1. Introduction
The Book
Your first requirement to play Chain of Command is this
rule book. Here you will find a selection of army lists
for the war in Europe from 1944 onwards; Germany,
Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States of
America. If you want to set your games in other years or
theatres of war, Handbooks and Pint Sized campaigns are
available that provide more detail and rules which are
specific to those phases of the conflict.
Additionally, if you are looking to play a larger game, the
At The Sharp End Supplement will allow you to expand
the games you play and link them together in a campaign.
The Armies
You will need two opposing miniature forces to get
started. The rules are not designed with any specific range
or scale of figures in mind. The size of your miniature
troops and how they are based is a matter of personal
choice. Casualties are tracked during play, so individually
based figures offer the most flexibility. However, bases
with multiple figures do not present a major problem.
We use individually based 28mm figures with Leader
figures, Officers and NCOs, on slightly larger bases so we
can identify them easily. However, the ground scale of
12" equals 40 yards used in the rules means that 15mm
figures give the closest approximation of real ground
scale, each 15mm figure being 6 foot tall.
The rules are "What you see is what you get", one model
being one soldier or vehicle. The focus is on the actions
of your infantry along with some support units and
vehicles. These will be units which historically operated
in the front line, so weapons such as artillery or medium
mortars, which as a matter of course are deployed
significant distances behind the front lines, will be left
"off table".
The force you field will be platoon strength in size, around
thirty figures with an officer and NCOs, and perhaps some
light support weapons. You will find plenty of examples
of forces and how they are organised in Section 20 of
the rules, along with lists of support units which can be
selected to accompany your force into action.
The Playing Surface
Once you have your armies, you will need a space where
you can play your game. We recommend a table 6’ long
by 4’ wide or larger.
The Tape Measure
To play Chain of Command, you will need a tape measure
marked in inches to measure movement distances and
weapon ranges.
The Dice
Dice play a major role in Chain of Command. All the dice
we use are standard six-sided dice, marked 1 to 6 with
numbers or pips. We refer to these as D6 in the rules.
You’ll need dice for several tasks and we recommend
using dice of different colours for each to make sure you
don’t get these confused in the heat of battle. The dice
types are as outlined below.
Command Dice
In each Phase of play, units are activated by rolling a
number of Command Dice. This is normally five dice for
each side, but it can vary depending on the force.
Chain of Command Dice
The accumulation of Chain of Command Points by both
sides represents a commander’s tactical awareness and
their ability to react and respond to the enemy. You will
need a couple of larger dice to track the number of Chain
of Command Points each force has available.
Firing & Movement Dice
A number of D6 are required for general rolling to move
and fire and to generate various results in play. Around a
dozen D6 should cover most situations.
Shock Dice
Unit morale is represented by a system of Shock. This
is tracked for each unit on the table. Players often do
this using micro-dice, but counters, dials or any other
method you prefer may be used.
In all, each player should have five Command Dice, two
Chain of Command Dice and a dozen D6 along with some
way of marking Shock.
Rolling the Dice
During a game, players will roll dice with the result
representing success or failure. For example, when
firing with a weapon listed in the Arsenals as having eight
Firepower Dice, eight dice are rolled with the result on
each dice determining how many hits are achieved.
Sometimes multiple dice are rolled to gain a single result.
This is shown by a preceding number, such as 2D6 or 3D6.
Roll the number of dice indicated and add the results
together to give an overall total.
Where a D3 is needed, roll a D6 counting a roll of 1 or 2
as 1, 3 or 4 as 2 and 5 or 6 as 3.
Rounding the Dice
At times the rules will ask you to add, subtract or use a
proportion of dice available. In these situations, round
down if the result is not a whole number of dice.
Patrol Markers & Jump Off Points
These are used in the Patrol Phase of the game. They
represent reconnaissance forces and patrols seeking out
the enemy before the game begins and securing ground
for both sides. These will determine where the Jump‐Off
Points for both sides will be placed. Patrol Marker tokens
may also serve as Objective Markers when a Mission
requires them.
The Tokens
The Chain of Command tokens easily and clearly track
what your forces are doing; whether units have assumed
a particular stance; operating Tactically or going on
Overwatch, and when units have become Pinned or have
Broken as a result of contact with the enemy.
The Force Morale Tracker
Throughout the game, both players will track their Force Morale level. This will change during a game when setbacks
impact on the fighting abilities of a force.
The Rule to Rule Them All
As with all wargames fought on a tabletop, situations will arise that are not covered in the rules. When this happens,
consider what is realistic in the relevant span of time and the distances involved. Discuss the situation with your
opponent and come to an amicable agreement. Playing in a sporting manner is more important than winning.