1. INTRODUCTION

Storm of Steel try to reflect tactical combat during 1930 to 1950, a period starting, roughly, with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, and closing with the Korean War. These rules aim to give a quick game with simple mechanics, that can be easily memorized. (Long lists of die roll modifiers are avoided, instead different types of dice are used.) The rules are organized into two parts: Master Rules and Supplement Rules. The Master Rules (this set) contain the game mechanism and rules that are common to all games, regardless of army or theatre of war. The Supplement Rules contain the special rules, AFV and AT Gun specifications, Random events cards, Artillery Classifications etc, needed to emulate the workings of specific armies in a specific theatre of War.

2. BASING & SCALE

A. Basing. All foot figures (including HMG:s and mortars) are put on bases or stands, perhaps 30x30mm. Artillery is also put on bases, with the same width and as deep as necessary. Vehicles are put on bases as large as necessary.

B. Scale. In a tabletop game, scales can only be approximations, and in these rules 1cm equals some 15-20 meters, one game turn equals about 20-30 minutes and one stand represent one platoon or battery.

3. GAME SEQUENCE

A. At the start of the game the players determine who will be the First and the Second Player. The actual Game Play Sequence is determined by drawing Cards from the Sequence Deck. (See below.) At the start of each game turn, the sequence deck is shuffled, and when all cards have been drawn, the entire deck is reshuffled, and another turn starts.

B. The Sequence deck contains 11 cards:

1 x "Player 1 tries to rally"	1 x "Player 2 tries to rally"
1 x "Player 1 assault attacks"	1 x "Player 2 assault attacks"
1 x "Player 1 draws a card from his support deck, and performs any bombardments or air strikes"	1 x "Player 2 draws a card from his support deck, and performs any bombardments or air strikes"
1 x "Player 1 fires"	1 x "Player 2 fires"
1 x "Player 1 rolls for Cpts and moves"	1 x "Player 2 rolls for Cpts and moves"
1 x "Draw a random events card"

4. MOVEMENT

A. When called for by the appropriate card, the player rolls for Command Points (Cpts) and then expends these in moving his units. As a rule, it costs 1 Cpt to move a single unit or one group of units - the last hereafter known as a Detachment.

B. The die type a player uses when rolling for his Cpts depends on the Skill Level of his army. There are three Skill levels, Veteran, Regular and Raw. (All troops on one side in a battle have the same Skill level.) Veteran armies use d8, Regulars d6 and Raw d4. The distance the different types of units may move is given in the different Capability Tables.

C. Detachments. A detachment is a group of units that start the movement no more than 5cm from the next nearest unit in the same detachment. Once 1 Cpt has been expended for the movement of the detachment, the units may move freely, and need not end near each other.

D. Roads, Forests, Woods, Marsh and Bush. All units starting and ending on roads double their movement. Foot units (Infantry, Cavalry, HMG and Mortars), Light guns, tracked and half-tracked vehicles may all enter woods, but must then take a difficulty test. Light guns, tracked and half-tracked vehicles may not enter forests. Armored cars and softskin vehicles may neither enter woods nor forests. Only foot units may enter marsh and forests, but must then take a difficulty test. All units may enter Bush (the only affect of that terrain is that it blocks the Line-of-Sight).

F. Streams and Buildings. Only Infantry, Cavalry and Amphibious vehicles may move through stream, but must then take a difficulty test. All units may enter a ford, but must then take a difficulty test. Only amphibious vehicles and units in boats may cross rivers. No units may enter Lakes. Only Foot units may enter buildings, and without penalty.

G. Difficulty Test. When entering the terrain in question the unit must immediately stop, and in each following movement phase they start in that terrain the player must roll, 1d6 if foot or light gun, 2d6 if vehicle, and subtract the result from the units movement allowance. If the testing unit is a vehicle and the result is either "2" or "12", that vehicle is immediately immobilized. It may not move for the rest of the game, but it may fire.

H. Moving through units. Units may always move through friendly units, but never through enemy units.

I. Headquarters. Each side in a game have one Headquarters unit. Headquarters move like infantry, but may not fire and use 1d6 in assault combat. To deter players from unrealistic targeting, whenever a Headquarters unit is hit by fire, either direct or indirect, or by air strikes, it is allowed a saving throw: roll 1d6, if the result is 3-6 the hit is ignored. (There are no saving roll in assault combat.) In addition to this, pinned or suppressed Headquarters are automatically rallied to normal in the rally phase. If the Headquarters unit is eliminated the Cpts die roll is halved for the rest of the game, rounding fractions up.

5. FORTIFICATIONS

A. Barbed Wire. Barbed Wire can be entered by all units except Softskin vehicles, Guns and Armored Cars. Foot units must take a difficulty test when entering reaching barbed wire. Tanks can enter or cross Barbed Wire without any penalty, destroying that particular section in the process. Barbed wire has no effect on Line of Sight.

B. Bunkers. One bunker may, as a rule, hold one infantry or HMG unit. No others may enter. A unit in a bunker may only fire at targets that are within a 45° arc of the bunkers aperture/s.

C. Minefields. Units entering a minefield must roll 1d6: 1-4 = No effect, 5= pinned if soft target, immobilised if AFV, 6= pinned if soft target, destroyed if AFV. (Units pinned by a minefield must immediately stop.) Minefields cannot be cleared.

6. FIRE COMBAT

A. Different units use different types of dice when they fire. (See the Unit Capability Table.) As long as they are not transported, units can move and fire in the same turn. There are two types of fire combat: Fire against non-AFV targets, called soft targets, and fire against AFV:s, called armored targets.

B. Line of Sight. Fire against soft or armored targets is only possible if the target is in range and there is a line-of-sight (LOS) between the firing unit and the target. (The range for the different weapons are given in the Range Table.) The LOS may not pass through woods, forests or bush. Only units at the edge of woods, forests or bush may fire out of that terrain, but at the same time they also may be fired at. A unit in woods, forests or bush may fire at a enemy unit in the same terrain template, but only if that unit is within 5 cm range. Hills block the LOS unless either the firing unit or the target is on the top. No LOS may pass over a hill containing woods, forests or buildings. Units never block LOS.

C. Mortars does not need a LOS to fire if another friendly unit can trace a LOS to the target in question. Mortars have a minium range of 10cm. When mortar fire is directed at a new target unit, the player uses a 1d6, not 1d10. Mortars may not fire at armoured targets.

D. Spotting. Units in bush or woods or forests or buildings may not be fired upon by on-table units unless spotted. They are spotted if a enemy unit comes within 10cm of them or if they themselves open fire or move. And once spotted they stay spotted for the rest of the game.

E. Cover. Units in a building or entrenchment or behind a wall are considered to be in cover.

F. Short and Long range. The range is short if the target is within 10 cm; the range is long if the target is beyond 20 cm from the firing unit. Off-board artillery and Air strikes are always considered to be performed on a Normal Range.

G. Fire against Soft Targets. To fire against a soft target, the appropriate die is rolled, and the result, the Fire Value, is compared to the Protection Value of the terrain the target occupies. If the Fire Value is higher than the Protection Value, the target is hit. When a non-vehicle soft target is hit they first become pinned. If hit again while pinned they become supressed. If hit again while supressed they are destroyed. Softskin vehicles are destroyed by one hit.

H. Supressed units in entrenchments or in bunkers that are hit again by fire, are not destroyed. They stay supressed. The only way to destroy them is by assault attack (see below).

H. The Protection Value of Open, Bush and Marsh is 4, Woods or Forests 5, Cover 7 and Bunker 9.

I. Fire against Armored Targets. Only units or vehicles equipped with large calibre weapons may fire at armored targets. What die the firing unit uses depends on the weapon (see the AFV Capability Table or the AT Gun Table). The appropriate die is rolled. When firing at the rear of a AFV, the roll is modified by +1. The final result, the Penetration Value, is compared to the Armour Value of the target. If the Penetration Value Value is higher than the Armour Value, roll 1d6: 1= main gun is knocked out , 2-5= AFV immobilised, 6 = AFV destroyed. (An immobilised AFV can shoot but cannot move. An AFV without a main gun can move but cannot fire. A second hit destroys the AFV.)

J. Special AFV rules. A turreted AFV can fire in any direction. AFV:s with fixed main armament, however, may only fire at targets that are within a 45° arc of their front. AFV:s with one-man turrets may either move OR fire, but not both in the same turn. AFV:s with both a turret and a fixed main armament may use both in a single turn, but note that the restriction on one-man turrets still apply on that type.

7. OFF-BOARD ARTILLERY AND AIR STRIKES

A. A Players force is in general supported by artillery, situated off-board and supporting his troops with bombardments. The troops may also be supported by air strikes. The timing and amount of bombardments and air strikes is determined by each players Support Deck. All support decks consists of ten cards, and contains a combination of these three card types:

"One artillery bombardment"

"One air strike"

"No support this turn"

The actual composition of the support deck is given in the supplement rules - where the player also can find other artillery classifications (see below).

B. When called for by the gameplay deck, the player draws one card from his support deck, and if he is then given a bombardment or air strike, this is immediately performed. When all ten cards have been drawn the deck is reshuffled, and the drawing starts all over again.

C. Artillery. Off-board artillery bombardments never target units per se. Instead they are directed at a Impact Point. All soft units - enemy or friendly - within a radius of 5cm from the impact point of a artillery bombardment are hit, each getting a separate die roll. The die depends on the Volume of the artillery. Artillery with a low volume use 1d8, normal volume 1d10 and high volume 1d12.

D. Bombardment Impact Points. The first time the player employs a bombardment he may place the bombardment impact point (BIP) anywhere in the LOS of a friendly unit. If his next bombardment is to be directed at another part of the board he must first move the his BIP. (He may never have more than two IP:s on the table, one for the artillery bombardment and one for the air strikes) Armies with an artillery classified as Flexible, may move the BIP freely, as long as it is placed in the LOS of a friendly unit. Armies with an artillery classified as Rigid, may only move the BIP to a location that is 15 cm from the old location that is in the LOS of a friendly unit.

E. Air Strikes. When a player receives a air strike, first roll 1d6, to see what type of Aircraft that will attack: 1-3 = Fighters, attack with 1d8; 4-5 = Light bombers, attack with 1d12; 6 = Level bombers, attack with 1d20. Like bombardments air strikes never target units per se. They are directed at Air IP:s, that unlike BIP:s can be placed anywhere on the board, except in woods, forests or bush, and moved freely. All soft and armoured units - enemy or friendly - within a radius of 10cm from the impact point of a air strike are hit, each getting a separate die roll.

F. Friendly Fire. When the Air Strike Impact Point has been placed, roll 2d6. If the result is 2 or 3 an error has been made, and the impact point is instead moved adjacent to the closest friendly unit (measured in cm:s), and the attack is performed there instead.

G. There are no range modifications on artillery bombardments or air strikes.

9. ASSAULT ATTACKS

A. Unpinned and unsuppressed Infantry units and movable AFV:s may perform assault attacks against any enemy units they are in base contact with. (But AFV:s may not assault AFV:s.) A single unit may only assault once per phase, but a unit may be attacked by one unit on each base edge. All these attacks are one on one, and are resolved with individual die rolls. Only Infantry may assault a unit in a bunker or in a building. (To assault such a unit, it is sufficient to be adjacent to the bunker or building itself.)

B. If infantry wants to assault an AFV, the owning player must first roll 1d6 to see if his soldiers are willing to do so, the result depending on the skill of his troops: elite troops will assault on a roll of 4-6, regular troops on a roll of 5-6 and raw troops on a roll of 6.

C. Both the attacking and the defending players rolls the appropriate dies (what die they use depends on the unit type): the unit that roll the lowest is eliminated. In case of a tie nothing happens. (Note that in assault combat terrain is disregarded.) Any foot unit successfully attacking a enemy in a bunker, building or entrenchment may enter the vacated terrain.

D. When assaulting attacking a supressed unit, the attackers die roll is doubled.

E. Surrendering. If, at the end of the players movement phase, three of the players stands are in base contact with a non-vehicle enemy stand that is isolated, i.e. there are no units within 10 cm of it, that enemy stand surrenders, and is automatically removed from play.

10. PINNING, SUPPRESSING AND MORALE

A. Pinned units may not move or initiate assaults, but they may fire. Suppressed units may not move, initiate assaults or fire. When assaulting a supressed unit, the attackers die roll is doubled. If a suppressed unit becomes hit again it is destroyed, unless the unit is in cover or in a bunker, in which case it simply stays suppressed.

B. Rallying and Morale. The player tries to rally his pinned and supressed units in the rally phase by rolling 1d6 for each of them. If the attempt succeds suppressed units become pinned, and pinned become normal. From the start of the battle units rally on a die roll of 5 or 6, and function normally. The morale will however deteriorate as the troops suffer casualties. As a result of losses a force may become Demoralized: then rally is only possible on a die roll of 6, AFV:s are destroyed if immobilized, no units may initiate assaults, and it costs 2 Cpts to move a single unit or a detachment.

C. A player can modify the rally die rolls by using Cpts. For each Cpt spent on a single rally attempt, the die roll is raised with 1.

D. At precisely what stage the troops will become demoralized depends on the Skill level of the troops: Veterans become demoralized when 60% of their original number of units have been destroyed, Regular troops at 50% and Raw at 40%.

11. TRANSPORTING UNITS

A. Foot units or wheeled guns may be transported by trucks, horse carts, limbers or APC:s. One truck, horse cart or APC may carry one gun or three foot units. Horse limbers and small transports may only carry one gun or one foot unit.

B. In order to be transported the unit must start its movement phase adjacent to the transporter. It costs both the transported and the transporting unit half a move to mount or limber or dismount or unlimber. Loading or unloading does not cost any Cpts.

C. If a vehicle transporting units is destroyed or immobilised the transported units are automatically destroyed. Units being transported may not themselves participate in combat, and will not influence the combat that their transporting vehicles are involved in.

12. RANDOM EVENTS CARDS

A. The Random Events cards are used, not only to introduce different freak events into the game, but also to regulate the length of the game. The Supplement rules can also supply additional Special Random Events, to introduce events connected to certain armies or wars.

B. Preparation of the deck. First the special "End" card is removed. Then the whole deck is shuffled - including any Special Random Events cards. Then a number of cards are taken (from the top) that equals the number of turns minus one - this is the Play Deck. Then the "End" card is placed at the bottom of the Play Deck.

C. These are the random events cards:

1 x THE END The game ends.	1x Heavy Rains No air strikes and no fire on Long range allowed. Supercedes Fog and Overcast.
1x Fog No air strikes or off-board artillery bombardment allowed, only fire on close range allowed. And it costs 1 cpt extra to move one unit or detachment. Supercedes Heavy Rains and Overcast.	1x Overcast No air strikes allowed. Supercedes Heavy Rains and Fog.
4x Change in weather If the weather on the previous turn was either "Fog", "Heavy Rains" or "Overcast" the weather now reverts to Normal.	2x Lull in Fighting 1. Both sides have all their pinned and suppressed units automatically rallied back to normal. 2. Both players may return 1d3 destroyed foot units to play, at their own table edge. (These units does not affect demoralization.) 3. Both players may "repair" one of their immobilized vehicles, making it movable again. 4. Remove 1d3 of Random Events cards from the top of the Play Deck. Then finally the turn ends, and a new starts.
1x First Player Reinforcements Player One rolls 1d3. That many of his destroyed foot units may be returned to play at his own table edge.	1x Second Player Reinforcements Player Two rolls 1d3. That many of his destroyed foot units may be returned to play at his own table edge.
1x First Player Mechanical Breakdown Player One roll 1d6 for each of his AFV on the table. The first time a "1" is rolled, that AFV is immobilised, and the die rolling stops. If no "1" is rolled at first, start all over again.	1x Second Player Mechanical Breakdown Player Two roll 1d6 for each of his AFV on the table. The first time a "1" is rolled, that AFV is immobilised, and the die rolling stops. If no "1" is rolled at first, start all over again.
1x First Player Extra Move One unit of the 1st Players choice can now make an extra move.	1x Second Player Extra Move One unit of the 2nd Players choice can now make an extra move.
1x First Player Sudden Break in Morale One soft, non-pinned units of the 2nd Players choice is Pinned.	1x Second Player Sudden Break in Morale One soft, non-pinned units of the 1st Players choice is Pinned.
1x First Player Confusion Next Cpts die roll by the first player is halved, fractions rounded up.	1x Second Player Confusion Next Cpts die roll by the second player is halved, fractions rounded up.
1x First Player Unexpected Heroism One pinned or supressed unit of the 1st Players choice is automatically rallied back to normal.	1x Second Player Unexpected Heroism One pinned or supressed unit of the 2nd Players choice is automatically rallied back to normal.
1x First Player Surprise Fire One of the First Players non-suppressed units may now perform an extra fire attack.	1x Second Player Surprise Fire One of the Second Players non-suppressed units may now perform an extra fire attack.
1x First Player "Friendly" Fire Player One roll 1d6 for each of his units, until a "1" comes up. Then that unit is fired upon by the nearest friendly unit.	1x Second Player "Friendly" Fire Player Two roll 1d6 for each of his units, until a "1" comes up. Then that unit is fired upon by the nearest friendly unit.
1x First Player Fanatic Charge One unit of the First Players choice may now perform a assault attack (within the rules).	1x Second Player Fanatic Charge One unit of the Second Players choice may now perform a assault attack (within the rules).
1x First Player Repair One immobilized vehicle of the First Players choice is repaired, and can move as normal again.	1x Second Player Repair One immobilized vehicle of the Second Players choice can now move as normal again.
5x Turn ends Reshuffle the sequence deck and start a new turn.

SOFT UNIT CAPABILITY TABLE

Unit type	Movement	Fire die	Range	Assault die
Infantry	10cm	d6	30cm	d12
HMG	5cm	d8	60cm	d8
Mortar	5cm	d10	Min.10cm Max.80cm	d6
Light Gun (less than 75mm)	5cm	d6	100cm	d6
Medium Gun (75-105mm)	Towed	d10	120cm	d6
Heavy Gun (more than 105mm)	Towed	d12	140cm	d6
Truck, softskin	30cm	·	·	d4
Horse cart or tow	10cm	·	·	d3

Note: Mortars minium range is 10cm. For others: less than 10cm is short range, more than 20cm is long range.

Range modifications: If range is short +1 on die roll, if range is long -1 on die roll.

Also note: Both the AFV Capability Table and the AT Gun Table is to be found in the Supplement rules.

SUMMARIES

Command points die: Veteran armies d8, Regulars d6 and Raw d4.

Short range (less than 10cm): +1, Long range (More than 20cm): -1.

Difficulty Test: 1d6 if foot or light gun, 2d6 if vehicle, subtract result from movement allowance. Vehicles immobilized on 2 or 12.

Fire against Soft Targets. If Fire die roll is higher than Protection Value, the target is hit.

The Protection Value of Open and Marsh is 4, Woods 5, Cover 7 and Bunker 9.

Fire against Armored Targets. If it hits in rear of AFV: +1. If Fire die roll is higher than the Armour Value, roll 1d6: 1= main gun KO, 2-5= AFV immobilized, 6 = AFV destroyed.

Mortars uses 1d10, except if the target is new; then use 1d6.

Off-board artillery use 1d8 if volume is low, 1d10 if normal, 1d12 if high. All soft units within 5cm of the impact point are hit. Flexible artillery may move the IP to any location within a friendly LOS. Rigid artillery may only move the IP to a location that is 15 cm from the old one and within a friendly LOS.

Assault attacks may be performed by infantry and AFV:s. (Infantry must test to close with AFV: 4-6 if elite, 5-6 if regular, 6 if raw.) The lowest roll is eliminated. Units assaulting supressed units double their die roll.

Pinned units may not move or initiate assaults. They may fire.

Supressed units may not move, initiate assaults nor fire.

Units in entrenchments or bunkers may only be eliminated by assault attacks.

Surrender: Isolated foot units, in base contact with 3 enemy stands, are removed from play.

Rallying: roll 1d6. Undemoralized units rally on 5 or 6. Demoralized on 6.

When demoralized: AFV:s are destroyed if immobilized, no units may initiate assault attacks, and it costs 2 Cpts to move a single unit or a detachment.

Minefields. Roll 1d6: 1-4 = No effect, 5= pinned if soft target, immobilised if AFV, 6= pinned if soft target, destroyed if AFV.