Errata Menu
Source: SPI
Date: As of August 7, 1978
WACHT AM RHEIN
WACHT AM RHEIN ERRATA
(as of 7 August, 1978)
COUNTER_MIX:
(1) The German 560 VG Division's regiment counters should read 1128,
1129, and 1130 rather than 128, 129, and 130 respectively.
(2) The German 9 Panzer Division has a tank battalion with a
mis-printed designation. It should read 1/11/9P rather than 1/119P.
(3) The British engineer battalion 260/42xx should read 260/43xx.
(4) The German 26 VG Division should have a 1-3-6 engineer battalion;
this is not provided in the countermix.
(5) The U.S. 741 tank battalion is duplicated in the counters. The
correct battalion is 741/2xx. The 741/99xx is not used.
(6) Players should ignore the Corps attachments on the following
German HQ units: 3PG, 15 PG, 9P, 11P. When these Divisions enter the
map as reinforcements, they may attach themselves to any corps HQ on
the map, but once attached they may never switch corps (or armies).
MAP:
(1) The River connecting the SE hexside of C1826 with the SE hexside
of C1824 should not be a River; it should be a Creek.
(2) There should be Fords between hexes C2433 and C2432, D0336 and
D0435, and C3544 and D0244.
(3) The road connecting hexes D3104, D3105, and D3005 does not bridge
the Sauer River. The road is considered to stop at the River at all
points.
RULES Clarifications and Corrections:
[7.31] (Clarification) Units in March Mode may never enter a Woods
hex, although a unit in Tactical Mode on a Woods/Road hex may go into
March Mode.
[8.42] (Clarification) This rule stands without exception. An HQ unit
in a Town or Village hex that is adjacent to Enemy units during its
Friendly Combat Phase is still eliminated.
[9.25] (Clarification) Two U.S. company-size units may enter March
Mode under one March Mode marker as a team if they started that
Friendly Movement Phase in the same hex.
[10.4, 10.5] (Clarification) The maximum number of Regimental
Integrity and Combined Arms bonuses that may be awarded per attack is
one, regardless of how may attacking stacks possess it.
[10.8] (Modification) Combat results take effect after all attacks
made from a single hex have been rolled for. If two units in a single
hex are attacking different hexes, no combat results may be applied
until the second attack has been resolved. If, in one attack the
defender could advance and in the other the attacker could advance,
then neither Player may advance his unit after combat.
[10.94] (Clarification) Advancing units must stop when entering an
Enemy Rigid Zone of Control, not including the first hex entered in
this advance.
[11.1] (Clarification) German VG Divisions do have Corps attachments.
The starting VG Divisions are attached as follows: 212, 276, 352, 5FJ
VG's: 7 Army
26 VG: XLVII Corps
560 VG: LVIII Corps
18, 62 VG's: LXVI Corps
12, 277, 3FJ VG's: ISS Corps
326, 272, 246 VG's: LXVII Corps
Reinforcing VG Divisions may attach themselves to any corps or army,
but once attached they may never shift corps or army. (Note that they
may still trace supply to any corps or army HQ.)
[11.4] (Clarification) An Artillery unit adjacent to an Enemy unit
may not use its FPF Strength.
[11.7] (Correction) The restriction against German Barrage Strength
Points applies only to pure Artillery Strength Points. Rocket
Artillery Barrage Strength Points are never counted against the 20
Point restriction, nor do German "120" Artillery units (these are
mortars, although this is not indicated on the counters).
[14.0] (Clarification) All German Artillery units with a Movement
Allowance of zero are always in supply.
[15.1] (Correction) Engineer units may attempt to blow a bridge only
if they can trace a path of hexes, free of Enemy Zones of Control, to
a hex to which the bridge hexside is attached. Friendly units negate
Enemy ZOC's in the hexes they occupy for the purposes of tracing this
path of hexes.
[16.0] (Clarification) Improved Positions and Entrenchments may not
be built in the same hex.
[16.0] (Clarification) If an Enemy unit comes within three hexes of a
Friendly unit that is building IP's or entrenchments, the IP or
entrenchment marker is immediately removed.
[16.0] (Correction) Units in March Mode may not build IP's or
entrenchments. They may never benefit from the effects of these
positions.
[17.0] (Clarification) U.S. companies may trace supply to any U.S. HQ
unit.
[17.0] (Clarification) During the first three Game-Turns of Scenario
25.1, 25.2, and 27.0, U.S. company-size units may receive full
support from all artillery units listed under their Division for the
starting set-up, plus all Artillery units listed under "Corps Troops"
for these set-ups (if the company's Corps is the same as that of the
Corps Artillery). After the first three Game-Turns, U.S. company-size
units never receive full artillery support from any Artillery unit.
Barrage and FPF Strength Points are always halved as described in
Case 11.14.
[19.2] (Correction) For every two Air Points the Enemy Player has
allocated to Patrol, the Friendly Player must reduce the number of
Ground Support and/or Resupply Escort and/or Interdiction Air Points
by one. The choice of which Air Points to be reduced is left to the
Enemy Player. For example, if 10 German Air Points were allocated to
Patrol, the German Player could reduce U.S. Ground Support Points by
three, Resupply Escort Points by one, and Interdiction Points by one.
[19.43] (Clarification) During the Mutual Supply Determination Phase
of the U.S. Player-Turn, the U.S. Player may attack any German
units in March Mode with his Interdiction Air Points. One or more
Interdiction AP's must be allocated against each German unit in March
Mode that is to be attacked. For example, if the U.S. Player
allocated six AP's to Interdiction, he could attack six German units
in March Mode at a strength of one, three units at a strength two
apiece, or two units at a strength of three apiece.
[21.2] (Correction) Reinforcements whose entry hex is blocked may
come on the map up to three entry boxes away from the scheduled entry
hex. A Game-Turn delay in arrival still takes effect, however.
Otherwise, Case 21.22 applies in full.
[21.3] REINFORCEMENT RESTRICTIONS
A hypothetical hexrow surrounds the map. Reinforcements that are
blocked from entering their Entry Hex may delay their entry one
Game-Turn and either:
a) Follow the original restrictions of 21.2, including errata, or
b) Deploy their units in the hypothetical hexrow in Tactical Mode
within four hexes of the original Entry Hex. From here, they may
conduct attacks against Enemy units normally. Units may never be
attacked in the hypothetical hexrow, but once they leave it, they may
never return to it. When attacking from this hexrow, a unit may never
retreat, although it may sustain step losses in the hex it occupies
without having to pass a Morale test.
[22.0] There are several omissions on the U.S. Master Reinforcement
Schedule. These are as follows:
Game-Turn 5: C2 (North) -- 33/7Axx (E)
Game-Turn 7: C7 (North) -- 613/V (D-M36)
Game-Turn 11: C6 (North) -- 745/1xx (T), 20/1xx (E)
C2 (North) -- 740/VII (T), 643/VIII (D)
Game-Turn 12: C7 (North) -- 195/VII (A)
Game-Turn 17: D1 or 2 (South) -- 602/III (D)
D3, 4, or 5 (South) -- 737/III (T), 818/III (D)
Game-Turn 32: Between D4 and B4 (South) -- 654/III (D)
[22.0] (Correction) The 9/VII (H) unit listed under Game-Turn 7
reinforcements should be 9/V (H). Delete the 9/V (H) unit from
Game-Turn 21 reinforcements for the U.S. Player.
[22.0] (Clarification) Two U.S. units are provided in the counter-mix
that are already broken down into companies at the beginning of the
game. These are the 801/99xx (D) and 612/2xx (D). These units are
never used in the game. They are provided for historical purposes
only. Additionally, the 610/III (D) U.S. unit is not used in the
game.
[22.0] (Correction) Delete U.S. Artillery unit 776/V from Game-Turn
38 reinforcements.
[22.0] (Correction) All units of Fuehrer Grenadier Brigade should
appear on Game-Turn 18 (December 21, PM), not Game-Turn 24.
[22.0] (Correction) The U.S. 4th Armored Division, 274/III (A), and
177/III (A) appear in their designated area on Game-Turn 18 (December
21, PM), not on Game-Turn 14.
[22.0] (Clarification) The Engineer units of the following German
divisions may enter the map with a bridge marker: 11th Panzer, 10th
SS Panzer, 3rd and 15th Panzer Grenadier. These bridges are in
addition to the others already listed on the Reinforcement Schedule.
[22.0] Ignore all references to British units on the Master
Reinforcement Schedule. Instead, use the following changes:
Game-Turn 14: Between A2 and A11 (inclusive) -- All units of "British
Reserve" available (see case 23.1).
Game-Turn 17: A10 -- 23H/29Ax (T), 2FY/29Ax (T), 3RT/29Ax (T).
Second Allied Player-Turn after German unit has crossed Meuse River:
A2 -- All units of 51st Division and 34th Armored Brigade.
Fifth Allied Player-Turn after German unit has crossed Meuse River:
A2 -- All units of 53rd Division and those bearing XXX corps
designation.
[23.0] BRITISH MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS (Ignore original Section)
[23.1] THE BRITISH RESERVE
[23.11] The "British Reserve" consists of the Guards Armored
Division, 43rd Division, 33rd Armored Brigade, plus an additional
unit not provided in the countermix: 2HC/XXX. This is a tank unit
with strengths of 7-5-14 (front) and 3-3-14 (back).
[23.12] Starting with the first Game-Turn in which the British
Reserve is available from the reinforcement schedule (and on all
subsequent Game-Turns), the Allied Player rolls one die. The
resulting number is the number of units from the British Reserve that
may enter the map on that Game-Turn.
[23.13] On the Game-Turn in which a unit from the British Reserve
enters the map, it may use its entire Movement Allowance in either
Mode. On subsequent Game-Turns, it may do nothing (other than going
out of March Mode) until activated (see Case 23.2). It may not move
from the hex in which it ended its movement until this time.
[23.14] On the Game-Turn in which they enter the map, British Reserve
units are subject to all the restrictions of Case 23.21.
[23.15] On the first Allied Player-Turn after a German unit has
crossed the Meuse River, all units of the British Reserve may enter
the map, and British Reserve die rolls are no longer undertaken.
[23.2] ACTIVATION
[23.21] No British unit may ever cross south or east of the Meuse,
leave Map A, build IP or entrenchments, or build or blow bridges
until activated.
[23.22] A British unit is activated in one of three ways:
a) A German unit moves within five hexes of a British unit (not vice
versa). In this case, that particular British unit is no longer
subject to any movement restrictions.
b) A German unit is west or north of the Meuse at the beginning of an
Allied Player-Turn. In this case, all British units on the map are
activated, but may still not move east or south of the Meuse
(although they may be freed of this last restriction by cases (a) or
(c)).
c) The Allied Player declares an "emergency". In this case, no
British unit is ever subject to movement restrictions and may
partake in game functions normally. However, if the Allied Player
declares an "emergency", he loses two "steps" of victory at the end
of the game (i.e., a Decisive Allied Victory would become a Marginal
Allied Victory).
[23.23] Note that there is no longer a specific date in which British
units lose all the movement restrictions.
[24.1] (Correction) Motorized infantry is any unit in the game with a
standard infantry symbol that possesses seven or more Movement
Points. It is strongly suggested that Players use this optional rule.
Any unit that so converts has its Defense Strength reduced by two,
but its Attack Strength reduced by one.
[24.3, 24.4] (Clarification) German Truppeneinheit and parachute
commando units never effect POL markers. U.S. units may retreat onto
Truppeneinheit units, but not parachute-commando units.
[24.4] (Correction) German parachute-commando units must drop on any
Clear or Broken hex within five hexes of C1131.
[24.5] (Clarification) Units of the German 150th Panzer Brigade may
attempt to leave an Enemy rigid ZOC to enter another hex which does
not have to be another Enemy rigid ZOC. The 150th Panzer Brigade
units do not have to begin their Movement Phase in an Enemy rigid
ZOC; they may enter this ZOC and then attempt to leave it as
described in the rules of this Case. If the units are attempting to
"infiltrate" in this manner, they do not pay the one-half MP cost for
leaving an Enemy rigid ZOC.
[25.12] (Correction) U.S. units 3/112/28 (I) and 1/112/28 (I)
starting on hexes D0520 and D0319 respectively, should start the game
in Entrenchments, not Improved Positions.
[25.16] (Clarification) Uncommitted units may not build Improved
Positions or Entrenchments, blow bridges, or breakdown into
companies. Uncommitted artillery units may use their Barrage and FPF
Strength.
[25.22] (Correction) U.S. unit 323/99xx (E) should read 324/99xx (E);
the German 18 VG Division has a Replacement Battalion (1-4-6) that
starts on the map within one hex of C2508; the German Artillery unit
116Pxx (150) begins the game on hex C3514 not C3816.
[27.4] (Addition) Special Rule 25.24a applies to the Campaign Game.
Special Rule 25.24b does not apply to the Campaign Game.
SUGGESTED RULES CHANGES
[11.9] ARTILLERY MOVEMENT
[11.91] All non-self-propelled Artillery units may move only in March
Mode, never in Tactical Mode. The act of going into March Mode
indicates that the Artillery unit is Out of Battery. Flip
the Artillery unit over to indicate this state. This obviates the
need for March Mode markers on Artillery units since any Artillery
unit on
its reverse side is in March Mode. All standard March Mode rules
apply. Ignore Case 6.3 when using this rule. Additionally, revise the
"In Battery Segment" of the Sequence of Play to state, "The Player
may flip all of his Out of Battery Artillery units to their In
Battery sides."
[11.92] Some non-SP Artillery start the game in Woods hexes. Such
units may enter March Mode and leave these hexes, but this is the
only time during the course of the game that they may do so.
[11.93] Self-propelled Artillery units may move in both March and
Tactical Modes. All SP Artillery units may move up to six Movement
Points in Tactical Mode without having to go Out of Battery. SP units
enter March Mode like other Artillery units -- by flipping the unit
to its Out of Battery side (thus expending four MP's) and then
moving. SP units may never enter March Mode and use their Barrage and
FPF Strengths in the same Game-Turn. At the moment an SP unit in
Tactical Mode expends its seventh MP in its Friendly Movement Phase,
it is flipped Out of Battery.
[11.4] FINAL PROTECTIVE FIRE
These rules are slightly abstracted in Wacht am Rhein in that the
Defensive Player has a tremendous leeway over odds determination
because he states his FPF last. In a combat, it is suggested that the
Attacking Player state his total Attack Strength not including any
barraging Artillery while the Defensive Player states his total
Defense Strength not including any FPF. Then the Defending Player
writes down how many FPF Strength Points he
is using in support of his defense from Artillery units within range.
Before this number is revealed, the Attacking Player states how many
Barrage Points are supporting his attack from Artillery units within
range. Next, the Defending Player reveals his FPF number while
pointing to the Artillery units providing this support. All
Divisional and Corps Artillery integrity rules must be strictly
adhered to by both Players. These Artillery Strengths are added to
the Player's Strengths. A final total is calculated and a
ratio determined.
[15.2] GERMAN ENGINEERS AND BRIDGE BUILDING AND REPAIR
German Engineers had the ability to repair destroyed bridges. This
occurred frequently in the Battle of the Bulge, although the delays
hindered the German advance tremendously. Using this rule, a German
Engineer unit may repair a blown bridge from either of the two hexes
the bridge formerly connected (unless the Engineer unit is in a U.S.
ZOC). The Engineer unit must remain in this hex for two complete
Friendly Movement Phases without moving. In the Bridge Building and
Blowing Phase following this second consecutive Movement Phase of
immobility the blown bridge marker may be removed. The bridge is
considered intact again for all purposes.
[31.0] MORALE
The combat rules of Wacht am Rhein allow both Players a complete
freedom of choice as to how to retreat and/or take losses among their
units suffering a combat result. This is an abstraction. In the heat
of battle, high-ranking officers rarely knew the "strategic
situation" other than in their immediate area. It usually did not
work that battalion "x" held its position to the last man so that
battalion "y" had a more favorable retreat route - especially when
both battalions were engaged in fighting at the same time. Battalion
commanders could only act in such a situation on the basis of the
morale of the men under their command.
[31.1] Given an adverse combat result, the affected Player may always
choose to retreat his units subject to the retreat rules.
[31.2] If a Player wishes to take a step loss in lieu of retreating,
he must roll a die and refer to the highest Morale Rating possessed
by all of his affected units. If the die roll is equal to or less
than this Morale Rating, the owning Player has complete latitude as
to how he may fulfill his combat result for his affected units in
that particular combat (as described in Case 10.75). If the die roll
is above this Morale Rating, the owning Player may not take losses in
lieu of retreating for the duration of his retreat. In this case, the
units must retreat the required number of hexes (unless the unit is
completely surrounded by Enemy-occupied hexes, in which case the unit
would be forced to take step losses instead of retreating). At the
movement a Player declares that he wishes to take a step loss instead
of retreating, he rolls the die. This die roll will determine his
ability or inability to control the rest of the retreat.
[31.3] Morale Ratings (for parent formations):
U.S. airborne divisions; German SS divisions; British Guards Armored
Division: 5.
U.S. armored and infantry divisions (non-green - including those
listed in Case 24.6); German 26 VG Division; German fallschirmjager
divisions; German panzer and panzergrenadier divisions; all remaining
British units: 4.
All U.S. green division; U.S. corps troops; all non-green German VG
divisions: 3.
German green VG divisions; non-U.S. - U.K. Allied units: 2.
[31.4] All units in a reduced state have their Morale Ratings reduced
by one.
[31.5] All U.S. company units have Morale Rating of three.
[31.6] When using Morale rules, U.S. airborne battalions should
reduce their Attack Strength to three and their Defense Strength to
five. U.S. Glider battalions should reduce their Attack Strength to
two and their Defense Strength to four. The reduced side of airborne
battalions should read 1-3-6 and that of glider battalions 1-2-6.
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