve pool (see Reserves on page 50).
HQ
HQ
CO
FAO
FAC
Command units from a 1980s British battlegroup
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
14
Command Phase Example
Command Phase Example
The Iraqi desert, 2003. American forces are
about to make contact with elements of the Iraqi
Army. It is the start of the command phase of the
2nd turn for Nik, the American player.
Pic 1
Nik begins the command phase by attempting
to issue an order using his HQ. He declares that
the HQ will issue the order to four Bradley IFVs
and each of the Bradleys will carry out a Move
action.
American HQs from 1990 onwards have a
command value of nine (see the American Army
list on page 102). Nik needs to score nine or less
on two dice for the order to be issued. He rolls
1+6=7: success. The order is issued and each
of the Bradleys may move up to their move
distance of 30cm. Nik moves them just short of
the low ridgeline (Pic 1).
Troops may be issued more than one order
in a turn, so Nik attempts to issue a second
order to the four Bradleys with the intention of
dismounting the infantry. The command value
is reduced by one as this is the second order
being issued to the same units this turn. There
are no further penalties to the command value.
The distance between the HQ and the farthest
Bradley is less than 20cm.
An American HQ in the Iraqi desert successfully issues an order.
Pic 2
Rolling two dice, Nik needs to score eight or less.
He scores 2+3=5: another success. This time,
the Bradleys remain where they are, but the
infantry dismount to the front of the vehicles, on
the crest of the ridgeline. Units must be placed
with at least part of the base in contact with the
base of the vehicle when they dismount (Pic 2).
Nik would like the Bradleys to move up to the
crest of the ridgeline to cover the dismounts, so
he attempts to issue a third order. The command
value is now reduced by two, so Nik will have to
score seven or less on two dice. He rolls the dice
and scores 5+6=11: fail! The third order fails to
reach the Bradleys and that is it for the HQ, the
Bradleys and the dismounts this turn (Pic 3).
American infantry dismount from the Bradleys.
Pic 3
There are many reasons why an order might fail
to get through: troops relying on radio signals
could be subject to jamming by the enemy; the
radio signal could be weak or intermittent;
the order could reach the troops, but it is
misinterpreted by the local commander, or even
ignored completely.
When one of your command units fails to
issue an order, try to imagine the reason why.
This will give you a better appreciation of the
command system and hopefully make the game
more enjoyable. The game is designed to make
you feel some frustration at times, just like a
battlegroup commander would in real life.
15
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
The third order from the HQ fails to get through.
Command Phase Example
To the right of the Bradleys and dismounts
is the American Forward Artillery Observer
(FAO). FAOs are specialised command units
who control off-table artillery units. FAOs issue
orders in exactly the same way as command
units issue orders to troops on the table, but with
some minor differences, as you will see.
Pic 4
The American FAO has a command value of
eight (see the American Army list on page 102),
which may seem low, but artillery units can
only be used once per turn. Nik, the American
player, would like artillery support to fire at
Iraqi troops dug-in some 1500m away (75cm on
the tabletop).
The American FAO requests support from three MLRS batteries.
Pic 5
He decides to request the support of three MLRS
batteries. Nik needs to score eight or less for the
request to be successful. Normally there would
be a -1 command penalty for each additional
rocket artillery unit requested above the first,
but the Americans ignore this penalty.
Nik scores 2+5=7: success (Pic 4). The MLRS
batteries are available for use immediately (see
Artillery Support on page 26 for details). The
artillery strike is resolved before continuing
with the command phase (Pic 5).
Nik also has three 155mm M109 artillery
batteries as part of his battlegroup, so would
like their support this turn as well. However,
the command value of the FAO is reduced by one
as this is the second request made by the FAO
this turn. This is slightly different to regular
command units in that the command value is
reduced by one for each successive request, not
each successive order to the same units.
The request is successful and the MLRS batteries prepare to fire!
Pic 6
Two dice are rolled, requiring seven or less. Nik
scores 6+6=12: a blunder! This isn’t good (Pic
6). Not only has the request been unsuccessful,
but something nasty is about to happen to the
Americans!
Nik rolls a single die and refers to the artillery
support blunder table on page 26. He scores
a three, which means each artillery unit is hit
by counter-battery fire. The chances of the
Iraqis doing this are slim to non-existent, so
a bit of rationale is required. A more realistic
explanation is that the American artillery has
been hit by A-10 Thunderbolts in error.
The second request fails and the FAO has blundered!
Finally, Nik rolls another die to see how many
attacks hit each artillery unit. He scores a four.
As the M109s are self-propelled, they take hits
on five or six. Two batteries take a couple of hits
each, but aren’t suppressed. However, the third
battery becomes suppressed, so is unavailable
during Nik’s next turn.
That is it for the FAO this turn.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
16
Command Phase Example
It is now time for the American CO to attempt
to issue his orders. It is advisable to leave the
CO until last when issuing orders as when he
fails to issue an order, the command phase ends
immediately. No further orders can be issued by
any command unit that turn.
Pic 7
The American CO has an impressive command
value of ten. This means he is likely to issue
plenty of orders to his troops, but is certainly
not invincible. He has the same chance of rolling
a blunder as any other command unit.
The first order will be to move four Abrams
main battle tanks onto the table as these failed
to arrive during the previous turn. Rolling two
dice, Nik scores 2+4=6: success (Pic 7). The four
tanks move onto the table and are positioned to
the right of the IFVs and dismounts (Pic 8).
Nik then decides that the Abrams will open fire at
two Iraqi T-55 tanks that are withdrawing some
1800m (90cm) distance. The command value is
reduced by one for this being the second order to
the same units, but this is the only modifier that
applies. Rolling two dice, Nik scores 1+1=2: a
command bonus! (Pic 9)
The American CO successfully issues his first order.
Pic 8
A command bonus means two actions may be
carried out by each unit under command, which
in this case are the four tanks. The first action
should be the one that was declared prior to
making the command roll, but the second action
can be decided once the first action has been
carried out.
Nik decides that the Abrams will fire twice in
succession, one volley at the T-55 on the left, the
second volley at the T-55 on the right. He can
change his mind about the second action should
the first volley fail to knock-out its target, but
this is unlikely.
The Abrams open fire with a massive twentyfour attacks and the T-55 is knocked-out without
a problem. Shaun, the Iraqi player, knew that
the poorly armoured T-55 wouldn’t survive that
many attacks, especially as his two tanks are in
the open.
American Abrams tanks advance to the ridge-line.
Pic 9
Nik was right to assume the first volley would
knock-out its target. He rolls a further twentyfour attacks at the second T-55 and again, this
is knocked-out, although this was a close one, as
Shaun made several saving rolls.
Whilst the two Iraqi tanks were knocked-out
with relative ease, it is best to combine the fire
of several units against each target to ensure a
kill. This can be fire from different types of unit,
as that is what combined-arms operations are
all about.
17
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
The second order results in a command bonus.
Cold War Commander
Command Phase Example
As the two immediate threats to the American
battlegroup have been dealt with, Nik decides
that the CO will issue an order to the four Abrams
and move them towards the Iraqi positions. This
time, his command value is reduced by two. He
will need to score eight or less on two dice for the
order to be issued.
Pic 10
Nik scores 4+5=9: fail! The third order from
the CO fails to get through (Pic 10). This could
be that the crews of the Abrams are celebrating
the first kills of the battle, but then again, maybe
not!
With that, the command phase is over. All that
is left to do is to move the American command
units. The FAO remains where it is, the HQ
moves forward to a position just behind the
Bradleys, and the CO moves forward to a
position behind the Abrams (Pic 11).
The third order from the CO fails to get through.
When moving command units, it is important
that you position them so that as many units
are within 20cm as possible, otherwise you
will be subject to a -1 command penalty from
the first order next turn. It is also advisable to
leave command units in safe positions, away
from the enemy. Whilst command units can’t be
the target of enemy fire, they can be overrun by
enemy units.
Pic 11
The American battlegroup at the end of the command phase.
This example gives you a good idea of how the
command system works in the game, but there
are some additional mechanisms to remember.
The most important one is that when you switch
from giving orders to one formation of units to
another, the command value returns to its initial
value. This mechanism leads to some subtle
differences when playing the game, but I’ll leave
that for you to find out!
HQ, Bradley IFVs & dismounts from Nik’s American Battlegroup
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
18
Movement
Movement
Movement occurs during the initiative phase when troops move in response to the enemy and during the command
phase as the result of a successful order. It is possible for a unit to move several times during the command phase
depending on the number of orders issued. Once a unit has been issued an order, you may move the unit up to its
maximum move distance in any direction. Movement distances are listed in the move column of the army lists.
There are no penalties for turning, pivoting or reversing. Units may not move through gaps between obstacles less than
2cm wide. Troops may move through unsuppressed friendly units, but may not voluntarily move closer than 5cm to
a visible enemy unit, unless assaulting. Troops may not move through suppressed units. Troops may move through a
friendly command unit, but when moving through an enemy command unit, the command unit may be overrun (see
Command Units on page 13). Guns emplaced in fortifications cannot move during the game.
Passengers
To mount troops in transport, the transport unit and the infantry unit must first be in base contact with one another.
In a subsequent deploy action, the infantry unit is removed from the table. The transport unit and its passengers then
count as a single unit for the purposes of movement and coming under fire. When firing at the transport unit and its
passengers, the target is the transport unit, not the passengers (see Firing on page 20).
To dismount troops from transport, place the infantry unit in base contact with the transport unit when carrying out
a deploy action. The units are no longer treated as a single unit. Once troops dismount from unarmoured transport,
remove the transport unit from the table as it will withdraw to the rear to avoid loss. Armoured transport units remain
on the table once their troops dismount, allowing the vehicles to support the troops during the game.
Players may mount or dismount more than one infantry unit as one action (see Transport Units on page 54 for details
of how many units each transport unit may carry).
Towed Guns
Towed guns may move either by being towed by a transport unit or by being man-handled by their crews. Use the
movement rate listed for the transport unit when being towed. Guns up to 57mm/6pdr calibre may be man-handled
5cm as one action, but may only carry out one move action per turn when being man-handled. Guns larger than this
may not be man-handled. Man-handled guns are considered to be limbered guns for the purposes of terrain (see
Terrain on page 19). Pivoting a gun requires a deploy action.
When unlimbering, a gun may be positioned facing any direction as long as it is touching any part of the base of the
transport unit. To limber, the transport unit first makes contact with any part of the base of the gun. In a subsequent
action, the gun is placed at the rear of the vehicle. The transport unit and the gun then count as a single unit for the
purposes of movement and coming under fire. Prime movers may remain on the table as this will allow them to move
the guns later in the game if required.
Water Obstacles
Water obstacles include rivers, lakes and seas. They can be crossed by amphibious vehicles, and infantry or combat
engineers in assault boats. Separate orders must be issued to enter and exit each water obstacle and all troops move at
5cm per action when in the water. Troops may not open fire when in the water.
Movement Example
To move a unit, measure from the front base edge (or model if unbased, but excluding weapon overhang), then move
the unit up to the
distance specified
in the army lists,
ensuring
that
the front base
edge moves no
further than this
distance.
Note
that a unit does
not have to move
full distance. The
Swedish S-Tank
in this example
is only moving
20cm, but
can
move up to 30cm
if required.
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Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Terrain
Terrain
Terrain is defined as the surface of the tabletop, together with scenic items that have been placed on the table, such
as roads, trees, buildings and hills. The effects of terrain in the game is twofold: visibility and movement. Visibility is
covered on page 6, this section defines the effects of terrain on movement.
Open Terrain
Whilst in real-life there is no such thing as perfectly flat, open terrain (except salt lakes), for the purposes of the game,
the tabletop is classed as open terrain. There are no restrictions for any troops moving in open terrain.
Linear Terrain
Linear terrain is defined as walls, fences and hedges. Troops on foot and fully-tracked vehicles stop when contacting
linear terrain and may cross, then move full distance, on the next successful order. The movement of fully-tracked
vehicles across linear terrain creates a breach through which all troops can then pass without penalty. Linear terrain is
impassable to wheeled vehicles, limbered guns and animals until it has been breached.
Area Terrain
Area terrain is split into two types: low area terrain (crop fields, tall grasses, scrub and heathland) and high area terrain
(orchards, woods, forest, jungle and built-up areas). All area terrain has a boundary, which is the edge of the area
occupied by the terrain. It is advisable to clearly mark-out the boundaries of area terrain before the game.
Low area terrain offers no restrictions to movement in the game. However, troops must stop in contact with the
boundary of high area terrain. They may move full distance on the next successful order. This restriction applies when
troops enter or exit the terrain. In both situations, they stop inside the terrain with the base in contact with the terrain
boundary. This allows units in the open to move into cover without penalty, whilst units already in cover make the most
of their concealment before moving into the open.
High Ground
High ground is split into two types: hills and mountains. Hills have no restrictions on movement, except cliffs (see
Impassable Terrain below). Mountains are impassable to all but troops on foot, unless there is a route clearly marked
through the terrain, such as a path or a road.
Wet Terrain
Wet terrain is split into three types: partially wet terrain (swamp, marsh and paddy fields), shallow wet terrain (streams
and fordable rivers) and deep wet terrain (canals, rivers, lakes and seas). Partially wet terrain is impassable to all but
troops on foot, who treat the terrain as high area terrain for the purposes of movement (see Area Terrain above).
Shallow wet terrain counts as linear terrain in that troops stop when contacting the terrain and may cross, then move
full distance, on the next successful order. Canals and rivers are impassable to all except when bridged, or crossed by
boat or amphibious vehicles. Lakes and seas are impassable to all except boats and amphibious vehicles (see Water
Obstacles on page 18 for details).
Frozen Terrain
Frozen terrain is defined as wet terrain that is frozen due to cold weather and includes marsh, swamp, lakes, streams,
canals, and rivers, or snow terrain that is either firm or soft snow. There are no restrictions for troops moving across
firm snow, but troops treat all other frozen terrain as high area terrain for the purposes of movement (see Area Terrain
above).
Impassable Terrain
Cliffs, ravines, wadis, balkas and other similar types of terrain are impassable to all troops unless there is a route clearly
marked through the terrain, such as a path or a road.
Field Defences
Anti-tank obstacles such as dragons teeth and anti-tank ditches are impassable to all troops until breached by
engineers, except for troops on foot who treat the obstacles as linear terrain (see Linear Terrain above). Wire obstacles
are impassable to animals, trucks and towed guns until breached by combat engineers (see Engineering on page 38).
All other troops treat wire obstacles as linear terrain (see Linear Terrain above).
Marked and dummy minefields are treated as linear terrain (see Linear Terrain above and Minefields on page 39).
Command Units
Command units are treated as troops on foot for the purposes of terrain restrictions, except that they are not required
to stop when contacting terrain, but may cross without penalty unless it is impassable.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
20
Firing
Firing
Firing takes place during the initiative and command phases of a turn. A unit may fire once at the nearest visible enemy
unit within initiative distance during the initiative phase and once per action at any visible enemy unit within range in
the command phase.
To determine the range, measure the shortest distance between the base of the firing unit and the base of the enemy
unit. If this distance is equal to or less than the range of the unit firing, then it may fire. The range of a unit is the
number to the right of the slash in the attacks column of the army lists (e.g. an attack stat of 3/60 has a range of 60cm).
Units may fire at any target within a 180° arc from the front base edge, except those units with restricted visibility
which are limited to a 90° arc (see Visibility Arcs on page 7).
AFVs, vehicles and guns may fire over troops on foot and command units when the target is an AFV, vehicle or gun.
Mortars may fire over all unit types against any eligible targets. All units may fire over other units if either the unit
firing, or the target unit, is on higher ground than intervening units. All other overhead firing is prohibited.
Players may measure ranges at any time, but must declare all targets before firing. Troops being carried in or on
transport may not fire, except troops in IFVs who may fire when the transport carries out a fire action, ie: the troops
and the IFV may both fire using the same action. Units firing at limbered guns fire at the transport, not the gun.
Similarly, units firing at transport that is carrying troops fire at the transport, not the passengers.
Calculating Firing
To calculate firing, take the attack value of the unit from the army list - this is the number preceding the slash in the
attacks column (e.g. an attack stat of 3/60 has an attack value of 3). Where a unit has two different attack values, only
one may be used per action. Adjust the attack value for each firing modifier that applies, then roll this number of dice.
When two or more units are firing at the same target and the score to hit is the same, roll all the dice together.
Firing Modifiers
Adjust the number of attacks by each modifier that applies from the table below:
Modifier Description
+1
if the enemy unit is within half the range of the unit (e.g. a unit with a range of 60cm will gain +1 for
firing at an enemy unit up to 30cm away) - this bonus does not apply to howitzers or mortars.
+1
if the unit is firing on the flank or rear aspect of the enemy unit (see Front, Flank & Rear on page 6)
+1
if the unit is an AFV firing at a unarmoured target within 20cm (an unarmoured target is one without
a save value, such as an infantry unit or a truck)
-1 or -2
if the unit is equipped with stabilisation and firing on the move (ie: move then fire, or fire then move)
S1 will be -1 attack and S2 will be -2 attacks
Scoring Hits
Cover provides varying degrees of protection to troops and affects the way in which hits are scored. One hit is achieved
for each die roll equal to or greater than the score required to hit the target as follows:
Target Unit
Hit On
Units in the open; Units hit by vehicle-mounted flamethrowers or snipers;
4, 5 or 6
Units in soft or partial cover (ie: hedges, scrub, woods, hills, dug-in); Open AFV hit by off-table artillery;
Aircraft & Helicopters hit by AA/SAM; Assault boats in water;
5 or 6
Units in hard or full cover (ie: walls, buildings, trenches, bunkers); Fully-armoured AFV hit by off-table
artillery; Command units; Suppressive fire; Amphibious vehicles in water; Snipers; Helicopters hit by
ATGW; Helicopters hit when carrying out pop-up attacks;
6
Attack stats followed by * do not cause hits against units with a save value, e.g. tanks and APCs. Attack stats followed
by # do not cause hits against units without a save value such as infantry, trucks, etc. However, units that do not cause
hits against an enemy unit may use suppressive fire (see Suppressive Fire on page 21).
Saves
If the target unit has a save value, your opponent should roll one die for each hit taken in the current attack. One hit
is removed for each score equal to or greater than the save value of the unit (e.g. a unit has a save value of 5, so your
opponent will need to score 5 or 6 on a single die in order to save one hit). Hits against the flank or rear of a unit reduce
the save value by one, e.g. a save value of four will become five and a save value of five will become six. A save value of
six is not reduced. Similarly, units hit from the air are vulnerable, so again, save values are reduced by one when units
are hit by aircraft or helicopters from any direction.
21
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Firing
Knock-Out
Compare the number of hits the unit has against it to its hits value in the army lists. If the number of hits is equal to or
greater than this value, the unit is knocked-out and removed from play (vehicles can be left on the table and marked
with cotton wool if you prefer, but they do not block LOS), otherwise place a marker next to the unit to indicate the
number of hits against it. Passengers and limbered guns are knocked-out when their transport is knocked-out.
When transport carrying passengers is hit but not knocked-out, the occupants of unarmoured transport and troops
riding on tanks dismount, suppressed. The occupants of armoured transport may choose to dismount, but will be
suppressed if they do so. Troops dismounting from transport remain in base-contact with the transport unit at the time
they dismount. They may carry out actions during their turn as normal.
Suppression
Unless the unit was knocked-out, you must test to see if it becomes suppressed. Roll one die for each unsaved hit
taken in the current attack. If any of the dice score equal to or greater than the number required to cause hits, the
unit becomes suppressed. Suppression means troops are not happy about being shot at and have gone-to-ground,
taking the best cover they can find to protect themselves until the firing dies down. In game terms, units that become
suppressed cannot do anything in their turn and suppressed command units may not issue any orders. Troops recover
automatically from suppression at the end of their turn.
Fall-Back
If the unit is already suppressed, it will fall-back instead. Roll one die for each unsaved hit taken in the current attack,
add the scores together and the unit must fall-back this distance in centimetres directly away from the nearest enemy
unit that fired, turning to face the unit as part of the fall-back move. Note that a unit cannot be suppressed and forced
to fall-back as a result of the same order, but can become suppressed and fall-back as a result of enemy initiative
actions. As with suppressive fire, troops may fire at suppressed units they cannot hit. Test for fall-back as usual, but
don’t mark the hits against the unit, just roll for fall-back.
When troops fall-back too quickly, there is the likelihood that they will run away. To represent this, if a unit falls back
more than 10cm as the result of a single fall-back die roll, it is knocked-out. The exception to this are recce units,
who may fall-back any distance without being knocked-out. Units are knocked-out when falling back into suppressed
friendly units, impassable terrain, enemy units, non-dummy minefields, or off-table. Troops on foot and unarmoured
transport units falling back into wire are also knocked-out. Troops falling back into friendly units halt on contact,
suppressing them. Dug-in troops and deployed guns remain where they are unless they fall-back further than 10cm, in
which case they are knocked-out.
Suppressive Fire
Units that cannot score hits against armoured units may fire for suppression, such as infantry firing small-arms against
tanks. They will hit the target unit on sixes in all situations. Similarly, some units cannot score hits against unarmoured
units. Again, the troops may fire for suppression, but will hit the target unit on sixes in all situations. To resolve
suppressive fire, roll the attacks as normal, but don’t mark the hits against the target unit, just roll for suppression.
Opportunity Fire
Opportunity fire allows the inactive player to open fire with his troops during the command phase of the active player’s
turn. Each unsuppressed unit may fire once at an enemy unit that moved or fired within line-of-sight, but you may not
pre-measure ranges. Units may open fire during any part of the enemy unit’s move, the active player halting the unit at
the point where the opportunity fire takes place. The unit may then continue its move once the firing has been resolved,
unless it was suppressed. Units that use opportunity fire against an enemy unit that fires, will fire immediately after the
enemy unit has fired. A unit may not open fire at a unit that did not move or fire. When firing multiple units at a single
target, roll all the attacks together. All the rules for firing apply.
Units carrying out opportunity fire may not use their initiative next turn and will be subject to a -1 command penalty
for the duration of their next turn, even if the enemy unit was out of range and the opportunity fire was unsuccessful.
In effect, they have carried out an initiative action during the opponent turn.
Stabilisation
Most AFVs are equipped with stabilisation as indicated by the letter ‘S’ in the notes column of the army lists. This
allows the unit to move up to half-distance, then fire, or fire, then move up to half-distance as one action. You must
nominate the target for the unit before carrying out the action. The attacks are reduced by the number following the
letter ‘S’, ie: deduct one attack for a unit with S1 in the notes column.
Howitzers
Howitzers include short-barrelled and inaccurate weapons that are useful against unarmoured units, but lack the
accuracy to be useful against AFVs at long range. Vehicles armed with howitzers (indicated by the letter ‘H’ after the
attacks) may only fire at AFVs within half-distance. They do not gain the bonus for being within half-range.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
22
Firing Example
Firing Example
A Leopard 2A3 tank platoon of the West German
army lies in wait behind a tree-line for an
expected WarPac advance. The crews do not
have to wait long as East German T-72 tanks
cross the gun-sights of the Leopards, offering
their weak side-armour to the West German
gunners.
Pic 1
Alan, the West German player, opens fire at the
lead T-72 tank during the command phase of his
turn. The distance between the two is typical
of that encountered in Germany, with lines-ofsight averaging less than 1km due to populated
areas and dense farmland.
Referring to the West German army list on page
112, the Leopard 2A3 tank has an attack value of
6/100, which is six attacks at up to 100cm. The
distance between the Leopard and the lead T-72
is 23cm, well under half-distance, so the attacks
are increased by one die to seven. A further die is
added for firing into the flank of the enemy unit,
bringing the total attack dice up to eight.
A West German Leopard 2 opens fire at an East German T-72.
Pic 2
The T-72 is in the open, so the score required to
hit the unit is four or greater (see Scoring Hits
on page 20). Each die roll of four or greater will
inflict one hit. Alan rolls all eight attack dice,
scoring 1-2-3-5-5-5-6-6: five hits!
Tony, the East German player, refers to the
WarPac Grade 1 army list on page 122 to find
that the save value of the T-72 is four. However,
the save value is reduced by one as the T-72 is
being hit in the flank, reducing it to five.
Tony rolls one die for each hit taken and needs
to score five or six on each die to save one hit.
Rolling five dice, he scores 1-1-2-3-6: one hit is
saved (Pic 3).
Again referring to the WarPac army list on page
122, the hits value of the T-72 is five. The T-72
needs to accumulate five hits against it for it to
be knocked-out of the game, so the East German
tank survives the attack - for now!
The attack dice are rolled, each die requiring four or more to score one hit.
Pic 3
Alan must now test the morale of the T-72. Units
test for suppression when they take hits in a
turn. If they are already suppressed, they test
for fall-back instead. In this example, Alan must
now test to see if the T-72 becomes suppressed.
Rolling one die for each unsaved hit taken in
the current attack, Alan rolls four dice. If any of
the die score equal to or greater than the score
required to hit the target (4+), the unit will
become suppressed.
Alan scores 1-1-3-4: the T-72 is suppressed! A
small red marker die is placed next to the T-72
to indicate that it has four hits against it (Pic 4).
23
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Now the East German player attempts to save the hits.
Cold War Commander
Firing Example
Pic 4
The colour indicates that the unit is suppressed.
A white die can be used to indicate hits against
units that aren’t suppressed. Marker dice only
remain in play until the end of the turn, so they
are not too obtrusive to the look of the game.
Alan issues a second order to the Leopard and
decides to open fire at the same T-72 as he only
needs one more hit to knock it out. Rolling
eight attack dice, he again needs four or more
to hit the target and scores: 1-2-4-5-6-6-6. An
impressive five hits (Pic 5).
The T-72 is suppressed and has four hits against it.
Pic 5
Tony now needs to save all five hits for the T-72
to survive this attack. Rolling dice equal to the
number of hits taken in the current attack, but
excluding any existing hits against the unit,
Tony rolls five dice.
The saving roll of 1-2-5-5-6 is good, but not
good enough - the T-72 is knocked-out for
the remainder of the game. A burning smoke
marker is placed on the model to indicate that it
has been knocked-out (Pic 6).
Players are free to use markers to indicate
knocked-out units, or they may remove the units
from the table. The latter method is preferable
when there are lots of units on the table as this
reduces table clutter.
That’s it for firing, although there is one more
test that you need to take on some occasions.
If the T-72 hadn’t been knocked-out the second
time around, Alan would have had to test for
fall-back instead of suppression as the unit is
already suppressed.
The Leopard again fires at the same T-72.
Pic 6
To test for fall-back, roll the same number of dice
as you would when testing for suppression, ie:
the number of unsaved hits taken in the current
attack. However, unlike suppression, you total
the scores of the dice and the unit moves this
distance in centimetres directly away from the
nearest unit that fired.
There are conditions that apply when a unit
falls-back. Should the unit fall-back further than
10cm at any one time, it will be knocked-out and
removed from play. The unit is assumed to have
routed from the battlefield or the troops are too
shaken to continue to fight.
Other conditions where units are knocked-out
when they fall-back include troops falling-back
into impassable terrain, such as into a river or
over a cliff; troops falling-back into enemy units
or suppressed friendly units are also knockedout. See Fall-Back on page 21 for further
details.
The T-72 is knocked-out.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
24
Infantry Support Weapons & Anti-Tank Guided Weapons
Infantry Support Weapons
Infantry support weapons include all the support weapons that are an integral part of infantry battalions and regiments.
They are treated the same as other units in the game in that they can use their initiative during the initiative phase
and they may be issued orders during the command phase. The exception to this are infantry AT weapons, which are
attached to infantry units for the duration of the game, counting as a single unit.
Machine Guns
Machine guns (MG) include all medium, heavy and general-purpose machine guns capable of being used in a sustainedfire role, such as the British GPMG and the American M60. Machine guns may fire at any enemy unit within range and
line-of-sight. They are not required to carry out a deploy action between moving and firing.
Mortars
Mortars include medium mortars (MM) and heavy mortars (HM). They can fire at any enemy unit within their own
LOS, at any enemy unit within LOS of the command unit that issued the order, or at any enemy unit within LOS of a
friendly unit within 20cm of the command unit that issued the order. All targets must be within range of the mortar
unit. They can only be issued orders by the CO or HQ - they cannot be ordered by an FAO/FAC. Medium mortars have
a minimum range of 10cm, meaning they cannot fire at enemy units closer than 10cm. Heavy mortars have a minimum
range of 20cm. Mortars do not receive the bonus for firing within half-range. Man-handled mortars must carry out a
deploy action between moving and firing, and between firing then moving.
Recoilless Rifles
Recoilless rifles (RR) may fire at any enemy unit within their own LOS, at any enemy unit within LOS of the command
unit that issued the order, or at any enemy unit within LOS of a friendly unit within 20cm of the command unit that
issued the order. All targets must be within range of the RR unit. They can only be issued orders by the CO or HQ they cannot be ordered by an FAO/FAC. RR do receive the bonus for firing within half distance when they can see the
enemy. They may only fire at AFVs within half-distance (see Howitzers on page 21 for further details). Towed RR must
carry out a deploy action between moving and firing, and between firing then moving.
Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons
Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons (IATW) are man-portable weapons that infantry can use against tanks, vehicles,
helicopters, buildings and fortifications. Infantry units may use their regular attacks or their IATW attacks as a single
action. In addition, IATW attacks may only be used once in a turn.
Anti-Tank Guided Weapons
Anti-Tank Guided Weapons (ATGW) are guided missiles that can be used against tanks, vehicles, helicopters,
buildings and fortifications within LOS. Units with ATGW may use their regular attacks or their ATGW attacks as part
of an action, but not both together. Attack helicopters are the exception to this in that they may use their regular attacks
and their ATGW attacks when carrying out an action. Soviet tanks may not fire their ATGW at an enemy unit that is in
range of their main gun. IFVs may only use their ATGW attacks when carrying out opportunity fire. ATGW may not be
fired across water or power lines if these are modelled on the tabletop.
ATGW may only be used once in a game turn, but
the unit may carry out other actions that turn,
subject to orders being issued. ATGW have a
minimum range of 20cm, meaning they cannot be
used against targets closer than 20cm. ATGW gain
+1 attack when within half-distance of the target.
Units hit by ATGW do not get armour saves, unless
they have composite or explosive reactive armour.
ATGW fired at helicopters always hit on sixes.
Evasive Action
Unsuppressed units may attempt to take evasive
action when under attack by ATGW within LOS.
Roll one die for each ATGW firing at the unit. The
evasion will be unsuccessful if any of the die score equal to or greater than the cover of the unit (see Scoring Hits on
page 20). If the evasion is successful, the unit may move up to 10cm, increasing its cover by one category, ie: a unit in
the open will count as being in partial cover and a unit in partial cover will count as being in full cover. A unit already in
full cover, or one that moves out of LOS, may not be hit during an evasive move, so the attacker does not roll any ATGW
attacks in this instance. If any non-ATGW units are firing at the same time, they will hit as normal as their shells reach
the target before it attempts evasion. Units that evade ATGW will be subject to a -1 command penalty next turn.
Dedicated Soviet ATGW units. From left to right: Spandrel, Sagger and
Snapper mounted on BRDMs, plus a Spigot man-portable ATGW.
25
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Anti-Tank Guided Weapons Example
Anti-Tank Guided Weapons Example
Egyptian T-10 heavy tanks advance through the
Sinai desert during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Israeli troops decide to open fire at the tanks
from long-range using ATGW.
Pic 1
Rich, the Israeli player, decides to open fire
with a MAPATS ATGW infantry support unit.
He declares the target to be the centre T-10
heavy tank unit. The Egyptian player, John,
attempts to take evasive action by the T-10 as
it is unsuppressed and has line-of-sight to the
Israeli ATGW unit.
To take evasive action, one die is rolled for each
ATGW unit firing, which in this case is just one
unit. John rolls the die and scores three. The
evasion is successful as he needed to roll less
than the score required to hit the target, which
in the case of the T-10 in the open is four (see
Scoring Hits on page 20).
An evasive action allows the player to move
the unit up to 10cm, improving its cover by one
category. John decides to move the T-10 back
10cm. This means Rich will need to score five or
six on each attack die to score one hit.
Egyptian T-10 tanks in the Sinai desert come under fire from Israeli ATGW.
Pic 2
Rich now calculates the number of attack dice he
should roll: the MAPATS ATGW infantry support
unit has 6 attacks at up to 150cm distance (see
the Israeli Army List on page 66). The range to
the T-10 is 70cm, so one attack is added for being
within half-distance of the enemy. That is the
only modifier to be applied to the attacks.
Rolling the attack dice, Rich scores 2-4-5-5-56-6, five hits! Unlike normal firing, units hit
by ATGW do not get to roll saves. There are
exceptions, but only more modern armoured
vehicles have the ability to save hits from
ATGW.
John refers to his army list and sees that the T10 heavy tank unit has a hits value of five (see
the Arab Army List on page 69). The five hits
against the T-10 match its hits value, so it is
knocked-out. A burning smoke marker is placed
next to the tank to indicate that it is knocked-out
of the game.
Anti-Tank Guided Weapons are a lethal part of
modern combined-arms warfare, but they are
only available in limited numbers. In addition,
only dedicated ATGW units have the freedom
to use them offensively. Many units that have
ATGW as a supplementary weapon, such as the
Soviet BMP, may only use them in response to
enemy actions, ie: by using opportunity fire (see
Opportunity Fire on page 21). This makes them
much more defensive weapons.
The T-10 in the centre makes an evasive move after detecting incoming
ATGW - using the Eyeball Mark 1, rather than anything less sophisticated!
Pic 3
An Israeli MAPATS ATGW rolls seven attack dice, needing five or six on each
die to score one hit. It succeeds and the T-10 is knocked-out.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
26
Artillery Support
Artillery Support
Artillery support is only available if you have purchased artillery units as part of your battlegroup, even if you are
only using scheduled support during the game. Each artillery unit may be placed along your table baseline as a
representation of the support you have available.
Artillery support can either be scheduled to occur on specific turns (see Schedules on page 9) or requested during the
command phase by a Forward Artillery Observer (FAO). Each artillery unit may only be used once in a turn, which
means that a unit cannot be requested during the same turn it is scheduled. To make a request, the FAO must have LOS
to the target (see Visibility on page 6). All requested units fire at the same target, which must be one of the following:
• an enemy unit (with the exception of sniper and command units - these cannot be used as targets)
• a registered target (any target defined before the game for scheduled artillery support)
Spotter Aircraft
Spotter aircraft carry an FAO for the duration of the battle. They are treated like a regular FAO in that they move during
the end of the command phase. They can be the target of anti-aircraft fire (see p.30). They are hit on 5+ and will exit the
table when an abort roll is made. They may enter the table baseline at the end of the players’ next command phase.
Requesting Artillery Support
The following modifiers should be applied to the command value of the FAO when requesting artillery support:
Modifier Description
+1
all requested artillery units are self-propelled (ie: they have a move value in the army lists)
-1
each successive request made by the FAO this turn
-1
per additional three artillery units requested (e.g. -1 for 4-6 units, -2 for 7-9 units, etc.)
-1
per additional rocket or naval artillery unit requested (e.g. -1 for 2 units, -2 for 3 units, etc.)
-1
requesting smoke, illumination or special munitions (see Special Munitions on page 29)
Artillery Support Bonus
When making command rolls to request artillery support and double one is scored, do not roll for deviation.
Artillery Support Blunder
When making command rolls to request artillery support and double six is scored, roll one die and refer below:
Score Result
1 or 2
INCOMING! Roll one die and the FAO takes this number of attacks from firing (hit on 4+).
3 or 4
COUNTER-BATTERY! Roll one die & each requested artillery unit takes this number of attacks. Towed
artillery will be hit on 4+, self-propelled artillery will be hit on 5+ and naval artillery will be hit on 6.
5 or 6
FRIENDLY FIRE! All requested artillery units target the nearest friendly unit to the aiming point. Roll for
deviation from the unit, then resolve the fire as an artillery concentration.
Resolving Artillery Support
An artillery unit creates a fire zone 10cm from the hit point, a rocket or naval artillery unit creates a fire zone 15cm from
the hit point. You may place each zone over the hit point (concentration) or place each end-to-end, the centre of which
must be positioned on the hit point, with the length running parallel to your table baseline (barrage). Concentration
uses one circular template for all units firing, whereas a barrage uses a square template for each unit firing. The player
must choose barrage or concentration before resolving an artillery strike.
Scheduled artillery support hits the aiming point automatically, as does artillery firing against a registered target.
However, requested artillery is inaccurate, so you must test for deviation from the aiming point. Roll one die per 20cm
distance from the FAO to the target point, i.e. 1 die from 0-20cm, 2 dice from 21-40cm. Deduct one die if the FAO is
higher than the target, add one die if rocket artillery is firing. If the number of dice is zero or less, the artillery is ontarget. Otherwise, roll the dice, total the scores and the artillery will hit this distance in centimetres from the aiming
point in the direction of the arrow (the Hit Point). Any deviation roll that lands in wet terrain or off-table means the
artillery strike is lost.
The attacking player must test for all units within the zone, including any friendly units and command units. At least
half of the base (or model if unbased) must be in the zone for a unit to be a valid target. Total the attacks of all units
firing and roll this number of dice against each target in the zone. When firing a barrage, add the attacks together and
divide by the number of units firing, rounding up. Refer to page 20 for details of how hits are scored. Units falling back
from artillery fire move directly away from the opponent table baseline.
27
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Artillery Support
Smoke
All artillery units may fire smoke, either using scheduled or requested support. Calculate the fire-zone as normal,
rolling for deviation when using requested support, then fill the zone with smoke markers (cotton wool puffs are
ideal for this). The smoke will remain in play for one complete game turn, ie: from the current turn to the end of the
opponent turn. Smoke will block LOS.
Illumination
All artillery units, except rocket and naval artillery, may fire illumination, either using scheduled or requested support.
Calculate the fire-zone as normal, rolling for deviation when using requested support, then keep the fire-zone in place
for one complete game turn. Any units within the zone can be seen as if it was daylight (see Night Fighting on p. 40).
On-Table Artillery
Artillery units may be placed on the table for certain
On-Table Artillery Using Direct Fire Attacks
scenarios. Mortars, rocket artillery and naval artillery
3/100H
cannot be placed on the table. On-table artillery is Light Artillery (up to 85mm, 25pdr)
treated like any other on-table unit in that it can may Medium Artillery (100-122mm)
4/100H
carry out an initiative action during the initiative phase Heavy Artillery (Larger)
5/100H
and may be issued orders by the CO or an HQ during
the command phase. On-table artillery cannot be issued orders by an FAO. On-table artillery units may only fire at
targets within LOS. Players should use the attacks listed in the table above, not the ones listed in the army lists.
Counter-Battery Fire
Counter-battery fire is carried out by friendly artillery units of at least 130mm calibre, including rockets, but excluding
mortars and naval artillery, against enemy artillery units that open fire. Not all nations have counter-battery capability.
When an off-table artillery unit opens fire, the opposing player may request artillery support against it next turn by
using an FAO. This is carried out during the command phase as normal.
Do not test for deviation from the target. Roll the attacks against one artillery unit that fired. Towed guns are hit on 4+,
self-propelled guns are hit on 5+ and naval artillery is hit on 6. Any artillery unit that is knocked-out is removed from
play and any unit that is suppressed cannot fire during the next player turn. Remove the suppression marker at the end
of the next player turn.
Rolling Barrage (Optional Rule)
Rolling barrages use scheduled assets only. Arrange the templates at their previously assigned target, aligned in
the anticipated direction of the advancing barrage and carry out the artillery fire as normal during the scheduled
phase. Leave the templates on the table and advance them one template depth each turn for each asset you have
purchased per artillery unit. Remove the templates during the end of the scheduled phase of the last turn of
assets. Any unit that passes through the template must immediately roll for artillery effects; if suppressed, the
unit must remain under the template at any point along it’s movement path, otherwise the unit may move its
full move as normal.
Artillery Support Example
Pic 1
North Vietnamese troops advance en-masse
towards South Vietnamese positions during the
late summer of 1969. Tim, the ARVN (ie: the
South Vietnamese) player, thinks this is an ideal
moment to spoil the NVA attack by dropping
artillery right in amongst the troops.
A request is made by the South Vietnamese FAO
for three batteries of 105mm guns. The request
is successful and the artillery is immediately
available for use against the North Vietnamese.
ARVN artillery targets a advancing NVA troops and supporting T-34 tanks.
Tim must now select a unit to be the target of the
artillery strike. He nominates the infantry unit
indicated by the white target marker in the picture
to the left. Players have to nominate a unit, rather
than any point on the table as the latter can lead
to some abuse of the rules!
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
28
Artillery Support Example
Now that the target has been nominated, Tim
must decide whether to fire a concentration or
a barrage. He decides to fire concentration. He
then tests for deviation from the target. The
number of six-sided dice that should be rolled
depends on the distance between the FAO and
the target. Tim measures the shortest distance
between the FAO and the infantry unit, which is
38cm.
Pic 2
On rolling two six-sided dice and the arrow die,
Tim scores 11 and the arrow points down and
to the right as can be seen in Pic 2. Whilst this
results in the artillery being well off-target, the
density of the units in the area means a number
of units will still be hit.
Tim places a small die on the table to indicate
the hit-point, as can be seen in Pic 3. Now Tim
places the circular template with its centre
directly over the hit-point (Pic 4). The fire-zone
measures 10cm from the hit-point in every
direction, so players can either use a tape
measure to determine this distance or make a
circular template from clear plastic.
Deviation dice are rolled.
Pic 3
Each unit with at least half its base under
the template will be a target. All units can be
affected by artillery fire, including command
units. In this example, all three T-34 tank units,
the HQ and two infantry units are in the firezone (Pic 4).
Tim now rolls the attack dice against each unit
in the zone, the number of dice being the attack
value of each artillery unit added together.
105mm artillery batteries have three attacks,
so multiplying this number by three gives nine
attack dice.
The aiming die is moved to the hit-point.
The score to hit depends on the cover of the
target, but there are exceptions. Command units
are hit on sixes in all situations, as are fully
armoured vehicles when under attack from offtable artillery.
Pic 4
In this example, the two infantry units will be
hit on four or more, the tanks and command
unit will be hit on sixes. Tim rolls the nine attack
dice against each infantry unit, knocking-out
one unit and suppressing the other. The attack
dice are then rolled against the command unit,
scoring three hits, but one hit is saved by Glen,
the NVA player.
10cm
Every unit with at least half its’ base in the zone must test for hits.
29
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Finally, the nine attack dice are rolled against
each of the three T-34 tank units. Armour saves
are rolled, but none of the tanks suffer sufficient
hits to be knocked-out. Players familiar with
BlitzkriegCommander will notice a change in
Cold War Commander in that off-table artillery
now causes hits against armoured vehicles.
Cold War Commander
Special Munitions
Special Munitions
Special munitions include Cluster Bombs, FASCAM (Family of Scatterable Mines), PGM (Precision Guided
Munitions), Napalm, Thermobaric and Chemical weapons. They can be scheduled for use on specific turns or they
can be requested by an FAO/FAC during the command phase of a turn. Due to their specialised nature, they require
assets to be used for both scheduled and requested support. They may not be requested by the CO or an HQ. Special
munitions are not available to all army lists and they may not be used by helicopters.
Cluster Bombs
Cluster-bombs are aircraft-delivered bombs that contain hundreds of sub-munitions designed to saturate an areatarget. They are available in various forms, but only a combination of APERS (Anti-Personnel) and AT (Anti-Tank) are
used in the game. AT cluster munitions are deadly against the thinner top armour of armoured vehicles. Cluster bombs
may be used from 1960 onwards.
Family of Scatterable Mines (FASCAM)
FASCAM are aircraft- or artillery-delivered minefields, used as area-denial weapons. They may be used from 1980
onwards by aircraft and artillery units, apart from mortars, rocket launchers, or naval artillery.
Precision Guided Munitions (PGM)
PGMs are laser-guided bombs fired from aircraft, or laser-guided shells fired by artillery. They offer pin-point accuracy
and are used against armoured vehicles and fortifications. Only aircraft-delivered PGMs are included in the game and
these may be used from 1980 onwards.
Napalm
Napalm is designed to burn and asphyxiate troop concentrations. It was also used to clear vegetation around landing
zones. Known for its widespread use in Vietnam, napalm was also used by the US in Korea, both sides during the IranIraq War, and Argentina during the Falklands War. Napalm can only be delivered by aircraft.
Thermobaric Munitions
Thermobaric munitions are fuel-air explosions that are used to clear caves/tunnels (as used by the US in Vietnam and
the Russians in Afghanistan), urban areas (as used by the Russians in Chechnya), for clearing vegetation to use as
landing zones (as used by the US in Vietnam) and for clearing minefields. These weapons were also used by Coalition
forces during the First Gulf War, although their role remains classified. Thermobaric munitions can be delivered by
aircraft and artillery from 1960 onwards.
Chemical Weapons
First used during the Great War of 1914-18, chemicals are area-denial weapons that asphyxiate troop concentrations.
They were used by Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War. Chemical weapons can be delivered by aircraft and artillery.
Munition
Description
Cluster Bombs
Roll 6 attacks against each unit in the zone, counting all units as being in the open. They may not
be concentrated against a single unit. Do not roll armour saves.
FASCAM
Calculate the fire-zone as normal, then place mines in the zone. This is treated as a visible minefield
for the rest of the game.
PGM
Roll 12 attacks against a single unit within LOS of the FAC, counting the target as in the open. Do
not test for deviation and do not roll armour saves. May be used against AFVs and fortifications.
Napalm
Roll 6 attacks against each unit in the zone, counting all units as being in the open. May not
be concentrated against a single unit. Do not roll armour saves. All units are automatically
suppressed and units that are already suppressed are knocked-out. Do not test for fall-back.
Thermobaric
Roll 6 attacks against each unit in the zone, counting all units as being in the open. May not
be concentrated against a single unit. Do not roll armour saves. All units are automatically
suppressed and units that are already suppressed are knocked-out. Do not test for fall-back.
Remove all vegetation and minefields from within the zone.
Chemical
Roll 6 attacks against each unit in the zone, counting all units as being in the open. May not
be concentrated against a single unit. Do not roll armour saves. All units are automatically
suppressed and units that are already suppressed are knocked-out. Do not test for fall-back.
Leave the zone on the table for the remainder of the game. All units count the zone as dense
terrain and any unit moving into the zone will take d6 attacks (ie: roll one die and the unit takes
this number of attacks), counting as being in the open. Do not roll armour saves.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
30
Air Support
Air Support
The use of aircraft in the game is limited to operations in support of ground troops. Air support is only available if you
have purchased aircraft as part of your battlegroup, even if you are only using scheduled support during the game.
Those armies without a Forward Air Controller (FAC) may only use scheduled air support. Each unit of aircraft may be
represented by a single model and placed along your table baseline as a representation of the support available.
Air support can either be scheduled to occur on specific turns (see Schedules on page 9) or requested during the
command phase by an FAC. Each aircraft unit may only be used once in a turn, which means that a unit cannot be
requested during the same turn it is scheduled. To make a request, the FAC must have line-of-sight to the target (see
Visibility on page 6). Each requested unit may strike different targets. A target must be one of the following:
• an enemy unit (with the exception of sniper and command units - these cannot be used as targets)
• a registered target (any target defined before the game for scheduled air support)
Spotter Aircraft
Spotter aircraft carry an FAC for the duration of the battle. They are treated like a regular FAC in that they move during
the end of the command phase. They can be the target of anti-aircraft fire (see p.30). They are hit on 5+ and will exit the
table when an abort roll is made. They may enter the table baseline at the end of the players’ next command phase.
Requesting Air Support
The following modifiers should be applied to the command value of the FAC when requesting air support:
Modifier Description
-1
each successive request made by the FAC this turn
-1
per additional aircraft unit requested, e.g. -1 for two units, -2 for three units, etc.
-1
requesting special munitions (see Special Munitions on page 29)
Air Support Bonus
When making command rolls to request air support and double one is scored, do not roll for deviation.
Air Support Blunder
When making command rolls to request air support and double six is scored, roll one die and refer below:
Score Result
1 or 2
STRAFING! Roll one die and the FAC takes this number of attacks from firing (hit on 4+).
3 or 4
ENEMY FIGHTERS! Roll one die & each requested aircraft unit takes this number of attacks (hit on 4+).
5 or 6
TAKE COVER! All requested aircraft units target the nearest friendly unit to the aiming point. Roll for
deviation from the unit, then resolve the air strike as normal.
Resolving Air Support
Select the aiming point. This must be an enemy unit within line-of-sight of the FAC, but it cannot be a sniper unit or a
command unit. Now test for deviation from the aiming point. You should make a deviation roll for both scheduled and
requested air support. Roll one die per 20cm distance from the FAC to the target unit, i.e. 1 die from 0-20cm, 2 dice
from 21-40cm. Deduct one die if the FAC is higher than the target.
If the number of dice is zero or less, the air strike is on-target. Otherwise, roll the dice, total the scores and the aircraft
will hit this distance in centimetres from the aiming point in the direction of the arrow (the Hit Point). Any deviation
roll that lands in wet terrain or off-table means the air strike is lost. When multiple aircraft are attacking the same
target, test the deviation and attacks separately for each one.
Anti-Aircraft Fire
Anti-aircraft fire is calculated against each aircraft unit, with the following units being eligible to fire:
• any unsuppressed command unit within range and line-of-sight of the hit point
• any unsuppressed and deployed AA/SAM unit within range and line-of-sight of the hit point
To calculate anti-aircraft fire, total the number of attacks of each AA, SAM and command unit firing. There are no
modifiers, so roll the required number of dice. One hit is achieved for each score of 5 or 6. If the aircraft has a save
value, roll one die per hit. One hit is saved for each score equal to or greater than the save value of the unit.
If there are sufficient hits against the aircraft to equal or exceed its hits value, it is knocked-out and removed from play,
otherwise roll one die for each hit taken. If any of the dice score 5 or 6, the attack is aborted and the aircraft unit is
removed from the table, otherwise the attack goes ahead. Reduce the attacks of the aircraft by one for each hit taken.
The reduction in attacks only applies to the current air strike and is not carried forward into subsequent turns.
31
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Air Support
Fire-Zones
Aircraft create a circular fire zone 10cm from the hit point. The attacking player may choose to attack all targets in
the zone, or concentrate the attacks against a single unit in the zone. Aircraft may not concentrate attacks if there is a
friendly unit in the zone.
When attacking all units in the zone, the attacker must roll attacks against each unit in the zone, including all friendly
units and all command units. At least half of the base (or model if unbased) must be in the zone for a unit to be a valid
target. Total the attacks of the aircraft, deducting one for each unsaved hit taken as a result of anti-aircraft fire. Roll this
number of dice against each unit in the zone.
When concentrating attacks against a single unit, the attacker may choose any unit within the zone. Total the attacks
of the aircraft, deducting one for each unsaved hit taken as a result of anti-aircraft fire. Roll double this number of dice
against the nominated unit.
Refer to page 20 for details of how hits are scored. AFV have their save value reduced by one when attacked by aircraft
(e.g. a save value of 4 will become 5 and a save value of 5 will become 6. A save value of 6 is not reduced). Units falling
back from aircraft move directly away from the opponent table baseline.
Once done, the aircraft are returned to the players baseline. They are available for use in subsequent turns, even if the
attack was aborted this turn.
Air Support Example
Soviet PT-76 amphibious tanks come under attack by Chinese J-4 fighter-bombers as they drive ashore in a
hypothetical battle between these two communist heavy-weights set during the 1970s.
Air support can either be scheduled to arrive on a
specific turn or an FAC (Forward Air Controller)
can make a request during the command phase
of a turn. If the request is successful, the aircraft
are available immediately for an air-strike.
Pic 1
Jack, the Chinese player, successfully requests
air support during the command phase of the
second turn in the game. He nominates the PT76 unit in the centre as the target, then rolls for
deviation.
Soviet PT-76 tanks are attacked by Chinese J-4 fighter-bombers.
To do this, Jack measures the shortest distance
between the FAC and the target unit. The distance
is 44cm, so that means he should roll three sixsided dice, plus the arrow die. However, the FAC
is on higher ground, so the number of six-sided
dice is reduced to two.
On rolling the deviation dice, Jack places the
circular template on the table, with the centre
directly over the hit-point. Pic 2 indicates that
the hit-point is out-of-shot, but you can see that
two of the three PT-76s are under the template.
Pic 2
Jack now has a choice between attacking both
units under the template or rolling double
attacks against a single one. He decides to
concentrate his attacks against the intended
target - the PT-76 in the centre - maximising his
chances of knocking it out.
The deviation roll indicates two of the tanks are in the fire-zone.
The J-4 has three attacks, so six attack dice are
rolled, each requiring four or more to score one
hit. Jack rolls 1-2-2-4-5-6, indicating that the
PT-76 has taken three hits. The Soviet player,
Simon, now rolls three dice, requiring sixes to
save the hits. He rolls 1-1-3, so no hits are saved
and the PT-76 unit is knocked-out.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
32
Helicopters
Helicopters
Helicopters are a fundamental part of combined-arms operations on the modern battlefield. They are split into three
types: Attack Helicopters, Spotter Helicopters and Transport Helicopters. Helicopters may only operate in good
weather. Spotter helicopters should be represented on the table-top by suitable models. It isn’t necessary to represent
attack or transport helicopters in the game as you can use a marker to indicate their location on the table.
Attack Helicopters
Attack helicopters operate in exactly the same way as ground-attack aircraft in that they can be scheduled to arrive ontable during specific turns (see Schedules on page 9) or they may be requested during the command phase by the CO or
an HQ. Use the command value of the relevant command unit, not the command value of the FAC, as helicopters may
not be requested by an FAC. Attack helicopters use air assets for scheduled strikes (see Schedules on page 9). They may
use their main attacks and their ATGW attacks as part of the same strike, but may not use special munitions.
Place the template as normal, rolling for deviation from the target when the support is requested (see Requesting Air
Support on page 30). The helicopter unit can then be placed anywhere on the table within LOS of the hit point. The
helicopter unit must be in range of every unit in the fire-zone in order to attack each target, or it must be in range of the
specific unit when concentrating attacks against a single target. AA/SAM fire is then calculated against the helicopter
unit. Neither player may pre-measure the distances from any AA/SAM unit to the helicopter or vice-versa.
From 1980, attack helicopters may hide behind high area terrain (see Terrain on page 19) and use pop-up attacks once
the template has been placed. This gives them the benefit of improved cover when hit by AA/SAM fire as they will be hit
on sixes. However, their attacks will be reduced by one. They only benefit from improved cover if the LOS between the
helicopter and the AA/SAM unit is blocked by the terrain. Any unit that has LOS to the helicopter will hit as normal.
Spotter Helicopters
Spotter helicopters carry an FAO or an FAC for the duration of the battle. They are treated like a regular FAO/FAC in
that they move during the end of the command phase. They can be the target of anti-aircraft fire (see p.30). They are
hit on 5+ and will exit the table when an abort roll is made. They may enter the table baseline at the end of the players’
next command phase.
Transport Helicopters
Troops on foot may be carried in transport helicopters, with each infantry or infantry support unit taking up one space.
The number of units a transport helicopter may carry is specified in the army lists. Transport helicopters that have a
carrying capacity of 8 spaces or more may instead carry an air-portable vehicle or an artillery unit up to 122mm.
Transport helicopters must carry out an air-assault to land units on the table. An air-assault may be scheduled to occur
on a specific turn (see Schedules on page 9) or it may be requested by the CO or an HQ during the command phase. Use
the command value of the relevant command unit, not the command value of an FAC. To carry out an air-assault:
1. Make a request by the CO or an HQ using the air support command modifiers (unless scheduled).
2. Nominate a target point, which can be any point on the table within LOS of the command unit (unless scheduled).
3. Roll for deviation from the target point - this will be the Landing Point (LP) (requested and scheduled assaults).
4. The helicopter may now open fire at one enemy unit within 10cm and LOS of the LP.
5. Any enemy AA/SAM/HQ/CO units within range and LOS, and any unsuppressed enemy units within 10cm and
LOS, of the LP may fire. Hit on 5+, with transport helicopters counting as unarmoured targets. Test for each firing
unit separately like initiative actions. Note that if the helicopter is suppressed, all its occupants are suppressed.
6. If the helicopter is knocked-out, both the helicopter and its occupants are removed from play, otherwise place all
the occupants within 10cm of the LP. Any units that can’t be placed must remain in the helicopter.
7. The helicopter leaves the table. The troops may then be issued orders, but will be on a -1 command penalty.
Helicopters that abort due to AA/SAM fire leave the table immediately with their passengers on-board. Helicopters
subject to ground fire are suppressed as normal, but are knocked-out when forced to fall-back. Helicopters may not land
in any of the following terrain - if all the terrain in the LZ is impassable, the helicopter will exit the table immediately.
• high area terrain unless in a designated clearing; high ground unless on a designated plateau;
• wet terrain or impassable terrain;
An air-assault may be made to retrieve troops from the table. Follow the steps for an air-assault above, but during step
6, any units fully within the LZ may board the helicopter. Remember to take the carrying capacity of the helicopter into
account when doing so. The helicopter may exit the table on the next successful order. Any enemy units within 10cm of
the take-off point may fire (see point 5 above). Helicopters that remain on the ground due to a failed command roll are
treated as any other ground unit, and they will be knocked-out if forced to fall-back or retreat.
33
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Air Assault Example
Air Assault Example
Soviet troops attempt an air-assault against
Mujahideen troops on a barren mountain
plateau in Afghanistan during the mid-1980s.
Pic 1
Jason, the Soviet player, first selects a target
point for the air-assault, as can be seen by the
small black die in the middle of the picture to the
right (Pic 1). This point can be anywhere on the
table within line-of-sight of the command unit
requesting the air-assault.
Next, Jason rolls for deviation from the target
point using the same mechanism that is used for
air strikes. The distance between the HQ and the
target point is 36cm, which means Jason should
roll two six sided dice and the deviation die.
Jason rolls the three dice and scores 2-3, with
the direction die indicating the deviation is over
and to the left of the target point (Pic 2). This is
the Landing Point (LP) and is the point where
the helicopter attempts to land its passengers.
Soviet troops attempt an air-assault against Mujahideen in Afghanistan.
Pic 2
Rolling for deviation during an air-assault is
important as it simulates the difficulties involved
in air-to-ground co-ordination.
Jason moves the small black die to the landing
point. Now Paul, the Mujahideen player,
determines whether any anti-aircraft or
command units are within range and line-ofsight of the landing point as they may now open
fire at the helicopter. In addition, any units
within 10cm and line-of-sight of the landing
point may open fire.
There are no AA or command units within
range/LOS, but the lone Mujahideen unit is
within 10cm and LOS of the landing point. Paul
declares that the unit will open fire.
The Soviet player rolls for deviation from the target point.
The Mujahideen unit has three attacks at up
to 30cm range. The attacks don’t cause hits
against armoured targets, but this rule doesn’t
count against transport helicopters, despite
helicopters having a save value.
Pic 3
Paul rolls four dice (there is +1 attack for being
within half-distance), needing to score five or six
on each die to inflict one hit. He rolls 1-1-2-3: no
hits. The helicopter is unaffected by the firing.
Finally, Jason places the three Soviet infantry
units within 10cm of the landing point and the
helicopter leaves the battlefield (Pic 3). The
troops may now be issued orders as normal, but
are on a -1 command penalty for the remainder
of the turn. In effect, the air-assault counts as an
initiative action for the passengers.
See Close Assault on the next page for details of
the Soviet assault against the Mujahideen.
Three Soviet infantry units deploy in the Landing Zone.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
34
Close Assault
Close Assault
Close assault occurs during the initiative and command phases of a turn and represents troops fighting at close range,
such as infantry fighting other infantry with assault rifle, grenade and bayonet; infantry attacking tanks with anti-tank
weapons; and tanks crushing infantry under their tracks. There is no limit on the number of assaults a unit can take
part in during a turn.
An assault is classed as one or more units in base contact with a single enemy unit, together with any supporting units
from both sides. When two or more enemy units have been contacted, each enemy unit is treated as a separate assault
and each assault is resolved separately. The active player may choose the order in which assaults are resolved.
Assault
A unit is classed as assaulting when it voluntarily moves into contact with an enemy unit during the initiative or
command phase of a turn. To assault during the initiative phase, a unit must be within initiative distance of the target
unit. To assault during the command phase, a unit must have been issued an order. In both phases, a unit must be able
to see the target unit and it must have sufficient movement available to end its move in base contact with that unit.
AFVs may only assault units that are in the open. The exception to this is when the AFVs are carrying infantry or
combat engineers (but excluding infantry support), in which case they may assault troops in any terrain, subject to
the terrain restrictions for movement (see Terrain on page 19). Recce, towed guns, unarmoured transport, command,
sniper and infantry support units may not initiate close-assault. Units may only assault across an obstacle if they begin
their move in base contact with that obstacle. AFVs may not assault other AFVs.
Troops being carried in or on transport automatically dismount when they contact the enemy. The only exceptions to
this are IFV units, where the troops may fight from inside the vehicle. Any hits taken during the assault remain with
the troops, not the transport. Additionally, if a transport unit is suppressed during an assault move, its passengers are
also suppressed, but they continue with the assault.
Support
Any unit with an attack value (except command, recce and sniper units) can support an assault, even if it can’t normally
cause hits against the target. However, the unit must be within 10cm and LOS of a friendly unit in contact with the
enemy. Note that both sides may support an assault.
You may choose which units support an assault, but each unit may only support one assault during the initiative phase
and one assault per order during the command phase. Units that support an assault are part of the assault and will be
affected by the outcome.
Response
Units under assault, and any units within 10cm of a unit under assault, may open fire at assaulting and supporting units.
However, no unit may use opportunity fire during an assault. To respond to an assault, units must be unsuppressed and
they must be able to see the assaulting unit at the time they fire, which can be at any time during the assaulting unit’s
move. Resolve the firing immediately before moving on to the next unit (see Firing on page 20). Troops suppressed
during an assault move continue to make contact with the enemy, but will be at a disadvantage during the assault.
Contact
Move the assaulting unit into contact with the enemy unit,
ensuring the bases line-up centre-to-centre. A unit must
contact the nearest visible base edge of the enemy unit and
each base edge may only be contacted by one unit. If entering
a gap between enemy units, or an enemy unit and impassable
terrain, the gap must be at least 5cm wide. Units ignore the
5cm proximity rule during assaults, meaning a unit can move
closer than 5cm to an enemy unit, even if it does not contact
that unit. See Front, Flank & Rear on page 6 for details of how
to determine the flank of a unit.
The VC sniper unit that lies
between the US and the VC
infantry units is overrun
as it is in the path of the
assaulting US unit.
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Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Unarmoured transport units (unless carrying troops), transport
units towing guns, and sniper units are knocked-out when they
are between the assaulting unit and its target (see the pic on the
left). See Command Units on page 13 for command overrun.
Troops in, or on, transport units dismount when contacted
- the assaulting unit makes contact with the troops, not the
transport.
Cold War Commander
Close Assault
Resolution
An assault initiated during the initiative phase should be resolved before the start of the command phase (see Initiative
Phase on page 10). An assault initiated during the command phase should be resolved once all units have carried out
their actions during the current order (see Command Phase on page 12). Calculate the attacks for all units in contact
with the enemy from the table on the left, then apply any relevant modifiers from the table on the right.
Troops In Contact
Attacks
Condition
Modifier
Vehicle-mounted flamethrowers
12
Each unit assaulting the enemy
+1
Combat engineers
8
Each unit in support of the assault
+1
IFVs with mounted infantry
6
Infantry or combat engineers vs open AFV
+1
Infantry (not infantry support)
Suppressed
-1
AFVs & IFVs
4
3
Fighting to the flank or rear (each)
-1
All other troops
2
Calculating Hits
Roll one die for each attack, rolling all the dice together. Units always count as being in the open during an assault
move, even if they move through cover during that move. Defending units under assault are hit as normal, ie: the score
to hit depends on their cover (see Scoring Hits on page 20). When fighting a successive round of combat, all units count
as being in the open as they are assumed to be fighting up-close and personal where cover has minimal effect.
Allocating Hits
Hits for either side are allocated against a single unit as follows:
1. If there is a unit in contact with the front base-edge of the enemy unit, this unit will take all the hits.
2. If condition 1 isn’t met, the unit in contact with the flank base-edge of the enemy unit will take all the hits. If there
are units on either flank, roll a single die: odds indicate the right flank, evens the left flank.
3. If condition’s 1 and 2 aren’t met, the unit in contact with the rear base-edge of the enemy unit will take all the hits.
Once hits are allocated, roll saves where applicable. Remove units with hits equal to or greater than their hits value.
Outcome
If opposing units survive the assault, compare the total number of hits taken by each side, then refer to the following
table. The total should include hits taken by each unit involved in the assault, even if the hits were taken earlier in the
turn. Note that the term all units means all units in contact with the enemy unit and all units in support.
Hits
Outcome
Equal
If there are still opposing units in base contact with one another, fight another round immediately.
Neither side counts as making an assault move, so doesn’t gain the +1 attack. Units on both sides
count as being in the open. If there are no opposing units in base contact with one another, both
sides consolidate, with the attacker consolidating first.
Greater, but
not double
All units on the losing side in contact with the enemy become suppressed and retreat one half-move,
directly away from the enemy unit they are in contact with. Supporting units on the losing side
remain where they are. All units on the winning side consolidate.
Double or
more
All units on the losing side in contact with the enemy are knocked-out. Supporting units on the
losing side become suppressed and retreat one half-move, directly away from the nearest visible
enemy unit involved in the assault. All units on the winning side consolidate.
Consolidate
Each unit may move up to 5cm in any direction, but none may move closer than 5cm to a visible enemy unit. Troops on
foot may board transport as long as the transport unit is within 5cm, but the transport unit may not then move. Units
may change the direction they are facing.
Retreat
Each unit must move half-distance directly away from the nearest visible enemy unit that was involved in the assault.
Retreating units may not turn to face the enemy, but they ignore the 5cm proximity rule. Units retreating into
unsuppressed friendly units halt on contact, suppressing them. Units are knocked-out when:
• retreating into enemy units, impassable terrain, non-dummy minefields or off-table
• retreating into suppressed friendly units, in which case both units are knocked-out
• retreating unlimbered guns, dug-in AFVs, or units in fortifications
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
36
Close Assault Example
Close Assault Example
Soviet conscripts are about to close-assault
Mujahideen troops on a barren mountain
plateau in Afghanistan during the mid-1980s.
Pic 1
The Soviet player, Jason, issues an order to
the three Soviet conscript units during the
command phase of his turn. The order in which
the units carry out their actions is important as
the actions of one unit could affect other units
when carrying out their actions.
Jason decides that the units in the centre and on
the right will move into contact with the nearest
Mujahideen unit. This unit already has two hits
against it and is suppressed, as indicated by the
small red die. The Soviet unit on the left will
support the assault from its present location as
it will be within 10cm of a Soviet unit in contact
with the enemy.
Soviet troops prepare to close assault the Mujahideen.
The Soviet unit in the centre is the first to move.
Jason moves the unit into contact with the
Mujahideen unit, but Paul - the Mujahideen
player - declares that his second unit will use
response fire against the Soviet unit. This fire is
calculated and the result is applied immediately.
The conscript unit has three hits against it and
is suppressed, but it still makes contact with the
enemy (Pic 2).
Pic 2
Next to move is the Soviet unit on the right,
which assaults the flank of the Mujahideen
unit. Paul again declares response fire from the
second Mujahideen unit, but the firing is not as
effective this time and only one hit is inflicted.
Note that a small white die is used to indicate
hits where units aren’t suppressed (Pic 3).
The first Soviet unit makes contact, but is suppressed by response fire.
Pic 3
All units are now in position and the close assault
takes place. Both sides determine their attack
dice. Jason has two units in contact with the
enemy, so his attack dice total 8. To this, he adds
2 dice - one for each unit assaulting the enemy,
which brings the total up to 10. However, one
unit is suppressed, so the total is reduced by one
die to 9. Finally, one die is added for the Soviet
unit supporting the assault, bringing the total
number of attack dice back up to 10.
Paul has one unit in contact with the enemy, so
begins his attack dice on 4. This is reduced by
one for the unit being suppressed and a further
one for the enemy unit on the flank. However,
one die is added for the Mujahideen unit in
support. He has 3 attack dice.
The second Soviet unit makes contact with the flank of the Mujahideen.
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Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
The score to hit depends on the cover of the
enemy unit for the attacker, but defending units
always count the enemy as being in the open.
The Mujahideen unit is dug-in, so will be hit on
five or six; the Soviet unit will be hit on four or
more.
Cold War Commander
Close Assault Example
The attack dice are rolled, with the Soviet player
scoring 1-1-2-2-3-3-4-5-5-6: three hits. The
Mujahideen player scores: 5-5-6: also three hits
(Pic 4). As no unit in the assault has a save value,
the hits are allocated to the units.
Pic 4
Hits are allocated against units in contact, with
those in contact front-to-front taking priority.
The Mujahideen unit has three hits added to
the two it already has, resulting in five hits. The
Soviet unit to the front has three hits added to
the three existing hits, resulting in six hits.
All units that have hits equal to or greater than
their hits value are knocked-out and removed
from play. The Soviet unit in contact with the
front of the Mujahideen unit has six hits against
it. Infantry units have a hits value of six, so the
Soviet unit is knocked-out (Pic 5).
Finally, the hits taken by each side are totalled
and compared to one another in order to
determine the outcome of the assault. Count the
unsaved hits taken by all units in the assault: the
Soviets have 6+1 = 7 in total. The Mujahideen
have 5 in total.
The close assault takes place.
Pic 5
The Soviets have more hits than the Mujahideen,
but not twice as many, so the second line of the
results table is used (see Outcome on page 35).
The Soviet unit still in contact with the
Mujahideen unit must retreat one half-move
directly away from the enemy unit and becomes
suppressed. This means the unit will not be able
to carry out any further orders during the turn.
The Soviet conscript unit that supported the
assault is not affected by the outcome, so
remains where it is.
As the victor, any unsuppressed Mujahideen
units may make a consolidation move, but Jason
feels the unsuppressed unit is in a good position
to assault the Soviet unit next turn. He leaves the
unit where it is (Pic 6).
One Soviet unit is knocked-out and removed from play.
Pic 6
The close-assault is complete and Paul continues
with his turn. Note that he can attempt to
issue an order to any unsuppressed unit that
was involved in the assault, and that unit may
initiate another assault in the same turn.
However, this is unlikely to happen as units
involved in an assault tend to accumulate hits,
making them too vulnerable to risk in successive
assaults.
Whilst the Soviet unit that supported the assault
has no hits against it, the conscript unit would
be unsupported should it carry out an assault
during the current turn. The Mujahideen unit
would still be supported.
The remaining Soviet unit retreats from contact and is suppressed.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
38
Engineering
Engineering
Engineers are specially trained troops who perform a wide variety of tasks on the battlefield, including assaulting
bunkers, demolishing obstacles and building bridges. This section details the tasks they may perform during the game.
Tasks are carried out during the initiative phase, but due to the time taken to carry out such tasks, engineers may not
be issued orders during the same turn in which they carry out a task. Suppressed engineers may not carry out a task.
Flamethrowers
As combat engineer units have flamethrowers built into their stats, only flamethrowers mounted on armoured vehicles
are dealt with as separate weapons. Such vehicles typically have a main weapon as well as the flamethrower. These
units may fire their normal weapon using the attack value listed in the army lists or they may use their flamethrower
attacks instead. Flamethrower units carry out actions during the initiative and command phases like normal units.
A flamethrower has an attack value of 12/10, which is 12 attacks at up to 10cm range. Troops hit by flamethrowers are
always hit on 4+, they do not roll saves and are automatically suppressed, testing for fall-back immediately. Dug-in
troops must fall-back, even if the distance is less than 10cm. Unlimbered guns must also fall-back, even if the distance
is less than 10cm, but are knocked-out if they do not have transport in base contact.
Obstacle Clearance
Engineers may clear a 5cm wide section of wire during the initiative phase, as long as they begin the phase in contact
with the obstacle. Armoured vehicles crossing a wire obstacle will make a breach 5cm wide. Wire is not affected by
artillery fire.
Dragons teeth are concrete or stone obstacles designed to stop tanks. Armoured demolition vehicles may clear a 5cm
wide by 5cm deep path through dragons teeth during the initiative phase, as long as they are within range. Roll one
die and they are successful on a score of two or greater. Bull-dozers may clear a 5cm wide by 2.5cm deep path through
dragons teeth as long as they begin the phase in contact with the obstacle.
Anti-tank ditches can be bridged by bridge-laying engineers (see Bridging). Specialist engineer vehicles, such as the
Chieftain AVRE, can drop fascines into a ditch during the initiative phase as long as they begin the phase in contact
with the obstacle. Combat engineers can attempt to fill-in a ditch (see Demolition). Bull-dozers can also fill-in a ditch
during the initiative phase, as long as they begin the phase in contact with the obstacle.
Bridging
Obstacles such as canals, rivers and anti-tank ditches can be bridged by bridging units during the initiative phase as
long as they begin the phase in contact with the obstacle. Each 5cm bridge section has four hits, no save and is hit
on six. Bridging engineers may build a pontoon bridge over a water obstacle. A 5cm section will be constructed per
bridging unit during the initiative phase as long as each unit is in contact with the obstacle.
Demolition
Engineers may demolish a fortification such as a pill-box, bunker or dug-out, or collapse an anti-tank ditch, during
the initiative phase, as long as they are in contact with the fortification or obstacle. Roll one die and the demolition is
successful on a roll of two or greater. If successful, the engineers may then either hold or consolidate (see Close Assault
on page 34). The demolition does not take place if the engineers become suppressed.
Booby Traps
Booby traps are only available to certain army lists. In game-terms, booby traps are assets and are available as two
different types: AP (Anti-Personnel) and AT (Anti-Tank). Unlike other assets, there is no need to determine where they
are placed before the game. Instead, the player may declare a booby trap as an opportunity action during the opponent
turn. This is in response to an enemy unit moving through cover or along a road. The player declaring the booby trap
rolls six attack dice, counting the target as being in the open. The attacks are halved if the enemy unit is moving at halfspeed or less, indicating the troops are moving with caution.
AP booby traps can be used against all troops on foot and unarmoured vehicles, whereas AT booby traps can be used
against AFVs. When an AFV is hit by an AT booby trap, saves are reduced to six, representing the weaker armour
underneath the vehicle where the booby trap is designed to hit. AT booby traps may also be used against helicopters
that land on the battlefield, even if these land in the open. Only one booby trap may be used in a turn.
Dozer Blades
Units equipped with dozer blades may dig-in and improve their cover by one category. Engineering units may use their
initiative or be issued an order during the command phase. All other units equipped with dozer blades must be issued
orders to dig-in and this is the only action they can carry out in a turn. Suppressed units cannot dig-in.
39
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Minefields
Minefields
Mines are available in 20cm x 10cm sections and can either be marked (place wire, warning signs, etc, to represent
them on the table) or unmarked (draw their location on a map of the table). Minefields may not be placed in built-up
areas or wet terrain.
Troops stop when contacting the boundary of a marked minefield and may cross on the next successful order. Each
unit will take one attack per centimetre of movement through the minefield. Hits are scored on 4+ and saves are
reduced to six in all cases. A unit suppressed by the minefield may be forced to fall-back by other fire. Carry out the
fall-back move as normal, but roll one attack for each centimetre of movement through the minefield. If the unit takes
further hits as a result of this move, it will be knocked-out.
When a player attempts to move troops through a dummy minefield, the opposing player should state that the minefield
is fake. The troops stop at the boundary of the minefield and may cross without penalty on the next successful order.
A player moving troops into an unmarked minefield is notified by the opposing player. All units stop at the boundary
of the minefield. In the same action and regardless of how many centimetres already moved, the troops test one unit
at a time for the effects of the minefield. The player may choose the order in which the units move. Roll one die for the
first unit and advance it this distance into the minefield. The unit will then take this number of attacks. Hits are scored
on 4+ and saves are reduced to six in all cases.
Continue testing until either one unit is suppressed or knocked-out, or all units have tested to no effect, whichever
occurs first. The units are then free to carry out further actions in the turn, subject to successful command rolls.
The minefield will count as a marked minefield for the remainder of the battle, ie: each unit will take one attack per
centimetre of movement through the minefield.
Mine Clearance
Unsuppressed combat engineers may clear a path through a minefield during the initiative phase, as long as they
begin the phase in contact with the minefield. A path 5cm wide by 5cm deep for engineers on foot and 5cm wide by
10cm deep for mine-clearing vehicles should be marked through the minefield. When an engineering unit moves into
contact with a dummy minefield, the defending player should declare that it is fake.
Weather (Optional Rule)
The weather is a vital factor in war and often overlooked in tabletop wargames. It is convenient
to break the weather down into three categories: Normal, Poor and Extreme. Poor weather
represents heavy rain, snow, haze, etc., extreme weather represents fog, blizzard, storm,
monsoon, etc. Determine the weather before the start of the game by rolling two dice: a score
of twelve indicates extreme weather and a score of ten or eleven, poor weather. A game that
begins with extreme weather indicates all aircraft are grounded for the duration of the battle,
even if the weather changes in subsequent turns. This means that scheduled air support is
cancelled and no requests can be made for air support during the game.
The difficulties of commanding your troops in poor weather will result in a -1 command
penalty. The difficulties are much worse in extreme weather, resulting in a -2 command
penalty. The effects of weather on visibility is to reduce the distance at which the enemy may
be located. In poor weather, troops may only be located up to 50cm. This distance is reduced
to 10cm in extreme weather. Smoke cannot be created in extreme weather, and in poor
weather, a smoke screen will drift at the end of the player turn. Roll two dice and a directional
die, moving the smoke this distance in centimetres in the direction of the arrow.
Weather is constantly changing so at the end of each game turn, test for a change in the
weather by rolling two dice: double six indicates the weather worsens, so normal weather will
become poor weather, poor weather will become extreme weather. A double one indicates
the weather improves, so extreme weather will become poor weather and poor weather will
become normal weather. Air support will be unavailable during any turn of extreme weather.
Treat moonlight as poor weather and night as extreme weather when fighting at night.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
40
Snipers, Night Fighting & Fortifications
Snipers
Snipers are small units of one or two men. They may not be issued orders during the command phase, but may carry
out an action during the initiative phase. Snipers have the following rules in the game:
• deployed during the initiative phase when using mobile deployment
• may use flank deployment, but there is no need to make a command roll when doing so
• they have an unlimited initiative distance
• may target any unit within range and LOS, even a command unit, and always count the target as in the open
• do not cause hits when they fire at a unit, but do cause suppression and fall-back as normal
• may use opportunity fire
• may only be fired at by troops who are within 20cm, but are knocked-out when contacted by an enemy unit
• always count as being in full cover as they make the best use of available cover
• may not be used to support an assault, or as a target for artillery or air strikes
Night Fighting
Fighting at night has always been a problem, especially for mechanised and armoured forces. The first attempts at
night-vision equipment were towards the end of WW2 with the Germans using infra-red and the Russians and British
using search-lights. The Israelis used search-lights (SL) during the 1960s.
Infra-red (IR) was introduced by the main combatants shortly after the end of the Second World War. Most tanks
have IR from the 1960s onwards and this is indicated by the letters ‘IR’ in the notes column of the army lists. Thermal
imaging (TI) is the latest development in all-weather day-night capability and was used very successfully by the
Coalition during the Gulf Wars. TI allows troops to engage the enemy at night, through a sand-storm, or through the
general smoke and dust of the battlefield. Tanks with thermal imaging have ‘TI’ in the notes column of the army lists.
SL, IR and TI only come into play when using the rules for weather (see Weather on page 39) or when fighting at night.
Units equipped with SL or IR may locate troops at twice the distance, those with TI at unlimited distances, although
LOS will still be blocked by intervening terrain. Additionally, SL and IR will be blocked by smoke screens.
Fortifications
Fortifications are only available to players in defence and are defined as dug-outs, pill-boxes and bunkers. A pill-box
can accommodate one command, infantry or anti-tank gun unit; dug-outs can accommodate one command unit or
two infantry units; light bunkers can accommodate one command unit, two infantry units, or one anti-tank gun unit up
to 85mm calibre. Medium and heavy bunkers are gun emplacements that can accommodate one command or infantry
unit in addition to their emplaced guns.
All troops in bunkers and pill-boxes have restricted visibility of 90° to the front. They can only be engaged within the
frontal arc by enemy fire. Troops in dug-outs have no visibility as they are underground. Guns emplaced in bunkers
cannot move during the game and will be knocked-out if forced to fall-back or retreat. Fortifications cannot be knockedout during the game, unless using the optional rules for constructions (see below). Troops in fortifications who fallback or retreat are knocked-out. Infantry must assault the rear of bunkers, combat engineers may assault the front.
Constructions (Optional Rule)
Constructions are buildings and fortifications. They have their own hit and save values, which are determined by
their size and type. Infantry inside a construction may use the save value of the construction when they take hits.
Roll attacks against the troops inside the construction and the construction itself.
Construction
Hits
Save
Wooden Building
3
-
Brick Building, Pill-Box, Small Concrete Bunker
6
5
Stone or Concrete Building, Medium Concrete Bunker, Log-Bunker
9
4
Large Concrete Bunker
12
3
Whenever a construction comes under either direct or indirect fire that can cause hits against hard targets, roll the
attacks (hitting on sixes), roll saves, then make a note of the number of hits against it. These are not removed at
the end of a turn, unless using suppressive fire. This means that construction will become more unstable as the hits
increase. When the number of hits reaches the hits value, the construction collapses immediately, knocking-out all
occupants and suppressing any in contact with the construction. Do not roll saves when the construction is hit by
flamethrowers, ATGW or demolition vehicles.
41
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
End Phase & End of the Battle
End Phase
At the end of the turn, complete the following steps. Once the end phase is complete, the player turn ends and the
opposing player begins his turn.
• remove outstanding hits from all units on the table
• remove all suppression markers from the active player’s units
• remove all smoke markers that were placed during the previous player-turn
• check to see if the battle should end (see End of the Battle below)
End of the Battle
The game will end when one of the following conditions is met:
• a major objective has been reached as part of a scenario
• a set number of turns have been played
• a battlegroup reaches its breakpoint and withdraws from the battlefield
• a player concedes defeat
Breakpoint
A battlegroup is likely to withdraw from the battlefield when a percentage of its units are knocked-out. To determine the
breakpoint of a battlegroup, count all units except command, recce, sniper, unarmoured transport, aircraft, helicopter
and off-table artillery units, then halve the result, rounding up. Once a battlegroup has lost this number of units, the
player should make a command roll at the beginning of each of his subsequent turns using the command value of the
CO (or HQ if the CO has been knocked-out). Deduct one from the command value for each unit knocked-out beyond
the breakpoint. The battlegroup will withdraw from the battlefield immediately if the command roll fails.
If a battlegroup withdraws, but the opposing player still has a turn outstanding in order to complete the current game
turn, he can choose to continue play until the end of his turn, after which time, the game ends. For example, player one
breaks on turn six, but the opposing player has yet to play his sixth turn, so he may play his turn as usual.
Reaching An Objective
The outcome of the battle will depend on the achievements of both sides. Calculate the number of Victory Points (VPs)
for each side, then compare the result. Note that when a battlegroup withdraws from the battlefield, the opposing side
counts as having reached their objectives on the final turn of the game.
Each player should calculate the total points for all units knocked-out during the battle, including field defences and
all those units excluded from the breakpoint calculation (see Breakpoint above). Don’t forget to include the points
difference from the random points modifier to this score, e.g. if you had 100 points less than the total points available
at the start of the game, deduct 100 points from the total (see Army Lists on page 51). Both sides should then compare
these totals to see who inflicted the most casualties during the battle.
Achievement
VPs
Reached minor objective
+2
Reached major objective
+3
Inflicted more casualty points than casualty points taken, but not twice as many
+1
Inflicted at least twice as many casualty points than casualty points taken
+2
Deciding The Winner
Compare the number of victory points as follows to see the outcome of the battle:
Victory Points
Result
Equal
A draw or stalemate, whichever you prefer!
Greater, but not double
Winner achieves a Minor Victory, opponent suffers a Minor Defeat
Double or more
Winner achieves a Major Victory, opponent suffers a Major Defeat
That’s it for the game rules. If you find any part of the rules is unclear, try working it out for yourself. Failing
that, visit the Cold War Commander web site and post a message on the forum - someone will help you out!
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
42
Scenarios
Fighting Battles
Scenarios
Scenarios determine the type of battle you play. They provide details of the amount of support available, the objectives
for each side and how to set up the game. The scenarios detailed here are not actual historical battles, but generic types
of battle that were fought at this command level during the era. There are sixteen scenarios available as follows:
Scenario
Description
Encounter
two battlegroups meet and must outmanoeuvre and destroy one another
Assault
a hasty attack to capture an objective such as a wood, hill or village
Counter Attack
as an attack falters for one battlegroup, the other side launches its own attack
Deliberate Attack
a set-piece attack with the aim of capturing an objective such as a wood, hill or village
Breakthrough Attack
a set-piece attack with the aim of breaking through a defensive line
Exploitation
a battlegroup is in the enemy rear after a successful breakthrough attack
Pursuit
a battlegroup is in full-scale retreat with the other hot in pursuit
Encirclement
the pincers close around one battlegroup in an attempt to encircle and destroy it
Break-out
the pincers have closed round a battlegroup and it must fight its way out
Diversionary Attack
feign an attack on the enemy to draw his forces in from another sector
Airborne Assault
airborne troops must seize an objective such as a bridge or fortification
Amphibious Assault
troops land by sea with the aim of fighting inland to secure a bridgehead
River Assault
troops cross a large river and form a bridgehead on the opposite bank
Bridgehead
one battlegroup must attack and destroy a bridgehead formed by the other
Search And Destroy
one battlegroup must seek out and destroy a hidden enemy battlegroup
All-Round Defence
one battlegroup is deployed for all-round defence and is attacked from multiple directions
Objectives
All scenarios have objectives, which include breaking the opposing battlegroup, capturing a terrain feature, or breaking
through the enemy line. Certain objectives involve calculating either 25, 33 or 50 percent of a battlegroup. Simply
count the number of units on the table, excluding command, recce and unarmoured transport units, then divide this
number by four for 25%, three for 33%, and two for 50%, rounding up.
Where an objective is to capture a terrain feature such as a wood or hill, the player must position three infantry units
per full 1000 points of his battlegroup, together with one command unit (CO or HQ) on the terrain feature. These must
all be unsuppressed at the end of the next opponent turn for the objective to be secured, at which time the game will
end. Note there must be three infantry units per full 1000 points of the attacking battlegroup, so six infantry units will
be required in a 2000 to 2999 point battlegroup, nine infantry units in a 3000 to 3999 point battlegroup, and so on.
There need only be one command unit, but all units must be positioned within 20cm of this. See page 51 for details on
creating battlegroups and using the points system.
Game Duration
Each scenario specifies the number of turns the game will last. This is based on a table with a distance of 4ft (120cm)
between the opposing sides. If you are using a different sized table, add one turn to the game duration for each additional
foot (30cm) between the two sides. Conversely, if using a smaller table, deduct one turn for each foot (30cm) less.
Artillery & Air Support
Artillery and aircraft require assets when used for scheduled support. Assets indicate how much scheduled support
is available and this will depend on the scenario being played. Players may only purchase assets where indicated by
the scenario. The limits for assets in the scenario take precedence over those in the army lists. Where a scenario has
no assets available, you are advised to only purchase aircraft for those armies with an FAC (Forward Air Controller),
otherwise you will not be able to use the support. Certain scenarios allow artillery to be used on the table.
Table Set-up
One player should set up the table, the other choosing which side will be his baseline. This can be along any of the
four table edges, unless specified in the scenario. It is up to the players how much terrain they use on the table, but as
a general guide, one terrain feature such as a wood, hill or group of buildings should be placed per 50cm². The more
terrain on the table, the longer and more challenging the game.
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Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Scenarios
Field Defences
When playing attack-defence scenarios and the defence is either hasty or fixed, the defender may purchase field
defences as part of his battlegroup, including minefields, anti-tank obstacles and bunkers. The defences available are
detailed on page 50, but note that some are only available to fixed defensive positions, which are positions that have
been built over a period of weeks or even months.
Scenario 1. Encounter
This is the most common scenario played by gamers as it involves minimal preparation, although in reality such battles
were rare. Likely conflicts for an encounter would be in the Middle East where there is a great deal of space in which
two battlegroups could quite literally bump into one another. Both sides have equal points available with which to
create their battlegroups. No artillery or air assets are available, but artillery may be deployed on-table. Players use
mobile deployment and either may use the flank deployment rule.
The minor objective for either side is to inflict 25% casualties against the other, the major objective is to break the
opposing battlegroup. The game is limited to 8 turns. To begin the game, both players roll one die each and the player
who scores highest chooses to play first or second.
Scenario 2. Assault
An assault is a hasty attack to capture an objective such as a wood, hill or village. The attacker has twice as many points
available than the defender and may purchase assets for scheduled artillery and air support. Neither player may deploy
their artillery on-table. The defender deploys first up to one third of the table and may purchase field defences for hasty
defence. The attacker should deploy opposite the defender using mobile deployment and may use flank deployment.
The attacker should occupy the objective within 8 turns to achieve a minor victory and within 6 turns to achieve a major
victory. The defender should prevent the attacker from reaching the objective to achieve a minor victory and break the
opposing battlegroup to achieve a major victory. The game is limited to 8 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Scenario 3. Counter Attack
A counter-attack occurs when a defending battlegroup launches its own attack against an attacking battlegroup. The
aim is to catch the attacking battlegroup off-balance and defeat it as a result. The side that launches the counter-attack
is the attacker, the other side the defender. The attacker has 50% more points available than the defender and may
purchase assets for scheduled artillery and air support. The defender deploys first up to one-third of the table, may
deploy artillery on-table, but may not purchase any assets or field defences. The attacker should deploy opposite the
defender using mobile deployment and may use the flank deployment rule.
The minor objective for either side is to inflict 25% casualties against the other, the major objective is to break the
opposing battlegroup. The game is limited to 8 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Scenario 4. Deliberate Attack
A deliberate attack is a set-piece attack with the aim of capturing a terrain feature such as a range of hills, a village or an
area of a town or city. The attacker has twice as many points available than the defender and may purchase assets for
scheduled artillery and air support. The defender deploys first up to the table centre, may purchase one artillery asset
per off-table artillery unit, and may purchase field defences for fixed defence. The attacker should deploy opposite the
defender using static deployment and may use the flank deployment rule.
The attacker should occupy the objective within 12 turns to achieve a minor victory and within 8 turns to achieve a
major victory. The defender should prevent the attacker from reaching the objective to achieve a minor victory and
break the opposing battlegroup to achieve a major victory. The game is limited to 12 turns with the attacker taking the
first turn.
Scenario 5. Breakthrough Attack
This is a set-piece attack with the aim of breaking through the enemy defences and driving into the rear. A breakthrough
attack relies on concentration of force at a narrow point in order to gain local superiority over the enemy. The attacker
has twice as many points available than the defender and may purchase assets for scheduled artillery and air support.
The defender deploys first up to the table centre, may purchase one artillery asset per off-table artillery unit and may
purchase field defences for fixed defence. The attacker should deploy opposite the defender using static deployment
and may use the flank deployment rule.
The attacker will achieve a minor victory if he occupies the third of the table nearest the defender and a major victory
if he exits 25% of his units from the opposite table edge. To occupy a section of the table, just treat the entire section
as a terrain objective. The defender will gain a minor victory if he denies the attacker the third of the table nearest his
baseline and a major victory if he prevents the attacker from exiting 25% of his units from the table. The game is limited
to 12 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
44
Scenarios
Scenario 6. Exploitation
This is the follow-up to a breakthrough attack where the attacker succeeded in breaking through the enemy defences
and is advancing into the enemy rear. The attacker has twice as many points available than the defender, but may not
purchase assets for scheduled artillery or air support. The defender deploys first up to the centre of the table and must
place all his artillery on-table, but may not purchase any assets or field defences. The attacker should deploy opposite
the defender using mobile deployment and may use the flank deployment rule.
The attacker will gain a minor victory if he occupies the centre third of the table and a major victory if he occupies
the third of the table nearest the defender. To occupy a section of the table, just treat the entire section as a terrain
objective. The defender will gain a minor victory if he denies the attacker the third of the table nearest his baseline and
a major victory if he denies the attacker the centre third of the table. The game is limited to 8 turns with the attacker
taking the first turn.
Scenario 7. Pursuit
The defender is in full-scale retreat performing a fighting withdrawal with the attacker hot in pursuit. The attacker has
twice as many points available than the defender and may purchase assets for scheduled air support. The defender
deploys first in the centre third of the table, then the attacker chooses which of the two table edges to use as his
baseline. The defender may then pivot any units to face the attacker. The attacker should deploy along his chosen table
edge using mobile deployment and may use the flank deployment rule. The defender may purchase field defences for
hasty defence only.
The objective for the defender is to get as many of his units across his own table baseline as possible, the objective for
the attacker is to inflict as many casualties against the opposing battlegroup as possible. The attacker will achieve a
minor victory if he inflicts 25% casualties and a major victory if the defending battlegroup breaks. The defender will
achieve a minor victory if he exits 25% of his units from the table and a major victory if he exits 50%. The game is
limited to 10 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Scenario 8. Encirclement
The attacker is trying to encircle the defending battlegroup in a pincer movement. Both sides have equal points
available and neither side may purchase assets for scheduled artillery or air support. The defender deploys first up
to one third of the table, but no field defences are available. The attacker should use mobile deployment along either
table edge adjacent to the defender, or split his forces into two and deploy each along both table edges adjacent to the
defender.
The objective for the defender is to get as many of his units across the opposite table edge as possible, the objective for
the attacker is to inflict as many casualties against the opposing battlegroup as possible. The defender will gain a minor
victory if he occupies the farthest third of the table from his baseline and a major victory if exits 25% of his units from
the opposite table edge. To occupy a section of the table, just treat the entire section as a terrain objective. The attacker
will achieve a minor victory if he inflicts 25% casualties and a major victory if the defending battlegroup breaks. The
game is limited to 12 turns with the defender taking the first turn.
Scenario 9. Break-out
Following on from an encirclement scenario, the defender must now attempt to break-out of an encirclement, whilst
a relief force attempts to break-in. The defending battlegroup, which is now the attacking battlegroup trying to breakout, should be split into two separate battlegroups of equal points, the sum of which is twice as many points as those
available to the defender. The defender should deploy first in the centre third of the table, with the attacker deploying
one battlegroup along each of the opposite table edges using mobile deployment. Both sides may purchase assets for
scheduled artillery and air support, and the attacking battlegroup may deploy his artillery on table as part of the breakout force. The attacker should choose one table edge as his baseline, with the defender taking the opposite table edge,
even though the attacker will enter the table along both edges. The breakout force does not have a breakpoint.
The objective for the attacker is to get as many units of his encircled battlegroup across his baseline as possible. The
objective for the defender is to destroy the encircled battlegroup. The attacker will achieve a minor victory if he exits
50% of his break-out battlegroup from the table within 12 turns and a major victory if this is achieved within 8 turns.
The defender will achieve a minor victory if he breaks the battlegroup attempting to break-in and a major victory if he
knocks out at least 50% of the battlegroup attempting to break-out. The game is limited to 12 turns with the attacker
taking the first turn.
Scenario 10. Diversionary Attack
The aim of a diversionary attack is to attack one sector of the enemy frontline in order to draw enemy reserves away
from the main attack taking place elsewhere. The attacker has twice as many points available than the defender and
may purchase assets for scheduled artillery and air support.
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Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Scenarios
The defender deploys 50% of his battlegroup first, up to the centre of the table, with the remainder split into two reserve
formations, with one HQ each. He may purchase field defences for fixed defence. His breakpoint is calculated for all ontable units only, which will increase as the reserves are drawn into the battle. One reserve formation will automatically
arrive on the table at the start of the defenders’ command phase if his breakpoint was reached in the previous turn.
When all the reserves are on-table and his battlegroup reaches its breakpoint, the game ends as usual (see End of the
Battle on page 41). To achieve a minor victory, one of the reserve formations should still be off the table at the end of
the game. To achieve a major victory, both formations should still be off the table.
The attacker deploys second opposite the defender using static deployment and may use the flank deployment rule.
The objective for the attacker is to force both reserve formations into play to achieve a major victory, or force one
formation into play to achieve a minor victory. The game lasts for 8 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Scenario 11. Airborne Assault
A battlegroup lands by parachute and helicopter in an attempt to capture an objective such as a hill, bridge or village.
The attacker has 50% more points available than the defender and may purchase assets for scheduled air support only.
The defender will deploy first and may deploy one third of his battlegroup anywhere on the table when using hasty
defence or all of his battlegroup in the centre third of the table when using fixed defence. When deploying one third of
his battlegroup on the table, the defender should use mobile deployment for his troops that are off the table.
The attacker should organise his troops into formations, each with one command unit. The attacker will take the first
turn and should select a point anywhere on the table for one formation, then roll two dice and a direction die. A double
six indicates a blunder, in which case refer to the table below. Total the score of the dice and the command unit is
placed on the table this distance away from the aiming point in the direction of the arrow. The troops in the formation
are then be placed anywhere within 20cm. Repeat this process until all formations have been deployed.
Score Result
1 or 2
roll six attacks against each unit in the formation, including the command, requiring 4+ to score hits
3 or 4
roll six attacks against each unit in the formation, including the command, requiring 5+ to score hits
5 or 6
roll six attacks against each unit in the formation, including the command, requiring 6 to score hits
The attacker should occupy the objective within 12 turns to achieve a minor victory and within 8 turns to achieve a
major victory. The defender should prevent the attacker from reaching the objective to achieve a minor victory and
break the opposing battlegroup to achieve a major victory. The game is limited to 12 turns with the attacker taking the
first turn.
Scenario 12. Amphibious Assault
A battlegroup lands by sea in an attempt to gain a bridgehead on land. The attacker has twice as many points available
than the defender and may purchase assets for scheduled artillery and air support. The defender deploys first up to
three-quarters of the table, may purchase one artillery asset per unit and may purchase field defences for fixed defence.
The attacker’ baseline represents the start of the beach, but players may include a section of the sea if they wish.
The attacker will take the first turn and should select a point anywhere along his baseline for one formation, then roll
two dice. A double six indicates a blunder, in which case refer to the table below. Total the score of the dice and the
command unit is placed on the table this distance away from the aiming point, with odd scores being placed to the
left and even scores to the right, of the aiming point. The troops in the formation may then be placed anywhere within
20cm. Repeat this process until all formations have been deployed.
Score Result
1 or 2
roll six attacks against each unit in the formation, including the command, requiring 4+ to score hits
3 or 4
roll six attacks against each unit in the formation, including the command, requiring 5+ to score hits
5 or 6
roll six attacks against each unit in the formation, including the command, requiring 6 to score hits
The objective for the attacker is to get as many units into the farthest third of the table as possible, the objective for the
defender is to prevent this. The attacker will achieve a minor victory if he gets 10% of his units into the farthest third
of the table and a major victory if 25% - count suppressed units as half a unit each. The defender will achieve a minor
victory if he inflicts 25% casualties against his opponent and a major victory if the attacking battlegroup breaks. The
game is limited to 12 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Scenario 13. River Assault
This is a set-piece attack with the aim of crossing a major river obstacle. This should be placed down the centre of the
table between the two players’ baselines. The attacker has twice as many points available than the defender and may
purchase assets for artillery and air support. Suitable bridging equipment should be made available to the attacker
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
46
Scenarios
free of charge as part of the scenario. The defender deploys on one side of the river, may purchase assets for scheduled
artillery support and may purchase field defences for fixed defence. The attacker deploys opposite the defender using
static deployment, but may not use the flank deployment rule.
The objective for the attacker is to get as many units across the river as possible, the objective for the defender is to
prevent this. The attacker will achieve a minor victory if he gets 25% of his units across the river and a major victory if
he gets 50% across - count suppressed units as half a unit each. The defender will achieve a minor victory if he inflicts
25% casualties and a major victory if the attacking battlegroup breaks. The game is limited to 12 turns with the attacker
taking the first turn.
Scenario 14. Bridgehead
Following on from a successful airborne, amphibious or river assault, the attacker has gained a bridgehead and the
defender launches a counter-attack. The defender is now the attacker and has 50% more points available than the
defender and may purchase assets for scheduled artillery and air support. The defender deploys first up to one-third
of the table and may purchase field defences for hasty defence. The attacker should deploy opposite the defender using
mobile deployment and may use the flank deployment rule.
The objective for the attacker is to break the opposing battlegroup, the objective for the defender is to hold the
bridgehead. Either side will achieve a minor victory by inflicting 25% casualties against the other and a major victory if
the opposing battlegroup breaks. The game is limited to 8 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Scenario 15. Search And Destroy
The attacker must search for, and destroy, the hidden defender. The attacker has twice as many points available than
the defender, but may not purchase assets for artillery or air support. The defender deploys first anywhere on the table
and may purchase field defences for fixed defence. The defender should use the rules for Hidden Deployment (see page
49) and Ambush (see page 50). Up to three ambushes may be placed per full 500 points. The attacker may not request
artillery or air support until the enemy is sighted and confirmed by taking hostile fire from at least one ambush. The
attacker should choose one table edge as his baseline and use mobile deployment.
The objective for the attacker is to break the opposing battlegroup, the objective for the defender is to inflict as many
casualties as possible, whilst minimising his own. The attacker will achieve a minor victory by inflicting 25% casualties
and a major victory if the opposing battlegroup breaks. The defender will achieve a minor victory by inflicting more
casualties than casualties taken and a major victory if this is double or more. The game is limited to 12 turns with the
attacker taking the first turn.
Scenario 16. All-Round Defence
One side has taken up an all-round defensive position in the centre of the table and must defend against enemy attacks
from any direction. The attacker has twice as many points available than the defender and may purchase assets for
scheduled artillery and air support. The defender deploys first in the centre of the table. He may purchase field defences
for fixed defence and may deploy artillery on-table. The attacker can deploy along one or more of the table edges using
mobile deployment. The flank deployment rule cannot be used, but the rule for Hidden Deployment is recommended
for the attacking player (see page 49).
The minor objective for either side is to inflict 25% casualties against the other, the major objective is to break the
opposing battlegroup. The game is limited to 12 turns with the attacker taking the first turn.
Historical Scenarios
The sixteen scenarios detailed here are blue-prints for the different
types of battle you can expect to encounter during the period.
Use them as they are, or use them as a starting point for creating
historical scenarios. Not all of the scenarios will be suitable for a
particular conflict.
Designing historical scenarios is often a compromise between what
actually happened in a battle and trying to create a balanced game on
the table-top, where opposing forces won’t necessarily be equal, but
they will have an equal chance of reaching their own set of objectives.
This is no easy task and will require several play-test games before
the scenario gives satisfactory results to both sides.
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Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Scenarios, Multi-Player Battles
Scenario Checklist
1.
Select a conflict and year for the battle
2.
Select an army list for each side corresponding to the conflict and year selected
3.
Select a scenario
4.
Determine who will be the attacker (where applicable) and the objective
5.
Determine how many points are available to each player (including the percentage of field defences
available to the defender where applicable)
6.
Purchase units up to the points available for each side
7.
Determine breakpoint and scenario objective percentages
8.
One player sets up the table, the other choosing one table edge as his baseline
9.
The defender should deploy all his field defences on the table
10. Both players plan their scheduled artillery and air support, and ambushes (where applicable)
11.
Determine the method of deployment for each side and deploy units accordingly
12. Begin the game
Multi-Player Battles
When there is more than one player per side, ensure you have enough formations in your battlegroups to allow each
player to control at least one formation each. During the game, there may be no communication between the players
regarding their actions on the table. In order to be able to discuss the game, these options are available:
1. One player may make a command roll and speak to the other player. This is a one-way communication
so the other player must not speak! Roll one die and multiply this by 5 to see how many seconds the
communication lasts.
2. Both players may make a command roll each and if successful, they both may talk for a limited time. Roll
one die and multiply this by 10 to see how many seconds the communication lasts.
In both cases, only the CO and HQs may attempt to communicate, not FAOs and FACs. The command rolls may
be made like any other command rolls during the command phase. You may make any number of rolls, subject to
the -1 command penalty for each successive order. No other modifiers apply. Suppressed command units may not
communicate, nor may they be contacted during the turn they are suppressed. All the rules for a command blunder
apply, but on rolling double one, you may roll an extra die when rolling to see how long the communication lasts. If
both players roll double one, you may roll three dice in total.
Solo Play
The command system provides sufficient uncertainty to be able to play the game solo as it is. Using hidden deployment
for one or both sides will provide for even more uncertainty (see Hidden Deployment on page 49).
Fixed Formations (Optional Rule)
Players may organise their units into Fixed Formations before the game, except when using Guerrilla
tactical doctrine, in which case ignore this section. Fixed formations are composed of one command
unit (either the CO or an HQ) and any number of other units. FAOs and FACs act independently in the
game, so are not assigned to a formation, nor may they have any units assigned to them.
Fixed formations may only be issued orders by their own command unit. However, the units within the
formation do not have to be issued orders as an entire group - each unit, or group of units, within the
formation, can be issued orders separately.
The CO may attempt to issue an order to a unit within his own formation and that unit can then be
attached to another formation for the remainder of the battle. Make a command roll as normal, but
rather than deduct one per 20cm between the command unit and the unit, deduct one per 20cm
between the CO and the HQ of the formation you wish to attach the unit. In addition, deduct one from
the command value for each section of dense terrain or each enemy unit between the CO and the HQ.
If the command roll is successful, move the unit to within 20cm of the HQ. The unit cannot then be
issued any further orders that turn.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
48
Deployment
Deployment
There are different methods of deployment available in the game as indicated by the scenarios. Both sides should plan
scheduled artillery and air support, air assaults, and any ambushes (see Schedules on page 9 and Ambush on page 50),
before deploying units on the table (see Deployment on page 48) and test for air superiority (see Air Superiority on
page 9).
Static Deployment
Deploy your battlegroup up to 20cm from the edge of the table anywhere along your table baseline. In attack-defence
games where the defender deploys first, take it in turns to deploy one command unit at a time beginning with the
defender. The attacker must then place all his units within 20cm of his command units (CO and HQs). The defender is
then free to deploy his units how he likes within the guidelines of the scenario being played.
Where both players choose static deployment, take it in turns to deploy one command unit at a time, then alternate
deploying all units, one defender unit to two attacker units. The attacker should place all units within 20cm of a
command unit, the defender is free to place his units any distance from a command unit.
Mobile Deployment
Place each command unit anywhere along your table baseline, ensuring it touches the edge of the table. During your
turn, make command rolls for each formation during the command phase. A successful command roll means the units
within that formation move onto the table up to their full move distance, measured from the command unit. You can
then issue successive orders to those units as normal before moving on to the next command. When rolling double six,
use the following blunder table:
Score Result
1 or 2
roll one die for each unit - a score of 1 indicates the unit is knocked-out (do not roll armour saves!)
3 or 4
all units are delayed this turn, but you can try again next turn
5 or 6
all units are delayed this turn, but will arrive next turn without requiring a command roll
Note that you do not have to issue orders on the first turn should you wish to keep some, or all, of your battlegroup
off-table. This is useful when you want to keep the element of surprise. The player using mobile deployment should
always deploy first, deploying all his command units along his baseline, before the defending player deploys his units.
When both sides use mobile deployment, both roll a die and the player with the highest score chooses to deploy first or
second. Take it in turns to place one command unit at a time until all command units have been deployed.
Flank Deployment
Deployment on one of the flanks of the table is possible for the attacker in most scenarios. To determine the number of
units that can be deployed as a flanking formation, count all on-table units except command and transport units, then
divide by four, rounding up. A formation must contain one command unit (CO or HQ) and at least three other units.
To deploy a formation on the flank, first decide which flank and then decide how deep into the table you would like to
deploy. To determine the depth, split the table into three equal sections, then place the command unit at the edge of
the table in the centre of the desired section. The nearer to the enemy you deploy, the more difficult it will be, due to
the troops having to infiltrate or fight their way through. You may not deploy in the farthest third of the table when
playing attack-defence games.
You may make a command roll at any time during the command phase of a turn, deducting one from the score
required if attempting to deploy in the centre third of the table, and two if in the third nearest your opponent. If the
command roll is successful, you may move the units up to their full move distance from the specified table edge at any
point within the chosen section. The command may then issue successive orders to the units as normal. Should the
command roll fail, the formation remains off-table and you may continue testing once per turn until successful. You
may not, however, change the flank and section of the table you wish to deploy once this has been determined. If the
command rolls double six, use the blunder table for mobile deployment. If both players attempt to deploy on the same
flank, the first one to be successful wins. The loser must deploy his formation along his own baseline from the corner
point of the table on the flank he was attempting to deploy, in the same way and still using the same blunder table.
Recce Deployment
Recce units may be deployed on-table in advance of other units as their role is to make contact with the enemy. Players
should take it in turns to deploy one recce unit at a time in their half of the table, starting with the defender. If the
scenario dictates a different table setup, you may only deploy your recce units in the specified portion of the table.
When placing a recce unit on the table, it must not be placed closer than 30cm to any enemy unit. Recce deployment
occurs after all other units have been deployed on the table.
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Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Hidden Deployment
Hidden Deployment
Hidden deployment can be used as part of a scenario to mask the deployment and movement of one or both sides. One
hidden marker (a plain textured base is recommended) may be placed for each command unit, recce unit and sniper
unit in a battlegroup. In addition, roll one die and reference the score below to see how many blank markers may be
used per CO/HQ:
Score Blank Markers
1 or 2
None
3 or 4
One per CO/HQ in your battlegroup
5 or 6
Two per CO/HQ in your battlegroup
Formations remain hidden until located by the other side. This means that hidden markers are kept in play until
such time that a formation is located. Whilst on the table, hidden formations may be issued orders as normal using
the command value of the CO. This occurs before issuing orders to units on the table that have been located. If the
command roll fails, the turn continues as normal, ie: the hidden marker may not carry out an action, but the player may
attempt to issue orders to other hidden markers. A blunder indicates the formation has been located by the enemy and
must be placed on the table immediately. A command bonus allows the formation to move twice.
All hidden markers move at 10cm per action. Players may not request artillery or air support against, nor may they fire
at, or assault, a hidden marker.
Each CO, HQ or recce unit may attempt to locate one hidden marker within LOS during the initiative phase. Any unit
(apart from transport units) may attempt to locate a hidden marker when the latter is within 20cm and LOS. To locate
a hidden marker, take the shortest measurement between the observing unit and the marker, then refer to the table
below left. The total indicates the number of dice rolled. The formation is located if any one of the dice is equal to or
greater than the score indicated in the table to the right.
Dice Condition
Score Condition
0
The marker is further than 50cm away
4+
The marker is in the open
+1
The marker is between 20-50cm away
5+
The marker is in partial cover
+2
The marker is within 20cm
6
The marker is in full cover
+1
The observing unit is on higher ground than the marker
Hidden formations that move further than 10cm, open fire, or assault the enemy, are automatically located. Vehicles
are automatically located when they move within 20cm of an enemy unit, whether there is LOS or not. In addition, a
player can voluntarily reveal a hidden formation during the command phase, subject to a successful order being issued
to the formation.
When a formation has been located, place the command unit on the table at the centre of the marker, then place all
the units from the formation within 20cm of the command unit, but no closer than 5cm to a visible enemy unit. If the
marker was blank, simply remove it from play. Units may not carry out any further actions during the turn they are
placed on the table.
Hide (Optional Rule)
Guerrillas may go into hiding at any time during the initiative or command
phase of a turn as long as they are unsuppressed and out-of-sight of the
enemy. Only troops on foot may hide, which includes MGs, Mortars, RR,
ATG and ATGW infantry support units, and man-portable AA/SAM air
defence units.
To hide a unit, remove it from the table when carrying out a Deploy
action. The unit is then be placed in the reserve pool (see Reserves on
page 50). This rule simulates guerrillas knowing the terrain and having
caves, tunnels, rat-runs, etc, that allow them to move from one place to
another quickly and in secret.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
50
Reserves, Ambush & Field Defences
Reserves
Up to three units per full 1000 points of your battlegroup can be placed in your Reserve Pool. Units in the reserve pool
are kept off-table and may be used in ambushes or as reinforcements during the game. To use them in an ambush,
refer to the next section, Ambush. Alternatively, up to three units from your reserve pool can be placed within 20cm of
the CO or an HQ during the command phase, but not closer than 5cm to an enemy unit - visible or not. An unmodified
command roll by the CO is required and this counts as a normal command roll for the purposes of ending the turn (see
Command Phase on page 12). Reserve units may not be issued any orders during the turn they are placed.
Ambush
Troops from your reserve pool may be placed in ambush during the game. This is done in the same way as scheduled
artillery or air strikes in that you make a note of the location of the ambush before the game. However, you don’t write
down the number of the turn that the ambush takes place, nor the actual troops to be used in the ambush, as these are
decided at the moment an ambush is triggered. The army lists provide details of the number of ambush locations you
may schedule before the game. All ambushes must be placed in cover, apart from troops on foot (including infantry
support weapons) who may be placed in the open. Note that you may place ambushes in close proximity to one another
to create a larger ambush.
An ambush will be triggered in the same manner as opportunity fire, but an enemy unit must move within initiative
range of the ambush location (see Opportunity Fire on page 21). You may take up to three units from your reserve pool
and place them within 10cm of the ambush location. It is a good idea to use the circular template when placing troops
in ambush as all units have to be fully within this area, ie: no part of the base may be outside of the 20cm circle. If there
is not enough room to place all units, then the ones that can’t be placed must remain in the reserve pool. Note that the
units don’t need a move value or transport to be used in an ambush.
If an ambushing unit is placed within 5cm of one or more enemy units, the ambush has been detected and both the
ambushing unit and the opposing units open fire simultaneously. The defending player should resolve all his attacks
first, rolling the attacks against each ambushing unit together, rather than resolving them on a unit-by-unit basis. The
ambushing player then resolves his attacks, but this is calculated in the same way as initiative fire in that each unit
resolves its attacks separately. Note that units suppressed during the ambush still fire as all firing is simultaneous. Only
those defending units within 5cm of an ambushing unit may fire, but this does not count as opportunity fire. Defending
units further than 5cm away may not use opportunity fire. All ambushing units may fire, but this must be at the nearest
visible enemy unit within range.
Players may combine an ambush with a scheduled artillery strike. Schedule the strike as normal, but don’t state the
turn that the strike takes place (see Schedules on page 9). Prior to placing troops at an ambush location, calculate the
artillery strike as normal against each unit in the zone (see Resolving Artillery Support on page 26). Once done, place
the ambushing troops as normal. Note that the ambushing units are not affected by the artillery strike.
When the ambush is over, the units are treated like any other unit on the table. In addition, they may use opportunity
fire during the same turn that they are placed on the table (see Opportunity Fire on page 21).
Field Defences
The following table lists the defences available to players in defence. Note that defence is split into Hasty and Fixed.
You may spend up to 10% of your points on defences when in hasty defence and up to 25% when in fixed defence.
Defence
Description
Cost
Hasty
Fixed
Trench
A trench suitable for one unit
5
Yes
Yes
Wire
A 20cm length of barbed wire
5
Yes
Yes
Minefield, dummy
A 20cm x 10cm section of dummy minefield
10
Yes
Yes
Minefield, marked
A 20cm x 10cm section of marked minefield
20
Yes
Yes
Minefield, unmarked
A 20cm x 10cm section of unmarked minefield
30
Yes
Yes
Anti-Tank Ditch
A 20cm x 5cm anti-tank ditch
25
-
Yes
Dragons Teeth
A 20cm x 5 cm section of anti-tank obstacles
25
-
Yes
Dug-Out
Suitable for one command unit or two infantry units
25
-
Yes
Pill-Box
Suitable for one command unit or one infantry unit
25
-
Yes
Light Bunker
Suitable for one command unit or two infantry units
50
-
Yes
Medium Bunker
Equipped with medium artillery (4/30 attacks, 3 hits)
75
-
Yes
Heavy Bunker
Equipped with heavy artillery (5/30 attacks, 2 hits)
100
-
Yes
51
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Army Lists 1946+
Army Lists 1946+
Introduction
Army lists provide a convenient way to list all the troops available to a nation for a particular conflict, e.g. the Soviet
Army, Soviet-Afghan War 1979-89. Each list contains all the information required to create typical battlegroups of the
conflict, together with the troop stats used during the game.
There are various methods of creating battlegroups for your games, from using historic orders of battle (OOBs) to
simply using whatever miniatures you have available. One method is to create battlegroups using a points system,
whereby each of the units in an army list costs a certain number of points and you purchase troops up to a total agreed
by both players before the game. Small battles are typically up to 1000 points, mid-sized battles up to 2000 points and
large battles up to 3000 points. In attack-defence games, the attacker generally has twice as many points available as
the defender.
The main problem using a points system, however, is the unrealistic notion that two opposing armies should be evenly
matched. No battle in history was fought between armies of equal strength and so it should be in your games. However,
each side should have an equal chance of winning, otherwise games would be very unfair! To simulate this, Cold War
Commander uses a Random Points Modifier that adjusts the points available to a battlegroup based on historical
factors, such as a shortage of men and material in the case of the United Nations during 1950-53, and surplus material
in the case of the Communist Army during the same period. This same modifier is then used when calculating victory
points at the end of the game, thus allowing games to be balanced through game play rather than evenly matched
battlegroups.
To create battlegroups for a game, first choose a conflict, then choose an army list for
each side from those available to that conflict. Now choose a scenario from pages 43-46,
the details of which will indicate the ratio of points available to each side. Some scenarios
require an attacker, so determine this before deciding how many points will be available
to either side. Finally, each player should roll one die and consult the table on the right.
Remember to adjust the score for the army you are playing as detailed in the special rules
section of the army lists. Note that not all army lists have a modifier.
Organisation
Score
Modifier
0 or less
deduct 25%
1 or 2
deduct 10%
3 or 4
no change
5 or 6
add 10%
7 or more
add 25%
Although there are no rules for organising your battlegroup other than the troop limits and battlegroup selection
rules in the army lists, a brief outline of how troops are organised may help you when creating your battlegroups.
Essentially, there are three infantry sections in a platoon, three platoons in a company, three companies in a battalion,
and three battalions in a regiment. Each company is likely to have a machine gun platoon and a mortar platoon, and
each battalion an RR/ATGW platoon and an AAG/SAM platoon. MG, mortar and AA/SAM platoons can be split into
sections as and when required. Armoured units typically have 3-4 tanks in a platoon, 3-4 platoons in a company, 34 companies in a battalion, and 2-3 battalions in a regiment. Artillery has 4-6 guns in a battery, three batteries in a
battalion and 2-3 battalions in a regiment.
Armies are rarely at full-strength in combat, however, so there is no strict way of organising your troops. It is not
uncommon for units to be fifty percent under strength, many even less, and their organisation would change as a result.
It is for this reason that Cold War Commander gives you the freedom to create, organise and play your battlegroups
how you like. The only exception to this is the requirement of every battlegroup to field at least three infantry units per
1000 points, thus encouraging players to use the most important weapon in any war: the infantryman!
Please visit the Cold War Commander web site and register for free on the forum to
discuss the game with myself and other gamers. Also on the site are reports of battles
and campaigns that have been played using the game; a downloads area where you can
find playing aids and submissions from other players, plus any updates and clarifications
to the rules; links to other web sites, such as figure and terrain manufacturers; a gallery
with pictures of miniatures in various scales, together with pictures of games in-action.
For more information, please visit:
www.coldw ar - com m ander . com
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
52
Army List Data
Army List Data
Army lists are divided into two sections with the first section listing all the troops available together with their stat-lines
and the second section listing rules for battlegroup selection, artillery/air support, and army-specific rules.
Stat Lines
A stat-line contains all the information for a unit. The following stat-line is taken from the list for the British Army, Gulf
Wars 1991-03 on page 106. Details of each column in the stat-line follow.
Troops
Arm
Tank Unit (Challenger I)
Armour
Move Attacks
25
6/100
Hits
Save
6
3
Cost Limit Dates Notes
230
-
-
S1/TI
Troops
This is the name of the unit and may include details in brackets indicating a vehicle name or calibre of gun. Command
units have a number in brackets preceded by Command Value which is the command value used when making
command rolls. Command values range from 6 to 10, the higher the value the better.
Arm of Service
This is a method of organising troops according to the role they play on the battlefield.
Arm
Description
Command
Command units include the CO (the highest level of command in your battlegroup), HQs
(subordinate command units), FAOs (Forward Artillery Observers) and FACs (Forward Air
Controllers). Note that FAO and FAC, although classed as command units, can only issue orders to
off-table artillery and aircraft units respectively.
Recce
Reconnaissance units include scouts, armoured cars and light tanks. If you want to use recce units as
regular combat units, deduct 20 points from the unit cost and increase the limit to 3 per 1000 points.
Infantry are the backbone of every army and when used with infantry support, they can be a
powerful part of your battlegroup.
Infantry
Infantry units are composed of all the weapons that the average unit carries including rifles, assault
rifles, sub-machine guns, light machine guns, light mortars and automatic grenade launchers.
Infantry units are compulsory in every battlegroup.
Infantry support units are composed of battalion and regimental support weapons - HMGs, medium
and heavy mortars, recoilless rifles and man-portable ATGW.
Upgrade
Upgrades are Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons (IATW) and can be attached to infantry units, but not
infantry support units. Upgrades are not units in their own right. They don’t need to be represented
on the table as long as it is clear which infantry units have IATW and which don’t.
Engineers
Engineers are essential in the attack as they have the ability to carry out a wide variety of tasks, from
assaulting bunkers to clearing mines and demolishing obstacles.
IFV
IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) are a combination of armoured fighting vehicle and armoured
personnel carrier. They have a carrying capacity of one space and may only carry infantry, not
infantry support units. They typically carry an ATGW, but due to the limited number of missiles
carried, IFV may only use their ATGW as opportunity fire.
Armour
Armour includes tanks, tank destroyers and self-propelled guns.
Anti-Tank
Anti-tank guns and anti-tank guided missiles are easy to conceal, so are excellent in defence.
Artillery
Artillery includes guns, field guns, howitzers, mortars, naval guns and rocket launchers. They are
typically located several kilometres behind the front-line, so are deployed off-table in most games.
Aircraft
Aircraft represent flights of two aircraft and are limited to close-air support aircraft and attack
helicopters. Attack helicopters are a powerful part of the modern combined-arms team, capable of
delivering devastating firepower quickly and effectively.
Transport
Transport is used to carry infantry, infantry support and engineers, or tow heavy mortars, recoilless
guns, anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles. No units in the lists have integral
transport, so remember to purchase transport when you create your battlegroups if you want your
troops to move during the game. See Transport Units on page 54 for details of how many units
each type of transport unit may tow or carry. Transport units can either be unarmoured (Trucks,
Motorcycles, etc) or armoured (APCs).
53
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Army List Data
Move
The distance a unit can move in centimetres when issued an order. Units without a move value cannot move without
transport, such as towed guns. Infantry support units with a move value of ten move as infantry on foot and may be
carried in transport, those with a move value greater than ten are self-propelled, such as mortars mounted in halftracks.
Attacks
The number of dice rolled when firing at an enemy unit, the higher the number the better. Attacks are written in the
format attacks/range, e.g. 4/80, which means 4 attacks at up to 80cm range. Some units have a symbol following this
value, either an asterisk * or a hash #. An asterisk indicates the troops do not cause hits against hard targets, whereas
a hash indicates the troops do not cause hits against unarmoured units. Attacks followed by the letter ‘H’ indicate the
unit is armed with howitzers or similarly low-powered guns (see Howitzers on page 21). Attacks for command units
represent anti-aircraft fire. Some units have a separate attack value detailed in the notes section. This represents a
secondary weapon and may be used instead of the regular attacks whenever the unit fires.
Hits
The number of hits a unit can take in a turn before it is knocked-out, the higher the number the better. Hits represent
temporary damage to troops accumulated during a turn when they come under fire, representing both physical and
psychological damage. Should a unit take sufficient hits in a single turn to match or exceed its hits value, the unit is
knocked-out and removed from play. This doesn’t necessarily mean the troops are destroyed, just that they have taken
sufficient damage to reduce their combat-effectiveness to the point where they are no longer battle-worthy.
Save
This represents the armour of a unit and gives players the chance to save hits. This value is the minimum score required
to save one hit, the lower the number the better. Units without a save don’t have armour and thus can’t save hits. Save
values for aircraft and helicopters represent their agility, rather than armour plating. Note that the term AFV has been
used throughout the book to indicate any ground unit that has a save value and the term soft-vehicle or unarmoured
transport has been used to indicate any ground unit that doesn’t have a save value, such as a truck.
Cost
The cost of the unit when creating battlegroups using the points system.
Limit
Limits are used when creating battlegroups using the points system and are typically written in the format min/max
(max per battlegroup), where min is the minimum number of units a battlegroup must have per full 1000 points,
and max is the maximum number of units available to a battlegroup per full 1000 points. A number in brackets is the
total number of units available to a battlegroup no matter how many points are available. A dash indicates there is no
limit.
Note that limits are per full 1000 points so, for example, a limit of -/3 means you can only purchase three units in a
1000 point battlegroup, six in a 2000 point battlegroup and nine in a 3000 point battlegroup. This is per full 1000
points, so battlegroups up to 1999 use the limits for a 1000 point battlegroup (including battlegroups of less than 1000
points), battlegroups from 2000 to 2999 use the limits for a 2000 point battlegroup, etc.
Notes
The final column contains supplementary information about the unit. A number listed in this column corresponds to
a number at the end of the army list, e.g. Note 1., and contains information relating to the unit. The notes column also
indicates the dates the troops were available if this falls within the period covered by the army list. An arrow preceding
a date indicates the troops can be used up to the date listed, a plus sign following the date that they can be used from
the date listed.
The letter R indicates the unit has restricted visibility, such as tanks without turrets, vehicles with poor visibility and/or
poor ergonomics. Soviet tanks suffer from a cramped interior which reduces effectiveness in combat.
The letter O indicates the unit is an AFV with either an open top, rear, sides, or combination of the three. Such
armoured vehicles are vulnerable to artillery fire and air attack.
The letter S indicates the unit has stabilisation and can fire on the move. The number following the letter ‘S’ is a
modifier for the number of attacks used when firing on the move.
The letters SL (Search Light), IR (Infra-Red) and TI (Thermal Imaging) indicate the unit has night-fighting ability.
The letter A indicates the unit is amphibious.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
54
Army List Data
Additional Information
Following the data in each army list is a section that contains additional information as follows:
Special Rules provide rules for the army as a whole, including modifiers to flank deployment rolls, as well as rules that
apply during the game itself. A modifier to the flank deployment roll represents armies that were good at infiltrating
enemy positions before a battle, something the Communist nations in particular were expert at during the era.
A modifier to the random points modifier roll takes into account a wide variety of factors including equipment that was
prone to breakdown which was unlikely to reach the front, interdiction by aircraft against troops marching to the front,
general shortages of men and equipment, and even stockpiles of men and equipment in some cases.
Artillery Support provides details of how many assets may be bought for off-table artillery. Artillery assets are used for
scheduled artillery support during the game, including assets for smoke, illumination and special munitions.
Air Support provides details of how many assets may be bought for aircraft. Air assets are used for scheduled air
support during the game, including assets for special munitions.
Battlegroup Selection provides further restrictions when creating battlegroups and should be used in conjunction with
the limits for each of the troops available. They typically restrict the number of units of a certain type you can have in
your battlegroup. There are four generic rules that apply to all armies as detailed below, unless specified otherwise.
Generic Rules
A minimum of three infantry units per MG infantry support unit
A minimum of six infantry units per Mortar, Heavy Mortar or ATGW infantry support unit
A minimum of nine infantry units per RR, AA or SAM infantry support unit
A maximum of one upgrade per Infantry unit
Notes provide additional information for a unit in the list and correspond to the numbers in the notes column.
Infantry Upgrade
Infantry upgrades are Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons that are attached to infantry units. One IATW unit may be attached
to one infantry unit and they must remain in base contact with one another for the duration of the game, counting as
a single unit. When the infantry unit is knocked-out, the IATW unit is also removed from play. Players do not have to
represent these as two separate stands as long as they can easily identify which infantry units have the upgrade and
which units don’t.
Command Unit Upgrade
A command unit can be upgraded and have its command value increased by one at double the cost. Each command
unit may only be upgraded once, so an HQ with a command value of 8 can be upgraded to a command value of 9 for
double the cost, but cannot then be upgraded to a command value of 10.
Transport Units
Transport units are either Prime Movers or Troop Carriers. Prime movers tow guns, whereas troop carriers carry
troops. A prime mover may tow one unit, such as an Anti-Tank Gun. Infantry and infantry support units take up one
space each, so a truck could carry two infantry units, or two infantry support units, or one infantry unit and one infantry
support unit. A transport unit may not carry troops when it is towing a gun. The table below lists the capabilities of
different types of transport units and their load capacity:
55
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Transport
Type & Capacity
Mules, Horses
Prime Mover
Trucks, Half-Tracks
Prime Mover or Troop Carrier (2 spaces)
APCs
Troop Carrier (2 spaces)
IFVs, 4x4s
Troop Carrier (1 space)
Tanks
Troop Carrier (1 space, externally)
Helicopters
Troop Carrier (see Army Lists on pages 58-127)
Cold War Commander
Tactical Doctrine
Tactical Doctrine
Tactical doctrine represents different methods of warfare and is split into four categories: Rigid, Normal, Flexible and
Guerrilla. Each army list specifies the tactical doctrine that you should use.
Normal tactical doctrine is the default doctrine in the game.
Rigid tactical doctrine is based on the Soviet model of centralization, lack of initiative at lower levels, thorough
preparation before battle with a lack of flexibility once the battle is under way. Troops respond to orders, but lack the
initiative to act on their own. The steamroller approach means an attack will be virtually unstoppable as long as nothing
goes wrong. Troops tend to be disciplined enough and commanders ruthless enough to care little about losses.
Flexible tactical doctrine is based on the NATO model, whereby individual initiative is encouraged, the battle plan is
flexible enough to allow for changing situations, but generally the commanders are unwilling to sustain casualties.
Guerrilla tactical doctrine is based on the North Vietnamese/Mujahideen model, whereby the troops avoid direct
confrontation with the enemy where possible and use sniping tactics and raids. They are difficult to pin-down and can
suddenly appear as if out-of-nowhere. They break contact and withdraw once casualties start to mount.
Doctrine Characteristics in the game
Rigid
Initiative distance is limited to 15cm
When using Fixed Formations, HQs can only issue orders to units in their own formation.
+1 to the command value of the CO or HQ if all units in the formation carry out the same action,
excluding suppressed units and transport units. All the units must fire, or all the units must move at
least half their movement distance, or all units must deploy.
+1 to the breakpoint per 1000 points
Normal
Initiative distance is 20cm
When using Fixed Formations, HQs may issue orders to units in other formations, but will be
subject to a -1 command penalty when doing so.
Flexible
Initiative distance is 25cm
When using Fixed Formations, HQs may issue orders to units in other formations without penalty.
-1 to the breakpoint per 1000 points
Guerrilla
Initiative distance is 30cm
Cannot use Fixed Formations
Three units per 500 points may be placed in the reserve pool (see Reserves on page 50)
No command penalty for flank deployment or for fighting at night
Troops on foot may hide when out-of-sight of the enemy (see Hide on page 49)
Opponent always deploys first
-1 to the breakpoint per 500 points
Morale Grades (Optional Rule)
Morale grades determine how easy it is for troops to become suppressed and how far they fall-back before
they are knocked-out. A morale grade can be applied to individual units, individual formations, or an entire
battlegroup. When using morale grades, replace the mechanism for suppression and fall-back with the
following rules. The points cost of units should be adjusted accordingly.
Morale Grade
Effects
Points
Unmotivated
Suppressed on 4+ and knocked-out when falling back further than 5cm
-25%
Regular
Suppressed on 5+ and knocked-out when falling back further than 10cm
0
Motivated
Suppressed on 6 and knocked-out when falling back further than 15cm
+25%
Morale grades can also be used to determine the score to hit units in close assault. Unmotivated units will be
hit on 4+, regular units 5+ and motivated units on 6.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
56
Conflicts
Conflicts
Cold War Commander covers the period from the end of the Second World War right up to the present day. This
section provides a brief overview of each conflict covered in the game.
Indochina 1948-54
The First Indochina War (or the French Indochina War) began in 1946, with the Viet Minh taking up arms against
the French colonists, who had returned to the country after the Japanese were forced out at the end of World War
Two. The first years of the war were little more than a rural insurgency. Guerrilla activity increased in 1948, leading to
conventional war a year later. This lasted until the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, after which time, the
French withdrew from the country.
Korean War 1950-53
The Korean War was a ruthless struggle between two opposing ideologies, conveniently mirroring the bigger world
picture of Western democracy versus Eastern communism. North Korea was backed by the Soviet Union and
Communist China, with the former investing cash; the latter, men and material. South Korea was backed by the United
Nations, with the vast majority of the forces involved being American.
The war can be split into two: a war of movement until the end of 1951, where the opposing sides fought mobile battles
up and down the length of the Korean peninsula. From 1952, the front stabilised just above the border between North
and South Korea at the 38th Parallel and both sides settled down to positional warfare, not dissimilar to the Western
Front during World War One. The conflict ended in stalemate in 1953 and the divide between North and South Korea
continues to this day.
Arab-Israeli Wars 1956-82
With Israel fighting for her very survival, the Arab-Israeli Wars produced several conflicts that could be thought of
as the epitome of combined-arms operations. Israeli blitzkrieg versus the Arab steamroller, which Israel defeated on
every occasion from the 1956 Suez War, the 1967 Six Day War, the 1970 War of Attrition, the 1973 Yom Kippur War
and the 1982 Lebanon War.
Israel was initially equipped with American weaponry, but supply was often outstripped by demand, so the Israelis
started to manufacture their own weapons, such as the excellent Merkava tank. The Arabs, on the other hand, had
plenty of equipment delivered to them from the Soviet Union and Communist China. The Arab-Israeli Wars are the
perfect example of a small, well-equipped, well-trained army fighting off poorly-equipped, poorly-trained hordes.
Vietnam War 1957-75
The Second Indochina War began in 1957 between North and South Vietnam. This was a similar struggle to the Korean
War in that two opposing ideologies clashed and both received outside help from East and West. Best known for the
American involvement in the conflict, the war actually started eight years before US military involvement began in
1965 and ended two years after the US withdrew in 1973.
Whilst the popular image of fire-fights between heavily armed American troops and a few guerrillas in black pyjamas
deep in the jungle is difficult to get away from, the war actually had a lot more to it than that. The US made battalion
and regimental sweeps through rolling countryside and the NVA used tank regiments to spearhead their march on
Saigon towards the end of the war - plenty of scope for combined-arms warfare.
Indo-Pakistan 1965-71
India and Pakistan clashed on several occasions during the second half of the 20th century, the main ones being the
Second Kashmir War in 1965 that lasted five weeks and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 that lasted less than a fortnight.
The clashes were very bloody and combined-arms characterised both conflicts. Both sides used a wide variety of
equipment from both East and West. The first conflict ended in stalemate, the second was a decisive Indian victory.
Angolan War 1975-91
A Portugese colony until 1975, Angola descended into civil war as soon as the Portugese left the country in 1975. On the
one side was UNITA in the south of the country, backed by South Africa, versus the FAPLA/MPLA/SWAPO, backed by
Cuba and the Soviet Union in the north. The fighting ranged from low intensity guerrilla clashes through to combinedarms conventional warfare. The years 1984-88 saw most of the conventional fighting, with UNITA gaining the upperhand throughout the conflict.
Ogaden War 1977-78
This little-known clash between Ethiopia and Somalia has two unique aspects to it. Initially, Somalia was backed by the
Soviet Union and Cuba, but shortly after the war began, the Somalis fell out of favour and the Communists then backed
Ethiopia! This forced the US to back Somalia, after it was initially supporting Ethiopia. China also backed Somalia.
Secondly, this was the first use of Soviet airborne forces on a large scale, scaring NATO as a result.
57
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Conflicts & Army Lists
The conflict began with a Somali invasion of the Ogaden Region in southern Ethiopia over a territorial claim. Initially
the invasion went well, with the Somalis capturing about 90% of the region. However, with the withdrawal of Soviet
aid and heavy losses suffered at the hands of the Ethiopian air and ground forces, the conflict ended with the expulsion
of the Somalis from Ethiopia early in 1978.
Soviet-Afghan War 1979-89
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan became known as the Soviet version of Vietnam, due to the similarities between
the conflicts. The Mujahideen fought the Soviets to a standstill as they knew the terrain, could operate with minimal
logistics, and they had the will to win. The Soviets, on the other hand, had the troops, technology and doctrine to
fight a conventional war in Western Europe. Despite this, the conflict offers a wide variety of scenarios fought in the
inhospitable mountains and valleys of Afghanistan. The Soviets finally withdrew from the country in 1989.
Iran-Iraq War 1980-88
The Iran-Iraq War was a brutal conflict between two opposing Arab ideologies. Iraq had one of the largest armies in
the world, with much of its equipment coming from the Soviet Union and China. The Iranians, on the other hand, had
a militia army with poor leadership and poorly maintained equipment due to lack of spares from the US, who supplied
most of its weapons.
The war began with an Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980, but Iran quickly mobilised her forces and the Iraqi advance
came to a halt. Both sides dug-in and settled down to positional warfare. Iran then launched a major offensive in 1982,
throwing the Iraqis back and invading Iraq as a result. The conflict settled into attrition warfare from 1984-87, then
a final Iraqi push in 1988, together with the threat of chemical attacks against Iranian cities, ended the war when the
Iranians agreed to a cease-fire initiated by the United Nations.
As well as conventional war, both sides used what we in the west nowadays would call immoral weapons and tactics. The
Iraqis used chemical weapons, the Iranians used human wave attacks, sending children as young as nine, sometimes
riding bicycles, through minefields with bags of grenades to throw into the Iraqi trenches. To them, war is war and they
did whatever they could to get the job done.
Falklands War 1982
The Argentine invasion of the Malvinas, or Falkland Islands, in 1982 led to a British task force being sent 7500 miles
from the UK to the South Atlantic to “sort the buggers out”. And sort they did, as some of Britain’s finest fought some
of, well, Argentine’s conscripts. Although the war was low-intensity, it did embrace combined-arms doctrine, with
naval, air and ground forces all working together. The British even had tanks - all eight of ‘em!
On arrival at the islands, the British had a lot going against them, with atrocious weather conditions, some very brave
Argentine pilots, and a very inhospitable environment. After foot-slogging across mile upon mile of bottomless peatbog, they chased the Argentines all the way back to the capital, Port Stanley. The ground war lasted just one month,
but it is an interesting conflict due to the discrepancy between the forces and the fact that a lot of the fighting occurred
at night. The British gained the upper-hand with their superior troops.
Gulf Wars 1991-03
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 led to a lengthy air campaign beginning in 1991, followed by one of the swiftest
campaigns in the history of warfare, lasting just 100 hours and resulting in the total defeat of the enemy. Well, sort of.
The Iraqis still had plenty of troops and equipment left with which to fight during the Second Gulf War in 2003. The
Gulf Wars were short, decisive and one-sided, with the technologically superior Coalition decimating the poorly armed
and poorly equipped Iraqis.
Cold War/Modern 1946+
The great stand-off between East and West along the Iron Curtain. Fortunately for us, nothing came of it, but that
doesn’t prevent us from playing what-if battles between the two sides. There were minor clashes along the Sino-Soviet
border during 1969, which would provide for some interesting battles between two Communist battlegroups - China
versus the Soviet Union. Although the Cold War ended at the end of the 1980s, the lists have been extended to the
present day to allow you to play what-if battles in more recent times, including the present day.
Army Lists
There are 33 army lists included in the next section, with 27 covering the opposing sides for the 12 historical conflicts
listed above, the remainder covering the hypothetical Cold War and Modern of the present day. The list for France
covers both the Cold War and the First Gulf War, plus they have a separate list for Indochina. The lists are different
to other rule sets in that they provide the gaming stats and the equipment that was available for each nation, making
it easy to play pick-up games as you just decide the conflict you are going to play and use the list for the side you are
playing.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
58
French Army, First Indochina War (1948-54)
French Army, First Indochina War (48-54)
Troops
Arm
Move Attacks Hits Save
Cost
Limit Notes
CO (Command Value 9)
Command
60
3/30
6
6
90
1
-
HQ (Command Value 8)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
45
-/3
-
FAO (Command Value 7)
Command
30
-
4
6
30
-/- [1]
-
FAC (Command Value 7)
Command
30
-
4
6
30
-/- [1]
-
Recce Unit (Scouts)
Recce
10
2/30*
6
-
35
-/1
-
Recce Unit (Universal Carrier)
Recce
20
2/30*
3
6
40
-/1
O
Recce Unit (Coventry Mk.1)
Recce
20
2/40
3
6
50
-/1
-
Recce Unit (Humber Scout Car)
Recce
25
1/50*
3
6
35
-/1
-
Recce Unit (Panhard 178)
Recce
25
2/50
3
6
55
-/1
-
Recce Unit (Greyhound)
Recce
25
2/40
3
6
55
-/1
-
Infantry Unit (Colonials)
Infantry
10
3/30*
6
-
30
-/-
-
Infantry Unit (Regulars)
Infantry
10
3/30*
6
-
30
-/-
-
Infantry Unit (Legionnaires/Paras)
Infantry
10
4/30*
6
-
40
-/-
[#1]
Infantry Upgrade (M9 Bazooka)
Infantry
-
2/20 (H)
-
-
10
-/1
-
Sniper Team (Sniper)
Infantry
30
1/50*
1
-
25
-/1
-
Support Unit (HMG)
Infantry
10
4/60*
5
-
50
-/3
-
Support Unit (RR, 57mm)
Infantry
10
3/30 (H)
5
-
40
-/1
-
Support Unit (RR, 75mm)
Infantry
-
3/40 (H)
5
-
35
-/1
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 60mm)
Infantry
10
3/60*
6
-
40
-/3
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm)
Infantry
10
3/120*
5
-
40
-/3
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm)
Infantry
-
4/200*
4
-
70
-/1
-
Engineer Unit (Combat Engineers)
Engineers
10
4/30*
6
-
60
-/3
-
Tank Unit (H-39)
Armour
15
2/50
3
6
20
-/- [3]
R
Tank Unit (M5 Stuart)
Armour
20
2/40
3
6
30
-/- [3]
-
Tank Unit (M24 Chaffee)
Armour
20
3/50 (H)
3
6
35
-/- [3]
[50+]
Tank Unit (M4 Sherman)
Armour
20
3/50
4
5
60
-/- [3]
[50+]
SPG Unit (Armoured GMC)
Armour
20
2/50
3
6
30
-/- [1]
-
SPG Unit (M8 Scott)
Armour
20
3/50 (H)
3
6
30
-/- [1]
O
SPG Unit (LVT(A))
Armour
15
3/50 (H)
3
6
25
-/- [1]
R/O/A
SPAT Unit (M36 Jackson)
Anti-Tank
20
4/80
3
6
55
-/- [1]
[50+] O
Artillery Unit (120mm Mortar)
Artillery
-
4
3
-
60
-/- [3]
-
Artillery Unit (105mm)
Artillery
-
3
3
-
45
-/- [3]
-
Artillery Unit (155mm)
Artillery
-
4
2
-
60
-/- [1]
-
Artillery Unit (Naval)
Artillery
-
6
8
3
100
-/- [1]
-
Aircraft Unit (Ki-43 Oscar/Spitfire)
Aircraft
-
4
3
5
70
-/- [2]
[<50]
Aircraft Unit (Mosquito FB.VI)
Aircraft
-
5
4
5
105
-/- [1]
[<50]
Aircraft Unit (P-63C Kingcobra)
Aircraft
-
4
3
5
70
-/- [2]
[49-51]
Aircraft Unit (Helldiver/Hellcat)
Aircraft
-
5
3
5
90
-/- [2]
[50+]
Aircraft Unit (F4U-7 Corsair)
Aircraft
-
5
3
5
90
-/- [2]
[52+]
Transport Unit (Mules)
Transport
10
-
3
-
5
-/-
-
Transport Unit (Truck)
Transport
20
-
3
-
10
-/-
-
Transport Unit (M3 Scout Car)
Transport
20
2/50*
3
6
25
-/-
O
Transport Unit (UE Chenillette)
Transport
20
1/50*
3
6
20
-/-
O
Transport Unit (M29 Crabe)
Transport
20
1/50*
3
6
25
-/-
O/A
Transport Unit (LVT(A)-4)
Transport
15
3/50*
3
6
40
-/-
[50+] O/A (4 sp.)
Transport Unit (Criquet)
Transport
50
-
3
6
15
-/- [1]
59
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
[#2] (FAC)
French Army, First Indochina War (1948-54)
Special Rules
• Normal tactical doctrine
• No counter-battery capability
• Full air superiority
• Road bound: Vehicles may only move on roads and up to 20cm either side of a road - vehicles moving beyond this
distance are knocked-out
• You may schedule one ambush before the start of the game (50 points)
• Assets include Artillery HE (max 3 per unit, 10 points each), Artillery Smoke (max 1 per unit, 20 points each),
Aircraft Ground-Attack (max 3 per unit, 10 points each), Aircraft Napalm (max 1 per unit, 30 points each)
Battlegroup Selection
• Max one recce unit per 1000 points
• Max one RR support unit per 1000 points
• Max three mortar support units per 1000 points
• Max three tank units per battlegroup
• Max one SPG unit per battlegroup
• Max three artillery units per battlegroup
• Max two aircraft units per battlegroup
Note 1. Infantry Unit - Legionnaires/Paras
• Elite: No command penalty for assaulting the enemy and +1 attack in
close assault
French infantry battalions
comprised of 4 infantry
companies, each with 3-4
infantry platoons of 2-3 squads.
Support weapons included RR and
120mm mortars in the battalion,
HMGs and 60-81mm mortars in
each company. Recce, snipers,
combat engineers and AFVs can be
attached as necessary.
Note 2. Transport Unit - Criquet
• The German Fieseler Storch of World War Two fame
Dien Bien Phu
Courage did not go unrewarded on the night of 31 March/1 April 1954: persuaded by the determined French
reaction during the day that the time was not yet right for an all-out assault, General Giap limited his
operations to simultaneous attacks on Elaine 2 and Hugette 7.
As night fell, People’s Army infantry emerged from behind Baldy and moved up to the foot of ChampsElysées; these were two battalions of Regiment 102, and one of Regiment 98 - presumably the unit left out
of battle the previous night. The whole of Elaine 2 was less than five acres in extent, and its summit defences
measured only about 100 yards on a side. The badly cratered eastern slope was scattered with corpses and
parts of corpses; blockhouses which had been lost, recaptured and lost again were now roofless charnel pits,
and little shelter could be found in the trenches that were half filled in, their parapets blown away. Through
this dismal landscape the Viet Minh columns surged forward yet again, up towards the first parapets of the
summit defences.
They were faced by a scratch force of defenders, the main units being the survivors of Major Nicolas’s two I/4
RTM companies, Lieutenant Lucciani’s 1st Company, 1 BEP, and that battalion’s 4th Company led by Sublieutenant Boisbouvier. There was certainly one, and perhaps two Legion infantry companies present: Captain
Russeil died that night at the head of a composite company of I/13 DBLE from Claudine, and Lieutenant
Rancoule of I/2 REI reportedly led a mixed company of légionnaires and Thai auxiliaries from the Huguettes.
During the fierce fighting of that night other small elements were sent up to Elaine 2, including Sergeant
Preignon with a 57mm RR team from 8 BPC’s HQ Company.
At about midnight, Captain Hervouët sent Sergeant Chief Ney’s tank platoon across the Bailey bridge and up
on to Elaine 2, where the Chaffees came under heavy fire from bazookas and recoilless guns. Ney’s ‘Ettlingen’
was hit six times, and Sergeant Willer’s ‘Smolensk’ twice, but both continued to manoeuvre and fire. At around
4am the continuing enemy pressure on the summit persuaded Langlais to commit Warrant Officer Carette’s
platoon as well, apparently led by Hervouët in person. Although virtually blind, the Chaffee crews engaged
the enemy at close range, taking lethal risks in duels with the bazooka teams of the swarming Viet Minh
infantry. At one point Sergeant Zurell and Sergeant Chief Novak of 4th Company, 1 BEP were both riding on
Carette’s closed-down tank ‘Bazeilles’, fending off infantry with the 0.50in MG clamped to its turret. Both
survived when ‘Bazeilles’ was hit by a series of bazooka or RR projectiles; the third hit started a serious engine
fire, and the crew bailed out, Carette with an ankle wound. ‘Mulhouse’, also hit by a bazooka, kept going; but
‘Bazeilles’ had to be abandoned for ever, high on the slope of Elaine 2. This action in the early hours of 1 April
seems to have been the occasion when Yves Hervouët was wounded for a second time, obliging him to lead his
squadron from there on with both arms in plaster casts.
The Last Valley, Martin Windrow, pages 479-480.
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
60
Viet Minh, First Indochina War (1948-54)
Viet Minh, First Indochina War (48-54)
Troops
Arm
Move Attacks Hits Save
Cost
Limit Notes
CO (Command Value 8)
Command
60
3/30
6
6
60
1
[<51]
CO (Command Value 9)
Command
60
3/30
6
6
90
1
[52+]
HQ (Command Value 7)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
30
-/3
[<51]
HQ (Command Value 8)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
45
-/3
[52+]
Recce Unit (VM Local Guerrillas)
Recce
10
1/30*
6
-
30
-/1
-
Infantry Unit (VM Regionals)
Infantry
10
1/30*
6
-
20
-/- [9]
-
Infantry Unit (VM Regulars)
Infantry
10
2/30*
6
-
30
3/-
[#1]
Infantry Unit (VM Veterans)
Infantry
10
3/30*
6
-
35
-/9
[53+] [#1]
Infantry Upgrade (M9 Bazooka)
Infantry
-
2/20 (H)
-
-
10
-/1
-
Sniper Team (Sniper)
Infantry
30
1/50*
1
-
25
-/1
-
Support Unit (HMG)
Infantry
10
4/60*
5
-
50
-/3
-
Support Unit (RR, 57mm)
Infantry
10
3/30 (H)
5
-
40
-/1
-
Support Unit (RR, 75mm)
Infantry
10
3/40 (H)
5
-
40
-/1
[#2]
Support Unit (Mortar, 60mm)
Infantry
10
3/60*
6
-
40
-/3
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 82mm)
Infantry
10
3/120*
5
-
40
-/3
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm)
Infantry
10
4/200*
4
-
70
-/1
[#2]
Engineer Unit (Combat Engineers)
Engineers
10
4/30*
6
-
60
-/- [3]
-
Air Defence Unit (AA, HMG)
Artillery
10
1/30*
5
-
10
-/1
-
Air Defence Unit (AA, 37mm)
Artillery
10
1/50
4
-
20
-/1
[#2]
Artillery Unit (82mm Mortar)
Artillery
-
3
4
-
50
-/- [3]
-
Artillery Unit (120mm Mortar)
Artillery
-
4
3
-
60
-/- [1]
-
Artillery Unit (75-76mm)
Artillery
-
2
4
-
35
-/- [6]
[53+]
Artillery Unit (RL, Katyusha)
Artillery
20
6
3
-
80
-/- [3]
[54+]
Transport Unit (Mules)
Transport
10
-
3
-
5
-/-
-
Transport Unit (Truck)
Transport
20
-
3
-
10
-/-
-
Special Rules
• Rigid tactical doctrine
• No counter-battery capability
• No air superiority
• Concealment: +1 when rolling for blank deployment cards & -1 die when the opposing side tests to locate a hidden formation
• Wave Assault: Ignore the command penalty for assaulting the enemy from 1950
• Night Fighting: No command penalty for fighting at night
• Ignore Casualties: Ignore the command penalty for each unit lost beyond the breakpoint
• May use booby traps when in defence
• You may schedule three ambushes before the start of the game (50 points each)
• Assets include Booby Trap AP (max 3 per battlegroup, 25 points each), Booby Trap AT (max 1 per battlegroup, 50 points
each), Artillery HE (max 6 per unit, 10 points each)
Battlegroup Selection
• Max one recce unit per 1000 points
• Max one RR support unit per 1000 points
• Max three 60mm/81mm mortars per 1000 points
• Max one air defence unit per 1000 points
• Max six artillery units per battlegroup
Note 1. Infantry Unit - VM Regulars/Veterans
• SMGs: +1 in close assault
Note 2. RR, 75mm/Mortar, 120mm/AA, 37mm
• Slow Moving: May only carry out one move action per turn
61
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Viet Minh infantry battalions comprised
of 3 infantry companies, each with 3
infantry platoons of 3 squads. Support
weapons included RR and 120mm mortars in
the battalion, HMGs and 60-82mm mortars
in each company. Recce, snipers, combat
engineers and air defence units can be
attached as necessary. Transport was
primarily by foot, with pack animals
carrying the heavy weapons.
Cold War Commander
The Korean War, 1950-53
Task Force Smith
In the early hours of 5 July 1950, 403 bewildered, damp, disorientated Americans sat in their hastily dug foxholes
on three Korean hills, looking down upon the main road between Suwon and Osan. The men of I/21st Infantry had
been in the country just four days, since the big C-53 transports flew them from Itasuki in Japan to the southern
airfield at Pusan. Ever since, they had been moving north in fits and starts - by train and truck, sleeping in sidings
and stations. Some men were sick from the local water; Lieutenant Fox was injured on the train before they heard
the first shot fired, by an inglorious stray cinder from the engine blowing into his eye. All of them were savaged by
mosquitoes. They learnt that Korea stank - literally - of human manure with which the nation’s farmers fertilised
their rice paddies. They watched earnest roadside rendezvous between their own officers and the smattering of
US generals in the country. General William Dean, commanding the 24th Division, told the I/21st commanding
officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles ‘Brad’ Smith: “I’m sorry - I just don’t have much information to give you”.
They knew that the communist North Koreans had invaded the anti-communist South on 25 June, and had been
striking ruthlessly southwards ever since, meeting little opposition from Syngman Rhee’s shattered army. They
were told that they themselves would be taking up defensive positions somewhere in the path of the enemy, as
far north as possible. But after years of occupation duty in Japan, the notion of battle, injury and sudden death,
seemed infinitely remote. Their unit, like all those of the Japan occupation army, was badly under-strength and
poorly equipped. Their own A and D Companies, together with many of their supporting elements, were still at
sea between Japan and Pusan. On the night of the 4 July, they were ordered to take up a blocking position on the
Suwon road, some fifty miles south of the capital, Seoul, which was already in communist hands. In a country of
mountains, the paths open to a modern army were few and obvious. The enemy sweeping south must make for
Osan. The I/21st, the first unit of the United States Army available to be committed to battle in Korea, must do
what it could to meet them. “They looked like a bunch of boy scouts,” said Colonel George Masters, one of the
men who watched the battalion move to the front. “I said to Brad Smith: “You’re facing tried combat soldiers out
there.” There was nothing he could answer.”
They moved forward, as most soldiers move forward to battle in most wars, in drizzle and darkness. The South
Korean drivers of some of the commandeered vehicles flatly refused to go further towards the battlefield, so
the Americans drove themselves. They unloaded their trucks behind the hills that Colonel Smith had briefly
reconnoitred that day, and began to climb, by platoons, through the rock and scrub amid much tired, muffled
cursing and clanking of equipment. Their officers were as confused as the men, for they had been told to expect
to meet a South Korean army unit to which to anchor their own positions. In reality, there was no-one on the hill.
Smith’s company commanders deployed their men as best they could, and ordered them to start digging. At once,
for the first time, Americans discovered the difficulty of hewing shelter from the unyielding Korean hillsides. For
some hours, working clumsily in their poncho capes in the rain, they scraped among the rocks. Below them on
the road, signallers laid telephone lines to their single battery of supporting 105mm howitzers, a thousand yards
to the rear. A few truckloads of ammunition were offloaded by the roadside, but no one thought to insist that
this was lugged up the hills in the dark to the company positions. Then, for an uneasy hour or two, most of the
Americans above the road lay beside their weapons and packs, sodden clothes clinging clammily to their bodies,
and slept.
A few minutes after 7am, Sergeant Loren Chambers of B Company called to his platoon commander, “Hey,
look over there, Lieutenant. Can you believe it?”. Advancing towards them down the open plain from Suwon
was a column of eight green-painted tanks. Lieutenant Day asked what they were. “Those are T-34 tanks, sir”,
answered the sergeant, “and I don’t think they’re going to be friendly towards us.” All along the crest line, men
chattered excitedly as they peered forward at this first glimpse of the enemy. Officers hastened forward to confirm
the threat. Captain Dashner, B Company Commander, said: “Let’s get some artillery on them.” The Forward
Observation Officer of the 158th Field Artillery Battalion cranked his handset. A few moments later, rounds
began to gusher into the paddy fields around the road. But still the tanks came on. The guns of the 58th possessed
negligible armour-piercing capability.
Lieutenant Day and one of the battalion’s two 75mm recoilless rifle sections manhandled their clumsy weapons to
a position overlooking the road, and fired. Inexpert, they had sited on the forward slope. The round did no visible
damage to the enemy, but the ferocious back blast slammed into the hill, provoking an eruption of mud which
deluged the crew and jammed the gun. Urgently, they began to strip and clear it.
Continued on page 65...
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
62
United Nations, Korean War (1950-53)
United Nations, Korean War (50-53)
Troops
Cost
Limit Notes
CO (Command Value 9)
Command
Arm
Move Attacks Hits Save
60
3/30
6
6
90
-/1 [1]
[50]
CO (Command Value 10)
Command
60
3/30
6
6
120
-/1 [1]
[51+]
HQ (Command Value 8)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
45
-/3
[50]
HQ (Command Value 9)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
60
-/3
[51+]
FAO (Command Value 8)
Command
30
-
4
6
45
-/1 [3]
FAC (Command Value 6)
Command
30
-
4
6
15
-/- [1]
-
FAC (Command Value 7) (US only)
Command
30
-
4
6
30
-/- [1]
[52+]
Recce Unit (Scouts)
Recce
10
2/30*
6
-
35
-/1
-
Recce Unit (Greyhound)
Recce
25
2/40
3
6
55
-/1
-
Infantry Unit (ROK Regulars)
Infantry
10
2/30*
6
-
20
-/-
[#1]
Infantry Unit (UN Conscripts)
Infantry
10
2/30*
6
-
20
-/-
[#2]
Infantry Unit (UN Regulars)
Infantry
10
3/30*
6
-
30
-/-
-
-
Infantry Unit (UN Paras/Marines)
Infantry
10
4/30*
6
-
40
-/-
[#3]
Infantry Upgrade (M9 Bazooka)
Upgrade
-
2/20 (H)
-
-
10
-/3
[50]
Infantry Upgrade (M20 Bazooka)
Upgrade
-
3/20 (H)
-
-
15
-/3
-
Sniper Team (Sniper)
Infantry
30
1/50*
1
-
25
-/1
-
Support Unit (HMG)
Infantry
10
4/60*
5
-
50
-/3
-
Support Unit (RR, 57mm)
Infantry
10
3/30 (H)
5
-
40
-/2
[51+]
Support Unit (RR, 75mm)
Infantry
-
3/40 (H)
5
-
40
-/2
[51+]
Support Unit (RR, 105mm)
Infantry
-
5/40 (H)
4
-
55
-/1
[53]
Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm)
Infantry
10
3/120*
5
-
40
-/3
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 107mm)
Infantry
-
4/200*
4
-
70
-/1
-
Engineer Unit (Combat Engineers)
Engineers
10
4/30*
6
-
60
-/3
-
Engineer Unit (Flame, Sherman)
Engineers
20
5/80 (H)
4
5
105
-/- [2]
[#4]
Tank Unit (M24 Chaffee)
Armour
20
3/50 (H)
3
6
35
-/-
-
Tank Unit (M4A3 Sherman)
Armour
20
3/50
4
5
60
-/-
[51+]
Tank Unit (M4A3 Sherman, 105mm)
Armour
20
5/80 (H)
4
5
80
-/- [3]
[51+]
Tank Unit (M26 Pershing)
Armour
15
4/80
5
4
95
-/-
[51+]
Tank Unit (M46 Patton)
Armour
20
4/80
5
4
100
-/- [3]
[51+] SL
Tank Unit (Cromwell)
Armour
25
3/50
4
5
65
-/- [3]
[51+]
Tank Unit (Comet)
Armour
20
4/80
5
5
90
-/- [3]
[51+]
Tank Unit (Churchill)
Armour
15
3/50
5
4
75
-/- [3]
[51+]
Tank Unit (Centurion)
Armour
20
4/100
6
4
125
-/- [3]
[51+] SL
ATG Unit (37mm)
Anti-Tank
-
2/40
5
-
30
-/- [3]
-
ATG Unit (57mm)
Anti-Tank
-
2/60
4
-
35
-/- [3]
-
ATG Unit (17pdr)
Anti-Tank
-
4/80
4
-
60
-/- [1]
[51+]
Air Defence Unit (AA, HMG)
Artillery
10
1/30*
5
-
10
-/1
-
Air Defence Unit (AA, 4 x HMG, Truck)
Artillery
20
4/30*
3
-
50
-/1
-
Air Defence Unit (AA, 4 x HMG, M16)
Artillery
20
4/30*
3
6
60
-/1 [1]
O
Air Defence Unit (AA, 40mm Bofors)
Artillery
-
1/50
4
-
10
-/1
-
Air Defence Unit (AA, 2 x 40mm, M19)
Artillery
20
2/50
3
6
45
-/1 [1]
O
Artillery Unit (75mm)
Artillery
-
2
4
-
35
-/- [6]
-
Artillery Unit (25pdr)
Artillery
-
3
4
-
50
-/- [6]
-
Artillery Unit (105mm)
Artillery
-
3
3
-
45
-/- [6]
-
Artillery Unit (105mm, M7/M37)
Artillery
20
3
3
6
65
-/- [3]
O
Artillery Unit (155mm)
Artillery
-
4
2
-
60
-/- [3]
-
63
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
United Nations, Korean War (1950-53)
Artillery Unit (155mm, M41)
Artillery
20
4
3
6
80
-/- [3]
O
Artillery Unit (8 inch Howitzer)
Artillery
-
6
2
-
90
-/- [1]
-
Artillery Unit (RL)
Artillery
-
6
3
-
70
-/- [1]
-
Artillery Unit (Naval)
Artillery
-
6
8
3
100
-/- [2]
-
Aircraft Unit (Sea Fury/Firefly)
Aircraft
-
3
3
5
50
-/- [1]
-
Aircraft Unit (AU-1 Corsair)
Aircraft
-
3
3
5
50
-/- [1]
-
Aircraft Unit (F-51 Mustang)
Aircraft
-
3
3
5
50
-/- [2]
[51+]
Aircraft Unit (F-80 Shooting Star)
Aircraft
-
3
3
4
65
-/- [2]
[51+]
Aircraft Unit (F-84 Thunderjet)
Aircraft
-
4
3
4
85
-/- [2]
[51+]
Aircraft Unit (A-1 Skyraider)
Aircraft
-
6
4
5
125
-/- [1]
[51+]
Aircraft Unit (Meteor FR9)
Aircraft
-
3
3
4
65
-/- [2]
[52+]
Transport Unit (Horses)
Transport
10
-
3
-
5
-/-
-
Transport Unit (Truck)
Transport
20
-
3
-
10
-/-
-
Transport Unit (Weasel/DUKW)
Transport
20
-
3
-
15
-/- [3]
A
Transport Unit (M3 ½-Track)
Transport
20
2/50*
3
6
25
-/-
O
Transport Unit (M39 APC)
Transport
30
-
3
6
20
-/- [4]
[53] O
Transport Unit (M75 APC)
Transport
25
2/50*
3
6
35
-/- [4]
[53] A
Transport Unit (LVT-3C)
Transport
15
3/50*
3
6
40
-/- [4]
A (4 spaces)
Transport Unit (L-19 Bird Dog/L-4 GH) Transport
50
-
3
6
15
-/- [1]
[51+] (FAO)
Transport Unit (T-6 Mosquito)
50
-
3
6
15
-/- [1]
(FAC)
Transport
Special Rules
• Normal tactical doctrine
• Full air superiority
• Counter-battery capability
• Combined-Arms: -1 command penalty when issuing orders to mixed infantry-armour formations and +1 die for
artillery/aircraft deviation until 1952
• Dug-In Armour: Tanks may be dug-in before the start of the game, counting as being in hard-cover, but with
restricted visibility and may not move during the game
• Only 2 x HE assets per artillery unit and 2 x Ground-Attack assets per aircraft unit during 1950
• Churchill and Centurion tanks may move in hilly terrain without penalty
• International Relations: Formations must be composed of troops of the same nationality
• ROK may only use command units with the lowest command values
• You may schedule one ambush before the start of the game (50 points)
• Assets include Artillery HE (max 2 per unit in 1950, 4 per unit from 1951, 10 points each), Artillery Smoke (max 2 per unit, 20
points each), Aircraft Ground-Attack (max 2 per unit in 1950, 4 per unit from 1951, 10 points each), Aircraft Napalm (max 2
per unit, 30 points each)
Battlegroup Selection
• Max one recce unit per 1000 points
• Max two RR support unit per 1000 points
• Max three tank units per 1000 points
• Max three ATG units per battlegroup
• Max one air defence unit per 1000 points
• Max six artillery units per battlegroup
• Max two aircraft units per battlegroup
• Max four M39/M75 APC transport units per battlegroup
• Max one FAO transport aircraft per battlegroup
Note 1. Infantry Unit - ROK Regulars
• Fragile: Knocked-out when falling back further than 5cm
Note 2. Infantry Unit - UN Conscripts
The United Nations comprised some 22 countries,
including (in order of number of troops deployed):
America (302,483), Britain (14,198), Canada (6146),
Turkey (5453), Australia (2282), Philippines (1496), New
Zealand (1385), Ethiopia (1271), Greece (1263), Thailand
(1204), France (1119), Columbia (1068), Belgium (900),
South Africa (826), The Netherlands (819) and finally
Luxembourg with 44! The ROK (Republic of Korea)
deployed the most with 590,911 troops.
The US deployed the M4 Sherman and M26 Pershing
from August 1950. The British used the Cromwell,
Comet, Churchill, Centurion, 17pdr ATG, Sea Fury/
Firefly, Meteor and the 25pdr in the Korean War.
• Conscript: May not use initiative to assault the enemy
Note 3. Infantry Unit - UN Paras/Marines
• Elite: No command penalty for assaulting the enemy and +1 attack in close assault
Note 4. Engineer Unit - Flamethrower, Sherman
• May only fire regular attacks using opportunity or initiative fire due to low number of rounds stowed
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
64
Communist Army, Korean War (1950-53)
Communist Army, Korean War (50-53)
Troops
Arm
Move Attacks Hits Save
Cost
Limit Notes
CO (Command Value 8)
Command
60
3/30
6
6
60
1
-
HQ (Command Value 7)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
30
-/3
-
FAO (Command Value 6)
Command
30
-
4
6
15
-/- [1]
-
Recce Unit (Scouts)
Recce
10
1/30*
6
-
30
-/1
-
Recce Unit (BA-64)
Recce
20
1/50*
3
6
25
-/1 [1]
O
Infantry Unit (Assault Troops)
Infantry
10
-
6
-
30
-/3
[#1]
Infantry Unit (North Koreans)
Infantry
10
2/30*
6
-
35
-/-
[#2]
Infantry Unit (Chinese)
Infantry
10
1/30*
6
-
20
9/-
[#3]
Infantry Upgrade (Anti-Tank Rifle)
Infantry
-
1/20#
-
-
5
-/3
-
Infantry Upgrade (M20 Bazooka)
Infantry
-
3/20 (H)
-
-
15
-/- [1]
[52+]
Sniper Team (Sniper)
Infantry
30
1/50*
1
-
25
-/1
-
Support Unit (HMG)
Infantry
10
4/60*
5
-
50
-/3
-
Support Unit (RR, 75mm)
Infantry
10
3/40 (H)
5
-
40
-/- [1]
[53] [#4]
Support Unit (Mortar, 82mm)
Infantry
10
4/120*
5
-
40
-/3
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm)
Infantry
10
5/200*
4
-
70
-/1
[#4]
Engineer Unit (Combat Engineers)
Engineers
10
4/30*
6
-
60
-/3
-
Tank Unit (T-34/85)
Armour
25
3/60
4
5
65
-/- [9]
R
Heavy Tank Unit (IS-2)
Armour
15
5/60
5
4
95
-/- [3]
[53] R
SPA Unit (SU-76)
Armour
20
3/50 (H)
3
6
25
-/- [3]
[51+] R/O
SPA Unit (SU-122)
Armour
25
5/80 (H)
4
5
80
-/- [3]
[53] R
ATG Unit (45mm)
Anti-Tank
-
2/50
5
-
30
-/- [3]
-
ATG Unit (57mm)
Anti-Tank
-
2/60
4
-
35
-/- [3]
[52+]
Air Defence Unit (AA, HMG)
Artillery
10
1/30*
5
-
10
-/1
-
Air Defence Unit (AA, 37mm)
Artillery
-
1/50
4
-
10
-/1 [1]
-
Artillery Unit (120mm Mortar)
Artillery
-
5
3
-
75
-/- [3]
-
Artillery Unit (70-76mm)
Artillery
-
2
4
-
35
-/- [3]
-
Artillery Unit (76mm, SU-76)
Artillery
20
2
3
6
50
-/- [3]
[51+] R/O
Artillery Unit (122mm)
Artillery
-
3
3
-
45
-/- [3]
-
Artillery Unit (152mm)
Artillery
-
4
2
-
60
-/- [1]
[52+]
Artillery Unit (RL, Katyusha)
Artillery
20
6
3
-
80
-/- [1]
[52+]
Aircraft Unit (Il-10 Shturmovik)
Aircraft
-
4
4
5
85
-/- [1]
[50]
Aircraft Unit (Po-2 Biplane)
Aircraft
-
3
3
5
50
-/- [1]
[#5]
Transport Unit (Horses)
Transport
10
-
3
-
5
-/-
-
Transport Unit (Truck)
Transport
20
-
3
-
10
-/3
-
The Communist forces involved in the Korean
War included North Korea (around 250,000
troops broken down into ten divisions and
one armoured brigade), Soviet Russia (mostly
equipment and supplies, but some 26,000 troops
in air defence and fighter units were deployed,
Source: www.globalsecurity.org) and Communist
China (anything between 750,000 and 850,000
troops). The first Chinese units entered Korea on
the night of the 16th October 1950, followed by four
PVA (People’s Volunteer Army) armies and three
artillery divisions three days later.
65
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
The Chinese loved to fight at night. This maximized their
strengths (stamina, stealth, and large numbers) and
minimized their weaknesses (susceptibility to air strikes,
lack of transport, and non-existent or limited artillery
support. On signal (usually a flare, bugle, or pipe call), the
first wave of attackers would surge forward in an effort
to pin Americans to their position, while other columns
attempted to find the weakest point in the line in order to
turn a flank or gain a position in the rear.
Source: www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/korea.htm
Cold War Commander
Communist Army, Korean War (1950-53)
Special Rules
• Rigid tactical doctrine
• No air superiority
• Counter-battery capability
• Infiltration: No command penalty for flank deployment
• Night Fighting: No command penalty for infantry fighting at night
• Concealment: +1 when rolling for blank deployment cards & -1 die when the opposing side tests to locate a hidden formation
• Combined-Arms: -1 command penalty when issuing orders to mixed infantry-armour formations and +1 die for artillery/
aircraft deviation until 1952
• Wave Assault: Ignore the command penalty for assaulting the enemy
• Dug-In Armour: Tanks may be dug-in before the start of the game, counting as being in hard-cover, but with restricted
visibility and may not move during the game
• You may schedule one ambush before the start of the game (50 points)
• Assets include Booby Trap AP (max 3 per battlegroup, 25 points each), Booby Trap AT (max 3 per battlegroup, 50 points
each), Artillery HE (max 3 per unit in 1950, 6 per unit 1951-52 and 9 per unit in 1953, 10 points each), Artillery Smoke
(max 1 per unit, 20 points each), Aircraft Ground-Attack (max 1 per unit, 10 points each)
Battlegroup Selection
North Korean and Chinese infantry
battalions comprised of 3 infantry
companies, each with 3 infantry platoons
of 3 squads. Support weapons included RR
and 120mm mortars in the battalion, HMGs
and 82mm mortars in each company. Recce,
snipers, combat engineers, SPGs and ATGs
can be attached as necessary.
• Max one recce unit per 1000 points
• Max three SPA units per battlegroup
• Max three ATG units per battlegroup
• Max one air defence unit per 1000 points
• Max three artillery units per battlegroup
• Max one aircraft unit per battlegroup
Note 1. Infantry Unit - Assault Troops
• Armed with bags of grenades - use combat engineer attacks in
close assault and always count the target as being in the open
• Assault: May assault up to 20cm distance
Note 2. Infantry Unit - North Koreans
• Determined: May fall-back up to 20cm without being KO
• No Quarter: +1 attack in close assault
Tanks were deployed as separate
formations, a tank battalion comprising
of 3 tank companies, each with 3 platoons
of 3 tanks.
Note 3. Infantry Unit - Chinese
• Unpredictable: May fall-back any distance without being knocked-out if
die result is an even number, otherwise knocked-out if falling-back and
the die result is an odd number
Note 4. Support Unit - RR, 75mm/Mortar, 120mm
• Slow Moving: May only carry out one move action per turn
Note 5. Aircraft Unit - Po-2 Biplane
• May only be used at night
Task Force Smith (Continued from page 61...)
At the roadside, Lieutenant Connors clutched one of the unit’s principal anti-tank weapons, a hand-held 2.36
inch bazooka. In 1945, the serious defect of the bazooka rocket was well-known - its inability to penetrate most
tanks’ main armour. Yet even now, five years later, the new and more powerful 3.5 inch rocket launcher had
not been issued to MacArthur’s Far East army. As the first T-34 clattered towards the narrow pass between the
American positions, Connors put up his bazooka and fired. There was an explosion on the tank hull. But the T-34,
probably the most outstanding tank of World War II and still a formidable weapon, did not check. It roared on
through the pass, and down the road towards the American gun line. As its successors followed, with remarkable
courage Connors fired again and again at close range, twenty two rockets in all. One tank stopped, appearing to
have thrown a track. But it continued to fire with both its main armament and co-axial machine gun. The others
disappeared towards Osan, to be followed a few minutes later by another armoured platoon. A single 105mm
gun possessed a few rounds of armour piercing ammunition. One of these halted another T-34, which halted and
caught fire. A crewman emerged from the turret firing a burp gun as he came. The communist’s fire burst, before
he was shot down, granted one of the gunners the unhappy distinction of becoming the first American soldier to
die by enemy action in Korea. Lieutenant Day’s recoilless rifle began to fire again, but its flash made it an easy
target. An 85mm tank shell disabled the gun, and left Day reeling from the blast, blood pouring out of his ears.
Between 7 and 9.30am some thirty North Korean tanks drove through Task Force Smith’s ‘blocking position’,
killing or wounding some twenty of the defenders by shell and machine gun fire. The Americans could think of
nothing to do to stop them.
The Korean War by Max Hastings
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
66
Israeli Army, Arab-Israeli Wars/Modern (1956+)
Israeli Army, Arab-Israeli Wars/Modern (56+)
Troops
Arm
Move Attacks Hits Save
Cost
Limit Notes
CO (Command Value 9)
Command
60
3/30
6
6
90
1
[56]
CO (Command Value 10)
Command
60
3/30
6
6
120
1
[67+]
HQ (Command Value 8)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
45
-/3
[56]
HQ (Command Value 9)
Command
40
2/30
4
6
60
-/3
[67+]
FAO (Command Value 7)
Command
30
-
4
6
30
-/1 [3]
-
FAC (Command Value 8)
Command
30
-
4
6
45
-/- [1]
-
Recce Unit (Scouts)
Recce
10
2/30*
6
-
35
-/1
-
Recce Unit (4x4s)
Recce
20
2/50*
3
-
30
-/1
-
Recce Unit (M3 Scout Car)
Recce
20
2/50*
3
6
35
-/1
[56] O
Recce Unit (AMX-13)
Recce
30
3/50
3
6
75
-/1
[67-73] IR
Recce Unit (AML-90)
Recce
25
4/100
3
6
95
-/1
[67+] IR
Infantry Unit (Regulars)
Infantry
10
3/30*
6
-
30
3/-
-
Infantry Unit (Paras)
Infantry
10
4/30*
6
-
40
-/9
[#1]
Infantry Upgrade (M20 Bazooka)
Infantry
-
3/20 (H)
-
-
15
-/-
-
Support Unit (HMG)
Infantry
10
4/60*
5
-
50
-/3
-
Support Unit (RR, 105mm)
Infantry
-
5/60 (H)
4
-
60
-/1
-
Support Unit (RR, 105mm, 4x4s)
Infantry
20
5/60 (H)
3
-
75
-/1
-
Support Unit (ATGW, SS10)
Infantry
10
4/80
5
-
105
-/- [1]
[56] IR
Support Unit (ATGW, MAPATS)
Infantry
10
6/150
5
-
160
-/-
[73+] IR
Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm)
Infantry
10
3/120*
5
-
40
-/3
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm, M125)
Infantry
25
3/120*
3
6
70
-/3
[67+] A
Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm, M3)
Infantry
20
3/120*
3
6
55
-/3
O
Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm)
Infantry
-
4/200*
4
-
70
-/1
-
Support Unit (Mortar, 120mm, M3)
Infantry
20
4/200*
3
6
75
-/1
[67+] O
Support Unit (Mortar, 107mm, M106)
Infantry
25
4/200*
4
6
100
-/1
[67+] A
Engineer Unit (Combat Engineers)
Engineers
10
4/30*
6
-
60
-/3 [9]
Engineer Unit (Mine Clearer, M60)
Engineers
20
5/120
5
3
170
-/1
[73+] IR
Engineer Unit (Bridging, M48)
Engineers
20
1/50*
5
4
100
-/1
[67+]
Tank Unit (AMX-13)
Armour
30
3/50
3
6
45
-/- [9]
[<67] R
-
Tank Unit (M4 Sherman)
Armour
20
3/50
4
5
60
-/-
[<67]
Tank Unit (M4 Sherman, 105mm)
Armour
20
5/80 (H)
4
5
80
-/- [1]
[56]
Tank Unit (Super Sherman)
Armour
20
3/70
4
5
70
-/-
[<67]
Tank Unit (Isherman)
Armour
20
5/100
4
5
95
-/- [9]
[67+]
Tank Unit (M48 Patton, 90mm)
Armour
20
4/80
5
4
100
-/-
[56] SL
Tank Unit (M48 Magach, 90mm)
Armour
20
4/100
5
4
115
-/-
[67] S2/IR
Tank Unit (M48 Magach, 105mm)
Armour
20
5/100
5
4
125
-/-
[67-73] S2/IR
Tank Unit (M48 Magach, Blazer)
Armour
20
5/100
5
4
155
-/-
[82+] S2/IR [#2]
Tank Unit (M60)
Armour
20
5/100
5
3
145
-/-
[73-82] S2/IR
Tank Unit (M60 Blazer)
Armour
20
5/100
5
3
175
-/-
[82+] S2/IR [#2]
Tank Unit (Tiran 4)
Armour
25
4/80
4
4
95
-/- [9]
[67-85] R/IR
Tank Unit (Tiran 5)
Armour
25
5/100
4
4
110
-/- [3]
[73-85] R/IR
Tank Unit (Tiran 6)
Armour
25
5/80
4
4
105
-/- [3]
[73-85] R/IR
Tank Unit (Centurion, 20pdr)
Armour
20
4/100
6
4
130
-/- [9]
[<67] S2
Tank Unit (Centurion Sho’t)
Armour
20
5/100
6
4
145
-/- [9]
[67-00] S2/IR
Tank Unit (Merkava Mk 1)
Armour
25
5/100
6
3
215
-/-
[82+] S2/IR [#3]
Tank Unit (Merkava Mk 2)
Armour
25
5/120
6
3
225
-/-
[83+] S1/IR [#3]
67
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander
Israeli Army, Arab-Israeli Wars/Modern (1956+)
Tank Unit (Merkava Mk 3/4)
Armour
25
5/120
6
3
230
-/-
[90+] S1/TI [#3]
SPAT Unit (6pdr, M3 ½-Track)
Anti-Tank
20
2/60
3
-
25
-/- [3]
[56] R/O
SPAT Unit (90mm, M3 ½-Track)
Anti-Tank
20
4/100
3
6
55
-/- [3]
[67] R/O
ATGW Unit (SS11, M3 ½-Track)
Anti-Tank
20
4/150
3
6
160
-/- [3]
[67] O/IR
ATGW Unit (MAPATS, 4x4s)
Anti-Tank
20
6/150
3
-
205
-/- [3]
[73-90] IR
ATGW Unit (TOW 1, 4x4s)
Anti-Tank
20
6/150
3
-
205
-/- [3]
Air Defence Unit (AA, TCM-20)
Artillery
-
2/40
4
-
20
-/1
[67+]
Air Defence Unit (AA, TCM-20, M3)
Artillery
20
2/40
3
6
45
-/1
[67+] O
Air Defence Unit (AA, TCM-20, BTR)
Artillery
20
2/40
3
6
45
-/1
[73+] O
Air Defence Unit (AA, M163 Hovet)
Artillery
25
4/40
3
6
65
-/1
[73+]
Air Defence Unit (AA, 40mm Bofors)
Artillery
-
1/50
4
-
10
-/1
[56]
Air Defence Unit (SAM, Redeye)
Artillery
10
4/100
5
-
70
-/1
[73-90] IR
Artillery Unit (25pdr)
Artillery
-
3
4
-
50
-/- [3]
[56]
Artillery Unit (120mm Mortar)
Artillery
-
4
3
-
60
-/- [3]
-
Artillery Unit (100-105mm)
Artillery
-
3
3
-
45
-/- [3]
-
[82-89] IR
Artillery Unit (105mm, Priest)
Artillery
20
3
3
6
65
-/- [3]
[67] O
Artillery Unit (105mm, AMX)
Artillery
20
3
3
6
65
-/- [3]
[67] O
Artillery Unit (122mm)
Artillery
-
3
3
-
45
-/- [3]
[67+]
Artillery Unit (152-155mm)
Artillery
-
4
2
-
60
-/- [3]
[67+]
Artillery Unit (155mm, Soltam L-33)
Artillery
20
4
3
6
80
-/- [3]
[73+] O
Artillery Unit (155mm, M109 Rochev)
Artillery
25
4
3
6
80
-/- [3]
[73+]
Artillery Unit (160mm, Makmat)
Artillery
20
5
3
6
95
-/- [1]
[67+] O
Artillery Unit (175mm, M107 Romach)
Artillery
20
5
3
6
95
-/- [1]
[73+]
Artillery Unit (203mm, M110)
Artillery
20
6
3
6
110
-/- [1]
[73+] O
Artillery Unit (RL, BM-24)
Artillery
20
6
3
-
80
-/- [1]
[73+]
Attack Helicopter (AH1 Hueycobra)
Aircraft
-
5/50
4
5
185
-/- [2]
[82-90] [#4]
Aircraft Unit (Sea Hawk)
Aircraft
-
3
3
4
65
-/- [1]
[56]
Aircraft Unit (F-51 Mustang)
Aircraft
-
3
3
5
50
-/- [2]
[56]
Aircraft Unit (Meteor FR9)
Aircraft
-
3
3
4
65
-/- [2]
[56]
Aircraft Unit (Ouragan)
Aircraft
-
3
3
4
65
-/- [3]
[<73]
Aircraft Unit (Mystère IV)
Aircraft
-
4
3
4
85
-/- [3]
[<71]
Aircraft Unit (Super Mystère B.2)
Aircraft
-
3
3
4
65
-/- [1]
[73+]
Aircraft Unit (F-4 Phantom)
Aircraft
-
8
3
4
165
-/- [3]
[69-73]
Aircraft Unit (A-4 Skyhawk)
Aircraft
-
6
3
4
125
-/- [3]
[68-73]
Aircraft Unit (Nesher)
Aircraft
-
8
3
4
165
-/- [3]
[73+]
Transport Unit (Truck)
Transport
20
-
3
-
10
-/-
-
Transport Unit (M3 ½-Track)
Transport
20
2/50*
3
6
25
-/-
O
Transport Unit (M50 APC)
Transport
20
1/50*
3
5
30
-/-
[<73] O
Transport Unit (M113 Bardehlas)
Transport
25
3/50*
4
6
45
-/-
[72+] A
Transport Unit (M113 Zelda)
Transport
20
3/50*
4
6
60
-/-
[82+] A [#5]
Transport Unit (LVT(A)-4)
Transport
15
3/50*
3
6
40
-/- [1]
[56] A (4 spaces)
Transport Unit (Heli, SA-321G Frelon)
Transport
-
-
3
6
40
-/- [1]
[56] (8 spaces)
Transport Unit (Heli, Bell 47/206)
Transport
-
-
3
6
30
-/- [1]
[67+] (FAO)
Transport Unit (Heli, UH-1 Iroquois)
Transport
-
2/50*
3
6
40
-/- [3]
[67+] (2 spaces)
Transport Unit (Heli, CH-53 Yas’ur)
Transport
-
2/50*
4
6
80
-/- [1]
[73+] (12 spaces)
During the 1956 Suez Crisis, Britain used the Centurion, LVT and Sea Hawk (none were used by
Israel). During the same conflict, France used the M-47 Patton and the AMX-13 (the Patton wasn’t
used by Israel at all).
Cold War Commander
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
68
Israeli Army, Arab-Israeli Wars/Modern (1956+)
Special Rules
• Flexible tactical doctrine
• Counter-battery capability from 1967
• Air Superiority: +1 modifier to die roll in 1956, +2 modifier to die roll 1967+
• Infiltration: +2 to command value for flank deployment
• Air Support: Any command unit can request air support using the command value of the FAC, but with a -1 penalty
• Combined-Arms: -1 command penalty when issuing orders to mixed infantry-armour formations and +1 die for artillery/
aircraft deviation in 1973
• You may schedule one ambush before the start of the game (50 points)
• Assets include Artillery HE (max 2 per unit, 10 points each), Artillery Smoke (max 1 per unit, 20 points each), Artillery
Illumination (max 1 per unit, 20 points each), Aircraft Ground-Attack (max 4 per unit, 10 points each), Aircraft Air Assault
(max 1 per unit, 50 points each)
Battlegroup Selection
An Israeli infantry battalion comprised of 3
• Max one recce unit per 1000 points
infantry companies, each with 3 platoons of 3
• Max nine Para units per 1000 points
squads. Battalion support included RR/ATGW &
• Max two RR/ATGW support units per 1000 points
120mm mortars, company support included HMGs &
• Max three mortar support units per 1000 points
81mm mortars. Recce & combat engineers could be
• Max one heavy mortar support unit per 1000 points
attached as necessary.
• Max nine tank units per 1000 points
Israeli tank battalions comprised of 3-4 tank
• Max three SPAT/ATGW units per battlegroup
companies, each with 3 platoons of 3 tanks.
• Max one air defence unit per 1000 points
Tank battalions generally had one type of tank.
• Max three artillery units per battlegroup
• Max three aircraft units per battlegroup
• Max three transport helicopters per battlegroup (excluding Bell 47/206)
Note 1. Infantry Unit - Paras
• Elite: No command penalty for assaulting the enemy and +1 attack in close assault
Note 2. Tank Unit - M48 Magach, Blazer/M60 Blazer
• ERA: Roll armour saves of 4+ when hit by ATGW/IATW to the front
Note 3. Tank Unit - Merkava Mk 1-4
• May carry one infantry unit inside the rear of the hull
• Composite Armour: Roll armour saves as normal when hit by ATGW/IATW to the front
Note 4. Attack Helicopter - AH1 Hueycobra
• 6/150 attacks against armour, guns, soft-vehicles, helicopters and constructions using ATGW (TOW)
Note 5. Transport Unit - M113 Zelda
• ERA: Roll armour saves of 5+ when hit by IATW from any direction
The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1956 & 1967
The first major conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis was in 1956, during the Suez Crisis. The
conflict pitted Egypt against an alliance between the United Kingdom, France and Israel. On the 29th
October 1956, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula and made rapid progress towards
the Suez Canal, which had been closed by Egypt, thus initiating the conflict. British paratroops were
involved in the world’s first heli-borne assault when they were dropped at El Gamil Airfield on the 5th
of November, followed by an amphibious landing by Royal Marine Commandos the next day. French
paratroops were dropped to secure major bridges over the canal. Further French paratroops were
dropped to secure Port Fuad. Militarily, the operation to secure the canal was a success, but the conflict
ended when the United States forced the British and French to withdraw due to political reasons.
The next conflict occurred in 1967, when Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Egypt due to
the latter’s increased military activity near the Israeli border in the Sinai Peninsula. Known as the Six
Day War, the Israelis began the conflict by destroying the Egyptian air force on the ground during the
first day. The ground offensive saw an Israeli invasion of Egypt begin on the 6th June and end with the
defeat of Egypt in the Sinai three days later.
Shortly after the Israeli attack against Egypt, the Jordanians amassed near the Israeli border and
again, the Israelis launched a pre-emptive strike. They defeated the Jordanians within three days.
To the north, the Syrian air force came under Israeli attack, losing two-thirds of its strength in the
process. Israeli ground forces moved in to occupy the Golan Heights, although there was little combat
as the Syrians had withdrawn in good order.
69
Timothy Samalik (Order #25412589)
Cold War Commander