3.0. The Turn

5/6/2003

The game is played in turns.   Both players may move and have combat in the same turn.  Each turn represents actions done in a set period of time (about 75 seconds).  Turns are sequential, thus actions done in previous turns happen before actions done in following turns.  Within a turn actions sometimes are divided by type of action rather than the time the action actually takes place.   It may be necessary, within a single turn, to go back in time to resolve certain situations.  All this is handled by the turn phase sequence.

3.1.  Each turn is divided into phases.  Some phases are further divided into segments.  Players do not alternate turns or phases, however, play in each segment is divided by players (or teams) in order to ease and regulate play.

3.2.  Turn Sequence
A.  Tactical Orders Phase  Tactical orders must be determined at this time.  Each unit must receive a new or maintain an old set of orders.  Units without orders will continue with the last valid order issued.

B. Communications Phase  To issue new orders, change orders and request support, units must communicate with other units.  Most local communications are automatic, but communications to units above the company level may not be.
C. Movement Phase  This phase is divided into several segments.  Aircraft and infantry movement is in two segments separated by several vehicle movement segments.  Vehicle move

3.2  Sequence of Play  - Outline

A.  TACTICAL ORDERS PHASE
B.  COMMUNICATIONS PHASE
C.  MOVEMENT PHASE
  1.  Aircraft /Infantry & helicopter First Movement Segment.
  2.  AFV Close-up / Unbutton Segment
  3.  AFV Full Movement Segment
  4.  AFV  Half Movement Segment
  5.  AFV  Shift Movement Segment
  6.  Aircraft /Infantry & helicopter Second Movement Segment
D.  SIGHTING PHASE  (Primary)
E.  COMBAT PHASE
  1.  Stationary Fire Segment
  2.  Shift Movement Fire / Old Artillery Segment
  2.1. Auto Sighting of First Firing Elements Segment and ATGMs.
  3.  Half Movement Fire Segment
  4.  Full Movement Fire Segment
  5.  Close Assault / New Artillery Segment
F.  SIGHTING FIRING ELEMENT PHASE (Final)
E.  BATTLEFIELD MORALE PHASE
H.  MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS PHASE

ment is structured so that those units moving the most in a turn must go before those moving the least.  (One reason why orders are so important is that  movement amount is committed to by the orders.) 
Example:  If a platoons orders for a turn were to cover (hold in place) and after the full movement segment suddenly enemy tanks were moved to positions on all sides, that platoon could not move away.  It would have to wait until the next turn to issue that order.
D.  Sighting Phase  This sighting phase is to sight new targets that have moved into sight or that could possibly be sighted just by being where they are.
E.  The Combat Phase  This is the most complicated phase.  It is divided into 5 segments numbered appropriately 1 to 5.  Combat is defined as one player's piece or unit attacking another player's piece.  To attack one must 'fire' at the other unit.  Who fires (attacks) first is usually given to the one who moves the least. Thus stationary or bore sighted systems will fire before full moving units.  Fire within a combat segment is simultaneous.  Fire in lower numbered segments takes place before that in higher numbered segments.   Separating two of the fire segments is a sighting segment.  This is reserved for the automatic sighting of elements who fired in the first two segments.
F.  Sighting Phase (final)   This second sighting phase exists only in order to attempt to sight units that have fired in the previous phase.  Only the fact that a unit fired may be considered in determining if it can be sighted is taken into account in this phase. 
E.  Battlefield Morale   If losses have been taken or communications broken there may be a need for a morale check.  The integrity of a unit will determine if it continues with its mission or falls back.  Morale failure in one organizational unit may work its way up the chain of command as more sub-units are lost.
H.  Final Details  This phase ties up all the miscellaneous rules such as gun clearing, bogging down, battlefield repair, bridge building or demolition.

3.4.  Scenario Goals  A  game that is a situation set up with certain limitations on troops and vehicles over specific terrain is called a scenario.  A game scenario may be set to last a certain number of turns or it may be limited to a set amount of play time for a team to achieve a set of goals or objectives given by the scenario.  A scenario will have two sides, each side will have at least one player.  Several players can be on the same side, in which case they constitute a team.

The Diagram

The above diagram shows the information contained on the AFV table diagram.