2. The Ground Rules

Chain of Command represents WWII combat in real time and space. Our game tables, and the miniature terrain they contain, should represent and reflect the real world, with our models creating the setting for our games.

Understanding the terrain being fought over is important. Unlike board games, miniature wargames tables can be infinitely varied, so here we define the ground that may be encountered, any obstacles that you might come across and various levels of cover, so as to replicate reality as closely as we can.

At the outset of the game, the players should discuss what the terrain on their tabletop represents, agreeing on what type of cover each feature provides, and how any obstacles will restrict movement.

2.1 Ground Types

The type of ground encountered will affect how units move through it. Ground is divided into four main types, as follows:

Open Ground

Most of a European battlefield is likely to be Open Ground, where a person can walk unimpeded, such as a road or track, fields, heath, or maintained orchards.

Broken Ground

Where movement is slightly impeded. This could be cultivated land, light woodland, fords, muddy ground or steep hills.

Rough Ground

Where movement is badly restricted for troops on foot and extremely difficult or impossible for vehicles. Heavy undergrowth, dense forests, rocky hillsides, rubble, marsh or similar.

Heavy Going

All movement is very difficult and limited to a slow pace. This is terrain at the extreme end of the spectrum; swamps, deep snow or similar.

2.1.1 Soft Ground

Some areas of Broken Ground or Rough Ground may also be Soft Ground. Vehicles moving through Soft Ground are at risk of becoming Immobilised. See Section 11.3.1.1, Immobilised Vehicles.

2.2 Obstacles

These are usually linear features in the terrain. They affect movement when units cross them. They might affect visibility or provide cover from fire. However, some obstacles, wire fencing and barbed wire for example, may only be an obstacle and not affect visibility or provide any cover.

Minor Obstacles

These are low garden walls, ditches, maintained hedges, fences around waist height. Anything smaller is not an Obstacle.

Medium Obstacles

These are stone walls, deep irrigation ditches, farm hedges or fences up to head height.

Major Obstacles

These are thick bocage hedges, high walls or obstacles over head height.

2.2.1 Streams

Streams are obstacles; their banks are an obstacle to movement. Streams are rated by depth. Anything deeper than chest-deep can only be crossed at a bridge or similar.

2.3 Cover

In Chain of Command there are three types of cover, Light, Hard and Bunkers.

Light Cover

Minimal cover which makes the target harder to see and gives limited physical protection. This could be hedges, low ornamental garden walls, small shell holes, woods and orchards, wooden buildings or similar. Some Light Cover, such as standing crops, only provides cover if the Unit in it did not move in the current or previous Phase.

Hard Cover

This offers worthwhile physical protection, such as a heavy stone wall, buildings, entrenchments, or similar.

Bunkers

Built of concrete or heavy timber with small firing apertures, these are particularly heavy cover which offers all-round protection. Only troops in bunkers benefit from this level of cover.

2.4 Visibility

What our units, and individual figures, can see is important as it determines what they can react to and engage with. Line of Sight is determined by tracing a straight line from each figure to the target. Figures in Open Ground have 360° visibility and are able to see all other units if no terrain breaks their Line of Sight.

Where individual figures are located on the table is important. Line of Sight, and consequently the ability to shoot at a target, is broken by any intervening figures between a figure wishing to fire and the target enemy Unit.

Terrain Affecting Visibility

The following terrain can affect visibility:

2.4.1 Linear Obstacles & Intervening Terrain

Linear Obstacles vary in height and size and their effect on visibility reflects this.

Intervening Terrain is a feature located between two Units but to which neither are adjacent.

Where a Unit is in contact with an obstacle, such as a hedge or fence classed as a Minor or Medium Obstacle, this will not affect its Line of Sight.

Line of Sight is broken if it crosses four intervening Minor Obstacles, such as garden hedges, small fences or similar.

Where Line of Sight crosses a Medium Obstacle, such as a high hedge or fence, it extends 2" beyond that obstacle but no further.

Where Line of Sight crosses a Major Obstacle, such as a high wall, it is broken unless a Unit is directly adjacent to the obstacle, lining it, and able to fire from that position.

2.4.2 Area Terrain

Area Terrain is an area of ground within which Units can be located, such as woods, orchards or standing crops.

Line of Sight into, or through, an area of terrain where visibility is lightly obstructed, such as orchards, is broken when it travels 6" into the terrain from the edge. Troops inside this type of area terrain can see up to 18" within it.

Line of Sight into an area of terrain where visibility is badly obstructed, such as woods, is broken when it travels 4" into the terrain from the edge. Troops inside this type of area terrain can see up to 12" within it.

If a piece of Area Terrain that intervenes between two Units, whether Line of Sight is broken is determined by the density of the terrain, as outlined above. Only where the area of terrain is wide enough to break Line of Sight does visibility end.

2.4.3 Buildings

A unit in a building will only be visible if it is within 4" of a window, door or similar aperture. An aperture reduces visibility to a 90° arc directly out from the window or door, 45° from the perpendicular, measured from the face of the aperture. A unit looking into a building may only do so if it is located within the same 90° arc.

Troops in Buildings

Units in buildings have a special status as, whilst we can see the figures on the table, our miniature troops may not actually be aware that they are there. A unit in a building can only be targeted with Fire for Effect by enemy units who are aware they are there and also have Line of Sight to them. To be aware of an enemy in a building, one of the following must apply: Note: Suppression Fire may always be used against a building, even when the firer is unaware of a Unit inside it and has no Line of Sight to that Unit.

2.4.4 Elevated Terrain

Where the firer is elevated, such as in the upper stories of a house or the turret of a tank, Line of Sight is measured from the elevated position and ignores any intervening terrain which does not break Line of Sight.

2.4.5 Visibility & Vehicles

All vehicles may be seen by any unit in Line of Sight. Passengers and crew in a Transport vehicle can be seen if the vehicle can be seen. Passengers and crew in an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APCs) can only be seen if they are manning exposed weapons positions, such as an LMG on a halftrack. Crews inside Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) can never be seen.

Hull weapons on AFVs measure their Line of Sight from ground level and cannot see, or fire, through intervening friendly units.

Turret weapons measure from the higher weapon position and can fire over friendly troops if they have an unobstructed Line of Sight to the target Unit.

Low Profile AFVs always measure Line of Sight from ground level.

2.4.6 Smoke

All infantry Sections and some Support Units and vehicles are able to deploy smoke which affects visibility. Some smoke breaks Line of Sight entirely, meaning that nothing can fire through. Some smoke reduces visibility so that Line of Sight still exists but any firing into or through it is done with a penalty.

Smoke occurring as a result of he following entirely blocks Line of Sight:

Smoke resulting from the throwing of smoke grenades and collapsed buildings reduces visibility but does not block Line of Sight.