AE WWII

Jeremy Bernhardt (order #2415176) 65.166.54.45

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game creation and designMatthew HopeRobert Kingery

creative directorRobert Kingery

lead game designerMatthew Hope

contributorsKevin CowdreyJohn HelmerDavis KingsleyDavid SiningerJoe TuzzolinoDan Weber

design & layoutCrystal Kingery

cover artBrian Samms

lead concept artistPeter Johnston

contributing artistsChris DamaskMatthew EllingerAaron GillespieMark JaworskiKirill KanaevMark KayAleksandr KursovMichael LinkeAnna “Ana” MachowskaJC McDanielRobert PalfreyJoep PetersSteven SkidmoreJason WeibeMaciej Zylewicz

writersMatthew HopeClint Werner

chief editorDr. Richard Flynn

terrainESLO TerrainPegasus Hobbies

photographyRobert Kingery

castingCipher Studios

playtestersChris AbratteKevin CowderyRhett CummingGuy DampierMax DampierJean Marie DehlingerRichard DixonKenneth FordDominic GohJaroslaw GrabowskiBurkhard HannigDavid HayJohn HelmerDaniel HopeChristian HundahlPeter JenischKevin JonesMichael KarnsTom KileyDavis KingsleyFernando LopezCarl OlsenPaul PietschSteve ReiberPascal SaradjianDavid SiningerEric SolieChristian SteimelCarl StoelzelAaron VinesDan WeberClint WernerMaciej Zylewicz

The Darkson Designs team would like to extend our most greatful and sincerest thanks to Matthew Hope for all his effort and hard work in making AE-WWII a reality, without you this project would still be just a thought. We would also like to thank Clint Werner for his incredible stories that helped to bring life into AE-WWII. Also, we can’t forget our great group of playtesters, thank you for all your testing, critiques, feedback, and comments.


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publisher:Darkson Designs 7201 Garden Grove Blvd. Ste. AGarden Grove, CA 92841 USAwww.darksondesigns.com | [email protected]

Copyright © 2007 Darkson Designs All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-0-9766410-4-9First Printing, December 2007. Printed in the USA.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserve above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher of this book. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law.

Introduction..............................................................................4City of Twilight..........................................................................5Background & Setting.............................................................13Timeline..................................................................................30

core rulesCharacteristics...................................................................40

Attributes..............................................................................40Special Abilities....................................................................40Troop Type/Training Level...................................................42Action Points........................................................................42Unit Type..............................................................................42

Game Play................................................................................48The Turn................................................................................48Actions.................................................................................48Action Type...........................................................................48

Movement...............................................................................49Combat....................................................................................50

Ranged Combat....................................................................50The Weapons of War.............................................................52Weapon List..........................................................................55Weapon Descriptions............................................................56Close Combat.......................................................................59

Morale.....................................................................................60Vehicles....................................................................................62

Vehicle Characteristics.........................................................62Vehicle Crews.......................................................................63Vehicle Actions.....................................................................64

Vehicle List..............................................................................66Force Organization...................................................................70

Detachment Types................................................................70Special Orders ......................................................................74

Scenarios & Objectives............................................................76Scenarios..............................................................................76Scenario Descriptions...........................................................77Scenario Special Rules.........................................................82Secondary Objective Descriptions........................................82

Campaigns..............................................................................84Campaign Types...................................................................84Campaign Structure..............................................................84Following A Campaign.........................................................85Sample Campaign - A Fool’s Errand....................................87Sample Campaign - The Rockets Of St. Michele.................96

Bloody Winter........................................................................105

german geneticistsSonderbuero 13.......................................................................110German List............................................................................117Sample List.............................................................................124Painting Guide........................................................................125

american sci-techCaptain Wolf...........................................................................127ARPA.....................................................................................129American List.........................................................................135Sample List.............................................................................143Painting Guide........................................................................144

soviet psiKhaymovich Interviews.........................................................1464th Special Department..........................................................148Soviet List..............................................................................155Sample List.............................................................................162Painting Guide........................................................................163

Subhuman.............................................................................164Lexicon..............................................................................168References.........................................................................170Index.................................................................................171Quick Reference Tables.........................................................172


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Alternate Events: World War II is a skirmish-based miniatures game set in the retro sci-fi setting of an alternate World War II. The game is intended for use with the Darkson Designs line of AE-WWII ‘true’ 28mm models but is compatible with any 1/48 scale models or miniatures.

AE-WWII presents players with a war quite different from the one found in the history books. Here, the war has dragged on and neither the Axis nor the Allies have been able to secure a victory. By spring of 1946 the confl ict has devolved into a bloody war of attrition and all sides turn to new advances in science, technology and even the occult to try and achieve victory. As you will see from the alternate history presented here, the war continues along much the same lines it had in our past, but different forks in the timeline have led the world to a different place; a place of frightening weapons of war, a place of faltering alliances, a place of death and heroism, a place of never-ending war.

AE-WWII combines war-gaming and historical fi ction into a game that has much to offer fans of both. With a fl exible, points-free detachment design system players can create purely historical forces or units comprised entirely of the terrifying new wonder weapons available to each side of the confl ict. In AE-WWII it’s up to the players to decide how historical or how fi ctional the game will be.

The rules presented here make for exciting, fast-paced games that can be played in anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. Games of AE-WWII can often be decided quickly with one side achieving victory over the other in a few short turns. Alternatively, battles can drag on, with neither side able to break the other as each player desperately tries to eliminate their opponent. With our three-pronged victory condition system, each scenario of AE-WWII forces players to attempt to achieve primary and secondary objectives as well as keep in mind their casualty rates; games of AE-WWII can often end in ties, such are the harsh realities of war.

Each player of AE-WWII controls a detachment, which is roughly a single squad of soldiers. This smaller model count makes it easy to collect enough miniatures to get into the game quickly, without the need for a large investment of time and money. In addition, it keeps games fast and fun. The rules allow for multiple detachment games, giving players the option to expand the game to the platoon level with little need for adjustment to the rules. We’ve

also included rules for light vehicles, which let players put into use any of the various 1/43, 1/48 and 1/50 scale WWII model vehicle kits available on the market.

AE-WWII has been designed by gamers and history nuts who have a passion for gaming and for our past. We feel that the attention to detail placed in the game and into its setting creates a game that is both easy to learn and fun to play. Each skirmish takes place in a setting rich in historical accuracy blended with exciting fi ction. We hope we have captured the feel of an alternate World War II setting mixed with our unique retro sci-fi fl avor.

sidebarsThroughout this book we will present tips, hints, strategies and interesting facts in the form of sidebars. In House will provide readers with strategies and tips used by the game designers for our own games, while the Fact vs. Fictionsidebars will show the differences between the facts of World War II and the fi ctional material created for this game.


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Sergeant Frank Miller chewed on the mushy stump of an old cigar, his Thompson sub-machine gun resting casually against his hip. The sounds of a city gone mad bellowed in his ears, the sound of thousands of voices lifted in celebration, laughing, shouting and cheering as the dark shroud that had hovered over them for four years was fi nally pulled away. Everywhere Sgt Miller turned, all he could see was a sea of smiles, jubilant faces glowing in the vibrant light of a new dawn. The French tricolor fl ag was waving above the crowds that thronged the streets, homemade signs praising everyone from De Gaulle to MacArthur and Roosevelt sprouted like weeds among the mob. Flowers littered the street as French women and children threw them to the marching Americans.

The mad joy had infected Miller’s men. Hitching a ride on one of the T14 assault tanks from 3rd Army’s armoured division, the squad was entering the city in style. Every inch of the tank’s thick hull was covered in grimy GIs, their boots caked in mud, their fatigues powdered with the dust of their long march up from the Riviera. He saw Herwig, the mop-headed little lawyer’s kid from Toledo grinning like an idiot, letting the cheers of the crowd saturate him from nose to toes. He had one arm wrapped around a bottle of wine some shrivelled old man had darted into the road to give him, narrowly missing being ground under the tank’s tracks. His other arm was buried in a loaf of bread big enough to gag a moose and he was trying to fi gure out how to make room for a basket of apples a doe-eyed French girl was struggling to lift up to him from the street. Simpson, the podgy welder from El Paso made it easy for him. Holding onto the cannon with one hand, he swung out over the street like the prodigal missing link and grabbed the basket. The dark-haired corporal swung back,

revelling in the laughter of his squad. He beat a sunburnt hand against his breast and hooted at his comrades.

‘Cut the malarkey, Tubby,’ Miller growled, ‘you ain’t King Kong.’ Simpson stared at him, eyes downcast like a scolded school boy. Miller shook his head. Were these really the same men he’d come through Sicily and Avignon with? The men who had fought their way through Mussolini’s Black Brigade and the 14th German Panzer Corps, the men who had stood their ground and blasted away at the drooling, degenerate horrors the Italians had set loose when they realized they couldn’t hold the island? Were these the same men who had fought through the Vichy Milice and the Waffen SS after landing in France? He’d seen Simpson knock out a German halftrack and mow down the survivors as they crawled out of the wreckage. He’d seen Herwig take out a German pillbox outside Nimes with only a few grenades and his trench knife. He’d seen Pollock standing in the middle of a fi eld emptying his BAR into a diving Stuka. It didn’t seem possible that these were the same men, laughing and joking like a bunch of kids. It wasn’t right.

‘What’s eatin’ ya Sarge?’ The question came from Charlie Benton, a freckle-faced rifl eman from the San Gabriel Valley. He’d joined up with the squad after ’44, when a lot of guys were being reassigned. After D-Day, there were a lot of outfi ts that simply weren’t around any more. ‘It’s a big day! We’re heroes, driving the krauts out of Paris without even fi rin’ a shot! You’ve got to be harder’n a sledgehammer not to be feelin’ giddy just now yerself!’

Miller scowled back at Benton, but the Californian was right – it


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was a big day and by all rights he should be grinning just as big as all them Parisians lining the streets. But somehow he couldn’t relax, couldn’t let himself give in to the situation. Tiny alarm bells were going off in the back of his brain, telling him to keep his eyes open and a steady grip on his Thompson.

‘It ain’t right,’ Miller confi ded to Benton. ‘You ever been on the beach and fell asleep and had them little black ants start crawlin’ on you? That’s how I feel right now, like my skin’s just itchin’ and squirmin.’ The sergeant looked away from the rifl eman, glancing at the joyous crowd in the street. ‘Don’t this feel wrong to you? How long you been fi ghtin’ Fritz? Two years? Three? I signed up right after Pearl, been in every damn engagement from Morocco to Avignon and if there’s one thing I’ve learned is that Fritz doesn’t give nothin’ away for free!’ He looked up into the sky, watching the puffy white clouds roll across the pristine summer sky. ‘I can’t get into all this celebratin’ Benton, ‘cause I’m too busy waitin’ for the other shoe to fall.’

Benton left his sergeant to his thoughts, turning to fi nd more pleasant company among the other grunts crowded on top of the tank. Miller didn’t even notice him, too busy watching the crowd, watching the buildings, watching the sky. If there’d ever been a safe bet, a sure thing, Miller would have placed his money on the Germans fi ghting tooth and nail for every street corner and back alley before they let the French have Paris back. The scene around him was surreal, almost dreamlike. He kept waiting for saboteurs or snipers or a squadron of Heinkels to pop up. Every minute that passed, Miller’s tension grew. No way was it going to be this easy.

A sudden disturbance in the street ahead caused the tank in front of them to stop, bringing the entire column to a halt. Cursing from behind him told Miller that O’Connor hadn’t been ready for the sudden stop, jostling forward and chipping a tooth on one of the T14’s hatches. Without turning, Miller snarled for his man to keep quiet. Something was happening forward, and he wanted to know what it was. Faintly, above the rumble of the tank engines and the roar of the crowd, Miller could hear somebody yelling. He spun around, grabbing a fi stful of fatigues and pulling the GI in them with him as he dropped down from the tank and ambled to the front of the line.

‘What the hell, Sarge?’ complained Private Ned Banks, the barrel-chested youth from Ohio he’d encouraged to join him for a walk.

‘Somethin’s up and I’m gonna see what,’ Miller told him without breaking stride. ‘Might need you to parley some francais for me.’ The sergeant and his soldier came to the front of the idling T14. There was a French offi cer standing in front of the tank, shouting and posturing up to the tank commander, trying to make himself understood. The perplexed tank man kept shaking his head, responding to everything the offi cer shouted at him with a frustrated ‘Hey, Mack, I don’t speak French.’

‘That’s okay, buddy, I got a fella from my squad can do the translatin’,’ Miller said, intruding on the scene. The exasperated French colonel was visibly relieved when Banks came forward and started to translate his needs for the tank crew. Miller followed

the exchange closely, eyes narrowing as his mind turned over the details. It seemed that not all the Germans had bugged out the minute De Gaulle and Bradley started rolling into Paris. A handful of them were left behind, offi cers and administrators for Field Marshal von Choltitz’s military government. They were holed up inside the Kommandantur, the headquarters from which von Choltitz had controlled the city, refusing to surrender until they had General de Gaulle’s personal assurance that they would be treated as prisoners of war rather than shot out of hand by some of the fanatics in the Maquis. The French colonel wasn’t about to bother the leader of the Free French with such a trifl ing matter and felt that a display of force would get the Germans to surrender every bit as quickly as the famous general.

Sgt Miller considered everything the French colonel said, going over it with all the suspicion that had kept him alive since ’42. At length he spat his cigar out and ground it under his boot. ‘Tell the colonel to keep his drawers on, Banks. If the tank boys ain’t up to it, I know some grunts that’d jump at the chance to give him a hand.’

‘You do, Sarge?’ Banks asked, a worried gloom pulling at his face.

‘Yeah,’ Miller replied. ‘Us.’

The Kommandantur was situated on the rue de Rivoli in the building that had been the opulent Hotel Meurice. The Germans had appropriated the hotel in 1940, using the massive structure as their headquarters in the city. Miller could feel the change in the air as their T14 rumbled toward the infamous Kommandantur, where the German Gestapo had transformed the expansive cellars into cells and interrogation rooms. Sandbags and barbed wire lined the lower windows, hasty defenses erected by von Choltitz against an uprising among the supposedly docile population. Here there were no cheering crowds, no jubilant throngs, only hard-faced fi ghters in grubby civilian clothes fi ngering captured Schmeissers and British Sten guns, glaring hate at the crimson fl ags fl ying from the balconies of the hotel, at the massive iron eagle bolted above the main entrance. From his perch on the tank, Miller could see that there must be hundreds of armed Maquis surrounding the Kommandantur and only a few dozen soldiers in the green fatigues of the Free French army. Maybe the krauts pinned down inside weren’t so batty trying to stay holed up inside. One look at that mob and any German would start to feel a noose drawing tight around his neck.

Beyond the ring of Maquis and the handful of French soldiers, there was a perimeter of several hundred civilians, drawn to the spectacle unfolding at the Kommandantur with the same morbid curiosity that makes motorists slow down as they pass an accident. There were none of the cheers and shouts that marked the crowd lining the Champs Elysees, only a tense, expectant quiet. That crawling feeling was getting so bad that Miller started to scratch his arm.

The French colonel dropped down from the lead tank, every eye in the crowd on him as he swaggered past his men and the partisans. The T14 he had climbed aboard swung around, rumbling into a position on the left fl ank of the entrance while


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the second T14 turned to the right. As it settled into its spot, Miller and his men dropped down from their seats on the hull, circling the tank and using its bulk for cover. If anybody in the Kommandantur started getting trigger happy, Miller would feel better with a couple feet of steel and armour plate between him and the hotel. A pair of offi cers joined the colonel and approached the building.

‘Hello to hotel!’ a French captain shouted, cupping a hand to his face. ‘I ask you again to lay down you weepons an’ surrender!’ He looked aside at the two immense tanks now fl anking the building. ‘As you can see, you are in no position for negotiate! Come out now an’ you weel not be harm!’

The little alarm bells were now positively thundering in Miller’s brain. He glanced over at Private Banks. ‘Why the hell are they yelling at them in English?’ he wondered. Pollack shrugged his shoulders.

‘Maybe none of ‘em speak German,’ he suggested.

‘Yeah, but you’d expect krauts stationed at the Paris headquarters to speak some French,’ Benton replied. That little worried itch that had been plaguing Miller seemed to have passed itself on to the rifl eman. Benton slid back the action on his weapon, checking the round in the chamber. The rest of the squad turned worried looks toward the hotel.

‘We speak mit der General!’ an angry voice snarled from behind one of the cage-faced windows on the lower fl oor of the hotel. ‘You fellows we are not trusting! Bring der General. We will mit him speak!’

The German’s tone seemed to infuriate the captain. He translated the exchange for the colonel beside him and Miller could see the Frenchman’s face grow red with anger. He snapped something to the captain, and even without understanding what was being said, Miller could feel the venom in his words. The captain turned back to the hotel.

‘You weel surrender to us! The general is not coming! He has important things than waste time with some stubborn bosch! Come out now, or face consequence!’

The reply to the captain’s demands was as sudden as it was brutal. There was a bright fl ash at one of the windows, then a loud boom as a ball of fl ame enveloped the captain, hurling his twisted carcass a dozen yards into the park across the street. The offi cer beside him was thrown by the explosion, smacking into the hull of the T14 with an impact that caved his chest like an old eggshell. The colonel was knocked down, rolling across the cobblestones like a battered tumbleweed, his tunic stained crimson where shrapnel had ripped into it.

‘Panzerfaust!’ Pollack screamed. The cry had Miller’s men scattering from the backside of the T14 like rats. Most of the French soldiers were still stunned by the horrifi c death of their captain, but a few of the partisans were peppering the walls and windows of the Kommandantur with automatic fi re. Whoever had fi red the anti-tank rocket into the captain’s chest had either

been caught in the fi re or else was keeping his head down. Soon the .50 calibres mounted on the turrets of the T14s were adding to the shower of lead slamming into the façade of the hotel. Even Miller was impressed by the amount of fi re being directed into the Kommandantur. Nothing alive could stick its neck out under that kind of fi re.

Unfortunately, Miller had seen for himself that some of the things fi ghting for the Reich weren’t exactly alive.

The fi rst one emerged from the main entrance, its anti-septic reek of chemicals and lubricants overwhelming even the stink of gunpowder in the air. In shape, it wasn’t so dissimilar to a man, after all, it had been human… once. But the devil doctor’s of the Reich’s Sonderbuero 13 had changed whoever it had been, discarding its humanity and replacing it with steel and wire, with drugs and chemicals that deadened the brain until only one thing remained – the need to kill! The thing’s withered frame was like that of some scarecrow wandered out of its fi eld, but the scrawny body was deceptive. There might not be any meat clinging to the thing’s bones, but there was plenty of muscle. About the thing’s waist was a metal belt, its surface covered in little steel bottles. Big rubber tubes stretched from the bottles to grotesque sockets in the thing’s chest, pumping their hideous chemicals straight into its heart. Veins black with poison oozed beneath the thing’s drawn, sickly skin. The head was withered and hairless, wasted into a living skull. The face was hidden behind a rubber gasmask-type covering, recycling the drug-ridden air the thing was spitting up from its body and forcing it back down into its lungs. The dark goggles of the mask stared blankly from above the insect-like snout, but there was no mistaking the ferocity smouldering behind the blackened lenses.

Miller had seen them before, in Sicily, later on the Gustav Line in Italy. HQ called them ‘Emaciated Troopers’, deriding them as some sick attempt by the Germans to recycle their wounded by turning them into doped-up bullet-stoppers. They weren’t a serious threat, HQ said, so long as the boys in the fi eld kept their wits about them and didn’t panic. Miller wondered if HQ believed half of the swill they told their ‘boys’.

The Emaciated Trooper stood in the doorway for a few seconds, it took that long for the guys fi ring on the hotel to get over the shock of its ghastly appearance. Then somebody opened up on the thing, bullets slamming into it like a prize fi ghter throwing jabs at a slab of beef. The thing paid about as much attention to the bullets as a slab of beef, its wasted husk tearing and ripping as the rounds shredded into it. Its head swung around, the insect face glaring at the partisan who had opened up on it. From behind the mask came a gurgling, liquid snarl and the thing leapt forward, sprinting across the street with a speed Jesse Owens only dreamed about. As it ran, it lifted the huge, over-sized nightmares some psychopath had decided would make nice replacements for its arms.

The partisan shrieked as the Emaciated Trooper brought its left arm scything down across his chest, ripping him open from shoulder to spleen. Miller saw the arm gleaming wetly in the summer sun, a thin length of steel jointed at its midsection before stabbing into the big ball socket that had replaced the


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thing’s own shoulder. At the end of the steel rod, where a man’s hand would be, was a set of jagged triangular blades, like a madman’s interpretation of a bear claw. The mangled Frenchman dropped, so overwhelmed with pain and shock that no sound came from his writhing lips. Now others were fi ring at the creature, partisans, French soldiers, even one of the tankers had swung his turret around so he could cut the thing down with the Ma Deuce mounted over the hatch. The Emaciated Trooper’s body jerked and danced as the bullets slammed into it, tearing it apart. The chemical stink intensifi ed as the cylinders on its belt ruptured. Even so, with its desiccated body being torn asunder, the creature had enough strength to bring its other arm snapping down at the mortally wounded maquisard. Instead of the rake-like fi tting of its other hand, the Emaciated Trooper’s left arm ended in a pair of massive industrial sheers. The huge blades fl ashed shut across the Frenchman’s neck, cutting through it as cleanly as the stem of a dandelion. Then the abomination was down, its inhuman vitality at last overcome by the .50 calibre rounds sawing into it from the turret of the T14. Its spine severed, the monstrosity crumpled into the street, stagnant blood and pungent chemicals draining out of its tortured husk.

Even as the Emaciated Trooper grew still and the horror of its sudden appearance was beginning to lift, a terrifi c series of explosions rocked the street, throwing men to the dirt. A cloud of chalky white dust billowed from the Kommandantur, sweeping over the tanks and the partisans. Miller cursed at himself. The abomination the Germans had sent through the doorway had been a diversion, something to keep everybody’s attention while they got down to the real work. Charges had exploded across the sides of the hotel, gouging gaping holes in the façade. Through the smoke and dust, Miller could see shapes sprinting through the rubble – lean gangly fi gures with limbs of steel fused to their shoulders. Before Miller could react, the Emaciated Troopers were in among the staggering partisans, their murderous claws scything through the Frenchmen.

‘Tubby!’ Miller roared to Private Simpson. The chubby GI looked over at his leader. Already the heavy BAR was in his hands, Miller had caught him as Simpson started to crane his body around the T14’s exhaust to spray the enemies spilling from the ruptured hotel. ‘More Scrawnies, Tubby! Switch to HE!’

Simpson nodded his understanding, ripping the magazine from the underside of the automatic rifl e. He fumbled in the leather ammo bag slung over his shoulder for a moment, then slammed a fresh magazine into the weapon. Miller could see the distinctive red dot on the side of the magazine, denoting the high-explosive T99 bullets contained within. By the time Simpson swung back around to fi nd a target, several of the French soldiers had recovered and were fi ring everything they had into the German abominations. Even some of Miller’s men were getting in on the action, fi ring their carbines at the oncoming horrors. But American or Frenchman, the fi re was only slowing the monstrosities down, it took a lot more force than a 9mm or even a thirty aught six could deliver to drop an Emaciated Trooper for good. It was one

of the reasons the Army had started issuing 40 round magazines for the Browning Automatic Rifl e, and giving the men equipped with the weapons a healthy supply of HE ammo.

Tubby sprang from behind the T14 and delivered a one-man fusillade that had the Emaciated Troopers on his side of the tank reeling. Wherever his slugs hit, a chunk of meat the size of a watermelon was blown away. Miller didn’t care what kind of drugs the Germans had their monsters doped up with, nothing shrugged off that kind of damage. The blasted, mangled Scrawnies were littered among their dismembered victims like so many crushed insects, their broken limbs fl ailing uselessly at the uncaring sky. Simpson gave a whoop of satisfaction and dropped back into cover to slap a fresh magazine into the BAR. On the other side of the street, the second T14 was raking the Emaciated Troopers with machine gun fi re, cutting them down at the waist. The tankers weren’t taking any chances, however,

and soon the big 75mm main gun was craning downward. There was a bestial roar and the muzzle of the cannon exploded with fl ame. The shell smashed into the debris now surrounding the Kommandantur, instantly bursting and scattering a burning paste against the side of the building and all around the mangled Emaciated Troopers. The white phosphorous from the shell sizzled and burned as it chewed its way through the twisted fl esh it landed upon.

The ground rumbled again as still another explosion shook the street. Miller’s ears were ringing as he threw himself to the ground, pressing his face against the cobblestones. Shreds of steel fl ew through the air above him, decapitating the tank commander leaning from the hatch of their T14. The other T14 was billowing smoke from the mangled ruin of its turret. A second explosion shook the heavy tank and tongues of fl ame erupted from every hatch on the T14’s hull. A screaming tanker tried to claw his way from the wreckage, his body enveloped in fi re. He only got as far as getting his head and shoulders clear before he slumped against the hatch and cooked with the rest of his crew.


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The culprits for the destruction of the T14 strode through the smoke and rubble, towering above the destruction like ancient pagan gods. They stood nine feet tall if they were an inch, their bodies swollen with muscle, their cruel faces twisted and distorted with an inhuman, malignant power. Veins stood clear and bold against their fl esh, pulsing green as they pumped chemical strength through the immense bodies. Black fatigues struggled to contain their enormity, the little gold badges of the German Waffen SD standing out upon the collars of their fatigues. One of the juggernauts wore a black steel helmet one his head, the other sported a narrow-brimmed fatigue cap, the SD skull insignia grinning from its brow. All this Miller saw in the span of a heartbeat, then his eyes were locked on the weapons fi lling the paws of the two giants. The one with the helmet was carrying an over-sized panzerfaust in his hands, a thick leather bandolier crossing his enormous chest held three more of the anti-tank rockets, two of the loops empty after he’d sent their contents slamming into the T14. The other giant held an MG42 in each of his fi sts. The huge German roared like the very devil and opened fi re on the largest cluster of partisans he could fi nd, the automatic fi re slashing through the maquisardes as they scrambled for cover. Miller had heard rumours of these brutes, but had never seen them before. Rohlingsoldaten was what the Germans called them, but the Brits had nicknamed them ‘ogres’ and the British slang had passed on into use by their American allies. Whatever the name, Miller would have preferred if the monsters had remained just a rumour.

‘Simpson! Banks! Herwig!’ Miller shouted, picking himself from the cobbles and tightening his grip on his Thompson. He stabbed a fi nger in the direction of the Ogres. Already the one with the panzerfaust was swinging around for a shot at the other tank. Considering that they were still using the T14 for cover,

Miller didn’t want to give the monster the chance to take that shot. However, when he started pouring lead at the giant, he found that he was alone. The rest of the squad were busy with their own problems. A second wave of Germans had burst out of the Kommandantur. Miller should have expected as much, the Germans often used their Emaciated Troopers as a covering force for their regular soldiers, letting the abominations soak up fi re while the real krauts got into position. He risked a quick look, seeing the debris fi eld beside the hotel alive with German soldiers in black fatigues and camoufl age smocks, their faces hidden behind rubber breathing masks. Simpson, the partisans and the crew of the T14 were too occupied trying to keep the SD regulars from overrunning them to notice the menace that had appeared on the other side of the hotel. That meant it was all up to him.

Miller’s fi re raked across the ground and sprayed over the Ogre as he crouched to fi re his shot. Spurts of green-colored blood exploded from the injured giant and the German dove for cover. With his comrade keeping the French down and the Waffen SD regulars converging on the other T14, the Ogre was surprised by the sudden attack. He rolled behind the burning tank he had destroyed as Miller shifted his aim and chased him with automatic fi re. The brute was far from agile, but with his ears still ringing from the explosion, Miller’s aim was anything but steady. He lost sight of the giant as the monster gained the shelter of its smouldering victim. Then Miller himself was diving for cover, a half-articulate warning bellowing from his lungs. The sergeant found himself scrambling across the blood-slick cobbles, only looking back once he’d reached the park. He felt a hot, hateful pain rip through his gut as he saw the crumpled bodies splashed across the side of the T14. Simpson, Herwig, Pollack, Banks, all of them were lying there in the gutter, their bodies torn apart by the burst of fi re Miller had so narrowly evaded. He hadn’t seen


10

the regular German soldiers who had followed the two giants out of the Kommandantur, but they had taken notice of him as soon as he opened fi re on their chemically-infused godling. They’d closed in while he was trying to pin down the Ogre, then let loose with their StG45s. The assault rifl es sent a shower of high-velocity death cascading along the hull of the T14, knocking down the men from Miller’s squad like tenpins.

Miller glared at the SD regulars as they sprinted toward the embattled tank. The commander had already abandoned the turret, retreating down into the interior of the T14. Unlike its counterpart, the remaining T14 didn’t have a hull-mounted machine gun and the Germans were much too close to use the main gun. Miller tried to work the action of his Thompson, intending to relieve the beleaguered tank, but found that his weapon had jammed during his violent scramble to save himself. It turned out he didn’t need to. The Waffen SD regulars were old hands at knocking out tanks, as they sprinted toward it, they shouldered their rifl es and tore hafthohlladung from their belts. The shaped mines possessed strong magnets that would fi x them fi rmly to an armoured hull. Even the heaviest armour plate wasn’t able to stand up to the punch these insidious little bombs packed. There were entire scrapyards in the Ukraine that gave ugly testament to just how profi cient the Germans were at slapping these nasties on even a mobile victim.

The T14, however, wasn’t quite the sitting duck the Germans had been expecting. The absence of a machine gun on the hull was because the extra space the gunner would occupy was taken up by a much different sort of equipment. The T14 Miller’s squad had hitched a ride on had been outfi tted as an ‘assault support tank’, expected to do its part in any close-in, house-to-house fi ghting. As the Germans scrambled near the hull, the crew inside activated that special equipment, a bit of experimental science from San Diablo called a ‘Tesla-skin’. The bulky generator inside the tank sent a crackling current of electricity rippling about the vehicle, sending 2,000 volts shooting through anything touching the exterior of the hull. The Germans assaulting the tank didn’t know what hit them, two of them being thrown back as the electricity shot into them, leaving them smoking husks on the street. The others turned to run, their morale shaken by the gruesome display. Miller drew his pistol, determined that none of them would reach cover, not after slaughtering his men.

‘Let me grease ‘em, Sarge.’ Miller turned his head to fi nd Private Benton beside him. At least one man from his squad had acted quick enough to take advantage of his warning. Benton had the dark plexiglass visor of his helmet down. Unlike the rest of Miller’s men, there was no armoured steel plate covering Benton’s chest, instead he wore a thickly insulated rubber smock and immense padded gauntlets. Benton’s weapon was fi tted to his arm with plastic cuffs, held against his body to prevent it from jumping when he fi red it. The gun was an oversized tube of non-conductive metal with a set of forked, copper tongues protruding from the end. Miller nodded to Benton, reaching up and wrenching the crank to ignite the electrical powerplant Benton wore on his back and which was connected to his weapon by a series of cables. After the third rotation, the generator crackled into life. The Germans had already reached cover, but Benton resolutely stood up and directed his fi re at

the pile of rubble they had converged on. The bucking beam of electricity that surged from the copper tongues sent a stink of ozone into the air as it crackled across the street. The beam struck the rubble with the impact of a lightning bolt, melting the bricks into slag and scattering the Germans with the force of its explosive impact. Two of the Germans stayed still when they crashed against the ground, but the third rose and tried to aim his StG45 at Benton. The American shifted the course of the beam, sending the electrical discharge slamming into the German and burning a hole clean through his chest.

They called men like Benton, ‘Zappers’ in the slang of the overseas GI, and for all the awfulness of the bulky directed-energy projector they carried, Miller wouldn’t trade them for a platoon of Shermans. The electrocution guns did wonders for spooking the Germans, giving them a taste of their own medicine. The krauts could keep their monsters, Miller had President MacArthur and Nikola Tesla behind him.

Automatic fi re caused Benton to kill the energy shooting from his weapon and drop back into the dirt. Miller dropped with him, trying to fl atten himself as bullets whistled over their heads. He lifted his head just enough to see the German Ogre with the machine guns come circling around the burning tank, his face contorted with rage, like some pagan god that had clawed its way out of its own grave. The butchery the Ogre had wrecked on the partisans had been hideous enough that there was nobody left to fi re on him – either lying mangled in the street or else having fl ed into the park. The remaining T14 noticed the brute’s advance and swung its turret around to target him with the main cannon. The gun barked, but the shell crashed a dozen yards past its intended target. Big as he was, the Ogre was a much smaller victim than the enemy armour and fi xed emplacements that the tankers were more used to aiming at. Before they could fi re again, the Ogre Miller had chased with his Thompson came back into view, fi ring a panzerfaust at the T14. The rocket cracked against the turret, blackening the hull and twisting the metal. The T14’s turret refused to rotate as the tankers recognized their immediate threat, the ring bent in such a way that it had become locked in position. The driver pivoted the tank sharply, causing it to slide forward as the left track lunged into life.

Before the tank could maneuver further, a gigantic shape emerged from the Kommandantur, pushing its way through the rubble, dwarfi ng even the Ogres. Miller felt an icy chill run down his back. He’d seen one of these before, in Toulon, but that one had been dead. He’d been horrifi ed by it then, even his unimaginative mind easily capable of conjuring a picture of how terrifying the thing had been when alive. Now that he saw one roaring in the jagged fi ssure that gaped in the side of the hotel, Miller realised that mental picture had been woefully short of the reality.

It was at least twelve feet from the tip of its domed skull to the soles of its wide-toed feet. Its immense chest was fi ve feet across at the shoulders if it was an inch, its arms as thick around as a telephone pole. Most of the beast was covered in stringy black hair, but Miller could see patches where the hair had worn away, exposing dark grey skin. The head was the heavy-jawed, low browed visage of an ape, more kindred to some monstrous


11

gorilla than anything else. Upon its brow, a serial number had been branded and the brute’s massive body was covered in welts and scars. It made sense that the SD had been less than gentle breaking such a beast to their will. Compassion was one of the weaknesses the German Führer was trying to purge from the human race.

The ape’s arms were gone, long since cut away by Sonderbuero surgeons and replaced with mechanical limbs of steel and wire. The monster brought its metal paws smashing against its own chest, producing a deep, rumbling roar like the growl of thunder. Miller supposed the sound might be one of the reasons the Germans had designated these monsters Sturmaffen.

The tank crew noted the appearance of the Sturmaffe and hastily tried to maneuver the T14 around, to bring the main gun to bear against the monstrosity. Even as they did, the giant ape was in motion, galloping across the ground like a charging bull. The sight was fearsome, Miller could imagine it was even more so for the men inside the tank. Certainly it was blind terror that made the T14’s commander throw back the hatch and rise from the crippled turret to seize the .50 mounted there. He hadn’t even worked the action of the machine gun before a Waffen SD regular took his head off with a burst from his assault rifl e. Framed in the jagged opening beside the Sturmaffe were several Germans, their faces hidden behind the expressionless breathing masks. Only their leader went with his features exposed, a hard, cruel countenance that was pulled to one side by a ragged scar that ran from temple to jaw. The offi cer wore a soft peaked cap, its brim polished to a gleaming shine, matching the riot of medals and decorations that covered the breast of his black tunic. The

SD offi cer’s face contorted into a wicked grin as he lowered his smoking StG45.

Then the Sturmaffe was at the tank. The monster’s paws sank into the armour plate as though it were grabbing a block of butter. Metal groaned and shrieked as the ape’s steel fi ngers tore into the tank. The Sturmaffe’s fanged maw fell open in a bellow of fury, veins sticking out on its sloped forehead. With an inhuman, Herculean effort, the ape held the tank in place, matching its brawn against the frantically churning treads. Slowly, by inches and degrees, it began to lift the T14, the tracks on its left side grinding desperately in the empty air. Electricity from the Tesla-skin crackled up and down the monstrous ape, yet it seemed oblivious to the pain, simply intensifying its efforts.

Suddenly a stream of orange, dripping brilliance washed over the Sturmaffe, a stream of fi re that doused the monster in liquid fl ame. Hair curled into cinder and fl esh blackened under the fi re, the ape tore its claws free from the side of the tank and dropped to the ground, ripping at its burning body. Another stream of fl ame spurted down into the Sturmaffe’s writhing fi gure, igniting its body like some gruesome candle. The crack of rifl es and machine guns accompanied the streams of napalm, bullets riddling the Sturmaffe and the Germans scattered outside the Kommandantur. The Axis soldiers scrambled back into cover, the punishing fi re forcing them to keep their heads low.

Miller turned his head to see a sight that brought a broad smile to his grimy face. Soldiers were charging down the avenue, spilling down the side street from the direction of the famed Avenue de l’Oprea, American and Free French. At the forefront was a trio of


12

clanking, lumbering fi gures, encased from head to foot in thick armour plate. A black face-plate of plexiglass surrounded what approximated the head of the lumbering machines, standing out in stark contrast to the olive drab of the armour. Miller knew that behind each of those faceless glass bubbles, a GI was staring out at the battlefi eld, navigating his path through the carnage like a one-man warship. Upon the left arm of each suit of armour was fastened an exotic weapon, the specialty of ARPA and their advanced weapons division. Two of these were still fi ring at the German Sturmaffe, spraying jets of napalm from the fl ame throwers on their arms, trying to burn the awful monstrosity like a pair of exterminators cleaning out a rat infestation.

The attentions of the two Buffalos did not go unnoticed. Several of the Waffen SD troopers redirected their fi re, spraying high-velocity bullets at the walking tanks. The round pinged harmlessly from the hulls, depriving the power-armoured GIs of their surrounding entourage of unarmoured comrades, who fell back for fear that some of the ricochets might hit them. The Buffalos themselves kept on coming, shifting their aim and hosing down the rubble to force the Germans back. Miller saw several of the masked SD troopers leap up, their bodies wreathed in fl ame. Living torches, they capered across the battlefi eld, their screams muffl ed by the heavy masks they wore. It was a revolting sight, Miller found himself fi ring his pistol at the burning men, not out of rage, but out of mercy.

Growling, spitting mad and with a machine-gun in each massive paw, the helmeted Ogre rushed at the Buffalos, his twin weapons roaring. One round struck a Buffalo’s fl ame thrower, punching through its fuel line and causing the entire side of the armour to become engulfed in fi re. The Buffalo beat futilely at the fl ames, trying to wipe the liquid off. The fi re might not be able to reach the operator deep inside the armour, but it could heat the steel plate to such a degree that he would be cooked. Bright sparks erupted from the sides of the suit and the Buffalo’s left leg and arm ceased to work as the electronics were fried by the fi re. The Ogre gave a roar of triumph, then started concentrating his fi re on the other Buffalo.

Even as the machine-gun rounds bounced off the hull of the armour, the Ogre’s brutal leer of savagery turned into an expression of disbelief. The third Buffalo had lingered behind his squad, to better assist his comrades. Now that third Buffalo opened fi re. A big, tube-like device was fi xed to the Buffalo’s weapon arm and now this erupted into life, sending a brilliant blue stream of light searing into the German abomination. The giant howled in defi ance just before the particle beam smashed into his face. The chemically mutated fl esh dripped off the Ogre’s howling skull as the beam burnt its way through its target. In an instant, a steaming crater had been bored through the front of the Ogre’s skull and out the back of its helmet. The hulking brute crashed against the street like felled timber.

The sight was enough to knock that sneer of triumph off the face of the SD offi cer back in the Kommandantur. He roared an order, then vanished into the hotel. The remaining Germans broke cover, scurrying back into their headquarters. Miller saw the Ogre with the fi eld cap rise from behind the husk of the fi rst T14 and scramble into the hole the Germans had blasted into the

side of the hotel. Benton sent a crackling stream of electricity chasing after the monster, but the monster’s luck was still holding strong. Miller cursed as he saw the fi end vanish into the smoky gloom of the Kommandantur.

A weird quiet settled on the Kommandantur, disrupted only by the moaning of wounded and dying men. And something else, something off in the distance. It took Miller a moment for his mind to get around what he was hearing. Gunfi re, and lots of it. Explosions too! It was coming from every direction.

A grizzled-looking American wearing captain’s bars on a decidedly non-issue brown vest strode toward Miller and Benton as they emerged from their cover in the park. A cluster of GIs and French soldiers had taken up covering positions outside the Kommandantur while mechanics sprayed foam onto the crippled Buffalo. There was a hard, granite-like quality about the set of the man’s features, his iron-colored hair and his darkly tanned body. Yet there was an almost exultant twinkle in the man’s frosty blue eyes, the mischievous mirth of a naughty child.

‘Sorry you boys got here fi rst,’ the captain was saying. ‘Soon as I got word that the Kommandantur was making requests to surrender to De Gaulle, I knew something was wrong. The Resistance has been feeding OSS intel that the SD’s been moving stuff in quicker than von Choltitz was pulling stuff out. Unfortunately, Alexander decided the best way to meet whatever the Germans had in mind was to dive right in.’

Miller’s mouth opened in disbelief. ‘You… you mean this whole thing… it’s a trap?’

‘With Paris as the bait!’ the captain agreed. ‘You hear that gunfi re? They’re all over the city, crawling up from the sewers and the catacombs. Right in the middle of the liberation parade! Damn near got General Bradley, from what I hear! Synchronized too, like a well-oiled machine. Give them Germans some credit, they might be murdering, looting, conniving huns, but nobody’s got their talent for precision!’

‘Then… then we didn’t win?’ Now that it was staring himself in the face, despite his own misgivings and inability to accept the ease of their victory, Miller was having a hard time accepting that he’d been right.

‘Not by a long shot,’ the captain grinned back. ‘I’m gonna miss this war when it’s over, sergeant. Fortunately Fritz has some ideas to get us into extra innings. I think they’ve got some notion to turn this place into another Stalingrad – only this time they get to play the Russians!’

A loud boom rumbled from somewhere on the Champs Elysees, causing even the buildings around the Kommandantur to vibrate. Miller and Benton ducked in reaction to the violent boom, but the captain just kept on grinning. He saw their reaction and laughed.

‘Look at the bright side, boys. There’s nothing better in this world than job security.’


13

before the war - From the shambles of a Germany devastated by rampant infl ation and unemployment, terrorized by social and political unrest, crippled by draconian war reparations imposed upon her by the victorious Allies, a dark saviour emerges. A small Bavarian political party founded by the arcane Thule Society becomes the power base for a beer-hall demagogue named Adolf Hitler. He reinvents the German Workers’ Party, the DAP, as the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, the NSDAP. An armed mob of paramilitary thugs called the SA, the Stormtroopers, provides the Party with brute force to protect Party meetings and to attack the Party’s hated adversaries – the Communists. Hitler and the Party are catapulted onto the national scene when they stage an abortive coup in Munich, the Bavarian capital. Despite his attempt to seize control of the Bavarian government, many in Germany sympathize with Hitler’s position that the government of Germany is a weak, incompetent parasite that is doing nothing to reverse the downward spiral of Germany’s economy. He serves only nine months of a four-year jail sentence for his part in the insurrection. Now with followers all across Germany, Hitler expands his ambitions. He forms an elite from the SA, black-uniformed guardsmen charged with acting as his personal bodyguard – the SS. Under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler, the SS will expand drastically beyond its original purpose and soon eclipse its parent organization.

In 1933, the NSDAP controls 33% of the German Reichstag, making them the largest party represented in the parliament. This leads to Nationalist president Field Marshal Hidenburg forming a coalition government with Hitler, who is made chancellor.

Sixteen months later, when von Hindenburg dies, Hitler’s power base has grown to such a degree that he proclaims himself Führer, supreme and sole leader of the German Reich. Under Hitler’s control, Germany begins to expand her military, train a new air-force and explore every avenue of scientifi c and strategic innovation that can be bent toward the purpose of making the German military the fi nest and best equipped in the world. It is not only the Führer’s power that expands, however. Heinrich Himmler increasingly fi nds new areas for the SS to sink its talons into. Scientifi c studies, archaeological expeditions, even youth programs and charity drives all come under control of the many departments within the new SS. Nowhere does Himmler’s reach extend more completely than in the arena of security and intelligence. He creates a spy community within the SS, the SD, and places Reinhard Heydrich at its head. Heydrich soon creates a command structure above the SD, the RSHA, which controls not only the SD but also the Gestapo and civilian police forces within Germany. As head of the RSHA, Heydrich becomes the third most powerful man in the Reich, behind only Himmler and the Führer himself. The SD will stage a major coup when they sell forged documents to Soviet agents in Prague which implicate Russian offi cers in collusion with the Germans – directly leading into Stalin’s brutal and bloody purge of 35,000 Red Army offi cers.

Elsewhere, the western world reels from the 1929 collapse of the New York Stock Exchange. Unemployment reaches record numbers in the United States, forcing millions into bread lines and soup kitchens. It will take most of a decade for the US to claw her way out of what will be called the Great Depression.


14

Unable to contend with the crisis, the Republican party is voted out of the White House and Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president. He institutes a series of work programs and government assistance that gradually begins to recover the situation. As tensions increase in Europe, the US passes into law a Neutrality Act which prohibits American fi nancial aid to any country engaged in war and offers no protection to American citizens who enter a war zone.

Britain and France watch the growing militarization of Germany and fascist Italy with great anxiety. The French seek to make alliances with nations in Eastern Europe, even going so far as to embrace Stalin’s USSR. The British try to maintain an offi cial

policy of ‘fair play’ trying to prevent an increase in tension and hostility in the region. Neither France’s politicking nor Britain’s attempts to maintain the peace prevent the war drums from sounding. Italian forces invade Albania and Abyssinia. Germany re-occupies the Saar and remilitarize the Rhineland. After a successful coup by the Austrian Nazi party, German forces move into Austria and the Alpine nation is absorbed into the greater German Reich. Spain erupts into civil war, a confl ict that will see Generalissimo Franco’s Nationalist forces backed by Italy and Germany against the Soviet-supported Republicans. Leery of encouraging the confl ict to spread, France and Britain stay out of the Spanish Civil War, a position which sours their relations with Stalin. In the end, Franco’s fascists will take control of the country.

Across the globe, a terrible portent of things to come grips China. Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang consolidates its hold over central China, ousting Communist and traditionalist forces. Exploiting China’s inner turmoil and without the consent of Japan’s civilian government, the Imperial Japanese Army stages fi rst an invasion of Manchuria and later presses on to occupy Chinese cities like Shanghai and Nanking. The IJA establishes puppet governments in Manchuria and Nanking as a pretence for their continued occupation of the region. General Zhukhov and the Red Army successfully prevent the IJA from expanding their infl uence northward into Mongolia, forcing the Japanese to

agree to an armistice.

In a last desperate attempt to preserve the peace, Prime Minister Chamberlain of Britain and Prime Minister Daladier of France agree to German demands for the Sudetenland, a German-speaking territory in Czechoslovakia. Representatives of the Czechoslovakian government aren’t even allowed into the meeting that will decide the fate of their nation. With German troops occupying the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia begins to disintegrate as confi dence in the government collapses. When the province of Slovakia succeeds, German troops move in and add Bohemia-Moravia to the Reich’s possessions. Poland and Hungary also exploit the disintegration of the country,

expanding their borders to engulf formerly Czech territories.

In August of 1938, a strange object crashes outside Czernica, Poland. The remains of the extraterrestrial craft and its occupants are seized by the Polish army and removed to a facility outside Warsaw for study. For nine months, the Poles maintain their secret, but eventually Heydrich’s SD learns about the exotic, advanced

technology Polish scientists are investigating. Already privy to the Führer’s ambitions in Poland, Heydrich pushes for an advance in the timetable for the invasion. October is agreed upon as the launch date for a full scale invasion of Poland, allowing the German ambassador to the USSR time to conclude a non-aggression pact with Stalin. Alliances with Italy and the USSR fall into faster than the Führer anticipates, by the end of August both countries have agreed to not interfere with German ambitions in western Poland. Heydrich pushes for an advance in the timetable. On August 31st, SD operatives in Polish army uniforms attack a German radio station near the Polish border. The next day, war will engulf Europe.

1939 - German forces invade western Poland, plowing through the numerically and technologically inferior Poles. This action


15

causes Britain and France to declare war on Germany. Three weeks into the German invasion, Stalin’s Red Army invades Poland from the east, determined to claim the territories promised by the Germans as part of the non-aggression pact. Racing behind the advancing German forces, Heydrich’s SD seizes the facility where Polish scientists have been examining the Czernica craft. The materials are quickly shipped back to Germany and Heydrich sets the best minds in the Reich to unlocking the secrets that have eluded the Poles. A massive underground facility, part laboratory and part fortress, is constructed in Thuringia near Ohrdruf to house the new SD science and technology branch, S-III.

Following the conquest of Poland, Germany makes preparations for the coming battle with Britain and France. Meanwhile, the Soviets continue to expand their infl uence, forcing treaties on the Baltic nations of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania that allow the Soviets military bases in these countries. In November they launch a fi ve month war against Finland, claiming several Baltic ports when the Finns are fi nally compelled to sign an armistice with the aggressors.

Although maintaining strict neutrality in the face of another great war in Europe, FDR steps up American military production and development. He establishes the Advisory Committee on Uranium to explore Albert Einstein’s theory regarding military applications of the atom. He also establishes the Department of Experimental Weaponry under the auspices of the NDRC and ARPA. Exploring the wildly speculative scientifi c theories of Serbian electrical genius Nikola Tesla, DEW would explore such outré technologies as electrically powered automatons, protective energy fi elds, ‘death rays’ and comparatively mundane devices such as rocket packs and miniaturized radios.

1940 – The strange, tense period of peace that follows the conquest of Poland is broken in April when German forces conquer Denmark and invade Norway. British and French troops help the Norwegians defend their country, but most of their resources are devoted to France, where it is obvious the major confl ict will be fought. On the 10th of May, Germany launches a massive attack on France and the Low Countries. Better organized and co-ordinated than the British Expeditionary Force and the French army, the Germans quickly conquer Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium. The heavily mechanized German panzer divisions punch through French defences, racing past the battlefi elds of the fi rst World War on an unstoppable push to the coast. The German advance isolates the BEF and elements of the French army in the north of France and what little of Belgium remains unconquered. A hasty and desperate withdrawal is implemented at Dunkirk to evacuate as many troops as possible before the Germans close in and seal off all possibility of retreat. Only the miracle of Dunkirk prevents the German victory from being complete.

Demoralized by their losses in the north, hampered by a command structure that has all but collapsed and a government slipping into chaos, the rest of France is swiftly conquered by the German army. A new fascist government is formed by Marshal Petain and signs an armistice with Germany, allowing an independent French state based out of Vichy in the south of France while the Germans occupy Paris and the north. As a fi nal insult, Italy

declares war on battered France two weeks before the armistice. Fleeing to England, General Charles de Gaulle forms a ‘Free French’ government to oppose Petain’s Vichy regime.

With France defeated, Allied forces evacuate Norway, abandoning the country to the Germans. Meanwhile, the USSR expands its own operations, formally annexing Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Soviet demands for the territories of Bessarabia and Bukovina are granted by the intimidated Rumanians. Soviet aggression causes Hungary, Rumania and Slovakia to ally themselves with the German-Italian Axis.

In Africa, Mussolini’s armies stage attacks from the Italian colonies, invading British possessions in Kenya, the Sudan, British Somaliland, and Egypt. They also invade Greece from Italian-occupied Albania. Early Italian gains in Africa are quickly negated by General O’Connor’s devastating counteroffensive.

The Japanese government undergoes a drastic change when Prince Konoye becomes the new prime minister, appointing General Hideki Tojo as Minister of War. The Japanese soon sign the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, a formal alliance of mutual assistance. Japanese forces occupy French Indochina in an effort to cut off foreign aid to Chiang Kai-Shek’s Chinese.

The Battle of Britain encompasses a massive effort by the Luftwaffe to destroy the British RAF in anticipation for a German invasion of the British Isles. U-boats prowl the North Atlantic, trying to cut off the steady stream of supply ships bringing much needed food and material to Britain. By September, however, in an ill-considered change of policy, Goering shifts Luftwaffe bombing raids from RAF airfi elds to London and other civilian


16

targets in an effort to break the will of the British people. Although civilian casualties are hideous and much of London is pounded into rubble, the change in strategy allows the RAF a much needed respite to rebuild and gather its strength.

In the United States, FDR announces his ‘Lend-Lease’ policy which would allow the British government to purchase materials ‘on credit’ in a strategy to circumvent US neutrality laws.

1941 – The Italian offensives crumble as Greek and British forces launch their own incursions into Italian-occupied territories. The Greeks press into Albania and the British and their Commonwealth allies stage attacks against Italian colonies throughout Africa, making tremendous gains against the poorly equipped and led Italian army. In order to bolster the failing Italian army and keep Mussolini in the war, German troops are sent to Libya and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel takes effective command of Axis operations in North Africa. His counter attack against Field Marshal Wavell will push the British back to the Egyptian frontier.

Meanwhile, the Germans consolidate their gains and infl uence in Eastern Europe. German forces put down a rebellion by the fascist Iron Guard in Rumania, helping to stabilize General Antonescu’s government, unleashing for the fi rst time some of the horrifi c weapons being developed by S-III. Yugoslavia is pressured into joining the Axis and the SD assassinates Hungarian Prime Minister Teleki in order to coerce the Hungarian government into a more enthusiastic role regarding their alliance with the Reich. To counteract the growing Axis domination of Eastern Europe, the British back a rebellion in Yugoslavia that forces the Germans to commit valuable resources to stabilizing the region and delays the more ambitious military campaign they have planned. To remove the British presence in southern Europe, German forces invade Greece, initiating a brutal campaign that will see the ancient nation subjugated by the invaders. The SS plays a pivotal role in this invasion, employing their own unnatural weapons as they spearhead the assault. A fi erce battle is fought on the slopes of Mt. Olympus, the legendary seat of Greece’s ancient gods. After the SS captures the mountain, the Greek spirit is broken and the campaign degenerates into a fi ghting withdrawal. The dark, arcane secrets the SS plunders from the eldritch ruins atop Olympus they keep to themselves.

Pursuing the escaping British and Greek forces, General Student launches a massive invasion of Crete, depending heavily on a bold and extensive para-drop of elite Fallschirmjaeger and the use of terrible SD monstrosities, cyborg beasts the British derisively term ‘Scarecrows’ and ‘Emaciated Troops’. At this stage, the uncontrolled ferocity of the Emaciated Troopers is more of a liability than an asset and the advantage the SD has promised General Student is far less than expected. Already outnumbered, the berserk rampages of several Emaciated Troopers further swells German losses in the operation. Heydrich successfully shifts blame for the appalling decimation of the elite paratroops to poor planning and tactics on Student’s part rather than the untried and untested nature of the SD weaponry. The Führer places a moratorium on large-scale paratroop operations and removes Student from active command of combat units.

In Iraq, Rashid Ali stages an uprising, deposing King Faisal II. With the support of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin el-Husseini, he whips large portions of the Iraqi military into open rebellion against the British. Overtures to Germany and Italy lead Iraq to alliance with the Axis and both the Luftwaffe and Italy’s Regio Aeronautica send bombers to support the Iraqi cause. The SD, seeing a perfect theatre to fi eld-test their hideous weapons without endangering German soldiers, also makes a contribution to the rebellion. However, the Iraqis are poorly equipped and poorly trained. Despite their fi erce determination, they are quickly overwhelmed by the British and Indian forces pouring into their country. Rashid Ali and the Grand Mufti fl ee to Turkey only a few days before Baghdad falls and the country is subjugated by the British. Victory in Iraq does not end the campaign in the Middle East however, Commonwealth forces press on into the French colony of Syria, vying with Vichy forces for control of the ancient country. Vichy claims of neutrality ring hollow – it is from Syrian airfi elds that both German and Italian planes staged their attacks during the Iraq campaign. Within a month, the colony falls to the British and Free French.

Desperate to salvage the situation in North Africa, Field Marshal Wavell appoints General Neame commander of British forces in Egypt. The new commander heads to the front lines to assess the tactical situation, accompanied by the Western Desert Force commander General O’Connor. Through their arcane methods, the reconnaissance mission is discovered by the mystics of the SS and the information brought to Rommel. With the prospect of capturing two such prominent British commanders too promising to pass up, Rommel agrees to the plan the SS proposes to him, sending a small unit of specialists to track and subdue the enemy offi cers. The ‘specialists’ are a pack of werewolves, savage creatures maintained by the sorcerers of the ‘Schwarze Sonne’ organization within the SS. The monsters successfully track down the generals, but in their feral fury they do not capture the men, they slaughter them. Appalled, Rommel orders the SS out of his theatre of operations. Rommel’s disgust at the unconscionable tactics of the SS spreads to other generals in the Wehrmacht, further souring the already tense and suspicious relationship between the SS and the regular German armed forces.

The Führer assembles the largest invasion force seen in history for ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the attack on Soviet Russia. The Germans send 110 infantry divisions, 17 armor divisions and 13 motorized divisions and are supported by 14 Rumanian and 2 Hungarian divisions. Soviet military strength is an imposing 32 armored divisions and 138 infantry divisions and outnumbers the airpower of the Luftwaffe by a factor of nearly three to one. However, much of the Soviet equipment is obsolete and in poor repair. The offi cer corps of the Red Army has suffered disastrously from Stalin’s purges, resulting in a critical shortage of experienced and skilled commanders. Communist control over the Soviet military further reduces their effi ciency, effectively placing political offi cers in command of the military. Combined with insane orders dispatched from Moscow forbidding the Red Army from provoking an ‘incident’ with the Germans, the invading fascists make tremendous gains in the opening days of Operation Barbarossa. When the restricting orders imposed by Stalin are revoked a week into the invasion and a policy of ‘total resistance and scorched earth’ becomes the law of the


17

land, the Germans are already deep inside Russia and striking for their objectives at Leningrad and Moscow while the Finns have launched their own invasion in the north. The brutal policies imposed by the Soviets and the ruthless implementation of scorched earth tactics in the face of the advancing fascists cause many Russian peasants to welcome the invaders as liberators. Entire Soviet divisions surrender to German forces rather than die in the suicidal ‘human wave’ assaults demanded of them by Communist commissars. The initial good will of the Russians quickly fades, however. Emboldened by the ease with which fascist forces have conquered Soviet territory, the Führer issues orders that see SS units roving behind the front lines ruthlessly stalking Russian communities for communists and other ‘undesirables’ while Wehrmacht troops are forbidden to take commissars prisoner, commanded to execute any suspected communist on sight. The SD has free reign to use injured Soviet soldiers in their abominable experiments, but the operatives of S-III make little distinction between Russian citizens and Russian soldiers. Such draconian policies result in several atrocities and cause the Russian people to wonder if they have traded their communist overlords for something even worse.

The German invasion of Russia causes formerly antagonistic nations to make overtures of alliance to Stalin’s brutal regime. FDR extends the US Lend-Lease policy to the USSR. The British stage a joint invasion of Iran with Soviet forces, deposing the pro-Axis Shah and removing the serious threat that the rich Iranian oil fi elds might fall into German hands. The Soviets in particular display a ruthless campaign, bombing the cities of Tehran and Tabriz.

Trying to break Rommel’s dominance of North Africa, Churchill replaces Field Marshal Wavell with General Auchinleck as commander in Egypt. The campaign he launches against Rommel pushes the Desert Fox back across the frontier all the way to El Agheila and relieves the long siege of the city of Tobruk. However, Auchinlek is unable to break the Afrika Korps and while Rommel has lost territory, he has preserved much of his valuable resources. The campaign elsewhere in Africa continues to favour the British. Italian forces, long on the defensive, surrender in Eritrea and other Italian colonies.

With German forces laying siege to Leningrad and within artillery range of Moscow’s suburbs, Stalin places his most capable military commander in charge of the defence of the Soviet capital. Marshal Zhukov waits until the cold Russian winter sets in, and then launches a massive and fi erce counterattack that catches the Germans by complete surprise. The over-extended German lines quickly break and the myth of German invincibility is shattered as fascist forces are forced back by the Soviet assault. The Führer, in a fi t of fury, relieves Field Marshal von Rundstedt of command for abandoning Rostov in the face of Soviet attack. His rage at the reversal in Germany’s fortunes in Russia also causes him to seize direct command of the German military, placing himself as Commander in Chief of the Wehrmacht.

In the Pacfi c, Prince Konoye is replaced by General Tojo as Prime Minister of Japan. Less than two months later, a Japanese fl eet under the command of Admiral Nagumo launches a surprise attack against the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese assault on Pear Harbor sinks fi ve battleships and damages three others, but the aircraft carriers that had been the objective of their attack are not present. Almost simultaneous with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launch invasions of the Philippines, Malaya, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Gilbert Islands, Guam, Borneo and Wake Island. General MacArthur mobilizes the Filipino army and the US forces stationed in the Philippines in an effort to delay the Japanese as long as possible before withdrawing to the Bataan Peninsula and the island fortress of Corregidor.

1942 - MacArthur’s defense of the Philippines is shattered when Japanese pilots knock out the Calumpit Bridge, preventing his troops from withdrawing from Manila to Bataan. Although the few defenders on Corregidor continue to resist, the troops trapped in Manila and the small force that has already reached Bataan are subdued within the fi rst weeks of January. MacArthur is ordered to abandon the Philippines and withdraws to Australia to organize Allied forces there. In the aftermath of their successes in the Philippines, the Japanese invade the Dutch East Indies,

New Britain, Burma and Sumatra.In Russia, the Germans fi nally manage to stop the Soviet counterattack, but before they can make any gains against the broken communists, the spring thaw sets in, turning the ground into a morass of mud and mire. Both sides of the confl ict are unable to move large numbers of troops until conditions become more favourable. In an effort to break the deadlock, the Führer agrees to an alliance with a Russian nationalist group that has been staging attacks against both German and Soviet forces from their bases deep in the Princept Marshes. The ROA, the Russian Liberation Army, is commanded by a renegade Red Army general, Andrei Vlasov, who sees himself as the champion of the tsarist cause. The real power in his organization, however, is the sinister creature known as ‘the Prophet’, a loathsome echo of Russia’s tsarist past, Gregori Yefi movitch Rasputin, the


18

mad monk who advised the real tsars and who displays eerie and abominable powers of mysticism and hypnosis. Rasputin and his mystics instill a terrible fanaticism in the soldiers of the ROA, making them formidable foes and deadly allies for the Germans. The ROA soon proves its worth, annihilating Soviet forces at Kerch and helping the fascist campaign in the Crimea. A joint German-Russian force is created, called ‘Army Group Romanoff’, detaching elements from the German Army Group South. The weakened Army Group South is tasked with capturing Stalingrad, unaware that the city has been reinforced by the Soviets to become what Stalin has termed his ‘fascist beartrap’. Meanwhile Army Group Romanoff re-captures Rostov. Rasputin offers the Soviet soldiers captured with the city the choice of joining the ROA. In what will become a common scene in ROA operations, those who refuse are impaled and left surrounding the city in a grotesque forest of death. In retaliation, Stalin begins deploying NKVD psi operatives to military units, hoping to use their mental abilities to increase loyalty and morale in Soviet troops, as well as offsetting the reputed hypnotic powers of Rasputin and his disciples. Commissars are given broader powers in terms of taking direct command away from army offi cers who display ‘a lack of wilfulness’.

The Battle of Stalingrad sees both sides employing ghastly, inhuman extremes in the effort to butcher the enemy. The Soviets deploy chumans, hideous half-human apes that Soviet scientists have been breeding since the 1920’s. The Germans, in an effort to counteract the Soviet monsters, unleash a large number of experimental S-III abominations, many of which escape German control and infest the sewers beneath the city. The SD sends supplies of experimental combat drugs to enhance the strength and endurance of German soldiers fi ghting in Stalingrad. These are refi ned versions of the chemicals injected into early Emaciated Troopers, and their use increases not only strength and endurance, but also aggression. The combat drugs manage to offset the initial threat posed by the chumans and the battle of Stalingrad sinks into a stalemate.

In the winter, the Soviets again launch a massive counter-attack against the invaders. Mustering ½ million soldiers and a thousand of their new T34 tanks, the Soviets strike all across the front, pushing the fascists back. Stalingrad becomes a pocket of resistance deep behind the front, General Paulus’s army effectively cut off from the rest of the Axis forces. Red Guard units make their fi rst appearance, better equipped and trained soldiers deployed by the Soviets as an answer for Waffen SS and other elite German fi ghting units. Red Guardsmen undergo mental conditioning by Soviet psi agents, increasing their courage and loyalty to almost unbelievable levels, while Soviet attempts to recreate German combat drugs increase their physical capabilities. The sudden unleashing of these enhanced soldiers catches many fascist commanders by complete surprise. In desperation, many Wehrmacht generals turn to the SD for a countermeasure to Soviet chumans and Red Guard divisions. The bio-mechanical horrors being created in the laboratories of Ohrdruf become commonplace on the Eastern front as reluctance to employ the abominations gives way to necessity.

Rommel’s Afrika Korps stages a major breakout from El Agheila, initiating another season of attack and counterattack

in the North African desert. German gains are continual throughout the fi rst half of the year, pushing the British out of Libya, capturing Tobruk and forcing Auchinlek to withdraw to the defensive line at El Alamein. General Gott is appointed by Churchill to take command of the 8th Army in Egypt from Auchinlek, but Gott is assassinated by a German vampire in Cairo soon after his arrival. In the wake of Gott’s death, General Bernard Montgomery is appointed commander of British forces in Egypt. General Alexander takes command of British forces in the Middle East. While Rommel is undergoing treatment for a sudden illness back in Germany, Montgomery launches a major attack against the Afrika Korps at El Alamein. General Stumme, who commands in Rommel’s absence, is killed by the sorcery of a British druid during the battle, resulting in a terminal failing in the Axis command. By the time Rommel returns, the Afrika Korps has been routed and it is all he can do to salvage the situation and organize a withdrawl back into Libya, ignoring the Führer’s suicidal orders to ‘not give up an inch of ground’. Montgomery pursues his foe all the way back to the El Agheila line on the Tunisian frontier.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower is given command of American forces for the European theatre. The fi rst American operation is a joint campaign with the British to occupy Madagascar and prevent the Vichy colony from becoming a base for Axis submarines and merchant raiders. In November, American forces invade French West Africa, engaging Vichy troops. General George S Patton Jr. captures Casablanca while General Anderson captures Oran in Algeria. In the face of American forces in Morocco and Algeria, Petain requests German forces to augment the Vichy army in Tunisia. However, the Vichy representatives in Morocco and Algeria sign an armistice with the Allies, heightening German suspicion of Petain. German forces in Tunisia disarm Vichy troops while other German units move in to occupy Vichy France. Rather than turn over the Vichy fl eet to the Germans, Admiral Laborde scuttles the fl eet while docked in the port of Toulon. The Allies launch a major incursion into Tunisia, British and American forces staging from Algeria while Free French forces drive northward from Chad. The Germans and Italians move troops to thwart the advance and maintain the Axis presence in North Africa.

A US task force commanded by Admiral Halsey successfully attacks Japanese-held Wake Island. The 1st Marine Division, supported by the rocket-pack equipped soldiers of the US Rocket Corps, storms the island and overwhelms the Japanese garrison. This is the fi rst major reversal in the onslaught of the Japanese juggernaut. A second Japanese invasion fl eet is deployed to Wake, landing some 5000 men on the island. However, the attack is being staged as a diversion, hoping to draw American attention away from Midway and Admiral Yamamoto’s carrier fl eet. In the end, unable to overcome the reinforced defences the Americans have constructed, the Japanese bombard the island with biological weapons, leaving Wake an abandoned, plague-infested rock in the middle of the Pacifi c.

Japanese naval operations in the Pacifi c continue to increase. Invasion forces land in both Australia and New Guinea. A battle with the Americans in the Coral Sea results in damage to one Japanese carrier, but the Americans lose the Lexington and the


19

Yorktown is seriously damaged. The Imperial Japanese Navy also stages a daring naval assault that results in the fall of Rangoon. Japanese dominance of the Pacifi c suffers a setback at the Battle of Midway, however, when Yamamoto loses two carriers and suffers extensive damage to three others. Rather than risk further damage, Yamamoto withdraws. The Japanese believe they have sunk only a single American carrier, USS Saratoga, unaware that their attack has also resulted in the sinking of the Yorktown. This mistake leads Yamamoto to believe there are still three undamaged American carriers in the area and causes him to abandon the plans to invade Midway.

After successfully defeating the defenders of Corregidor and Singapore, the Japanese launch their invasion of Australia. Imperial Japanese Army forces land in northern Australia and occupy Darwin. Rallying the Australian army and what American forces are on the continent, MacArthur leads the defence of Australia. Allied air supremacy is the deciding factor, continually harassing Japanese attempts to break out from the city and to land additional forces on the continent. In recognition of his stalwart defence, MacArthur is appointed Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacifi c. His forces augmented by additional American troops fresh from the US, MacArthur clears Darwin of IJA forces, driving the Japanese into a hasty withdrawal. However, in August, the Japanese return. With Allied efforts concentrated on a possible repeat attack on Darwin and the northwestern coast of Australia, the IJA stages a massive invasion of Queensland under General Hyakute. MacArthur will spend the better part of the year trying to drive the Japanese from Queensland. ARPA provides Allied forces with new ‘lightning cannons’ developed from the application of Tesla’s designs for wireless transmission of electricity. As the Japanese move to the defensive, they begin to deploy biological weapons created by Unit 731 in China. An air strike on the Japanese stockpile of these ghastly bio-weapons in Cairns leaves the city a lifeless husk, but also removes General Hyakute’s deadly arsenal. In retaliation for the Japanese use of germ warfare, American rangers strike deep behind the front lines and eliminate General Hyakute. He is replaced by General Kawaguchi who lands with much needed reinforcements. Kawaguchi is a much less tactically versatile commander than his predecessor and his reckless counterattacks against Allied forces severely deplete the strength of his army. Driven from Japanese strongholds in Cairns and Cookstown, Kawaguchi’s army is almost devoid of armor and has no air support. In a fi nal gesture of defi ance and patriotism, Kawaguchi launches his Christmas Offensive against the numerically superior forces of MacArthur and General Blamey. Although Allied losses are in the tens of thousands, General Kawaguchi’s suicidal assault results in 90% of his troops being slaughtered in fanatical banzai charges. Kawaguchi himself is among the fi rst Japanese killed in the attack. After the Christmas Offensive, the Japanese presence in Queensland is less than 5,000 men. General Blamey is given the duty of hunting down the survivors.

In New Guinea, Japanese forces occupy much of the island. To bolster their expert jungle fi ghters, the IJA forms alliances with several indigenous tribes, unleashing once more the awful terror of the Amok against British and Australian soldiers. Following the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japanese troops occupy

Port Moresby, gaining a strong foothold in the south of the island. They use this stronghold as a staging ground for their operations in Queensland. In an effort to cut off Hyakute’s supplies, the Australians and Americans launch an attack on Port Morseby, successfully recapturing the city in October. After a November offensive by the Japanese to retake Port Morseby, the IJA settles into defensive positions in the north, determined to keep the Allies penned in the southern part of the island. In trying to push north through the jungles and swamps, the Allies run a gauntlet of horrors as the Japanese throw everything they have at them. Biological weapons, native magic, primitive head-hunters and the fi rst appearance of the grotesque jungle fi ghters the Americans dub ‘bonsai boys’ are but a few of the nightmares the entrenched IJA calls upon to stymie the Allied offensive.

The campaign on the Asian mainland is characterised by the ruthlessness of the IJA, who freely employ the biological and chemical weapons developed by Unit 731. The entire Chinese 5th and 6th armies are virtually annihilated by Japanese biological weapons and the British abandon Mandalay rather than see their own forces decimated by the same inhuman weapons. The British pull back into India, trying to form a defensive perimeter along the Burma frontier. The land route for supplies for China has now been cut off by the IJA, leaving Chiang Kai-Shek in a vulnerable position. However, Japanese losses in Australia and elsewhere embolden the British and in late November a probing expedition penetrates into Japanese occupied Burma.

American forces land in the Solomon Islands, initiating a bloody campaign against the Japanese for control of Guadalcanal which will last into December. Committed to their operations in Australia and New Guinea, the Japanese do little to support their garrisons in the Solomons, all but abandoning them to the American attack.


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In May, SD chief and newly appointed governor of Bohemia, Reinhard Heydrich, is attacked by British-trained Czech assassins. The commandoes nearly succeed in their attempt on the infamous ‘Hangman of Prague’, blasting his car to shreds with a special grenade that contains botulinum toxin. The shrapnel that embeds itself in Heydrich’s back introduces the toxin to his system and the best doctors in the Reich are unable to arrest its devastating spread. In desperation, the SD removes Heydrich to the S-III facility in Thuringia where he undergoes a ghastly operation. Pushing the hideous technology they have been developing to its limits, the S-III scientists succeed in saving Heydrich’s life, but at the cost of his humanity. With 75% of his biological body discarded, Heydrich is more a thing of steel than fl esh, a hideous cyborg monstrosity. Heydrich launches an investigation into the attempted assassination, his agents discovering that information was provided to the assassins by the SS to help them strike down Himmler’s hated rival. Using this intelligence to blackmail Himmler, Heydrich succeeds in separating the SD from its parent organization, recreating it as an independent entity. Heydrich is now answerable only to the Führer himself, no longer forced to compete with what he sees

as the arcane superstitions of the Schwarze Sonne for funds and support. He soon creates a Waffen SD, an armed military force within the SD comparable to the Waffen SS, but equipped with all the hellish technology that S-III and the other SD think-tanks have been developing.

Testing the defences of ‘Festung Europa’, a combined force of Canadians, British, American rangers and Free French stage an assault on the port of Dieppe. The attack catches the Germans completely by surprise and their casualties are heavy. The Allies destroy key facilities within the town, reducing its use as a port. After occupying Dieppe for several days, the Allied troops are withdrawn when intelligence reveals that German panzers are fi nally moving to the town. The ease of the raid, the poor quality of the German troops stationed in Dieppe, the slow reaction time displayed by the German high command in Paris to move against the Allies all combine to build a sense of hubris and arrogance in Allied commanders. The much vaunted ‘Fortress Europe’ is now

seen as a paper tiger, a wolf without teeth. After the Dieppe raid, the impression sets in that removing the Germans from France will be easy. The possibility that Dieppe was a lucky fl uke is voiced by some, but such pessimistic views are not favoured by most Allied commanders. The belief that the campaign in France will be an easy one is too appealing to deny.

1943 - The might of Germany is focused upon the eastern front and combating the brutal counter-attacks of the Red Army. Despite their best efforts, the Germans are unable to press their advance, forced to retreat before the numerically superior Soviet foe. Except for surrounded pockets of defenders left behind at the cities of Ostrogozhsk, Kastornoye and Stalingrad, the Axis forces have been pushed back to a defensive line formed by the rivers Don and Donets in the south and the Oskol in the centre. The Soviets lift the siege of Leningrad, bringing relief to the embattled city as German and Finnish troops are overwhelmed by a large deployment of Red Guards and widespread use of new Soviet rocket weapons.

To offset the Soviet gains, the Führer becomes increasingly supportive of wildly outrageous schemes to ensure victory. He approves a woefully optimistic plan by Goering to maintain the German forces in Stalingrad through air drops. The Luftwaffe will begin this aerial supply route using transport planes, but by the end of the year will have shifted away from aircraft in favour of armored zeppelins which are able to carry much larger cargoes of troops and materiel. The Soviets, using Stalingrad as a trap to bleed the German army, allow just enough of Goering’s air lifts to reach the city to encourage the Luftwaffe to maintain the effort. The position of Zhukov and Stalin is that every fascist soldier who sets foot in Stalingrad is a dead fascist. They are not worried about a German victory in Stalingrad. The NKVD has infi ltrated a psi operative into the command centre of General Paulus and is infl uencing the German to ensure that he continues to squander his resources and prevent him from breaking out of the city.

Elsewhere, the SS succeeds in breaking the Soviet presence in Kharkov employing ghastly arcane sorcery to annihilate the city’s defenders. The Führer is thrilled by their success and elevates the SS in his favour. Himmler, however, knows better the hideous cost for their victory – the forces called to defeat Kharkov are not so easily dismissed and the city has become a haunted, dreadful place where even the mystics of the SS cannot walk the deserted streets in safety. He issues orders that the ritual used on Kharkov never be repeated and sets a cordon of SS troops around the ruins to prevent prying eyes from discovering the horror and madness that now infests the very stones of the Russian city.

The most dramatic example of the effort to stem the Soviet advance comes at Kursk and the German plan called ‘Operation Citadel’. Striking in March, Field Marshal von Manstein leads a force of 800,000 Axis troops against Marshal Zhukov’s 1.3 million entrenched Soviets. The Soviets possess a signifi cant advantage in armor, almost outnumbering the Germans by


21

a factor of 2 to 1. Zhukov’s tactic is to draw the Germans out and then butcher them in a series of defensive rings. Once the Germans had been broken in the attack, the Soviets would launch a counter-offensive and drive the defeated fascists before them, seizing the initiative from the Axis in the Russian theatre. Von Manstein’s forces suffered heavy casualties as they battered away against Zhukov’s defences, and then were victimized by the Soviet counter-attack. However, the SD had also been deployed to Kursk, bearing with them a weapon so terrible that its use required a specifi c command from the Führer himself. Incensed by the turn the battle had taken, the Führer gave his consent. The immense device was loaded into the gigantic 80cm mortar nick-named ‘Dora’ by SD technicians. Sighting on the battlefi eld, the mortar was fi red and Zhukov’s advancing horde vanished in a blinding fl ash of light and fi re. The atomic shell developed by the Kammlerstab had done its deadly work, reducing in an instant 300,000 Soviet troops and 1,500 tanks into blackened cinders. The Axis soldiers caught in the blast were considered acceptable losses by the SD, the more important thing was the breaking of Zhukov’s assault and the retreat of the Soviets from the fi eld. Shaken to the core, the Soviets would not soon forget the terrible destruction visited upon them at Kursk and would live in terror that the Germans would deploy such a device a second time. In a desperate effort to prevent a repeat of Kursk, Stalin institutes a policy that limits the size of any Soviet army that can be assembled without his express permission. His paranoid dabbling will handicap the efforts of Zhukov and other Red Army generals in the years to follow, preventing them from expelling the Axis invaders from their land. The Soviets are unaware that the atomic shell used at Kursk represents six years of German efforts to refi ne and enrich uranium ore. It will be another six years before the SD can create a second such weapon.

The events at Kursk compel Stalin to attend the Tehran Conference with Churchill and Roosevelt. The three world leaders meet to discuss a planned invasion of France for the next year. American general Dwight D Eisenhower is named Supreme Commander of Allied forces and will lead both British and American troops in the campaign. The ease of the Dieppe raid bolsters the confi dence of the leaders that the western front represents the ‘soft spot’ in Germany’s defences. The conference nearly ends in tragedy when supernatural SS assassins try to strike down the leaders, thwarted only by agents of the British arcane weapons detachment who employ their own brand of magic to counteract Himmler’s killers.

In North Africa, the fortunes of the Axis are devastated by the arrival of American forces under General George S Patton in Morocco. Caught between the British and the Americans, the Axis scrambles to get troops and equipment to the theatre. Many experimental SD devices are dispatched to Tunisia, coming under the control of German General von Arnim who stubbornly refuses to detach any of the advanced weapon systems to his rival, Field Marshal Rommel. Von Arnim thinks to steal all the glory from the upstart Rommel. From the fi rst, the Axis is caught wrong-footed. The Vichy French in Morocco mount a poor and half-hearted opposition of Patton’s landing forces, the French in Algeria are even worse, many of them marching to join the Allies. French warships are seized by the Germans

and Italians before they can also defect; further stretching Axis manpower in North Africa. With Montgomery advancing from the east and Patton racing in from the west, the Germans are caught between the anvil and the hammer. Using the ghastly living weapons supplied to him by the SD, von Arnim is able to fend off an American advance into Tunisia, but squanders the advantage by fortifying his positions rather than pursuing his retreating enemies. In the south, Rommel mounts his last assault as commander of the famed Afrika Korps, smashing against American positions in Kasserine and pressing into Algeria before lack of fuel and lack of support for von Arnim forces him to retreat before Patton’s counterattack. Although Patton is able to thwart Rommel’s advance, the Desert Fox manages to escape with most of his men. However, Rommel’s defeat is just the excuse his enemies in the Italian High Command need to remove him from the North African campaign. Rommel is recalled to Germany, leaving behind his beloved Afrika Korps.

With Rommel gone, the Axis situation in North Africa steadily deteriorates. Montgomery smashes through the Italians guarding the Tunisian frontier and Patton presses against German positions all along the front. Von Arnim’s experimental weapons are crushed when the Allies spring their own surprise against the Germans, the new Buffalo powered armor. The mass deployment of Buffalos crushes the unpredictable and experimental SD horrors. General von Arnim himself is a victim of the chaos that ensues, struck down by a berserk Emaciated Trooper.

Following the route of Axis soldiers in Africa and the capture of hundreds of thousands of German and Italian prisoners, the Allies stage the invasion of Sicily. The fi ghting is fi erce, the island hosts some ghastly secrets – the result of a joint project between Mussolini and Heydrich. Italian scientists, working with SD supervision, have been working on a bacteria that attacks the brain, inducing a condition not far removed from extreme starvation. In such a state, the victims of the bacterium are reduced to an animalistic mentality, falling upon any living creature and devouring it with their bare hands. The SD had intended to fi nd a way to inoculate Axis troops against the bacteria then release it against the Soviets to depopulate vast sections of Russia. Now, with the Americans and British swarming over the island, Heydrich issues a hideous order. The bacteria is released into the towns and villages of northern Sicily, creating wild mobs of maddened cannibals in the hopes that they will spread the infection to Allied soldiers. The plan is to make the Allies pay such a heavy price for Sicily that any plans to invade Italy will have to be abandoned. The cruel stratagem does stall the Allied advance, early losses by American and British forces entering the infected areas are horrendous. However, the bacterium is very fragile and unable to exist for long without a host. Implementing a policy of containment, the Allies are able to contain the infection to the coastal areas of northern Sicily, leaving them free to use the southern half of the island as a staging ground for the forthcoming invasion of Italy. By November, the Allies muster enough resources and manpower in Sicily to land the British 8th Army on the Italian mainland in Calabria, the very toe of Italy. Landings by American forces soon follow. Panicked by the invasion of their homeland, the Italian government deposes Mussolini and sues for peace with the Allies.


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The Germans, however, are not willing to concede Italy to their enemies. Under Field Marshal Kesselring, the Germans stationed in southern Italy mount a brutal defence, exacting a heavy toll on the Allies. The SD rushes large numbers of Emaciated Troopers and other, even more sinister weapons to support the campaign. The deposed Mussolini is rescued in a daring operation mounted by German soldiers equipped with experimental jet packs under the command of SS Colonel Otto Skorzeny. Mussolini is placed at the head of a new Italian government, the Repubblica Sociale Italiana, a puppet regime whose sole purpose is to keep Italy in the war and prevent the Allies from threatening the mineral resources the Germans have captured in the Balkans.

The Pacifi c theatre continues to devour lives as the British attempt to push the Japanese from Burma, enduring the ghastly germ-weapons developed by Unit 731. The Japanese opposition in New Guinea becomes even more savage, recruiting entire tribes of headhunters to slaughter isolated Australian and American positions. The Buna road becomes a place of horror for the Allies and strange stories of primitive magic fi lter back from the jungle. Most hideous of all are the Japanese ‘kaijin’, living monstrosities who have been tortured and mutilated by their own scientists into murderous abominations. The kaijin are unleashed into the jungles, pointed in the rough direction of enemy positions. Though of limited tactical use, the monsters devastate the already shaky morale of the enemy. Threat of being reduced to a kaijin is used to enforce discipline among the increasingly high numbers of Korean and Manchurian soldiers being brought to reinforce the Japanese elements stationed in New Guinea.

General MacArthur stages the invasion of the Dutch East Indies, personally leading the 503rd Parachute Regiment in their assault on Java. Despite a fi erce Japanese resistance, the major cities fall to the Americans before the end of the year. The loss of the Dutch East Indies is a severe blow to the Japanese war machine, denying the Imperial Japanese Navy the vital oil resources it needs to dominate the Pacifi c. A bloody attempt to retake Java is beaten back by the US Navy, almost 30,000 Japanese soldiers are lost when their transport ships are sunk approaching Java. The IJN also loses thirteen destroyers, one cruiser and 35 transport ships. US loses are one cruiser and four destroyers. The difference is a grotesque lack of air cover by the IJN. Unwilling to risk their aircraft carriers after the mauling they received at Midway, the invasion force is depending on air cover from IJA airfi elds in French Indo-China. Meanwhile the American and Australian naval force is supported by shore-based fi ghters and bombers. The inability to co-ordinate the Japanese forces results in a slaughterhouse. The Japanese assault is called off and the surviving transports steam back to the Philippines. MacArthur begins fortifying Java, certain that after they have licked their wounds, the Japanese will be back.

Trying to recover from their military setbacks, the Axis powers incite rebellion and insurrection wherever they can. The governments of Argentina and Bolivia topple as German-backed military coups depose the presidents of both South American countries, installing nationalist governments that are more favourably inclined toward the Axis. The Japanese lend their full military support to Netaji, an Indian exile and leader of

the Indian National Army. A fi erce opponent of the Raj and the British Empire, Netaji makes common cause with the Japanese and leads his troops in battle against the Allies in Burma, as well as conducting terror attacks against the government and British interests in India itself. Once again, the strangler’s noose becomes an image of horror as the remnants of the cult of Thugee offer their services to Netaji’s rebel movement.

In Britain, a top-secret project results in the construction of Colossus, an immense computer developed from the concepts of Tommy Flowers. This gigantic computer is a mechanical brain that will be used to crack enemy codes, calculate battlefi eld tactics and predict the consequences of any military action, from simple bombing raids to mass invasions. The computer’s predictive abilities border on the fantastic and it becomes lynch-pin for British planning and strategy, the most closely guarded secret in the Empire’s entire arsenal.

1944 - The Allied attack in Italy intensifi es as American and British troops crash against the German Gustav Line south of Rome. The strongpoint in the Axis defense is the ancient monastery of Monte Cassino, which had been converted into an SD installation in 1942. From the horror house the Germans had made of the monastery’s extensive crypts and cellars poured forth an army of ghastly monstrosities that broke the momentum of the Allied advance. Here Allied soldiers would fi rst confront the titanic power of the awesome Sturmaffe, bio-mechanical abominations grown by S-III geneticists. The infernal Feursoldaten also make their fi rst hideous appearance before Allied soldiers, incinerating men with the lethal chemicals that surge through their twisted bodies. Krieghunden, loathsome war dogs with metal jaws and armor plate grafted to their tortured bodies hunted the rock-strewn slopes, splitting the silence of the night with the screams of their victims. The terror value of these fi endish living weapons was profound on Allied forces, turning even battle hardened veterans into quaking bundles of fright. That any manner of cordon could be maintained around the Gustav Line was a testament to the tenacity and determination of British General Harold Alexander. Fresh forces were constantly rotated in to replace the traumatized and fatigued divisions facing the SD horrors of Monte Cassino. Free French, Moroccan, Polish, Canadian, Indian, New Zealander and Australian units would all serve time on the bloody ground of Monte Cassino and the carnage of the Gustav Line. Unable to break through the German defenses, Alexander was helpless to prevent the infusion of elite Wehrmacht divisions to augment the SD forces. Soon crack German fallschirmjaeger and gebirgsjaeger would be lending their deadly skills to the abominable strength of the SD’s monsters.

Unable to break through the Gustav Line, an attempt to bypass the hotly contested front was made. The American 5th army under the command of General Mark Clark staged landings at Anzio in the north of Italy. Vastly outnumbered by fascist Italian and German forces, Clark was forced to abandon an abortive rush for Rome and strengthen his positions. Months of stalemate ensued as more and more American troops landed at Anzio while Field Marshal Kesslering continued to bolster his own forces entrenched in the cave-ridden hill country overlooking the beachhead. German artillery, notably the immense rail-gun


23

nicknamed ‘Anzio Annie’ by American soldiers in a moment of morbid humour, took a relentless toll on the men fortifying the beaches. It would not be until June that Clark fi nally was able to mount an offensive. Like the SD in the south, Clark too had received unusual materiel to support his operations. Portable, hand-held Tesla weapons, the latest refi nement in the experimental technologies being developed by ARPA were dispatched to General Clark’s beachhead. Equipped with these devastating weapons, small squads of Americans began stalking the Alban Hills and silencing the entrenched German artillery. The new Tesla weapons gave each squad the striking power of a tank platoon and the long stalemate was broken. Through this breach, Clark began moving his forces.

Instead of pursuing the plans of General Alexander, which called for a strike inland to surround the German 10th Army and cut off the supply routes feeding the Gustav Line, Clark instead turned his forces south, determined to reach Rome and liberate the Italian capital. Mussolini’s fascist forces fi ercely contest the American push on Rome, forcing Clark to fi ght for every street and alleyway. This protracted assault allows the Germans time to close the fragile supply line between Clark’s forces and his beachhead at Anzio. By the time Clark wins his way clear and crushes the last fascist resistance in Rome, he is surrounded by Germans on all sides. The American 5th Army has captured the city from the Italians only to be besieged by the Germans. Clark digs in, determined that the surrounded Americans will not relinquish their claim on the city any easier than Mussolini’s fascists.

A fi nal, sinister action in the Italian theatre occurs in the ancient ruins of Pompeii. Learning of an SS plan to raise an undead legion from the ruins with their eldritch sorceries and fl ood Italy with an army of deathless soldiers, the Allies stage a daring assault in an attempt to thwart the sinister plot. Armed with the occult lore of centuries, the British Offi ce of Arcane Armaments combats their ruthless counterparts in the Schwarze Sonne. However, the SS has pursued avenues of research that the British have refused to consider and it is this black power that decides the confl ict, for what is the magic of man beside the might of Hell? Reluctantly, the British employ the only option left to them to defeat the Germans and prevent the necromancy of the SS from overwhelming the Allied forces struggling in Italy. Using an ancient druidic ritual, British agents cause Mt Vesuvius to erupt, bringing volcanic destruction to the countryside. Once more, Pompeii vanishes beneath a cloud of ash and a stream of molten lava, burying with it the insane dreams of the SS.

Continuing the pattern initiated by the military coups in Argentina and Bolivia, the Germans incite civil war in Turkey, backing the claim of Ahmed IV Nihad on the title of Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Supported by German troops, Turkish rebels and the Muslim SS divisions created by the exiled Grand Mufti, Ahmed’s forces clash with those of Mustafa Ismet Inonu, president of Turkey’s republican government. With the western Allies already committed to campaigns in Italy and France, Inonu’s government receives little in the way of aid against his enemies. The Germans pursue their campaign against the Turkish republic with a vengeance, having learned of Inonu’s secret dealings with the Allies, the Führer has ordered that if

Turkey does not bend to the will of the Reich, then it will be broken into rubble and ash.

In the Pacifi c, joint American, British and Chinese operations drive the last Japanese forces from Burma. The campaign continues into French Indo-China where the Japanese resistance intensifi es and the deadly biological weapons being developed in Manchuria continue to take a deadly toll on Allied forces. In separate actions, American forces invade Guam and the Japanese colony of Saipan. Neither campaign is an easy one and the US marines will be bogged down in months of hard fi ghting to wrest the islands from the Japanese. Plans to employ the islands as air bases from which to launch B-29 bombers against the Japanese home islands will be abandoned following the 1944 US elections and a change in the command structure of the American military.

The biggest naval battle in the history of the war unfolds around MacArthur’s return to the Philippines. Landing elements of the US 6th Army on islands in the Leyte Gulf, MacArthur makes his dramatic return to the country he had been forced to fl ee two years earlier. Initial resistance from the Japanese is minimal, but it was only the quiet before the storm. Three immense Japanese fl eets are already steaming toward the Philippines to contest the American incursion and protect the vital supply route between Borneo and Japan. When the naval battle commences, the lurking forces of General Yamashita counter-attack the American ground forces, initiating a bloody three days of relentless combat. The powered Buffalo armor is a weapon that the Japanese counter in terrible and hideous fashion, deploying ‘living bullets’, soldiers with surgically implanted explosives, the Imperial Japanese Army’s answer to the airborne kamikaze. The naval engagement, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, is split between two separate engagements.

The southern force of Admiral Nishimura is opposed by the battleship fl eet of Rear Admiral Oldendorf and a trap that had been prepared especially for Nishimura. Nishimura’s fl eet consists of the old, obsolete battleships Yamashiro and Fuso, the cruiser Mogami and four destroyers, with another fl eet commanded by Admiral Kiyohide Shima numbering two cruisers and eight destroyers. Oldendorf’s fl eet numbers six battleships, eight cruisers, 28 destroyers and a large number of torpedo boats. It is a signifi cant force and should have overwhelmed the Japanese fl eets. However, air reconnaissance has not understood the deadly changes that Nishimura’s battleships and Shima’s cruisers have undergone. The small cruisers and obsolete dreadnaughts have been converted into carriers for a most lethal cargo – the Ohka, a rocket-powered fl ying bomb piloted by one of the Jinrai Butai, an elite pilot corps established especially for deployment of these suicide weapons. Each of Nishimura’s dreadnoughts carries six of the unstoppable rocket-bombs, while Shima’s cruisers each carry two more. They prove a hideous surprise for Oldendorf’s ships, slamming into his battleships before they can even be identifi ed, much less shot down. Every one of the American battleships is struck so badly that they have to be abandoned. Two cruisers are sunk by Ohkas, with another badly crippled in the attack. The destroyers and torpedo boats make Nishimura pay a heavy price for his success, however, sinking the Fuso and leaving the Yamashiro to fall prey to the guns of the surviving


24

battleships. Of the cruisers, only Admrial Shima’s Ashigaraescapes, retreating with the surviving IJN destroyers.

The centre arm of the attack represents the heart of the IJN and is commanded by Admiral Yamamoto himself. Three battleships, twelve cruisers, thirteen destroyers, the super battleships Yamato and Musashi, the aircraft carriers Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu and the new pride of the IJN, the super-carrier Shinano. Between his four carriers, Yamamoto boasts over 350 aircraft. It is this naval juggernaut that faces the American fl eet. Catching Admiral Halsey’s carriers, Yamamoto’s planes relentlessly hammer the US fl eet. Supplemented by ground-based aircraft from Luzon, Yamamoto scores early against the immense US fl eet, claiming six aircraft carriers. However, it is a drop in a very big ocean, even with his losses; Halsey has 11 aircraft carriers, six battleships, 13 cruisers and 57 destroyers. The vengeful Americans pursue the retreating Japanese aircraft, following them back to Yamamoto’s fl eet. The ensuing engagement costs Yamamoto two of his carriers and the Musashi. Wounded, the Japanese fl eet begins to retreat. Determined to wipe out Yamamoto, Halsey’s fl eet gives chase, leaving the Leyte landing forces supported by a small detachment of light carriers and destroyers.

Jisaburo Ozawa commands the northern arm of the Japanese attack force, a fl eet consisting of four aircraft carriers and two WWI-era battleships that have, like the Yamashiro and Fuso been converted into Ohka launchers. With his fl eet are three cruisers and nine destroyers. Late in rendezvousing with Yamamoto’s powerful fl eet, Ozawa is in time to distract Halsey’s pursuit. Mistaking Ozawa’s ships for those of Yamamoto, Halsey gives chase. Outnumbered and outgunned, Ozawa’s fl eet is sent to the bottom by Halsey’s planes, only a few of the destroyers and cruisers managing to escape back to Japanese ports for repairs. However, Ozawa’s sacrifi ce is to spell doom for the American forces on Leyte.

Yamamoto’s scout planes report Halsey’s pursuit of Ozawa. Realising that the invasion forces are undefended, Yamamoto turns his fl eet back toward Leyte. The assault against Taffy 3 off Samar is a massacre, only one of the light escort carriers managing to escape the slaughter, leaving fi ve of her fellows to burn. Yamamoto’s fl eet begins pounding the landing craft, wrecking havoc among the supplies being brought ashore to the invasion force. Taffy 1 escapes with three of her four carriers while Taffy 2 loses only one of her carriers to Japanese torpedo bombers. Seeing the invasion fl eet being withdrawn, Yamamoto decides to retreat before Halsey’s ships return from their pursuit of Ozawa. Mistaking the ships that had attacked off Samar for a fourth Japanese fl eet, the Americans take the opportunity to withdraw the forces that had been landed on Leyte under orders from President Henry Wallace who is horrifi ed by the prospect of another D-Day in the Philippines. In the face of MacArthur’s protests, American forces once again abandoned the Philippines to the Japanese.

In Europe, Field Marshal Rommel is appointed commander of German forces in France and with maintaining the inviolate nature of ‘Fortress Europe’. He immediately begins increasing Axis defences, increasing the numbers of shore batteries and bunkers, constructing mine fi elds, tank traps, and glider obstacles. Along

with his own measures, he is assisted once again by the sinister SD, which supplies an entire array of experimental weapons to supplement the Wehrmacht’s conventional ones.

Rommel’s preparations are put to the test on June 6th, when the Allies attempt to invade Normandy. The attack is spearheaded by the landings of British and American airborne deep behind German lines. These landings go far from as planned. Nearly two in fi ve gliders are destroyed by obstacles and traps constructed by Rommel when they attempt to land in fi elds and pastures. Many American paratroopers are lost when they land in fl ooded regions, drowning in the black waters or being electrocuted by SD traps. Hordes of Emaciated Troopers, crafted from the endless supply of broken humanity being sent back to Germany from the Russian front, are dispatched to track down the scattered survivors. With SD forces dealing with the paratroops, the Wehrmacht concentrates its strength against the beachheads. Vast numbers of Goliath robot tanks are deployed to the coast from their staging areas throughout Normandy. Unable to deploy real panzers without the express permission of his Führer, Rommel has circumvented the issue with these sinister new weapons. Allied forces are further shocked to fi nd themselves facing a new SD abomination, the Rohlingsoldaten, gigantic ogre-like brutes each carrying the fi repower of a machine gun nest. Under the watchful eye of the SD and their creations, even the conscript soldiers who form much of Rommel’s forces fi ght with determination and ferocity, knowing only too well what will be their fate if the Allies should breakout from their tenuous hold on the beaches. The combination of defensive positions, advanced technology and the ghastly horror of SD abominations is enough to keep the Allies trapped on the shore. In only a few hours, Eisenhower realizes the mistake he has made. Emboldened by the ease of the Dieppe raid, none of the Allied generals is


25

prepared for this kind of a fi ght. Feeling the full weight of his failure, Eisenhower gives the order to withdraw while they can still salvage some of their men. The Germans continue to punish the invaders even as they scramble back into their boats, many SD abominations lunging down onto the beaches to sate their inhuman bloodlust, ignoring the withering fi re slamming into them from the Allied ships. At the end of the day, the Allies have left almost 200,000 casualties in Normandy. What was to have been the beginning of the end for the Axis has instead become a moment of tragedy and despair for the Allies. Eisenhower gives a brief speech to the press, assuming personal responsibility for the failure in Normandy.

The tragedy of D-Day casts a long shadow over the western Allies. Churchill is hard-pressed to maintain the resolve of Britain. In the US, a disastrous attempt to silence the stories coming back from Britain results in even greater public outcry. Trying to gain control of the situation, playing for time to turn the hideous defeat into a rallying cry for the forces of democracy, President Roosevelt imposes a news black out in the United States, keeping any word of the D-Day landings from the American people. However, he is unable to prevent the rumours, to stifl e the stories drifting down from Canada or being spread by German agents. The attempt to suppress the information, even for a few days, destroys the trust and faith of the American people in their president. When the news at last breaks, there is no positive spin the administration is able to put on it. Riots break out in New York, Boston and even Chicago, a traditional stronghold of Roosevelt supporters. Senators become even more vocal in their opposition of the administration and words like ‘conspiracy’ and ‘impeachment’ are whispered in the halls of Washington. Already in poor health, stress takes its toll on the president and he dies little more than a month after the D-Day landings. Vice-president Henry Wallace succeeds Roosevelt, but the change does little to improve the sentiment of the American people. Unpopular in even the best of times, accused of leftist and pro-Soviet leanings, President Wallace is the centre of the continuing controversy and even many who defended Roosevelt have no qualms about turning on Wallace. Wallace is unable even to get the nomination of his party in the 1944 elections – it is the ticket of Harry Byrd and Harry Truman that the Democrats offer the voters. Incensed by what he sees as the chicanery of politicians who don’t understand how to run a war, General MacArthur accepts the Republican nomination, running with New York Governor Thomas Dewey. The election will result in a mandate for MacArthur. Like the general, the people want a president who understands war and will spare them from any more D-Days.

In the wake of the D-Day disaster, General Eisenhower is relieved of command. Churchill insists on a British replacement as Supreme Commander and President Wallace does not oppose him. While Field Marshal Montgomery is the obvious choice, his lack of popularity with American commanders causes Churchill to instead appoint General Alexander as the new Supreme Commander, giving Alexander a post-dated rank of Field Marshal so that he will become senior to Montgomery. Across the Channel, Rommel’s success in repulsing the Allies in Normandy has once again put him in favour with his Führer. Following a disastrous attempt by members of the Army High

Command to assassinate their Führer, the OKH is disbanded by the furious dictator. Many generals and commanders are executed for having taken part in the plot. His own peripheral role in the plot concealed by the SD, Rommel is appointed to the new post of Kriegsmarshall, supreme commander of the German armed forces. At the same time, in collusion with Himmler’s SS, Heydrich takes the opportunity to implicate Luftwaffe commander Hermann Goering in the plot. Removed from his prestigious position, Goering is allowed to commit suicide rather than face the humiliation of a show trial before the vicious Volksgerichtshof of Roland Freisler. General Robert Ritter von Greim replaces Goering as head of the Luftwaffe, instantly implementing policies that will eliminate the corrupt and ineffi cient policies of his predecessor.

As Kriegsmarshall, Rommel reassigns himself to that theatre he feels most needshis personal involvement, the eastern front. Earlier in the year, the Soviets had made inroads into the Crimea and Marshal Zhukov had launched a devastating offensive in the north from Leningrad, pressing against the northern fl ank of the Axis and capturing territories in Finland and along the Baltic. Rommel takes a hand in bolstering the defenses opposing Zhukov, coordinating with von Greim’s air forces. Seeking to prevent the Soviets from recapturing the rich oil resources of the Crimea, Rommel orders a joint offensive by the German Army Group South and the joint German-Russian Army Group Romanoff against into the Crimea. For once outnumbered by their Axis enemies, the new, smaller armies deployed by Stalin for operations in the Crimea are swiftly brushed aside, forced to retreat back into the Ukraine. With the Crimea pacifi ed, Rommel turns his eyes eastward. Once more, the panzers are poised to press into the heart of the USSR.

1945 - Fresh from his victory in the Crimea, Rommel is ready to press on deeper into the Ukraine and relieve the trapped army of Field Marshal Paulus, however orders from Berlin call him away from the Eastern Front. The Führer has lost patience with events in Turkey; it is taking Ahmed IV too long to crush the resistance of his countrymen. The Führer wants Turkey fi rmly under Axis control in order to press the campaign and strike at the oil rich Middle East. Already, the Führer has assembled the 1st Waffen SS Panzer Army under OberstgruppenFührer Sepp Dietrich and dispatched it to aid the heir to the Ottoman throne, but he distrusts the capabilities of Dietrich and wants the proven skills of a regular army Field Marshal to supplement Dietrich’s straightforward and direct methods. Rommel is quick to see the benefi ts of such a campaign to the war effort as a whole – his time in North Africa has made him keenly appreciate the crippling effect of fuel shortages and relentless Allied bombing of Romanian oil fi elds has made fi nding alternate sources a priority.

The Turkish campaign is a brief and bloody affair. Caught between the SS troops of Dietrich, the regular Axis forces of Rommel and their own countrymen, Inonu’s supporters are decimated, forced to retreat into the hills of Armenia. The Allies, watching with horror as Turkey falls, establish lines of defence in Palestine and Jordan, determined to block the Axis powers from driving through into Egypt and Arabia. However, the Allies do not have the resources and manpower to effect a complete


26

defense, the harsh desert terrain of the Middle East conspires against such tactics, something which Rommel knows quite well. Consolidating an immense army consisting of Germans, Italians, Romanians, Bulgarians and Iraqis, Rommel thrusts his troops across the Turkish frontier almost in the same hour as Ahmed IV is reinventing himself as Sultan Mehmed VII. Rommel pushes east rather than south, driving through Syria and northern Iraq to seize the oil fi elds of Iran.

While Rommel dashes to seize the oil fi elds of Iran, Dietrich prepares to move into Palestine. From the very start he is hindered at almost every level. A capable division-level commander, Dietrich is almost overwhelmed by the logistics of moving ½ million men. His command is further fragmented by its disparate elements. While he is in fi rm control of the SS elements of his army, the Turks exist within their own command structure while the Syrian and Iraqi ‘freikorps’ answer to their own commanders. These ‘freikorps’ prove especially troublesome in their relations with the Turks, understandably less than excited about the prospect of a new Ottoman Empire where they will again be subject peoples. More rebellious still are the Vichy French formerly garrisoned in Syria, proving so truculent that Dietrich employs them only for rear-echelon duties. The biggest handicap, however, comes from the meddling of Dietrich’s own superior – Heinrich Himmler. Just days before the planned attack, Himmler places himself in defacto command of the army, radioing orders to Dietrich from SS headquarters in Berlin that have less to do with changing tactical situations and more to do with the occult whims of Weisthor and the Schwarze Sonne mystics.

Although Dietrich enjoys some early successes in Syria, he is soon brought up short by the British forces that have been assembled in Palestine. Including signifi cant numbers of Indian, Egyptian and Jordanian soldiers, the Allied army in Palestine is commanded by Field Marshal Montgomery, among the most capable commanders in the Empire. The manifold problems of Dietrich’s command, the impossibility of integrating the disparate elements of his army into a unifi ed whole, and the greater strategic capabilities of Montgomery conspire to overwhelm the technological and numerical superiority of the Axis forces. Within sight of the ancient walls of Jerusalem, Dietrich’s army is forced back, eventually assuming defensive positions in the mountainous Golan Heights. The failure of Himmler’s expedition into the Levantine incenses the Führer, causing his preference to shift once more from the arcane mysticism of the SS to the ghastly technologies of the SD.

After two months of almost uncontested campaigning through Iraq and Iran, Rommel’s forces fi nally face an opponent that is a more serious threat than the small British garrisons and poorly equipped Persian militia. The American 7th Army disembarks at Abadan. The US force is heavily armed and mechanized, commanded by General Patton, Rommel’s old adversary from Tunisia. Outfi tted with the new M26 Pershing, the heavy M6 battle tank and the ‘super-heavy’ T28 tank destroyer, the Americans had learned from their previous experiences at D-Day and in Tunisia. While the light M4 Sherman continues to function as the backbone of Patton’s armored columns, he now has tanks suffi ciently armored and armed to go toe-to-toe

with most of their German counterparts. Patton’s fi repower is further augmented by what the ‘Lightning Brigade’, an armored company outfi tted not with conventional weaponry but the new energy and pulse weapons being developed by ARPA. These weapons are powerful enough to cut through even the thickest German armor – however the trick becomes convincing Rommel to let these deadly Tesla weapons get close enough to unleash their terrible power.

The Germans continue to supply Rommel’s ‘Panzer Armee Asia’ with the best the Reich’s industry can provide. The Maus super-heavy tank is dispatched to counteract the American T28 while the immense Ratte land dreadnought provides a hideous infusion of long distance fi repower. The SD is not shy about providing all manner of insidious support to Rommel’s efforts in Iran, lending some of their most horrifi c experiments to combat American rocket troops and armored Buffalo. Even with the support of his nation’s industry, Rommel is extremely cautious, manoeuvring his forces in a complex game of cat and mouse with Patton. Like two master chess players, Rommel and Patton move their armies through the deserts, eagerly waiting for the other to make the fi rst mistake.

Breakthroughs in the NKVD’s psi experiments provide the weapon Stalin has been waiting for – a horrifi c psionic disruptor that can confuse and cripple enemy soldiers over a great distance. Coupled with other ghastly developments by Soviet scientists that enable ‘gifted’ operatives to produce concentrated blasts of psionic energy to unleash against the minds of their enemies and the terrifying potency of those NKVD agents of suffi cient psionic power as to be classifi ed as ‘talents’, Stalin is at last ready to move against the Axis invaders. Two immense armies are assembled and unleashed. In the north, Marshal Zhukov crashes through German defenses, the ghastly psi-disruptors rendering large numbers of the defenders reeling even before the fi rst shots are fi red. Zhukov’s assault will envelop the entirety of Latvia and Estonia, devour half of Lithuania and consume nearly a ¼ million Axis soldiers. Zhukov separates his command, some of his troops converging on the Polish border to cut off the supply lines from Germany, others sweeping back into the Ukraine to annihilate the trapped armies of Hoth, Guderian and von Manstein. On the eastern front, a second army under the command of Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky slams into Army Group South and Army Group Romanoff, forcing them to abandon their attempt to relieve Field Marshal Paulus in Stalingrad. Vasilevsky’s offensive drives the Germans back across the Don River and a fi erce campaign ensues to retake the Crimea. However, Army Group Romanoff retreats into the mountainous, heavily forested Caucuses. The escape of the Russian traitors incenses Nikita Khrushchev, Marshal Vasilevsky’s political offi cer from the NKVD. Unlike most of the politruks and zampolits attached to the Red Army, Khrushchev maintains the rank and powers of a full commissar, able to countermand military orders he considers not to be in the best interest of the Communist Party. Rather than pursue the retreating Germans and press their offensive into the Ukraine, Khrushchev orders nearly half of Vasilevsky’s soldiers to turn south and pursue Army Group Romanoff into the Caucuses. Destroying the traitors, Khrushchev declares, is more vital to the survival of the Soviet Union, even more vital that destroying a German army.


27

Hounded by the psionic bloodhounds of the NKVD, vastly outnumbered by the fearless hordes of the Red Army, fi ghting a running battle in one of the most inhospitable wildernesses in the world, it is a battered shell of an army that fi nally emerges from the Caucuses to join forces with Rommel at Tabriz in the north of Iran. The infusion of Russians however, is far from a boon to Rommel. Vaslov and Rasputin have little interest in assisting the Germans in their actions against Patton, intent instead upon revenging themselves upon Khrushchev and the Soviet army that has driven them from the Motherland. Unaccountably, the Russians are able to requisition enormous amounts of resources from the German High Command, both in material and manpower to pursue their reckless incursion into the underbelly of the USSR. While Rommel is forced to beg for every tank and infantry division, the Russians seem to get whatever they ask for. Many within his command credit the fortunes of the Russians not upon the favour of Berlin but upon the eerie infl uence Rasputin, an infl uence, it is whispered, that reaches as high as the Führer himself.

While the Italian theatre settles into a tense stalemate with Kesselring’s Germans and Mussolini’s fascists holding the north of the country and the Allies and the Italian Republic holding the south of the country, Field Marshal Alexander uses Italy as a staging area for one of the boldest adventures of the war – another attempt to penetrate the walls of Festung Europa. In February the Allies send ½ million men charging onto the beaches of France. Using intelligence provided by the French Maquis and British operatives in occupied Europe, Alexander chooses the south of France as his objective, striking against the coastline in Vichy controlled France. Resistance from the fascist French is much weaker than that posed by Rommel’s troops in Normandy and the abominations of the SD. Entire regiments defect to the Allied cause, marshalling behind General Charles de Gaulle and his Free French forces. Field Marshal von Rundstedt is prevented from reacting to the Allied invasion quickly by orders that are issued from Berlin. Once again, the Führer is convinced that the attack is a deception and that the real invasion will strike at Calais. By the time von Rundstedt is allowed to send appreciable forces south to bolster the rapidly degenerating situation of Marshal Petain’s troops, over a million Allied troops have landed in France and are thrusting up through the centre of the country.

By October the Allies have penetrated deep enough into France that they move on Paris. General Omar Bradley leads the American 3rd Army in this endeavour while General de Gaulle leads his Free French in the liberation of their capital. The German military governor of Paris, General Dietrich von Choltitz fears the destruction of the cultural and artistic centre, horrifi ed that history will hold him to blame for such hideous carnage. Von Choltitz withdraws his garrison, declaring Paris an ‘international city’ and abandoning it to the advancing Allies. The SD, however, has much different plans. Heydrich himself orders nearly all SD personnel in France to converge on Paris and deny the city to the enemies of the Reich. A force of 20,000 men and SD abominations converge on Paris in the hours after von Choltitz withdraws. Commanding operations in the city is a military offi cer recruited into the SD from the Waffen SS, StandartenFührer Joachim Peiper. Peiper’s orders are clear,

Heydrich is not interested in maintaining control of the city. He wants Paris to become a bloodbath, he wants the city reduced to cinders, the very name of the French capital to become a byword for horror and suffering. Peiper uses his grotesque resources to make Heydrich’s hideous vision a reality. The Allies enter Paris without so much as a shot being fi red. Cheering crowds of Parisians welcome them with open arms. Then, in the very midst of the celebrations, as the illusion of victory settles over the liberators, the abominations of the SD strike. Rising from the sewers and catacombs beneath the city, hundreds of Emaciated Troopers, Sturmaffen, Feursoldaten and even worse nightmare amalgamations of fl esh and steel fall upon the liberators with the ferocity of wild beasts. By nightfall, the city is a warzone, isolated clusters of soldiers trying to hold their own against Peiper’s inhuman forces. The triumph of those fi rst hours in Paris will become a bitter memory to the men who continue to battle the creatures of the SD through the winter, stalking their hideous quarry through the dank sewers and macabre catacombs of the Parisian underworld.

Winter fi nds the Germans mounting a concentrated counter attack against the Allies in France. Advancing from the west are 300,000 Spanish fascists under General Jose Moscardo Ituarte while from the east comes 200,000 Germans under Field Marshal Walther Model and the 25,000 strong Milice, the paramilitary fi ghters of StandartenFührer Joseph Darnand, detached to the invasion forces by Marshal Petain. The attack proves a gruesome surprise to the Allies. Though they continue to enjoy numerical advantage over their Axis adversaries, the Allies are forced to give ground before the enemy advance, resulting in many small pockets of resistance as American and British soldiers fall back into the cities. The Germans in particular are extremely well equipped with a large number of tanks. In desperation, many American units begin using robots, heretofore employed only as machines for brute labour, in a combat role, setting them against German Goliath tanks and the inhuman creatures of the SS and SD. The 1st US Rocket Corps is trapped in the French city of Avignon by a combined Milice/German force, enduring months of siege as the Axis troops relentlessly try to retake the city.

The Pacifi c theatre continues to fi nd the Japanese Empire in retreat. Before the face of determined Allied attacks in Indo-China, the Imperial Japanese Army is driven from the former French colony. The Chinese forces of Chiang Kai-shek press into Japanese controlled sections of China, pounding the puppet state of Nanking with artillery at the height of the campaign. Mao’s communist guerrillas stage raids into Manchuria, sabotaging the rail system sending troops and supplies to the embattled Japanese in the south.

After gaining the presidency, MacArthur makes the recapture of the Philippines his top priority. This is not simply to honour his promise to the Filipino people, but also from a strategic point: control of the Philippines will allow the Allies to choke off Japan’s link to their oil supplies in Borneo and Sumatra. MacArthur recalls the disgraced General Eisenhower, giving him the opportunity to redress his guilt over the failure at D-Day by placing him in charge of a second invasion of the Philippines. This time American forces attack the southern island of Mindanao, seeking to use Mindanao as a staging area


28

for further operations against Yamashita’s forces. A new, more mobile and lightly armored version of the Buffalo is provided by ARPA for Eisenhower’s invasion force. It is felt that the new armor suits will be able to function better in the harsh jungle conditions than their heavier forebears. Nick-named ‘Antelope’, these new weapons prove their value early on in the attack by employing their Tesla cannons to destroy Japanese suicide boats as they try to ram American landing craft.

Simultaneous with the army invasion of Mindanao, Admiral Halsey lands the 2nd Marine and 3rd Marine divisions under the command of General Holland Smith in the Admiralty Islands. The plan is to seize the islands and use them to block the Japanese route to Sumatra should operations on Mindanao fail. The Marines fi nd the campaign anything but easy – the Japanese have been using the Admiralty Islands as a dumping grounds for many failed experiments and uncontrollable kaijin that have been deemed to dangerous too employ in New Guinea. Safe within their underground fortresses, the Japanese garrison almost pities the Americans as the ghastly fi ends created by Unit 731’s ruthless experimentation relentlessly attack the Marines. The fi ghting on Los Negros Island is so fi erce and terrible that the Marines come to call the place ‘Blood Rock’.

Pressed on all sides by the Americans and their Allies, Premier Tojo demands that the battle be taken back to the Americans. By attacking the American homeland, Tojo hopes to break the will of the American people and force their leaders to accept an armistice that will allow Japan to retain all of its remaining territories. Admiral Yamamoto is a vocal opponent of Tojo’s plan, warning that they should not repeat the mistake they made at Pearl Harbor. Tojo and his generals remain obstinate, however. A large invasion force sets out from Japan, its objective the Alaskan mainland. The force is commanded by General Akira Muto, selected for his ruthlessness and unswerving loyalty to the Emperor. The troops under Muto’s command, however, are largely ‘colonials’ from Korea and Manchuria, soldiers the General High Staff feel are completely expendable. The invasion of Alaska is considered a risky venture by even the most vocal of its proponents. It is a psychological rather than a tactical victory that the IJA hopes for by staging this attack.

Muto’s forces swiftly occupy Anchorage and stage as far inland as Fairbanks. Although meeting dogged resistance at fi rst, it does not take the Japanese long to use the element of surprise to crush the American defenders. In the months to come, Muto consolidates his hold on the Alaskan coastline and sends probing expeditions as far as the Canadian Yukon.

A concerted American response to Muto’s invasion is forestalled by the events that follow it. As a diversion from the Alaskan attack, the Japanese send a small fl eet under the command of Admiral Soemu Toyoda to attack San Francisco. A terror attack, Toyoda’s small fl eet boasts 35 torpedo bombers converted into kamikaze weapons. With the lights of San Francisco on the horizon, Toyoda gives the command and the suicide pilots launch from his aircraft carriers. The bombers have been fi tted with special tanks that contain a cocktail of disease strains developed by Unit 731, when they crash into the streets of the Californian city, virulent horror scatters across the metropolis. In the weeks to come, outbreaks of plague, cholera, typhus and less identifi able sickness cripple the city and bring it to its knees. MacArthur, realizing that the diseases running rampant in San Francisco cannot be allowed to spread orders a quarantine established around the city. Miles of barbed wire and thousands of armed guards maintain the cordon around San Francisco, determined to prevent the infection from spreading across the country. Physicians work around the clock to try to undo the nightmare that has been unleashed by the kamikazes, but the variety and combination of infections are a hurdle that seems almost insurmountable.

South America erupts into confl ict as the war spreads into Latin America. An Axis-backed coup in Mexico fi nds President Camacho fi ghting a civil war against his own people. Paraguay forms an alliance with Argentina, hoping to recapture territories lost to Bolivia, while Peru joins the Axis camp in return for assistance with their own disputes with Ecuador. Pressured by Argentina, Bolivia abandons its alliance with the Axis and makes common cause with Brazil and Chile to combat the belligerent Axis powers. The Japanese, with their enormous Type XXI submarines launch kamikazes against the Panama Canal, striking a terrible blow against the American Navy when they damage

the canal and effectively cut off the American Atlantic and Pacifi c fl eets.

In an attempt to knock Japan out of the war, President MacArthur authorizes the bombing of Tokyo with a new, hideous weapon, a grim inheritance from Roosevelt’s secret arsenal. On August 6th, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese capital. While destroying much of the Japanese government and claiming almost 200,000 lives, the atomic bomb fails to break the Japanese resolve. The Emperor is away in Kyoto during the attack and enough of Tojo’s cabinet survives to pursue the war. However, the seeds of doubt and dissension have been sown in the minds of Japan’s civilian government and it is whispered even the Emperor fears to continue the war.


29

Retaliation for the atomic bomb attack comes not from Japan but from Germany. News of the annihilation of Tokyo forces desperate action on the part of the Führer, who fears a similar fate for Berlin. An experimental weapon being developed by Sonderbeuro 13’s Kammlerstab is fi tted onto a Junkers Ju 390 ‘Amerika Bomber’. The German bomber stages from occupied Norway, fl ying across the Atlantic before delivering its deadly payload – the bomb designated ‘drachefeur’, a fuel-air bomb of such lethal potential that the SD has been hesitant to advocate its use for fear it could ignite the earth’s atmosphere. Even as the bomber sets off, there is concern among the German High Command that they have no way of predicting the size of the explosion the bomb will yield. Will it fi zzle, proving a laughable failure, or will it become a monster far beyond their most fearful imaginings? Above the streets of Manhattan, the bomb is put to the test, dropping into the concrete canyons of New York City. The resulting confl agration as the chemicals within the bomb are exposed to the outside air incinerates all of Manhattan and scorches the New Jersey shoreline. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are reduced to cinders in an instant and a black rain of ash inundates the now lifeless island. The warning is clear and even President MacArthur is forced to bow to the German threat. Plans to use the atomic bomb on Germany are abandoned. Plans to avenge the destruction of New York on those who incinerated the city are not.

1946 – A new year opens on a world embroiled in confl ict. The massive battles of the past seven years have spread to every continent and virtually every corner of the globe. Tens of millions have already fallen, yet the war rages on. Millions have been left homeless, driven from the charred carcasses of once great cities. Millions more cower beneath the iron heel of foreign

rule. Awesome weapons of destruction rain down upon the earth, blasting the land itself into a blackened cinder. Mankind stands on the edge of midnight as the wheel of history turns toward its darkest hour.


30

1908

Jun. 30, 1908 – A massive explosion takes place in Siberia, destroying hundreds of square miles of forest. Its cause remains unknown.

1918

Nov. 11, 1918 - World War One ends with German defeat.

1919

Apr. 28, 1919 - League of Nations founded.

Jun. 28, 1919 - Signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

1923

Nov. 8/9, 1923 - The Beer Hall Putsch.

1926

Sept. 8, 1926 - Germany admitted to League of Nations.

1929

Jan. 6, 1929 - Heinrich Himmler appointed head of the Schutzstaffel (SS).

Oct. 29, 1929 - Stock Market on Wall Street crashes.

1930

Sept. 14, 1930 - Germans elect NSDAP making them the 2nd largest political party in Germany.

1932

Nov. 8, 1932 - Roosevelt elected President of the United States.

1933

Feb. 27, 1933 - The Reichstag burns.

Jul. 14, 1933 – All other political parties outlawed in Germany.

Oct. 14, 1933 - Germany quits the League of Nations.

1934

Jun. 9, 1934 - The Sicherheitsdienst (SD) becomes the sole German intelligence service under Reinhard Heydrich.

Jun. 30, 1934 - The “Night of the Long Knives.”

Jul. 25, 1934 - Germans murder Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss.

Aug. 2, 1934 - German President Hindenburg dies and Adolf Hilter is appointed Führer of Germany.

1935

Mar. 16, 1935 - Germany violates the Treaty of Versailles by introducing military conscription.

1936

Feb. 10, 1936 - The German Gestapo is placed above the law.

Mar. 7, 1936 - German troops occupy the Rhineland.

May 9, 1936 - Mussolini’s Italian forces conquer Abyssinia.

Jul. 18, 1936 - Civil war erupts in Spain.

Oct. 1, 1936 - Franco declared head of Spanish State.

1937

Jun. 11, 1937 - Soviet leader Stalin begins a purge of Red Army generals.

Jun. 20, 1937 - Soviet ANT-25 plane successfully makes a transpolar fl ight from Moscow to Vancouver.

1938

Mar. 12/13, 1938 - Germany announces ‘Anschluss’ (union) with Austria.

Aug. 15, 1938 - A strange object crashes outside of Czernica, Poland. The alien device is studied by Polish scientists for the next nine months.

Aug., 1938 - Lavrentiy Beria, head of the NKVD, creates the Special Design Bureau (SDB) to compile all scientifi c research being done in the Soviet Union under one roof.

Aug. 12, 1938 - German military mobilizes.

Oct. 15, 1938 - German troops occupy the Sudetenland; Czech government resigns.

Dec., 1938 - The Psi Bureau is created under the SDB to track the psychic phenomenon taking place in the Soviet Union.


31

1939

Mar. 15/16, 1939 – Czechoslovakia is divided between Germany, Poland and Hungary. Puppet state of Slovakia created.

Mar. 28, 1939 - Spanish Civil war ends.

May 22, 1939 - Germans sign ‘Pact of Steel’ with Italy.

Aug. 23, 1939 - Germans and Soviets sign Nonaggression Pact.

Aug. 25, 1939 - Britain and Poland sign a Mutual Assistance Treaty.

Aug. 31, 1939 - British fl eet mobilizes; Civilian evacuations begin from London.

Sept. 1, 1939 - Germans invade Poland. The SD captures the crashed alien device recovered by the Poles and moves it to Germany.

Sept. 3, 1939 - Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany.

Sept. 4, 1939 - British Royal Air Force attacks the German Navy.

Sept. 5, 1939 - United States proclaims neutrality; German troops cross the Vistula River in Poland.

Sept. 10, 1939 - Canada declares war on Germany; Battle of the Atlantic begins.

Sept. 17, 1939 - Soviets invade Poland.

Sept. 27, 1939 - Warsaw surrenders to Germans; Reinhard Heydrich becomes the leader of new Reich Main Security Offi ce (RSHA).

Sept. 29, 1939 - Germans and Soviets divide up Poland.

Nov. 8, 1939 - Assassination attempt on The Führer fails.

Nov. 30, 1939 - Soviets attack Finland.

Dec. 14, 1939 - Soviet Union expelled from the League of Nations.

1940

Jan. 8, 1940 - Rationing begins in Britain.

Mar. 12, 1940 - Finland signs a peace treaty with Soviets.

Mar. 16, 1940 - Germans bomb Scapa Flow naval base near Scotland.

Apr. 9, 1940 - Germans invade Denmark and Norway.

May 10, 1940 - Germans invade France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister.

May 15, 1940 - Holland surrenders to the Germans.

May 26, 1940 - Evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk begins.

May 28, 1940 - Belgium surrenders to the Germans.

Jun. 3, 1940 - Germans bomb Paris; Dunkirk evacuation ends.

Jun. 10, 1940 - Norway surrenders to the Germans; Italy declares war on Britain and France.

Jun. 14, 1940 - Germans enter Paris.

Jun. 16, 1940 - Marshal Pétain becomes French Prime Minister and head of the fascist ‘Vichy Regime’.

Jun. 18, 1940 – The Führer and Mussolini meet in Munich; Soviets begin occupation of the Baltic States.

Jun. 22, 1940 - France signs an armistice with the Germans.

Jun. 27, 1940 - The National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) is created by American President Roosevelt. Nikola Tesla becomes a prominent member.

Jun. 28, 1940 - Britain recognizes Gen. Charles de Gaulle as the Free French leader.

Jul. 1, 1940 - German U-boats attack merchant ships in the Atlantic.

Jul. 5, 1940 - French Vichy government breaks off relations with Britain.

Jul. 10, 1940 - Battle of Britain begins.

Jul. 23, 1940 - Soviets invade Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Aug. 3-19 - Italians occupy British Somaliland in East Africa.

Aug. 13, 1940 - German bombing offensive against airfi elds and factories in England.

Aug. 15, 1940 - Air battles and daylight raids over Britain.

Aug. 17, 1940 - Germany declares a blockade of the British Isles.

Aug. 23/24, 1940 - First German air raids on Central London.

Aug. 25/26, 1940 - First British air raid on Berlin.

Sept. 3, 1940 - Germany plans Operation Sealion (the invasion of Britain).

Sept. 7, 1940 - German Blitz against England begins.


32

Sept. 13, 1940 - Italians invade Egypt.

Sept. 15, 1940 - Massive German air raids on London, Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester.

Sept. 16, 1940 - United States military conscription bill passed.

Sept. 27, 1940 - Tripartite (Axis) Pact signed by Germany, Italy and Japan.

Oct. 7, 1940 - German troops enter Romania to support the Antonescu government.

Oct. 12, 1940 - Germans postpone Operation Sealion until Spring of 1941.

Oct. 28, 1940 - Italy invades Greece.

Nov. 5, 1940 - Roosevelt re-elected as U.S. president.

Nov. 10/11, 1940 - A torpedo bomber raid cripples the Italian fl eet at Taranto, Italy.

Nov. 14/15, 1940 - Germans bomb Coventry, England.

Nov 20, 1940 - Hungary joins the Axis Powers.

Nov. 22, 1940 - Greeks defeat the Italian 9th Army.

Nov. 23, 1940 - Romania joins the Axis Powers.

Dec. 9/10, 1940 - British begin a western desert offensive in North Africa against the Italians.

Dec. 29/30, 1940 - Massive German air raid on London.

1941

Jan. 22, 1941 - Tobruk in North Africa falls to the British and Australians.

Feb. 11, 1941 - British forces advance into Italian Somaliland in East Africa.

Feb. 12, 1941 - German General Erwin Rommel arrives in Tripoli, North Africa.

Feb. 14, 1941 - First units of German ‘Afrika Korps’ arrive in North Africa.

Mar. 7, 1941 - British forces arrive in Greece.

Mar. 11, 1941 - President Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act.

Mar. 27, 1941 - A coup in Yugoslavia overthrows the pro-Axis government.

Apr. 3, 1941 - Pro-Axis regime set up in Iraq.

Apr. 6, 1941 - Germans invade Greece and Yugoslavia.

Apr. 14, 1941 - Rommel attacks Tobruk.

Apr. 17, 1941 - Yugoslavia surrenders to the Germans.

Apr. 27, 1941 - Greece surrenders to the Germans.

May 1, 1941 - German attack on Tobruk is repulsed.

May 10, 1941 - Deputy Führer Rudolph Hess fl ies to Scotland.

May 10/11, 1941 - Heavy German bombing of London; British bomb Hamburg.

May 15, 1941 - Operation Brevity begins (the British counter-attack in Egypt).

Jun. 4, 1941 - Pro-Allied government installed in Iraq.

Jun. 8, 1941 - Allies invade Syria and Lebanon.

Jun. 14, 1941 - United States freezes German and Italian assets in America.

Jun. 22, 1941 - Germany attacks Soviet Union as Operation Barbarossa begins.

Jun. 28, 1941 - Germans capture Minsk. The NDRC is replaced by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).

Jul. 3, 1941 - Stalin calls for a scorched earth policy.

Jul. 10, 1941 - Germans cross the River Dnieper in the Ukraine.

Jul. 12, 1941 - Mutual Assistance agreement between British and Soviets.

Jul. 14, 1941 - British occupy Syria.


33

Jul. 26, 1941 - Roosevelt freezes Japanese assets in United States and suspends relations.

Aug. 1, 1941 - United States announces an oil embargo against aggressor states.

Aug. 14, 1941 - Roosevelt and Churchill announce the Atlantic Charter.

Aug. 20, 1941 - German siege of Leningrad begins.

Sept. 19, 1941 - Germans take Kiev.

Oct. 2, 1941 - Operation Typhoon begins (German advance on Moscow).

Oct. 16, 1941 - Germans take Odessa.

Oct. 24, 1941 - Germans take Kharkov.

Oct. 30, 1941 - Germans reach Sevastopol.

Nov. 13, 1941 - British aircraft carrier Ark Royal is sunk off Gibraltar by a U-boat.

Nov. 20, 1941 - Germans take Rostov.

Nov. 27, 1941 - Soviet troops retake Rostov.

Dec. 5, 1941 - German attack on Moscow is abandoned.

Dec. 6, 1941 - Soviet Army launches a major counter-offensive around Moscow.

Dec. 7, 1941 - Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor; Germany issues the Night and

Fog decree.

Dec. 8, 1941 - United States and Britain declare war on Japan.

Dec. 11, 1941 - Germany declares war on the United States.

Dec. 16, 1941 - Rommel begins a retreat to El Agheila in North Africa.

Dec. 19, 1941 - The Führer takes complete command of the German Army.

1942

Jan. 1, 1942 - Declaration of the United Nations signed by 26 Allied nations.

Jan. 13, 1942 - Germans begin a U-boat offensive along east coast of USA.

Jan. 21, 1942 - Rommel’s counter-offensive from El Agheila begins.

Jan. 26, 1942 - First American forces arrive in Great Britain.

Apr. 23, 1942 - German air raids begin against cathedral cities in Britain.

May 26, 1942 - Rommel begins an offensive against the Gazala Line.

May 27, 1942 - SS Leader Heydrich attacked in Prague.

May 30, 1942 - First thousand bomber British air raid (against Cologne).

Jun. 4, 1942 - Reinhard Heydrich of the SD is nearly killed by Czech agents

but survives the attack thanks to the cybernetic and genetic research of the SD.

Jun. 10, 1942 - Germans liquidate Lidice in reprisal for Heydrich’s assassination.

Jun. 20, 1942 – Germans capture Sevastopol.

Jun. 21, 1942 - Rommel captures Tobruk.

Jun. 25, 1942 - Eisenhower arrives in London.

Jun. 30, 1942 - Rommel reaches El Alamein near Cairo, Egypt.

Jul. 1-30, 1942 - First Battle of El Alamein.

Jul. 5, 1942 - Soviet resistance in the Crimea ends.

Jul. 13, 1942 - Germans begin a drive toward Stalingrad in the USSR.

Jul. 30, 1942 – The German Army Group South is split into two distinct and separate commands. The diminished Army Group South continues toward Stalingrad while the Russian-led ‘Army Group Romanoff’ assaults Rostov.

Aug. 7, 1942 - British General Bernard Montgomery takes command of Eighth Army in North Africa.

Aug. 12, 1942 - Stalin and Churchill meet in Moscow.

Aug. 17, 1942 - First all-American air


34

attack in Europe.

Aug. 18, 1942 - First ‘Waffen SD’ units are dispatched to the Eastern Front by Heydrich.

Sept. 2, 1942 - Rommel driven back by Montgomery in the Battle of Alam Halfa.

Sept. 1, 1942 - Battle of Stalingrad begins.

Sept. 13, 1942 - First Soviet chuman units appear at Stalingrad.

Sept. 23, 1942 - Soviets begin to close the jaws of their ‘bear trap’ at Stalingrad. General Paulus loses most of his armor in a pathetic counter-attack.

Oct. 4, 1942 - The SD dispatches the fi rst of its ‘enhanced soldiers’ to assist the Germans at Stalingrad.

Oct. 9, 1942 - Stalin reinforces the command powers of his commissars, hindering tactical fl exibility of Soviet forces.

Oct. 14, 1942 - First Red Guard divisions are sent to the fi ghting at Stalingrad.

Oct. 25, 1942 - Axis push in the Caucasus resumes.Nov. 8, 1942 - Operation Torch begins (U.S. invasion of North Africa).

Nov. 11, 1942 - Germans and Italians occupy Vichy France.

Nov. 19, 1942 - Major Soviet winter offensive begins. With the new T34 tank, the Soviets are able to completely halt the Axis advance into Russia.

Nov. 24, 1942 - Unable to maintain land supply routes, the Germans attempt to supply Stalingrad from the air.

Dec. 2, 1942 - Professor Enrico Fermi sets up an atomic reactor in Chicago.

Dec. 13, 1942 - Rommel withdraws from El Agheila.

Dec. 16, 1942 - Soviets defeat Italian troops on the River Don in the USSR.

Dec. 26, 1942 - Germans begin a general withdrawal in the face of renewed Soviet offensives.

Dec. 31, 1942 - Battle of the Barents Sea between German and British ships.

1943

Jan. 7, 1943 - ARPA facility at San Diablo attacked by German agents. Nikola Tesla killed.

Jan. 8, 1943 - Soviets continue to allow small numbers of German soldiers to reach Stalingrad and what Stalin calls his ‘fascist meatgrinder’.

Jan. 14-24, 1943 - Casablanca conference between Churchill and Roosevelt. During the conference, Roosevelt announces the war can end only with an unconditional German surrender.

Jan. 18, 1943 - Soviets establish supply lines to Leningrad, breaking the German siege.

Jan. 23, 1943 - Montgomery’s Eighth Army takes Tripoli.

Jan. 27, 1943 - First bombing raid by Americans on Germany (at Wilhelmshaven).

Feb. 4, 1943 - Axis forces begin to push back the Soviet offensive.

Feb. 14-25, 1943 - Battle of Kasserine Pass between the U.S. 1st Armored Division and German Panzers in North Africa.

Mar. 2, 1943 - Germans begin a withdrawal from Tunisia, Africa.

Mar. 5, 1943 - Germans re-occupy Kharkov.

Mar. 16-20, 1943 - Battle of Atlantic climaxes with 27 merchant ships sunk by German U-boats.

Mar. 20-28, 1943 - Montgomery’s Eighth Army breaks through the Mareth Line in Tunisia.


35

Mar. 25, 1943 - German ‘Operation Citadel’ leads to the biggest tank battle in history. Zhukov’s Red Army breaks the German attack, but suffers hideous losses when the SD fi res an atomic shell into their advance. The Soviets fall back in the wake of this assault.

Apr. 6/7, 1943 - Axis forces in Tunisia begin a withdrawal toward Enfi daville as American and British forces link.

May 7, 1943 - Allies take Tunisia.

May 13, 1943 - German and Italian troops surrender in North Africa.

May 16/17, 1943 - British air raid on the Ruhr.

May 22, 1943 - Dönitz suspends U-boat operations in the North Atlantic.

Jun. 10, 1943 - ‘Pointblank’ directive to improve Allied bombing strategy issued.

Jul. 9/10, 1943 - Allies land in Sicily.

Jul. 19, 1943 - Allies bomb Rome.

Jul. 22, 1943 - Americans capture Palermo, Sicily.

Jul. 24, 1943 - British bombing raid on Hamburg.

Jul. 25/26, 1943 - Mussolini arrested and the Italian Fascist government falls; Marshal Pietro Badoglio takes over and negotiates with Allies.

Jul. 27/28, 1943 - Allied air raid causes a fi restorm in Hamburg.

Aug 17, 1943 - American daylight air raids on Regensburg and Schweinfurt in Germany; Allies reach Messina, Sicily.

Sept. 8, 1943 - Italian surrender is announced.

Sept. 9, 1943 - Allied landings at Salerno and Taranto.

Sept. 11, 1943 - Germans occupy Rome.

Sept. 12, 1943 - Germans rescue Mussolini.

Sept. 23, 1943 - Mussolini installed as leader of a new fascist regime in northern Italy.

Oct. 1, 1943 - Allies enter Naples, Italy.

Oct. 13, 1943 - Italian Republic declares war on Germany; Second American air raid on Schweinfurt.

Nov. 18, 1943 - Large British air raid on Berlin.

Nov. 28, 1943 - Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin meet at Teheran.

Dec. 24-26, 1943 - Soviets launch offensives on the Ukrainian front.

1944

Jan. 6, 1944 - Soviet troops advance into Estonia and Latvia.

Jan. 17, 1944 - First attack toward Cassino, Italy.

Jan. 22, 1944 - Allies land at Anzio.

Jan. 27, 1944 - Leningrad relieved after a 900-day siege.

Feb. 15-18, 1944 - Allies bomb the monastery at Monte Cassino.

Feb. 16, 1944 - Germans counter-attack against the Anzio beachhead.

Mar. 4, 1944 - First major daylight bombing raid on Berlin by the Allies.

Mar. 15, 1944 - Second Allied attempt to capture Monte Cassino begins.

Mar. 18, 1944 - British drop 3000 tons of bombs during an air raid on Hamburg, Germany.

Apr. 8, 1944 - Soviet troops push Axis forces back across the Dniepr River.

May 9, 1944 - Soviet troops recapture Smolensk.

May 11, 1944 - Allied attempt to break the Monte Cassino defense fails when the SD dispatches hundreds of Emaciated Troopers to the line.

May 20, 1944 - The dreaded Sonderbuero-13 is created as a subsidiary of the SD.

May 25, 1944 - Germans retreat from Anzio.

Jun. 5, 1944 - American 5th Army fi ghts its way into Rome from Anzio, but is completely cut off by German forces.

Jun. 6, 1944 - Allies defeated in Normandy as D-Day landings fail to provide a foothold into German-held Europe.

Jun. 9, 1944 - Soviet offensive against Finland begins.

Jun. 12, 1944 - General Eisenhower relieved of command. Field Marshal Alexander becomes new Allied Supreme Commander.

Jun. 13, 1944 - First German V-1 rocket attack on Britain.

Jun. 22, 1944 - Operation Bagration begins (the Soviet summer offensive).

Jul. 1, 1944 - An expedition is made by members of the 4th Special Department to the Tunguska blast site. Few survive and a direct correlation between the blast of 1908 and the Soviet ‘psi phenomenon’ is established.

Jul. 3, 1944 - Soviets invade Lithuania.

Jul. 10, 1944 - President Roosevelt dies and is succeeded by vice-president Wallace.

Jul. 20, 1944 - German assassination attempt on the Führer fails.

Jul. 30, 1944 - Soviets capture Kiev.

Aug. 1, 1944 - Polish Home Army uprising against Germans in Warsaw begins. Expect the aid of the Soviets driving down from Lithuania.

Aug. 14, 1944 - Implicated in the assassination attempt, Hermann Goering commits ‘suicide’ and is succeeded by General Robert Ritter von Greim as head of the Luftwaffe.


36

Aug. 25, 1944 - Erwin Rommel is appointed ‘Kriegsmarshal’ of all German military forces for his successful defense in Normandy. He is sent to the Russian Front to recover the situation there.

Sept. 26, 1944 - Soviet troops occupy Estonia.

Sept. 28, 1944 - A concentrated Axis attack begins to push the Soviets back in Lithuania and Finland.

Oct. 2, 1944 - Warsaw Uprising ends as the Polish Home Army surrenders to the Germans.

Oct. 10-29, 1944 - Soviet troops capture Riga.

Nov. 7, 1944 - General Douglas MacArthur beats Harry Truman for the presidency of the United States.

Dec. 1, 1944 - Soviets recapture Minsk.

1945

Jan. 8, 1945 - The Soviet offensive is halted largely by von Greim’s devastating Luftwaffe and the large numbers of jet-powered dive bombers supporting Rommel’s ground forces.

Jan. 12, 1945 - Rommel begins a concentrated attack on Soviet lines, driving toward the Crimea and

Caucasus. In the north, a defensive cordon is established along the Daugava River to contain the Soviets.

Jan. 15, 1945 - A German-backed coup in Turkey begins a violent campaign to restore the Ottoman sultans.

Feb. 4-11, 1945 - MacArthur, Churchill, Stalin meet at Yalta.

Feb. 13/14, 1945 - Dresden is destroyed by a fi restorm after Allied bombing raids.

Feb. 14, 1945 - Operation Dragoon launched against occupied France. Nearly one million Allied soldiers land in the south of France.

Feb. 20, 1945 - The Turkish government is driven into exile by the new sultan and his German supporters. An entire Waffen SS army moves into Turkey, poised to seize the resources of Palestine and Jordan.

Feb. 25, 1945 - Montgomery is placed in charge of Allied defenses in Palestine, fearing a German attack from Turkey.

Feb. 26, 1945 - Allies capture Toulon.

Mar. 1, 1945 - Rommel arrives in Turkey at the head of ‘Panzer Armee Asia’.

Mar. 5, 1945 - Allies capture Marseille.

Mar. 7, 1945 - Germans take Kiev.

Mar. 15, 1945 - German attacks in the Middle East begin. An SS army led by Sepp Dietrich strikes south into Syria, advancing toward Palestine and Egypt while Rommel leads his force eastward toward Iraq and the oil fi elds of Iran.

Mar. 16, 1945 - Allies take Montpellier.

Mar. 21, 1945 - Damascus is captured by Axis forces.

Mar. 21, 1945 - Allies capture Avignon.

Mar. 22, 1945 - Germans retake Kharkov.

Mar. 25, 1945 - Rommel’s forces invade Iraq.

Apr. 1, 1945 - Allies take Valence.

Apr. 5, 1945 - Allies take St Ettienne.

Apr. 12, 1945 - Allies capture Lyon.

Apr. 15, 1945 - The Germans capture Beruit.

Apr. 18, 1945 - Rommel captures Baghdad, driving out the British.

Apr. 21, 1945 - General George S. Patton Jr. is dispatched to Arabia to command the US 7th Army. Their express mission is to stop Rommel.

Apr. 30, 1945 - Allies capture Dijon.

May 2, 1945 - Allies capture Moulins.

May 5, 1945 - Patton’s forces cross into southern Iraq.

May 5, 1945 – Japanese forces land in the Aleutian Islands, moving into Alaska.

May 19, 1945 - First clash between elements of Panzer Armee Asia and the US 7th Army.

May 21, 1945 - After a long and brutal campaign, Montgomery stops Dietrich’s army before it can reach Jerusalem. Dietrich’s force crumbles in the face of the defeat, many of his Syrian and Vichy troops deserting. Montgomery doesn’t realize how completely Dietrich has been beaten and fails to pursue him back into Lebanon.

May 22, 1945 - Allies capture Toulons.

May 25, 1945 - Allies capture Limoges.

May 27, 1945 – The fi nal Japanese invasion force pushes into Alaska.

Jun. 1, 1945 - Allies capture Orleans.

Jun. 5, 1945 - Patton begins a full scale attack against Rommel.

Jun. 8, 1945 - Elements of Rommel’s forces cross into Iran.


37

June 8, 1945 – The Japanese launch a chemical/biological attack on San Francisco leaving the city a plague-infested ruin that is quickly quarantined by the US government.

Jun. 10, 1945 - The campaign Patton will describe as the ‘Foxhunt’ begins. The US 7th Army pursues Rommel through the deserts of Iraq and Iran.

Jun. 20, 1945 - Patton captures Baghdad.

July 16, 1945 – Two Japanese AM-class submarines attack the Panama Canal from the Atlantic, crippling Atlantic-Pacifi c fl eet movements.

Aug. 5, 1945 - The fi rst of the grotesque ‘Ratte’ super-tanks arrive in Iraq.

Patton is forced to give ground before Rommel’s new offensive.

Aug. 6, 1945 – The USAAF drops a new type of bomb on Tokyo, hoping to knock Japan out of the war and force the Emperor to sue for peace. The atomic bomb devastates the city, killing 200,000 and leveling 70% of Tokyo. The destruction only intensifi es Japanese resolve and the surviving government relocates to Kyoto.

Aug. 8, 1945 - The US 3rd Army and Free French forces move on Paris.

Aug. 12, 1945 - Against the Führer’s orders, General von Choltitz abandons Paris to the Allies. The SD, however, stays behind to wage a guerrilla war from the sewers and catacombs beneath the city.

Aug. 13, 1945 - Paris is offi cially liberated.

Aug. 14, 1945 – A German Ju-390 appears in the skies above Manhattan and drops a fuel-air bomb code-named ‘Drachefeur’ on the metropolis. Hundreds of thousands are incinerated as the German bomb ignites the atmosphere. The attack is retaliation for the bombing of Tokyo and a grim warning to MacArthur that any similar attack against Germany will be returned in kind.

Aug. 22, 1945 - Allied attack on Bordeaux begins.

Sept. 1, 1945 - Rommel retakes Baghdad.

Sept. 15, 1945 - Almost pushed back into Arabia by Rommel, Patton goes back on the offensive when 25 Super-Heavy T-28 tanks are delivered to the US 7th Army.Sept. 17, 1945 - Bordeaux falls to the Allies.

Sept. 20, 1945 - Heavy fi ghting stalls the Allied advance west at Reims.

Oct. 20, 1945 - Patton recaptures Baghdad.

Oct. 21, 1945 – Allies capture Toulon.

Oct. 25, 1945 - German forces are pushed into northern Iraq and eastern Iran.

Oct. 31, 1945 - The remains of Army Group Romanoff emerge from the Caucasus and link up with Rommel.

Nov. 10, 1945 - Montgomery goes on the offensive against Dietrich. The Germans and their allies are now fi rmly entrenched in Syria and Lebanon, however.

Nov. 11, 1945 - Rommel stages another drive into Iran to secure the oil fi elds, supported by Army Group Romanoff.

Nov. 16, 1945 - Patton joins with Iranian and British forces to oppose Rommel’s new campaign.

Dec. 1, 1945 – All across the Russian front, the Red Army begins its winter offensive.

Dec. 10, 1945 – Kharkov is recaptured by the Soviets.

Dec. 12, 1945 - A Soviet army under the command of Commissar Nikita Khrushchev invades northern Iran in pursuit of Army Group Romanoff. They are less concerned about fi ghting Rommel than they are about destroying the Russian rebels.

Dec. 14, 1945 – The Axis powers begin their winter offensive against the Allies in France. A combined force of ½ million Germans, Italians and Vichy French pulverize Allied positions throughout the west of France. In the south a Spanish


38

army 300,000 strong pushes northward from the Spanish frontier.

Dec. 18, 1945 – Germans capture Reims.

Dec. 19, 1945 – Vichy troops occupy Lyon.

Dec. 20, 1945 – Soviet forces take Pinsk. The situation in the east has deteriorated to a state where German forces in the Ukraine face the possibility of being completely cut off from their lines of supply.

Dec. 20, 1945 – Spanish forces capture Toulouse.

Dec. 22, 1945 – Germans capture Dijon.

Dec. 23, 1945 – Germans begin to reinforce Odessa, intending to use the city as the fulcrum for supplying their armies in the Ukraine, using Bulgarian ports and the Black Sea to maintain lines of supply.

Dec. 24, 1945 – Spanish forces capture Bordeaux.

Dec. 26, 1945 – Vichy and Italian troops recapture Toulon.

Dec. 28, 1945 – Germans capture Orleans.

Dec. 30, 1945 – Paris is isolated from Allied lines. German forces prepare to lay siege to the city.

**All events in italics are Alternate Events of History


40

All the combatants in AE-WWII have a number of characteristics that defi ne how they fi ght, their physical strength and durability, as well as any special abilities or skills they may possess.

attributes

All models possess seven attributes:

movement (m) – This number represent the number of inches that a model may move for each action point (AP) expended for movement purposes.

ranged combat (rc) – This attribute is the soldier’s ability to strike an opponent using a ranged attack. When no number is listed, the unit or character in question has no ranged attack. Unlike most other attributes, the lower a model’s RC, the better.

close combat (cc) – This is a model’s skill in fi ghting when things get up close and personal. It represents both his defensive and offensive capabilities when up close.

armor (a) – Armor is the amount of protective gear and natural ability to avoid damage that a model possesses. This number may be modifi ed by cover and other factors during game play.

strength (s) – The physical strength of a model. This attribute determines the damage a model infl icts when striking an enemy in hand to hand combat.

drive (dr) – This number expresses the soldier’s motivation on the battlefi eld and ability to continue fi ghting even in the direst of situations. Any model with a Drive of zero routs and may surrender to the enemy. See the Morale section for more information on Drive and its effects.

wounds (w) – Some models are able to sustain a number of injuries before being removed as a casualty. When a model suffers its last wound, it is removed from the battlefi eld.

base sizeThe size of a model’s base becomes important for determining a number of factors. Models come in a number of base sizes, each with a corresponding measurement. Vehicles do not have a base size and instead take up as much space as the actual model.

special abilities

Many models have special abilities or skills that make them far more capable than the average soldier. These abilities are detailed below.

aim - Skilled soldiers can take their time when shooting, preferring a precisely placed shot rather than a hail of bullets. Models with this ability can take the aim action by spending 1 AP and designating a target. More than 1 AP can be spent in this way, but each option listed below can only be selected once. On the model’s next ranged combat attack, that model can choose one of the following options before an attack roll is made, so long as the attack is against the designated target.

Increase the weapon’s Strength by +1.Ignore the +1 penalty for long range.Reduce a target’s cover bonus by -2.Choose a target when shooting into close combat. Choose to strike passengers or crew in a vehicle.

If a model taking the aim action takes any other action before shooting or fi res on a target other than the one designated during the aim action, the bonuses from the aim action are lost. Aim actions can be carried over from one turn to another, however if a model designated in the aim action moves out of line of sight, any AP spent aiming are lost and cannot be carried over to another target.

apathetic - Apathetic models do not care about their fellow soldiers, watching them die with cold contempt. Models with this ability do not suffer Drive losses from friendly units or individuals that have been removed as casualties or that are in rout. However, their apathy extends to commanding offi cers and models with this ability may never have their Drive raised through special abilities or by being joined by other models.

berserk - A model with this special ability that is reduced to zero Drive does not surrender or rout; instead it goes absolutely berserk, completely slipping beyond the control of the player. It will charge the nearest model, friend or foe, and immediately

•••••

Small 30mm (~1¼”)Medium 40mm (~1⅝”)

Large 50mm (~2”)

base size measurment


41

attack. The model will remain berserk for the remainder of the game and must be the fi rst model activated each turn.

command - Offi cers are trained to shout orders and maintain order on the battlefi eld. Models with this ability are able to rebuild the lost Drive of friendly units or individuals. For 1 Action Point, a model with this ability can raise the Drive of a unit or individual within 12” by one. This unit does not have to be within Line of Sight. This increase cannot raise the Drive attribute above its starting value. A model with this ability cannot use it on themselves.

crack shot - A model with this ability is so skilled that they are able to ignore up to a +2 cover bonus against models they shoot at. This ability stacks with any gained through the aim ability. A model with crack shot cannot fi re more than one shot per Action Point spent and still gain the bonus from this ability. A model with this ability can choose not to use this ability in order to fi re more than one shot per Action Point.

flight - Some models are able to fl y. These models, when making a move action, are able to ignore intervening terrain and models as they move through the air.

frightening - Genetically altered creatures, twisted magic, or even ferocious animals often invoke fear among enemy soldiers. Frightening models temporarily reduce the Drive of any enemy model with which they are in base contact by one. This reduction lasts for as long as the frightening model is in base contact. Frightening models are unaffected by other frightening models. A model can only suffer a -1 penalty due to frightening models, regardless of how many they are in base contact with.

hidden deployment - Especially stealthy units are able to slip through enemy lines, concealing themselves on the battlefi eld only to spring out and surprise the enemy when they least expect it. Models with this ability do not follow the standard rules for deployment (see Scenarios pg.76), but instead are placed anywhere on the table during the player’s fi rst turn. These models are activated, placed, and then allowed to take their actions as normal. Models with this ability may not be placed within 10 inches of an enemy model when being deployed.

impervious (x+) - Some powerful individuals are able to withstand signifi cant damage, shrugging off blows that would kill a lesser individual. Impervious models are able to ignore any attack that has bypassed their armor on a roll of X or higher on a single d6. Thus, a model with Impervious (5+) can ignore any attack on a roll of fi ve or six.

inspiring - Inspiring models invoke feelings of loyalty, camaraderie, and patriotism in their fellow soldiers. All friendly models within line of sight of an inspiring model gain a temporary +1 Drive as long as they remain within LoS. Routing models that gain LoS to an inspiring model rally. Inspiring models do not benefi t from their own bonus, but do gain the bonus from other inspiring models. A unit may only receive the bonus from a single inspiring model.

lethal - Lethal models are skilled killers, able to infl ict mortal

wounds with any weapon. Models with this ability increase the Strength of any attack they make by two.

slow - Some models are unable to move quickly about the battlefi eld, instead plodding along through the rubble and gunfi re. Slow models are unable to use the Sprint/Charge action.

solo - Solo models do not work well with others and are unable to join, or be joined by other individuals or units.

stand and take it (x) - Certain models are either too stupid or too brave to take cover when met with a hail of gunfi re. Models with this ability never need lower than X to resist suppression fi re. Thus, a model with Stand and Take It (3) always needs a three or lower to ignore suppression fi re, regardless of their current Drive or any penalties due to multiple suppression shots, etc.

steady hands - A model with this ability is able to ignore the penalties for long range during ranged combat.

sure-footed - Sure-footed models are able to move through diffi cult ground as easily as fl at ground. Models with this trait move at their full movement score through diffi cult ground (rather than half) and can sprint/charge through diffi cult ground.

unintelligent - Models with this ability are unable to think intelligently and are thus unable to capture certain objectives during scenarios. See the individual scenarios and secondary objectives to determine if an unintelligent model is able to capture objectives.

unstoppable - Even after sustaining a lethal wound, some individuals do not immediately fall, instead continuing to fi ght until they fi nally collapse and expire. When reduced to zero wounds, models with this ability are not removed as a casualty until the end of their next activation and are able to function normally until they are removed.

walking fire - Some soldiers are able to slowly move across the battlefi eld, guns blazing. Models with this ability are able to move and fi re with just about any weapon. All weapons used by models with this ability gain the ‘Move and Fire’ trait (see Weapons pg. 53).


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troop type/training level

Forces in AE-WWII are categorized in two ways. First, they are separated into Training Levels. This represents the training and skill of a model or unit and determines the number of action points they receive each turn. Secondly, models or units are given a Troop Type, which defi nes what category of troops the model or unit belongs to.

troop types

InfantryCavalrySupport

AbominationTesla Device

PsiSpecialist

infantry – The staple of all armed forces taking part in any confl ict, the infantry represents the backbone of every military. Ranging from veteran soldiers to grunts, infantrymen are the ‘typical’ soldier, regardless of who they are fi ghting for.

specialist – Specialists are highly skilled individuals with a unique set of talents or abilities that separate them from the standard trooper. Mechanics and mad scientists are just a few examples of these soldiers that use their skills to aid their comrades.

cavalry – Tanks and other vehicles are used frequently on the battlefi eld, and though they are rare in skirmishes and other small engagements, they still fi nd their way into many battles.

support (restricted) – Support forces are generally infantry soldiers given heavy weapons. From machine guns to explosives, support forces are a highly sought after and quite capable of decimating large numbers of infantry quickly and often pose a threat to heavily-armored targets. Not as common as standard infantry, a detachment may only possess one Support selection per three Infantry troop selections made.

abomination (restricted) – German scientists have begun to fi eld soldiers altered through genetic engineering, mechanical enhancement, or other terrible methods. These super-soldiers are drawn from all walks of life and altered animals and people are becoming more and more common on the battlefi eld. Abominations usually require the presence of a Mad Doktor or other Specialist; see the specifi c army list for specifi c restrictions.

psi (restricted) – The NKVD, a Soviet counterintelligence organization, has begun to train soldiers that have shown strange mental powers. As the ‘psi’ phenomenon in Stalin’s Russia grows, the NKVD taps into these abilities and uses them against the abominations of Germany. Psi units usually require the presence of an NKVD Psi Offi cer or other Specialist; see the specifi c army list for specifi c restrictions.

tesla device (restricted) – The American forces have brought their own technological wonders to the battlefi eld. Heavily armored powered suits, electrical weapons and mechanical robot soldiers are being deployed alongside standard infantry to stem the tide of the German abominations. These Tesla Devices are proving quite successful and further advances in such technology are bound to be seen in the years to come. Tesla Devices usually require the presence of a Mechanic or other Specialist; see the specifi c army list for specifi c restrictions.

action points

All models possess a number of Action Points that allow them to take various actions in a single turn. The number of Action Points possessed by a model is determined by their Training Level. For a list of possible actions a model can undertake, as well as more detailed rules regarding actions and Action Points, (see Actions pg. 48).

training level action points

Green 1Regular 2Veteran 3

Elite 4

unit types

There are three basic classifi cations of unit types in AE-WWII: squads, individuals, and heroes.

squadsA squad consists of a group of soldiers acting in concert with one another on the battlefi eld, due to either training or simply a mob mentality. All models in a squad must maintain cohesion. Simply put, no model in a squad may voluntarily end its turn outside of 4 inches of another member of his unit. If during play a model fi nds itself outside of squad coherency it must expend all available Action Points to bring itself back into coherency. Models in close combat do not have to be within 4 inches of each other for as long as they stay engaged in close combat.

Though each model in a squad acts rather independently of one another, the squad is activated as a whole. Models within a squad do not have to spend their full allotment of action points before another model within the squad begins spending their action points. This allows models in a squad to coordinate their actions with one another, acting in tandem.

Members of a squad have their own attributes, but share a single Drive attribute. When the Drive of a member of a squad is reduced, all members of that squad suffer the loss of Drive.

individualsIndividuals are models that act independently on the battlefi eld, but lack the command and control abilities of a hero. The number of Individuals in a force will generally be small.


43

Individuals act independently upon a battlefi eld, but may join any squad on the battlefi eld, further bolstering the unit’s morale. An individual may at any time join a friendly squad on the battlefi eld simply by moving to within squad coherency. An individual is by no means obligated to join the squad however. A player should announce his intention to attach the individual to the squad upon ending the individual’s activation. An individual joining a squad must maintain cohesion as all other models of the squad must. An individual attached to a squad activates at the same time as the squad he is now part of, but retains his original activation points. An individual wishing to leave a squad must declare so before the squad that he had joined has been activated. An individual may under no circumstances leave a squad which has any models engaged in close combat.

A squad with an attached individual uses the highest Drive attribute in the squad. This allows individuals to join a squad with a lower Drive to boost their morale. Individuals joining units that are under the effects of a rout will instantly bolster that unit’s, rallying the members of the unit and raising their Drive to the individual’s current level.

heroesIn war, some individuals rise above the rest and prove themselves as truly unique. The heroes of AE-WWII stand out from the more common soldiers, bringing character, strength, and courage to the detachments in which they belong. Heroes can be found among nearly all forces from all ranks and are a welcome addition to any army.

Generally, every detachment can only possess one hero. In scenarios and campaigns where varying detachment compositions are used, it may be possible to fi eld more heroes. Only certain models can be upgraded to heroes; see the individual army lists. Models that are upgraded to heroes should be marked as such.

When a model is upgraded to a hero, the player must then choose a hero type, which will indicate what kind of hero the model is. This hero type then determines what additional abilities, modifi cations to attributes, and other changes are made to the model and/or its detachment. Certain models may be restricted as to what hero types they may choose; see the individual model descriptions.

hero types – general

archaeologistThe Führer’s obsession with religious artifacts and items of antiquity was well known and as this obsession grew, so did the search for such items by both American and German forces. These rough-and-tumble treasure hunters were often bold and eccentric and usually possessed uncanny luck.

Archaeologists gain the following adjustments to their attributes: +1 DR.

Archaeologists always carry some form of ancient artifact that, some believe, protects the hero from harm. Whether this is true or merely luck, these heroes have the surprising ability to live to see another day. Archaeologists are

impervious (4+), meaning that every time they suffer an attack bypasses their armor, they roll 1d6 and on a 4-6 they ignore the attack.

bruteThere are some soldiers that tower above their comrades that sustain injuries that would kill another man and that are capable of tearing their enemies to pieces with their bare hands. These hulking masses of muscle are looked up to (quite literally) by their fellow soldiers, who know that, as long as they’ve got the brute on their side, victory is almost assured.

Brutes gain the following adjustments to their attributes: +1 CC, +2 S, and +2 W.

In addition, Brutes are unstoppable. When reduced to zero wounds, they are not removed as a casualty until the end of their next activation and are able to function normally until they are removed.

marksmanSkilled with any fi rearm, many soldiers were accomplished marksmen but not part of a sniper team. These troops were counted upon by their comrades to use their expert skills on the battlefi eld. They were often the recipients of awards for their skill, using patience and keen vision to hit nearly any target.

Marksmen gain the following adjustments to their attributes: -1 RC.

In addition, Marksmen can use the aim ability to take extra time on a shooting attack in order to gain bonuses to their attack.

natural leaderCharisma, grace under pressure, and stern resolve are just three of the traits of the natural leader. Able to turn a potential rout into a winning charge, natural leaders take command of the battlefi eld and every soldier in their detachment. Not always carrying the rank of an offi cer, these men lead by example, never shying from combat or dangerous situations. They throw themselves into the fray with their men, who gladly follow them into Hell itself.


44

Natural Leaders gain the following adjustments to their attributes: +2 DR.

In addition, Natural Leaders gain the command ability if they did not already possess it as well as the inspiring ability.

pathfinderPathfi nders are always at the head of any detachment they are a part of. Soldiers and offi cers that are often sent behind enemy lines on daring solo missions, pathfi nder heroes are the scouts and lookouts of their units. Pathfi nders excel at operating independently of other members of their detachment, but realize that if they are caught too far from their comrades, they can be in serious danger.

Pathfi nders gain the following adjustments to their attributes: +1 M, +1 DR.

Pathfi nders are also sure-footed, able to move through diffi cult ground as easily as fl at ground. Heroes with this trait move at their full movement score through diffi cult ground (rather than half) and can sprint/charge through diffi cult ground.

war heroThe war hero is a soldier above soldiers, the epitome of the armed forces. The war hero is skilled in all manner of warfare and has earned a name for themselves as the ideal trooper. A jack-of-all-trades, war heroes can be relied upon to use all their skills, guile and luck to get the job done and achieve all objectives. Cutting through swathes of enemy soldiers, the war hero follows orders and rallies those around him to do the same.

War Heroes gain the following adjustments to their attributes: -1 RC, 1 C, +1 DR, and +1 W.

hero types – american

eccentric millionaireWith the draft in full effect in the United States, many wealthy and important people fi nd themselves unable to avoid military service. In addition, eccentric and elitist dilettantes willingly enlist, viewing the war as something of a lark and looking for stories to regale their friends back home with upon their return. These individuals use their wealth and their clout to help out those in their detachments, looking to gain a little fame along the way.

Eccentric Millionaires gain the following adjustments to their attributes: +1 A.

Eccentric Millionaires are always better equipped than their comrades, a fact most soldiers fi nd frustrating. This fi ne equipment serves the hero well throughout the war. All weapons carried by the hero have their Strength increased by one and their range increased by two inches.

Finally, Eccentric Millionaires have a great deal of pull with their superiors and are able to requisition special orders easily. Detachments with an Eccentric Millionaire are allowed to select an additional special order from those normally allowed by the detachment. A detachment may only receive one extra special order regardless of the number of Eccentric Millionaire heroes they have.

movie starThe draft in the United States meant that people from all walks of American life saw military service. With the American fascination with celebrities and the rise of Hollywood, the fame many movie stars enjoyed quickly followed them to the battlefi eld. More than most soldiers, the lives of movie stars during the war was watched

closely by the American people, and those in command knew that. Thus, every effort was made to keep them safe, as their loss would be a blow to morale back home.

The War Department has assigned two GI’s to follow the hero and document his life, providing the people back in

fact vs fiction

Many movie stars such as Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable

joined the US military during World War II.


45

the United States with a fi rsthand look of how America is ‘winning the war’. The reporter’s fi rst duty is to protect the movie star, as well as to fi lm his actions during the war. Along with the hero, these embedded reporters form a single squad, functioning exactly as described as detailed in Unit Types (see Unit Types pg. 42).

Movie Star heroes can never join any unit apart from Embedded Reporters.

Embedded Reporters – Type: Regular InfantryComposition: 2 Embedded ReportersEquipment: M1 Carbine

rocket heroThough signifi cantly limited in numbers, the Tesla Rocket Packs developed by the United States military are being fi eld tested on all fronts of the war. Typically reserved for specially-trained soldiers, some outstanding individuals have managed to procure such devices. Armed with this experimental equipment, as well as the T1A1 Tesla Pistol, these heroes fl y into combat, leading their men to victory.

Rocket Heroes gain the following adjustments to their attributes: -1 A, +1 DR.

Rocket Heroes trade their existing equipment with a Tesla Rocket Pack, which increases their Movement attribute to 6 and gives them the fl ight ability. They may also trade their existing weapon for a T1A1 Tesla Pistol or Thompson M1A1.

technicianWith the sudden and signifi cant gains being made by the US military in the fi eld of Tesla technology, more and more soldiers are fi nding themselves relying on high-tech devices

and machinery. Technicians are skilled gear-heads with a knack for all things mechanical. Though not necessarily trained in technical fi elds (like a Mechanic), technicians are still quite adept at fi xing broken devices and, as such are often accompanied by repaired or pieced together mechanical weapons.

The presence of a Technician allows an additional Green Tesla Device selection to be taken when determining detachment composition. This is above and beyond any normally allowed by other models (such as a Mechanic), as well as above the normal number of selections of a detachment composition (essentially allowing a free Green selection). This selection is compulsory and cannot be exchanged.

hero types – german

assassinMany soldiers and offi cers received special training or simply developed the skills necessary to become feared assassins. These killers were used against military and civilian targets alike, sometimes separating from their detachments to eliminate key personnel.

Assassins gain the following adjustments to their attributes: -1 RC, +1 CC.

Assassins are also lethal, increasing the Strength of any attack they make by two.

lab ratWith German advances in chemical compounds, genetic manipulation, and cybernetic augmentation, many soldiers (willingly or unwillingly) found themselves the subject of terrible medical procedures. These procedures, when they didn’t kill the subject, often boosted the soldier’s combat abilities but were usually unstable. Often times these troopers would prove unstoppable one moment and then become crippled with pain the next.

For each of the hero’s attributes (M, S, A, W), roll 1d6; on a 1-2 the attribute is lowered by one (minimum of one), on a 3-4 the attribute stays the same, and on a 5-6 the attribute

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 3 1


46

is increased by one. These adjustments are permanent and determined at the time the hero type is selected.

In addition, Lab Rats suffer from terrible and random alterations that manifest themselves in different ways. Every turn, when the hero is activated, roll 1d6 and consult the chart below to determine what happens to the Lab Rat.

roll effect

1 Hero loses 1 AP this turn2 No effect

3-4 Hero gains +1 AP this turn5 Hero becomes lethal6 Hero becomes impervious (4+)

scientistMost German soldiers have witnessed the might of the genetic creations the mad doctors have grown in their labs and few can argue with their success in combat. As such, many Germans have gained a basic understanding of the creation of these abominations and work with geneticists to put these creatures to good use. These scientist heroes are nearly always accompanied by these terrible things.

The presence of a Scientist allows an additional Green Abomination selection to be taken when determining detachment composition. This is above and beyond any normally allowed by other models (such as a Mad Doktor), as well as above the normal number of selections of a detachment composition (essentially allowing a free Green selection). This selection is compulsory and cannot be exchanged.

hero types – russian

criminalWhether a petty thief or convicted murderer, Russian forces gave criminals a second chance using military service rather

than imprisonment. Criminal heroes are usually loners, rarely making friends among their fellow soldiers. As such, they are most often placed with other members of their kind, grouped into small units of crooks. Most are cynical, hardened, roughnecks that make surprisingly good troops. Criminals are often stalwart in the face of danger, able to keep their cool regardless of the circumstances.

Criminals gain the following adjustments to their attributes: +1 DR.

Criminal heroes can never join any unit apart from Criminal Recruits.

Gulag Recruits – Type: Green InfantryComposition: 3 Criminal SoldiersEquipment: SVT-40

latent psiA phenomenon is sweeping across Soviet Russia, one that the Red Army has yet to explain. More and more people are found to have developed strange mental abilities, giving rise to stories of powerful mentalists and psionic masters. But while the number of those that can control their abilities is rare, Stalin has ordered all ‘psi’ citizens into military service. Therefore, many offi cers and enlisted soldiers with these strange abilities can be seen on the battlefi eld.

Latent Psis gain the following adjustments to their attributes: +1 DR.

A Latent Psi can select one of the following psychic abilities that can be used during the game. This is in addition to any existing psychic abilities the individual may already possess and a player cannot select the same ability for a single individual more than once.

mental stun: A Latent Psi is able to telepathically stun his opponents, causing them to pause and often forget what they were doing. For 1 AP, a Latent Psi

•

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 2 2 3 1

fact vs fiction

Units of criminal soldiers were seen in use by the Red Army

during the war.


47

can force an enemy model to lose 1 AP. The victim can attempt to resist this ability by rolling 1d6; if they roll equal to or lower than their current Drive attribute, they do not suffer a loss of AP. The target of this ability must be within 12” and line of sight.

clouded minds: Trained to reach out with their thoughts and obscure themselves, Latent Psis can make themselves diffi cult to spot. The hero receives a +2 cover bonus at all times, even when in the open. This bonus stacks with any other cover bonus and does not apply to units the hero joins.

psychic push: The hero has developed a basic psychokinetic ability that allows him to use a psychic push to move foes and other objects around. For 1 AP, the hero can use this ability to move an enemy model 1” in any direction. The enemy model must be within 12” and line of sight of the Latent Psi and is allowed to resist by rolling equal to or lower than their Strength attribute on 1d6.

chuman parentExperimentation by Russian scientists long searched for a way to create stronger, more obedient soldiers. These experiments failed until the psi phenomenon grew. Now, human-ape hybrids are being born and trained for war. The parents of these ‘chumans’ are not often allowed to bond with their children and are many times unwilling participants in such abhorrent cross-breeding practices. But a rare few develop close ties with these creatures and are seen leading small teams of them into combat.

•

•

The presence of a Chuman Parent allows an additional Green Psi selection to be taken when determining detachment composition. This is above and beyond any normally allowed by other models (such as an NKVD Psi Offi cer), as well as above the normal number of selections of a detachment composition (essentially allowing a free Green selection). This selection is compulsory and cannot be exchanged.


48

In order to play a game of AE-WWII you will need the following supplies:

At least one 6 sided die, hereafter referred as a d6.A form of measuring inches; tape measure, measuring stick, etc.Suitable models representing the forces involved in the confl ict. A fi eld to battle on. Preferably a space no smaller than 4ft. x 4ft.

the turn

A game of AE-WWII is divided into turns. Each turn, players activate the units of their forces and perform actions such as movement and ranged combat. Turns take the form of a ‘you-go-I-go’ order, with each player activating a unit and the opposing player activating a unit. Play continues in this fashion until all units have been activated before another turn begins.

initiative Players must fi rst determine which side has the initiative at the beginning of each turn. Each player rolls 1d6 and adds the highest Drive attribute from his detachment currently on the battlefi eld. The player with the highest overall score has the Initiative this turn. In case of a tie, the player with the higher Drive has the Initiative. If a tie still exists, then the Initiative procedure is repeated until there is a clear winner. The player with the Initiative may choose to activate a unit fi rst or force his opponent to activate one. Game play then proceeds as follows:

Player 1 activates a unit, resolving all of their actions before continuing to the next player.Player 2 next activates a unit.Players repeat steps 1 and 2 until all units have been activated this turn. If a player has no units left to activate, the other player continues activating their remaining units, one at a time, until all units have been activated.Initiative is rolled and a new turn is begun.

activating units Units on the battlefi eld are activated, one at a time, and can take actions by spending Action Points. Once a unit is activated the model(s) in that unit must complete their actions before another unit is activated. No unit may be activated more than once per turn unless specifi cally indicated under the rules of play.

Prior to activating a unit, players should take a moment to check that unit’s current Drive. Units with a Drive of zero rout; see the Morale section for more information.

1.2.

3.

4.

1.

2.3.

4.

actions

All models in AE-WWII are able to take different actions during each game turn. The number of Action Points and the types of actions a model may undertake are described in this section.

action pointsAction Points (AP) are awarded to a model based upon their level of training. Green troopers, being either poorly trained or not trained at all, receive one Action Point per turn. Regular troopers are considered to have experienced some regimented training and have seen combat before. Regular troopers receive two Action Points per turn. Veteran troopers are above and beyond the scope of the normal soldier. They are often extensively trained units and/or soldiers and often times have seen extended combat. Veterans receive three Action Points per turn. Elite soldiers are by far the most skilled and deadly individuals on the fi eld of battle; they receive four Action Points per turn.

Action Points that are not used by the end of the turn are lost and are not carried over to the next turn. Once a model is activated a single action is announced, the Action Points are spent and the action is taken before the next action is announced. It is not necessary to announce all of a model’s actions prior to determining the outcome of each action.

action types

There are four types of actions an individual or unit can undertake; movement, ranged combat, close combat and special actions.

movementAll models move across the battlefi eld engaging enemy models

and capturing objectives. A model spends 1 AP to move their Movement attribute in inches; diffi cult terrain can slow this amount. Models must sometimes spend Action Points to change their facing. A model must complete all movement gained from a single action point before taking another action. Thus, a model spending 1 AP to move three inches could not move two inches, take another action, and then take their fi nal one inch of movement.

Sprinting is a special action related to movement. For specifi c movement rules, (see Movement pg. 49).

ranged combatNearly all models carry fi rearms and use these weapons to



Elite 4

in house

Litko Aerosystems Inc creates tokens specifi cally for use in

AE-WWII games.


49

eliminate enemy forces. A model can engage in ranged combat if it possesses a RC attribute. The number of Action Points needed to fi re a weapon is based on the Rate of Fire of that weapon and some weapons require more than one AP to fi re while others allow multiple shots per Action Point spent. See the Weapons section for the Rates of Fire of different weapons.

Suppression Fire is a special action related to ranged combat. For specifi c range combat rules, (see Ranged Combat pg. 50).

close combatWhen guns just won’t cut it, models sometimes need to engage in close combat, using fi sts, knives, and other melee weapons to dispatch the enemy. Models can engage in close combat with an enemy model that they are in base contact with. Making a close combat attack costs one Action Point and all combatants involved in the melee are able to strike during a single close combat attack.

The Charge, Withdraw and Focused Attack actions are special

actions related to close combat. For specifi c close combat rules, (see Close Combat pg. 59).

special actionsSpecial actions are actions that a model can take that do not fall into any of the other three categories. They usually allow models to make special attacks, perform non-typical actions, or use special abilities. Not all models will be allowed to take every special action and special actions can cost a varying number of Action Points.

Special actions relating to another type of action (movement, ranged or close combat) can be performed by any model, and these rules can be found under their specifi c sections. The special abilities of many models allow special actions, and these actions can be performed only by models with these abilities. Rules for these abilities and actions can be found under the Characteristics section and include such things as the aim and command actions.

For every Action Point spent on movement, a model may move up to their Movement attribute in inches. This movement must be taken in the model’s forward facing (see Facing pg. 50), but does not otherwise need to be in a straight line. The model maintains its original facing direction after movement. Models may not move through friendly models.

difficult terrainBroken ground, trenches, hedges, fences and other terrain slow the movement of soldiers on the battlefi eld. Some terrain impedes the movement of troops. Which terrain is counted as diffi cult terrain should be clearly determined by the players before the game begins.

Models moving through diffi cult terrain may only move half of their Move attribute in inches, rounded up to the nearest half-inch. Models moving through or over diffi cult terrain may not use the Charge or Sprint actions. They may however use the action to get to diffi cult terrain, but must then halt, losing any remaining movement points.

obstacles

Certain terrain features (high walls, etc) halt movement entirely, preventing a model from moving any further. These are called obstacles and must be circumvented rather than moved through or over. A model defi nes an obstacle as any ‘hard’ terrain feature that is taller than the model. Hard terrain simply means any terrain feature that can reasonably be considered impassable; a hedge, for example, may be taller than a model but could be moved through. Players should agree ahead of time what terrain features are considered obstacles.

Terrain features that are shorter than a model (even slightly) can be moved over or through, but count as diffi cult terrain. Use the model’s base size to determine the height of the model. Vehicles use the actual height of the model, rather than base size, for distinguishing between obstacles and diffi cult terrain.

An example of diffi cult terrain.

The high wall on the left is considered an obstacle for the emaciated trooper.


50

facingThe direction a model is facing becomes important for determining which direction a model can move and shoot, as well as allowing opponents to sneak up behind them and attack from the rear. In general, the facing of a model is based on which way the model is looking. A model’s facing should be clear, and if there is any doubt as to a model’s facing, players should clearly denote the facing of a model by marking the model’s base.

A model’s facing determines its forward and rear arcs of vision. Non-vehicle models have two arcs, a forward and a rear arc, determined by the model’s facing. The forward arc extends 180

degrees from the model’s facing, while the rear arc represents the 180 degree arc opposite the model’s facing.

See the Vehicles section (pg. 62) for information about vehicular facing and arcs.

changing facingA model is allowed to change their facing once per turn without the expenditure of Action Points. This can be done at any time during a model’s activation and the model can be rotated up to 180 degrees. Changing a model’s facing again during the same activation costs 1 AP and allows the model to make another 180 degree turn.

sprinting/charging (special action)Sometimes all a soldier wants to do is move quickly. Other times, troops charge at their enemies, hoping their momentum and burst of adrenaline helps them overcome their opponent in close combat. Models may take the Sprint and Charge actions to cover more ground than they would otherwise be able to by merely expending all their Action Points moving.

A model making the Sprint action must expend all their Action Points to do so. A sprinting model moves in a straight line within its front facing and cannot change facing once movement has begun; the model may change facing for free (see above) before they begin their sprint. A sprinting model can cover a distance equal to their Move attribute multiplied by three. A sprinting model cannot sprint through diffi cult terrain.

The Charge action is similar to the Sprint action in all respects; however the charging model ends their movement in close combat with an enemy. See the Close Combat section (pg. 59) for more details on charging.

ranged combat

A model using the shooting action may make a ranged attack against an enemy model within line of sight.

The shooting model declares its target. Line of sight and cover are determined.Range is measured. If the target is beyond the range of the weapon, no damage can be done and any AP spent shooting are wasted.The shooting model makes an attack roll using 1d6. If the roll is equal to or greater than the shooting model’s RC attribute, the attack hits the target. Certain modifi ers may be applied before the attack roll is made.The strength of the attack is determined. This is done by adding a static number to the roll of one or more d6. Consult the weapons chart on page 55 to determine the strength of the attack for each weapon. Some weapons may affect multiple targets with a single attack (area of effect, template), in this case the

1.2.3.

4.

5.

strength of the attack is determined once and applies to all targets.The target may be allowed an armor roll to resist the damage of the weapon. Subtract the Armor attribute of the target (modifi ed by cover, etc) from the total strength of the attack. The total is the number needed to resist the attack on 1d6; if the target rolls equal to or greater than this number, the damage is shrugged off and the target takes no damage. If the total is greater than six (7 or higher), then no armor roll is possible, the attack was too powerful and overcame the target’s armor. If the total is less than one (0 or lower) the attack has no effect and is unable to surpass the target’s armor. If the armor roll fails (the target rolled below the number needed) then the target suffers a wound.

Example: A German Trooper fi res a KAR98 at an Airborne and hits. The base strength of the weapon is 4 + d6. The German rolls a 3 for a fi nal weapon strength 7. The Airborne has an armor of 3 so his armor roll is 4+.

6.


51

Final Weapon Strength – Armor = Armor Roll

Wounds are applied and casualties removed. Many attacks have the potential to infl ict multiple wounds. If the fi nal strength of an attack is 11-14, the attack infl icts two wounds. If the fi nal strength of an attack is 15-19, the attack infl icts three wounds. For every fi ve points of strength above 15, an attack will infl ict one additional wound. Thus, an attack with a fi nal strength of 25-29 will infl ict fi ve wounds.

line of sightWith a few exceptions (indirect fi re weapons, area of effect weapons, etc), soldiers need to see what they’re shooting at. Models must have line of sight (LOS) to enemy models they wish to shoot at. LOS is based on a shooting model’s facing (see Facing pg. 50). A model has LOS to an enemy if that enemy is within their forward arc and any portion of the enemy model is visible to any portion of the shooting model. As long as any portion of the target model is visible, that model can be fi red at; otherwise the model is completely obscured and cannot be targeted.

Line of sight can never be traced through close combat. Line of sight cannot be traced through other models.

coverModels are assumed to always make the best possible use of the cover available in their immediate area. Cover that merely limits line of sight such as hedges, fences, and other light obstacle confers a +1 to the targets Armor attribute. Substantial cover such as woods, buildings, or vehicles, offers more protection. Any model behind such an obstacle receives a +3 to its armor value. A model inside heavy cover such as a concrete bunker receives a massive +8 to their armor, making them virtually immune to small arms fi re.

In general, when any portion of a model is obscured by a piece of terrain or other obstacle, that model is considered to have cover. The type of cover determines the cover bonus. When determining line of sight to an enemy model (see above), check to see if the targeted model has cover.

7.

cover type cover bonus

Light (Hedges, Fences, High Grass, Crops, Bushes, etc.)

1

Medium (Woods, Buildings, Vehicles, Crates, Barrels, etc.)

3

Heavy (Bunker, Tank, Trenches, etc.)

8

elevationTroops in elevated positions are usually able to get better angles of fi re on enemies in cover. As such, any model that is in an elevated position in relation to an enemy reduces that enemy’s cover bonus by one. An elevated position is any position higher than the size of an enemy’s base (see Base Size pg. 40).

In addition, models in an elevated position can see over intervening models. Models do not block line of sight against models in an elevated position.

Model A is behind medium cover. Model B has no cover.

Model 1 has LoS to Models A & B while Model 2 does not have LoS to either Model A or B.

This model is in an elevated position.


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rangeAll weapons are given a range listed in inches. This is the maximum range of the weapon; models outside of this range cannot be injured by the weapon. Indirect weapons that scatter outside of the maximum range of the weapon can still affect targets normally. Range is measured after a target has been designated, if the target is outside of the maximum range of the weapon, the shooting model does not make an attack and cannot choose another target (their action is wasted).

Shooting models suffer a +1 penalty to their RC attribute when shooting at models far away. An enemy model is considered at long range if they are over half the maximum range of the weapon being shot. Thus, a weapon with a range of 24” would impose a +1 penalty when used against models over 12” away.

shooting into close combatRuthless soldiers, crack shots, and other daring troops sometimes show little regard for the well-being of their fellow soldiers and fi re into close combat, potentially injuring their comrades. Models may fi re into close combat. Doing so follows the standard rules for ranged combat (above), however an additional step is added to determine which models are struck by the attack.

The shooting model makes an attack roll for each shot being taken, one at a time. Penalties are applied based on the closest enemy model (for range purposes, etc). Once a shot hits, randomly determine which model in the melee was hit; every model has an equal chance of being shot. Once the target has been determined, roll strength/armor as detailed above. Remove casualties if necessary.Continue until all shots have been resolved, recalculating which model is struck based on any casualties.

Shooting into close combat is the only way a model may strike more than one unit or individual with a single AP spent on ranged combat.

suppression fire (special action)Sometimes a trooper doesn’t shoot to kill, but instead lays down a hail of shots designed to force an enemy to take cover and keep their head down. This is called suppression fi re and can be

1.

2.

3.

4.5.

quite effective at keeping enemy soldiers pinned down, unable to return fi re or move from cover.

When a model wishes to attempt to suppress an enemy, it selects an enemy in range and fi res.

The player with the shooting model determines how many shots will be taken, and can spend multiple AP to fi re more than once to try and suppress the target (see below). Models in the same unit can combine fi re, spending many AP to attempt to suppress a single target.

No to-hit roll is needed; the shooting model simply sprays the area with bullets in the hopes of keeping their enemy pinned down. The target of the suppression fi re then rolls 1d6 and must get equal to or lower than their current Drive attribute (see Morale for more information on Drive). Models in cover add the cover bonus of the cover they are in to their current DR. However, for every shot fi red, the target receives a -1 penalty to the target number. A model spending 2 AP and shooting a weapon with a rate of fi re of 3:1 would impose a -6 penalty to the target number.

Target Number = current DR + cover – shots fi red

If the target succeeds (rolls equal or lower), they suffer no penalties and may act freely. If the target fails the check (rolls higher), they are considered suppressed. Counters or other markers can be used to designate suppressed models.

Suppressed models must seek cover (if not in cover when suppressed) and must remain in cover until they are no longer suppressed. Suppressed models may take no actions other than movement, and this movement cannot take them out of cover at any time. Certain special actions or abilities can be used by suppressed models; see the individual action or ability descriptions. A model remains suppressed throughout its next activation.

Units may attempt to break suppression. Doing so costs 1 AP from any model of that unit and allows the unit to make another check, exactly as they did before with the same modifi ers as the initial check. Failure means the unit remains suppressed, success means they may act normally for the remainder of their activation. Units may expend as many AP as they like attempting to break suppression.

Suppressed models that are engaged in close combat may continue to fi ght as normal.

the weapons of war

Even the most well-trained soldier are nothing without their weapons, and as the war grinds down, all those involved begin to develop newer, deadlier weapons. All ranged weapons in AE-WWII have similar statistics and function in much the same way, despite subtle differences.

The NCO fi ring into close combat has an equal chance of hitting either of his soldiers as hitting the sturmaffe.

in house

Suppression fi re is an effective way to keep your enemy pinned

down. Use weapons with a high RoF.


53

The Range of each weapon represents the maximum number of inches the weapon may fi re. Weapons shooting over half their maximum range impose a +1 penalty to the shooting model’s RC.

All weapons have a Strength made up of two parts, a static number and a number of six-sided dice (d6) that combine to form the weapon’s fi nal Strength when striking a target; see the Ranged Combat rules above for more information.

Ranged weapons also possess a Rate of Fire (RoF) that determines how many shots per action each weapon is capable of. The fi rst number represents the number of shots the weapon takes, while the second shows the number of AP needed to fi re that many shots. Thus, a weapon with a RoF of 3:1 is capable of shooting three shots per AP spent to fi re. Some weapons fi re relatively slow and take more than a single AP to fi re one shot (these weapons have a RoF of 1:2 or more); in the case of models with fewer than 2 AP (such as Green troops), they may only fi re such weapons once every other turn. Multiple shots must all be applied to the same model and cannot be ‘walked’ to another model in the unit; shooting models must spend additional AP to fi re on another target.

With few exceptions, a model may only fi re a single ranged weapon in any given turn. Models with more than one ranged weapon must wait until their next activation before using another ranged weapon.

Finally, many weapons possess special rules or traits that are listed in the Notes section of the Weapons List (pg. 55).

“ x” aoe - Heavy weapons and grenades cause explosions that can affect multiple targets. Area of effect (AoE) weapons af-fect all models within a radius of X inches. Generally, area of effect weapons ignore cover bonuses to armor, unless the center of the area is outside the object/terrain providing cover. Thus, an AoE attack whose central point is on the other side of a stone wall would allow models on the opposite side to receive a cover bonus to their armor.

Models struck by area-of-effect weapons that are under cover (such as beneath a ceiling) are still subject to the effects of the blast but receive a cover bonus determined by the type of cover they fi nd themselves under.

AoE weapons striking vehicles affect the crew as well, though the crew receives a cover bonus to their Armor. See Injuring Crew in the Vehicles section.

armor piercing - Certain weapons are far more effective at penetrating the heavy armor of bunkers, tanks, and the like. Ar-mor piercing weapons reduce an opponent’s Armor attribute (in-cluding cover) by eight. This penalty can never lower a target’s Armor below zero.

cumbersome - Some weapons are large and heavy, unable to be moved quickly when used. Models carrying weapons with the cumbersome trait cannot move during the same turn in which the weapon is fi red but can make a free change of fac-

ing. Models with a Strength score of 5 or higher can ignore this restriction.

indirect - Mortars, grenades, and other such weapons can be used against enemies not within line of sight. An indirect weap-on can be fi red/thrown up to its maximum range, but attackers do not suffer the standard long range penalties. Models using an indirect weapon do not have to target an enemy, but instead select a point on the battlefi eld.

If the attack roll is successful, there is a one-in-three chance (1-2 on 1d6) that the weapon strikes the selected spot, otherwise it scatters 1d6” in a random direction beginning from the chosen point. If the attack roll is unsuccessful, there is a one-in-three chance (1-2 on 1d6) that the shot scatters 1d6” randomly, otherwise roll 2d6 and use the highest individual die roll to determine how far the shot scatters in inches.

Some indirect weapons, such as mortars, require that another friendly model be within line of sight of the target. In addition, some indirect weapons have a minimum range that they can be fi red. See the individual weapon descriptions for more information.

mental - Mental weapons directly attack the minds of their targets. Rather than using a normal Armor roll to resist a hit from a Mental weapon, targets use their current Drive value plus 1d6 (unmodifi ed by cover bonuses or any other bonus normally applying to an Armor roll).

move and fire - Weapons with this feature are able to be fi red while on the move. Using a single AP, a model with one of these weapons can move (as per standard movement rules) and fi re at any point during movement. Models with a move and fi re weapon may attempt suppression fi re while moving.

no cover - Targets struck by a weapon with this feature do not receive a bonus to their Armor for being in cover.


54

reload - Some weapons require an effort to reload, often needing a second individual to aid in quick reloading. Weapons with this feature require reloading before they can be fi red. Re-loading uses 2 AP; these AP can be taken from any member of a team carrying the weapon (wholly from one member, or divided between the two), as long as models assisting in reloading are in base contact.

Some models are equipped with devices allowing ammunition to be fed into the weapon, ignoring the need for reloading. See the individual unit descriptions for more information.

spotter - Mortars and other such weapons cannot be fi red blindly with any chance of striking an enemy. Thus, such weap-ons require another friendly unit to spot the target and direct the weapon’s fi re when attacking an enemy unit that is not within LoS of the fi ring unit. A weapon with this feature may only tar-get a unit or location that is within line of sight of a friendly unit. Only Infantry, Support, and Specialist units may act as spotters.

swappable - Some weapons are readily accessible by troops, able to be quickly drawn and used. Weapons with this trait can be used during a round in which another ranged weapon was used.

template - Many weapons, such as fl ame-throwers, affect many targets along their line of fi re and do not operate like conventional weapons. These weapons use a template to determine what models are struck by them when fi red. Template weapons ignore cover bonuses to armor for models struck by them. See the individual weapon descriptions for the template sizes.

Template weapons that strike models engaged in close combat have the same odds of hitting any model engaged in the melee as described above, despite the actual placement of the template.

terrifying - Flamethrowers always inspired fear in those they were used against, and as World War II dragged out other such weapons were developed. These weapons were always frightening, lowering the morale of their victims. Units or individuals struck by a terrifying weapon suffer a temporary -1 Drive during their next activation, even if no wound is suf-fered. Models may only receive this penalty once per turn, regardless of how many times they are struck.

in house

Individuals that join squads can be used to reload heavy

weapons.


55

weapon range strength rof notes

Pistol 12 2+d6 1:1 Move and Fire

Grenade 6 6+d6 1:2 Indirect, 1½” AoE, Swappable

M1 Garand 24 4+d6 1:1

M1 Carbine 18 3+d6 2:1

M12 Sniper Rifl e 36 5+d6 1:2

Thompson M1A1 18 3+d6 3:1

BAR M1918A2 24 4+d6 3:1

Browning M1919 36 4+d6 3:1 Cumbersome, Reload

M2-2 Flame-Thrower 8 3+d6 1:1 No Cover, Template, Terrifying

M9 Bazooka 18 6+2d6 1:1 ½” AoE, Reload

M2 60mm Mortar 48 5+d6 1:2 Cumbersome, Indirect, 1½” AoE, Reload, Spotter

T1A1 Tesla Pistol 12 4+d6 1:1 Move and Fire, No Cover

Tesla Electrical Gun 8 5+d6 1:1 Cumbersome, No Cover, Template, Terrifying

Browning M2 42 5+d6 3:1 Cumbersome, Reload

KAR98k 36 4+d6 1:2

GEW 43 24 4+d6 1:1

StG44 18 4+d6 2:1

MP40 18 3+d6 3:1

WA46 36 5+d6 1:2

MG42 36 4+d6 5:1 Cumbersome, Reload

Flammenwerfer 35 8 3+d6 1:1 No Cover, Template, Terrifying

Panzerschreck 18 8+2d6 1:1 ½” AoE, Reload

Granatenwerfer 36 Mortar 36 4+d6 1:2 Indirect, 1½” AoE, Reload, Spotter

MG34 42 4+d6 4:1 Cumbersome, Reload

Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 42 4+d6 1:2

SVT-40 24 4+d6 1:1

PPSh-41 18 3+d6 4:1

PTRS 24 4+d6 1:1 Armor Piercing, Cumbersome

DP-28 30 4+d6 3:1 Reload

ROKS-3 Flame-Thrower 8 3+d6 1:1 No Cover, Template, Terrifying

50-PM 40 Mortar 36 4+d6 1:2 Cumbersome, Indirect, 1½” AoE, Reload, Spotter

NKVD Psi-Cannon 24 4+d6 1:1 Mental, Terrifying

SG-43 42 4+d6 4:1 Cumbersome, Reload

weapon list


weapon descriptions

pistol: Pistols were used by all forces in World War II, carried by offi cers and enlisted men alike. Pistols ranged from semi-automatics to revolvers and came in many forms and calibers.

grenade: From ‘potato-mashers’, to ‘pineapples’, to ‘lemons’, grenades are commonly used on the fi eld of battle by every army in the world. Able to be thrown short distances by hand, most troops carry a few of these for taking out heavy weapon nests or enemy vehicles.

Grenades that scatter stop when they strike medium or heavy cover, walls, and other obstacles.

A model can throw a grenade(s) and fi re another ranged weapon during the same activation.

m1 garand: The M1 Garand was the fi rst semi-automatic rifl e in the world to be generally issued to infantry. The M1 Garand became the standard issue rifl e for the United States military prior to the outbreak of World War II. The M1 is a gas-operated, semi-automatic rifl e that uses an eight-round clip of .30-06 caliber rounds.

m1 carbine: The M1 Carbine is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that became a standard fi rearm in the United States military. The M1 Carbine is similar in design to the M1 Garand, but smaller, lighter, and capable of a greater rate of fi re due to a different gas and trigger system. This also resulted, however, in a signifi cantly decreased effective range and muzzle velocity. The M1 Carbine is most often used by paratroopers, mechanics, medics, and rear-line soldiers.

m12 sniper rifle: An evolution of the M1E8 variant of the Garand, the M12 sniper rifl e has begun to see use throughout the war. Focusing on long range, advanced optics and a more powerful shot, the M12 has proven quite effective in the hands of American snipers.

thompson m1a1: The Thompson submachine gun is favored by soldiers and civilians alike for its compactness, large .45 ACP bullet, and high volume of automatic fi re. The M1A1 model is used by the United States Army, often used by scouts, NCO’s and patrol leaders.

bar m1918a2: The BAR is a gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed automatic rifl e that fi res from an open bolt. The BAR was originally intended as a light automatic rifl e, but is used in the light machine gun role with a bipod. As built for the United States military, the BAR was chambered for the standard service round of that period, the .30-06 Springfi eld.

browning m1919: The Browning M1919 is a .30 caliber machine gun widely used as a light infantry, co-axial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun. Weighing over 30 pounds and capable of an exceedingly high rate of fi re, the M1919 is operated by two- or three-man teams, with one man feeding belts of ammunition into the weapon while the other fi res.

m2-2 flame-thrower: A US-made version of the German Flammenwerfer, the Flame-Thrower was used to clear out trenches and buildings. The Flame-Thrower fi res a single column of fl ame out to its maximum range (8”), extending from the barrel of the weapon. All models within ½” of this line of fi re are struck, with no attack roll needed. Models struck by a Flame-Thrower do not gain a cover bonus to Armor.

m9 bazooka: The bazooka was a man-portable anti-tank rocket launcher used as an infantry anti-tank weapon. It was one of the fi rst weapons based on the High Explosive Anti-tank (HEAT) shell to enter service. The bazooka produced a large back-blast and smoke cloud, which often gave away the location of the shooter. Two- or three-man bazooka teams usually consist of a gunner and other soldiers that aid in the reloading of the weapon, carrying additional ammunition.

m2 60mm mortar: This was the standard light infantry mortar used by the American forces. Weighing only 19 kg, the M2 mortar could be easily moved, aimed, and fi red by two- or three-man teams. The M2 mortar had signifi cant advantages over its German equivalent, able to fi re much further. The M2 60mm Mortar has a minimum range of 12”.

Mortars require a spotter, someone to provide rough coordinates to the mortar team. A mortar may only target a unit or location that is within line of sight of a friendly unit. Only Infantry, Support, and Specialist units may act as spotters for mortar teams.

t1a1 tesla pistol: Another experimental weapon, this fi rearm is an attempt to miniaturize the massive electrical gun. Currently, the T1A1 Tesla Pistol is only found among elite soldiers such as offi cers, OSS agents, and Rocket Troops. Like its larger counter-part, the blast from a T1A1 Tesla Pistol arcs through even the thickest cover; models struck by it do not gain a cover bonus to Armor.

tesla electrical gun: This experimental device uses large capacitors to fi re an arc of electrical energy, which then explodes in a high-voltage blast. Commonly mounted on “Buffalo” Tesla Device units, these devices are seeing use as heavy weapons. The Tesla Electrical Gun fi res a single arc of energy out to its maximum range (8”), extending from the barrel of the weapon. All models within ½” of this line of fi re are struck with no attack roll needed. At the terminus of this line, all models within 1½” are automatically struck. Models struck by a Tesla Electrical Gun do not gain a cover bonus to Armor.

browning m2 machine gun: The Browning M2 is a common .50-caliber machine gun used on both air and ground vehicles. It also sees action in the hands of stationary infantry units when mounted on a tripod, but its size and weight makes it too cumbersome to be carried by units in the fi eld.

kar98k: The Karabiner 98 Kurz (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) is a bolt-action rifl e adopted as the standard infantry rifl e by the Wehrmacht. The rifl e is prized for its effective range and its accuracy, but has a relatively slow rate of fi re. The KAR98k is used by nearly every branch of the German military, in all

56


57

theatres of the war.

gew 43: The Gewehr 43 is a semi-automatic rifl e developed by Germany. Its increased rate of fi re has more than made up for the reduced range and accuracy as compared to the KAR98k. The improvement over the KAR98k and other bolt-action rifl es has made the GEW 43 an important addition to the German arsenal.

stg44: The Sturmgewehr 44 combines traits of carbines, submachine guns and automatic rifl es. The StG44 bridges the gap between rifl e and submachine gun with a moderate rate of fi re, decent range and average striking power. German troops fi nd the StG44 useful in urban combat, complimenting the MP40 and light machine guns.

German snipers use StG’s modifi ed with a ‘Vampyr’ scope, an advanced sniper scope capable of operating at night. These early advances in optics made German snipers deadly under cover of darkness. A model using a StG with a Vampyr scope ignores the +1 penalty for fi ring at long range. Keep in mind that models with the crack shot ability can only fi re one shot per Action Point spent and still gain the bonus from this ability.

mp40: The Maschinenpistole 40 is a submachine gun developed for and used extensively by Germany. The rate of fi re and recoil of the weapon are low making it more manageable than other contemporary submachine guns.

wa46: The WA46 represents an evolution in German rifl e manufacturing. The fi rst ‘bullpup’ style rifl e this weapon is delicate and expensive to manufacture. However its range and fi repower are nearly unmatched on the fi eld of battle and fi nd use in the hands of Wehrmacht snipers. The weapon carries with it a sense of elitism and status among the sniper elite.

mg42: The Maschinegewehr 42 is a light machine gun extensively used by the German military. The MG42 has an unprecedented rate of fi re, unmatched by any other single-barreled light machine gun. The sound the MG42 makes is so distinctive and frightening; the United States Army has created training fi lms to aid soldiers facing such a weapon.

flammenwerfer 35: The Flammenwerfer (literally, “fl ames-thrower”) was a German fl amethrower used to clear out trenches and buildings. The Flammenwerfer fi res a single column of fl ame out to its maximum range (8”), extending from the barrel of the weapon. All models within ½” of this line of fi re are struck, with no attack roll needed. Models struck by a Flammenwerfer do not gain a cover bonus to Armor.

panzerschreck: An anti-tank rocket launcher designed by the German military, the Panzerschreck (Raketenpanzerbüchse) fi res a rocket-propelled shaped charge warhead. The technology for the Panzerschreck was stolen from the American bazookas early in the war and improved by the Germans, who have

increased the size of the fi ring tube and, therefore, the rocket being fi red. This allows a more powerful explosive to be launched. Panzerschreck teams are made up of two or three soldiers, one fi ring and the other two carrying ammunition and assisting in reloading.

granatenwerfer 36 mortar: Smaller and far lighter than American mortars, the Granatenwerfer 36 had a much shorter range and delivers much smaller ordnance to its target but is able to be moved with far greater speed than its American

counterparts. The Granatenwerfer 36 Mortar has a minimum range of 6”.

Mortars require a spotter, someone to provide rough coordinates to the mortar team. A mortar may only target a unit or location that is within line of sight of a friendly unit. Only Infantry, Support, and Specialist units may

act as spotters for mortar teams.

mg 34: The MG 34 is a predecessor to the MG 42, though it is similar in design and function. Though the MG 34 cannot match the rate of fi re of the MG 42, its slightly longer range makes it ideal as a vehicle-mounted weapon.

mosin-nagant 1891/30 sniper rifle: The Mosin-Nagant is a bolt-action, magazine-fed rifl e in use since the late 1890’s in the Soviet Union. Known for their long range and accuracy, these rifl es are steadily being replaced by their semi-automatic counterparts, the SVT-40. When fi tted with a scope, these rifl es are still quite effective the hands of Soviet snipers.

svt-40: Replacing the obsolete Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifl es, the SVT-40 and its predecessor the SVT-38 are gas-operated, self-loading weapons that are capable of higher rates of fi re and quicker reload times than the Mosin-Nagant 1891/30’s. Though they have been used as sniper rifl es, the SVT-40 proves to be somewhat less accurate than the 1891/30. As a standard infantry weapon they are undeniably superior.

ppsh-41: This submachine gun did not arrive in the hands of the troops until 1942, by which time the Red Army was fi ghting for its life. The lethal effect of the PPSh was much appreciated by the soldiers in the fi eld. Unlike the Sten or M3, the weapon was fi nished to a high standard and more importantly proved

utterly reliable even in the depths of a Russian winter. In fact, it proved so popular that the German Army seized any captured examples for their own use, even modifying some to fi re their own 9 mm round.

ptrs anti-tank rifle: The Red Army was alone among the major combatants in that it never produced a viable anti-tank weapon for its infantry throughout the course of the war. Instead, this Russian rifl e saw widespread use against the ever heavier German tanks. It was useless in a frontal assault, and the weapon was too cumbersome to consider stalking for a rear engine shot. Instead, against tanks it was used to target soft points such as visor screens or periscopes, blinding the crew.

fact vs fiction

The StG44 was one of the fi rst assault rifl es ever created.

fact vs fiction

The rate of fi re of the MG42 was signifi cantly higher than any other machine gun during

the war.


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While it may seem a desperate tactic, an entire generation of ‘super heavy’ sniper rifl es currently exists to target vulnerable electronic equipment in an identical fashion. It was also useful against buildings or bunkers.

dp-28 light machine gun: The DP is the standard Red Army light machine gun throughout the Great Patriotic War. It saw its fi rst major use with the Communist forces in the Spanish Civil War and was modifi ed accordingly from the experience learned.

The DP-28 is a gas operated weapon and proved remarkably reliable in the harsh conditions it was subjected to. It fi ts a visually striking drum magazine which actually holds 49 rounds, but is deliberately restricted to 47 to prevent stoppages. It does have a facility to change the barrel, but in typical Red Army style a spare was not carried. In action it is served by a two or three man crew.

roks-3 flame-thrower: The use of the fl amethrower in Red Army service is particularly diffi cult to gauge. The weapons were initially issued to infantry units but were gradually pulled back into specialist formations. As fl ame-throwers were not necessarily assigned to each Division, quite how many would be on hand is diffi cult to say, though it seems reasonable to suppose they were attached to units leading the assault. The ROKS-2 was joined in service by a simplifi ed ROKS-3 model. Both types disguised the usual pipe and nozzle arrangement as a rifl e to deter enemy snipers from picking off the operator.

The ROKS-3 fi res a single column of fl ame out to its maximum range (8”), extending from the barrel of the weapon. All models within ½” of this line of fi re are struck, with no attack roll needed. Models struck by a ROKS-3 do not gain a cover bonus to Armor.

50-pm 40 mortar: The 50-PM 40 mortar is the standard light mortar of the Red Army. At 50mm, the 50-PM was the equivalent of the German Granatenwerfer 36, though this Soviet mortar was slightly heavier than its German counterpart. The 50-PM 40 Mortar has a minimum range of 6”.

Mortars require a spotter, someone to provide rough coordinates to the mortar team. A mortar may only target a unit or location that is within line of sight of a friendly unit. Only Infantry, Support, and Specialist units may act as spotters for mortar teams.

nkvd psi-cannon: An experimental weapon, the Psi-Cannon is wired directly into the minds of its Soviet psi soldier operator. The weapon channels and focuses the telepathic powers of the user, who is able to tap into the mind of any target, destroying the target from within.

Rather than using an Armor roll to resist a hit from the Psi-Cannon, targets use their current Drive value plus 1d6 (unmodifi ed by cover bonuses or any other bonus normally applied to an Armor roll).

sg-43: The SG-43 is a heavy machine gun introduced in 1943 by the Red Army of the Soviet Union. It often sees use as a vehicular mounted weapon, being very bulky and diffi cult to move by infantry forces.


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close combat

For each action point spent by any combatant in a melee, a single round of combat is fought.

Each opponent rolls a d6. Each player applies the number rolled to the CC attribute of the trooper in close combat. The player with the higher number scores a hit. If the totals are tied, the model with the higher CC score is victorious. If both models have the same CC score, re-roll until a clear winner has been determined.The striking player rolls a d6 and adds the S (Strength) of the trooper striking the enemy to determine the total Strength of the attack. The model being struck is then allowed an armor save, as detailed above (pg. 50-51).

charging ( special action)Rushing into close combat often provides a soldier with the element of surprise and devastating momentum. The Charge action is similar to a Sprint (see Movement pg. 50), but ends with the model engaging an enemy in close combat. The Charging model must follow the same restrictions as though they took the Sprint action (moving in a straight line, AP cost, etc) and must end their movement in base contact with an enemy model. Immediately after their movement, the charging model is allowed a single close combat attack (as per the rules above) against the model they charged.

Models making the Charge action receive a +2 modifi er to both their CC and Strength attributes applied to the attack made at the end of their movement. The bonus to the CC attribute does not count for breaking ties in a close combat attack.

focused attack (special action)Sometimes, a severely outmatched soldier must forgo defense to make an effective strike in close combat. In doing so, they leave themselves open for attack, but may be able to bring down a more skilled opponent. When making a Focused Attack action in close combat, a model may choose to gain a bonus to a single attack while taking a penalty to all other close combat attacks until their next activation. This bonus may be up to the model’s CC attribute and applies to both Strength and CC. Until the model’s next activation, it suffers a penalty to its CC attribute equal to the bonus gained. This may allow a lesser opponent to perhaps wound his enemy despite the superiority of his foe(s).

A model may only make one Focused Attack per turn, but may make additional close combat attacks in the same turn. A Focused Attack cannot be combined with a charge.

Example: A US Airborne soldier (CC 3) is fi ghting a Sturmaffe in close combat and is quite overwhelmed. The Airborne chooses to take the Focused Attack action and chooses to gain a bonus of +2 to both its Strength and Close Combat attributes. After this attack is resolved, the Airborne is at a -2 to its CC attribute until its next activation. The Airborne could choose to take a bonus from +1 to +3, with a corresponding penalty following the focused attack.

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facing in close combatTo be able to fi ght effectively in close combat, soldiers need to be able to see their opponent, and attackers gain signifi cant advantages by attacking from behind. Facing determines in which direction a model is looking (see Movement pg. 50) and is important in close combat. A model can effectively fi ght against any model that it is facing in close combat; when fi ghting models it is not facing, a model suffers from a number of penalties.

If an attacking model is in its opponent’s rear arc during close combat, its enemy’s CC attribute is cut in half (round down). This penalty applies to all attacks made against a model in close combat from enemies in its rear arc. In addition, if a model being attacked from its rear arc scores a hit against an enemy in its rear arc, it does not infl ict damage but instead can turn to face the attacker without expending any Action Points.

A model may only actively (rather than reactively) attack models in its forward arc.

leaving close combat (special action)There will often come a time when an individual will fi nd themselves severely outmatched in close combat. When faced with such a situation, a wise warrior will do what they can to withdraw in the hopes of evening the odds or, at the very least, living to fi ght another day.

As an action (costing 1 AP), a model engaged in close combat may attempt to leave combat, moving at their standard movement rate away from their enemy. To do so, the model wishing to leave combat must make a successful attack against all enemy models with which they are engaged in close combat. The attacks are resolved normally, however no damage is dealt by the victor. If the withdrawing model is unable to beat their opponent(s), they may not withdraw and are forced to remain in the combat; otherwise they may withdraw from combat, immediately moving their standard movement rate away from their enemy.

The OSS Agent suffers penalties for being attacked from the rear arc.


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Some combatants are quite large, able to push around smaller opponents and simply wade through hordes of enemies without slowing down. Models that are mounted on medium or large bases (see Base Size pg. 40) can choose to leave close combat without the need for a close combat attack. These models can simply move away at their leisure, at their standard movement rate. However, as they are choosing to ignore those they are in combat with, each enemy is allowed a free attack (not requiring the expenditure of AP) against the withdrawing model. Resolve these attacks as normal; however the withdrawing model does not infl ict damage if they are victorious. Alternatively, a Medium or Large model may roll to disengage from close combat normally, in order to avoid the free attack(s), as described in the previous paragraph.

Models withdrawing from close combat cannot use the Sprint/Charge action.

multiple combatants In close combat, the key to victory is often to overwhelm your enemy. A soldier involved in close combat against more than one enemy may be quickly outnumbered and dragged down. A model in close combat is able to defend against as many foes as they like, however they take a -1 penalty to their CC attribute for each opponent after the fi rst. Thus, a model in close combat

against three opponents has a -2 penalty to all close combat attacks. In the instance of multiple combatants and rear arc attacks, reduce the CC attribute of the model before halving.

Larger combatants are able to take on more than one opponent in close combat without diffi culty. For each increase in base size (1.5”, 2”, etc), a model is able to engage an additional enemy in close combat without suffering a penalty to their CC attribute. Thus, a Sturmaffe (2” base) can fi ght against three enemy models at once without any penalty; should a fourth enemy model come into contact with the ape, it will then suffer a -1 penalty to its CC attribute.

Just as important as keeping soldiers alive is making sure they remain on the fi eld of battle. Managing the morale of the troops can quickly become a daunting task as units and detachments begin to suffer casualties. Soldiers can become demoralized as their comrades begin to fall or rout and players can fi nd their forces abandoning the mission.

Morale is an important part of AE-WWII. The morale of a unit or individual is measured using their Drive attribute. Most models have a Drive score; those that don’t are either immune to the effects of morale or are too mindless to be effected by morale.

The Drive attribute of each unit or individual can be lowered during a battle as soldiers on the fi eld watch their fellow troopers fall to enemy fi re. When a model’s Drive attribute reaches zero, that model succumbs to fear and either surrenders to the enemy or fl ees the battlefi eld. Players can use special orders, the special abilities of certain models and any other available methods to try and boost the dropping morale of units.

penalties to driveThroughout the game, units suffer penalties to their Drive attribute. Some penalties are temporary; these penalties remain in place until the conditions causing their loss is removed. Other penalties are permanent; they can only be removed by special abilities such as command.

temporary drive penaltiesSome penalties to Drive are temporary, lasting only as long as certain conditions are met. While these conditions are in place, the affected unit’s Drive is reduced. As soon as the condition imposing the temporary Drive penalty is removed, the penalty is no longer in effect. The following are examples of temporary Drive penalties.

Units struck by certain weapons (those with the terrifying attribute) suffer a reduction in their Drive score through their next activation.Some models are frightening, which imposes a Drive penalty as long as enemy models are in base contact with the model.For every friendly unit that is currently in rout, every other friendly unit has their Drive reduced by one.Other abilities, special orders, scenario rules or weapon effects may impose temporary Drive penalties.

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Because the sturmaffe is a large model it does not suffer penalties for being outnumbered.

in house

Gang up on models wherever possible.

in house

As mentioned earlier, doing a quick check of a unit’s current Drive as it’s being activated is an easy way to keep track of

morale. Leaving fallen models on the battlefi eld is another

easy way to remind yourself of current Drive penalties.


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permanent drive penaltiesMany circumstances cause a unit’s Drive to drop permanently, eventually leading to rout or surrender. These losses to Drive remain in effect for the remainder of the game and can only be removed through the use of commandor other special abilities or special orders. The following permanent Drive penalties apply to all units:

Each casualty a squad suffers, their Drive is reduced by one.Each wound an individual suffers lowers that model’s Drive by one.For every friendly unit removed as a casualty, every other friendly unit has their Drive reduced by one. Other abilities, special orders, scenario rules or weapon effects may impose permanent Drive penalties.

A unit’s drive may never fall below zero. However, permanent drive penalties are always applied before temporary drive penalties. When a unit’s Drive is already zero, a new permanent Drive penalty will effectively replace a temporary Drive penalty already in place. A temporary Drive penalty can never prevent a permanent Drive penalty from being applied.

squads and driveAll models within a squad share the same drive attribute. They fi ght together, die together, and will suffer the effects of a dwindling morale together. When a squad’s Drive reaches zero, all models in the squad are in rout.

individuals and driveIndividuals do not share their Drive attribute with other models, but instead act of their own accord on the battlefi eld. One exception to this is individuals that have joined a friendly squad. This individual shares its Drive attribute with the squad it has joined and when its Drive reaches zero, it and all members of the joined squad are in rout. A unit with a joined individual uses the highest current Drive value present in the squad. If an individual joins a squad, the individual becomes a member of that squad for purposes of Drive loss; thus they would no longer suffer penalties for wounds, but instead would suffer penalties to Drive for casualties.

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The American forces are suffering morale losses. The OSS Agent has been killed, causing a -1 Drive penalty to all American units.

Unit A suffers only a -1 Drive penalty as a result of the killed OSS Agent. Unit B suffers an additional -1 Drive penalty due to a casualty in the unit. Unit C is suffering from a -1 Drive penalty because they have suffered a wound (the unit is an individual) as well as a -1 Drive penalty for being in base contact with a terrifying model; these penalties are in addition to the -1 Drive for the loss of the OSS Agent. Unit D has suffered enough Drive losses to be in rout; all models in the unit will fl ee during their next activation unless their Drive can be raised through the use of the command ability or other means.

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Individuals that join a squad in rout (see below) immediately bolster the squad’s Drive to the individual’s current value. When an individual that has already joined a squad leaves that squad, the squad’s Drive becomes the lower of either its current value or its original value. If this drops a squad’s Drive to zero, it enters rout during its next activation.

routWhen a unit’s Drive attribute is reduced to zero, it is considered in rout. Routing models will either surrender or fl ee the fi eld of battle as quickly as possible, hoping to fi ght another day.

If a model is in close combat when its Drive attribute reaches zero, that model surrenders and is removed from the table. This takes place at the beginning of that model’s activation, giving players a chance to boost the model’s Drive before it is forced to surrender. Certain scenarios and secondary objectives require players to keep track of surrendering models; these models are otherwise counted as casualties for purposes of attrition and other factors.

Models not in close combat when their Drive reaches zero fl ee, trying desperately to leave the battlefi eld. When a model with a Drive of zero is activated, it must move as quickly as possible (taking the Sprint action, if possible) towards the closest table edge and off the table. Fleeing models may try to avoid enemy


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adjustments to certain other model’s Drive attributes.Certain special orders and scenario special rules may positively impact a unit’s Drive score.

When a routing unit has their Drive attribute raised above zero, they are able to regroup and recover. At their next activation, routing models that have a Drive above zero may immediately regroup, acting normally.

vehicles and driveThe rules for how vehicles and their crew respond to losses of Drive is discussed below in the ‘Vehicles’ section.

When a vehicle is destroyed (i.e. its last Wound is removed) it counts as a friendly unit being removed as a casualty for Drive purposes. The crew of a vehicle, though able to operate outside of the vehicle, does not count as a friendly unit for Drive purposes once outside of the vehicle.

Alternatively, if the entire crew of a vehicle has been removed as casualties while still inside the vehicle, but the vehicle remains intact (at least one wound remaining), the vehicle now becomes inoperable and this counts as a friendly unit being removed as a casualty for Drive purposes.

Thus, when a vehicle is destroyed, all other friendly units on the battlefi eld have their Drive reduced by one. If the vehicle crew disembarks and is subsequently removed as a casualty this does not impose a penalty to the Drive of all other friendly units on

the battlefi eld.

•models, where possible, but otherwise must move along the quickest possible path towards the nearest table edge.

If some, but not all, of a squad’s models are engaged in close combat when the squad’s Drive reaches zero those models in close combat surrender and are removed as casualties while those not engaged in close combat rout as described above.

regaining driveAs units begin to lose Drive, it may become diffi cult to prevent a chain reaction whereby the entire detachment begins to rout. Certain situations can boost the Drive of a model that has lost morale, eventually rebuilding a model’s Drive back to its original value. With few exceptions, no ability or rule can raise a model’s Drive above its original value.

Just like effects that lower a model’s Drive, effects that boost a model’s Drive happen instantly, raising the Drive of all models affected immediately. Players must use the methods listed below to effectively manage the morale of their troops, lest they face a full rout. The following list details ways to raise the morale of a model that has lost Drive.

Individuals can join squads, allowing them to use the Drive of the individual rather than the unit (see Individuals, above).Offi cers and other such models have the command ability, allowing them to spend AP to give units a boost to their Drive (see the command ability).Certain heroes possess abilities that will provide

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Vehicles are key elements to any military force, be it simple transport vehicles or massive tanks. Though AE-WWII is a skirmish game, players may wish to fi eld vehicles as part of their detachment. The rules presented here allow players to add vehicles to their games, helping their forces move and fi ght across the battlefi eld.

vehicle characteristics

Just like other models on the battlefi eld, vehicles possess characteristics that determine their strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. Vehicles use the same characteristics as other models, but with slight differences.

attributesVehicles use the same seven attributes found with other models. In some instances, like Armor and Wounds, these attributes apply directly to the vehicle while in other cases, such as Drive and Ranged Combat, these attributes are a refl ection of the abilities of the crew. It is not necessary to differentiate between these two until the crew disembarks the vehicle, at which point they operate using their own attributes, which are listed with each vehicle entry.

handling - Vehicles also possess an additional attribute that measures how maneuverable the vehicle is. All vehicles possess a Handling (H) score. This attribute is used during movement and gives vehicles the opportunity to change facing without expending AP, as well as to move over and through diffi cult terrain. A vehicle’s Handling is adversely affected by damage to the vehicle; for every wound a vehicle has suffered, its Handling drops by one, to a minimum of zero.

special abilitiesVehicles possess special abilities specifi c just to them. They can also have special abilities found on other models (see Special Abilities pg. 40). Below are listed the special abilities reserved just for vehicles.

enclosed compartment - Vehicles with an enclosed crew compartment provide protection for their crew against enemy fi re. Crew members receive heavy cover (+8 cover bonus) against any attacks that can target them, rather than medium cover. Note that this applies to crew only and does not extend to non-crew passengers.


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open-topped - Open-topped vehicles allow passengers easy access to get in and out of the vehicle, as well as giving them the opportunity to fi re from the vehicle with little diffi culty. Non-crew passengers in an open-topped vehicle can fi re from the vehicle. However, enemy troops can choose to target non-crew passengers in the vehicle (these passengers get medium cover against attacks).

passenger space (x) - In addition to the crew compliment (which may include passengers) the vehicle is able to accommodate additional passengers, acting as a transport. X is the number of additional passengers the vehicle can carry. Models on a medium base (see Base Size pg. 40) count as two models for the purposes of passengers, and models on a large base count as four models.

vehicle commander - Some vehicle crews possessed skilled soldiers, trained to command the crew, as well as other troops. A vehicle that possesses a vehicle commander has one crew member (usually a passenger or gunner) that has the command ability. This ability can only extend to the crew of the vehicle the commander is in, unless the crew disembarks, in which case the vehicle commander can use the command ability as normal. It is important to denote which member of the crew is the vehicle commander to determine which model spends AP to use the command ability and, in the instance this model is killed, the vehicle and its crew no longer possess the command ability.

troop type/training levelVehicles possess both a Troop Type and a Training Level. For the most part, vehicles will be of the Cavalry troop type. A vehicle’s Training Level is a measure of the abilities of the crew to operate the vehicle and is used to determine the number of AP the vehicle’s crew receives each turn.

unit typeVehicles are neither squads nor individuals and thus, do not have a Unit Type. On the battlefi eld, they act as independent models in most respects. The crew of a vehicle, however, forms a squad and they follow the rules pertaining to squads.

vehicle rolesVehicles possess a wide variety of roles and are used in many ways on and off the battlefi eld. A vehicle’s Role is important when selecting forces (see Force Organization pg. 70) and generally describes the most common uses for the vehicle. Some vehicles fi t more than one role.

vehicle crews

Vehicles are only as good as their crew. Inexperienced vehicle crews can quickly lead a vehicle to disaster and prove to be a liability to the forces around them. At the same time, elite vehicle crews can do things with a vehicle few thought possible, pushing their vehicle to the limits of its use. All vehicles possess a crew; soldiers dedicated to the use of that vehicle. These crew members each act independently from one another, but work in tandem to operate the vehicle.

crew rolesThere are four standard roles of crew members, each able to perform specifi c tasks while in a vehicle. Crew members may only ever take actions specifi c to their role in the vehicle; thus, a gunner could not drive and a driver could not operate a vehicle’s weapons. Crew members that possess the vehicle commander ability may also spend AP to use the command ability.

drivers - Drivers are responsible for moving the vehicle around the battlefi eld. Drivers may only take actions pertaining to movement. Some vehicles may possess more than one driver. If this is the case, each driver may take actions pertaining to movement, essentially combining their Action Points to move the vehicle.

gunners - Gunners fi re weapons mounted to the vehicles they crew. A vehicle may only fi re one weapon for every gunner present, and if a vehicle possesses more weapons than it has gunners, some weapons may not be fi red. Only one gunner may fi re any single weapon per turn, thus multiple gunners could not fi re the same weapon in the same turn. Aside from spending AP to fi re a weapon, the only other action gunners can take is to reload the weapons they are fi ring.

loaders - Loaders work with gunners to keep a vehicle’s weapons loaded and ready to fi re. Generally, the only action loaders can take is the reload action required by certain weapons.

passengers - Passengers are passive members of a vehicle’s crew, usually just along for the ride. Passengers cannot generally undertake any actions pertaining to the vehicle. Often times, passengers will not belong to the vehicle crew and will be other units that are being transported in the vehicle. In this case, these models act as passengers, and activate with the vehicle crew until such time when they disembark.

Passengers can sometimes fi re their weapons from a vehicle. See the Special Abilities of certain vehicles to fi nd out which vehicles allow such actions.

Passengers can use any Special Abilities they possess while within a vehicle. However, models must adhere to any restrictions placed upon them by the Special Ability.

crews and line of sight (los)Crews inside a vehicle are able to draw line of sight both within and outside of the vehicle normally. Thus, vehicle crew members can be considered to be within line of sight of any other model inside the vehicle; this is important for abilities such as command and inspiring.

Models outside of a vehicle can only draw line of sight to passenger models inside an open-topped vehicle or to the vehicle itself. Models outside of a vehicle cannot draw line of sight to vehicle crew members. Certain special abilities (such as aim) do allow models to draw line of sight to vehicle crew members that are otherwise unable to be targeted.


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injuring crewWhen enemy models attack a vehicle, they are typically unable to target the crew or passengers. Exceptions to this exist, such as the aim ability and open-topped vehicles. If an ability allows crew or passengers to be targeted by an enemy, these models receive medium cover (+3 cover bonus) as they are able to duck down and attempt to avoid injury.

Area of effect (AoE) weapons that target a vehicle will affect the crew inside, including non-crew passengers, as well as the vehicle. Unless such an attack specifi cally targets crew or non-crew passengers, all models inside the vehicle are allowed a cover bonus to their armor. Template weapons (as opposed to AoE weapons) do not affect vehicle crews unless able to specifi cally target the crew (in the instance of open-topped vehicles, etc).

crew moraleVehicle crews are subject to morale the same way other units are and can rout or abandon their vehicles if their Drive dwindles. Vehicle crews share a single Drive attribute, like all squads, and can suffer from conditions that reduce their Drive that non-vehicle units do not suffer from.

In addition to the conditions that reduce Drive listed above (see Morale pg. 60), vehicle crews also suffer a -1 penalty to Drive for the following conditions:

Each casualty the crew suffers, their Drive is reduced by one.Each wound the vehicle suffers lowers the crew’s Drive by one.If a vehicle fails a Handling check (see below), the Drive of the crew is lowered by one until their next activation.

When a vehicle crew’s Drive is reduced to zero, they can react in a number of different ways. If the vehicle has only a single wound left, the crew bails out. On the vehicle’s next activation, the crew must disembark. If the vehicle has more than one wound remaining, the crew retreats, suffering from rout as normal. This means they must fl ee off the battlefi eld by the fastest means possible, moving off the closest table edge. If the vehicle is immobile, the crew bails out as described above. Vehicles and models inside vehicles never surrender as a result of morale.

Once a vehicle’s crew has disembarked, they act as a standard squad, suffering Drive penalties as detailed above (see Morale).

Vehicles and their crews (while in the vehicle) are not subject to suppression fi re, though non-crew passengers in open-topped vehicles are.

vehicle actions

Vehicles perform actions in much the same way as other units, spending Action Points to move, engage in combat, etc. However, a vehicle functions in much the same way as a squad, with each member of a vehicle’s crew being able to act independently and use their own AP . When a vehicle is activated, each member of the crew receives a number of AP equal to their Training Level.

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Unlike regular squads, vehicle crews (including non-crew passengers) must all spend Action Points simultaneously. This means that every member of the crew must spend their fi rst AP before any member of the crew can spend their second and so on. Crew members can choose not to spend Action Points, instead delaying their actions; however these ‘skipped’ AP are lost. For actions requiring more than one Action Point, crew members can only take the action after the last AP needed is spent (in the instance of weapons with a RoF of 1:2, the model fi res the shot after the second AP is spent).

embarking/disembarkingSoldiers often have need to get in and out of vehicles, be they crew or passengers. Units may take a special movement action to embark or disembark from a vehicle. Any model within one inch of a vehicle may spend 1 AP to climb aboard, provided the vehicle is able to carry them. Any model already in a vehicle may spend 1 AP to leave the vehicle and is immediately placed within one inch of the vehicle.

movementVehicles move very quickly compared to foot soldiers and are capable of rapidly deploying troops across the battlefi eld. Vehicle movement is handled in the same way as with other models, with a few exceptions listed below. Vehicles move a number of inches equal to their Movement attribute for each AP spent by their driver(s).

Most vehicles are able to take the Sprint action and may even change facing during a Sprint, though this will prompt a Handling check (see below). Vehicles that sprint use all AP from any drivers. As stated above, the Sprint action is undertaken once all the AP from all drivers are spent; this becomes important for determining when gunners and those within open-topped vehicles can fi re during a vehicle’s movement.

vehicles and facing - Vehicles have more facing arcs than other models. Vehicles have four distinct arcs: forward, rear, left and right, each represented by a single side of the model. A vehicle’s facing, for purposes of movement, is based on its forward arc. Line of sight and fi ring arcs of


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vehicular weapons are dependent on the weapons and their gunners (see below).

Vehicles receive a number of free 90-degree turns per turn equal to their Handling attribute. These may be taken at any time during movement and otherwise function using the rules for changing facing (see Facing pg. 50). Each 90-degree change of facing beyond this number costs 1 AP from the vehicle’s driver(s).

Vehicles taking the Sprint action can use one or more of their free 90-degree turns during the Sprint action, however this prompts a Handling check.

handling checks - Sometimes vehicles suffer from adverse conditions that could cause them to become stuck, suffer from mechanical problems, or generally cease to move. When a vehicle calls for a Handling check, the player controlling the vehicle must roll equal to or lower than the vehicles current Handling score on 1d6. In general, a vehicle needs to make a Handling check each time any of the following conditions are met:

The vehicle moves over diffi cult terrain.The vehicle performs any turns during the Sprint action (see Movement pg. 50).The vehicle rams an enemy model or obstacle (see below).

If a vehicle fails a Handling check, it breaks down and is unable to take any movement actions until repaired. Crew members may disembark and attempt to repair a broken down vehicle; any member of the crew (not including non-crew passengers) may spend 1 AP to make a repair check. The player then rolls 1d6 and on a roll of 6 the vehicle is repaired and able to move again. For every additional Action Point spent by members of the crew players add one to the repair check. Thus, if two crew members spend 2 AP each, they can repair the vehicle on a roll of 3 or higher.

combatVehicles are often armed with a vast array of weaponry and are nearly always subject to enemy fi re. Vehicles engage in combat differently that most models, the details of which are listed below.

ramming - If, during a vehicle’s movement, the vehicle strikes a model (friendly or enemy) that model is subject to a close combat attack by the ramming vehicle. Both models (the vehicle and the model being struck) make a close combat attack roll, as detailed above. If the model being struck is victorious, it has the option to move out of the way or strike the vehicle that is attempting to ram it.

Models moving out of the way are placed just out of the vehicle’s path and the vehicle can continue its turn as normal. A model that wishes to strike the vehicle that is ramming it rolls 1d6 and adds its Strength attribute and the vehicle is allowed an armor roll to try and resist the attack, as per normal close combat rules. However, after the model

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being struck has made their attack, they are then subject to a hit from the vehicle, as if they had lost close combat.

If the vehicle beats the model being struck in the close combat attack roll, or if the model being struck opted not to move out of the way of the vehicle, the vehicle rolls 1d6 and adds its Strength score, infl icting a hit on the model being struck. The model is allowed an armor roll to resist, as normal.

After the attack(s) have been resolved, the vehicle must make a Handling check or suffer from a breakdown, as detailed above. If the Handling check is passed, the vehicle may continue its turn as normal.

ranged combat - Gunners can fi re vehicular mounted weapons as the vehicle moves across the battlefi eld. Attacks made by vehicles are resolved in the same way as normal ranged combat attacks, with a few minor differences.

The facing of a vehicle does not necessarily indicate the facing of that vehicle’s weapons. The facing of each weapon is listed in the ‘armament’ section of each vehicle’s description. Each weapon may only draw line of sight along its facing. Some weapons are mounted on turrets, which allow the weapon to change facing at will, fi ring from any arc.

The airborne is being rammed and will suffer a hit unless it beats the vehicle in a Close Combat attack.


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When a vehicle suffers its last wound, it is destroyed, unable to function. The vehicle remains on the battlefi eld as a smoldering piece of terrain. Models cannot embark into a destroyed vehicle nor can its weapons be used. Crew and non-crew passengers inside a destroyed vehicle must disembark on their next activation.

jeep (willy’s, gaz-64, kÜbelwagen)army: Anytype: Regular Cavalryrole: Light Transport, Light Commandcrew: 1 Driverarmament: None

special abilities: Open ToppedPassenger Space (3)

options: A swivel-mounted machine gun can be added to a Jeep. Taking this option changes the vehicle in the following ways: Role: Light Scout; Crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunner; Armament: Machine Gun (turret) (Browning M2 Machine Gun (American), MG42 (German), SG-43 (Soviet); Special Abilities: Passenger Space (1)

crew attributes: Regular Infantry

Crew Equipment: M1 Carbine (American), PPSh-41 (Soviet), StG44 (German)

‘Jeeps’ is the general term used to describe any of a number of small, four-wheeled vehicles used by nearly every during the war. Whether the Soviet GAZ-64 or the German Kübelwagen, jeeps were effi cient at transporting troops across the battlefi eld. Often used as command vehicles jeeps were fast and reliable and could also fi nd use as scout vehicles.

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M RC CC A S DR W H9 4+ 4 5 6 4 2 4

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 1

close combat - Vehicles do not engage in close combat the same way other models do. The only way a vehicle can injure a model in close combat is by ramming it (see Ramming pg. 65). Some models however, may wish to attempt to injure a vehicle by attacking it in close combat. Close combat attacks against vehicles are resolved the same way as other close combat attacks, however if the vehicle is victorious against its opponent, it does not strike back.

Vehicles can withdraw from close combat at will, but suffer free attacks as described above (see Close Combat pg. 51).

damaging vehicles - Vehicles suffer damage the same was other models do. Most vehicles have multiple wounds, allowing them to withstand a great deal of punishment before they are destroyed. As a vehicle suffers damage, its Handling drops, making it harder to maneuver. For each wound a vehicle has suffered its Handling is reduced by 1. This can never drop a vehicle’s Handling below zero.

The sturmaffe can damage the vehicle with a successful Close Combat attack.


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military cargo truck (krupp protze, us 2.5 ton 6x6)army: Anytype: Regular Cavalryrole: Light Transportcrew: 1 Driverarmament: None



Crew Equipment: M1 Carbine (American), PPSh-41 (Soviet), StG44 (German)

The need to get men and equipment into battle quickly made military cargo trucks a necessity on the front lines. Dozens of different kinds of trucks fi nd use by every side of the confl ict and these trucks, though rarely armed or armored, are possibly the most common vehicle used during the war.

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M RC CC A S DR W H6 - 3 6 7 4 3 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 1

m20 armored utility cararmy: Americantype: Regular Cavalryrole: Medium Command, Medium Scoutcrew: 1 Driver, 2 Gunners, 1 Passengerarmament: Browning M2 Machine Gun (forward)

special abilities: Vehicle CommandEnclosed Compartment

options: The M2 machine gun can be replaced with a Tesla Electrical Gun. This changes the unit type to Regular Tesla Device (thus requiring the presence of a Mechanic).


Crew Equipment: M1 Carbine; Notes: One member of the crew has the command ability.

The M20 Armored Car sees use as both a command and reconnaissance vehicle. A variant of the M8 ‘Greyhound’ armored car, the M20 lacks the 37mm gun but is fi tted with radio equipment to keep in contact with nearby forces. The M20 is fast, maneuverable, but has enough armor to withstand most small-arms fi re.

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M RC CC A S DR W H9 4+ 3 8 8 5 3 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 1


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m2 half track cararmy: American, Soviet (Lend-Lease)type: Regular Cavalryrole: Medium Transportcrew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunnerarmament: Browning M2 Machine Gun (forward)



Crew Equipment: M1 Carbine (American), PPSh-41 (Soviet)

One of the fi rst half-track vehicles to be used by the United States the M2 is used as a lightly armored transport vehicle. Armed with a Browning M2 machine gun, the vehicle sometimes possesses swivel mounted .30 caliber machine guns as well and its open top allows troops inside to fi re out. The M2 half-track was made available early during the war to the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program.

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M RC CC A S DR W H7 4+ 2 6 7 4 3 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 1

sdkfz 250 light armored cararmy: Germantype: Regular Cavalryrole: Medium Transport (SdKfz 250/1)

Medium Command (SdKfz 250/3)crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunnerarmament: MG34 (turret)



Crew Equipment: StG44

The SdKfz 250 is a German half-track designed for troop transport. Dozens of variants exist with some being used as command vehicles and to transport heavy equipment. The SdKfz 250/1 is the standard troop transport variant with light armor and an MG34 machine gun. The SdKfz 250/3 command variant comes equipped with radio equipment for the crew to remain in contact with nearby forces.

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M RC CC A S DR W H8 4+ 3 7 7 4 3 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 1


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sdkfz 221 light armored cararmy: Germantype: Regular Cavalryrole: Medium Scoutcrew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunnerarmament: MG34 (forward)

special abilities: Enclosed Compartment


Crew Equipment: StG44

A light armored car produced by Germany since the beginning of the war, the SdKfz 221 provided speed and mobility on the battlefi eld. Used primarily as a scout vehicle, the 221’s light armament made it ideal for supporting infantry units. With thick armor the 221 is able to ignore most small-arms fi re but is vulnerable to anti-vehicular weapons.

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M RC CC A S DR W H8 4+ 3 7 7 4 3 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 1

ba-64 armored cararmy: Soviettype: Regular Cavalryrole: Medium Scout (BA-64B), Medium Command (BASh-64)crew: 1 Driver, 1 Gunnerarmament: SG-43 (turret)

special abilities: Enclosed Compartment


Crew Equipment: PPSh-41

The BA-64 Armored Car saw production beginning in 1941 by the Soviet Union. Used primarily as a scout or command vehicle, the BA-64 provides the Red Army with a fast and reliable counterpart to the German SdKfz 221. Armed with a 7.62mm heavy machine gun, the BA-64 is able to support infantry units with heavy fi repower while protected by 15mm armor plates.

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M RC CC A S DR W H9 4+ 3 7 7 4 3 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 1


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The group of models a player brings to battle is called a detachment and is made up of soldiers and units of varying Training Levels and Troop Types. When selecting forces for their detachment, players begin by selecting a Detachment Type. Each Detachment Type provides players with a basic framework with which to build their force. The Detachment Types determine the detachment composition, how many heroes a detachment automatically receives, if any vehicles can be selected, the number and type of special orders available, as well as a simple theme. Players then choose the units in their detachment as well as any other items, such as vehicles and special orders, based on the Detachment Type selected.

Each selection represents one unit from the player’s army list. Each of these selections could represent a single model (such as a Sniper or Offi cer) or a squad (such as a pair of Airborne Soldiers); the composition of each selection is based on the player’s army list.

Many units have the option of increasing their Training Level, making them more skilled. These models or units benefi t from an increase in AP, but now count as a different selection in the Detachment Composition (all based on their new Training Level). Players should be able to clearly keep track of the Training Level of their soldiers and soldiers with an upgraded Training Level should be easily differentiated from those with a lower TL.

Players can develop their own detachment types and certain scenarios and campaigns will also call for detachment types that vary from the ones found here.

troop type restrictionsSome Troop Types cannot be taken in a standard Detachment Composition unless certain conditions are met. Players must keep in mind these restrictions when choosing their forces. See the individual army lists as well as the Troop Type descriptions above for specifi c restrictions.

optionsIn addition to the various choices players make when forming their forces, each detachment allows players one or more opportunities to further customize their force. With these options, players can remove a unit selection from their detachment, exchanging it for a number of different alternatives. Players have the option of removing one or more unit selections and exchange them for the following: another unit selection of a lower Training Level, upgrade an additional Individual to a Hero, an additional Special Order, upgrade an existing unit’s TL by one (Green to Regular, etc), upgrade an existing vehicle selection’s role (Light to Medium, etc).

When a unit is exchanged for another unit of lower TL, this new unit must adhere to any restrictions placed on the detachment, as well as any Troop Type restrictions. The new unit must be at least one TL below the unit being replaced.

An additional Hero upgrade may only be used on Individuals that have the option to be upgraded to a hero.

Additional Special Orders may only be selected from those normally allowed to the detachment.

Upgrading an existing unit’s Training Level may only be done on units that have this option. Vehicles can be upgraded in this way.

detachment types

cavalry detachmentArmored fi ghting vehicles form a large part of the war and give infantry units support and the ability to quickly move across the battlefi eld. Cavalry Detachments have a small number of in-fantry fi ghting alongside a pair of vehicles. These detachments are mobile and often heavily armed and armored, making it dif-fi cult for unprepared forces to neutralize.

detachment composition1 Veteran Selection, 2 Regular Selections, 2 Green Selections

heroesOne Individual may be upgraded to a Hero, as long as that Individual has this option.

restrictionsNone.

vehiclesCavalry Detachments may select any two vehicles from the following roles: Light Scout, Light Command, and Light Transport.

special ordersCavalry Detachments may select one Special Order from the following list: Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Daredevil Driver, Jury-Rig, Keep Moving, Momentum, and Tertiary Objective.

optionsPlayers have the option of removing one unit selection and exchange it for the following: another unit selection of a lower Training Level, upgrade an additional Individual to a Hero, an additional Special Order, upgrade an existing unit’s TL by one (Green to Regular, etc), upgrade a vehicle selection’s role (Light to Medium, etc).

standard themesCavalry Detachments are themed around their vehicles, as these are the primary focus of the force. These detachments can range from a transport vehicle and the soldiers inside, to a heavy-hitting armored fi ghting vehicle with infantry


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support. Experimental units can also be used to increase the effectiveness of the detachment.

command detachmentOffi cers and NCO’s make their way across the battlefi eld, shouting orders and ensuring that objectives are met. These leaders surround themselves will skilled soldiers that follow their orders to the letter and travel in specially-designed command vehicles. Command Detachments can also call on their superiors for support that comes in the form of special orders.

detachment composition1 Elite Selection, 2 Veteran Selections, 2 Regular Selections

heroesTwo Individuals may be upgraded to a Hero, as long as those Individuals have this option.

restrictionsAt least half (round up) of the units in a Command Detachment must be of the Infantry, Specialist, or Support troop type.

vehiclesCommand Detachments may select any one vehicle with the Light Command role.

special ordersCommand Detachments may select two Special Orders from the following list: Artillery Support, Broken Axle, Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Daredevil Driver, Faulty Technology, Fix Bayonets, Jury-Rig, Keep Moving, Miscommunication, Momentum, Scouts, Spy, Stragglers, Surrender, Surveyed Ground, Take Cover and Tertiary Objective.

optionsPlayers have the option of removing two unit selections and exchanging each of them for the following: another unit selection of a lower Training Level, upgrade an additional Individual to a Hero, an additional Special Order, upgrade an existing unit’s TL by one (Green to Regular, etc), upgrade a vehicle selection’s role (Light to Medium, etc).

standard themesCommand Detachments focus on character and tactics. With the mobility of a command vehicle, the versatility of numerous Special Orders, and the skill of a handful of elite heroes, Command Detachments can prove quite versatile. Command Detachments center on their heroes, who make up for the detachment’s lack of numbers with skill. Command Detachments can represent a group of VIP’s, an offi cer or NCO and his retinue, or an Intelligence Offi cer and the infantrymen following his lead.

experimental detachmentWith advances in technology on all sides of the war, strange new military units are being seen across the battlefi eld. These technological terrors are often supported by infantry who have

learned that these experimental units are greatly needed if the war is to be won.

detachment composition1 Elite Selection, 1 Veteran Selection, 3 Regular Selections, 2 Green Selections


restrictionsNone. Any restrictions on experimental units (Abominations, Tesla Devices, Psi Units) are lifted, removing the need for required Specialist units (such as a Mechanic or a Mad Doktor) in order to select experimental units.

vehiclesExperimental Detachments may not select any vehicles.

special ordersExperimental Detachments may select one Special Order from the following list: Broken Axle, Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Surrender, Take Cover and Tertiary Objective.

optionsPlayers have the option of removing one unit selection and exchange it for the following: another unit selection of a lower Training Level, upgrade an additional Individual to a Hero, an additional Special Order, upgrade an existing unit’s TL by one (Green to Regular, etc).

standard themesEach army is able to fi eld experimental units specifi c to their army list. With an Experimental Detachment, players can fi eld a large amount of these units. The primary focus of an Experimental Detachment is the experimental units themselves. A horde of genetic Abominations or a handful of mechanized infantry are just some of the options with an Experimental Detachment. These units are often supported by infantry units that make up for defi ciencies in these experimental units, but many times Experimental Detachments are made up of nothing but these rare units.


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infantry detachmentInfantry Detachments are the most common detachments found on the fi eld of battle. Made up of ‘common’ soldiers, these detachments participate in nearly every kind of engagement the war has seen and can be as versatile or as specialized as a commander wants.



restrictionsAt least half (round up) of the units in an Infantry Detachment must be of the Infantry, Specialist, or Support troop type.

vehiclesInfantry Detachments may not select any vehicles.

special ordersInfantry Detachments may select two Special Orders from the following list: Artillery Support, Broken Axle, Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Faulty Technology, Fix Bayonets, Keep Moving, Momentum, Parachute Assault, Scouts, Stragglers, Surrender, Surveyed Ground, Take Cover and Tertiary Objective.

optionsPlayers have the option of removing two unit selections and exchanging each of them for the following: another unit selection of a lower Training Level, upgrade an additional Individual to a Hero, an additional Special Order, upgrade an existing unit’s TL by one (Green to Regular, etc).

standard themesInfantry Detachments can have widely varied themes, but the focus of these forces is usually larger numbers of troops. These troops are often supported by heavy weapon teams, specialist units, or experimental devices. Infantry Detachments can fi ll nearly any role on the battlefi eld and prove to be one of the most versatile detachment types.

motorized infantry detachmentGetting troops into battle as quickly as possible could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Motorized Infantry detachments use light transport vehicles to move soldiers into the fi eld with speed, rushing into combat and securing vital positions before the enemy has a chance to react.

detachment composition1 Veteran Selection, 3 Regular Selections, 3 Green Selections


restrictionsAt least half (round up) of the units in a Motorized Infantry Detachment must be of the Infantry, Specialist, or Support troop type.

vehiclesMotorized Infantry Detachments may select any one vehicle from the Light Transport role.

special ordersMotorized Infantry Detachments may select one Special Order from the following list: Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Daredevil Driver, Fix Bayonets, Jury-Rig, Keep Moving, Momentum, Take Cover and Tertiary Objective.


standard themesThe most famous motorized infantry were the Panzergrenadiers. Their speed and mobility made them infamous during the Blitzkrieg, which was used quite effectively during the early parts of the war. Motorized infantry detachments are often used ahead of standard infantry forces to secure important objectives or gain ground quickly during a prolonged engagement.

reconnaissance detachmentSent ahead of the rest of their forces, Reconnaissance Detachments are mobile, forward units that scout enemy positions and perform a variety of other high-risk tasks. They often operate without any support from other units and must rely on their skills as forward observers to complete their missions.

detachment composition2 Veteran Selections, 3 Regular Selections, 2 Green Selections


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restrictionsAt least half (round up) of the units in a Reconnaissance Detachment must be of the Infantry, Specialist, or Support troop type.

vehiclesReconnaissance Detachments may select one vehicle with the Light Scout role.

special ordersReconnaissance Detachments may select one Special Orders from the following list: Artillery Support, Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Daredevil Driver, Jury-Rig, Keep Moving, Miscommunication, Momentum, Scouts, Spy, Stragglers, Surveyed Ground, Take Cover and Tertiary Objective.


standard themesReconnaissance Detachments focus on speed and mobility. Using these traits, units in these detachments often attempt to outmaneuver their enemy, as well as rushing to claim objectives. Reconnaissance Detachments use lightly armed and armored vehicles, as well as infantry support and occasionally experimental units that add to the mobility of the detachment. Reconnaissance Detachments are often made up of specialists and forward observers such as snipers and Intelligence Offi cers.

support detachmentSquads with multiple heavy weapons provide vital support for infantry and cavalry forces alike. Capable of anti-armor as well as anti-infantry fi re, Support Detachments bring awesome fi repower to bear and, along with other infantry teams are a force to be reckoned with.



restrictionsAt least half (round up) of the units in a Support Detachment must be of the Infantry, Specialist, or Support troop type. In addition, players may select one Support unit for every Infantry unit, rather than the standard requirement of one

Support unit for every three Infantry units.

vehiclesSupport Detachments may not select any vehicles.

special ordersSupport Detachments may select one Special Orders from the following list: Artillery Support, Broken Axle, Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Faulty Technology, Fix Bayonets, Keep Moving, Momentum, Parachute Assault, Surveyed Ground, Take Cover and Tertiary Objective.


standard themesSupport Detachments are the heavy-hitters of the infantry. They use larger numbers of heavy weapons and special equipment to provide fi re support for other detachments, be they infantry or cavalry. Often adding to the effectiveness of these detachments are experimental units, which are seeing more widespread use throughout the war. Support Detachments tend to be less mobile that other detachments and instead must rely on their awesome fi repower to neutralize enemy units and claim objectives.

veteran detachmentAfter years of war, some fi ghting units have become far more skilled than those ‘fresh off the boat’. Whether through experience or training, veteran detachments have what it takes to form an effective fi ghting force.

detachment composition1 Elite Selection, 2 Veteran Selections, 4 Regular Selections


restrictionsAt least half (round up) of the units in a Veteran Detachment must be of the Infantry, Specialist, or Support troop type.

vehiclesVeteran Detachments may not select any vehicles.

special ordersVeteran Detachments may select one Special Order from the following list: Artillery Support, Broken Axle, Change of Orders, Coordinated Attack, Faulty Technology, Fix Bayonets, Keep Moving, Momentum, Parachute Assault, Scouts, Stragglers, Surrender, Surveyed Ground, Take Cover and Tertiary Objective.


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standard themesApart from detachments that have simply ‘been around’, veteran detachments can easily represent elite or specialized troops such as Airborne, Fallschirmjäger, or Soviet Guard. Veteran Detachments are often made up of a smaller number of more skilled soldiers, usually supported by a heavy weapon team. Experimental units (Abominations, Tesla Devices, Psi Units) are sometimes added to Veteran Detachments to give them an extra edge.

special orders

Sometimes forces in the midst of combat receive special orders or intelligence on enemy positions and other important factors. These ‘dirty tricks’ can often be just as important, or even more vital, to securing victory over one’s enemies than the troops themselves.

artillery support: Your forces have artillery support during the battle. Once per game, beginning on turn two, a friendly unit can designate a target for your artillery. Only Infantry, Specialist, and Support units may designate a target. This target must be in line of sight of the designating unit, which must spend 1 AP to call in the artillery strike. Roll 1d6; on a 1 or 2 the shot scatters 1d6” in a random direction, otherwise it scatters 2d6” from the designated target (a scatter die can be used to determine the direction the shot scatters). Wherever the artillery strike lands, all models within a 3” radius suffer a hit equal to Strength 8+2d6. Only one artillery strike can be called per turn.

broken axle: When performing a diffi cult maneuver, an enemy vehicle suffers a malfunction and breaks down. Once per game choose an enemy vehicle (any unit of the Cavalry type) as it makes a Handling check. This check automatically fails and the vehicle suffers a break down (as described in the vehicle rules). This break down may be repaired normally.

change of orders: Often during battle, the conditions of the confl ict change, forcing offi cers to re-think their objectives. Once per game, at any time, you can draw a new secondary objective.

coordinated attack: Acting in tandem, two of your units attempt to outmaneuver the enemy. Once per game, during your activation portion of the turn, you may choose to activate two units at once. Complete both of these unit’s actions before your opponent activates their next unit.

daredevil driver: A maverick at the wheel, one of your vehicle’s drivers is able to pull off maneuvers that would otherwise prove impossible with his vehicle. Once per game when one of your vehicles is forced to make a Handling check, that check is automatically passed without the need for a roll.

faulty technology: With the number of experimental technologies being put into use across all fronts of the war, it often occurs that such new devices fail right when needed most. Once per game, before initiative is rolled, choose an enemy unit of the following types: Tesla Device, Abomination, Psi. This unit cannot be activated during the current turn, even by means of special orders such as coordinated attack or keep moving.

fix bayonets: With a courageous rallying cry, your troops prepare for close combat. Once per game all friendly units of the Infantry, Specialist or Support type gain a +1 bonus to their CC and S attributes. This bonus lasts through the end of the current turn.

jury-rig: Your vehicle’s crew is able to perform a quick patch-job on their vehicle after it has broken down. Once per game, you may use this special order to automatically pass any repair check made to fi x a broken vehicle. Note that a model must still spend at least one Action Point and be in base contact with the vehicle in order to use this special order.

keep moving: Once per game choose a friendly unit that has already been activated in the current turn. This unit may be activated again this turn. This special order can only be used on a unit once per turn (in the instance of multiple ‘Keep Moving’ orders).

miscommunication: You have managed to supply false information to the enemy. Once per game you can force an opponent to draw a new secondary objective. This special order must be used by the end of the third turn of the scenario.

momentum: With a surge of adrenaline, you are able to take the initiative from your opponent. Once per game, before initiative is rolled, you automatically gain initiative for this turn. If two players use this ability on the same turn, they cancel and

in house

Artillery support can be both terribly powerful and

exceedingly inaccurate.


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initiative is rolled as normal.

parachute assault: Some of your units arrive on the battlefi eld by parachuting into action. Select one or more infantry, support, or specialist units; these units do not deploy during their standard deployment but instead are held in reserve. At least one unit must be placed on the battlefi eld per standard deployment. Beginning on turn 2 the units held in reserve may be activated and deployed. When activated, a unit is deployed by selecting a point on the battlefi eld; that unit then arrives on the battlefi eld 2d6” in a random direction from this point. If this distance places the unit off the table, that unit is instead placed on the table edge it scattered off of. Units deployed in this way use all of their available action points for the turn.

scouts: A unit from your detachment has hidden themselves ahead of your main force. Select one friendly unit with the infantry, support or specialist troop type; all models in this unit gain the hidden deployment special ability and may be deployed anywhere on the battlefi eld after all other deployment has taken place.

spy: Your forces have a spy or double-agent within the enemy camp that has learned of their operations in your area. Once per game, at any time, you can force an opposing player to reveal their secondary objective, along with any details of that objective (such as models or terrain chosen when the objective is gained).

stand your ground: Once per game, choose a friendly unit that is in rout. This unit immediately regroups and has their Drive attribute brought back to 1.

stragglers: Before the game begins, choose an enemy unit. This selection does not deploy as usual, instead having been delayed in reaching the battlefi eld. Beginning on turn two, roll a die (d6), on a roll of ‘1’, the unit arrives on the battlefi eld, deploying as it would at the beginning of the game. If the withheld unit does not arrive on turn two, continue to roll at the beginning of each turn, adding one to the roll needed to bring the unit on the table (1 or 2 on turn three, 1-3 on turn four, etc) until the unit is in play. This special order may only be selected once.

surrender: Once per game, choose an enemy unit that is in within line of sight and 12” of a friendly model. This unit immediately has their drive lowered by 1; if this lowers a unit’s Drive to zero they immediately surrender and are removed from the battlefi eld. Models removed in this way are considered casualties and count as surrendered models for the purposes of certain objectives.

surveyed ground: Your forces have detailed information about the battlefi eld and use this information to their advantage. After all forces have been deployed, a player using this special order may choose to move any one single piece of terrain on the battlefi eld. The piece of terrain selected may not be one specifi cally called out in the scenario criteria (such as a bridge in A Bridge Too Far or a bunker in Bunker Assault) but may otherwise be moved into any new location on the battlefi eld.

Terrain moved in such a way may not be placed so as to force a model into a position it could otherwise not achieve, but may be placed so as to put models into (or out of) diffi cult terrain.

take cover: Preparing for heavy enemy fi re, your troops take cover making them more diffi cult to injure. Once per game choose a friendly unit that has just been activated, before any AP are spent. This unit may only spend Action Points for movement and may not sprint or charge. Until the unit’s next activation, models in that unit gain a +2 cover bonus to their Armor in addition to any already gained from other sources.

tertiary objective: You may draw an additional secondary objective. This must be used at the beginning of the game, as secondary objectives are drawn. If one of the two secondary objectives is completed, it counts towards the secondary objective victory condition, as normal. If both of these two secondary objectives are completed, one fulfi lls the secondary objective victory condition as normal, while the other can go towards any other victory condition (attrition rate or primary objective).

The ruined building in the top picture is moved back through the use of the surveyed ground special order, leaving the models placed

in the building now in the open.


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scenarios

Battles in AE-WWII are rarely stand-up fi ghts, but more often take the form of small skirmishes, with both sides trying desperately to achieve some minor objectives that will swing the course of the war in their favor. All sides of the confl ict must out-gun, out-maneuver, and outnumber their enemy if they are to prove victorious.

In AE-WWII, players take part in scenarios that usually involve a primary objective, two players, and a single detachment per player. Each scenario is designed to be a small, yet important battle between two forces that can be played in a short period of time, generally completed in six to eight turns.

Each scenario falls into one of two categories: planned or unplanned. Planned scenarios are thought out engagements where all sides taking part in the battle know the objectives before the battle is fought. These are clear-cut skirmishes where all sides have the opportunity to tailor their force to the specifi c mission at hand. Unplanned scenarios are random confl icts taking place in the fog of war. None of the forces involved knew of the enemy’s position or composition and, though not necessarily prepared for combat, battle ensued. Unplanned scenarios are chaotic, unorganized, and often very unbalanced.

When players sit down to play AE-WWII, they should use the method below to determine what scenario is going to be played. Players can choose to forgo this method and instead select a specifi c scenario, or not use a scenario at all, however we feel the method below provides the most entertainment.

choose scenario type (planned vs. unplanned)Players can decide if they are going to play a planned or unplanned scenario either by agreeing with each other, or by random determination. To randomly determine what type of scenario will be played, roll 1d6; on a 1 through 3 an unplanned scenario will be played, on a 4 through 6 a planned scenario will be played.

choose scenarioIf a planned scenario is selected, the specifi c scenario is chosen before players choose their Detachment Compositions. This is done to allow players to tailor their forces for the specifi c scenario and because some

1.

2.

scenarios have Detachment Compositions that differ from the standard ones presented above (see Force Organization pg. 70).

If an unplanned scenario is selected, players select their Detachment Composition prior to determining the scenario. This represents the fog of war, that neither side is aware of the specifi c conditions of the battle.

In either instance, scenarios can be chosen randomly from the charts below, or agreed upon ahead of time by all players.

choose attacker and defenderRegardless of if the scenario is planned or unplanned, most scenarios require that one player be the attacker and the other the defender. This is used to determine deployment zones, primary objectives, and other variables of the battle. Some scenarios specify which player is the attacker or the defender, while most can be selected randomly or agreed upon by the players

select detachmentsAs with selecting the scenario, choosing Detachment Compositions is done at different points in the pre-game process depending on what scenario type is being played. In either event, players select their Detachment Composition using the methods described above (see Force Organization pg. 70).

In planned scenarios, players are well aware of the particulars of the mission (such as objectives, attacker/defender, etc) prior to selecting their Detachment Composition. This allows each player involved in the scenario to tailor their forces to the conditions of the scenario, as well as inject an element of strategy as the players try to out-think their opponents even in these early stages.

Unplanned scenarios are random and chaotic, much like real combat. In war there are often instances of very unbalanced and lopsided battles, but these are sometimes the most interesting. Players selecting their Detachment Composition for unplanned scenarios have no information to rely upon and instead must guess what forces, objectives, and combat conditions they are likely to encounter on the fi eld of battle.

draw secondary objectivesOnce the particulars of the scenario are determined, players each randomly select a secondary objective. If agreed upon ahead of time, players can opt to choose their secondary objectives, but this usually results in added tooling of forces and removes an element of randomness and excitement from the game.

3.

4.

5.

choose scenario type (planned vs. unplanned)

planned unplanned

Choose Scenario Select Detachments Choose Attacker & Defender Choose Scenario Select Detachments Choose Attacker & Defender Draw Secondary Objectives Draw Secondary Objectives Deployment Deployment


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If a secondary objective is drawn that a player is incapable of achieving (for example, the ‘Destroy the Abominations’ objective and the opposing player fi elds no Abomination units), a new secondary objective is drawn immediately prior to the beginning of the fi rst turn.

More information on secondary objectives is given below (see below).

deploymentThe fi nal phase in the pre-game setup, players deploy their forces as determined by the individual scenario. Then the game begins!

victory conditionsEach scenario has a number of conditions that must be met by either side to determine victory. As in real war, sometimes there is no clear winner or loser, and battles can often result in a tie. Three specifi c victory conditions are used in AE-WWII.

primary objectiveEach scenario will have a primary objective for each force taking part in the battle (see the scenario descriptions below). Only one side can complete the primary objective for each scenario. Primary objectives represent the reason why the forces are present on the battlefi eld and the key means by which one side or another will achieve victory.

secondary objectivesSecondary objectives are random goals that often arise during combat. Targets of opportunity, fi eld tests of new units, and other such tasks are sometimes just as important as primary objectives in determining success on the battlefi eld.

Each force in a battle randomly selects a secondary objective before the game begins. This objective is held until its conditions have been met. Each player is only aware of their own secondary objective and conditions, and is only able to learn their opponent’s secondary objective through the use of Special Orders. Each secondary objective has its own conditions for success; see the individual secondary objective descriptions (pg. 82) for their specifi c conditions.

attrition ratesAs World War II grinds down into small skirmishes and prolonged engagements, attrition rates become quite important to all sides of the confl ict. Numbers are vital and keeping soldiers alive and fi ghting is just as important as meeting primary or secondary objectives.

All players involved in a battle should determine their total model count prior to beginning the game (but after Detachment Compositions are selected). During the game, each player should keep track of the number of their models that were removed as casualties. If a player is able to eliminate over two-thirds of the enemy detachment, they have achieved a high enough attrition rate in order to claim this victory condition.

6.

1.

2.

3.

At the end of a game, players calculate which victory conditions were met by their side. Only one player is able to claim the primary objective victory condition, but both players are able to claim the secondary objective and attrition rate conditions. Whichever player claimed the most number of victory conditions is the victor. If both players claimed the same number of conditions, there is no clear winner and the battle remains undecided.

scenario descriptions

a bridge too far [planned]Enemy forces are attempting to cross a vital bridge. If the bridge cannot be held, it must be destroyed, despite orders to the contrary.

set-upWhen the battlefi eld is set, a single bridge must be placed somewhere towards the center of the table.

Players must decide which force will be the attacker and which will be the defender. If this is not agreed upon ahead of time, both players roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll chooses.

primary objectiveThe attacker is attempting to take control of a vital bridge that will allow access further into enemy territory. The bridge is too important to be destroyed and the defender’s forces have been ordered to hold the bridge at all costs. However, the defender knows that if the attacking soldiers take the bridge, countless lives will be lost attempting to retake it.

The attacker must claim the bridge, driving off all defending models. If, at the end of the game, the attacker has units present on the bridge and the defender does not, they have claimed the bridge and completed the primary objective. If the defender has any units left on or within 6” of the bridge or the attacker has no units on or within 6” of the bridge, the defender can claim the primary objective.

fact vs fiction

This scenario is based off of the movie with the same name, which told of the Allied attempt

to take control of the German-held bridge in

Arnhem, Belgium.


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The defender may have the option of destroying the bridge (see below). If the bridge is destroyed, neither side can claim the primary objective.

deploymentThe defender selects which side of the bridge they are defending. The defending player then deploys their entire detachment anywhere on the defender’s side of the bridge or on the bridge itself. The attacker then deploys their entire force anywhere outside of 12” of the bridge.

When deploying their forces, the defender must choose a location on the defender’s side of the bridge that will be the detonation point. The detonation point must be within 12” of the bridge.

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)Voluntary WithdrawalTerrain Feature: Bridge

At any time during the game, any infantry, specialist, or support model from the defender’s detachment within 1” of the detonation point can spend 1 AP to destroy the bridge. The bridge is instantly destroyed and all models on or within 6” of the bridge suffer a Strength 6+2d6 hit from the blast (roll Strength separately for each affected unit). Models on the bridge after it has been destroyed are placed on the side of the bridge that they were closest to when the bridge was destroyed.

bunker assault [planned]Forced into a diffi cult position, the attacker fi nds themselves facing a fortifi ed enemy. The attacker’s troops must attack where their enemy is well armed and entrenched making them nearly impossible to eliminate.

set-upPlayers must decide which force will be the attacker and which will be the defender. If this is not agreed upon ahead of time, both players roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll chooses.

The defender’s forces receive at least one piece of hard cover (pill-box, etc) placed somewhere in their deployment zone.

primary objectiveBoth sides hope to take advantage of this encounter and infl ict as much damage upon the enemy as possible, while driving their opponent from the battlefi eld. At the end of the game, whichever side still has models on the table is successful in claiming the primary objective.

deploymentBoth players roll 1d6 and the player with the highest score chooses which table edge they would like as their deployment zone, the opposing player receives the opposite table edge as their deployment zone. Both players then take it in turn to deploy one unit within 12” of their table edge

•••

until all units are deployed. The defending player should deploy at least one unit inside hard cover.

scenario rulesVoluntary WithdrawalTerrain Feature: Bunker

escort [planned]An important individual must be safely escorted through the area. Enemy forces however, have learned of this person’s presence and hope to eliminate the VIP and have sent troops to take out the target.


primary objective The defender is attempting to escort a VIP from one edge of the battlefi eld to the other while the attacker is hoping to kill the VIP. If the defender can take the VIP from one side of the battlefi eld to the other (moving the VIP off the table), they can claim the primary objective. If the attacker is able to eliminate the VIP (removing them as a casualty), the attacker can claim the primary objective. If the VIP is not removed as a casualty, but does not successfully cross the battlefi eld, neither side can claim the primary objective.

deployment The defender selects a table edge that represents their deployment zone. The table edge opposite the one selected is the edge that the VIP must leave the table from in order for the defender to claim the primary objective.

The attacker deploys fi rst, placing their entire force on the table. None of the attacker’s models may be within 12” of the defender’s table edge. The defender then deploys their entire force anywhere within 6” of their table edge.

In addition to the defender’s forces, they must deploy the VIP.

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)Voluntary WithdrawalCompulsory Units:

VIP (Individual)Type: Regular SpecialistComposition: 1 VIPEquipment: Pistol

••

•••

••••

in house

Vehicles and the keep moving special order can be

used to quickly get the VIP off the battlefi eld.

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 1 4 2


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prisoner exchange [planned]A prisoner exchange has been arranged between both sides. Meeting at a predetermined location, both forces watch one another closely as the prisoners are exchanged. One side however, has decided to betray their enemy and launches a surprise attack. Now each side must grab their prisoner and escape, while trying to eliminate their former hostage.

set-upPlayers must decide which force will be the attacker and which will be the defender. If this is not agreed upon ahead of time, both players roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll chooses. The attacker is the one that will betray their opponent during the exchange.

Both sides meet in a large, open area. An area clear of terrain should be present in the center of the battlefi eld and terrain can be set up surrounding this area. This clearing is called the exchange area and is where the exchange is to take place and should be roughly 12” in diameter.

primary objective Both sides are attempting to protect their prisoner, getting them off the battlefi eld and to safety. Whichever player can move their prisoner off the battlefi eld from their own deployment zone can claim the primary objective. If both players move their prisoner off the table, neither side can claim the primary objective. If a player’s prisoner is removed from the battlefi eld as a casualty or from a table edge other than the player’s starting table edge, that player cannot claim the primary objective.

deployment The defender selects the half of the table that represents their deployment zone. The opposite table-half is the attacker’s deployment zone.

Players take it in turn placing units, beginning with the attacking player. Units must be placed within that player’s table half and may not be placed within the exchange area or within 12” of an enemy unit.

In addition to each player’s forces, they must deploy a prisoner belonging to the opposing player. Prisoners must be deployed at the edge of the exchange area, closest to the player that is deploying them. Thus, if the Soviet and German armies are exchanging prisoners, the Soviet player deploys the German prisoner in the exchange area closest to the Soviet forces.

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)Beginning with the second turn the attacker can declare that they are betraying their opponent. This declaration must be made prior to the initiative roll. Until the attacker declares themselves as attacking, neither side may shoot, engage in close combat, enter the exchange area, or cross into the opposing player’s deployment zone. Prisoners may move across the exchange area at any time.

•

Compulsory Units:Prisoner (Individual) – Type: Regular SpecialistComposition: 1 PrisonerEquipment: None

push the line [planned]Enemy forces in the area are attempting to gain ground, launching an attack designed to capture more territory. Fighting for every inch of ground, the attackers must push forward while the defenders hope to repulse their advance.

set-upThe table is divided into three even sections (see below); 16” deep on a 4’x4’ table.

Players must decide which force will be the attacker and which will be the defender. If this is not agreed upon ahead of time, both players roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll chooses.

primary objective The attacker is attempting to push into the center of the battlefi eld, driving the enemy from it and gaining ground. If, at the end of the game, the attacker has any number of models in the contested zone and the defender has none, the attacker has completed the primary objective. If, at the end of the game, the defender has any number of models in the contested zone or the attacker has no models in the contested zone, the defender has completed the primary objective.

deployment The attacker chooses which side of the table they would like to set up on. The defender then deploys their entire detachment anywhere within the zone furthest from the attacker’s table edge, as well as the contested zone. The attacker then deploys their entire detachment within the zone closest to their table edge and may not have any models within 12” of an enemy model.

•••••

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 0 1 4 1


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scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)Voluntary Withdrawal

the last patrol [planned]A patrol has been organized meant to slip into enemy lines and capture as many enemy prisoners as possible before slipping back to the safety of their own position. The enemy must hold off the offensive as long as possible and bring reinforcements to respond quickly, so as to prevent their own men from falling into their enemy’s hands.


At the center of the battlefi eld is a piece of terrain where some of the defender’s forces begin the game and where the attacker will make their initial attack in the hopes of taking enemy prisoners.

primary objective The attacker is attempting to capture one or more enemy models and remove them from the battlefi eld. If the attacker can defeat at least one enemy model in close combat and move that model off a table edge, they can claim the primary objective. If, by the end of the game, the attacker has not moved a captured enemy model off any table edge then the defender can claim the primary objective.

Unintelligent models may not capture enemy models.

deployment The defender chooses which side of the table their reinforcements will enter the battlefi eld from. The opposite table edge up to the halfway point between these two table edges is the attacker’s deployment zone.

The defender then places one unit in the center of the battlefi eld, anywhere within three inches of the center point of the table. This unit must be of the Infantry, Support or Specialist troop type.

The attacker then deploys their entire detachment anywhere on their half of the battlefi eld. None of the attacker’s models may be closer than six inches to an enemy model.

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)The remainder of the defender’s detachment moves onto the battlefi eld on Turn 2. Once each of these units is activated they may move onto the table from the defender’s table edge.

Once any model from the defender’s forces has been defeated (losing its last wound) in close combat, that model is considered captured and becomes controlled by the attacker as a prisoner. The prisoner remains

••

•

in the attacker’s control as long as the attacker has a model within six inches of the prisoner. If, on the prisoner’s activation, the attacker has no models within six inches of the prisoner, the prisoner reverts to the control of the defending player. Prisoners have the same statistics and special abilities they normally possess, however have only one wound. Prisoners do not carry weapons after they have been captured. Each prisoner counts as a separate unit for activation purposes. Prisoners are immune to Drive losses and are not considered part of the attacker’s detachment for the purposes of morale.

escalating engagement [ unplanned]Both forces have happened across one another on the battlefi eld. However, each side has only a small portion of their detachments and must wait for reinforcements to arrive before the enemy can be effectively dealt with.

set-up There is no clear attacker or defender in this scenario. Both sides are caught off guard and rush to eliminate their enemy. In the end, whichever side remains in control of the battlefi eld is the victor. However, it must be determined which edges of the table represent the player’s deployment zone. This can be agreed upon by the players, or each player can roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll can choose which side their forces will enter from; the other player’s deployment zone will be the table edge opposite from the one chosen.

primary objective Both sides hope to take advantage of this chance encounter and infl ict as much damage upon the enemy as possible, while driving their opponent from the battlefi eld. At the end of the game, whichever side still has models on the table is successful in claiming the primary objective.

deployment Each player makes a list of their detachment compositions, by selection, in any order they choose. This list will determine which selections become available each turn.

Both players roll 1d6 and add the result to the highest Drive rating in their detachment; the player with the highest total chooses which player places their fi rst selections.

The player chosen to place fi rst then places the fi rst two selections from their list anywhere on the battlefi eld. After placement, these two selections must be within 12 inches of one another.

The next player then places both of their selections, each within 12 inches of each other, anywhere on the battlefi eld, so long as they are not within 18 inches of any enemy models.

The game begins.

Every turn, after initiative is rolled, players can choose to


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activate the next selection on their list in addition to those that are on the table. This selection is then brought onto the table via that player’s table edge. Only one new selection can be brought onto the table each turn.

scenario rulesVoluntary Withdrawal

foraging [unplanned]A supply drop has gone astray and forces in the area have happened across stockpiles of weapons, ammunition, and rations. Each side must rush to possess the dropped supplies and deny the enemy much-needed equipment.

set-upThere is no clear attacker or defender in this scenario. In the end, whichever side recovers the most supplies is the victor. However, it must be determined which edges of the table represent the player’s deployment zone. This can be agreed upon by the players, or each player can roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll can choose which side their forces will enter from; the other player’s deployment zone will be the table edge opposite from the one chosen.

Before deployment, between three and nine (d6+3) supply markers are placed on the battlefi eld. Each player places a marker in turn; markers cannot be placed within 12” of a table edge or within 6” of another supply marker.

primary objectiveBoth sides are trying to gather up as many supplies as they can before withdrawing. At the end of the game, whichever side has captured the most supplies can claim the primary objective. If both sides have captured the same number of supplies, or if neither side has captured any supplies, neither force can claim the primary objective.

Unintelligent models may not pick up supply markers.

deploymentEach player rolls 1d6 and the player with the highest roll can choose which player begins deploying their detachment. Each player takes it in turn placing a unit within 6” of their selected table edge. Once all units are deployed, initiative is rolled.

•

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)Voluntary Withdrawal

A model in base contact with a supply marker can spend 1 AP to pick up and carry the supplies. A model may only carry one supply marker at a time and a model carrying a supply marker may not engage in ranged combat and suffers a –1 penalty to their CC attribute score while carrying the marker. If a model is removed as a casualty, it drops its supply marker. Routing models do not drop carried supply markers.

scattered [unplanned]Whether through miscommunication or simple bad luck, one side of the confl ict is scattered all across the battlefi eld. Disorganized and caught unaware, they are set upon by the enemy and must quickly regroup and mount a coordinated defense.


primary objectiveBoth sides hope to take advantage of this chance encounter and infl ict as much damage upon the enemy as possible, while driving their opponent from the battlefi eld. At the end of the game, whichever side still has models on the table is successful in claiming the primary objective.

deploymentAt the beginning of the game, the attacker deploys the defender’s detachment, placing each unit anywhere on the table. When placing the defender’s forces, the attacker may not place any units within 12 inches of a table edge or within 8 inches of a friendly unit.

After the defender’s forces have been deployed, the defender selects which table edge the attacker arrives from. The attacker is then able to deploy their entire detachment within six inches of this table edge but may not place any models within 10 inches of an enemy model.


welcome to hell [unplanned]As forces move through the area, a massive bombing campaign begins, catching all sides in the chaos that follows. Both sides must attempt to drive the enemy away, as well as survive the bombing.

set-upThere is no clear attacker or defender in this scenario. Both sides are caught off guard and rush to eliminate their enemy. In the end, whichever side remains in control of the battlefi eld is the victor. However, it must be determined which half of the table represent the player’s deployment

••

•


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zone. This can be agreed upon by the players, or each player can roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll can choose which side their forces will deploy in; the other player’s deployment zone will be the table edge opposite from the one chosen.

Before forces are deployed, six numbered ‘air strike’ markers are placed on the table (dice are ideal). The markers must be evenly spaced from one another. On a 4’x4’ table, markers are placed 8” from each player’s ‘short’ table edge and 16” from each player’s ‘long’ table edge.

primary objectiveBoth sides hope to take advantage of this chance encounter and infl ict as much damage upon the enemy as possible, while driving their opponent from the battlefi eld. At the end of the game, whichever side still has models on the table is successful in claiming the primary objective.

deploymentAfter the players have determined their deployment zones, both players roll 1d6 and the player with the highest roll chooses which player will place their fi rst unit. Each player then places a single unit anywhere within their deployment zone before the opposing player places one of their units. This continues until all models have been placed on the table. No model may be within 12” of an enemy model.


Every turn beginning with the fi rst, before initiative is rolled, a series of air strikes hit the battlefi eld, potentially striking models from either force. Between one and three air strikes hit the battlefi eld every turn. For each air strike, roll 1d6 to fi nd out which marker is used as the center-point of the strike. Each air strike will deviate from this target; roll 1d6, on a 1 or a 2 the air strike deviates 1d6” in a random direction, one a roll of 3 through 6 the air strike deviates 2d6” in a random direction. All models within 2½” of the point an air strike lands suffer a Strength 6+2d6 hit.

•

scenario special rules

compulsory units – Scenarios with this rule require a player (or players) to take special units specifi c to the scenario. These units never take up slots from the player’s detachment and are fi elded in addition to the player’s full detachment. Unless otherwise specifi ed, these units do count for morale, attrition and other factors.

terrain feature – Certain scenarios require specifi c pieces of terrain to be present on the battlefi eld. These terrain features usually require specifi c placement and cannot be moved by the Surveyed Ground special order.

turn limit (x) – Scenarios with this rule have a limited number of turns. Following X turns, the game ends and players determine which victory conditions have been claimed by their forces.

voluntary withdrawal – During a scenario using this special rule, any player can declare a withdrawal, effectively giving up the fi eld of battle. When a voluntary withdrawal is announced, all models remaining on the table effectively rout, but are not counted as casualties. A voluntary withdrawal can only be announced at the beginning of a turn, before initiative is rolled. Note that voluntary withdrawals in no way represents a concession of victory and players that end the game in this way are still quite capable of victory.

secondary objective descriptions

assassinationAn important member of the opposing forces must be eliminated.

prerequisites: Noneobjective: Choose an enemy model. This model must be an individual. Write down the model on a piece of paper and place it with this card. Once this model is removed from the table as a casualty, you have completed this objective. If this model is removed from the table for any other reason (rout, moving off a table edge, etc), you have failed to complete this objective.

breakthroughYou are trying to get men behind enemy lines to scout the enemy position.

prerequisites: Noneobjective: Choose a friendly unit. Write down the unit on a piece of paper and place it with this card. This unit must leave the fi eld of battle from the furthest table edge from where it began play. If any models from this unit move off of the furthest table edge from where they began play, then you have completed this objective. Unintelligent models do not count towards completing this objective.

captureAn enemy soldier possesses information vital to your operations. This soldier must be captured and taken back to base, so they


83

can be interrogated.

prerequisites: Noneobjective: Choose an enemy model. This model must be an individual. Write down the model on a piece of paper and place it with this card. This model must be defeated in close combat and removed as a casualty in order for this objective to be completed. Alternatively, this objective can be completed if the chosen model surrenders (see Morale). If this model is removed from the table for any other reason (shooting casualty, rout, moving off a table edge, etc), you have failed to complete this objective. Unintelligent models may not capture enemy models.

defenseA strategic point on the battlefi eld must not fall into enemy hands – at all costs.

prerequisites: Noneobjective: Choose a piece of terrain located no more than two inches away from the starting position of one of your models. Write down this piece of terrain on a piece of paper and place it with this card. At the end of the game, you must possess at least one model within two inches of this piece of terrain. In addition, there may be no enemy models within two inches of this piece of terrain when the game ends. If you do not have a model within two inches of this piece of terrain, or the enemy possesses at least one model within two inches of this piece of terrain, you fail to complete this objective. Unintelligent models cannot be used to claim this objective.

delaying actionYour forces are trying to keep the enemy tied up while other operations take place somewhere else in the area.

prerequisites: Noneobjective: Your forces must remain on the fi eld of battle for at least six turns. At least one friendly model must be on the table at the end of turn six in order to complete this objective. If the scenario does not last at least six turns, you have failed to complete this objective.

destroy the abominationThe Germans have gone too far in their crimes against nature. The German abominations must be purged from the world.

prerequisites: Soviet and American Objective, enemy possesses at least one Abomination.objective: All German Abominations (Emaciated Troopers, etc) must be destroyed. If, at the end of the game, all German Abominations have been removed as casualties, you have completed this objective. If any German Abominations are removed from the table for any other reason (rout, moving off a table edge, etc), you have failed to complete this objective.

field testThe new Tesla Device devices have reached your forces and are ready to be put to the test in the fi eld.

prerequisites: American Objective, you must possess at least one Tesla Device.objective: All Tesla Devices must survive the battle. If, at the end of the game, no Tesla Device units have been removed as casualties, you have completed this objective.

field testA batch of Abominations has reached your forces and is ready to be put to the test in the fi eld.

prerequisites: German Objective, you must possess at least one Abomination.objective: All Abominations must survive the battle. If, at the end of the game, no Abomination units have been removed as casualties, you have completed this objective.

field testThe NKVD has assigned a number of Psi units to your detachment that require fi eld testing.

prerequisites: Soviet Objective, you must possess at least one Psi unit.objective: All Psi units must survive the battle. If, at the end of the game, no Psi units have been removed as casualties, you have completed this objective.

offenseA strategic point on the battlefi eld must be captured – at all costs.

prerequisites: Noneobjective: Choose a piece of terrain located no more than two inches away from the starting position of an enemy model. Write down this piece of terrain on a piece of paper and place it with this card. At the end of the game, you must possess at least one model within two inches of this piece of terrain. In addition, there may be no enemy models within two inches of this piece of terrain when the game ends. If you do not have a model within two inches of this piece of terrain, or the enemy possesses at least one model within two inches of this piece of terrain, you fail to complete this objective. Unintelligent models cannot be used to claim this objective.

test subjectsGenetic manipulation and research requires a large supply of test subjects. These must be gathered from enemy forces.

prerequisites: German Objectiveobjective: Count the number of enemy models. By the end of the game, you must eliminate at least 25% of these models as casualties (round up) in close combat. Alternatively, this objective can be completed if these models surrender (see Morale pg 60). Casualties infl icted by unintelligent models do not count towards this total.


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Campaigns are a number of scenarios linked together by a common thread (story, map, etc) and are a big focus of AE-WWII. Campaigns allow players to develop intricate stories, backgrounds, and plots that will greatly enhance their gaming experience. In a skirmish game, such as this, injecting a little story into your games is easy and the system presented here is meant to help in that process.

In a campaign, players take the same troops through many scenarios, gaining experience and skill along the way, as well as suffering casualties and taking on replacements. The scenarios of a campaign often have special rules, alternate detachment compositions, and heroes and units specifi c to the story. Campaigns require extra record keeping as players must track the progress of their forces. It is this progress however, that makes campaigns a pleasant diversion from ‘one-off’ games.

campaign types

There are many different ways of organizing a campaign. From a simple story, to a detailed map, to a scenario ‘tree’, players can make campaigns as easy or as complex as they like. Below are a number of campaign types that we feel are appropriate for use in AE-WWII. Players are free to take the examples given here to develop their own campaign types.

story-based campaignsStory-based campaigns follow a cohesive story, usually put together by a single player, though players can also collaborate on a story. When the story is written, a number of scenarios are selected or created to help tell the story and as the scenarios are played, the story unfolds. Story-based campaigns can be linear or free-form, with a predetermined story arc prepared or a fl exible, changing story. In campaigns where a number of possible outcomes exist, a campaign tree may be created, with the story built in.

Story campaigns are easily created and players need only to develop a simple plot and tie together a number of scenarios in order to form a story-based campaign. Players can then alter the standard detachment composition, add compulsory

and campaign-specifi c units, and create some new scenarios or objectives to add even more fl avor to the campaign.

An example of a story-based campaign is included; see A Fool’s Errand (pg 87).

map-based campaignsSome campaigns use a map as a focal point. Players begin with a sizeable force (usually larger than the standard detachment composition) in one or more starting locations on the map and then move their forces across the map, encountering enemy units and other hazards as they move. A detailed story can be interwoven into the map, with players having clear-cut objectives in varying locations on the map.

Map-based campaigns can be as detailed or as simple as players like. Individual scenarios can be matched with specifi c locations on the map, as well as key locations vital to victory. Map-based campaigns provide players with an easy way to chart the progress of the campaign, and give players fl exibility not usually found in a story-based campaign.

Map-based campaigns are best run by a single individual that creates the map and helps the other players make their way around it. Players wishing to create a map-based campaign can simply take any map of nearly any environment (urban, rural, etc) and break it into smaller territories or locations. Scenarios can be tied to each location and some territories can even have multiple possible scenarios. Special objectives, compulsory and campaign-specifi c units, and other creative items can also be scattered across the map, forcing players to rush to these key locations. Clearly defi ned campaign objectives should be decided ahead of time and can include things like capturing the most territories, infl icting the most casualties, or capturing specifi c territories.

An example of a map-based campaign is included; see The Rockets of St. Michele (pg 96).

campaign structure

Whether players are participating in a story or map-based campaign, all campaign types follow a certain structure that details what scenarios are being played, what happens following each scenario, and the overall fl ow of the campaign. Campaign structures can be as linear or as fl uid as players like and should be used to give players an idea of how the campaign will progress.

objectivesAll campaigns have clearly defi ned objectives that must be met in order for one side or another to claim victory. Many campaigns will have multiple objectives and, like scenarios, could result in a draw. Some campaigns will also possess objectives that are specifi c to each force involved in the campaign. Thus, players may have very different objectives from one another. It is important that the objectives for the campaign are clearly


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defi ned before the campaign is begun. Once a campaign has been completed, the details of the victory conditions and the outcome of the campaign are described in the Aftermath section.

scenariosCampaigns are made up of a number of scenarios all linked together by a common thread. In a map-based campaign, these scenarios can be based on specifi c locations or conditions on the map, while in a story-based campaign scenarios are selected to best fi t the plot. A brief description of the available scenarios should be listed in order to familiarize players with them prior to play. The details of each scenario, including changes to existing scenarios and campaign-specifi c scenarios should also be laid out for players to view.

Each scenario in the campaign should include an Aftermath section as well, explaining how the loss/victory of each force involved affects the campaign.

aftermathThe Aftermath section of each campaign should detail the fi nal details of the campaign, including victory conditions, objectives and other pertinent information. It helps to include a small story describing the outcome and the overall effect the campaign had on the units involved, the territory in which the campaign was fought, and the War as a whole.

alternativesSome campaigns can include options for players wanting to reuse the same campaign under different circumstances. Multiple players, alternate available forces, changing the campaign type, and alternate victory conditions can all allow a campaign to be played over and over again while maintaining a different feel each time. Possible alternatives to the campaign can be included to assist players when replaying a scenario.

following a campaign

During a campaign soldiers become injured or killed, new recruits quickly learn the skills needed to keep themselves alive, and individuals fi nd themselves becoming heroes of their comrades. Campaigns follow the story of the soldiers in a detachment, watching them learn, succeed, and fail as the campaign unfolds. Players must keep track of experience points, casualties, requisition points, and detachment composition of their forces during a campaign.

campaign detachment compositionPlayers participating in a campaign select a number of detachments that will take part in the campaign. From these detachments, players draw their troops for each scenario. As the campaign progresses these detachments grow and shrink and gain experience points.

Rather than using a single detachment in a campaign, players will generally have a larger pool of units from which to pull from as the scenarios in the campaign are played out. This pool is called a campaign detachment and is simply a larger version of one of the existing detachment types.

Before a campaign begins, players select a detachment type that they will use throughout the campaign. Some campaigns may allow for the selection of multiple detachment types, but generally players will use only one detachment type for the duration of the campaign, allowing players to stick with a central theme for their forces. In most cases, once the detachment type is selected, players fi ll their campaign detachment, just as they would a standard detachment however the number of selections per detachment is increased depending on the length of the campaign. Generally, the number of selections in a detachment is doubled for every two or three scenarios in the campaign. Thus, a campaign with six scenarios would give players three times the number of selections in their detachment; a detachment with three Regular slots would now have nine. The number of vehicles, if any, as well as hero choices, is likewise increased. Special Orders are selected prior to scenarios, so there is no need to choose these when building a campaign detachment.

Prior to each scenario, players pull units from their campaign detachment to fi ll out their standard detachment (of the same type as that selected when creating the campaign detachment). If there are insuffi cient units available (due to casualties), players may fi nd themselves unable to fi ll the entire detachment. As the campaign progresses, the size and strength of the campaign detachment will grow and shrink, based on reinforcements, casualties, and experience.

campaign-specific unitsMany campaigns include squads or individuals that are necessary for the story or structure of the campaign. Specifi c heroes, elite squads of soldiers, or new and unique super-science units can all be found specifi cally in campaigns, though their use outside of a campaign would be overbalancing. In most campaigns, players will fi nd a section where these campaign-specifi c units are listed. Many times, these units have special abilities or attributes that are above and beyond the units found in a force’s army list. Campaign-specifi c units are always extras that do not take up any slots from the campaign detachment.

compulsory unitsDuring scenarios, players may be forced to take certain units. These required units are called compulsory units and


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must be taken if they are present within a player’s campaign detachment. Usually compulsory units are specifi c to the campaign (such as unique heroes, etc), but some scenarios can call for other non-campaign-specifi c units.

Compulsory units are bonus models that are taken above and beyond the scenario detachment composition. If a player is unable to take the required units, players should check the scenario to determine what affect this might have. Generally players unable to take compulsory units will be at a signifi cant disadvantage during the scenario.

requisition pointsAs a campaign progresses, players will gain Requisition Points that can be used to help keep their units well-supplied and gain more resources with which to defeat their enemies.

Players gain Requisition Points for participating in the battle and for each victory condition their forces achieve during a scenario. In most campaigns, players receive 10 RP after every battle as well as 10 RP for each victory condition following a scenario. Some scenarios in a campaign will grant more or less RP for each victory condition, or grant bonus RP for story- or map-based conditions that are met during the campaign.

Following each scenario, players may spend their RP to increase the size of their campaign detachments, replace fallen or promoted units and to purchase vehicles. Units that are added to the campaign detachment must fi t into the standard detachment composition; thus, a detachment that does not allow a vehicle selection cannot use RP to purchase a vehicle. Vehicles purchased in this way always have a Regular training level.

detachment selection

requisition point cost

Green Slot 10Regular Slot 20Veteran Slot 30

Elite Slot 40Light Vehicles 30

Medium Vehicles 50Replacing Partial Squads ½ the RP Cost of the Squad

replacing lossesWhen individuals or full squads are lost (see Casualties, below), players can spend RP to replace the lost unit. But when only a few members of a squad are killed, players must still use RP to replace them. When some, but not all, of the members of a squad are killed, players must spend RP equal to half the unit’s total value (based on the Training Level of the squad), no matter how many models are lost. Replacing partial squads in this way reduces the experience of the squad (see below) but otherwise the new models function in the same way as those they replaced.

casualtiesNot every soldier injured in battle is killed and though they may fall, some lucky troops live to see another day. In a campaign, it is necessary to determine which soldiers are killed as a result of combat and keeping track of casualties is an important post-scenario task. As troops are killed and replaced, attrition rates become quite important.

After each scenario, players in a campaign roll to determine the fate of their casualties. For some, they will merely be injured, able to return to combat. But for others, their wounds will prove fatal. For each model removed as a casualty during a scenario, players roll 1d6 and consult the chart below. Heroes subtract 1 from their roll.

casualty roll result

1 Just a scratch…2-4 Out of action5-6 KIA

just a scratch: The model is knocked unconscious or dazed during the battle, but fi nds themselves unharmed. The model is not injured or killed and may return to combat the very next scenario.

out of action: Though they are injured during combat, the soldier’s wounds are not fatal. Models that are out of action may not participate in the next scenario, but are otherwise unharmed. Players may not replace models that are out of action. In map-based campaigns models are out of action for one campaign turn.

killed in action: The model is killed, giving their life in service of their country. Models that are killed in action must be replaced using Requisition Points.

Certain special orders, secondary objectives, and other special rules may result in models being captured by the enemy. These models are lost, considered KIA and can be replaced following the scenario. Creative players may devise trades for captured models, with one player giving Requisition Points, conceding territories, or other items of importance in order to get their captured model(s) back. Special ‘rescue’ scenarios could also be played to try and recover captured soldiers.


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Vehicles roll on the same chart above, though ‘out of action’ represents the time it takes to repair the vehicle, while ‘killed in action’ simply means the vehicle was beyond repair. Vehicles must make a casualty roll in addition to any injured crew.

experienceAs soldiers participate in combat, they quickly learn the horrors of war. Troops that have survived for months and even years on the front lines are far more skilled and more experienced that soldiers that are ‘fresh off the boat’. These veteran warriors are an important part of any force and experience quickly proves itself more important than numbers or equipment.

Units that take part in a campaign learn as the campaign progresses and gain experience, making them better soldiers. As models gain experience, their Training Level increases, as do their attributes. Heroes can emerge through combat experience as well, and players can quickly develop story and background for their more experienced units.

Every unit gains experience points as they progress through a campaign. The amount of experience points a unit has can increase and decrease throughout the campaign, and players should keep careful track of the EP each unit has. Experience points are gained in the following ways:

Units earn 2 EP for simply participating in the scenario.Units earn 1 EP for each victory condition achieved by their side during the scenario.At the end of every scenario, players receive 1 EP for each victory condition achieved by their side during the scenario. These EP can be divided among the units that participated in the scenario as the player sees fi t.An opposing player can choose to nominate one unit from their enemy’s detachment that they feel performed well during the scenario. This unit receives 1 EP.

As a unit gains EP, their Training Level increases and they become more skilled. Consult the chart below to determine a unit’s TL based on their EP. Note that units begin with a number of EP based on their TL (thus, a Regular unit begins the campaign with 10 EP).

When a unit increases their TL through experience, they are allowed to increase one of their attributes by a single point (or decrease in the case of RC). Move and Armor cannot be increased this way. This increase is permanent and cannot be lost if the unit’s TL drops due to replacements.

training level

experience points


Elite 30

••

•

•

Units can also lose EP as a campaign progresses. Squads that lose models (killed in action) and must replace them lose half of their current EP, down to the minimum for their Training Level. This loss cannot make units drop below their existing Training Level.

Elite units that gain experience continue to increase their attributes for every 10 EP gained above 30. Thus, an Elite unit with 50 EP gains two additional increases to their attributes, as detailed above.

Individuals can ‘spend’ EP, cashing in 10 EP in order to become a hero. If the individual is able to become a hero (see the unit descriptions), 10 EP are deducted from the model’s total and the individual is allowed to choose a hero type. Players cannot choose to spend EP if this loss would result in the individual’s Training Level decreasing. This option can only be taken once and individuals can never possess more than one hero type, nor can they change hero types at a later time.

sample campaign – a fool’s errand

March 30, 1945

“I don’t like it any more than you do Jim,” said Colonel Jablonsky with his typical forthrightness, “but orders are orders.”

A strong breeze was blowing in from the south, bringing with it a slight chill and the faint smell of seawater. It had been just over a month since the Americans had set foot on French soil, this time for good, and Lieutenant Colonel James Cole walked slowly alongside his superior offi cer. There was a pause in their conversation as a pair of trucks drove past carrying troops to the front.“But sir, diverting an entire battalion on the orders of a civilian rubs me the wrong way,” said James as the roar of the engines faded.

“Well now,” said the colonel, “you wouldn’t be reporting to Agent Breeman, you’ll just be following his lead. The OSS has assured me that their man knows what he’s doing.”

The pair reached a large tent and paused before entering. Colonel Jablonsky could undoubtedly tell that he had done little to dissuade his subordinate’s doubts.

“Don’t worry Jim,” Colonel Jablonsky said, “you’re in charge.”

Lifting up the fl ap of the tent, the two stepped into the dark room where a number of other offi cers waited. Among them were 1st Battalion’s company commanders Captain Sam Murray, Captain Mark Nolan, Captain Martin Adams, and Captain Shawn Conley. Also present were the Colonel’s aid and a man James had never seen before. Dressed in civilian clothes, the man wore a long trench coat, black leather gloves, dark pants, and heavy boots.

The offi cers and the aid saluted while the man James could only assume was OSS Agent Breeman waited for the colonel to get comfortable. James nodded in the direction of his men and the briefi ng began.


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“Tomorrow morning at 0430,” Colonel Jablonsky started, “1st Battalion will be dropped two clicks north of the town of Nyons, located about one hundred kilometers north of our current position. Your mission is the liberation of Nyons from enemy hands.”

The offi cers of the 1st Battalion, 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment leaned in to a small table where a map of southern France was located, seeing the small town located in the middle of the French countryside. It was clear to James that his offi cers were ill at ease.

“Sir,” said Captain Murray, always one to speak his mind, “if I might ask why it is that 1st Battalion is being reassigned. I was under the impression we would be moving out with the rest of the 13th Airborne Division to support the attack on Montélimar.”

The colonel cast a wayward glance at the civilian who remained quietly standing in the shadows of the darkened tent. James was unable to read the man’s expression, but it seemed apparent that the colonel may have been as uncertain about this mission as James was.

“You were Captain,” answered the colonel, “but 1st Battalion is being reassigned based on new intelligence gathered from the Offi ce of Strategic Services. Nyons has now been designated as a priority.”

“But Sir,” continued Captain Murray, “with the bulk of the kraut army in this region defending Montélimar, do we expect to meet heavy resistance in the town? Why the sudden interest?”

Colonel Jablonsky shifted uneasily. The colonel was young and relatively inexperienced, but James had learned that he was a bright offi cer with a knack for strategy. The Colonel had seen the 515th PIR through the landing a few weeks earlier and the Jumping Wolves had pulled through to quickly earn a reputation as one of the best airborne regiments in the XVIII Airborne Corps.

“I’ll direct your question to OSS Agent Rick Breeman,” said the colonel, clearly happy to turn things over.

With that, Agent Breeman stepped into the light and made his way to the table, standing next to Colonel Jablonsky. He was a stern looking man in his early forties. He stood tall, with thick brown hair and steely brown eyes. His face was weathered, and it was instantly clear he had seen his share of combat; probably operating well behind enemy lines aiding the French resistance. But despite his rough demeanor, he carried an instant likeability and James found that his resentment and uncertainty, which had been quite strong, vanished upon seeing this man. He trusted him, and for the life of him, James couldn’t fi gure out why.

“Good morning gentlemen,” Agent Breeman said in a forceful tone. “I’ve been stationed in France for the past few months and intelligence reports have led me to Nyons. Here, I’ve made initial contact with French resistance fi ghters that have provided me with evidence that the German forces stationed here have a vested interest in the town and are prepared to defend it at all

costs. Needless to say, whatever’s important to our enemy is important to us. It is vital that we take Nyons from German hands.”

“Agent Breeman?” This time it was Captain Adams of C Company speaking up. “What is it that the krauts fi nd so important to stay when the rest of their army is fi fty clicks north?”

“We’re not sure,” responded Agent Breeman, and for an instant James thought he detected the slightest pause in the man’s voice; but just like that, it was gone. “But we do know that the enemy is hunkered down and ready for a fi ght. They are well entrenched and should prove quite diffi cult to remove.”

“What’s their strength?” James spoke up for the fi rst time, immediately drawing the attention of Agent Breeman and the rest of the men.

Giving him a brief look of approval, Agent Breeman answered. “We believe that only a single company is defending the town, with no armor or artillery support.”

“And they’re all inside the town,” continued James.

“Yes,” answered Agent Breeman. “If we parachute in north of the town, we can come at them from three sides. The river to the south will prevent their easy escape, but I honestly don’t think they’ll run. Once we’re in the town, I’ll make contact with the French resistance and we can use their help to eliminate any further enemy forces in the area.”

“We?” said James.

Colonel Jablonsky stepped forward, ignoring the question. “Elements of our ground forces will be in the area and can provide support if you run into trouble,” he said. “You’ll outnumber them Jim, but they’re dug in pretty tight.”

Looking at his offi cers, James turned to face the Colonel and Agent Breeman. “We can take them Colonel. We’ll get them out of there and be back in time to come to your rescue at Montélimar.”

A chuckle came from his men, while Agent Breeman remained stone-faced. The colonel smiled and gave James a concerned look.

“Just be careful Jim,” he said.“Yes sir,” answered James.

The Colonel saluted and dismissed James and his offi cers, who left the tent. Agent Breeman gave James an approving nod as he left.

The fi ve men had gotten no


89

more than a few meters away before Captain Murray spoke up.

“A civilian, Jim?” His concern was clear. “Do I get this right, he’s jumping with us?”

The other captains nodded their agreement. At least James wasn’t alone in his worry.

“Order are orders, as the colonel would say,” said James, trying to put his men at ease. “We’ll outnumber them nearly four to one; I’m not too worried.”

James paused as he tried to believe his own words.

“Besides, what could the krauts possibly be protecting?” he wondered aloud.

***

The screams coming from below made even the doctor nervous. A skilled physician and geneticist, he had performed countless experiments on prisoners of war and was responsible for some of the latest breakthroughs in genetic research. His cruelty was well known throughout the region and countless tortured souls had left this world in the catacombs beneath the château. But the recent arrival from Germany had quickly made himself at home, and from the sounds emanating from below, he was far crueler than Doctor Schibler could ever hope to be.

Reaching the bottom of the stairwell the doctor waited for the SS soldier to open the large steel door leading into this level. Only a handful of SS troops were left in Nyons, most had been called north to slow the Allied advance through France. Doctor Schibler felt alone and unprotected without the SS around, but was assured that the Wehrmacht and Volkssturm forces remaining in the town would be suffi cient to defend against an attack. Without the SS he was also able to breathe a sigh of relief and the feeling of constantly being scrutinized was no longer a problem. That is, until today.

The door opened with a loud creak and the screams suddenly ceased. Doctor Schibler moved quickly through the laboratory and into the stockade where prisoners and test subjects were kept. A heavy wooden door at the end of a long row of cells stood open and the musty smell of mold combined with human waste lingered in the hall. Doctor Schibler could see the back of the visitor in the doorway at the end of the hall. The pressed black uniform, the polished black boots that seemed unable to remain dirty; the doctor was already intimidated.

As he slowly moved towards the open cell, he could see the face of the prisoner, strapped to a simple wooden chair sitting in front of the visitor. The prisoner’s face was a bloody pulp and he was barely recognizable. Blood covered his shirt, which was torn open revealing bruises all across his torso. Indeed, the man had been badly beaten.

Reaching the open door, the visitor’s head turned revealing a surprisingly young face. Grey eyes looked out from behind black hair that had fallen out of place during the beating. His thin but

muscular form was the ideal specimen of German physique. It was not his appearance, or even his demeanor that cause the doctor to worry, but instead the black and silver insignia on his sleeve bearing the letters ‘SD’ that brought concern to Schibler’s mind.

“Herr doctor,” said the SD agent, nodding slightly as he pushed the hair from his eyes.

“Herr Reiser,” replied the doctor in a shaky voice. “What brings you here?”

Turning from the prisoner the Sicherheitsdienst agent faced the doctor, who could now see a bloody baton in the agent’s hand.

“I have been told there is some concern about the security of this installation, Herr doctor,” Agent Reiser said.

“I assure you,” said the doctor, “no one knows of our location.”

“According to my sources,” glancing back to the prisoner the agent continued, “concern is warranted. It appears that a member of the American OSS has infi ltrated Nyons and learned of your location.”

Sweat began to appear on Doctor Schibler’s brow. It was well known what failure meant to the Sicherheitsdienst.

“Impossible!” replied the doctor. “My sources in the town would have told me. Allow me to check…”

“It is too late for that,” interrupted the SD agent.

Agent Reiser began slowly moving towards the doctor, who was trying not to break his powerful gaze. Doctor Schibler’s knees began to shake and he felt nauseous. The SD agent stood directly in front of him and leaned in close, so that the doctor could smell his breath.

“Are your experiments ready for deployment,” said the agent.

“N-n-nearly,” answered the doctor.

A grin crossed Agent Reiser’s lips.


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“Good,” he said, “the Americans will be here soon.”

And with that, the SD agent turned and left, the sound of his boots ringing through the dank stone hall.

campaign structure‘A Fool’s Errand’ is a two player, story-based campaign in which American forces are attempting to liberate the French town of Nyons from German hands. Led by OSS Agent Rick Breeman, the Americans come to learn that terrible experiments are being performed by the Germans just outside of town. With SD Agent Alfred Reiser watching over them, the Germans attempt to repel the American forces, which vastly outnumber them. Both sides must call upon experimental technology in order to achieve victory; victory that means total control of the town.

The campaign is comprised of fi ve scenarios, each preceding the others whose outcome will affect the scenarios that follow. As the campaign progresses, players will gain access to new troop types, which are limited in the opening scenarios.

campaign objectivesThe primary objective of the campaign for both sides is the total control of the town of Nyons. The American forces are attempting to wrest the town from German control, while the garrison of Wehrmacht and Volkssturm try desperately to hold off the American attack. Whichever side can control the town will prove the victor in the campaign.

There is only one objective for the campaign: to take (or maintain) control of Nyons. This is accomplished in the fi nal scenario (Counterattack); the player able to claim the primary objective in that scenario is the winner of the campaign. Each scenario leading up to the fi nal battle for Nyons is just as important though, as each side must use the resources gained through these early victories to build a successful force for the fi nal scenario. Thus, players must work to minimize casualties, earn experience and requisition points, and claim victory conditions during the fi rst four scenarios in preparation for the last battle.

scenarios

the invasion of nyons The 1st Battalion of the 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment has landed just outside of the French town of Nyons on the morning of April 1, 1945. They make their way to the town unimpeded only to fi nd a small number of German soldiers well entrenched and awaiting their arrival. Outnumbering their enemy, the Americans must drive the Germans deeper into the town or else be repulsed by the defenders and forced to regroup.

new equipmentAfter the initial attack on Nyons, the Americans fi nd themselves suffering more casualties than expected. While the German forces in the town do whatever they can to fi ght off the attackers, the Americans are able to call in vital reinforcements. The experimental Tesla Devices arrive by transport and give the Americans an edge in the continued attack on the town. However, the German SD Agent Alfred

Reiser has learned of the arrival of this equipment and sent a small team to intercept and destroy as much of it as possible, thus crippling the continued American offensive.

a clandestine meetingNow inside the town, the American forces begin to fi nish off the small pockets of German soldiers still hidden in Nyons. OSS Agent Rick Breeman makes contact with French resistance fi ghters in the town to learn of a terrible secret the Germans have been hiding in a château just outside of town. But the German SD Agent knows of this meeting and hopes to keep their secret by eliminating all those that have heard of the château.

lavault chÂteauThe Lavault Château stands just outside of the town of Nyons. This large, provincial estate was taken over by German forces during the early days of the war, and the people of Nyons speak of it in hushed tones. Terrible experiments go on at the château, and the townspeople often go missing, rounded up by German soldiers. Screams can be heard from the château and at night, terrible inhuman howls roll across the countryside. Members of the 1st Battalion of the 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment take themselves to the château hoping to eliminate the last remnants of the German forces in Nyons, uncertain of what they might fi nd.

counterattackWith hordes of Abominations at their side, the remaining German forces in the area surrounding Nyons rush the town, hoping to launch a counterattack that will drive the Americans once and for all out of the region. Beaten and beleaguered, the men of the 1st Battalion gather what remaining Tesla Devices they have and mount a stern defense, desperately trying to hold on to the town they fought so bitterly to take.

aftermathThe campaign concludes with one side in clear control of Nyons. Following the Counterattack scenario, the winner of that scenario has won the campaign. If the Germans have won, the American forces are driven from the town and the German genetic experiments have proven themselves in some of their fi rst fi eld tests. Should the American forces win the day, the Germans are destroyed and the abominations purged from the town.

Players can determine casualties and experience following the last scenario and use their forces in other campaigns. Players can also determine the overall attrition rates and the number of secondary objectives claimed throughout the campaign, which could show that victory proved too costly for the winning side.

alternativesThe campaign presented here is but one possible way to tell the story. A number of options exist if players chose to run the campaign differently or more than once.

multiple playersIf more than two players wish to participate in the campaign,


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a number of options exist to make this adjustment. First, if more than one American or German player is present, the starting detachment composition can be divided among the players. Thus, a game with two American players would have two detachments. All players play in each scenario and forces with more than one player combine detachments during the scenario.

Another option is to allow each player a full detachment, as detailed below and players alternate or choose their opponents for each scenario. Scenarios can be played more than once, as there are more forces than those present in the players’ detachments participating in the attack on Nyons. Each scenario could represent different parts of the campaign to take the town. Players could also simply have larger games, with multiple players per side, each player using a full detachment rather than a shared one, as explained above. These large games would take longer and require larger playing surfaces, but would make for very interesting stories.

including soviets Though this campaign focuses on an attack by American forces on a German town, it could easily be altered to fi t a Soviet force. Changing the location of the campaign from France to western Russia would pit the Soviets against the Germans and require only minor alterations to the story and scenarios. In this case, it would be Soviet forces attacking the town and discovering the presence of the German genetic experiments.

If multiple players are involved, joint operations between American and Soviet forces could take place somewhere in German territory, with both Allied detachments getting into enemy lines in order to take an important German town. Using the options for multiple players (above) would allow Soviet and American forces to be used against the Germans without diffi culty.

map-based campaignA Fool’s Errand is designed as a linear story-based campaign, but can easily be altered to suit a map-based campaign style. In this case, players could work together to create a simple map with a small number of territories that represent the town and the surrounding area. Possible territories could

include farms, town outskirts, town central, southern bridge, and the chateau. The scenarios presented here could be tied to specifi c territories and players could use a number of other scenarios to fi ll out the rest of the map. Other key territories and objectives could be created as well. Such a campaign could have varying victory conditions and last a number of turns agreed upon ahead of time by the players.

detachment compositionThough the detachments the players will be using in the campaign represent a small portion of the forces battling over Nyons, each player commands roughly a platoon of troops. As these troops meet with success on the battlefi eld, achieving victory conditions during scenarios, players will be able to increase the size of their detachment using Requisition Points, which can also be used to replace fallen troops.

Each player may select a single detachment type when creating their Campaign Detachment however the number of selections for each detachment is doubled, giving players a larger pool from which to pull units when building a detachment for each scenario. Thus, a detachment type that typically grants three Regular selections would give that player six Regular selections. The number of vehicles, if any, as well as hero choices and options, is also doubled. Special Orders are selected prior to the scenario, so there is no need to choose these when building a campaign detachment.

The campaign places restrictions on which detachment types may be selected by each player. The American forces may not select an Experimental detachment. The German forces may not select a detachment from the following types: Experimental, Cavalry, or Reconnaissance. In addition, American forces may not select any units with the Tesla Device troop type, while German forces may not select any units with the Abomination troop type; these forces will become available during the campaign.

Prior to each scenario, players pull units from their campaign detachment to fi ll the slots of a standard detachment. The detachment a player must fi eld for each scenario is the same as the detachment on which their campaign forces were selected from. Thus, a player choosing to build their campaign detachment using an Infantry detachment fi elds a single Infantry detachment each scenario, pulling units from the campaign detachment as detailed above (under Campaign Detachment Composition).

campaign-specific units

american - OSS Agent Rick Breeman (Hero)type: Elite Infantrycomposition: 1 OSS Agentequipment: 2 Pistols, Grenades

special abilities: Because of their skill with their pistols, OSS Agents may fi re both guns while on the move. This increases the RoF of the OSS Agent’s pistols by 1 (2:1); otherwise these attacks are treated like

1.

•

M RC CC A S DR W3 3+ 3 3 3 6 2


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a regular pistol.Hidden Deployment

german - SD Agent Alfred Reiser (Hero)type: Elite Infantrycomposition: 1 SD Agentequipment: MP40, Pistol, Grenades

special abilities: Inspire Terror: The reputation of the SD agents was such that all those that crossed their path feared them. Known for brutal interrogation techniques and psychotic tendencies, these agents were able to demoralize even the most hardened soldiers with but a glance. For 1 AP an SD Agent can attempt to reduce the Drive of an enemy unit by one. The enemy unit must be within 12”, in line of sight, and must roll lower than their current Drive on 1d6 or their Drive is lowered by one.


scenario 1 – the invasion of nyons [planned]

The 1st Battalion of the 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment has landed just outside of the French town of Nyons on the morning of April 1, 1945. They make their way to the town unimpeded only to fi nd a small number of German soldiers well entrenched and awaiting their arrival. Outnumbering their enemy, the Americans must drive the Germans deeper into the town or else be repulsed by the defenders and forced to regroup.

compulsory unitsamerican: OSS Agent Rick Breeman german: None

set-upThe American player is the attacker, while the German player defends the town. The battlefi eld should be set up with terrain pieces like buildings and ruins heavier on the one side of the table, as the Americans are entering the town from the fi elds to the north. During set-up, the German player is allowed to place one piece of heavy cover (pill boxes, trenches, etc) anywhere on the table. This ‘hard’ point will give the defender a signifi cant edge during the battle.

primary objectiveThe American forces marching on Nyons are attempting to drive off the German defenders, while the Germans must defend the town at all costs. Both sides hope to push back their enemy, forcing them to regroup. At the end of the game, whichever side still has models on the table is successful in claiming the primary objective.

•

2.

•

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deploymentThe defender selects a table edge (preferably one with heavy cover) and deploys their entire detachment within 24” of this edge. The defender should place some of their forces in heavy cover. The attacker then deploys their entire detachment within 12” of the opposite table edge but may not deploy any models within 10” of an enemy.


aftermathPlayers receive 10 RP for participating in the battle as well as 10 RP for each victory condition achieved. Units participating in the scenario gain experience as described above. Casualties are determined as described above.

american victory: The American forces are able to push the German defenders deeper into the town. With the initial invasion a success, OSS Agent Breeman halts the American advance momentarily in order to make contact with the French resistance as well as oversee the arrival of vital new equipment.

german victory: Volkssturm and Wehrmacht soldiers are able to hold off the American attack, buying time for the geneticists at the chateau to complete their work. The town is besieged and the Americans await the arrival of new equipment that will help them take Nyons for good.

tie: Neither side can claim victory, as the forces able to hold the outskirts of the town suffered heavy losses during the attack. Both sides pause to recoup their losses and re-supply.

scenario 2 – new equipment [planned]

After the initial attack on Nyons, the Americans fi nd themselves suffering more casualties than expected. While the German forces in the town do whatever they can to fi ght off the attackers, the Americans are able to call in vital reinforcements. The experimental Tesla Devices arrive by transport and give the Americans an edge in the continued attack on the town. However, the German SD Agent Alfred Reiser has learned of the arrival of this equipment and sent a small team to intercept and destroy as much of it as possible, thus crippling the continued American offensive.

compulsory unitsamerican: OSS Agent Rick Breeman, 2 Mechanics (Veterans, see scenario details for more information)german: SD Agent Alfred Reiser

set-upIn this scenario, the American player is defending while the German player is the attacker. The battlefi eld can be set up any number of ways, but should include areas of open ground and trees as the American re-supply is taking place

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on the outskirts of town.

primary objectiveThe attacker is attempting to destroy as many of the Tesla Devices as possible, limiting the American forces’ use of these items during the rest of the campaign. The American troops are trying to keep these devices intact in order to aid them in taking and holding the town. If, at the end of the scenario, over half of the American Tesla devices (see below) have been destroyed, the attacker can claim the primary objective; otherwise, the defender claims the primary objective.

deploymentThe defender selects a table edge and deploys a number of deactivated Tesla devices within 6” of this table edge. The defender begins with the following deactivated Tesla devices: 2 Buffalo Power Armor, 6 Robot Troopers (2 units), 2 Tesla Electrical Guns (2 units), and 4 Tesla Rocket Packs (2 units). These models/units are non-functioning and cannot be used until certain conditions are met (see below).

Once these are placed, the defender places their entire detachment anywhere on the battlefi eld, but not within 10” of a Tesla Device and not within 12” of a table edge.

After the defender has placed their entire detachment and the deactivated Tesla Devices, the attacker deploys their entire detachment. No model from the attacker’s force can be within 12” of a Tesla Device or an enemy model.

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)

The American Tesla devices begin the game deactivated and cannot be used until activated by a Mechanic. Any Mechanic model can, at the cost of 1 AP, activate a Tesla device that they are in base contact with. Robot Troopers that are activated form units of up to three models (the fi rst three Robot Troopers that are activated form one unit, etc). Once a unit of Buffalo Power Armor (one model) is activated, a Mechanic may ‘get into’ the armor for an additional AP, at which point the Buffalo functions as a normal Veteran unit of its type and the Mechanic is removed from play. Models with the Infantry or Support troop types can pick up and use Tesla Electrical Guns once they have been activated; such models replace their weapon with the Tesla Electrical Gun and must be in base contact with the Tesla device in order to pick it up. Models with the Infantry troop type and in base contact with an activated Tesla Rocket Pack can pick up the pack and begin to use it, giving them the fl ight ability. Keep in mind that whole squads should all be given Tesla Rocket Packs otherwise they will fi nd themselves out of coherency.

•

Tesla devices can be targeted by enemy fi re. Robot Troopers and Buffalo Power Armor sustain wounds as they would if they were activated. Tesla Rocket Packs and Electrical Guns that are hit by enemy fi re have an Armor of 2 for the purposes of resisting damage; if these items sustain any wounds, they are destroyed.


Following this scenario, the Tesla Devices and Mechanics used by the Americans are added to the American campaign detachment after casualty rolls made due to losses the new units may have suffered during the scenario. Any surviving units can be used by the American forces from this point on, however no new Tesla Devices may be purchased using RP. This means that, if no Tesla devices are lost during the scenario, the American player adds 2 Buffalo units (Regular), 2 Robot Trooper units, 2 Tesla Electrical Gun units (Green or Regular), and 2 Rocket Troop units (Regular) to their existing campaign detachment. Losses to partial units can be re-supplied using RP. The American player must protect these devices as they cannot receive new ones for the rest of the campaign.

american victory: With new Tesla devices, the American forces have the edge they need to take control of Nyons. American forces press into the town, driving the remaining enemy troops into hiding.

german victory: Though the German forces are able to destroy many of the Tesla devices, the American forces are still able to push into the town, taking fi rm control of Nyons. The remaining German troops go into hiding or retreat to the infamous Lavault Château.

tie: Signifi cant damage is caused to many of the Tesla devices the Americans received, but the Germans are unable to maintain control the town. The Americans must hunt down the remaining German forces while OSS Agent Breeman contacts the French resistance to help, as well as to determine why the Germans control Nyons.

scenario 3 – a clandestine meeting [planned]

Now inside the town, the American forces begin to fi nish off the small pockets of German soldiers still hidden in Nyons. OSS Agent Rick Breeman makes contact with French resistance fi ghters in the town to learn of a terrible secret the Germans have been hiding in a château just outside of town. But

in house

A well-placed artillery or mortar attack can eliminate multiple Tesla devices with

a single shot.

in house

Using multiple snipers and the coordinated attack special

order can quickly eliminate the French resistance fi ghters.


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the German SD Agent knows of this meeting and hopes to keep their secret by eliminating all those that have heard of the château.

compulsory unitsamerican: OSS Agent Rick Breeman, 2 French Resistance Fighters (one unit)french resistance fighters (Squad)type: Regular Infantrycomposition: 2 French Resistance Fightersequipment: KAR98k

german: SD Agent Alfred Reiser

set-upThe American forces are the defenders and the German forces are the attackers for this scenario. The scenario takes place well within the town, so the battlefi eld should represent this with many buildings (ruined or otherwise). An open area should be present in the center of the table where the meeting is taking place.

primary objectiveThe German forces are attempting to kill off the French resistance fi ghters meeting with OSS Agent Breeman before they can reveal the location of the château. If the German player is able to kill both French resistance fi ghters (see above), they are able to claim the primary objective. If the American player is able to remove both French resistance fi ghters from the battlefi eld alive by moving them off any table edge, they are able to claim the primary objective. If, at the end of the game, only one French resistance fi ghter has been moved off the battlefi eld (not removed as a casualty), neither player may claim the primary objective.

deploymentThe American player deploys his forces fi rst. OSS Agent Rick Breeman and the unit of French Resistance Fighters must be deployed in the center of the battlefi eld. All other models must be placed within 6” of one of these three models. After the defender has deployed all their forces, the German player deploys their entire detachment anywhere on the table. No attacking models may be placed within 12” of a defending model.

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)Compulsory Units: French Resistance Fighters (see above)

aftermathPlayers receive 10 RP for participating in the battle as well as 10 RP for each victory condition achieved; in addition, the American player receives an additional 5 RP for each French Resistance Fighter that was able to leave the battlefi eld (not as a casualty). Units participating in the scenario gain experience as described above. Casualties are determined as described above.

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american victory: Armed with knowledge of the existence of Lavault Château, the American forces prepare an attack whereby they hope to eliminate the German presence in Nyons once and for all.

german victory: Though they were able to eliminate the French Resistance Fighters before any vital information could be gleaned about Lavault Château, the German forces prepare for the inevitable attack by the Americans on their last stronghold.

tie: The Americans are able to learn that something sinister is taking place at Lavault Château just outside the town. They tread carefully, preparing an offensive while the German forces left in Nyons plan to mount a stalwart defense.

scenario 4 – lavault chateau [planned]

The Lavault Château stands just outside of the town of Nyons. This large, provincial estate was taken over by German forces during the early days of the war, and the people of Nyons speak of it in hushed tones. Terrible experiments go on at the château, and the townspeople often go missing, rounded up by German soldiers. Screams can be heard from the château and at night, terrible inhuman howls roll across the countryside. Members of the 1st Battalion of the 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment take themselves to the château hoping to eliminate the last remnants of the German forces in Nyons, uncertain of what they might fi nd.

compulsory unitsamerican: OSS Agent Rick Breeman german: SD Agent Alfred Reiser, 2 Mad Doktors, 2 Rohlingsoldat, 4 Feuersoldat (2 units), 2 Sturmaffe, 6 Emaciated Troopers (2 units) (see scenario details for more information)

set-upThe American forces are the attacker, making their way to the château, while the Germans prepare to defend the building. The château is just outside of the town, located among grassy fi elds and farmland. The battlefi eld should have a single building located towards one end of the table. Areas of trees, stone and wooden fences, and even some trenches can all be placed among the relatively open ground leading up to the château.

primary objectiveThe American forces are attempting to storm the château. If, at the end of the game, the American player has any models within 6” of the château, they are able to claim the primary objective. The German forces must eliminate as many Americans as possible, preventing them from reaching the château. If there are no American forces within 6” of the château at the end of the game, the German player can claim the primary objective. For the Americans, unintelligent models cannot be used to claim this objective.

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deploymentPlayers take it in turns placing their units on the battlefi eld. Each player rolls 1d6 and the player with the higher roll chooses which player will place the fi rst unit on the table. Each player then places a single unit until all units have been placed on the table. The defender must place all their units within 12” of the château, while the attacker must place their units within 12” of the table edge furthest from the château and not within 12” of an enemy model. The German player may not deploy any Abominations at this time (see below).

scenario rulesTurn Limit (6)Voluntary WithdrawalTerrain Feature: The Château

Beginning on turn 3, the hordes of Abominations erupt from the château, pouring forth onto the battlefi eld to destroy the American attackers. The German player may activate two Abomination units per turn beginning on turn 3. These units emerge from the château and are placed in base contact with the building once activated. They may then act normally. Each turn, the German player may continue to add two new Abomination units to the battlefi eld.


Following this scenario, the Abominations used by the Germans are added to the German campaign detachment after casualty rolls made due to losses the new units may have suffered during the scenario. Any surviving units can be used by the German forces from this point on, however no new Abominations may be purchased using RP. This means that, if no Abominations are lost during the scenario, the German player adds 2 Rohlingsoldat, 4 Feuersoldat (2 units), 2 Sturmaffe, 6 Emaciated Troopers (2 units) to their existing campaign detachment. Losses to partial units can be re-supplied using RP. The German player must protect these creatures as they cannot receive new ones for the rest of the campaign.

american victory: The American forces are able to force their way into the château, but are quickly overwhelmed by the Abominations hiding within. Though the attack was a success, the remaining German forces, now backed by their terrible genetic experiments launch a desperate counterattack on the town in the hopes of driving off the Americans.

german victory: Overwhelmed by the genetic hordes, the American forces fall back to the safety of the town. SD Agent Reiser orders an immediate counterattack, keeping the momentum this victory has provided. The German forces hope to remove the Americans from Nyons once and for all.

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tie: Neither side a clear victor, the American forces withdraw into the town. After a moment to regroup, the Germans launch a counterattack on the town.

scenario 5 – counterattack [planned]

With hordes of Abominations at their side, the remaining German forces in the area surrounding Nyons rush the town, hoping to launch a counterattack that will drive the Americans once and for all out of the region. Beaten and beleaguered, the men of the 1st Battalion gather what remaining Tesla Devices they have and mount a stern defense, desperately trying to hold on to the town they fought so bitterly to take.

compulsory unitsAmerican: OSS Agent Rick Breeman German: SD Agent Alfred Reiser

set-upThe fi nal battle for Nyons takes place with both sides fi ghting between and in the ruined buildings of the shattered town. The American forces are on the defensive while the German forces, with their horrible Abominations, launch a vicious attack on the town. Though the American forces do not have time to prepare an adequate defense, a few extra pieces of rubble or obstacles such as sandbags can be placed on one side of the table to represent the American lines.

primary objectiveBoth sides of the confl ict are battered and beaten. There is little chance of reinforcement and this fi nal battle will determine who controls the town. Neither side is willing to back down as retreat means failure. At the end of the game, whichever player has models remaining on the battlefi eld is able to claim the primary objective.

deploymentThe defender selects a table edge and deploys their entire detachment within 24” of this edge. The attacker then deploys their entire detachment within 12” of the opposite table edge.


aftermathThough this scenario represents the fi nal scenario of the campaign, players can still track experience, casualties, and resource points to use their detachments in later games. Players receive 0 RP for participating in the battle as well as 20 RP for each victory condition achieved. Units participating in the scenario gain experience as described above. Casualties are determined as described above.

american victory: The German counterattack is stopped and, despite the heavy American casualties, the 1st Battalion is able to claim victory and total control of the town of Nyons. With the help of OSS Agent Breeman, the American forces search the ruins

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of Lavault Château for the German secrets of genetic engineering, hoping to aid them in their defense against these new frightening units. The Tesla devices have proven themselves effective in the fi eld and will now see widespread use throughout all theatres of the war. The victory at Nyons is hopefully one of many for the Americans as they continue their invasion of France.

german victory: Backed by their genetic hordes, the Germans emerge from the château to reclaim the town of Nyons. Able to infl ict terrible casualties on the Americans of the 1st Battalion, the remaining German forces take control of Nyons and protect their vital secrets of genetic engineering from the Americans. SD Agent Reiser is able to gather damaged Tesla devices and interrogate prisoners, revealing vital clues as to the new weaponry being fi elded by the Americans. The abominations have proven themselves a key element to German victory and Nyons is eventually abandoned and its genetic experiments used in other fronts of the war.

tie: Casualties mount on both sides and, after the fi ghting has died down, German and American forces fi nd themselves too weak to secure the town. The American forces withdraw from Nyons, waiting for reinforcements before they can try again, while the remaining German forces gather up what technology they can from Lavault Château before fl eeing the town. As is becoming more common in the war, no one wins, everyone dies.

sample campaignthe rockets of st. michele

February 3rd, 1946

“Today’s my birthday,” said Staff Sergeant Daniel Hoffman over the roar of the plane’s engines. He wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular, rather reminding himself of the signifi cance of the day. A private, seated beside him on the plane’s bench seats turned to Daniel and cracked a smile.

“Happy birthday sarge,” he said before returning to his silent reverie.

Staff Sergeant Hoffman returned to his own thoughts, pondering how little the anniversary of his birth meant during the war. Every day marked a memorable moment for the troops fi ghting all over the world, moments that dwarfed such insignifi cant events such as birthdays and anniversaries. Today, Sergeant Hoffman’s 28th birthday, would instead mark the occasion where Allied paratroopers were dropped into the north of France to put a halt to German rocket attacks against Great Britain. Such an event, Daniel thought, made his birthday seem paltry in comparison.

Daniel’s thoughts were interrupted when a call came back from the plane’s cockpit indicating they were nearly over the jump site. With practiced ease the men of his platoon rose from their

seats and prepared to hurl themselves from the relative safety of the plane into enemy-held territory. On the minds of the soldiers were reports of terrible new weapons being seen on battlefi elds across Europe; monstrous beasts and mutant soldiers fi ghting alongside German troops. Staff Sergeant Hoffman had yet to encounter one himself but had been to many briefi ngs discussing these abominations. He shared his men’s fear.

Enemy anti-aircraft fi re began to burst through the air and the ride became bumpy. Struggling to stay on his feet, Daniel looked back towards his men, hoping to fi nd some courage or optimism among their war-weary faces. He found none. It was then that the green light came on indicating it was time to jump. Closing his eyes Staff Sergeant Daniel Hoffman leapt from the plane and began his fall towards the distant earth.

***Cutting himself from his parachute, Daniel readied his weapon and gathered his gear. Calling together the men from his squad he took stock of their position and status. A quick check revealed no injuries on landing and that all his men were accounted for. His fi rst birthday present.

It only took a few minutes for the men from his squad to gather together but by then it became clear that the rest of the platoon was absent. Looking into the horizon Daniel saw planes dropping other Airborne troops up and down the coast, but the nearest units appeared to be a few miles away. This was to be expected but Daniel hoped they could all reach the rendezvous point without diffi culty. He and his men quickly began to move east, cautiously making their way through the tall grasses and hedge rows of the French countryside.

Pushing their way through a thick hedge, Daniel found himself beside an old dirt road that ran south towards the small town of St. Michele; a town that was being used as a German headquarters in the area. Silently ordering his men to take cover Daniel looked down the road, scanning for any evidence of nearby enemy troops.

That evidence was realized as German voices drifted up the road from the south. Daniel ordered a few of his men across the road, taking cover behind a low stone wall as the rest of his men disappeared back behind the hedge row and out of sight of the slowly advancing Germans. Watching through the bushes Daniel was able to spot a pair of Wehrmacht making their way up the road on what he assumed was a standard patrol. There was most likely a jeep or checkpoint nearby but there was an outside chance these men were part of a larger squad in the area.

The movement of one of the men was awkward and jerky and Daniel was uncertain why until a noise reached him that caused his heart to sink. The loud bark of dogs rushed up the road and stopped the Germans in their tracks. Any element of surprise Daniel and his squad might have was soon to be lost as the dogs had undoubtedly caught their scent. But there was something unusual about the animal’s sound, something that felt unnatural. An alien sound, the barking did not come from normal hounds but instead from something that no longer belonged to the animal kingdom.


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“Was ist das?” said one of the Germans as the barking became louder. Daniel could see both men raise their MP40 submachine guns but was still unable to catch a glimpse of the dogs. Not wanting to lose the element of surprise, Daniel and his men burst forth from their positions to catch the Germans in an ambush.

Gunfi re erupted as the Airborne launched their attack. As Daniel cleared the bushes he saw that there were, indeed, only two German soldiers and they were clearly unprepared for the attack. But as he broke from cover to fi re on the enemy, Daniel saw the two huge beasts that had nearly cost them the element of surprise. Each was massive, rippling with muscles that were clearly too large for their frame. Pieces of the animals had been replaced with metal and one of the dog’s lower jaws had been removed and replaced with razor-sharp steel teeth. Tubes and strange devices could be seen emerging from beneath the creature’s skin. What disturbed Daniel most was that the dog’s eyes had been removed and he could see little that would indicate how the animals were even able to see.

The dog handler was killed quickly, taken completely by surprise before he could even return fi re. His companion raised his weapon to fi re, letting loose a burst towards the Americans that had revealed themselves from behind the stone wall across the road. The shots struck the wall and the German soldier was gunned down. As the handler’s body crumpled to the ground his grasp loosened and his terrible charges were set free.

Moving with blinding speed, the war dogs rushed Daniel’s men that had emerged from the hedge row. The fi rst creature reached the closest man before he could register what it was that he was seeing. Leaping upon the frightened private, the dog knocked him to the ground and immediately set upon his neck, tearing it to bloody shreds as the private tried in vain to call out for help. The other beast rushed past Daniel, moving towards a nearby soldier carrying the squad’s Browning automatic rifl e. Daniel was shocked to see such intelligence in what appeared to be a feral animal but this awe was broken as the creature launched itself on his comrades.

The BAR trooper raised his weapon in time to position it between him and the dog, but was unable to get a shot off as he was knocked to the ground by the force of the blow. Desperately trying to fend off the animal, the soldier was sprayed with saliva and oil from the creature’s metallic maw. With its attention focused on its prey the dog was unaware of the two nearby soldiers that opened fi re into the creature, desperate to kill it though it was right on top of a fellow soldier. The animal shuddered and collapsed on top of the paralyzed man who had nearly been killed by the terrible thing.

The other beast, having dispatched its fi rst victim turned towards Daniel. Though it had no eyes, he could feel its gaze upon him, certain it had selected him to be the next to die. Daniel raised his Thompson to fi re as the dog lurched forward on reconstructed pneumatic hind legs. His weapon discharged, letting loose bursts of deadly ammunition right into the animal’s face. Blood sprayed over the dusty road as the dog slammed into the ground directly in front of the terrifi ed Staff Sergeant. Unwittingly, Daniel held down the trigger, emptying his entire clip into the creature, which now lay before him a bloody mess. It was only after a fellow soldier placed his hand on Daniel’s shoulder that he was able to snap out of his panic and compose himself.

Taking stock of the situation, Daniel instructed his men to check further down the road for more enemy troops nearby and to secure their position. As some of his men checked on their fallen comrade, Daniel bent down to get a closer look of the animal that had nearly cost him his life. The thing was a true


98

terror, a perfect killer with incredible instincts.

“What mind could have conceived of such a thing?” Daniel wondered aloud.

The scene was disrupted by a sudden rumble rolling across the battlefi eld. Their attention turned to the southwest, Daniel and his men saw smoke billow forth from a distant wood. A massive metal cylinder rose from the depths of the trees rushing into the air. They were witnessing the launch of the deadly V-4 rockets, the newest in Germany’s arsenal. Turning to the east and the west, dozens of other rockets from all over the surrounding area took fl ight from other hidden positions, all with the combined purpose of wreaking chaos and destruction upon the British.

Watching the rockets rise quickly through the air before arcing to the north towards their inevitable destination, Staff Sergeant Daniel Hoffman wondered at the marvels of the technology needed to create such an amazing and terrible weapon. His sense of amazement quickly faded as his thoughts turned towards the innocent civilians that would suffer at the hands of the rockets. Countless had already died and many more would perish if they were not stopped. His destination before him, Daniel’s mission was clear. For Daniel, February the 3rd now had new meaning.

campaign structure‘The Rockets of St. Michele’ is a two to six player, map-based campaign in which American forces are attempting to destroy one of the deadly V-4 rocket emplacements being used to attack Great Britain. A small part of a larger Allied operation, American forces have landed in the north of France in an effort to alleviate the constant bombardments taking place against the British. The Germans, knowing an attack in imminent, attempt to repel the American forces and continue their attacks across the channel.

The campaign takes place over ten turns during which American and German forces attempt to accomplish primary and secondary campaign objectives in order to achieve victory. Each side is comprised of three separate detachments working in unison and each detachment is able to move, fi ght and accomplish objectives during any given turn.

The focus of the campaign is a map of the small town of St. Michele and the surrounding territory. This map is comprised of

grid squares that are used to reference the location of important points of the region as well as the location of both German and American forces.

initial deploymentWhen the campaign is begun, players must decide where their detachments are deployed on the map. The German detachments are initially deployed in either the town of St. Michele (1 on the map) or at the site of the V-4 rockets (4 on the map). Players in control of the German detachments decide which detachments will be placed in these locations. This decision should be made in secret before the deployment of any opposing detachments has been determined.

Each American detachment has its starting position determined randomly as they drop in via parachute or glider. The American player(s) roll 1d6 for each detachment to determine which landing zone they will arrive in (1-2: Landing Zone 1, 3-4: Landing Zone 2, 5-6: Landing Zone 3). Then another d6 is rolled to determine which corresponding grid square the detachment arrives in; this is that detachment’s initial deployment zone. It is possible that two detachments will arrive on the same grid square.

Once the initial deployment zones for all detachments have been determined, the campaign begins.

campaign turn sequenceEach campaign turn follows a sequence whereby detachments engage in battle, move across the battlefi eld, claim campaign objectives and re-supply. Before each turn begins players roll to determine the order in which detachments will act during that turn. Each side rolls 1d6 and the side with the highest roll chooses which of their detachments will act fi rst. In the case of a tie, players re-roll until a victor is determined. The winning side then decides which of their detachments will act fi rst during the turn, this is followed by the opposing side selecting which of their detachments will act next and so on until the order in which all detachments will act during the turn has been determined. Once an order has been determined detachments will proceed through each turn sequence in that order. This order will remain in effect for the current turn and, at the end of the turn a new order will be determined in the same way.

Each turn follows a sequence, each portion of which is described below. The following is the sequence of each campaign turn:

Determine Acting Detachment Order (above)Declare BattlesDetermine OutcomeMovementSupply

declare battlesNot every campaign turn will result in battles being fought. During each campaign turn detachments have the option of engaging in battle against enemy detachments in adjacent grid squares. Beginning with the fi rst acting detachment

1.2.3.4.5.


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(determined above), players announce whether the detachment will engage in battle. A player can declare an attack against an enemy detachment as long as the enemy detachment is in a grid square adjacent to the declaring detachment and the declaring detachment hasn’t already been engaged in battle by another enemy detachment this turn.

Following the detachment order for the turn, detachments declare whether or not they will engage in battle that turn. Once a detachment has been attacked it cannot choose to declare battle and instead must determine the outcome of the attack (see below). Once all detachments have chosen to engage in battle or not, the outcomes of the declared battles are determined.

It is possible for more than one detachment to engage in battle against a single enemy detachment, so long as the above criteria are met.

determine outcomeFollowing the acting detachment order, the outcomes of battles declared this turn are determined. The detachment that declared the battle is considered the attacking detachment, while the opposing detachment is considered the defending detachment. It is possible that a detachment can be both the attacking and defending detachment in the instance that it declares a battle against an enemy detachment and has a battle declared against it by a different enemy detachment; in this case there is no clear attacker or defender.

Before battle takes place, defending detachments have the option to retreat, fl eeing the scene of the battle without actually engaging the enemy. In this case, no battle is fought. Instead, the retreating detachment moves into an adjacent grid square not occupied by an enemy detachment and the attacking detachment(s) can choose to remain in their original position or move into the grid square previously occupied by the retreating detachment. Retreating detachments cannot otherwise move, claim objectives, or participate in the rest of the campaign turn and do not gain any Requisition Points for the battle. Attacking detachments whose opponent retreats gain 10 Requisition Points for the battle and cannot move this turn other than into the grid square previously occupied by the retreating detachment but can otherwise participate in the campaign turn.

If the defending detachment chooses not to retreat a battle is fought. If the defending detachment in located in a grid square with a specifi c campaign objective then a planned scenario is used with the scenario determined by the specifi c grid square. Otherwise an unplanned scenario is randomly generated. See below for scenario descriptions and a chart to determine which unplanned scenarios will be used. In any event the attacking detachment is considered the attacker during the scenario while the defending detachment is considered the defender. In the instance that no clear attacker or defender is determined prior to the scenario being determined, roll randomly as described in the specifi c scenario being fought.

After the battle has been fought, a victor is determined as normal for the scenario. The losing detachment(s) is moved to a legal adjacent grid square selected by the victor and may not otherwise move, claim campaign objectives or engage in the rest of the campaign turn. Victorious detachments can choose to move into the grid square previously occupied by the retreating detachment but may not otherwise move this turn. Victorious detachments can claim objectives during a turn in which they fought a battle. In the event of a tie, neither detachment moves from their original position or can claim objectives during this campaign turn.

If, at any time, there are no legal grid squares for a detachment to retreat to the detachment is wiped out and cannot be used during the rest of the campaign.

All detachments taking part in a battle gain 10 RP for each victory condition achieved during the scenario. Units gain Experience Points and track casualties as described above (see Experience and Casualties pg. 86-87).

Once the outcomes of all battles have been determined the campaign turn continues with Movement.

movementDetachments that have not engaged in battle can choose to move into an adjacent grid square, making their way across the battlefi eld. Following the acting detachment order, detachments take it in turn moving. A detachment can move into any adjacent grid square not already occupied by an enemy detachment. A detachment can choose not to move in any given campaign turn.

If, at any point during the turn, a detachment is located on a grid square with a road the detachment may move an additional grid square, provided this grid square is not occupied by an enemy detachment.

Detachments that have engaged in battle this turn move as described above (see above).

After all detachments have moved (or not), players are able to re-supply their forces.

supplyAt the end of each campaign turn each side gains Requisition Points in order to re-supply their forces. At the end of each campaign turn each side receives 10 RP. In addition, any RP gained through battles are added to this total for a pool of RP that can be distributed throughout all of a side’s detachments. If more than one player is present per side they should work together to determine how these RP are best spent. Players need not spend all available RP and may save any and all RP for later turns.

Once players have determined their available Requisition Points and used them to re-supply their forces, the campaign turn ends and players repeat the process for the next turn.


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campaign objectives‘Rockets of St. Michele’ has numerous campaign objectives that both sides can achieve in order to claim victory. Throughout the campaign each side will earn Victory Points by accomplishing these objectives. A tally of current Victory Points should be kept every turn for all players to see. At the end of the tenth turn the side with the most number of Victory Points is the winner of the campaign. Each objective and the Victory Points gained by achieving them are listed below.

american objectivesThe primary objective for the American forces is to fi nd and destroy the V-4 rocket platform. While the location of the launch site is already known to all players (location 4 on the map), destroying it may prove a little more diffi cult. If an American detachment moves into the V-4 launch site (location 4 on the map) and no German detachments are present, it is assumed the Americans destroy the platform unchallenged. If a German detachment is present, a battle is fought over the location (see Scenarios, below). If the Germans are ever not in control of the V-4 position the Americans destroy the platform, preventing further launches. Once the V-4 launch site has been destroyed, the Americans claim 8 Victory Points.

One of the secondary objectives of the Americans is to make contact with a French Resistance agent hiding in the area. The agent has been pursued by the Germans and needs to be evacuated from the area immediately. If the Americans are able to control the farmhouse where the agent is hiding (location 2 on the map), they are able to locate the French Resistance agent and help him escape the region. Doing so earns the Americans 3 Victory Points. The German forces in the area are unable to fi nd the agent on their own, only able to draw him out if a battle is fought at the farmhouse (see Scenarios, below).

The Americans are able to claim another secondary objective if they are able to recover the supplies from a downed glider that crashed in the area (location 3 on the map). If the Americans are able to control the downed glider without German resistance they earn 2 Victory Points. In addition, they may claim a bonus of 10 Requisition Points.

Finally, if the American forces are able to control the town of St. Michele uncontested, they gain 5 Victory Points. To gain this objective the Americans must have a detachment in the town of St. Michele (location 1 on the map) at the end of turn ten.

german objectivesThe primary objective of the Germans in the area is to launch the V-4 rockets and prevent the Americans from destroying the launch site. Every turn the Germans are in control of the V-4 launch site (location 4 on the map) they are able to launch rockets into Great Britain. Doing so earns the German forces 1 Victory Point for each launch. There do not need to be any German detachments in grid square with the launch site in order for a rocket to be launched. If the American forces ever gain control of the launch site

the German forces are unable to launch further rockets (see above). This means that, at the end of turn ten, if the Germans have remained in control of the launch site for the entire game they earn a total of 10 Victory Points.

In addition to launching the V-4 rockets the Germans are attempting to drive off the American attackers. For every victory the Germans claim over the Americans, the German forces earn 1 Victory Point. In order to gain this VP German detachments must claim overall victory during a scenario against American forces; alternatively the Germans may claim one Victory Point if American detachments retreat rather than engage in battle.

requisition pointsAt the end of the campaign, the number of available RP each side possesses grants additional Victory Points. RP spent throughout the campaign do not count towards this total, only the fi nal amount of RP available after the end of turn ten. For every full 50 RP a side possesses it gains an additional Victory Point. Thus, if at the end of the campaign, a side possesses 137 RP they gain two additional Victory Points. These VP are added to the total of the side before an overall victor is determined.

scenariosWhen a battle is fought the scenario used is determined by the grid square the battle takes place in. If the defending detachment(s) is located on a grid square with a specifi c location a planned scenario is used; the specifi c scenario is determined by the specifi c location. See the list of scenarios below. If the defending detachment is not location on a grid square with a location that calls for a specifi c scenario then an unplanned scenario is used. To determine the unplanned scenario, use the following chart.

1d6 roll unplanned scenario

1-2 Escalating Engagement3-4 Scattered5-6 Welcome to Hell

planned scenarios The following specifi c locations use the corresponding planned scenarios for all battles fought in that grid square.

map location planned scenario

(1) St. Michele Bunker Assault(2) Farmhouse Rescue the French Resistance Agent

(3) Downed Glider Foraging(4) V-4 Launch Site Destroy the V-4

aftermathAfter the end of turn ten the campaign concludes and the side with the most Victory Points is declared the winner. In the case of a tie, no clear victor is evident and neither side can claim victory. If the Germans prove victorious then the American attack was unsuccessful even though the V-4 rocket position


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rockets of st. michele campaign map


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may have been destroyed; the bombardment of Great Britain continues unabated. Should the Americans win the day, their offensive against the German V-4 rocket positions has proven successful and their allies in the United Kingdom can enjoy a momentary respite from the constant bombardment from the German rockets.

Players can determine casualties and experience following the last turn and use their forces in other campaigns. Players can also determine the overall attrition rates and the number of secondary objectives claimed throughout the campaign, which could show that victory proved too costly for the winning side.

alternativesThe campaign presented here is but one possible way to tell the story. A number of options exist if players chose to run the campaign differently or more than once.

more playersThough the campaign is designed for two to six players, it can easily be expanded to include more. If more than three players per side are available, more detachments can be used per side with each player controlling a single detachment. If the game is expanded in this way, the map could be enlarged otherwise it could become too cramped.

including soviets Though this campaign focuses on an attack by American forces on a German town, it could easily be altered to fi t a Soviet force. Changing the location of the campaign from France to western Russia would pit the Soviets against the Germans and require only minor alterations to the story and scenarios. In this case, it would be Soviet forces attacking the German V-4 rocket position, which is being used to launch rocket attacks into the Soviet Union.

If multiple players are involved, joint operations between American and Soviet forces could take place somewhere in German territory, with both Allied detachments getting into enemy lines in order to take an important German town.

story-based campaign‘Rockets of St. Michele’ can be converted into a story-based campaign with little diffi culty. Rather than using a map to track the movements of the various detachments, players can create a ‘tree’ of scenarios that take the forces in the area through the attack on the German V-4 position. Initial scenarios would require American forces to land and regroup in the area before moving on to St. Michele and the V-4 position. Scenarios where the Americans must recover supplies from the downed glider and make contact with the French Resistance agent could also be included. The story would culminate in an American offensive on St. Michele and/or the V-4 rocket platform. Converting the campaign to a story-based campaign would only require a little work by players and make for an interesting alteration to the campaign.

detachment compositionAs mentioned earlier, ‘Rockets of St. Michele’ is designed

for three detachments per side. Each detachment is created separately and each detachment can be of a different detachment type. If multiple players are involved in the campaign then each player can create their own detachment, but players should coordinate with one another when creating detachments.

Each detachment follows the standard rules for detachment creation and represents a single campaign detachment. The composition of each of the three campaign detachments should be recorded and throughout the campaign players will track experience, casualties and reinforcements for each casualty separately though, again, players on the same side should work together throughout the campaign to track their detachments.

A few restrictions are placed on the detachment types selected by both sides. American forces cannot select detachments of the following types: Cavalry, Motorized Infantry and Reconnaissance. Both American and German forces must select a detachment of the Veteran or Infantry detachment type and may only select one Experimental detachment. These restrictions are not meant for balance but instead are designed to maintain the feel of the campaign; American forces have little vehicle support during this operation, for example. Players are free to ignore these restrictions if they so choose.

campaign-specific unitsUnlike other campaigns, there are no campaign-specifi c units in this campaign. Players are free to add campaign-specifi c units such as German V-4 technicians and the French Resistance agent if they so choose.


While most of the scenarios available to players during the campaign are already presented above, the following scenarios are specifi c to the campaign though they could easily be used during one-off games.

rescue the french resistance agent [planned]American forces in the area surrounding St. Michele have been made aware of a French Resistance agent that requires rescue. Hiding in a nearby farmhouse, German forces have been yet unable to fi nd the agent and the Americans hope to reach him before the Germans do.

compulsory units: american: French Resistance Agent (Individual)type: Regular Specialistcomposition: 1 French Resistance Agentequipment: KAR98k

set-upThe battle takes place in and around a farmhouse outside of the small town of St. Michele. Surrounding the farmhouse are hills, woods, stone walls and wooden fences. A building representing the farmhouse should be placed in the center of the table.

•

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 2 2 4 2


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The defender selects a table edge that represents their deployment zone. The table edge opposite the one selected is the attacker’s deployment zone.

primary objectiveThe defender is attempting to escort a French Resistance agent from the center of the battlefi eld to off the table while the attacker is hoping to kill the agent. If the defender can move the French Resistance agent off the battlefi eld (moving them off any table edge), they can claim the primary objective. If the attacker is able to eliminate the French Resistance agent (removing them as a casualty) the attacker can claim the primary objective. If the agent is not removed as a casualty, but does not successfully leave the battlefi eld, neither side can claim the primary objective.

deploymentThe attacker deploys fi rst, placing their entire force on the table within 6” of their table edge. The defender then deploys their entire force anywhere within 6” of their table edge. In addition to the defender’s forces, they must deploy the French Resistance agent who must be deployed within 2” of the farmhouse.

scenario rulesVoluntary WithdrawalTerrain Feature: FarmhouseCompulsory Units: French Resistance Agent (see above)


american victory: The American forces are able to rendezvous with the French Resistance agent and help him escape the pursuing Germans. The agent is able to fl ee the area, providing the Allies with much needed intelligence on German operations in France.

german victory: Finally locating the French Resistance agent that has eluded them for so long, the Germans stop the Americans from helping him escape from their clutches. The information provided by the agent helps the Germans undermine Free France operations in the area for months to come.

tie: Regardless of whether the French Resistance agent is able to escape from German hands or not, the cost for the American forces surrounding St. Michele has been high. Both American and German troops in the area fi nd themselves battered as a result of their clash over the farmhouse and neither side can claim a clear victory over the other.

•••

destroy the v-4 [planned]Having located the site of the V-4 rocket platform, the Americans launch an attack to destroy the launch site and alleviate the British who have suffered at the hands of the German rocket attacks. The German forces in the area move to prevent the Americans from eliminating their ability to bombard the United Kingdom, hoping to continue their launches.

set-upThe V-4 rocket platform is located in the woods surrounding the town of St. Michele. A piece of terrain representing the V-4 platform should be placed in the center of the table. A clearing surrounding the platform can be protected by stone walls, barbed-wire fences, and small buildings. German players may include one piece of hard cover (bunker, pill-box) somewhere on the table. Outside of this clearing should be placed many sections of woods and trees though a single open road could be left open leading into the area.

The attacker selects a table edge that represents their deployment zone.

primary objectiveThe American forces are attempting to destroy the V-4 rocket platform. Doing so requires the platform to be struck by a heavy weapon or artillery strike or the use of explosives carried by the American forces. See below for rules on destroying the platform. If, by the end of the game, the American forces are able to destroy the platform they may claim the primary objective. If the Americans are unable to destroy the platform, the Germans claim the primary objective. If the German forces rout, the Americans destroy the platform and claim the primary objective.

deploymentThe attacker selects a table edge and deploys their entire detachment within 6” of this edge. The defender then deploys their entire detachment anywhere on the table but not within 12” of the attacker’s table edge or an attacking model.

scenario rulesVoluntary WithdrawalTerrain Feature: V-4 Rocket Platform

Destroying the V-4 rocket platform can be done in one of two ways. First, if the platform is struck by a heavy weapon attack it may be destroyed. The platform has an armor of 12 and three wounds for the purposes of being attacked by heavy weapons. In addition to attacking the platform with heavy weapons, all American units of the Infantry, Support and Specialist troop type are considered to be carrying explosives that can be used on the platform. Unintelligent models do not possess explosives. At any time a model carrying these explosives that is in base contact with the platform can place and activate the explosives for 2 Action Points. Once these explosives have been placed, the American player can detonate them, which automatically destroys the platform. Any

••


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time the platform is destroyed it explodes and infl icts a Strength 8+2d6 hit on all models within 12” of the platform.


american victory: The V-4 rocket platform has been destroyed, indicating a signifi cant American victory in the area. With similar successes across the north of France, the American forces are able to severely limit the German ability to bombard Great Britain.

german victory: Driving off the Americans, the Germans are able to maintain control of the V-4 rocket platform and prevent its destruction. Their operations against the United Kingdom continue and the deadly rockets continue to bombard positions across the English Channel.

tie: Casualties mount and the battle for control of the V-4 platform is hard fought by all sides. The battle has been a costly one and even though some objectives have been met, neither side is able to claim a clear victory.

in house

Using suppression fi re is a good way to keep models with explo-

sives from reaching the V-4.


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Private Mark Hensfi eld stared desultorily at the metal tin resting in his lap. He sighed, swirling his fork through the unappealing grey mess. Ever since landing in Normandy, he thought. I must be cursed. What were the odds that every C Ration he was issued would have a tin of that damned ‘pork luncheon meat’? Clearly it was somebody upstairs had decided to have a good laugh at Hensfi eld’s expense.

The rifl eman sighed, dropping his fork into the tin. He looked up from his abandoned meal, his eyes canvassing the small encampment and the other men of his squad. They’d been moved up to the French frontier a few weeks ago, one link in a chain of armed humanity that stretched from Antwerp to the Alps. The Sarge had lost little time securing an old forester’s lodge as their CP. Winter was in high gear and things were rough enough in the snow-covered forest without freezing in some fox hole every night. The only problem was that the lodge wasn’t big enough to shelter the whole squad every night. Four lucky stiffs would get to sleep beneath its ramshackle wood roof while the rest would be toughing it out in the open.

The rest of the squad were huddled around the small gas-powered stove which formed their best defence against the frigid night. Bill Piper, a wiry tough from some fl yspeck in the middle of Montana, had his nose buried in some trashy pulp magazine he’d fi nagled off a supply offi cer in Lorient. Hensfi eld let his attention linger for a second on the lurid cover painting, some screaming dame with half her dress hanging off one shoulder trying to fend off a snaggle-toothed Jap while a white-smiled G-man pumped lead in the general direction of the Japanese spy. Hensfi eld shook his head. Piper was addicted to that sort of garbage, once he started on one you’d be better off trying to start a conversation with a brick wall.

Sitting beside Piper was ‘Gunsel’. His real name was Tony Fremi, but everybody called him ‘Gunsel’ on account that before the war he’d been a gangster in Chicago. Gunsel was an ice-cold killer before the Army ever turned him loose on the krauts, the sort of character it gave Hensfi eld the willies to be around. Scuttlebutt had it that Gunsel had been busted down from sergeant for shooting prisoners during Kasserine. Whenever anybody asked him about it, the sharp-faced Italian would just smile wolfi shly. Most people didn’t bother asking again.

A little ways from Gunsel was Private Fitch. Hensfi eld couldn’t remember his fi rst name, he was a replacement they’d picked up after getting mauled by the 5th Fallschirmjaeger outside Avranches. He was a good kid, Hensfi eld supposed, with an almost puppy-dog eagerness to please his squad-mates. Hensfi eld started to say something to Fitch, then noticed the grey meat he was eating from his C Ration. More of that damn pork!

‘Something eating you, Hensfi eld?’

Hensfi eld turned as he heard his name. Corporal Bob Kaiser was watching him with an inquisitive look in his eye. He was

from New York, some kind of construction worker before Pearl Harbour changed everything. Kaiser had a wary, almost unnatural sort of attentiveness to detail, a characteristic that had kept himself and more than a few of his comrades in one piece on Omaha and in the weeks since. Unfortunately, Kaiser also had a rude, abrasive sort of humour and rarely passed an opportunity to use it. Hensfi eld knew the corporal was sizing him up as a target.

‘Damn pork again,’ Hensfi eld swore. Kaiser grinned, staring down at his own C Ration. He played with his canned meat ration, deliberately displaying the beans and franks so that Hensfi eld couldn’t help but see it. Hensfi eld knew he was being baited but asked anyway. ‘Don’t suppose you’d trade, Bob?’

‘I might,’ Kaiser considered, his words slurred by the food in his mouth, ‘if it didn’t taste so good.’ Kaiser made a show of swallowing, like he was some character in a matinee cartoon.

‘None of this garbage tastes good,’ groused the soldier beside Kaiser. Ruben Gonzalez was a squat, powerfully built Mexican from the hinterlands of Texas. He’d been complaining about the chow ever since they’d arrived at the staging areas in England. Every time he sent a letter back to his wife in Cross Plains, he pleaded with her to send care packets of picante sauce and Tabasco. Army chow and even the French cuisine they’d managed to wrangle was too plain for the palate of a man who’d grown up on the searing fl avours of jalapeno peppers. As the biggest dogface in the squad, Gonzalez lugged around the unit’s BAR, the heavy automatic rifl e leaning against the side of the forester’s hut. The Browning went through ammo like John Barrymore through a liquor cabinet and it was Hensfi eld’s job to carry extra ammo for Gonzalez. He needed it too, Gonzalez might be the biggest guy in the outfi t, but he was also the worst shot. On a good day he’d be lucky to hit King Kong at thirty yards.

‘Sorry nobody thought to rustle up some Tex-Mex before picking a fi ght with the Germans,’ Kaiser retorted. ‘But I don’t think Ike was exactly worried about stockpiling chilli powder while The Führer was busy teaching everybody over here to speak German. ‘sides, I’d just as soon they didn’t start packin’ – what the hell you guys call them things? Kinda half way between a rat and a turtle.’

‘Armadillo,’ Piper said, nose still buried in his magazine.

‘Right, amarillo,’ Kaiser laughed. ‘Just as soon we didn’t have them stuffi n’ them things in our K-rats! That might go down okay in Texas, but we got class up in Brooklyn!’

‘Pinche gringo,’ Gonzalez muttered under his breath, turning his back to the chuckling corporal.

‘Ah, don’t take it so bad, Gonz,’ Kaiser said, setting down his now empty tin of franks. ‘Maybe the Sarge ‘ll bring back some real


106

grub from the patrol.’ He turned toward Fitch. ‘Even kraut k-rats would make a nice change, hey Greenie?’ Kaiser punctuated his question by slugging the young soldier’s shoulder. Fitch rolled back with the punch, rubbing at his shoulder. Hensfi eld could see some of the color drain from Fitch’s boyish face.

‘You really think they’ll run into any krauts?’ he asked, a nervous timbre in his voice.

‘Make for a nice change,’ Gunsel said, polishing the barrel of his carbine with an old wool sock. ‘Haven’t seen any action ‘round here all month.’

The ex-gangster’s scratchy voice seemed to make the air even colder. Nobody needed to be reminded that Gunsel’s trigger fi nger was getting itchy. Hensfi eld hoped the patrol didn’t come back with prisoners.

‘Not likely too either,’ Kaiser told the Italian. ‘All the krauts have left are old men and little boys.’ He looked aside toward Fitch. ‘No offense Greenie,’ he winked. ‘The Wehrmacht’s gutted the Siegfried Line a long time back to shoot up the Ruskies. Ain’t nothin’ between us and Berlin except a few cows and some rear-echelon rejects. All Ike’s got to do is give the word and we just kick the door in.’

Hensfi eld shook his head. ‘I don’t know. When I was down at division there were rumours fl oating around about a SS tank army that’s gone missing. Nobody knows where they went.’

‘Probably a buncha Hitler Youth decided they were tired of playin’ soldier,’ Kaiser said. ‘Ain’t no way our intelligence boys would misplace a whole kraut army.’

Hensfi eld pressed closer to the gas stove, warming his hands near the hot steel sides. ‘They were also talking about some sorta new kinda kraut soldier. Supposed to be meaner than a commando and tougher than a marine.’

‘They mention the bogeyman too?’ scoffed Kaiser. Suddenly the corporal spun around, snatching up his M1 from where it rested on the snowy ground beside him. The rest of the squad knew better than to question the corporal’s instincts, every man diving for his weapon. Gunsel dropped his unloaded rifl e and drew the pistols resting on his hips. It was a mismatched pair, a British Webley and a German Luger, but Hensfi eld had seen fi rsthand how profi cient the gangster was with his weapons.

The soldiers pointed their weapons into the darkened forest, watching the fi r trees for any sign of movement. Hensfi eld thought he could hear the sound of boots crunching through the snow. Kaiser heard it too, the corporal gesturing with his fi nger, indicating the position of whoever was making the noise.

‘Betty!’ Kaiser called out, ducking down behind the stove as he shouted the challenge. The other members of the squad took positions behind a few large rocks and the large woodpile at the side of the hut. The footsteps stopped, the forest falling silent except for the hiss of the stove. Hensfi eld could almost feel the tension crawling down his back as the silence grew.

‘Boop!’ a gravely voice called out from the darkness. The entire squad gave a sigh of relief, rising from their cover, shouldering their weapons. Gunsel looked heartbroken as he holstered his pistols. Emerging from the blackness was a tall, broad-shouldered man bearing sergeant stripes on his helmet and fi eld jacket, his Thompson sub-machine gun held casually at his side. If nothing else, the fact the man wore only his fi eld jacket would have told Hensfi eld that the man advancing toward their camp was Sergeant Gavin Mitchell. The Sarge was from Alaska and behind his back his men called him ‘Iceball’. It was just like the Sarge to be running around in his fi eld jacket when everyone else was shivering in their trench coats. Popular wisdom held that no one would ever see Mitchell wearing a coat – because by the time he felt he needed one any normal person would be frozen solid.

‘Thought I could catch you mugs sleepin’,’ the Sarge said as he strode toward the camp. ‘Shoulda known better.’ There was a touch of pride in his voice as he made the observation. Fitch hurried over to the stove and poured some coffee for the Sarge.

‘Run into any trouble, Sarge?’ Kaiser asked. Mitchell paused to take the steaming tin cup from Fitch before answering.

‘Nah, quiet as the grave out there,’ he said as he sipped his coffee. ‘Krauts must be afraid of catchin’ cold and are stayin’ buttoned up in their pillboxes.’ The Sarge sucked down a deep breath of cold air as he fi nished his coffee, then tossed the dregs of the cup into the icy snow. ‘Rest of the patrol ‘ll be here in a few, so make sure you have more of this wait’n for ‘em or there’ll be hell to pay with Miller and Kowalski.’

As the sergeant mentioned the absent men, Hensfi eld could hear the familiar tromp of boots and rattle of metal sounding from the woods. He smiled. Maybe Miller or Kowalski or Pletcher would have something decent in their C-rats that they wouldn’t mind trading. Then the smile fl ickered and faded as Hensfi eld noticed Kaiser unlimbering his weapon, an intense look on the corporal’s face. Hensfi eld found himself following Kaiser’s lead. The rest of their squad, their attention on the Sarge, didn’t seem to notice Kaiser’s action.

The footsteps in the woods grew silent, the rattle of metal against metal grew still. But the silence didn’t linger as it had before. Instead, the quiet was broken by an explosive growl, a roar like screeching steel. Hensfi eld saw little sparks of fl ame fl are in the black woods. Sergeant Mitchell spilled into the snow, toppling to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Hensfi eld could see a gory, fi st-sized hole in the NCO’s back, steam rising from the wound as the icy air chilled the Alaskan’s warm blood.

The growling roar sounded again, fl ashes of fl ame dancing in the darkness. Hensfi eld threw himself to the cold ground as enemy fi re chewed up the camp. He saw Fitch’s shoulder explode as a round struck him, the young rifl eman crumpling to the earth in a screaming heap. Gonzalez was hit too, taking two shots right in the chest, thrown back by their impact as though he’d been kicked by a mule. Kaiser ducked behind the stove again, fi ring a round in the direction of the sniper. The German returned fi re and Kaiser threw himself fl at as bullets chewed through the


107

metal stove. One round caught his hand and Hensfi eld realized there were fi ngers in the spray of blood and snow that fl ew away from the wounded man.

Gunsel darted behind the woodpile, dragging his pistols from their holsters while Piper dropped low and scrambled toward the hut. He scurried crab-like toward the imagine safety of his refuge, straightening only when he was safely across the threshold, pulling the door shut behind him. The unseen sniper sent a blast of automatic fi re into the door, sending splinters of wood dancing in every direction. Hensfi eld heard Piper groan, heard him fall. A dark pool of blood began to ooze its way under the door. Whatever the German was using, it had chewed its way through the hut as if it wasn’t even there.

For a moment, everything was quiet except from Fitch’s screams and Kaiser’s moaning. Then Hensfi eld saw something light up in the darkness. At fi rst he thought it was their attacker trying to fi nish the job he’d started. But the light was steady and there was no accompanying report from the German’s gun. Through the sounds of his wounded comrades, Hensfi eld thought he could hear the clatter of metal against metal again.

‘Hensfi eld,’ a voice hissed from beside him. He looked toward the woodpile and locked eyes with Gunsel. ‘That light must be some kinda electric torch. He can’t be more than fi fty yards. Think you can pick him off from here?’ Gunsel gestured with his pistols toward the carbine still clutched tightly in Hensfi eld’s hands. His meaning was clear. The German was too far off to be certain of hitting him with a pistol shot at such range and in the dark. But a carbine could get the job done.

Hensfi eld lifted himself to his knees, trying to aim his weapon. He found that he couldn’t keep his arms steady, his entire body trembling. He looked back at Gunsel, shaking his head. ‘Too shook up,’ he apologized. ‘I’d miss.’

Gunsel groaned, muttering a curse under his breath. ‘Alright, just keep low then. Let the krauts get close then we both open up on them. You don’t haveta hit them, just keep them distracted for me!’

Hensfi eld swallowed hard, nodding his head in understanding. He tried to ignore Fitch’s screaming, tried to focus on the sound of the advancing Germans. A troubling thought came to him as he began to pick out the crunch of boots marching through the snow. ‘Tony,’ he hissed. ‘It sounds like there’s only one of ‘em?’ The realization brought a chill that had nothing to do with the cold to Hensfi eld’s chest. When the German had opened up, he’d assumed it was a machine gun crew from the damage that had been done. Now, it seemed, all that destruction had been the work of one man. ‘What the hell kind of gat is this kraut using?’

‘Don’t matter,’ Gunsel swore, eyes fi xed on the advancing light from the German’s torch. ‘He won’t be usin’ it much longer.’

The light drew closer, the sound of metal jingling became distinct enough to pick out easily from Fitch’s moans. Hensfi eld tried to tighten his grip on his carbine, fi ghting down the nerves that

threatened to unbalance him. He’d come through D-Day and Avranches and Lorient, there was no way he was going to get gunned down in some forgotten corner of the French frontier! He had to get a grip on himself, remember his training, focus on the fact that if he kept thinking about getting killed, he would be killed. Hensfi eld began to measure his breath, tried to regain control of his own body. Focus Mark, or you’re a dead man.

Then the German emerged from the darkness and any thought of control and composure fl ew right out the window.

The kraut was huge, built like he could come out best in a fi stfi ght with Frankenstein. The German wore a heavy black great coat over his grey tunic and fatigues, but Hensfi eld could see the silver collar insignia on the tunic where the coat was open near the top, the twin sowilo runes and grinning death’s head of the SS.

The light came from some sort of lamp fi tted to the side of the helmet the German wore. The soldat’s face was covered by a heavy gasmask-like contrivance, giving the German an almost insect-like countenance. The gun clutched in the soldat’s gloved hands was like nothing Hensfi eld had ever seen, like a road accident between a Thompson and something out of Flash Gordon. Dangling from one of the German’s wrists was the source of the rattling metallic sound that had accompanied his advance, three sets of American dog tags. Hensfi eld felt sick as he realised who the tags must belong to. The German had followed Sergeant Mitchell’s patrol back to the CP, killing the stragglers as he silently made his way through the patrol. The dagger the soldat wore on his belt told Hensfi eld how such murderous work had probably been done.

The German stopped as he came near the camp, his mantis-


108

like face turning from side to side as he inspected his brutal handiwork. Hensfi eld risked a look at Gunsel, but for once the gangster seemed as intimidated as anybody else. This kraut was a far cry from the old men and little boys that were supposed to be manning Germany’s West Wall. He didn’t even seem human.

The soldat turned his head toward movement on the ground, fi xing his attention on Kaiser’s bloodied form. Hensfi eld thought he could see the German’s eyes narrow behind the red lenses of his mask. He raised his assault rifl e, aiming it at Kaiser as the corporal tried to crawl his way toward Gonzalez’s abandoned BAR. The weapon roared, a short burst of fi re punching into Kaiser’s back. After that, the corporal was still.

Kaiser’s death seemed to break the spell. Gunsel threw himself from behind his cover, roaring obscenities at the German and blasting away with his pistols. Uncharacteristically for the Chicagoan, most of the rounds were off target, dancing through the snow around the German. A few hit their target, however, one tearing through the soldat’s coat to rip through the army beneath. Another glanced off the side of the German’s helmet. A third struck his chest, causing the German to stagger backwards. Hensfi eld could see blood spilling from the soldat’s wounds, but impossibly, he didn’t fall. Instead the German swung his weapon around, letting a full burst chew through Gunsel’s body. The shredded remains of the Italian were hurled back, splashing against the woodpile, bathing Fitch in a fresh coat of blood. The young soldier’s screams intensifi ed as he was drenched in Gunsel’s gore, but another burst from the German’s weapon made him quiet.

With Gunsel dead, the German looked about the camp again, his insect-like face studying each of the sprawled GIs. Hensfi eld struggled to keep still, knowing if he betrayed the slightest motion he was a dead man. The German seemed satisfi ed with his inspection, Hensfi eld could hear him crunching his way through the snow. The rifl eman saw some of the German’s blood dripping into the ground as the soldat walked toward the Sarge’s body. There was something wrong with it, like something had been mixed into it somehow. It wasn’t red like blood was supposed to be, but had thick ropes of puss-green in it. The smell of it threatened to make Hensfi eld gag.

The German rolled Sergeant Mitchell onto his back and reached down, ripping the dog tags from around his neck. Hensfi eld watched as the insect-faced soldat wrapped his gruesome trophy

around his wrist to join the other tags he had claimed. The German rose and moved onto where Kaiser’s body was strewn. Hensfi eld could see now why he had resisted Gunsel’s shots so remarkably. Through the torn greatcoat he could see some sort of armored plate, like what a medieval knight might be expected to wear. No wonder Gunsel’s pistol shot hadn’t done any damage.

The soldat crouched down beside Kaiser and removed the corporal’s tags. He lingered over the dead man, seeming to study something. The German reached into Kaiser’s jacket, retrieving a pack of cigarettes from one of the pockets. American cigarettes were highly valued by the German soldiers, when they took prisoners it was said they confi scated smokes even before they confi scated weapons.

The German stared at the pack of cigarettes for a long moment. His other hand slowly rose toward his face, touching the inhuman mask. The gloved hand holding the cigarettes tightened, crushing them in its fi st. The German stood up, angrily tossing the ruined cigarettes to the ground. Hensfi eld saw the soldat turn in his direction. Panic clawed at the rifl eman. The German was coming for his dog tags. When he did, he’d discover that Hensfi eld was still alive!

Hensfi eld’s mind struggled to fi ght down his panic, tried to formulate some plan of action, some way to turn the tables of the gruesome German soldier. When the kraut pushed him over with his toe, Hensfi eld would open up on him with his carbine. Yeah, and when he missed the German’s assault rifl e would turn him into mulch! Hensfi eld tried to think of something else, but all that came to him was to shut his eyes and pray.

The stillness of the night was broken by the noise of boots tromping through the snow. Hensfi eld risked opening his eyes. The German had turned away, was facing out into the darkness. Beyond, in the trees, Hensfi eld could see dozens of lights shining, lights exactly like that burning on the side of the soldat’s helmet.

The German gestured toward the trees. “Los… vorwarts.” The voice that rumbled from behind the German’s mask was guttural and tinny at once, booming across the devastated CP. Hensfi eld decided that something in the mask must have amplifi ed the German’s words. He could see the shadowy fi gures moving among the trees stalking away from the clearing, heading west and deeper into the American-occupied zone. The soldat who had slaughtered Hensfi eld’s squad watched them for a few moments, and then strode off to join them.

Hensfi eld shuddered with relief when the rancid stench of the German’s chemically altered blood no longer fi lled his lungs. The rifl eman carefully lifted his head, glancing around the clearing, amazed to still be alive. He looked sadly at his dead comrades, but knew there was no time to take care of them. There was God only knew how many of those German monsters at large in the Ardennes. Someone had to get back to headquarters and report that the lines had been penetrated, tell command about this new enhanced soldier the Germans were fi elding. Someone had to get back and tell them what had happened, to make them believe before it was too late!


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technologists of the reichSonderbuero 13 is the organisation within the SD which oversees the development of advanced technologies for the Reich. Very little technological research is conducted in Germany without the sanction and support of Sonderbuero 13, only the occult studies of the SS and ‘practical refi nement’ research conducted by German industry for the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Development) operate without SD control.

While the SD leaves witchcraft and other arcane mummery to the SS and allows the Wehrmacht to continue to adapt and modify existing technologies, such as the manufacture of new variants of the Goliath radio-controlled tankette and the type XXI U-boat, Sonderbuero 13 has established fi rm control over ‘experimental sciences’. Within their sphere of control are programs designed to create new synthetic fuels, studies to develop light-weight, diamagnetic alloys for aircraft, and all atomic research being conducted in the Reich. In addition to research, Sonderbuero 13 is also empowered to manufacture and fi eld test the devices it develops, allowing the SD to maintain strict control over anything its scientists create from inception to realisation. A military body within the SD, the Waffen SD, actually deploys these weapon systems in combat, fi ghting alongside the regular German army as an attached, but independent command.

historyThe SD, or Sicherheitsdienst, began as the internal security division of the SS, operating very much as the intelligence and espionage arm of the SS. The SD was created in 1931 by Reinhard Heydrich, recruited into the SS by Heinrich Himmler for the express purpose of establishing an intelligence branch within the organization. Himmler little understood the ruthless, power-hungry nature of his associate, however. One of the fi rst acts of the SD was to begin gathering fi les on every German they felt to be of interest – including members of the Party. Such fi les were quite extensive and often contained damaging intelligence about the individuals, information that might put their loyalty to Fatherland and Führer in question. Using blackmail and the simple threat of what secrets he might know, Heydrich soon became the number two man in the SS, second only to Himmler himself. When the SA, the querulous rabble of thugs and ruffi ans that had served the Party as its stormtroopers during its rise to power, began to become more liability than asset it was Heydrich who concocted the plan to remove their threat. Confi ding his plan to Himmler and Hermann Goering, the three convinced The Führer that the head of the SA, Ernst Roehm was disloyal and planning to stage a putsch against the Führer. The result was the ‘Blood Purge’. The leaders of the SA were arrested all across


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Germany and swiftly executed by the SS. Ernst Roehm was one of the victims of the ‘Night of Long Knives’ when Heydrich himself ‘helped’ the SA chief commit ‘suicide’ in his prison cell. Following this act, the SA, an organization that had been a fi xture of the Party since its inception and from which the SS itself had grown, ceased to be a power within Germany.

Even with his position as number two man in the SS and the personal friendship of his Führer, Heydrich desired more power. With Himmler’s support, he convinced the Führer to consolidate all of the German police forces under a single command, the RSHA (Reich Security Main Offi ce), including Goering’s Gestapo. The SD would also fall under the jurisdiction of the RSHA, though in reality it would control the organization not be controlled by it. As consolation for losing the Gestapo, Goering was placed in charge of the Luftwaffe. Heydrich now had at his command the largest police and intelligence organization in Western Europe. The only problem was he was still taking orders from Himmler.

Under Himmler’s control, the SS was squandering a staggering amount of funds on archaeological expeditions to the far corners of the globe, spending a signifi cant amount of its budget on occult researches. Heydrich had no use for his superior’s mania for proving the veracity of ancient myths of Thule and Atlantis, with his determination to use occult powers to restore the German people to the superhuman level of their Aryan forefathers. Heydrich’s beliefs were in science and technology, not arcane superstition. The proof of German superiority would be found with science, not black magic. Every mark Himmler spent sending SS researchers to Tibet and Brazil offended Heydrich’s sensibilities and obsession with effi ciency. The matter became even worse as the infl uence over Himmler of a German mystic calling himself Weisthor grew.

Heydrich brought the excesses of Himmler to the attention of the Führer, thinking to discredit and depose his superior. The showdown, however, did not favour Heydrich. Himmler arranged a demonstration for the Führer, a demonstration of occult powers. The exhibition convinced the Führer that the worst of Heydrich’s claims were unfounded, that there was genuine merit behind the research Himmler was conducting. However, he did consider Heydrich’s assertion that Himmler was ignoring scientifi c research in favour of his occult studies a valid one. To ensure that all avenues of research were properly explored, the Führer ordered that Heydrich be placed in charge of all SS technological research.

Heydrich had just settled into his new position as chief of the SS science division and was still fuming over his unsuccessful bid for control of the entire SS, when intelligence reached him regarding a remarkable occurrence in Poland. SD agents reported that a strange object had crashed outside the Polish town of Czernica, a disc-shaped fl ying craft that seemed to operate on extremely advanced technology. Heydrich at once implemented measures to ensure that this intelligence would reach no one else in the Reich. Controlling the RSHA, he ensured that operatives of the Gestapo and other intelligence services fi ling similar reports were silenced. On the matter of the Czernica ‘Flugscheibe’, only Heydrich himself was to be kept informed. For months,

his agents monitored the Polish army as the craft was studied at a facility outside Warsaw, spying on the Polish scientists and carrying back to Germany documents and photographs relating to the mysterious craft. It quickly became apparent to Heydrich that the Flugscheibe was far beyond anything known to modern man. There were tantalizing hints at a technology centuries ahead of current thinking. The man who controlled such secrets could reshape the world in his own image.

The remains of Czechoslovakia had been divided up between Germany, Poland and Hungary. For the moment, The Führer’s territorial ambitions were sated. He had designs on Poland, but was hearkening to the advice of his generals, that he consolidate his gains and continue to build his army before making any claims against Poland. The generals considered that a campaign in late 1940 would be best. Such a situation did not suit Heydrich’s needs. The Poles had already been studying the Flugscheibe for over a year, who could say for certain that they would not soon make some profound discovery that would transform the nature of any confl ict with them. Worse, could Heydrich risk another year trying to keep the existence of the Flugscheibe from Himmler and his other rivals in the Party? Heydrich began feeding intelligence to the Führer that indicated Poland was growing increasingly belligerent. After carving territory from the carcass of Czechoslovakia, now the Poles might be entertaining ideas about the free city of Danzig and Eastern Prussia. Every instance of Polish discrimination against ethnic Germans living in Poland found its way in exaggerated form to the Führer’s desk. Heydrich knew well the volatile temper of his Führer and that the steady stream of reports would soon kindle his rage. A promise that an agreement could be reached with Stalin to divide Poland between Germany and the USSR, ending the threat of Soviet resistance to German expansion in Poland, overcame the Führer’s fi nal qualms.

Heydrich concocted a bogus attack against a German radio station at Gleiwitz, dressing executed concentration camp


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prisoners in Polish army uniforms and scattering them around the ‘battlefi eld’. The ‘incident’ gave the Germans justifi cation to combat Polish aggression and on September 1st, 1939, the German army launched its blitzkrieg into Poland. Close behind the vanguard was Heydrich and his SD, racing across the war zone to secure the facility where the Flugscheibe was being studied. With the same ruthless effi ciency and brutality that had characterised his rise to power, Heydrich and his men captured the compound and within hours the Flugscheibe and everything associated with it was on its way back to Germany and a subterranean fortress beneath Thuringia at Ohrdruf, code-named Die Drachenhohle – ‘The Dragon’s Hole’.

While Europe exploded into war, Heydrich took steps to make the Dragon’s Hole the most secure installation in all of Germany. An entire division of hand-picked SS veterans, men with loyalties to Heydrich rather than Himmler, were based at the facility to provide security. Two enormous fl ak towers, immense bunker-like structures ten stories high and with walls twenty feet thick, were erected above the facility to protect it from aerial bombardment. Miles of barbed wire and dozens of concrete blockhouses surrounded the facility, supplemented by extensive mine fi elds. Prying eyes, German or otherwise, would fi nd getting into the Dragon’s Hole a suicidal prospect. With his typical grisly humour, Heydrich ensured that the remains of all infi ltrators and spies were interred in a small burial ground just within the gates of the facility.

Hundreds of scientists from across Germany and later from the occupied lands of Europe would be brought to Ohrdruf to lend their expertise to the formidable task of unlocking the secrets behind the captured Flugscheibe, only the rocket facilities at Pennemunde would boast a similar gathering of scientifi c minds. To oversee the operation, Heydrich recruited SS Obergruppenfuhrer Hans Kammler, who, in addition to sharing Heydrich’s passion for ruthless effi ciency, was also a doctor of engineering and had enough of a scientifi c mind to understand the work of the scientists now placed under his command. The entire project at the Dragon’s Hole soon became known as the ‘Kammlerstab’ – the Kammler Group.

In addition to the Flugscheibe itself, the Poles had recovered the bodies of its crew. The three small, scrawny bodies became a

secret even more closely guarded than that of the Flugscheibe, for they removed any question that the craft had been constructed by humans. Heydrich kept the examination and study of the ‘Martians’, as the creatures were arbitrarily classifi ed, something under his direct control. Even General Kammler and the Kammlerstab were not to know of this aspect of the research being conducted at Ohrdruf. The team of scientists examining the creatures soon made the astounding discovery that they were not natural, but somehow both organic and mechanical, as artifi cial as the craft they had piloted. This astounding discovery soon opened an entirely new avenue of research for Heydrich’s scientists – if the creatures were artifi cial, then it was feasible that whatever process had produced them could be replicated.

Heydrich appropriated funds from the SS to construct a second research facility in occupied Poland, a underground labyrinth code-named ‘Die Riese’ – ‘The Giant’. He relocated the scientists working with the Flugscheibe crew and all their research to this new facility, where they could conduct their experiments unobserved and in secrecy. The entire project was given the designation ‘S-III’. The facility’s situation in Poland would make it ideal to the needs of the S-III scientists. Prison camps in the region would provide a steady source of slave labour and human test subjects for the amoral experimenters. The avenue of research they were exploring promised to recreate humanity, to perfect the human race. Before such a prospect, petty concerns like conscience and emotion had no place.

Even with his scientists making incredible advances, Heydrich ensured that he found time for his political ambitions. He continued to overstep Himmler’s authority, bypassing his superior to confer directly with the Führer about the operations of the RSHA and the SS science division. Heydrich continued to use his fi les to eliminate any threat to his power base. He had become the most feared man in the Reich, someone it was whispered was being groomed to become the next Führer. In 1941, Heydrich is appointed Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia in occupied Czechoslovakia. It is an important appointment, and many within the Party take it as further evidence of Heydrich’s increasing infl uence over the Führer.

While Heydrich and the SD increasingly slipped from his control, Himmler was anything but idle. He tasked those Gestapo and SD agents he could still trust with watching Heydrich, monitoring his every move. A man as ambitious as the RSHA chief would sooner or later make a mistake, and when he did, Himmler was determined that he would be there to exploit his rival’s misfortune. Weisthor and the other mystics within the Schwarze Sonne organization, the occult arm of the SS, used their black arts to observe the ‘threads of fate’ surrounding Heydrich, watching for that moment when he would be most vulnerable. In 1942, the moment came.

The British Special Services infi ltrated two ex-patriot Czech commandoes, Jan Kubis and Jozef Gabcik into Bohemia for the express purpose of assassinating Heydrich. Himmler’s mystics informed him of the plot and the Reichsfuerher SS took steps to ensure that the British plot would succeed. He arranged for information to be passed to the two assassins advising them as to when would be the opportune time to strike. Thinking


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the information originated from the Czech resistance, the two commandoes acted upon the information, waiting for Heydrich’s staff car as he drove to a meeting in Prague. The plot almost failed, Gabcik’s gun jamming as he opened fi re. Instead of speeding off, Heydrich ordered his driver to stop, drawing a pistol and intending to gun down his would-be assassin. Kubis reacted at once, tossing a grenade he had been given by the British at Heydrich. The explosive detonated under the car, driving shrapnel into Heydrich’s back. While the commandoes fl ed, Heydrich was rushed to the nearest hospital.

The Führer immediately dispatched the fi nest physicians in the Reich to attend Hyedrich, but even their best was not enough. The British grenade had contained botulinum toxin and the deadly substance was ravaging Heydrich’s body, condemning him to a slow and excruciating death. There was nothing that could be done. Heydrich, in a moment of lucidity, ordered that specialists from the S-III facility in Poland be sent for. The team of scientists administered strange chemicals to their commander, placing him in a deep coma, then departed as quickly as they had arrived, taking Heydrich with them as they returned to die Riese.

Meanwhile, Himmler’s SS and Gestapo conducted a brutal and savage ‘investigation’ into the assassination. The Czech underground was virtually annihilated through Himmler’s efforts. The simultaneous investigation by Heydrich’s SD was impeded and blocked at every step by the efforts of the Gestapo. Even so, the SD was able to track down Kubis and Gabcik to a church in Prague. However, efforts to take the men alive failed when the two commandoes collapsed the tunnels beneath the church rather than be captured. The SD’s hope of drawing a direct connection between the assassination and the SS died with the two commandoes.

Himmler’s plot to eliminate his chief rival in the Reich would have succeeded but for the efforts of the S-III group. Among the areas of study the scientists had been pursuing was the replacement and augmentation of organic structures with mechanical components. Although their margin of success had been limited, with their commander, S-III realised that failure was not an option. They initiated the most ambitious, large scale replacement of biological components with mechanical replacements they had yet attempted. Against all odds, the

procedure was a success. His biological body ravaged by the botulinum toxin, almost 75% of Heydrich’s body was discarded by his scientists and replaced with steel and wire. Heydrich emerged from the operation even less human than he had been before it, more machine than man, a cyborg.

The ‘recovered’ Heydrich made confronting Himmler the fi rst priority in his new life. Although the SS had covered its tracks well, the SD had found some evidence linking Himmler to the Czech underground and the assassination attempt. Heydrich understood that Himmler was too powerful to eliminate right away, so instead he delivered an ultimatum. Himmler would not obstruct Heydrich’s intention to separate the SD from SS command, nor the transfer of the science division from SS to SD control. In return, Heydrich would not inform the Führer about the SS connection with the events in Prague. It was an ultimatum Himmler knew he could not afford to refuse. However, Heydrich had not anticipated The Führer’s reaction to his cyborg body. To the Führer, Heydrich had become an abomination, a disgusting corruption of the Aryan ideal. The Führer was revolted merely being in the same room as Heydrich, barely able to tolerate the cyborg’s presence. No longer would Heydrich have the favour and ear of his Führer. The position of governor of Bohemia and Moravia was stripped from Heydrich, the RSHA dismantled and command of the Gestapo restored to Himmler and the SS. Moreover, despite the incredible progress displayed by groups such as the Kammlerstab, funding to Heydrich’s science projects was vastly reduced. Heydrich had gained his independence from Himmler, but it had cost him much.

Even the disfavour of the Führer was not enough to stop a man as ambitious and driven as Heydrich, however. He still had the SD and with it their fi les. He used the information from his records to tighten his hold over many prominent and powerful Germans. While his offi cial budget had been cut, the coffers of Heydrich’s SD swelled with ‘donations’ and funds diverted from virtually every ministry in the Reich. The experimentation and research at die Drachenhohle and die Riese not only continued, but expanded.

In 1944, with the campaign in Russia beginning to sour and the Führer’s mind turning increasingly toward ‘wonder weapons’ that would win the war for Germany, Heydrich saw an avenue to once again expand his power. If The Führer wanted wonder


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weapons, the SD would provide him with such, with weapons so horrible and ghastly they would shock even the Führer. Heydrich had lost none of his ability to manipulate his leader, soon virtually all scientifi c research in the Reich was placed under the command of the newly created ‘Sonderbuero 13’, itself a subsidiary of the SD and answerable to Reinhard Heydrich.

In 1946, Sonderbuero 13 is the most technologically advanced organization in the world, a chilling display of knowledge without morality, of innovation without conscience. The horrifying weapons and grotesque creatures produced by the scientists of Sonderbuero 13 are an example of what the ‘brave new world’ promised by The Führer will look like if his armies prevail.

organizationSonderbuero 13 is a vast bureaucracy within the power structure of the SD. It has access to its own military forces, the Waffen SD, which is organized identical to its parent organization, the Waffen SS. Although limited, the Waffen SD does have its own panzer corps and artillery brigades; offi cially these are strictly for purposes of defending Sonderbuero 13 facilities and to supplement Waffen SD experimental task forces when fi eld testing new weapons on the battlefi eld. Waffen SD units also act as semi-independent forces attached to larger Wehrmacht divisions. Due to the exotic and often experimental nature of the weapons developed by Sonderbuero 13, only SD forces are allowed to deploy them on the battlefi eld. Offi cially this is done to ensure that these weapons are not captured by the enemy, but the truth is that Heydrich is less concerned with the enemy capturing these devices than he is with his rivals in the Reich getting them.

Sonderbuero 13 forces will sometimes operate with allied Axis forces, such as the Spanish or Rumanian armies or even the ROA (Russian Liberation Army) but will never be found co-ordinating with the SS. The rivalry between the leaders of the two organizations has colored relations between the SD and SS. Moreover, the technology of Sonderbuero 13 and the occult devices of the Schwarze Sonne represent two vastly antagonistic trains of thought.

weaponsSonderbuero 13 has developed a number of exotic applications both from the study of the Czernica Flugscheibe and independent research conducted outside the Kammlerstab. Among these innovations have been new forms of synthetic fuel, such as Schaumkohle, liquid oxygen and even aluminium dust. Advanced ram-jet engines, sucking the very air pressing upon an aircraft’s wings into its engines to act as fuel. Dimagnetic alloys that act to repulse the earth’s gravitic forces. Intense magnetic waves that intercept enemy radar. Even the potential of the atom to generate power has been explored by the men working under Sonderbuero 13.

fuerballThe Fuerball is a small, circular device roughly four feet in diameter. It is powered by an exotic variety of ram-jet that sucks air through the semi-porous skin of the vehicle. This powers electric turbines inside the device which in turn provide it is motive energy. The Fuerball is employed extensively as a

defensive weapon over Sonderbuero 13 facilities, being fi tted with a device that can disrupt and even shut down the electronics in airplanes. An infantry variant of the device is currently being tested, fi tted with an explosive charge and used as something akin to a guided rocket against an enemy position. A Fuerball is unmanned and guided by radio control.

kugelblitzThe Kugelblitz is an even more exotic fl ying device than the Fuerball. A massive ten foot diameter disc-shaped object, the Kugelblitz operates on a vortex engine that employs etheric energy to power it. The Kugelblitz is constructed from diamagnetic materials, allowing it to partially offset the pull of gravity. At present, Sonderbuero 13 has been unable to achieve altitudes higher than a few hundred feet and speed remains a sluggish 30 mph. However, with a sound principle in hand, efforts to overcome such obstacles are already under way and may soon yield effective vortex-engine saucers to defend the skies over Germany. At present, the Kugelblitz is employed as an infantry-support weapon. Its ability to hover allows it to navigate terrain that would be impassable to panzers and other armored vehicles, giving it an edge over enemy forces. The Kugelblitz typically has a crew of three: pilot, gunner and navigator/loader. Variants of Kugelblitz sport everything from 40mm anti-tank gins to quad-mounted MG42s. One variant even features the KSK and the sonic ‘Luftkanon’ developed by the Wehrmacht.

troopsIn addition to the exotic weapons systems Sonderbuero 13 has developed, the S-III group has researched even more uncharted territory, seeking to transform the German soldier himself into a living engine of war. Exploiting technology and insights gleaned from the extraterrestrial occupants of the Czernica Flugscheibe, the scientists of S-III have unlocked a Pandora’s Box of ghastly creation and set it loose upon the battlefi elds of the world.

abgezhertsoldat Early experiments with amphetamines during the invasion of Poland proved unsatisfactory and the project sat in hiatus until it was absorbed into the domain of Sonderbuero 13. With the ruthless resources of Sonderbuero 13 at its disposal, the project was set free of the constraints imposed by funding and ethics. Now able to employ whole scale human experimentation, the project was able to develop a chemical that could be injected into the veins of a soldier that would greatly enhance combat performance. Under the infl uence of these chemicals a soldier’s strength and endurance are vastly increased while the pain centres in the brain are retarded, rendering the soldier almost completely immune to pain. Side-effects include increased aggression, a numbing of the senses of touch and taste, and addiction to the chemical. The combat chemical (dubbed ‘V-stoff’ by the scientists) is expelled from the body through respiration, so to increase the longevity of a dose, abgezhertsoldat are issued special fi ltration masks that recycle the chemical when they exhale and allow it to be inhaled back into their system, thereby prolonging the duration of the chemical’s effect.

Abgezhertsoldat are a result of several Sonderbuero 13 technologies coming together. Attempts to improve V-stoff resulted in a chemical that not only increased the strength, speed


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and stamina of the subject, but also completely removed their ability to feel pain. Unfortunately, the chemical also burned out the subject’s brain, leaving only a mindless, homicidal rage. Obviously useless for large scale implementation on soldiers, the SD nonetheless found a use for the enhanced V-stoff. It was discovered that the enhanced stamina of the subjects increased their bodies’ ability to accept mechanical implants, the major stumbling block to German cybernetic research. With a steady supply of crippled German soldiers and Soviet POWs, S-III began manufacture of a new and hideous weapon in the arsenal of the Reich.

The abgezhertsoldat encountered on the battlefi eld are used as close assault troops by the SD. Fitted with mechanical claws and other brutal weaponry, these semi-human creatures are unleashed against the enemy in a snarling, psychotic mass. Physically scrawny from the chemicals they have been exposed to; the creatures are incredibly strong and fast, often with mechanical replacements for their limbs. They are deployed with radio-controlled syringes surgically embedded in their bodies. At the

press of a button, the SD controller can inject paralysing drugs into the creature’s body, allowing it to be safely recovered once it has slaughtered the enemy.

Allied troops have adopted the nickname ‘Emaciated Trooper’ for the abgezhertsoldat in an effort to make the creatures sound less imposing and to bolster the morale of those soldiers who might be expected to encounter them. In order to ensure that they remain ‘activated’ for as long as possible, abgezhertsoldat units are often accompanied by physicians who administer V-stoff to them directly on the battlefi eld.

sturmaffeSturmaffen derive from S-III experiments to recreate the process used to create the synthetic crew of the Flugscheibe. It was discovered that the pilots had, in some way, been artifi cially grown in ‘baths’ situated within a chamber on the craft. Through years of experimentation, S-III managed to decipher in part the workings of these devices and attempted to employ them to manufacture soldiers for the SD. These clones, however, proved unstable. Maturing at a rapid face, being fully grown after only

a year of development, the mentality and intellect of the ‘synthetic men’ could not keep pace with their physical development resulting in drooling idiots rather than a new source of manpower.

Undeterred, S-III went back to their experiments, this time employing various animals rather than human test subjects. It was discovered that the animals developed much more normally than the human clones had. Considering that the problem lay in the complexity of the human brain, the scientists began experimenting with apes to see if the same problems would develop. When cloned gorillas displayed none of the mental abnormalities that the human clones had developed, S-III began to think once more in terms of manpower and a limitless labour force. The cloned gorillas could be taught to master simple menial duties and were used for physical labour at die Riese and other Sonderbuero 13 facilities. It was also discovered that V-stoff could be administered into the clones early in their development, enabling the chemical to bond with the ape on a molecular level, remaining in its system indefi nitely. The apes also were very receptive to cybernetic augmentation, their physical mass allowing S-III engineers to experiment with much more complicated and


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daring mechanisms than a human form would allow.

Many of S-III’s apes have been employed by the Waffen SD as shocktroops. Dubbed ‘Sturmaffen’, these monsters are used to pulverize enemy positions. Immensely strong, with a physical strength beyond that of any V-Soldat, Sturmaffen soften targets for the Germans before regular troops are committed. Often fi tted with mechanical claws and vices that vastly enhance their already prodigious strength, a Sturmaffen can dismantle a M4 Sherman with nothing more than its own raw power. Because of their bestial savagery and aggression, every Sturmaffe is deployed wearing an explosive collar. Should the beast escape the control of its masters, the collar can be detonated by remote control.

feuersoldatThough many believe the feuersoldat or, fi re-soldier, are capable of pyrokinetic abilities, they do not possess any psychic abilities or mystical powers. Early experiments of S-III to genetically alter their soldiers using the genetic material found in the Czernica Flugscheibe failed to produce the ‘super soldier’ Heydrich was looking for. Instead, German scientists found that they were able to make subtle alterations to existing human genetic material, creating many horrible abominations. In the case of the feuersoldat, geneticists were able to create men immune to the damaging effects of heat. With the heavy use of fl amethrowers on the battlefi eld, such troops would be able to withstand the devastating effect of such weapons making this a quite practical adjustment to German soldiers.

Taking these experiments one step further, scientists from S-III developed experimental devices based on the technology recovered from Poland to generate intense fl ames without the need for bulky tanks of fuel. Armed with these devices, the fl ame-immune soldiers were able to generate gouts of fi re without suffering any adverse effects. These troops were trained in the use of these high-tech wonder weapons and quickly became skilled at wreaking unimaginable chaos on the battlefi eld.

Since their creation, the German feuersoldat are seeing more use on the fi eld of battle. Used in areas where the enemy relies on fl amethrowers and other incendiary weapons, the feuersoldat pour fl ames over everything they see. Most are pyromaniacs, delighting in the sounds, smells, and sights of their enemy alight. Though susceptible to small-arms fi re, these troops have become feared across all fronts of the war.

rohlingsoldatAnother product of German genetic engineering, the rohlingsoldat is a hulking mass of muscle and strength. Able to enhance the human muscular and skeletal systems, geneticists created monstrous soldiers with nearly double the mass of a normal human. These brutes, while slow, quickly proved to be an effective weapon in the battlefi elds of Europe.

Though they excel at close combat, few were able to reach enemy positions in time to make use of their sheer strength. After their initial development, rohlingsoldaten were trained as heavy weapon specialists and given access to specially-designed weapons that allowed them to act as living weapon platforms

capable of laying down devastating fi repower. In order to increase their longevity on the battlefi eld, steel plates were bolted to the trooper’s body, saving on the time and money needed to develop special body armor for these massive soldiers.

In recent months the rohlingsoldat has seen extensive use throughout the German military. Their intimidating presence causes most enemy soldiers to pause upon seeing them plod across the battlefi eld.


117

sd agentelite infantry (individual)

german officerveteran infantry (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 4 3 3 6 2

composition: 1 German Offi cerequipment: MP40, Pistol, Grenades

special abilities: Command

options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Elite. The individual may be designated as a Hero.

The men that lead the Wehrmacht are a stern and disciplined group of offi cers that have led their forces into victory time and time again. With courage and a keen mind, German offi cers command some of the best soldiers the world has ever seen.

•

••

in houseThe SD Agent’s inspire terror ability is quite powerful when combined with the surrender special order or used prior to

suppression fi re.

composition: 1 SD Agentequipment: MP40, Pistol, Grenades

special abilities: Inspire Terror: The reputation of the SD agents was such that all those that crossed their path feared them. Known for brutal interrogation techniques and psychotic tendencies, these agents were able to demoralize even the most hardened soldiers with but a glance. For 1 AP an SD Agent can attempt to reduce the Drive of an enemy unit by one. The enemy unit must be within 12”, in line of sight, and must roll lower than their current Drive on 1d6 or they suffer a permanent Drive penalty of one.

options: The individual may be designated as a Hero.

Agents of the SD (Sicherheitsdienst) act as intelligence and counterintelligence operatives for the feared German SS. With a reputation for brutality, the SD sends their agents abroad to ensure the will of the SS is carried out and that no one interferes with their plans.

•

•


118

mad doktorveteran specialist (individual)

wehrmacht sniperregular specialist (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 6+ 1 2 1 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 3+ 3 3 2 4 2

composition: 1 Wehrmacht Sniperequipment: StG44 with a Vampyr Scope, Pistol, Grenades

special abilities: Crack Shot

options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.This individual may be designated as a Hero. The individual may exchange their StG44 for a WA46.

The snipers of the German infantry have, for years, proven to be expert marksmen. Both feared and respected by their enemies, Wehrmacht snipers are now being equipped with advanced weaponry such as the ‘Vampyr’ night-vision scope, which allows the soldier to see their enemy in complete darkness and at great distances.

•

•••

Mad Doktor’s Inoculation ChartD6 Syringe

1 Infl ict two wounds on a single model from the inoculated squad

2-3 The model gains +1 AP4-5 The model gains +2 Strength6 The model becomes impervious (4+)

in house

‘Pulling a Dan’: The Mad Doktor’s inoculate ability can

be used on enemy models.

composition: 1 Mad Doktorequipment: Pistol, Syringe

special abilities: The Mad Doktor is equipped with a Syringe to inoculate those he feels deserve his special attention. To inoculate a model the Mad Doktor must be in base contact with the model and use 1 Action Point to “dose em up”. The Mad Doktor must inoculate the entire squad before rolling for the effects of the drugs. Once the entire squad has been inoculated roll on the Mad Doktor Inoculation Chart to see what effects the entire squad gets. Note you only roll once for the whole squad and the results apply to the whole squad.


notes: For each Mad Doktor present within a detachment, one Abomination choice may be selected. If a Mad Doktor’s Training Level is increased to Elite, they may take up to two Abomination choices.

Spending most of the time in the laboratory overseeing terrible genetic experiments, the Mad Doktor is an unstable individual. Free from the bonds of morality, these brilliant scientists are responsible for the creation of some of the most horrible creatures the world has ever seen. Using strange, alien genetic material these men and women concoct living weapons that the SS brings to bear against Germany’s enemies.

•

••

•


119

strumafferegular abomination (individual)

wehrmacht heavy weapon teamregular support (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W5 - 4 2 6 4 5

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

composition: 1 Storm Apeequipment: None

special abilities: ApatheticBerserkFrighteningSoloStand and Take It (3)UnintelligentUnstoppable

notes: Control Collar: At the start of the game, the German player must nominate an individual to be equipped with the control device for the Sturmaffe’s collar. If the character with the device is ever within 18” of a berserk Sturmaffe, he may, at the cost of 1 Action Point, detonate the collar of the ape, exploding its head and removing it from the table as a casualty.

These cybernetically and genetically altered gorillas have proven devastating to the Allies in recent months. Machines of muscle, the sturmaffe or, storm ape, have earned a fearsome reputation throughout the world. With mechanical parts grafted directly to living tissue the apes are nearly unkillable and prove diffi cult for even the SD and the Mad Doktors to control once enraged.

•••••••

•

composition: 2 Wehrmacht Soldiersequipment: Heavy Weapon (one per team, see below), KAR98k, Grenades

options: The squad may select one of the following heavy weapons: Flammenwerfer 35, MG42, Panzerschreck, or Granatenwerfer 36 Mortar. The soldier carrying the heavy weapon does not possess a KAR98k.The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran. Any member of this squad may exchange their KAR98k for a StG44.

The heavy weapons of the Wehrmacht are greatly feared by the enemies of the Axis. The arsenal the Wehrmacht has at their disposal has proven itself in battle and continues to be improved and updated.

•

••


120

feuersoldatregular abomination (squad)

wehrmachtregular infantry (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 3 4 2 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

Weapon R S RoF Notes

Feuerbogen 8 3+d6 1:1 Template, Terrifying

composition: 2 Wehrmacht Soldiersequipment: KAR98k, Grenades

options: The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.

Any member of this squad may exchange their KAR98k for a StG44.

The Wehrmacht is the backbone of the German military. From the initial invasion of Poland in 1939 the Wehrmacht has shown themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. As attackers they have perfected lighting-fast assaults into enemy territory and as defenders have proven nearly impossible to remove.

•

composition: 2 Fire Soldiersequipment: None

special abilities: Feuerbogen: Feuersoldat are able to generate an arc of fl ames (feuerbogen) that shoots off their fi ngertips and towards their enemies. For 1 AP, a Feuersoldat can make a ranged combat attack using the attributes listed below. This attack ignores cover bonuses to armor, and functions as a fl ammenwerfer.Feuerstoß: When enraged, Feuersoldat explode in a burst of fl ames (feuerstoß), burning all those around them. For 1 AP, a Feuersoldat can strike all models within 1½”, infl icting a Strength 3+d6 hit. This ability can be used in close combat, in lieu of a normal close combat attack. Models struck by this attack do not gain a cover bonus to their Armor.Fire Immunity: Feuersoldaten are uninjured by fi re and cannot be harmed by fl ame-throwers or other sources of fi re and are immune to the terrifying effects of such weapons.Frightening


The ‘fi re soldiers’, or ‘torches’ as the Allies call them, are genetically and cybernetically altered soldiers able to spout fl ames from their very fi ngertips. Armed with strange devices that spew forth fi re, the feuersoldaten are themselves immune to the effects of these fl ames. Their fi ery nature makes them unable to carry any equipment but they act as living weapons and inspire terror in their enemies.

•

•

•

•

•


121

krieghundregular specialist (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

handler

M RC CC A S DR W5 - 3 1 4 - 1

krieghund

composition: 1 Wehrmacht Handler and 2 Krieghundequipment: KAR98k

special abilities: Their sense of smell is so keen, Krieghund are able to detect enemies at a distance without being able to see them. A Krieghund (but not its handler) is able to use the Charge action against models that are not within its line of sight and does not have to move in a straight line when charging or sprinting. Frightening (Krieghund only)Sure-footed (Krieghund only)Unintelligent (Krieghund only)

options: The squad’s training Level can be increased to Veteran. The Wehrmacht Handler may exchange his KAR98k for a StG44.

notes: The dogs and their handler do not follow ordinary cohesion rules. Rather than needing to be within four inches of one another, the dogs must remain within line of sight of the handler at all times. If the dogs begin their activation outside of LoS, either them or their handler must take as many actions as needed to get within LoS of one another.Though the handler and the dogs form a squad, the dogs are immune to morale losses and will fi ght on even after their handler has been killed. When a Wardog Squad’s Drive reaches zero, the handler is affected by rout as usual, but the dogs can act normally. A wardog cannot be suppressed (though its handler can).

Acting as sentries, krieghunds (war-dogs) are often times genetically enhanced by the Mad Doktors of the SD. Their senses heightened, many have lost their sight due to the terrible experiments they are put through but their senses of smell and hearing makes them able to detect and attack enemies that would otherwise remain hidden.

•

•••

••

•

•


122

rohlingsoldatregular abomination (individual)

volkssturm group leaderregular infantry (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W2 5+ 4 4 5 4 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2

composition: 1 Hulking Soldierequipment: Heavy Weapon (see below)

special abilities: Rohlingsoldat are so strong they can carry a specially-designed heavy weapon on their own along with enough ammunition to last them throughout the battle. Rohlingsoldat do not need to reload heavy weapons between shots.UnstoppableFrightening

options: The individual may select one of the following heavy weapons: MG42 or Panzerschreck.The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.

Masses of fl esh and bone, the Rohlingsoldat (brute soldiers) are genetically-altered soldiers of immense proportions. Their skeletal and muscular structures have been nearly doubled in size and these monstrous troops are often well over eight feet tall. With sheer strength these troops are able to act as one-man heavy weapon teams, wielding specially-fi tted machine guns or panzerschrecks without any diffi culties. Many of these hulking soldiers have steel plates grafted to their skin, making them diffi cult to injure and even after they have been wounded they continue to fi ght with little regard to their injuries.

•

••

•

•

composition: 1 Volkssturm Militia Group Leaderequipment: GEW 43, Pistol, Grenades


options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran. The individual may be designated as a Hero.The individual may exchange its GEW 43 for an MP 40.

The leaders of the ‘people’s army’, Volkssturm group leaders are not always trained as soldiers. With varying backgrounds and professions, these men are utterly loyal to the German cause and have the experience and personality necessary to become leaders nonetheless.

•

•••


123

volkssturmgreen infantry (squad)

volkssturm heavy weapon teamgreen support (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

abgezhertsoldatgreen abomination (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 - 4 3 3 4 2

composition: 3 Volkssturm Militiaequipment: GEW 43

options: The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Regular.

With casualties mounting, the Wehrmacht has found itself overwhelmed on all fronts. Forced to combat the Soviets on the east and the Allies on the west, the German military has turned to the Volkssturm, the ‘people’s army’ to fi ll in the gaps. Used primarily as defenders, the Volkssturm is made up of the old, the young, and the infi rm. But what they lack in skill they make up for in determination and prove to be underestimated by their enemies.

•

composition: 3 Volkssturm Soldiersequipment: Heavy Weapon (one per team, see below), GEW 43

options: The squad may select one of the following heavy weapons: Flammenwerfer 35, MG42, Panzerschreck, or Granatenwerfer 36 Mortar. The soldier carrying the heavy weapon does not possess a GEW 43.The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Regular.

Often called upon to defend vital German positions, the Volkssturm are provided the same assortment of heavy weapons as the Wehrmacht. Though not as skilled as their military counterparts, these troops put these weapons to good use and do what they can to advance the German cause.

•

•

composition: 3 Emaciated Troopersequipment: Mechanical Claws

special abilities: Frightening

Nicknamed ‘skinnies’ by British soldiers, ‘emaciated troopers’ or, abgezhertsoldat, are terrible genetic creations of the German SD. With genetic and cybernetic alt erations, these creatures were once human but little remains of their former selves. Even members of the Wehrmacht avoid these things and they are thrown into battle with little regard for their survival or their safety. Many believe that they are former prisoners of war that have undergone horrible experiments and been transformed into weapons of the enemy.

•


124

lab 138 (experimental detachment)

doktor klein (elite mad doktor)

equipment: Pistol, Syringespecial abilities: Innoculate, ScientistDoktor Rudolph Klein is the scientist in charge of the SD’s Laboratory 138, which is responsible for the creation of the genetic terrors Sonderbureau-13 has unleashed upon the world. Doktor Klein is a skilled scientist whose expertise had led the abominations of the SD to countless victories over their enemies.

oberleutnant goddard (veteran german officer)

equipment: MP-40, Pistol, Grenadesspecial abilities: CommandAn Oberleutnant in the SD, Goddard is learning the ins and outs of Sonderbuerau-13’s genetic experiments and their application on the fi eld of battle. Having been placed at Doktor Klein’s laboratory, Goddard has taken these abominations into the fi eld and, along with the Doktor, hopes to better understand their effectiveness against the enemies of Germany.

hounds of hell (regular krieghund squad)

equipment: StG44Karl Braun has formed a unique bond with the krieghunds produced by Doktor Klein’s Lab 138. Though these beasts have been genetically and cybernetically altered, they are still dogs and these animals respond to Karl’s commands without hesitation. Karl takes the death of each dog hard and viciously avenges any harm that comes to his animals.

gunter (regular rohlingsoldat)

equipment: MG-42special abilities: Unstoppable, FrighteningEven Doktor Klein is uncertain who Gunter was before he was brought to Lab 138 for genetic alteration. After the ‘treatment’ Doktor Klein came to calling the rohlingsoldat Gunter and the creature responded to the name well. Now, Gunter wades through combat with a single-

mindedness, laying down waves of bullets from his MG-42. Gunter takes an almost child-like glee at watching the enemy fall to his fi re.

the pyre (regular feuersoldat squad)

equipment: Nonespecial abilities: Feuerbogen, Feuerstoß, Fire Immunity, FrighteningThe two feuersoldaten that make up Doktor Klein’s unit refer to themselves as The Pyre and are true pyromaniacs. In stark contrast to Gunter’s recklessness, the Pyre moves through the battlefi eld cautiously, placing themselves in the right position to counter enemy movements with a burst of fl ame. After the battle is over, the men of the Pyre delight in breathing deeply the charred remains of their enemies.

first abgezhertsoldat squad(green emaciated troopers)

equipment: Mechanical Claws special abilities: FrighteningOne of three units of adbezhertsoldat brought into the fi eld by Doktor Klein, these ‘emaciated troopers’ are thrown at the enemy with reckless abandon. Doktor Klein is able to produce these creatures in large quantities and thus feels little remorse when they are brought down by enemy fi re.

second abgezhertsoldat squad (green emaciated troopers)


third abgezhertsoldat squad (green emaciated troopers)


M RC CC A S DR W3 6+ 1 2 1 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

handler

M RC CC A S DR W5 - 3 1 4 - 1

krieghund

M RC CC A S DR W2 5+ 4 4 5 4 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 3 4 2 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 - 4 3 3 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 - 4 3 3 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 - 4 3 3 4 2


125

wehrmacht

coatBasecoat - 867 Dark BlueGreyHighlight - 900 French Mirage BlueShadow - 862 Black Grey

packs/pouchesBasecoat - 826 German Camo. Medium BrownHighlight - 912 Tan YellowShadow - 872 - Chocolate Brown

harnessBasecoat - 44 Dark Fleshtone (VG)Highlight - 43 Beasty Brown (VG)Shadow - 45 Charred Brown (VG)

opticsBasecoat - 12 Scar Red (VG)Highlight - 10 Bloody Red (VG)Shadow - 51 Black (VG)

optics

feuersoldat

skinBasecoat - 965 Prussian BlueHighlight - 961 Sky BlueShadow - 899 Dark Prussian Blue

fireBasecoat - 01 White (VG)First Highlight - 07 Gold Yellow (VG)Second Highlight - 09 Hot Orange (VG)

metal/tankBasecoat - 862 Black GreyHighlight - 102 Steel Grey (VG) Shadow - 44 Dark Fleshtone (VG)

All colors listed are Vallejo Model Color, unless otherwise noted with (VG), these are Vallejo Game Color.

harness

packscoat

fire

skin

metal


127

The krauts had us pinned down but good. We were scouting the farmland outside Mauriac, trying to pinpoint a battery of 88s that had been pounding the supply convoys something fi erce. Situation had gotten so bad that the Red Ball Express was refusing to budge from the supply dumps at Avignon. The fl yboys hadn’t been able to spot the German artillery, wherever Fritz had them dug in, they were dug in but good. Naturally that meant us foot sloggers would be picking up the air force’s slack. Wouldn’t have been so bad except the area was rotten with snipers, hardcore Milice who would rather see krauts in Paris than Americans.

Snipers or no, the LT wanted those 88s – everybody at division was catching three kinds of hell because of the havoc those guns were causing. My squad drew the short straw and got the job and there wasn’t a man of us too happy about that, let me tell you. Anyway, seemed like our luck had taken a turn for the better when we found ourselves a few hours out from Mauriac and no Vichy die-hards trying to put holes in us. Then we heard that sound. Them German diesel engines don’t sound like anything else and more than a few of us had heard plenty of that racket down in Italy and Tunisia. We scrambled into the brush on either side of the lane, pressing our faces into the dirt and praying that what was making that racket wasn’t headed our way.

It was, of course. We couldn’t see it until it was just about right on top of us because of the cussed hedgerows that lined the road. It was a kraut tank alright, and a proper one too, not one of them hand-me-downs the Germans would pawn off on the Italians and the Vichy French. Big as the end of the world, all grey steel and zimmerit. It rumbled around the corner and then its tracks ground to a halt. Any idea that the Germans didn’t know we were there went out the window a second later. The machine-gun fi tted into the hull started barking, bullets whizzing over our heads. Then the turret swung around and blasted the little stone wall some of the squad was hunkered down behind. The guys that made it through the shot from the cannon broke and scattered. A few of them disappeared back the way we had come, but the rest got knocked down by that machine gun. If things weren’t bad enough, Benny, our bazooka man, was one of the guys that got caught by the panzer’s cannon. He was tossed into the air like a rag doll and his bazooka landed smack in the middle of the road, just as pretty as you please.

That was enough for us, we knew it was do or die, most likely die. We sprung up from our cover and started peppering the panzer with everything we had, Thompsons, carbines, grenades, harsh language, I mean everything. Not a lick of good it did us, we didn’t make a dent in that steel hull. The machine gun cranked around in our direction and made us put our heads down again. We were safe for a spot, the hull gun couldn’t crane down low enough to hit us and it would take some pretty fancy driving to get the tank into a better spot on that little farm road. Of course, they could always just drive over us, which was a far from happy idea. But we weren’t the only ones who had spotted that bazooka lying in the middle of the road. The hatch in the

turret popped open and out hopped a kraut offi cer, all black uniform and grinning face. He wiped a handkerchief at the side of the turret where some of the zimmerit had been chipped by our bullets, then latched himself onto the coaxial MG34. When he slid back the action on that machine gun, I knew it was Death itself grinning down at me. The hull gun might not be able to hit us, but that turret gun sure as hell could.

Then, suddenly, there was a loud crack and the tank offi cer fl opped down against the side of the turret. I risked lifting my head and saw this yahoo come sprinting up the road. Big mug with that hard, chiselled look that lands a fella a job in B-westerns. He was running at the panzer, a Webley in one hand and a grenade in the other. The Germans inside the panzer mustn’t have seen him, ‘cause they kept right on shooting at us to keep our heads down. That changed a few seconds later, when the cowboy threw the pineapple in his hand at the tank. The grenade stuck the side of the turret and rattled around on the hull before going off. It didn’t penetrate the armor, but some fragments must have hit the panzer’s engine because thick black smoke started spewing from its backside.

That got their attention. The hull gun swung around and started ripping up the road trying to reach the cowboy, forgetting all about us. The yahoo didn’t seem to even notice the lead stitching up the road beside him, he just kept running toward the tank, pulling another grenade from his belt as he ran. The Germans kept pouring on the fi re, but nothing seemed to rattle this guy. That must have spooked the krauts. Next thing I know the panzer is trying to back up, but whatever damage that grenade did must have froze the left track because all they managed to do was spin the tank around a little. We could hear somebody shouting in German – yelling his head off if we could hear him outside. The dead commander in the turret was pushed out from below, but when the other German peaked up to grab the hatch and close it, Jesse Owens down there in the road peeled off a shot from his pistol and drilled the tanker through the head. Then, like he was Sergeant York or something, he takes that grenade, rips the pin out with his teeth and tosses it at the tank. The pineapple rattles around the rim of the turret for a second, then disappears down the hatch.

Next thing I know, there’s a muffl ed explosion and tongues of yellow fi re licking up out of the hatch. The cowboy doesn’t pay it any attention, just pulls a cigar from his vest and waits for me and my squad to pull ourselves out from the brush. Seeing him standing there, like some character out of the funny papers, I start to get mad. By all rights this guy should be a pile of meat lying in the road, not standing there gloating about single-handedly knocking out a Mark IV! It’s just on my tongue to lay into the mug when I spot the offi cer’s bars on that vest of his. Quick as lightning, I snap a salute. The cowboy looks me over for a second and nods. He’s anything but in full uniform, what his head bare and wearing a sleeveless vest, so I don’t get annoyed that he doesn’t return the salute. What gets me is the way he saunters over toward the burning panzer. He bites down on his


128

cigar, spits the end into the street and then leans over to light it on the fi re fl ickering out from the hatches. Never mind you can hear bullets rattling around inside the burning hulk as the fi re sets off the rest of the kraut ammo.

The cowboy looks over at me and then shifts his gaze over to the rest of my men. He gives another little nod of his head.

‘You goldbricks the ones Lieutenant Anders sent to help me

knock out those 88s?’ he asks in a voice that’s like gravel. He smiles when I start to answer, holstering his Webley and shaking my hand. ‘Captain Wolf, OSS,’ he introduces himself. ‘I think the Germans have those guns hidden in a barn a few miles to the northwest. If you boys are through with your break, we should get going.’ Wolf looked over at the burning panzer, spitting onto the blistering hull. ‘And somebody pick up that bazooka. We might run into some of Fritz’s real tanks along the way.’


129

experimental science in americaARPA, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, is an organization established by President Roosevelt for the express purpose of investigating and pursuing any arena of scientifi c research that might benefi t the national security of the United States. The organization’s original function was to co-ordinate government funded research projects, thereby increasing both effi ciency and progress. Since the US entry into the war, however, ARPA has been forced into several roles far different from its bureaucratic beginnings.

In 1946, all research and experimentation that might be of benefi t to the war effort is closely controlled by ARPA. From relatively innocuous and mundane advances such as innovations to improve assembly line effi ciency or methods to better preserve perishable foods, to incredible new weapons destined to change the face of warfare and extraordinary theoretical sciences that push the very boundaries of human knowledge, ARPA has a hand in it all. The agency is tasked with maintaining the fi nest minds in the United States and with ensuring that what is developed in America stays in American hands.

historyThe NDRC, National Defense Research Committee, was founded in the aftermath of an incident that shook the very corridors of power in Washington. On June 20th, 1937, a Soviet ANT-25 successfully made a transpolar fl ight from Moscow to Vancouver. The importance of Valery Chkalov’s fl ight was not lost on the people of the United States. Unannounced, and without warning, a Soviet aircraft had fl own into the United States. If the communists could manage such a fl ight in peacetime, then they were equally capable of doing so in a time of war. The image of Soviet bombers raining death on American cities fi lled the pages of newspapers from New York to Los Angeles as the American people demanded answers from their government. What was the president doing to protect them from the Red menace? How had a Soviet aircraft been allowed to so easily violate the skies above America?

Roosevelt’s cabinet had no easy answers for the president to offer the American press and public. Worse, there seemed a general ignorance of not only the condition of Soviet aviation capabilities, but also an inability to determine how far ahead the communists were in regards to the US aviation industry. Because aircraft manufacturers in the United States were private concerns unconnected to the government the government in turn had very a very limited level of understanding regarding what new aviation technologies were being explored by these companies, or even what technologies had already been developed by them but not yet put into general production. President Roosevelt left his cabinet meeting with no new answers regarding the ANT-25 incident, but had a better grasp of the woeful lack of communication and co-ordination between his government and private industry. While it was too late to do anything about the former, Roosevelt was determined to rectify the latter.

With fears of the VVS (Soviet air forces) fresh in their minds, Congress passed measures proposed by Roosevelt for the establishment of an agency to monitor scientifi c and technological research in the United States, allowing the government to keep informed about developments in terms of theory and experimentation and use such information to safeguard the national security of America. This new organization would largely complement NACA, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, which encouraged more established areas of research rather than the more speculative sciences that were allowing both the USSR and Germany to make astounding advances in aircraft design. Because it would be principally a defence organization, military offi cers were recruited from the Army and Navy to form the agency, which was soon dubbed ‘NDRC’. The decision to have military personnel organize NDRC would give the agency a martial structure, one dominated by principles of discipline and effi ciency. These qualities would also enable NDRC to meet the many trials it would face and to adapt to new duties as its role continued to change.

Although arranged and staffed largely by military personnel, NDRC was headed by a civilian committee hand-picked by Roosevelt to represent a cross-section of scientifi c, industrial and political leaders. The fi rst chairman of NDRC was the brilliant engineer Dr Vannevar Bush, the Dean of Engineering at MIT and one of the top minds in the United States. Dr Bush was a great proponent of cooperation between the military and scientifi c communities and saw the NDRC as a means toward fostering that communication. He pressed President Roosevelt to increase the scope of the NDRC from being a merely information gathering agency and allowing it to fund research projects that the agency determined would be of crucial importance to national defense. Roosevelt agreed to Dr Bush’s proposal and soon research laboratories were established in secure locations across the country. While some within Roosevelt’s administration complained that the expansion of the NDRC’s duties represented nothing more than a power grab on the part of Dr Bush, the President was of no mind to go back on his decision.


130

By early 1939, the world situation had deteriorated to an alarming degree. The threat of Soviet Russia had been eclipsed by the increasingly fi ery rhetoric and bold demands emerging from Berlin as the German Reich devoured the lands of her neighbours. In the Pacifi c, the brutal and savage war being waged by the Imperial Japanese Army in China was an international outrage, prompting Roosevelt to initiating increasingly harsh trade restrictions on Japan in an effort to deny them the resources to wage their expansionistic campaign. Dr Bush and other scientists warned their President that if the world were to slip into another Great War, it would be a confl ict such as had never before been waged, no corner of the globe would be spared from such a war. They also warned that a second World War would be won not with current weapons, but with the weapons of tomorrow. Bleak reports were made regarding the advances being made in the USSR with rocketry and air power, in Germany with advanced electronics such as television and radio. Albert Einstein delivered his chilling report on the state of German atomic research and what might be the result should the Germans use such research to produce an atomic weapon.

Immediately after the meeting, Roosevelt established two new organizations, both working under the auspices of a new division under the command of the NDRC. The fi rst was the Advisory Committee on Uranium, a team of scientists and engineers who would be tasked with beating the Germans to the development of an atomic bomb. The second was DEW, the Department of Experimental Weapons which would pursue all other avenues of research, in particular the wildly speculative sciences being proposed by Nikola Tesla such as protective energy fi elds, ‘death rays’ and electrically powered automatons. Although these two groups would receive the lion’s share of NDRC fi nancing, the agency continued to maintain independent laboratories where researchers would be free to take the developments of both the Advisory Committee and the DEW down different

avenues. Both of these organizations would be controlled by ARPA, which was envisioned as a larger more ‘pro-active’ entity than the NDRC.

In 1941, with the spectre of war looming ever larger, Roosevelt authorized ARPA to organize its own security forces to protect its facilities after Dr Bush proposed that offi cers trained especially by the NDRC would be better equipped to guard against saboteurs and espionage than regular soldiers and police. These offi cers would also be charged with monitoring research facilities operated by private concerns and keeping tabs on prominent scientists in the United States. As a result of ARPA efforts, throughout 1941 several German and Soviet spy rings were unmasked and their

threat to America’s security eliminated.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and US entry into WWII, Dr Bush suggested that the most sensitive research being conducted by the ARPA should be relocated to secure installations away from the American coastline and major cities, the most logical points for any enemy fi rst strike. Several different sites were selected by ARPA for the relocation of their research teams and their equipment, the most prominent of which being Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where an entire city was constructed to house the personnel required to administer the nation’s atomic programs. Other locations within the bleak deserts of the American southwest offered even greater isolation and security. With these secure facilities, ARPA was pressed into another role, that of actual production of the weapons being developed by its scientists. Manufacturing plants began to sprout up alongside laboratories as ARPA turned the theories of Tesla and other scientists into new weapons for the American military. The largest of these industrial complexes was situated in the middle of the Mojave Desert at a location called San Diablo. In the succeeding years, the San Diablo facility would expand to become the key asset in the arsenal of ARPA.

Between the years 1942 and 1943, ARPA scientists raced to produce new and radical armaments to counter the ghastly inventions of the Germans and the hideous experiments of the Japanese. Many of these weapons were rushed into production as soon as they left the proving grounds and from there hurriedly deployed to the troops overseas. As a result of this approach, the advanced armaments developed by ARPA were often used poorly by fi eld commanders who had little grasp of the new tactics required to successfully exploit the new weapons. Perhaps the most woeful display of this lack of appreciation for the correct


131

application of ARPA technology was during the Allied raid on the French port of Dieppe when a squad of soldiers in Buffalo power armor was wiped out trying to destroy several German panzers lurking in the fi elds outside the town with neither cover nor support, their commanding offi cer reasoning that the bulky armor was little different from a normal tank its combat capabilities.

Dr. Bush pushed for another expansion of the NDRC and ARPA, this time one that would put their personnel right on the battle lines. It was proposed that to increase the effi ciency and strategic value of the advanced weapons systems ARPA was developing that combat-trained ARPA offi cers should be deployed in an advisory capacity to supervise their use and ensure that fi eld offi cers were properly deploying the advanced technology that was being made available to them. The second duty imposed on these ARPA fi eld agents was an even more dangerous one – to ensure that these technologies did not fall into enemy hands.

The fi rst major failure of ARPA came on the 7th of January, 1943. Despite the strict security measures implemented by the agency to protect its facilities and staff, an elite SD Sonderkommando unit successfully located and infi ltrated the San Diablo facility. This elite German unit had been given strict orders to secure the secrets of the American advanced science projects. Striking swiftly and without warning, the Germans achieved complete surprise and disposed of many of the San Diablo security staff before the Americans even knew they were under attack. With almost complete control of the core of the facility, the Germans ransacked offi ces and workshops, looting anything they could carry away. Other SD Sonderkommandos began interrogating the

staff and workers they had captured during their raid, deciding which of their captives would be valuable enough to transport back to Germany. The commander of the unit soon discovered he had a prize greater than he had dared hope. Among his prisoners was the 86 year old Nikola Tesla, a name that was synonymous with technological innovation even in the Reich.

The Germans hoped to escape by means of an advanced craft designed by Sonderbuero 13, the Silbervogel antipodal bomber. This rocket-powered leviathan descended from the stratosphere to land at San Diablo’s landing fi eld, ready to carry the Sonderkommando unit and everything they had captured out of the country. It was just as the Silbervogel was landing that American reinforcements arrived to support the battered remains of the ARPA security staff. A full company of rocket troopers descended from the night sky to cut down the German agents. In the confusion, the SD commander and a small number of his operatives attempted to escape with what they felt was the most vital asset they had seized – the aged Nikola Tesla himself. The Germans successfully reached their escape craft and as the immense Silbervogel lifted off, the colonel commanding the rocket troopers made a grim decision. Tesla could not be allowed to fall into the hands of the Reich, he would be able to expose every weakness and vulnerability inherent in every weapon system ARPA was producing, to say nothing of what new devices the Germans might force him to create for them. The colonel gave the order and as the Silbervogel slowly accelerated, a squad of rocket troopers landed on the craft’s wings and planted plastic explosives. The resulting explosion blew the Silbervogel from the sky, leaving no survivors. Unwilling to admit that the Germans had managed to raid what was supposed to be one of the most secure locations in the United States, a cover story was released that Tesla had died of natural causes in New York.

With the election of President MacArthur, the military of the United States was restructured considerably to increase what the former general saw as a waste of ‘combat potential’. One of his fi rst acts was to disband the Twentieth Air Force, which had been fl ying strategic bombing missions out of China in an effort to cripple the industry of Japan. MacArthur had never approved of the concept of strategic bombing in the Pacifi c theatre, arguing that the long distances involved argued against the success of such missions and pointing out the technological bugs that continued to haunt the immense B-29 bomber. On a personal level MacArthur resented the fact that the Twentieth Air Force


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existed outside the regular chain of command in the Pacifi c, meaning that the B-29s were under no obligation to assist in tactical operations, such as the disastrous attempt to retake Luzon in the Philippines. He also disapproved of continuing efforts by the US Strategic Air Forces in the Pacifi c, and the command’s chief of staff, General Carl Spaatz, to redirect American efforts in the Pacifi c away from the Philippines and the Asian mainland and to what MacArthur saw as a bloody, pointless campaign of island hopping to secure advanced air bases for the B-29s to stage from.

In the aftermath of MacArthur’s decision to disband the XXI Bomber Command, several offi cers were shuffl ed to new duties. The extremely effi cient General Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold had been one of the most vocal proponents of strategic bombing, and had helped to organize the use of such tactics in the European theatre. Unfortunately for General Arnold, he was also a proponent of an Air Force that was an entirely separate command from the US Army, something President MacArthur opposed on grounds that it would weaken the Army and render it less tactically fl exible. MacArthur was opposed to placing Arnold

with another USAAF command, however he didn’t intend to squander such a keen and strategic mind by placing him out to pasture. Instead, he decided to employ Arnold in another area of the American military complex which the new president was restructuring.

The civilian-dominated NDRC, MacArthur felt, was unable to effectively manage ARPA and its subsidiary organizations. He felt that a military mind was needed to co-ordinate the efforts of the thousands of scientists and researchers employed by ARPA. General Arnold had displayed a good grasp of technology during his tenure as head of the Twentieth Air Force, moreover his familiarity with the capabilities and limitations of the B-29 would be of extreme importance given the weapon being developed by the Advisory Committee on Uranium since only a plane of such immense proportions would be able to carry it. MacArthur dissolved the NDRC and replaced it with the OSRD, the Offi ce of Scientifi c Research and Development. General Arnold would be the chairman of the twelve man central committee of the OSRD, with Dr Bush acting as vice-chairman.

One of the earliest changes General Arnold implemented was to establish an actual combat branch within ARPA. Code-named ‘the Black Hand’ after a fraternal organization from Arnold’s university years, the combat force within ARPA was patterned after the British SAS and the notorious SD Sonderkommando units that continued to wreck havoc on Allied troops in France and Italy. The soldiers of the Black Hand would be recruited from every branch of the US military and trained in the use of experimental technologies being developed by ARPA. Unlike previous deployments of these weapon systems, however, the Black Hand would retain its own command structure and would only be deployed at the request of a division-level commander. Even then, Black Hand operatives would have complete tactical freedom to achieve their objectives in whatever manner they decided was strategically feasible. As always, even more important than the success or failure of a mission would be keeping sensitive technologies out of the hands of enemy forces.

By 1946, the combat branch of ARPA numbers just under 5,000 men and has been deployed in every theatre of operation.


133

organizationARPA is a small but extremely infl uential organization supporting the armed forces of the United States. Although its combat forces are exceedingly small compared to the soldiers of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, their effect on the battlefi eld is pronounced. ARPA combat troops and technicians can be found in almost any theatre of operations, from units of power armored Buffalos providing support for GIs trying to storm the German defenses at Monte Cassino to rocket troopers helping Marines clear out Japanese strongholds in New Guniea. While maintaining their own independent command structure, the specialists of the Black Hand are an important asset for any fi eld commander to call upon to help him secure his objective and counter the exotic technologies of his adversary.

weaponsARPA has developed a number of exotic and innovative technologies to support the American war machine. Many of these derive from the on-going research with atomic radiation being conducted at Oak Ridge, but even more have been developed from the fringe sciences explored by Nikola Tesla and his research teams. Experiments with fi eld propulsion, wireless transmission of electrical power and even the exploitation of gravitic fi elds.

electrical weaponryAmong the fi rst weapon systems developed by the DES are the so-called ‘Lightning Cannons’. These cannons are large, bulky weapons that generate ‘artifi cial lightning’. The earliest models of this device were fi rst deployed in 1943, being sent to the Pacifi c to support MacArthur’s campaigns in New Guinea and Burma. The weapons are favoured by the US military as a clean way to knock out enemy planes, armor and ships by electrifying the metal components of a vehicle and frying whoever is inside. However, the range is severely limited, which also limits its combat uses. Lightning Cannons are typically mounted on tanks in lieu of a conventional cannon. Smaller, less powerful versions have also been fi tted to Buffalo power armor.

temporal shiftersFirst demonstrated by a dramatic experiment on the US destroyer Eldridge, ARPA has produced machinery that is capable of bending space and teleporting objects, a development derived from Tesla’s fi eld theories. In 1943, the Eldridge was subjected to a particle fi eld which caused it to teleport from Philadelphia to the US Naval base in Norfolk, where it remained for several minutes before fading back to its original location. However, the experiment was deemed largely a failure. Unsecured items, and crew, on the Eldridge ‘drifted’ during the teleportation and as a result rematerialized partially inside other objects. This is a hazard that the DES is still unable to fully resolve. A partially effective teleporter with a range of 300 miles was developed in 1945 but it can transport only small loads, such as a single tank or plane or a small squad of soldiers. Even with these smaller loads, there is still danger, as the transported materials may ‘drift’ during transport and materialize inside an object at the destination point.

death raysOne of the last major weapons developed by the DES from the notes and theories of Nikola Tesla is his infamous Death Ray. This weapon employs Tesla’s charged particle theories and is in function a particle beam weapon. The weapons are bulky and again, range is a problem the DES has not yet overcome. However, the kinetic force generated by the particle beam is enough to smash through almost anything.

troopsTechnology of the ARPA is fi nding its way into the hands of the US military’s fi ghting men on the front lines all over the world. While the bulk of these advanced weapons and equipment are used by members of the specially-trained ARPA combat branch, military command has ordered that the use of these items not be limited just to the ARPA. Though the ARPA is reluctant to release these weapons into general use their concerns have not prevented the diffusion of these items into all branches of the military. The ARPA is able to maintain some limited control over their devices as a result of their diffi culty to maintain and repair, requiring ARPA fi eld mechanics to ‘tag along’ with their equipment in order to ensure its proper use in battle.

buffalo powered armorAn invention that originated not from Tesla’s DEW but from an outside researcher exploring concepts introduced by Tesla’s telautomatics, the Buffalo is a powered armor made available to


134

the US military as early as late 1942. Because it employs a human pilot, unlike the completely mechanical robots, the Buffalo did not receive the same degree of reticence by commanders in the fi eld that ARPA’s robots would. These machines would function as a useful method of giving infantry units extra protection and fi repower, essentially fulfi lling the role of a light infantry support tank. Misuse by offi cers during the Dieppe raid caused several of these machines to fall prey to German panzers, but they have proven their value when deployed by more judicious commanders. The Buffalo has, by 1946, become a mainstay of the American military and many units independent of ARPA exist within both the Army and the Marines that use the armor.

rocket troopsRocket packs were a concept explored long before the war, with serious research beginning in 1938 at Boeing. Development of the technology, even when brought in under the aegis of ARPA, was slow, however by 1942 the fi rst fi eld tests were conducted and entire units of Army rangers were retrained to exploit this new and radical technology. Consisting of a chemical rocket engine, the two chemical elements that react to produce the rocket’s thrust are a closely guarded secret. The rocket packs are exceedingly dangerous to operate, and unforgiving in their handling. Nevertheless, the Army has proven that it can provide men up to the task of mastering the devices. The fi rst military action American rocket troops were deployed in was successfully recapturing the San Diablo research facility from an SD Sonderkommando unit.

telautomaticsOne of the earliest developments of the Tesla-dominated DEW was the exploration of ‘telautomatics’, eventually resulting in fully functional humanoid robots. Immense constructions of steel and wire, these machines were at fi rst used only for brute, manual labor by the US military, commanders resisting Tesla’s extravagant claims that such contraptions would soon replace the need for fl esh and blood soldiers. However, events would conspire to force combat duties on ARPA’s mechanical men. A combined German-Italian offensive staged out of northern Italy in 1945 caught the Allies by surprise and the fascist forces were able to penetrate deep behind British and American lines before they were pushed back. At this time, an American fuel

dump was assaulted by German forces, including several of the horrifi c abominations the Allies called Emaciated Troopers. The mechanics and support personnel staged at the dump were largely defenceless and in desperation turned their robots against the attacking Germans. The tactic worked and the assault faltered in the face of the formidable strength of the robots. Following this incident, the use of robots was reconsidered and, somewhat reluctantly, the Army agreed to allow ARPA to produce new robots designed to perform combat duties. Machine guns, bazookas and even beam weapons were soon fi tted to new armored combat robots. Under the close supervision of ARPA trained mechanics, these robots slowly began to be deployed in the ETO and elsewhere. Many offi cers still fi nd the presence of these mechanical men distasteful, but even they cannot argue with the results they produce.


135

oss agentelite infantry (individual)

us airborne officerveteran infantry (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 3+ 3 3 3 6 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

composition: 1 OSS Agentequipment: 2 Pistols, Grenades

special abilities: Because of their skill with their pistols, OSS Agents may fi re both guns while on the move. This increases the RoF of the OSS Agent’s pistols by 1 (2:1); otherwise these attacks are treated like a regular pistol.Hidden Deployment


The Offi ce of Strategic Services serves as the American counterintelligence agency during World War II. Their agents are sent abroad on countless daring missions, working to infi ltrate enemy positions and do what they can to aid Allied military forces.

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composition: 1 Airborne Offi cerequipment: Thompson M1A1, Pistol, Grenades


options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Elite. The individual may be designated as a Hero.The individual may exchange their Thompson M1A1 for a M1 Carbine.

Offi cers of the United States Airborne are a hardy bunch, accompanying the troops under their command into battle. Versatile leaders, Airborne offi cers are used to facing diffi cult situations, often fi nding themselves outnumbered and behind enemy lines. Their instinct and ability to command help them face such challenges and still keep their cool.

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in house

Keep in mind that the OSS Agent can move and fi re both

pistols with a single AP.


136

arpa field mechanicveteran specialist (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 2 2 4 2

buffalo power armorregular tesla device (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W2 5+ 1 8 6 5 2

composition: 1 Mechanicequipment: M1 Carbine

special abilities: ARPA Field Mechanics may choose to ‘tune up’ certain Tesla Devices. A mechanic in base contact with Buffalo Power Armor or a Robot Trooper may transfer up to 2 AP to that model. This must be done prior to the receiving model’s activation. A single model can never receive more than 2 AP per turn.


notes: For each ARPR Field Mechanic present within a detachment, one Tesla Device choice may be selected. If a Mechanic’s Training Level is increased to Elite, they may take up to two Tesla Device choices.

Mechanics trained by the ARPA often fi nd themselves in the midst of dangerous combat situations, aiding US soldiers in the use of the advanced technology now employed on the fi eld of battle. While many mechanics know little about the fringe sciences used to develop these new weapons of war, all are experts in fi eld repairs and are able to squeeze every ounce of effectiveness from the devices under their charge.

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composition: 1 Buffalo Trooperequipment: Buffalo Power Armor equipped with a Tesla Electrical Gun

special abilities: Stand and Take It (3)SoloSlow

options:The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.The individual may exchange their Tesla Electrical Gun for a Browning M1919. Buffalo Power Armor does not need to reload heavy weapons between shots.

The pinnacle of American ingenuity, the ‘Buffalo’ power armor is a mechanized suit of armor made of heavy steel plates, strange power sources, and advanced mechanics. The result is a nine-foot-tall walking metal box in which specially-trained ARPA personnel move slowly across the battlefi eld. Able to sustain intense small-arms fi re, the ‘Buffalo’ is most commonly fi tted with a Browning M1919 machine gun or the experimental Tesla Electrical cannon, proving to be a thorn in the side of enemy infantry squads.

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137

us airborne sniperregular specialist (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 3+ 3 3 2 4 2

us rocket troopsregular tesla device (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W6 4+ 3 2 2 4 2 composition: 2 Rocket Troops

equipment: T1A1 Tesla Pistol, Tesla Rocket Pack

special abilities: Flight

options: The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.Any member of the squad may exchange their T1A1 Tesla Pistol for a Thompson M1A1.

An early development by the ARPA, ‘rocket’ packs strapped to the back of soldiers enable troops to quickly move across the battlefi eld. Two common types of packs exist; one used for short fl ights of no more than a few hundred yards and another with large wings designed for extended periods of use. The former sees frequent use on the battlefi elds of Europe by American infantry forces while the latter is typically reserved for use by the Air Force in defense of Allied positions. Rocket troops are usually daredevils, launching themselves recklessly towards the enemy.

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composition: 1 Airborne Sniperequipment: M12 Sniper Rifl e, Pistol, Grenades


options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.This individual may be designated as a Hero.

American Airborne soldiers that excel as marksmen are given the advanced M12 sniper rifl e and put this new weapon to good use. From the shadows they strike at their enemy, picking off enemy offi cers and other high-profi le targets.

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138

airborne heavy weapon teamregular support (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

us airborneregular infantry (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

composition: 2 Airborne Soldiersequipment: M1 Garand, Pistols, Grenades

options: The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran. Any member of the squad may exchange their M1 Garand for an M1 Carbine.For every three Infantry selections in the detachment, a US Airborne squad or General Infantry squad may exchange one of their M1 Garands for a BAR.

The United States Airborne has become an even greater asset to Allied command as World War II devolves into a brutal war of attrition. With their ability to reach well into enemy territory and backed by the amazing new wonder-weapons of the ARPA, the Airborne could prove to be the key to victory for a beleaguered American military.

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composition: 2 Airborne Soldiersequipment: Heavy Weapon (one per team, see below), M1 Garand, Pistols, Grenades

options: The squad may select one of the following heavy weapons: M2-2 Flame-Thrower, Browning M1919 Machine Gun, M9 Bazooka, or M2 60mm Mortar. The soldier carrying the heavy weapon does not possess an M1 Garand.The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.

Armed with machine guns, mortars and other heavy weapons, the American Airborne is able to bring the powerful weapons of war to bear on their enemies. Still able to maintain their speed and maneuverability, Airborne heavy weapon teams provide much needed support for their comrades.

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139

airborne tesla electrical gun teamregular tesla device (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

composition: 2 Airborne Soldiersequipment: Tesla Electrical Gun (one per team), M1 Garand, Pistols, Grenades


notes: The soldier carrying the Tesla Electrical Gun does not possess an M1 Garand.

Armed with the advanced Tesla Electrical Gun, squads of Airborne go into battle with a terrifying new weapon. The portable experimental weapon in the hands of one of America’s most elite fi ghting forces is enough to make even the fearsome SS think twice before taking the fi eld against it.

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140

gi sergeantregular infantry (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2

us k-9 squadregular specialist (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

handler

M RC CC A S DR W5 - 4 1 3 - 1

german shepard

composition: 1 Airborne Handler and 2 German Shepardsequipment: M1 Garand, Pistol

special abilities: Inspiring (German Shepards only)Frightening (German Shepards only)Sure-footed (German Shepards only)Unintelligent (German Shepards only)

options: The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran. The Airborne Handler may exchange his M1 Garand for an M1 Carbine.

notes: The dogs and their handler do not follow ordinary cohesion rules. Rather than needing to be within four inches of one another, the dogs must remain within line of sight of the handler at all times. If the dogs begin their activation outside of LoS, either them or their handler must take as many actions as needed to get within LoS of one another.Though the handler and the dogs form a squad, the dogs are immune to morale losses and will fi ght on even after their handler has been killed. When a Wardog Squad’s Drive reaches zero, the handler is affected by rout as usual, but the dogs can act normally. A wardog cannot be suppressed (though its handler can).

With advanced training techniques and specialized breeding programs the United States K-9 teams have proven themselves effective in the fi eld of battle. Seeing widespread use by the Marine Corps in the Pacifi c, American General Infantry squads have been given access to these intelligent animals, which are most often used for scouting and guard duties.

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fact vs fiction

K-9 teams were used during WWII, primarily in the Pacifi c Theatre by the

US Marine Corps.

composition: 1 GI Sergeantequipment: Thompson M1A1, Pistol, Grenades


options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran. This individual may be designated as a Hero.The individual may exchange their Thompson M1A1 for a M1 Garand.

Sergeants of the General Infantry are trained to lead by example and are every bit as much of a soldier as the men they command. With the respect of their brothers-in-arms these men lead the troops of the United States Army into battle, rallying them to fi ght against an ever-growing arsenal of genetic abominations and terrifying wonder-weapons.

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141

general infantry (gi)green infantry (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

gi tesla electrical gun teamgreen tesla device (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

composition: 3 GI Soldiersequipment: M1 Garand, Pistols, Grenades

options: The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Regular. For every three Infantry selections in the detachment, a US Airborne squad or General Infantry squad may exchange one of their M1 Garands for a BAR.

The ‘meat and potatoes’ of the United States Army, the General Infantry fi elds hundreds of thousands of soldiers against the Axis. Many of these men are fresh from training and have yet to be hardened by combat, but they are resilient and dedicated soldiers who often give their lives in the service of their country.

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composition: 3 GI Soldiersequipment: Tesla Electrical Gun (one per team), M1 Garand, Pistols, Grenades


notes: The soldier carrying the Tesla Electrical Gun does not possess an M1 Garand.

Rushing into position, squads of GI’s let loose one of America’s greatest new weapons, the Tesla Electrical Gun. Though these devices are not always reliable, they prove devastating when used successfully and have become greatly feared by the enemies of the United States.

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142

robot troopergreen tesla device (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 6+ 1 5 5 - 2

gi heavy weapon teamgreen support (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

fact vs fictionTesla believed that

‘teleautomatics’ were possible to create and built a robotic

submersible as early as 1898.

in house

Robots are terrible shots. Consider using them for

suppression fi re.

composition: 3 GI Soldiersequipment: Heavy Weapon (one per team, see below), M1 Garand, Pistols, Grenades

options: The squad may select one of the following heavy weapons: M2-2 Flame-Thrower, Browning M1919 Machine Gun, M9 Bazooka, or M2 60mm Mortar. The soldier carrying the heavy weapon does not possess an M1 Garand.The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Regular.

With a vast array of weaponry at their disposal, the General Infantry brings to bear the heavy weapons needed to win the day. From fl ame-throwers to bazookas, GI heavy weapon teams are relied on for fi repower.

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composition: 3 Robot Troopersequipment: Thompson M1A1

special abilities: SlowSoloSteady Hands UnintelligentWalking Fire

The ARPA has realized Nikola Tesla’s vision of wirelessly controlled automatons with the creation of the robot troopers. Though slow and clunky, these ‘teleautomatics’ are controlled remotely from ARPA posts and possess an exceedingly limited artifi cial intelligence allowing them to perform simple tasks. Armed with semi-automatic weapons, these soldiers prove terribly inaccurate but resilient and powerful tools for the United States military.

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143

9th infantry platoon (infantry detachment)

gunnery sergeant garrett (elite mechanic)

equipment: M1 Carbine special abilities: Tune UpGunnery Sergeant Garrett is a dedicated mechanic attached to the 9th Platoon and responsible for the maintenance of their “special equipment”; namely, Sgt. Johnson’s heavy “Buffalo” armor and the Tesla rifl e carried by one of the support detachments.

sergeant johnson (veteran buffalo power armor)

equipment: Buffalo Power Armor, Tesla Electrical Gun special abilities: Stand and Take it (3), Solo, SlowSergeant Johnson is a Buffalo pilot who provides heavy support for the 9th, relatively safe within his heavily armored carapace. His Tesla Cannon has spelled the end for many German monstrosities throughout the war.

sergeant ringo (regular gi sergeant)

equipment: Thompson M1A1, Pistol, Grenadesspecial abilities: Command, TechnicianSergeant Ringo, who has been a part of the 6th Platoon since its formation, has recently picked up some technical skills from Gunnery Sergeant Garrett. He has proved to be quite a skilled mechanic in his own right.

first squad (regular gis)

equipment: Two with M1 Garand, one with BAR, All have GrenadesThe First Squad is composed of those soldiers who have been in the 9th for the longest and therefore have the most combat experience. They carry the platoon’s only remaining BAR into combat and use it well.

experimental weapons team 0203 (regular gi t.e.g. team)

equipment: One with Tesla Electrical Gun, one with M1 Garand, All have Grenades Team 0203 is equipped with a powerful Tesla Gun stripped from the wreckage of the platoon’s second Buffalo suit. Despite not being originally designed for infantry use, it’s been very effective, as long as its bearers can get close enough to the enemy to fi re.

second squad (green gis)

equipment: All three have M1 Garands and Grenades Replacements, replacements, replacements. Never quite as good as those that preceded them. These are no different.

third squad (green gis)


fourth squad (green gis)


the tin men (green robot troopers)

equipment: All three have Thompson M1A1s special abilities: Slow, Solo, Steady Hands, Walking FireSergeant Ringo managed to fi x up three working robot troopers after the transport truck carrying the squad of robots hit a mine. They may be patched up, but they’re still hard as nails.

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 2 2 2 2

M RC CC A S DR W2 5+ 1 8 6 5 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

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M RC CC A S DR W3 6+ 1 5 5 - 2M RC CC A S DR W

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144

airborne

helmetBasecoat - 892 Yellow OliveHighlight - 924 Light Green Shadow - 855 Black Glaze

uniformBasecoat - 895 Gunship GreenHighlight - 974 Green SkyShadow - 975 Military Green

gearBasecoat - 875 Beige BrownHighlight - 819 Iraqui SandShadow - 846 Mahogany Brown

glovesBasecoat - 913 Yellow OchreHighlight - 953 Flat YellowShadow - 856 Ochre Brown

robot

bodyBasecoat - 850 Medium OliveHighlight - 974 Green SkyShadow - 968 Flat Green

jointsBasecoat - 995 German GreyFirst Highlight - 870 Medium Sea GreySecond Highlight - 94 Black Ink (VG)

packs/pouchesBasecoat - 62 Earth (VG)Highlight - 61 Khaki (VG)Shadow - 45 Charred Brown (VG)

woodgrainBasecoat - 44 Dark Fleshtone (VG)Highlight - 981 Orange BrownShadow - 51 Black (VG)


helmet

gear

uniform

gloves

joints

packs

body

wood


146

may 13th, 1944

The basement of the facility was less than hospitable. It was Grigoriy’s fi rst visit here, and he was certain it would not be his last. The walls were covered in fi lth and the fl oors wet with condensation seeping down from the ceiling. The odor of mildew and mold was heavy in the air and the hallway was very humid. But above all, the silence was what caught Grigoriy’s attention. He expected to hear the screams and ravings of madmen echoing throughout the basement, for the stories told to him of other asylums spoke of a din of insanity. But the utter quiet was unnerving and left him ill at ease.

Passing by heavy iron doors to his right, Grigoriy strained not to look into the small barred windows in the center of the doors. He was here for one reason and his curiosity for who, or what, lay in those cells would not deter him from it. He made his way down the hall, footsteps ringing across the stone, to the last door; a door with no window. Knocking twice, the clang of the metal drifted back down the hall as the door opened with a creak.

He was greeted by the sharp features of his superior, Captain Artur Kunak, whose constant look of displeasure seemed to have worsened. Without words, Captain Kunak allowed Grigoriy to enter and closed the door behind him.

The room was a typical cell; small, dank, fi lthy. A single light hung from the ceiling and in the corner sat a bucket of human waste. A small wooden desk and two simple chairs had been brought into the room, and seated at the desk was Doctor Viktor Blazhen. Grigoriy had met the doctor after arriving in town yesterday. The doctor was a nervous individual, constantly on edge. But his reputation as a skilled psychologist was well known.

Grigoriy’s eyes turned from the doctor, who gave him a silent stare upon entering, to the crumpled mass sitting on the fl oor against the far wall. The man was barely recognizable, covered in dirt, hair, and tattered clothing. A bird’s nest of thick graying black hair was wild on his head and his long beard was matted and covered in grime. His clothes were torn, hanging off his emaciated frame by a thread, and bore years of dirt and waste. But beneath his disheveled appearance, Grigoriy immediately noticed his eyes. Large, saucer-sized globes gazed out from a shadowed brow. They seemed to glow, shining from the man’s face and boring deep into Grigoriy’s mind. He was captivated by those eyes, hypnotically drawn into them. And in those eyes Grigoriy saw madness, a madness that began to whisper into his own mind until, after only the briefest of instants, he swore he could hear the faint whispers of unknown voices.

Grigoriy was snapped from the lunatic’s gaze as Captain Kunak broke the deafening silence.

“Comrade doctor,” said the captain, “were you able to locate any of the fi les on this man?”

The jittery Doctor Blazhen looked up at the imposing captain, voice shaking as he answered.

“Y-y-yes Captain,” the doctor replied. “Much was lost during the Great War, but we have found his birth records.”

“Nothing more,” asked the captain in a tone that indicated disapproval.

“I’m afraid not, Captain.” The doctor was clearly growing nervous. The reputation of the NKVD as ruthless agents of the Red Army was well known.

“Are we certain this is the man we’ve been looking for?” The Captain was giving the doctor one last chance to redeem himself.

“Yes Captain,” Doctor Blazhen replied. “He was born in the Tungus region of Siberia in 1897, that much we are certain of.”

Captain Kunak slowly walked over to the inmate, pondering the response of the doctor. If what the doctor said was true, they were standing before a man that had been sought after for nearly a decade. A man, who, it was believed, could help the Red Army begin to understand the phenomenon that was now sweeping across Mother Russia. The captain knelt down in front of the madman.

“Comrade Khaymovich,” said the captain, barely loud enough to hear, “what have you seen?”

Upon hearing his name, the prisoner blinked long and hard, turning his eyes towards the captain for the fi rst time since Grigoriy had entered the room. As if he had awoken from a dream, conscious thought seemed to once more enter the man’s mind. It was as though his name had the power to steal him away from the madness of his thoughts, bringing him back, momentarily, to the real world.

“I have seen much,” said Yuri Khaymovich in an equally hushed tone, “more than you can imagine.”

As quickly as his lucid state had arrived, it was gone. His eyes widened to impossible size and glazed over, sending him back into his insanity. In a loud voice, he began yelling at no one in particular, shouting the ravings of a madman Grigoriy had expected upon entering the cell block.

“I saw it born, saw it fall,” ranted Khaymovich. “I heard its birth cry. No rain, it wasn’t rain. They called it, ushered it forth into the world…”

The captain rose, clearly disappointed he was unable to get more from the man they had been searching so long for.

“…the trees wept before they fell…”


147

In his typical dispassionate tone, the captain approached Grigoriy and Doctor Blazhen, keeping his voice low, but loud enough to be heard over Khaymovich’s continued raving.

“You may begin your work, comrade doctor,” said Captain Kunak.

“…can’t you hear it? I can hear it…”

“We must learn of the connection between the Tunguska event and the powers our people have begun to develop,” continued the captain.

“But sir,” said the doctor, “I must warn you that this man has spent his entire adult life in asylums and prisons. It was sheer luck we were able to fi nd him and transfer him here. His mind is gone, shattered four decades ago by what took place then.”

“…the worms in my head tell me to do things…”

Captain Kunak ignored the doctor’s warning.

“Failure will not be tolerated comrade doctor,” said the captain. “This ‘psi phenomenon’ did not begin until just prior to the First World War and we believe that what took place in 1908 has something to do with it. The NKVD must understand these things before we use them against our enemies.”

The doctor began glancing nervously between the captain and the prisoner.

“Very well,” said Doctor Blazhen, “I will begin immediately.” “…red tears fall from the sky, the birds know it…”

Captain Kunak gave a fi nal look to the prisoner and Grigoriy was disturbed when he saw those large eyes staring at him once more. The captain opened the cell door and left, Grigoriy right behind him, happy to be rid of the madman’s gaze.

They closed the door behind them and made their way down the long hall. Whispers came from the other cells as though Khaymovich’s insane babble had awoken the other inmates. The captain was silent and questions began pouring into Grigoriy’s mind.

“So,” said Grigoriy, “do we wait until the doctor is able to discover this man’s secrets?”

Pausing at the stairs leading to the ground fl oor, Captain Kunak had to think for only a moment before giving his answer.

“No Grigoriy,” he said, “we will begin using the new soldiers now.”


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the soviet ‘psi’ phenomenonBy 1946, the people of the Soviet Union have found themselves in the grip of a phenomenon that Stalin and the Red Army are attempting to both understand and use to their advantage in the war against the Germans. Dubbed by many as the ‘psi phenomenon’, Axis and Allied intelligence agencies are only now learning about the extent of this strange event as well as the lengths to which Soviet intelligence agencies will go to gain an edge in the increasingly long confl ict in Eastern Europe.

The 4th Special Department of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) has, for nearly a decade, attempted to determine the cause of the supernatural abilities the Soviet people have begun to develop as well as fi nding military applications for these abilities. Shrouded in secrecy, the 4th

Special Department, once an intelligence organization, now falls under military jurisdiction and citizens of Mother Russia that show such abilities are quickly rounded up and forced into

military service. The results of the 4th Special Department’s research have begun to see expanded use on the fi eld of battle and, though the NKVD still does not understand the full extent of these powers, the Red Army now has terrifying and strange new psi-technology at their disposal.

historyThough the NKVD had its origins in the aftermath of the October Revolution of 1917, the 4th Special Department’s roots trace back to the Industrial Party Trial of 1930. In a largely show trial, prominent engineers, economists, and scientists were convicted of plotting a coup against the Soviet government. Many of those convicted were sent to secret laboratories that were part of the Gulag labor camp system under the control of the State Political Directorate (GPU), the precursor to the KGB. In these ‘sharashka’ camps, scientists and engineers were forced to serve the Soviet Union, practicing their craft for the greater good of their nation. This early bureau fell under the jurisdiction of the GPU and was largely unorganized and slow to produce signifi cant results.

All that changed in August of 1938 with the arrival of Lavrentiy

Beria, the newly appointed deputy head of the NKVD. A ruthless politician and close friend of Stalin, Beria quickly made sure that the intelligence organization he was now in charge of was fi lled with individuals loyal both to Russia and to himself. During the early years of Beria’s command of the NKVD, thousands of political prisoners and other ‘undesirables’ were sent to the Gulags, many of whom were prominent scientists that found their way to the sharashkas.

By the end of 1938 Beria had offi cially created the Special Design Bureaus and brought all research being done in the sharashkas under one roof. As World War II began in earnest, General Valentin Kravchenko was placed in charge of the Special Design Bureaus and renamed the unit Special Technical Bureau. While still under Beria’s supervision, the appointment of a military leader to a scientifi c organization meant that research and development taking place within the Special Technical Bureau would be used primarily for military applications.

As the NKVD and the Special Technical Bureau began their rise to power, the people of the Soviet Union became aware of an alarming and increasingly common phenomenon taking place in their homeland. The number of reported cases of ‘psychic’ abilities among the people of Siberia and other lands in the eastern Soviet Union increased dramatically between the years of 1920 and 1935. Though these reports were slow to reach the ears of the fl edgling NKVD, the most profound accounts were investigated and those citizens displaying such abilities were rounded up and placed in prisons, asylums, or executed as threats to the state. Mystics, holy men, prophets, and psychics quickly learned to keep their abilities hidden, lest they fi nd themselves at the mercy of the Soviet intelligence agency.

But even with the ‘psi phenomenon’, as it would come to be called, growing signifi cantly, the NKVD was slow to understand its size and scope. What began as a handful of cases in the vast wilderness of Siberia soon expanded into a national issue. By the time Beria became head of the NKVD in 1938 the number of reports of psi abilities was in the thousands and spread across the entire Soviet Union. Beria, Stalin, Kravchenko and other high-ranking Soviet offi cials knew that they were in the midst of something big. As with most things concerning the security of the Soviet Union, the NKVD was quick to gain control of the situation.

Beria and Kravchenko created the Psi Bureau in December of 1938, offi cially (but secretly) acknowledging the ‘psi phenomenon’ taking place within the Soviet Union. As part of the Special Technical Bureau, this sub-department was responsible primarily for research into the cause of these psi abilities but also for their possible military applications. Over time, the bureau’s focus would shift from understanding what was taking place to using it to the nation’s advantage.

Beginning in 1939, and using NKVD resources, the Psi Bureau began a campaign of what intelligence agents referred to as


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‘resource gathering’ throughout the Soviet Union. As with Stalin’s Great Purge, this campaign was designed to gather together Soviet citizens who met certain criteria. Any person who possessed, or was suspected of possessing, psi abilities was taken away by the NKVD, sent to one of a handful of sharashkas primarily located in Siberia. Here they were thoroughly studied with gruesome experiments being done in the early years of the bureau. In addition to these human guinea pigs, experts in areas of psychology, biology, genetics, and even the occult were likewise forced to serve the Soviet Union, attempting to unravel the secrets of this strange new phenomenon that was taking place throughout the country.

By 1941 the Special Technical Bureau had met with great success. Under the command of General Kravchenko, signifi cant gains had been made in many areas of scientifi c research. The Bureaus of Rocketry and Aircraft Design (the Tupolevka Bureau) both produced many vital breakthroughs during this time, though were unable to match the success of the American and German programs. The Psi Bureau however, was making incredible discoveries that impressed General Kravchenko and Stalin who continued to provide support and funding for the Special Technical Bureau and, more specifi cally, the Psi Bureau. The STB was given the secret name of the 4th Special Department and knowledge of its existence known only to the highest-level NKVD and military personnel.

After nearly fi ve years of study, breakthroughs began being made into the psi phenomenon. Many attribute this to a change in leadership, which took place in the opening months of 1944. Colonel Artur Kunak, a combat hero and veteran of Stalingrad, was placed in charge of the Psi Bureau. Colonel Kunak’s fi erce loyalty to Stalin and (more importantly) General Kravchenko earned him the position of Bureau Chief over the Psi Bureau. A ruthless man, Kunak still runs the Psi Bureau with stark effi ciency, caring little for the losses incurred as long as his projects meet with success. With such a taskmaster in charge, the Psi Bureau has made signifi cant headway in researching the cause of these strange abilities, as well as their possible military applications.

As prototype psi-units were being fi nalized and tested, researchers for the Psi Bureau made a startling discovery. A correlation was made between the psi phenomenon taking place

in the Soviet Union and the unexplained explosion that took place in Siberia in 1908. The Tunguska Event, as it had been called, had been seen for thousands of miles in all directions and illuminated the night sky for days. Though numerous scientifi c expeditions were made between 1927 and 1938, none were able to determine the precise cause of the devastation. As evidence began mounting that revealed a link between the Tunguska Event and the psi phenomenon, General Kravchenko ordered a military expedition to be sent to the region.

In mid-1944, a small military detachment made up of soldiers from the Red Army and a number of experimental psi units made their way through the rough mountain terrain of the Siberian wilderness. Nearly one hundred soldiers and a handful of scientists embarked on this dangerous journey but only two dozen managed to survive the ordeal. Reports from the survivors told of strange occurrences that took place as the detachment neared their destination. The most signifi cant and well documented event to take place was the drastic change in the behaviour of experimental soldiers during the expedition. Accounts from the journey state that, as they progressed, the number of psychotic episodes taking place among the psi soldiers assigned to the mission grew signifi cantly. By the time the group reached ground zero, they had been forced to kill nearly all of the experimental soldiers that were accompanying them. Survivors explained that the psi troops began experiencing vivid hallucinations both visual and auditory that only grew worse as they progressed. These hallucinations eventually caused many of the experimental soldiers to turn on their comrades, a tragedy that cost the expedition dearly in the later weeks of the mission.

Those that managed to survive the trip brought back little in the way of real information. No evidence was found that even hinted at the cause of the Tunguska Event, nor why or how such an event could have caused the psychic phenomenon. But the information provided by the survivors told the leaders of the 4th Special Department that there was, indeed, a connection between this strange event and the psychic abilities being developed by the Soviet people.

With the expedition to Tungusk complete, Stalin ordered the fi rst fi eld tests of the experimental psi units. In late 1944 specially trained and equipped psi soldiers are put to the test against German forces in Eastern Europe. These troops met with signifi cant


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success and since that time Stalin and General Kravchenko have seen to it to increase the training and production of psi soldiers. The NKVD continues to round up Soviet citizens that display such abilities and force them into service.

In December of 1945 the NKVD and, by extension, the 4th Special Department underwent a change in leadership. Lavrentiy Beria stepped down as the Deputy Head of the NKVD, moving on to bigger and better things as his position within the Soviet hierarchy increased. In his place, General Segei Kruglov took control of the intelligence agency. The appointment of a military leader as Deputy Head of the NKVD has come to the surprise of many, who felt that Beria would remain in a position of such extreme power until the war ended and even beyond. Many believe that Kruglov replaced Beria under the direct orders of Stalin, who fears Beria’s growing political and military power. Whatever the reason, it is certain that a man as ruthless and paranoid as Beria maintains signifi cant ties with the NKVD and the 4th Special Department.

With the war continuing into 1946, and without an end in sight, the leaders of the Soviet Union try desperately to keep up with their enemies. As the Germans develop new and terrifying genetic abominations, the Japanese use fearsome chemical and biological weapons and with American advances in electrical and mechanical technology, the NKVD have brought their psi weapons to bear. The hope of the Red Army lies in these new and frightening weapons, though many questions remain as to their origins or implications.

organizationAs of 1946, the 4th Special Department falls under the jurisdiction of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs. Though part

of the intelligence organization, under General Kravchenko the department sees a great deal of interaction with the Red Army and, due to the department’s popularity with both Stalin and Beria, gets whatever it wants from nearly every branch of the Soviet military.

A number of bureaus exist within the 4th Special Department, each led by a Bureau Chief, nearly all of which have been put into place by Kravchenko and Beria. Each bureau chief reports directly to General Kravchenko and has a number of underlings that report directly to them. The command structure of the 4th Special Department works in much the same way as that of the military, however due to its placement within the intelligence organization of the NKVD, the department thrives on secrecy and complete loyalty. Everyone working within the 4th Special Department has only a few others that they work with (or for) and those members of the department that socialize with anyone outside of their prescribed co-workers fi nd themselves under investigation by the NKGB.

There are few who know the number and nature of every bureau within the 4th Special Department, but the Bureau of Rocketry, the Psi Bureau, and the Bureau of Aircraft Design receive the most attention (and funding) from Soviet leaders.

psi bureau Over the past fi fteen years, the Psi Bureau has grown from a tiny, often neglected, organization into the most secretive, effective, and well-funded groups within the NKVD. Under the command of Colonel Kunak, the Psi Bureau has developed some of the most terrible and amazing technology and weaponry seen in the world. The gains made by the Psi Bureau have allowed the Red Army to keep pace with their German enemies, combating the


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fearsome genetic abominations with the psychic abilities of the Soviet people themselves.

The Psi Bureau is divided into three sub-departments, each of which reports directly to Colonel Kunak. The Training Department is responsible for the creation and execution of the rigorous training programs psi soldiers are placed into. These programs allow for the psychic abilities of these soldiers to be honed and refi ned along very specifi c guidelines in order to maximize their effi ciency in the fi eld of battle. In addition, these programs ensure that the Psi Bureau and the NKVD maintain control of these experimental soldiers by limiting the extent to which their powers develop. The Training Department currently fi nds themselves overworked and understaffed as the demand for more and more psi soldiers increases.

The Technology Department creates the various weapons and equipment used by the soldiers of the Psi Bureau. They work closely with the Department of Theory to understand the ‘how’ of the psychic abilities developed by the Soviet people and combine this knowledge with already established scientifi c principles. Bridging the gap between science and mysticism, the Technology Department uses these ideas to create devices that enable a soldier with limited psychic ability and training to further focus their abilities, channelling them through a number of strange pieces of technology. The Technology Department is constantly being pushed by Colonel Kunak to create new devices and refi ne those that have proven themselves successful.

The Department of Theory receives the least attention of any of the Psi Bureau’s sub-departments, much to the chagrin of its members. Responsible for determining the cause and nature of the psi phenomenon, the sub-department has produced little in the way of signifi cant results. Colonel Kunak and General Kravchenko have made their displeasure well known to those within the Department of Theory, who now work harder than ever to understand what is going on within the Soviet Union. What few resources are at the sub-department’s disposal are constantly being used to develop new and more powerful weapons and equipment for military use, leaving little time for research of a non-military nature.

bureau of rocketryThe Bureau of Rocketry has been engaged in a secret war with members of the German Sonderbuero-13 for nearly a decade. In charge of the development of rocket technology, the Bureau of Rocketry has focused their efforts on one area only: the recovery and reverse-engineering of a non-human craft recovered in Poland in 1938. Though German forces had quickly claimed the wreckage of the crashed vehicle and its crew during their invasion in 1939, the Bureau of Rocketry was given a number of pieces of research stolen from Polish scientists before the German invasion. Using this data, Soviet scientists (many forced into work) did what they could to understand and then apply this new and amazing technology. Over the past seven years the NKVD has made numerous attempts to seize more research on the craft and the Bureau of Rocketry has received scraps of information as it trickles in from Germany. Though well behind the German and American rocket programs, the Bureau of Rocketry has produced a number of vital pieces of

technology for the 4th Special Department.

bureau of aircraft design The bulk of the Soviet Air Force was destroyed when German forces attacked in June of 1941 with nearly 2000 aircraft being destroyed on the fi rst day of the German invasion. The Bureau of Aircraft Design (nicknamed the Tupolevka Bureau after its foremost resident Andrei Tupolev) was given the task of bringing the Soviet Air Force up to par prior to the onset of World War II. Following the devastating attack by the Germans, the Tupolevka Bureau was scrambling to rebuild.

During the early years of the war, the Bureau of Aircraft Design worked diligently to reverse-engineer much of the aircraft technology provided to them by the United States due to the lend-lease program. In addition, captured German technology was also sent to Moscow, where the Bureau was located in order to bring Soviet aircraft to the same performance levels as their German counterparts. The Bureau made signifi cant gains early in the war though the Soviet Air Force remained on the defensive due to the lack of aircraft at their command.

With breakthroughs being made by the Bureau of Rocketry and the Psi Bureau, the Tupolevka Bureau has been given access to advanced technologies that have greatly aided their work. Specially trained pilots using psi abilities are able to use their powers during fl ight, making them the equal of any German ace. In addition, technology provided by the Bureau of Rocketry, stolen from the alien craft recovered by German forces has been used to create aircraft that come close to matching those fi elded by the Luftwaffe. The gains made by the Bureau of Aircraft Design have helped the Soviet Air Force rebuild since 1941 and could once again make the Soviet Union the master of their own skies.

weaponsThe bulk of the weapons and equipment being produced by the Psi Bureau are used to boost the existing abilities of the soldiers under the bureau’s control. Nearly none of the weapons that are developed by the Psi Bureau can be used by non-psychics, a fact that makes these weapons all the more useful and prevents the bureau from fearing they fall into enemy hands. The true weapons being created by the Psi Bureau are the soldiers themselves, trained and equipped according to bureau protocols. Much of the research being done by the bureau in regards to


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weaponry focuses on fi ne-tuning the training programs developed by bureau scientists and creating equipment that will further enhance the abilities of the psi soldiers. Most devices created by the Psi Bureau fall into the category of ‘psi amplifi er’, with each weapon or piece of equipment created to focus individual abilities such as telepathy or telekinesis. Nearly all psi soldiers possess some form of psi amplifi er and these devices vary widely in size and complexity.

psi cannonsThe psi cannon was one of the earliest developed weapons produced by the 4th Special Department. Harnessing the abilities of telepaths, Soviet scientists were able to use a large device to increase the range and power of certain abilities. Soldiers trained in the use of these devices are able reach out with their minds, locate the minds of their enemies and use their telepathic powers to infl ict pain and sometimes even death. The psi cannon is hard-wired directly into the mind of the user and utilizes a combination of radio technology and crystals harvested from the mountains of Siberia.

Like much of the psi technology produced by the 4th Special Department, not everything about the psi cannon is understood by the scientists that produced it. It is believed that using both scientifi c and holistic methods, the devices focus the telepathic abilities of the user whose lethal powers rarely reach out farther than a few meters.

Psi cannons are often fi elded in two-man teams, with a pair of telepaths taking the fi eld together and using their weapons to attack specifi c high-profi le targets such as enemy offi cers or elite soldiers. Reports from captured enemy troops who have survived an attack from such a weapon indicate the psi cannons are terrible weapons, greatly feared by the enemy.

Though psi cannons are used primarily as lethal weapons to attack single targets, similar devices are being employed by spies and psi commandos for telepathic eavesdropping, reading the minds of enemies from far distances. It is thought that many different telepathic abilities can be bolstered through such a device.

psi shields While the Americans have been able to create magnetic fi elds capable of repelling most conventional weapons, Soviet forces

have managed to create a similar effect using the mental abilities of psychokinetic soldiers. These soldiers, wired into devices that boost their abilities, are able to produce a ‘shield’ that can stop incoming projectiles. While the strength of the psi shield depends on the number and capability of the soldier(s) using such an ability, there have been accounts of teams of psychics stopping barrages of artillery fi re, which detonated above the heads of frightened Soviet soldiers who survived the attack unscathed. Such uses of a psi shield are rare and the shields are more commonly employed to protect individual targets such as offi cers and high-ranking members of the political party.

Another use of the psi shield that has undergone fi eld tests in recent years utilizes the abilities of telepaths rather than psychokinetics. Using powers similar to those of psi commandos (see below), telepaths are able to cloak soldiers, units, and even vehicles, obscuring them from sight and making them nearly invisible. By using the same devices as those needed to create a telekinetic shield, telepaths are able to bend light around the target for a short time. This use of the psi shield has met with great success and the 4th Special Department has increased their research into this area.

psi tanks Rumbling onto the fi eld of battle in late 1945, the psi tank represents the pinnacle of Soviet psi technology. Known as the LB-1 (after Lavrentiy Beria), a small number of prototype tanks have seen action in Eastern Europe. Based on the successful IS-2 heavy tank, much of the weapon, navigation and communication equipment has been replaced with psi amplifying devices. The entire four-man crew of the LB-1 tank is comprised of highly skilled psi soldiers, most of which show great telepathic abilities. These soldiers use their abilities and the technology of the tank to great effect and the success of these devastating weapons are now known throughout Europe. The LB-1 tanks are able to communicate telepathically at great distances, operate during extreme conditions (snow, darkness, etc), produce shields that can hide or protect the vehicle for short periods, and produce a psychic blast that ignores even the thickest of armor. Though they have only begun being used, Stalin is quite pleased at the success of these vehicles and has ordered further fi eld tests before putting the tanks into mass production.

troopsMost of the bureaus of the 4th Special Department focus their efforts on large-scale projects that have little impact on infantry or cavalry forces in the fi eld. The Psi Bureau however has managed to transform an otherwise ordinary individual into a powerful psychic weapon for use by the Red Army.

The bulk of the soldiers fi elded by the 4th Special Department are forced into service by the NKVD. Drawn from all over the Soviet Union, these conscripts have displayed some manner of psychic ability and are rounded up and sent to one of the many training facilities located in Siberia. Here they are treated as little more than tools of the Soviet Union, catalogued, tested, and separated by their abilities. After their initial arrival and ‘orientation’, conscripts are placed into specially-designed training programs based on what sort of psychic ability they display. In these programs they focus their powers and develop them along very


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specifi c criteria laid down by NKVD offi cials. Failure to adhere to these programs results in immediate execution, as does the inability to hone their talents in the manner the Soviet Union has deemed fi t.

After their training is complete, psi troops are put into small teams and sent into battle under the guidance of offi cers trained to manage these special troops and their equipment. Much of the time, the offi cers themselves possess a minor psychic ability but have proven themselves loyal followers of the Soviet Union and are thus placed in command positions. Psi troops are nearly never placed in large units so as to prevent any signifi cant problems should their abilities (or their loyalty) go awry.

Currently only a handful of training programs exist, but these have been rigorously tested on the fi eld of battle and have met with great success. New programs are continuously being developed and tested, usually by scientists forced into service, but these new programs are nearly always begun with loyalist soldiers lest instances of uprisings occur.

chumans‘Chumans’ is the nickname American soldiers have given to one of the new types of soldiers being fi elded by the Red Army. Early in the war, Stalin and Deputy Chief Beria experimented with human-ape crossbreeding programs; programs that met with failure. Hoping to create soldiers that were stronger, faster, and more agile than human troops, the program was quickly terminated. But as research into the psi phenomenon increased, the program was resurrected and attempted once more this time using subjects displaying psi abilities. The results were astounding.

Called Project Ivanov (after the infamous Soviet biologist who made early attempts at such hybridization) the project entailed the interbreeding of psychic humans that possessed particular traits with apes. These humans were usually forced to participate and were a mix of both male and female subjects. The resulting offspring were a perfect match of human and ape, exactly what Stalin had been hoping for. Not all attempts at crossbreeding were successful and the failed subjects (both human and ape)

were killed. Those that proved a successful match were placed in long-term breeding programs and continued to produce hybrid children until no longer able to do so.

Chuman infants were placed in programs where they were reared and trained in war. General Kravchenko helped oversee the initial rearing programs and ensured they minimized free thinking and individuality and maximized loyalty and martial training. Maturing quickly, these offspring saw their fi rst fi eld tests in 1944 against German forces and proved to be the pinnacle of Soviet military might.

Strong, quick, fearless, completely loyal, chuman soldiers are, to this day, effi cient killers and nearly perfect soldiers. Their relatively low intelligence, combined with their unusual physical characteristics makes them poor marksmen and thus they often take the fi eld of battle without any weapons, instead using their hands and feet to move quickly across the battlefi eld then tearing apart the enemy with their

bare hands.

Unlike many other psi soldiers, chumans can be fi elded in large numbers and prove unwavering in their loyalty to the Soviet cause. Occasionally, a human parent is allowed to accompany their offspring into battle, but this honor is usually reserved for members of the NKVD that willingly participate in the breeding programs. Chumans often see use as front-line shock troops, scouts, or insertion forces sent into enemy lines to cause panic and carnage. They prove quite skilled at


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every one of these tasks.

commandosSoviet Psi Commandos are psi soldiers drawn from the Soviet Guards of the Red Army. Already elite soldiers, those developing psi abilities are sent to Siberia to be trained in the use of their powers. Though a number of training programs are under development, only one has been seen widespread use over the past year.

Skilled soldiers that develop telepathic abilities are trained as commandos for the NKVD. Pulled from their military units and placed under the control of the 4th Special Department, psi commandos as used as spies, infi ltrators, assassins, and elite warriors. Their training allows them to hone their psychic talents to great effect, enabling them to reach out with their minds and obscure the thoughts of those watching them. Almost a refl exive ability, psi commandos can use this ability to shroud themselves in a haze, making them very diffi cult to observe. Subjects have said that shrouded commandos appear as little more than a blur. This allows the commandos to move across the fi eld of battle with relative impunity, unable to be picked out by enemy snipers or others.

Currently psi commandos are fi elded in two-man teams and

specialize in moving behind enemy lines to participate in numerous covert operations. They have met with great success in such a role and more such soldiers are being trained everyday.

bansheesBy 1946 nearly 800,000 women have joined the armed forces of the Soviet Union to defend their Motherland. Often used as snipers and pilots, female soldiers have proven themselves equally as skilled and as loyal as their male counterparts. The 4th Special Department has been quick to realize this and has created a special training program for female telepaths.

Nicknamed ‘banshees’ by NKVD offi cers, these female psi soldiers are trained to harness their telepathic abilities and channel their raw emotion to emit a terrifying and horrifi c psychic scream. Such wailing reaches not only the ears, but the minds of those around them, rendering victims of their screams shaken to the core of their being. Though there have been accounts of the banshee’s wail infl icting permanent brain damage to some targets, most remain uninjured but quite incapable of much more than cowering in fear. German forces and even friendly forces know to give the banshees a wide berth, lest they fi nd themselves subject to their screams.


155

politrukelite infantry (individual)

soviet officerveteran infantry (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 3+ 3 3 3 6 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

composition: 1 Political Leaderequipment: Pistol, Grenades

special abilities: Not a Step Back!: Soviet Commissars are notorious for executing soldiers that attempt to leave the fi eld of battle. For 1 AP, a Politruk can execute any model that has succumbed to rout and is within 12”, removing them as a casualty. No roll is needed. The instant the model is executed all Soviet units on the table have their Drive increased by 1 (up to their original value).


Political Commissars, as they were previously called, are government appointed offi cers who oversee the activities of military units to which they are attached. They have complete authority and total control over the forces under their command, but most lead out of fear rather than respect. Soviet Politruks are infamous for their ruthless execution of friendly soldiers that attempt to fl ee or surrender.

•

•

composition: 1 Soviet Offi cerequipment: PPSh-41, Pistol, Grenades



The offi cers of the Red Army are a tough lot, forced to contend with the Commissars, the NKVD, and especially the enemy. With stern determination, Soviet offi cers lead the men and women under their command into battle, refusing to back down even in the face of fi erce opposition.

•

••

in house

Keep the Politruk within 12” of low-drive units such as

conscripts.


156

nkvd psi officerveteran specialist (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2 composition: 1 NKVD Psi Offi cer

equipment: PPSh-41, Pistol, Grenades

special abilities: Through training and advanced technology, the Psi Offi cer has developed a potent psychic ability that can be used during battle. A Psi Offi cer can select one of the following psychic abilities that can be used during the game.

Mental Stun: A Psi Offi cer is able to telepathically stun his opponents, causing them to pause and often forget what they were doing. For 1 AP, a Psi Offi cer can force an enemy model to lose 1 AP. The victim can attempt to resist this ability by rolling 1d6; if they roll equal to or lower than their current Drive attribute, they do not suffer a loss of AP. The target of this ability must be within 12” and line of sight.Clouded Minds: Trained to reach out with their thoughts and obscure themselves, Psi Offi cers can make themselves diffi cult to spot. The Psi Offi cer receives a +2 cover bonus at all times, even when in the open. This bonus stacks with any other cover bonus and does not apply to units the Psi Offi cer joins.Remove Fear: A Psi Offi cer with this ability is able to remove the doubts and fears of those around him, bolstering the morale of his comrades. A model with this psychic power gains the command ability.Psychic Push: The Psi Offi cer has developed a basic psychokinetic ability that allows him to use a psychic push to move foes and other objects around. For 1 AP, the Psi Offi cer can use this ability to move an enemy model 1” in any direction. The enemy model must be within 12” and line of sight of the Latent Psi and is allowed to resist by rolling equal to or lower than their Strength attribute on 1d6.


notes: For each Psi Offi cer present within a detachment, one Psi choice may be selected. If a Psi Offi cer’s Training Level is increased to Elite, they may take up to two Psi choices.

The NKVD, the counterintelligence agency for the Red Army, has managed to promote fanatically loyal and highly skilled psi soldiers to the rank of offi cer and placed them in charge of small groups of experimental units. With their own minor psi abilities, these offi cers see to it these new forces are used to utmost effect against their enemies and their success and failure is reported back to their superiors.

•

•

•

•

••

•


157

nkvd psi commandosregular psi (squad)

nkvd psi-cannon teamregular psi (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 2

composition: 2 Psi Commandosequipment: SVT-40, Pistols, Grenades

special abilities: Clouded Minds: Psi Commandos are trained to reach out with their thoughts and obscure themselves, making them diffi cult to spot. Psi Commandos receive a +2 cover bonus at all times, even when in the open. This bonus stacks with any other cover bonus and also applies to individuals that join the squad.

options: Any member of the squad may exchange their SVT-40 for a PPSh-41.The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.

The NKVD has trained some of their most loyal and skilled telepaths to cloud the minds of those around them, obscuring themselves against detection. While some of these soldiers are so adept with this power as to become nearly invisible, the bulk of these troopers are assigned to two-man teams and used as infi ltrators and commandos.

•

•

•

composition: 2 Psi Commandosequipment: NKVD Psi-Cannon


A perfect blending of technology and psi potential, the NKVD Psi-Cannon is a device that allows the telepaths it is issued to to focus their powers and use them at much further range. The device is wired directly into the user’s brain and the telepaths are trained to project a telepathic attack hundreds of yards away. Reaching out with their mind, and channeled by the crystals within the cannon, these psi-soldiers can crush a man’s intellect with but a thought.

•

in house

Psi-Cannon teams can be used to target heavily armored units

or enemies in heavy cover.


158

bansheesregular psi (squad)

soviet sniperregular specialist (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 2 3 2 4 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 3+ 3 3 2 4 2

composition: 2 Banshee Soldiersequipment: SVT-40

special abilities: Wail: For 1 AP, a Banshee Soldier can emit a piercing scream that nearly deafens all those around them. The wail reverberates through the soul of those that hear it, and hearing protection is nearly useless. When a Banshee Soldier wails, all models within 12” (including friendly models) must roll equal to or lower than their current Drive on 1d6 or be suppressed, as though they were the target of suppression fi re. Models do not receive a bonus to this roll for cover (as per standard suppression fi re rules). Models suppressed in this way remain suppressed through their next activation and can attempt to break suppression as described in the rules for suppression fi re. Other Banshee soldiers are not affected by this ability.


Female telepaths are placed into a program where they are trained to channel both their abilities and their emotions to devastating effect; dubbed ‘banshees’ by male members of the NKVD, these fearsome women are able to scream with both their voices and their minds, causing pain to those around them. Sometimes these are screams of loyalty and unwavering patriotism, other times they are of rage and anger at being forced into service, but regardless of its origins the wail of the banshee drives all those that hear it to be afraid.

•

•

composition: 1 Soviet Sniperequipment: Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 Rifl e, Pistol


options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.This individual may be designated as a Hero.

Spurred by the success of such heroes as Vasily Zaitsev and Nina Lobkovskaya, the Red Army has seen an infl ux of skilled sharpshooters. Men and women from across Russia are deployed at the platoon level to act as snipers and are easily the equals of their American and German counterparts.

•

••

in house

Use vehicles to get banshees close to multiple enemy units.


159

soviet anti-tank dog squadregular specialist (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

handler

M RC CC A S DR W5 - 3 1 3 - 1

anti-tank dog

soviet anti-tank rifle teamregular support (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

fact vs fictionSoviet anti-tank dogs were used

during the early years of the war, but were removed from

service shortly thereafter.

composition: 1 Handler and 2 Anti-Tank Dogsequipment: SVT-40, Pistol

special abilities: Frightening (Dogs only)Sure-footed (Dogs only)Unintelligent (Dogs only)Explosive: Anti-tank dogs are trained to pull a cord attached to large amounts of explosives carried on their backs when they reach a target. For 1 AP, an anti-tank dog can pull this cord, detonating their explosives and killing themselves and (potentially) those nearby. All models within 1½” of the dog when it explodes suffer a Strength 6+2d6 hit.


notes: The dogs and their handler do not follow ordinary cohesion rules. Rather than needing to be within four inches of one another, the dogs must remain within line of sight of the handler at all times. If a dogs begins its activation outside of LoS, either it or its handler must take as many actions as needed to get within LoS of one another.Though the handler and the dogs form a squad, the dogs are immune to morale losses and will fi ght on even after their handler has been killed. When an Anti-Tank Dog Squad’s Drive reaches zero, the handler is affected by rout as usual, but the dogs can act normally. An anti-tank dog cannot be suppressed (though its handler can).

After being withdrawn from service years ago, the use of anti-tank dogs is once again becoming prevalent throughout the Red Army. With advanced training techniques and new technologies, these loyal hounds are sent into combat, rushing towards enemy vehicles and triggering explosives at the opportune time.

••••

•

•

•

composition: 2 Rifl emenequipment: PTRS-41 (one per team), SVT-40, Pistols, Grenades

options: The soldier carrying the PTRS-41 does not possess an SVT-40.The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.

Soviet anti-tank rifl es are high-powered, long-range fi rearms capable of penetrating the armor of tanks and even the thick concrete walls of bunkers. Special teams of soldiers are sent to elevated positions whereby they could fi nd and eliminate enemy armor or fortifi ed troops.

••


160

soviet guardsregular infantry (squad)

soviet guard heavy weapon teamregular support (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

soviet starshinaregular infantry (individual)

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2

composition: 2 Soviet Guardsequipment: SVT-40, Pistols, Grenades


The pride of the Red Army, the Soviet Guards are elite soldiers, skilled and proven in combat. They are revered by their fellow soldiers and grouped into special divisions that are widely known as the best the Red Army has to offer.

•

composition: 2 Soviet Guardsequipment: Heavy Weapon (one per team, see below), SVT-40, Pistols, Grenades

options: The squad may select one of the following heavy weapons: ROKS-3 Flame-Thrower, DP-28 Light Machine Gun, 50-PM 40 Mortar.The squad’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran.

Armed with some of the best heavy weapons available, Soviet Guard heavy weapon teams put these deadly tools to good use.

•

•

composition: 1 Soviet Sergeantequipment: PPSh-41, Pistol, Grenades


options: The individual’s Training Level can be increased to Veteran. This individual may be designated as a Hero.The individual may exchange their PPSh-41 for an SVT-40.

At the forefront of Red Army squads are the Starshina, or Sergeants. Blooded in combat, these soldiers lead their fellow grunts into battle, never looking back, rallying those around them to give their lives in service of Mother Russia.

•

•••


161

conscript soldiersgreen infantry (squad)

chumansgreen psi (squad)

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 2 2 3 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 - 4 2 3 4 2

fact vs fiction

Experiments during the 1920’s were carried out by Ilya Ivanov

to create human/ape hybrids.

composition: 4 Conscript Soldiersequipment: SVT-40 (two per squad, see below)


notes: A squad of Conscript Soldiers includes four troops, but only two are armed with rifl es. As the squad begins to suffer casualties, the unarmed soldiers pick up the fallen weapons of their comrades (not costing any AP).

Forced into service, conscript soldiers are expected to fi ght and die in defense of their country. They are often under-equipped and thrown headlong into combat with little regard for their own lives. They know that retreat is not an option, for the brutal Politruk will shoot them if they run. Human waves of these soldiers are launched against their enemy in the hopes that their sheer numbers will be enough to ensure victory.

•

•

composition: 3 Chuman Soldiersequipment: None

special abilities: Sure-footedFrightening

Experiments in the early stages of the war by the NKVD to combine the intellect of a man with the strength of an ape failed miserably and Soviet scientists were uncertain if such a combination was even possible. But with the introduction of psi genetic material into the experiments the NKVD met with success and soon squads of ‘chumans’ were born. These creatures bear similarities to the genetic abominations of the German armies, but their psi heritage gives them a spirit as strong as their body.

••


162

somov’s guard (support detachment)

commissar somov (elite politruk)

equipment: Pistol, Grenadesspecial abilities: Not a Step Back!, War HeroPolitruk Andrei Somov has claimed a platoon from the 39th Guards Rifl e Division as his personal bodyguard. Though Somov is a brave and stalwart soldier for the Red Army, he prefers discretion to valor and chooses to use the support elements of ‘his’ platoon to engage the enemy with signifi cant fi repower. Made up of the best and hardest-hitting teams from the platoon, Somov’s Guard has proven a force to be reckoned with, feared by the Wehrmacht on the Ostfront.

praporshchik mets (veteran soviet officer)

equipment: PPSh-41, Pistol, Grenadesspecial abilities: CommandAdrik Mets is a junior offi cer of the Red Army and still a little wet behind the ears. He often defers to Commissar Somov for guidance and though he disdains the Politruk’s methods, he is thankful for Somov’s presence among his men. Mets has little doubt who is in charge of the unit.

ptrs team ‘panzer killers’ (regular soviet anti-tank rifle team)

equipment: PTRS-41 (one per team), SVT-40, Pistols, GrenadesVors Parnes and his comrade in arms have disabled nearly a dozen German tanks while part of Commissar Somov’s unit. They take great pride in their accomplishments and do their best to put themselves in positions where they can make the most use out of Vors’ PTRS.

mortar team (regular soviet guard heavy weapon team)

equipment: 50-PM 40 Mortar (one per team), SVT-40, Pistols, GrenadesAlways stationed at the rear of the rest of the detachment, the mortar team of Somov’s Guard drops ordnance on the enemy with deadly accuracy. Commissar Somov does not tolerate failure and the men of the mortar team make sure they are always on target.

lmg team(regular soviet guard heavy weapon team)

equipment: DP-28 Light Machine Gun (one per team), SVT-40, Pistols, GrenadesCommissar Somov uses the soldiers behind the DP-28 light machine gun for a specifi c purpose during most engagements: to keep the enemy pinned down, making them a perfect target for the mortar and anti-tank rifl e teams. By laying down a hail of gunfi re, the LMG team is often able to do precisely that, earning them favor from the ruthless political offi cer.

first conscript squad (green conscript soldiers)

equipment: SVT-40 (two per squad) Commissar Somov looks at the two units of conscripted soldiers in his unit as expendable assets. As a Politruk, Somov feels it is his duty to use these men and women as he sees fi t, sending them mercilessly to their deaths, providing a distraction from the key elements of his unit. As the conscript soldiers die, the support teams pick off enemy troops, resulting in victory for the Red Army and for Somov. There are always more conscripts…

second conscript squad (green conscript soldiers)

equipment: SVT-40 (two per squad) The men and women of Somov’s Guard know not to get too close to the conscript soldiers of their unit, for their commanding offi cer sends them rushing headlong into enemy fi re at the drop of a hat. When they threaten to route, Commissar Somov executes them himself with a patriotic shout of ‘Not a step back’! Such is the life of a conscript in the Red Army.

M RC CC A S DR W3 2+ 4 3 3 7 3

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

M RC CC A S DR W3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 2 2 3 1

M RC CC A S DR W3 5+ 2 2 2 3 1


163

soviet guard

coatBasecoat - 992 Neutral GreyHighlight - 990 Light GreyShadow - 867 Dark Bluegrey

gearBasecoat - 924 Russian UniformHighlight - 886 Green GreyShadow - 888 Olive Grey

woodgrainBasecoat - 846 Mahogany BrownHighlight - 981 Orange BrownShadow - 985 Hull Red

skinBasecoat - 860 Medium FleshHighlight - 955 Flat FleshShadow - 803 Brown Rose

chuman

uniformBasecoat - 924 Russian Uniform WWIIHighlight - 886 Green GreyShadow - 888 Olive Grey

beltBasecoat - 846 Mahogany BrownFirst Highlight - 818 Red LeatherShadow - 985 Hull Red

skinBasecoat - 984 Flat BrownHighlight - 860 Medium FleshShadow - 872 Chocolate Brown


skin

wood

packs

coat

skin

belt

uniform


164

“Home by Christmas, what a laugh!’ Gefreiter Heinz Gunther spat disgustedly through the jagged hole in the brick wall. He could swear the spittle was frozen solid before it smacked into the frosty mire of mud that surrounded their refuge. He shuddered as he considered what Erich Voss, a grizzled veteran from the 1st Waffen SS division had told him. ‘Enjoy this time, kamerad. General Winter hasn’t relieved General Mud yet. When he does, then you’ll know what real cold is.’

‘Defeatist swine!’ Gunther turned as he heard the outraged words. He was not surprised to fi nd that they had come from the north corner of the building, the area where fi ve men of the 3rd Waffen SS had billeted. One of them had risen from his seat beside the small campfi re the SS men had made and was now standing at the centre of the room, hands on hips, an indignant scowl marking his youthful features, a stray lock of blonde hair hanging across the soldier’s brow. ‘If the Fuhrer has promised victory, then we will have victory. It is only a matter of days before we will be on the attack again. Then we will march straight through this Bolshevik vermin. Perhaps we might spend Christmas in Moscow, but every man must make his small sacrifi ces for the Fatherland.’ Gunther stared at Rottenfuhrer Reinhardt Radl in disbelief. The SS corporal actually seemed to believe the inane prattle dribbling from his mouth!

Gunther stepped away from the ragged hole in the wall, shaking his head. ‘Take a good look outside, Rottenfuhrer,’ he said. ‘The frost lies thick on the ground until well after noon. Soon it won’t melt at all. Then it will snow. Ask Napoleon about what a Russian winter is like!’

‘Napoleon was only a Frenchman,’ Radl sneered. ‘We are Germans. Nothing these subhumans throw at us can stop us, not even their infamous winters. Nothing can stand before the will and determination of the German volk.’ The Rottenfuhrer’s words brought stern nods of agreement from the other SS men. Gunther and his fellows of the Wehrmacht did not share the Rottenfuhrer’s confi dence. They’d seen for themselves how hard the Russians had fought even so early as ’41. German rhetoric about the ‘subhuman Russian peasant’ hadn’t made them any easier to defeat. It was a different sort of war than Gunther had fought in Poland and France. The Soviets seemed determined to make Germany pay for every meter that was conquered with blood. They fought to the last man, fought on even when they had no ammunition, when there was no possibility of victory. Gunther had seen the eerie sight of two score Russian soldiers charging a panzer across open ground with no more armament than Molotov thingytails. The tank crew had mowed them down with their machine guns. When the last of them had fallen, another group of forty emerged from hiding and charged, then another and another…

Not that the Russian soldiers had too much choice in the matter. Gunther had seen what befell Russians who faltered in such suicidal assaults. He’d been witness to one such sorry scene after his platoon had beaten back a Soviet attack. The survivors ran

back toward their own positions, only to be ripped apart by their own machine guns. The Fuhrer had issued many orders since unleashing his armies against the Soviets, but his decree that all commissars were to be shot was one Gunther fully embraced after seeing the ruthless manner in which the communist offi cers ‘motivated’ their troops. Men who would happily murder their own countrymen were unworthy of mercy.

‘Fine talk, coming from an SS man.’ The growling voice belonged to Johann Hossbach, a hulking factory worker from the Rhineland. Hossbach was so large, he routinely lugged around the heavy MG42 machine gun, and its steel stand by himself, often with a box of ammunition strapped to his back. The fi rst time Gunther had seen the machine gunner, he’d thought the Wehrmacht had conscripted some troll from the Eifel. Most men found Hossbach an intimidating fi gure. To his credit, Radl didn’t even bat an eye as the brutish Rhinelander stalked toward him. ‘Himmler’s done real nice for you fellows. All the best guns, all the best gear, rations that don’t look like horse meat from the company kitchens.’ The comment brought chuckles from every Wehrmacht soldier in the room and even a few of Radl’s SS men smiled. ‘But us poor Friztes in the Wehrmacht don’t have old Reichsheini watching out for us. We haven’t gotten those nice care packets from Berlin with those nice, heavy winter coats in them.’ The smiles faded from each SS man’s face and they cast guilty glances at the thick grey greatcoats sprawled across their pallets. ‘So you’ll forgive the rabble if they aren’t looking forward to winter with the same enthusiasm as the nobility.’

‘Perhaps if your blood was pure, you would be wearing the uniform of the SS and not that of the rabble.’

The tension that fi lled the decaying bakery was enough to make Gunther’s spine crawl. The other men in the building felt it too, the faces of the Wehrmacht soldiers hardening, taking on a wary edge. Gunther saw the hand of an SS man slowly inch toward the MP40 resting in his lap. The two pioniere troopers attached to Gunther’s platoon looked up from where they were working beside the old ovens, the running gear of their Goliath robot tank strewn about the fl oor. The engineers focused on the standoff between Radl and Hossbach.

The two men glared at one another for a long, silent moment. The moment was broken when Feldwebel Hans Bruno intruded upon the scene. The NCO had been conferring with Leutnant Dietrich, who was sheltered with the rest of the platoon in a granary a few streets away. Now he returned, shaking his head when he saw Radl and Hossbach. Bruno didn’t say anything, but noisily slide back the action on his submachine gun. The sharp metallic sound startled both men.

‘I don’t know what is going on here and I don’t want to,’ Bruno warned. ‘But whichever of you idiots throws the fi rst punch will have the pleasant duty of acting as courier between this post and Leutnant Dietrich.’ The threat was a serious one, as any man who had seen action in Russia knew. If fi ghting started up again,


165

the narrow rubble-choked streets of the town would become a deadly hunting ground for Soviet snipers and partisans.

‘By that statement, Feldwebel, I take it that the Leutnant has not received orders regarding myself and my men?’ Radl’s tone was only slightly less abusive than it had been with Hossbach.

Bruno removed his helmet, running his gloved hand through the fuzz of black hair growing on his scalp. ‘The Leutnant has more pressing matters to attend to at the moment than fi nding out where to send your men. There is concern at division that the Ivans might be getting ready to stage an attack before the snow comes.’

‘They are coming here?’ The question came from Ernst Klausner, a rifl eman who had been a university student in Vienna before joining the Wehrmacht. He’d been wounded during the recent withdrawl from Kiev, a Russian bullet hitting him in the thigh. He’d been wounded lightly enough, however, that he hadn’t been evacuated with the fi rst convoy of trucks and ambulances. He was mobile enough for light duties and insisted to Bruno that he could still fi re a gun and stand a watch – anything to avoid being sent to the aid station. Every man in the platoon had seen what the Soviets did to German wounded and none of them wanted to share such a fate. Klausner felt his chances were better staying with the fi ghting men. As long as he wasn’t a burden on the platoon, Bruno was perfectly willing to let him stay.

‘All along the front, unless every scout the Luftwaffe sends up is blind,’ Bruno replied. Armored columns streaming out of Moscow like Stalin whistled them up with a magic lamp. Ivans as thick on the ground as fl eas in Johann’s beard.’ The quip brought nervous smiles to Gunther and the others in his platoon.

‘Rear echelon stuff,’ Kraus, one of the pioniers observed. ‘Reserves and penal battalions, obsolete tanks and ill-trained personnel. Stalin can’t have anything else left after his losses at Kursk.’

Bruno shook his head. ‘From what I was told, these are full divisions, not partisan trash. The tanks are the nasty ones, the heavy ones that chewed up our Mark IVs so badly. Make no mistake, this isn’t some half-hearted fi asco like the Bolsheviks were so fond of back in ’41. The Ivans mean business this time.’

The crack of Mausers fi ring punctuated Bruno’s words. The soldiers in the battered bakery scrambled for their weapons, the SS men leaping to their feet. Almost all of the Wehrmacht soldiers in the town had been armed with the new Mkb42 assault rifl es and the SS men almost all carried the MP40s. Only Wehrmacht snipers and scouts were still armed with the Mauser Kar 98 rifl es. And the only snipers and scouts Gunther knew about in the area were positioned on the outskirts of the town, detailed to watch for any advancing Soviet forces. If they were fi ring, it meant that the respite was over, the communists were coming.

Bruno barked orders to his platoon, sending rifl emen to every window and doorway. Hossbach and his assistant, a wiry

Bavarian named Dietz, hurried into the upper fl oor of the building to position their machine gun. Radl snarled a command to one of his SS men. The target of his attention was already in motion, strapping on a heavy backpack, a thick cable running from it into the immense scope that had been fastened above the barrel of his MP44. The sniper quickly checked his vampir night vision equipment, then followed Hossbach and Deitz upstairs. The electronic contraption would allow the SS man to pick out enemies hiding in the gloom of the town’s abandoned buildings, making them stand out as clearly as if they were in the open. Gunther hoped the fi ght would not rage so long that the vampir’s designated purpose would be needed.

‘Is that bucket of bolts ready?’ Bruno roared at Kraus, gesturing with the barrel of his MP40 at the disassembled Goliath. Outside, the crack of the Mausers was now joined by the screech of Soviet PPsh submachine guns and heavier German weapons. The Soviet assault had reached one of the other platoons.

The pionier shook his head. ‘The drive system is kaput,’ he explained. ‘Fuel line is frozen solid. We haven’t been able to fi x it.’

‘Can the damn thing still shoot?’ demanded Radl. Kraus stared at the SS corporal for a moment, not understanding his meaning. Radl shouldered his MP40 and raced over to the Goliath, two of his SS men running to help him. Gunther set down his own weapon and joined the straining Germans. At last, comprehending Radl’s meaning, Kraus and the other pionier lent a hand, helping lift the robot tank and carry it to the bakery’s doorway. Klausner and two other men from Gunther’s platoon began piling loose brick and other rubble in front of the immobile Goliath to obscure it as much as possible and provide it with cover. Gunther gave the weapon the fi nal touch, draping an old cavalry blanket over the Goliath. Kraus stepped back, the radio command device clutched in his hands. He quickly tested the controls, the weapon carriage mounted atop the robot rotating and elevating in response to his actions. A thrill of excitement swept through the Germans. Now they had use of the Goliath’s dual mounted machine guns, dramatically increasing their fi repower from one MG42 to three.

Outside, the spit-hiss of Russian PPsh submachine guns grew in intensity, augmented by the boom of grenades. Gunther shook his head as he scrambled back toward the east wall of the bakery and positioned himself beside the ragged hole. It was typical of the Soviets. No artillery barrage, no tank support, just an ill-trained horde of peasants thrown at enemy positions. The communists relied upon numbers to combat the Germans, seemingly determined to drown the invaders in the blood of their countrymen. Gunther would have been disgusted if he wasn’t well aware that such callous tactics had carried the day for the Soviets many times in the past. Even if the Germans killed ten Russians for each of their own, they were losses Stalin was perfectly willing to accept.

Above, in the ruined second fl oor of the bakery, Hossbach’s machine gun roared into life, fi lling the air with its sawing groan. The SS sniper called down, warning that he could see Russians charging down the narrow street. A moment later, the


166

bakery shook as a grenade went off nearby, dust billowing about the west end of the building. Gunther tried to ignore the pained screams of the grenadier who had been standing closest to the blast. There was nothing any of them could do for him now, they had their own skins to look after.

Hossbach’s machine gun continued to blaze away. Grenadiers and SS men at the windows began to join in, fi ring into the streets. Gunther was not sure if they could see any Russians or if they were just fi ring wildly, hoping to keep back the attack. He peered through the tear in the brick wall and started to blaze away with his assault rifl e. He heard a voice cry out in Russian, but couldn’t say for certain he’d actually hit anything. The bakery rocked again as another grenade went off. Gunther felt a sick feeling grow in the pit of his stomach. Russians had a favourite tactic for clearing a building infested with Germans and that was to toss an entire bag of grenades into a room, then scramble into the aftermath and machine gun anything still moving. The gefreiter didn’t rate his chances if the Soviets got close enough to pull off that trick.

The fi ring intensifi ed. Above the hiss of submachine guns and the roar of Hossbach’s MG42, Gunther heard the sharp crack of a Russian rifl e. He saw one of the SS men crumple behind his window, a gory hole punched through his helmet and into his brain. Radl snarled in fury, shouting orders at the ceiling. As he did so, the Soviet sniper fi red again, this time splattering a grenadier’s grey matter against the wall. The surviving Germans instinctively ducked down as the threat of the communist sniper asserted itself, momentarily reducing their rate of fi re. The Russian assault troops were quick to exploit the lapse in concentrated fi re, charging toward the bakery, shouting a war cry at the top of their voices.

Beside Gunther, an overweight grenadier named Adler pitched over, his face obliterated by the Russian sniper. Gunther swore, keeping his head behind the wall. He held his Mkb42 above his head and fi red blindly through the hole. He heard the Russian rifl e fi re and was horrifi ed to see a brick less half a meter from his face explode as the high-velocity round punched through it. The sniper was trying to pick him off even behind the wall!

Abruptly, there was a piteous shriek from across the street. A voice called down from the loft above the bakery. Radl’s own sniper had fi nally found the Soviet one and dispatched him. The news brought a ragged cheer from the men down below, and they returned to their positions with grim determination. None too soon, either. The two Soviets Gunther could see through the hole in his wall were close enough that he could pick out the insignia on the collars of their brown uniforms. He blazed away with his weapon, pitching both of the Russians to the muddy ground.

The grenadier near the doorway shouted to Kraus and the pionier activated the Goliath. The twin machine guns exploded into life, shredding the oncoming Russians. Kraus rotated the Goliath’s mount, sweeping the MG42’s back and forth, forming a curtain of steel death before the doorway. Dozens of Soviets were surprised by the sudden attack, shredded by the heavy caliber bullets as they tried to turn and run. Gunther saw a Soviet

offi cer in the peaked cap of a commissar shouting furiously at the retreating Russians through a tin megaphone. The German took exceeding delight in ripping apart the commissar with a concentrated burst from his rifl e. The communist pitched over into the mud, his broken body stampeded by his own fl eeing men.

The Germans breathed a sigh of relief as the assault broke. Those who still had them broke out cigarettes and started to smoke. Klausner hobbled over to try and quiet the screaming man who had been injured in the fi rst grenade attack. Bruno marched the length of the building, checking to see who was dead and who was injured. The attack had claimed ten of the Germans, including two of Radl’s SS men. Another six had been wounded. That left only Gunther, Hossbach, Dietz, Klausner, and Bruno himself from their original squad, with another ten men from the other two squads. Radl still had his sniper and one of his men, but Kraus’s fellow pionier had taken a burst from a PPsh in his gut. Gunther could tell that the engineer wouldn’t last another hour.

‘Another attack like that and they walk right in,’ Gunther observed. Rottenfuhrer Radl sneered at the comment.

‘Their next attack will fail, just as this one has,’ the man proclaimed. ‘You give these Bolsheviks too much credit. They are subhuman fi lth. They will never prevail against Krupp steel and German resolve.’

‘Tell that to them!’ growled one of the grenadiers positioned at the windows. The Germans rushed back to their defenses, watching in horror as a second wave of Russian troops rushed toward the bakery. Even as indistinct, brown-uniformed shapes at the end of the street, Gunther could tell there was something wrong with them. These Russians were short, squat men, with broad shoulders, long arms and stumpy legs. Despite the desperate situation, Gunther couldn’t help but wonder what sort of soldiers these were. Siberians? Mongolians? A cold chill crawled up the gefreiter’s spine as he watched the Soviets lope across the muddy street. There was something inhuman about the way they moved, something subtly wrong that disturbed Gunther almost at a primal level.

A sharp scream came from the loft above the bakery. Moments later, the SS snipe came tearing down the stairs, his face as pale as a sheet. Radl sprinted toward his trooper, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him roughly.

‘Back to your post, you craven mongrel!’ the Rottenfuhrer snarled. The sniper shook his head in despair, almost wilting in the corporal’s arms.

‘They… they… are not human,’ he gasped. ‘The Ivans… they are not… men… at all!’ He began to scream again. Radl slapped his gloved hand across the sniper’s face, glaring at him in disgust.

The little tableau was forgotten as Hossbach’s MG42 roared into life again. The charging Soviets were getting close enough now that they were well within rifl e range. The men at the windows began to fi re, picking out targets in the brown wave


167

that surged toward them. Gunther noticed that it seemed to take an inordinate amount of fi re to put this second wave of Russians down. Two, three, even four bullets were needed to stop them, the Ivans seeming to take little notice of any but the most telling of wounds. Then, as the distance between them began to close, shouts of horror sounded throughout the bakery. The sniper was right! These Russians weren’t human at all!

Gunther had marked the dark, leathery appearance of the Russians’ faces before, but had marked it down as camoufl age or perhaps some sort of balm to protect against the cold. Now he saw how wrong his assumption had been. It was the actual skin of the Soviets! Their faces were grotesque, animal-like visages, pulled into bestial snouts with fl ared nostrils and fanged teeth. Coarse black hair covered what their uniforms did not in such profusion that they looked to be wearing fur gloves. The ape-men charged forward in great, loping strides, savage howls booming from their chests. When they were hit, they did not scream like men but roared like beasts.

Radl appeared at Gunther’s shoulder, gazing in terror at the Soviet monsters. He withdrew, muttering over and again ‘Subhuman… subhuman… subhuman…’

Bruno stood in the doorway, braving the random bursts of fi re the ape-men directed at him with the PPsh’s they held in their clawed hands. The feldwebel raised his submachine gun and brought one of the monsters down with a burst that opened its belly. The thing dropped, but even with its entrails spilled all around it, the ape-man struggled to crawl onward.

‘Whatever they are, they die just the same!’ Bruno roared. ‘Give them no quarter, sons of the Fatherland, and send these abominations back to whatever hell Stalin brought them from!’

The feldwebel’s words overcame the terror of his men and the fi re opposing the ape-men intensifi ed. Kraus recovered from his own fear and the Goliath sprang into action, sending a withering hail of bullets into the Soviet assault. For a moment, Gunther thought they would beat back the attack. But then the moment was lost.

Though the ape-men had come no closer than the Russians had before them, the Germans had not considered the inhuman strength such creatures might possess. One of the ape-men, a dozen German bullets riddling its frame, crawled its way through the Goliath’s fi re. The monster unslung the bag of grenades across its shoulder, priming the weapons and hurling the entire bag at the doorway. Bruno had time only to register the descent of the deadly package before it exploded. The feldwebel, the Goliath and a twenty foot section of the bakery disappeared in a cloud of fi re and dust.

Ears ringing, Gunther picked himself from the fl oor, scrambling to fi nd his weapon. He could see a few of his comrades doing the same. He could also hear the triumphant howls of the ape-men as they rushed toward the now almost undefended bakery. Gunther felt an icy hand close around his heart. The savage howls almost sounded like voices!

Gunther could still hear Hossbach’s MG42 blazing away in the loft. He rushed toward the stairs. With ape-men already scrambling past the rubble, there was no chance of holding them back in the ground fl oor. The loft was the only sensible place to retreat to. As Gunther sprinted toward the stairs, he ran into a stunned Radl. He pushed the SS corporal toward the stairs, trying to ignore the muttering still dripping from Radl’s mouth. At the bottom of the stairs, he found Kraus, the pionier’s body shredded by shrapnel from his own Goliath. Gunther kicked the dead man out of his way and scrambled up the stairs. Klausner hobbled after him, but the injured grenadier was too slow. An ape-man lunged for Klausner, bowling him over into the rubble. Gunther watched in hideous fascination as the monster savagely caved the grenadier’s skull in with the barrel of its PPsh. Then a second ape-man was rushing toward the stairs. Gunther sent it reeling with a blast from his assault rifl e.

In the darkened loft, Gunther noticed fi rst that the machine gun had fallen silent. A huge fi gure which he at fi rst took for Hossbach loomed over the weapon, then the gefreiter’s eyes adjusted a little more to the darkness. He could see that the fi gure’s helmet was Russian, not German, and that the face beneath that helmet was more like a gorilla’s than a man’s. Sprawled beneath the ape-man was the dismembered remains of Hossbach and his loader, torn limb from limb by the monster’s strength. In the moment of frozen terror that gripped him, Gunther saw how the ape-men had reached the loft and silenced the gun. There were more of the monsters crawling along the rooftops across the street. As the German watched, one of the creatures launched itself from the roof opposite the bakery, landing with a crash against the bakery’s own roof. It was an impossible distance, almost ten meters and yet the ape-men made it seem as easy as hopping over a curb. With inhuman agility the second ape-man scrambled through the window of the loft.

Gunther watched as the monsters glared at him, feral savagery glinting in their red eyes. He looked down at his rifl e. Only a few rounds left. He could hear more of the ape-men charging up the stairs behind him.

‘Subhuman… subhuman…’ Radl continued to moan. Gunther drew one of the stick grenades from his belt, twisting off the fuse. The ape-men continued to close on them.

‘Whatever they are,’ Gefreiter Heinz Gunther growled, ‘we’re going to take some of them with us on our way to hell.’


168

action points – All models possess a number of Action Points that allow them to take various actions in a single turn. The number of Action Points possessed by a model is determined by their Training Level.

action types – There are four types of actions a model can take during their activation: moving, shooting, engaging in close combat, and special actions.

activation – During each turn of a scenario players take it in turn to activate the units in their detachment. When a unit is activated it may take actions and otherwise participate in battle by spending action points.

arc – Directional indicators determining a model’s facing. Non-vehicle models have forward and rear 180-degree arcs while vehicles possess four 90-degree arcs.

area of effect – The area of certain effects and weapons is determined by the area of effect (AoE). Models within this area of effect, even partially, are affected.

armor (a) – An attribute of a model. Armor is the amount of protective gear and natural ability to avoid damage that a model possesses. This number may be modifi ed by cover and other factors during game play.

attribute – A characteristic of a model. Models possess seven core attributes: Movement (M), Ranged Combat (RC), Close Combat (CC), Armor (A), Strength (S), Drive (DR), and Wounds (W). Weapons also possess attributes such as Range, Strength, and Rate of Fire.

attrition rate – One of three victory conditions needed to be achieved during a scenario to claim victory. Following each scenario players determine the number of casualties (based on model count) infl icted upon the enemy and if they have eliminated two-thirds of their opponent’s forces they may claim this victory condition.

campaign – A series of scenarios linked together by a common theme or story.

characteristic – All the combatants have a number of characteristics that defi ne how they fi ght, their physical strength and durability, as well as any special abilities or skills they may possess.

charge – A special action that allows a model to sprint into close combat with an enemy model. Charging grants close combat bonuses for the model making the charge.

close combat (cc) – An attribute of a model. This is a model’s skill in fi ghting when things get up close and personal. It represents both his defensive and offensive capabilities when up close.

cover – Cover provides models with a bonus to their Armor attribute against any ranged attacks made against them. Three different types of cover exist: light, medium and heavy.

detachment – A group of units assembled by a player for a scenario is called a detachment. Detachments, generally, represent a single military squad. Many detachment types exist that determine the composition of the detachment and the various options for players to build their detachment.

detachment composition – The specifi c units selected for a detachment are called composition of the detachment. Detachment composition is based on the detachment type.

detachment type – Detachments are divided into types or templates allowing players to select units and options to fi t a common theme. Detachment type determines the detachment composition, training level and number of units available, vehicle selections, special orders and hero selections.

difficult terrain – Any terrain that inhibits movement and/or provides cover for models within it is considered diffi cult terrain. Players should determine which terrain is defi ned as diffi cult prior to beginning a scenario.

drive (dr) – An attribute of a model. This number expresses the soldier’s motivation on the battlefi eld and ability to continue fi ghting even in the direst of situations. Any model with a Drive of zero routs and may surrender to the enemy. See the Morale section for more information on Drive and its effects.

elevation – A model in an elevated position gains advantages when engaging in ranged combat against models on a lower elevation.

facing – The direction a model is facing. In general, the facing of a model is based on which way the model is looking. Facing is used to determine a model’s arcs.

focused attack – A focused attack is a special action that allows a model to take a penalty to their close combat abilities to make a single, skilled strike against an opponent.

hero – A hero is an exceptional individual that usually possess special abilities and higher attributes. Players choose a number of heroes based on the detachment type.

individual – An individual is a unit comprised of a single model.

initiative – Prior to each turn of a scenario, players determine which side has the initiative by rolling 1d6 and adding the highest current Drive value of their units on the battlefi eld. Whichever side has the higher result may choose to activate a unit fi rst that turn.

line of sight – A model is considered to have line of sight to another model if it can see any part of the other model.

long range – Ranged attacks that target models over half the maximum range of the fi ring weapon are considered long-range attacks. Attacks made at long range impose a penalty to hit.


169

movement (m) – An attribute of a model. This number represent the number of inches that a model may move for each action point (AP) expended for movement purposes.

obstacle – An obstacle is any piece of diffi cult terrain larger than a model. For purposes of determining the height of the model, use the model’s base size. Obstacles cannot be crossed and block line of sight.

planned scenario – Planned scenarios are thought out engagements where all sides taking part in the battle know the objectives before the battle is fought. These are clear-cut skirmishes where all sides have the opportunity to tailor their force to the specifi c mission at hand. In planned scenarios, players are well aware of the particulars of the mission (such as objectives, attacker/defender, etc) prior to selecting their Detachment Composition.

primary objective – One of three victory conditions needed to be achieved during a scenario to claim victory. Each scenario will have a primary objective for each force taking part in the battle (see the scenario descriptions below). Only one side can complete the primary objective for each scenario. Primary objectives represent the reason why the forces are present on the battlefi eld and the key means by which one side or another will achieve victory.

range – An attribute of a weapon that determines the maximum range the weapon may be fi red.

ranged combat (rc) – An attribute of a model. This attribute is the soldier’s ability to strike an opponent using a ranged attack. In case there is no number listed, then the unit or character in question has no ranged attack.

rate of fire – Ranged weapons also possess a Rate of Fire (RoF) that determines how many shots per action each weapon is capable of. The fi rst number represents the number of shots the weapon takes, while the second shows the number of AP needed to fi re that many shots.

rout – When a unit is activated and its current Drive is zero models from that unit not currently engaged in close combat rout. Routing models move as quickly as possible towards the nearest table edge, fl eeing off the battlefi eld when they reach the edge of the table. Units remain in rout so long as they are not engaged in close combat and their Drive remains at zero.

scenario – Players take part in scenarios that usually involve a primary objective, two players, and a single detachment per player. Each scenario is designed to be a small, yet important battle between two forces that can be played in a short period of time, generally completed in six to eight turns. Each scenario falls into one of two types: planned or unplanned.

scenario type – Scenarios are made up of two types: planned and unplanned.

secondary objective – One of three victory conditions needed to be achieved during a scenario to claim victory. Prior to each scenario players randomly select a secondary objective, which remains hidden from their opponent.

sprint – A special action that allows a model to move quickly across the battlefi eld.

squad – A squad is a type of unit made up of more than one model. Models in a squad may act independently of one another but are activated at the same time and share a single Drive attribute.

strength (s) – An attribute of a model. The physical strength of a model. This attribute determines the damage a model infl icts when striking an enemy in hand to hand combat.

suppressed – Units that fall victim to suppression fi re are considered suppressed. Suppressed units not in cover must seek cover immediately. Suppressed units can only move (as long as they remain in cover) or attempt to break suppression. Units remain suppressed through their next activation.

suppression fire – A unit may attempt to suppress an enemy unit by using suppression fi re, trying to pin them down rather than shooting to kill.

training level – The training and skill of a unit. Training level determines the number of action points a unit receives each turn.

troop type – The category of troops a unit belongs to. Common troop types include infantry, cavalry, specialist, support, abomination, psi and Tesla device.

turn – A scenario is divided into turns. During every turn, each player activates the units they have on the battlefi eld. Once all units have been activated by each player, the turn ends and another begins.

unit – A unit represents a model or group of models.

unit type – Units are grouped into two types: squads and individuals.

unplanned scenario – Unplanned scenarios are random confl icts taking place in the fog of war. None of the forces involved knew of the enemy’s position or composition and, though not necessarily prepared for combat, battle ensued. Unplanned scenarios are chaotic, unorganized, and often very unbalanced. Players selecting their Detachment Composition for unplanned scenarios have no information to rely upon and instead must guess what forces, objectives, and combat conditions they are likely to encounter on the fi eld of battle.

victory condition – The conditions players must meet in order to claim victory during a scenario. The three victory conditions are primary objective, secondary objective and attrition rate.

wounds (w) – An attribute of a model. Some models are able to sustain a number of injuries before being removed as a casualty. When a model suffers its last wound, it is removed from the battlefi eld. References


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During the development of this game the following have been great sources of inspiration.

booksBark, Jasper, (2006). Sniper Elite: Spear of Destiny.Bishop, Chris, (1998). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II.Bishop, David (2005). Fiends of the Eastern Front. Bruer, William B., (2000). Secret Weapons of WWII.Bruer, William B., (2006). Unexplained Mysteries of WWII.Cheney, Margaret, (2001). Tesla, Man Out of Time.Cornwell, John, (2003). Hitler’s Scientists.Golden, Christopher, (2000). Hellboy: Odd Jobs.Golden, Christopher, (2004). The Lost Army, Hellboy.Higgins, Jack, (1981). Luciano’s Luck.Higgins, Jack, (1990). Cold Harbor.Higgins, Jack, (1991). The Eagle Has Landed.Higgins, Jack, (1995). A Game For Heroes.Higgins, Jack, (1995). Sheba.Higgins, Jack, (1999). Flight of Eagles.Higgins, Jack, (2003). Bad Company.Hodge, Brian, (2005). On Earth as it is in Hell.Hunter, Stephen, (1980). The Master Sniper.Neumann, Peter, (1960). The Black March.Robbins, David L., (2000). War of the Rats.Shachtman, Tom, (2002). Terrors and Marvels.Vilk, Greg, (2005). Golem.Whitlatch, John, (1973). The Judas Goat.Wilson, Paul F., (2006). The Keep.

gamesMedal of Honor Series, (1999-2007), Electronic Arts.Return to Castle Wolfenstein, (2001), id Software.Wolfenstein 3D, (1992), id Software.

movies/televisionA Bridge Too Far, (1977), United Artists.Band of Brothers, (2001), HBO.Black Book, (2007), Paul Verhoeven Film.Downfall, (2004), Constantin Film.The Eagle Has Landed, (1976), ITC Entertainment.Enemy at the Gates, (2001), Paramount Pictures.Hellboy, (2004), Columbia Pictures.The Prestige, (2006), Touchstone Pictures.Saving Private Ryan, (1998), Dreamworks.Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, (2004), Paramount Pictures.SS Doomtrooper, (2006), SciFi Channel.To Hell and Back, (1955), Universal Pictures.

websitesModern Firearms and Ammunition, www.world.guns.ruOlive-Drab, www.olive-drab.comWorld War II Vehicles, www.wwiivehicles.com

We would like to site the following sources for imagery and products.

photosThe National Archives, www.archives.govWikipedia - Wikimedia Commons, www.wikipedia.org

additional photos/artistsDamask, Chris

Russian Propaganda WWII 154Ellinger, Matthew

Ol 927 28, Anti-Tank 34, Lana and Rita 34Gillespie, Aaron

Rocket Trooper 2, Robot Trooper 2, Abgezhertsoldat/GI 111, Abgezhertsoldat 115, Wolf Sketch 128, Sgt. Graves 132, Sergeant 133, Soviet Battle 147, Sniper 153, Trooper 154

Jaworski, MarkHelmet 19, My Life in the Service 130, Protect Yourself 131, November Nights 131

Johnston, PeterSturmaffe 4, Sniper 53, Robot Trooper 58, Mad Doktor/NCO/Rohlingsoldat 109, Feuersoldat 116, Krieghund 121, Rohlingsoldat 122, Airborne/Mechanic/Sniper 126, Rocket Trooper 134, Airborne Tesla 139, Banshee/Psi Cannon 145, Psi Cannon 157, Banshee 158

Kursov, AleksandrLab Rat 46

Machowska, Anna “Ana”Rocket Trooper 45

Palfrey, RobertNot One Step Back 156

Peters, JoepTiger Tanks 112

Samms, BrianThe Shortest Way Home - Cover Image

Skidmore, Steven WWII Remembrance 24, Dr. Frankenstein’s Lab 110

Linke, MichaelSoldiers #1 & #2 14, Soldiers #3 20

Zylewicz, MaciejWolf Figure 128

websitesAcrylicos Vallejo, www.acrylicosvallejo.comESLO Terrain, www.esloterrain.comLitko Aerosystems, Inc., www.litkoaero.comPainter 6479, www.painter6479.comPegasus Hobbies, www.pegasushobbies.comPulp City, www.pulp-city.comR&K Productions, www.r-kproductions.com


171

a

Action Points 48Activating Units 48Area of Effect (AoE) 53Armor 40Armor Piercing 53

b

Base Size 40

c

CampaignsAftermath 85Alternatives 102Campaign Detachment Composition 85Map-based 84Objectives 100Requisition Points 86Scenarios 85Story-based 84Structure 98

Casualties 86Charging 50, 59Close Combat 40, 49

Shooting into Close Combat 52Cover 51

No Cover 53Cumbersome 53

d

DetachmentCavalry 70Command 71Experimental 71Infantry 72Motorized Infantry 72Reconnaissance 72Support 73Veteran 73

Diffi cult Terrain 49Drive 40

Individuals 61Penalties to Drive 60Regaining Drive 62Squads 61Vehicles 62

e

Elevation 51Experience 87

f

Facing 50Facing in Close Combat 59

Focused Attack 59

h

Heroes 43Heroes - American 44Heroes - General 43Heroes - German 45

i

Indirect 53Individuals 42Initiative 48

l

Leaving Close Combat 59Line of Sight 51

m

Mental 53Move and Fire 53Movement 40, 48Multiple Combatants 60

o

Obstacles 49

r

Range 52Ranged Combat 40, 48, 50Reload 54Requisition Points 86Rout 61

s

Scenarios 76Planned 77–80Unplanned 80–82Victory Conditions 77

Secondary Objectives 82Assassination 82Breakthrough 82Capture 82Defense 83Delaying Action 83Destroy the Abomination 83Field Test 83Offense 83Test Subjects 83

ShootingShooting into Close Combat 52Suppression Fire 52

Special AbilitiesAim 40Apathetic 40Berserk 40Command 41Crack Shot 41Flight 41

Frightening 41Hidden Deployment 41Impervious (X+) 41Inspiring 41Lethal 41Slow 41Solo 41Stand and Take It (X) 41Steady Hands 41Sure-Footed 41Unintelligent 41Unstoppable 41Walking Fire 41

Special Actions 49, 50, 52, 59Special Orders 74Spotter 54Sprinting 50Squads 42Strength 40Suppression Fire 52Swappable 54

t

Template 54Terrifying 54Troop Type

Abomination 42Cavalry 42Infantry 42Psi 42Specialist 42Support 42Tesla Device 42

v

VehiclesAttributes 62Combat 65Crew Morale 64Crew Roles 63Crews and Line of Sight 63Embarking/Disembarking 64Injuring Crew 64Movement 64Special Abilities 62Troop Type 63Unit Type 63Vehicle Roles 63

w

Weapons 55–58Wounds 40


172

unit name unit type tl m rc cc a s dr w

SD Agent Infantry E 3 4+ 4 3 3 6 2German Offi cer Infantry V 3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

Mad Doktor Specialist V 3 6+ 1 2 1 4 2Sturmaffe Abomination R 5 - 4 2 6 4 5

Feuersoldat Abomination R 3 5+ 3 4 2 4 2Rohlingsoldat Abomination R 2 5+ 4 4 5 4 3

Wehrmacht Sniper Specialist R 3 3+ 3 3 2 4 2Wehrmacht Infantry R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

Wehrmacht Heavy Weapon Team Support R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1Krieghund Specialist R 5 - 3 1 4 - 1

Volkssturm Group Leader Infantry R 3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2Volkssturm Infantry G 3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

Volkssturm Heavy Weapon Team Support G 3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1Abgezhertsoldat Abomination G 3 - 4 3 3 4 2

unit name unit type tl m rc cc a s dr w

OSS Agent Infantry E 3 3+ 3 3 3 6 2US Airborne Offi cer Infantry V 3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

ARPA Field Mechanic Specialist V 3 5+ 2 2 2 4 2Buffalo Power Armor Tesla Device R 2 5+ 1 8 6 5 2

US Rocket Troops Tesla Device R 6 4+ 3 2 2 4 2US Airborne Sniper Specialist R 3 3+ 3 3 2 4 2

US Airborne Infantry R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1Airborne Heavy Weapon Team Support R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

Airborne Tesla Electrical Gun Team Tesla Device R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1US K-9 Squad Specialist R 5 - 4 1 3 - 1

GI Sergeant Infantry R 3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2GI’s Infantry G 3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

GI Heavy Weapon Team Support G 3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1GI Tesla Electrical Gun Team Tesla Device G 3 5+ 2 3 2 3 1

Robot Troopers Tesla Device G 3 6+ 1 5 5 - 2unit name unit type tl m rc cc a s dr w

Politruk Infantry E 3 3+ 3 3 3 6 2Soviet Offi cer Infantry V 3 4+ 4 4 2 6 2

NKVD Psi Offi cer Specialist V 3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2NKVD Psi Commandos Psi R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 2

Banshees Psi R 3 4+ 2 3 2 4 2NKVD Psi Cannon Team Psi R 3 4+ 2 3 2 4 2

Soviet Sniper Specialist R 3 3+ 3 3 2 4 2Soviet Anti-Tank Dogs Specialist R 5 - 3 1 3 - 1

Soviet Anti-Tank Rifl e Team Support R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1Soviet Guards Infantry R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1

Soviet Guard Heavy Weapon Team Support R 3 4+ 3 3 2 4 1Soviet Starshina Infantry R 3 4+ 3 3 2 5 2

Conscript Soldiers Infantry G 3 5+ 2 2 2 3 1Chumans Psi G 3 - 4 2 3 4 2


173



Elite 4

cover type cover bonus

Light - (Hedges, Fences, High Grass, Crops, Bushes, etc.) 1 Medium - (Woods, Buildings, Vehicles, Crates, Barrels, etc.) 3 Heavy - (Bunker, Tank, Trenches, etc.) 8

weapon range strength rof notes

Pistol 12 2+d6 1:1 Move and Fire Grenade 6 6+d6 1:2 Indirect, 1½” AoE, Swappable M1 Garand 24 4+d6 1:1 M1 Carbine 18 3+d6 2:1 M12 Sniper Rifl e 36 5+d6 1:2 Thompson M1A1 18 3+d6 3:1 BAR M1918A2 24 4+d6 3:1 Browning M1919 36 4+d6 3:1 Cumbersome, Reload M2-2 Flame-Thrower 8 3+d6 1:1 No Cover, Template, Terrifying M9 Bazooka 18 6+2d6 1:1 ½” AoE, Reload M2 60mm Mortar 48 5+d6 1:2 Cumbersome, Indirect, 1½” AoE, Reload, Spotter T1A1 Tesla Pistol 12 4+d6 1:1 Move and Fire, No Cover Tesla Electrical Gun 8 5+d6 1:1 Cumbersome, No Cover, Template, Terrifying Browning M2 42 5+d6 3:1 Cumbersome, Reload KAR98k 36 4+d6 1:2 GEW 43 24 4+d6 1:1 StG44 18 4+d6 2:1 MP40 18 3+d6 3:1 WA46 36 5+d6 1:2 MG42 36 4+d6 5:1 Cumbersome, Reload Flammenwerfer 35 8 3+d6 1:1 No Cover, Template, Terrifying Panzerschreck 18 8+2d6 1:1 ½” AoE, Reload Granatenwerfer 36 Mortar 36 4+d6 1:2 Indirect, 1½” AoE, Reload, Spotter MG34 42 4+d6 4:1 Cumbersome, Reload Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 42 4+d6 1:2 SVT-40 24 4+d6 1:1 PPSh-41 18 3+d6 4:1 PTRS 24 4+d6 1:1 Armor Piercing, Cumbersome DP-28 30 4+d6 3:1 Reload ROKS-3 Flame-Thrower 8 3+d6 1:1 No Cover, Template, Terrifying 50-PM 40 Mortar 36 4+d6 1:2 Cumbersome, Indirect, 1½” AoE, Reload, Spotter NKVD Psi-Cannon 24 4+d6 1:1 Mental, Terrifying SG-43 42 4+d6 4:1 Cumbersome, Reload

vehicle name role tl m rc cc a s dr w h

Jeep Light Command, Light Transport R 9 4+ 4 5 6 4 2 4Cargo Truck Light Transport R 6 - 3 6 7 4 3 3

M20 Armored Utility Car Med. Command, Med. Scout R 9 4+ 3 8 8 5 3 3M2 Half-Track Car Medium Transport R 7 4+ 2 6 7 4 3 2

SdKfz 250 Light Armored Car Med. Transport, Med. Command R 8 4+ 3 7 7 4 3 3SdKfz 221 Light Armored Car Medium Scout R 8 4+ 3 7 7 4 3 3

BA-64 Armored Car Med. Scout, Med. Command R 9 4+ 3 7 7 4 3 3


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eslo terrainwww.esloterrain.com

We would like to thank ESLO Terrain for providing many of their fi ne quality pre-painted terrain for us to use throughout this book as well as on our demo tables at conventions.


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We would like to thank Painter 6479 Studios for painting all our miniatures that are used on our demo tables at conventions in an incredibly tight timeframe.

painter 6479www.painter6479.com


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looking for a great compliment to ae-wwii? try pulp city.

www.pulp-city.com


AE WWII

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