In for the Long Haul ...
...crossing the Normandy beaches for the 18th year.
Keeping its recent format of a Tuesday night Mulligan round
followed on Wednesday by single-elimination, back-to-back, five-hour
rounds the invasions will run until a victor is found.
Significant changes for tournament balance are below for the
standard Avalon Hill version. If the L/2 Design version is available
for play and both players agree to use it for a given round they
may do so.
Setup: Allies start with 35 banked supply points (available
from the refit phase of the 6th).
Bidding: If both sides want the Allies, bidding as
described below will be for the Allied side with reduced Allied
supply points until zero, then German supply points. If both
want the Germans, bidding will be for the German side increasing
the Allied supply from 35 upwards.
First turn limitations:
a) St Mere Eglise: In Area 50, 101/501 is Spent. Place
Allied Held markers on the bridges between Area 50 and Area 52,
and Area 50 and Area 44. The Allies take no action in the Area
50 Drop Area during the Airborne Phase.
b) Bretteville: No Allied unit may move from Area 16
to Areas 14, 15, or 21 on the June 6 Turn.
Assistant GMs: Nels Thompson, Jim Eliason
Tournament Rules
Game: The standard one-week game of Breakout: Normandy.
No optional rules will be used. Rules 12.53 and 22.4 are modified
as listed immediately below,
Reserves: Rule 12.53 is modified as follows. - The maximum
daily impulse purchase limit of three per player is removed.
There is no limit to the number of daily impulses either player
may purchase, given sufficient Supply Reserve. However, the Impulse
Marker may never be moved below Impulse C or above Impulse 12.
Victory Points: 9.6 VPs or higher are required for an
Allied win. Rule 22.4 is modified to award a Victory Point to
the Allies for contesting areas worth 6 VPs, not 7. Claiming
that VP does not prevent the Allied player from also fulfilling
the ".6" portion of the VC by contesting more areas
worth an additional 6 VPs.
Class: Class A format for experienced players only. Many
veteran players are willing to offer playing tips and pointers
to less experienced players during the tournament, but you should
not expect this or plan on it in more than a casual way.
Format: Single Elimination, Mulligan round plus three
elimination rounds on Wednesday, subsequent elimination rounds
(if required) on Thursday. Each round will last 4 hours 45 minutes
with a 15 minute break between Rounds.
Byes: Standard WBC rules pertaining to byes will be
implemented. However, if an Eliminator player is available, they
will be used instead of byes to potentially shorten the event
and produce a fairer outcome. The eliminator will be chosen from
the highest AREA ranked volunteer on hand. Players who have been
eliminated or do not care to participate in the event to the
end who nonetheless would enjoy a meaningful game, are urged
to volunteer with the GM for eliminator duty.
Conduct: The GM reserves the right to penalize poor
sportsmanship or other obnoxious behavior by expulsion from the
tournament. On the other hand, non-violent, non-disruptive complaining
about bad luck is a tournament tradition.
Spectators: Spectators are welcome, and encouraged, subject
to the following rules:
Either player may ask any or all spectators (other than the GM
or assistant GMs) to leave for any reason or no reason. This
is a serious competition in which the players are to be judged
solely on their own abilities (and luck). Accordingly, NO SPECTATOR
MAY GIVE ADVICE OF ANY KIND TO PLAYERS REGARDING THE GAME IN
PROGRESS, INCLUDING COMMENTS REGARDING THE LEGALITY OR ILLEGALITY
OF MOVES. ANY PLAYER FOUND TO BE SOLICITING OR VOLUNTARILY ACCEPTING
ADVICE REGARDING STRATEGY OR TACTICS MAY BE REQUIRED TO FORFEIT
THE GAME IN PROGRESS AND MAY BE EXPELLED FROM THE TOURNAMENT.
ANY SPECTATOR FOUND GIVING ADVICE MAY BE BARRED FROM EITHER OBSERVING
OR PLAYING IN THE TOURNAMENT. Spectators may, however, advise
the players as to the previous position and other factual matters
if asked by both players. Rules questions should be referred
to the GM or an assistant GM, not to spectators.
Playing Officials: Prior to the start of the tournament,
two Assistant GMs will be named to assist the GM. Assistant GMs
may participate in the tournament as active players and are eligible
to play in all rounds and compete for awards and prizes just
as any other player. The GM and Assistant GMs will not be allowed
to issue rulings on questions or rule interpretations for matches
in which they are personally involved.
Player Record Sheet: Each player will be given an individual
Player Record Sheet at the start of each round. It is the player's
responsibility to fill out the Record Sheet accurately and completely
and turn it in to the GM at the end of the round. Failure to
do so may negatively affect future pairings and/or advancement
to the semi-finals. If mistakes are found on the Record Sheet
and tournament play has advanced beyond the point where those
mistakes can conveniently be corrected, the player will have
to live with the mistake. No one wants that to happen. Please
make sure that your Record Sheet is accurate and turned in on
time.
AREA: All games will be AREA rated and the GM will submit
all game results for AREA ratings. This will include withdrawals,
concessions, and adjudications. No chits need be exchanged. In
addition, AREA ratings will be used to determine the average
strength of schedule for tiebreaker purposes.
Withdrawal: Should you wish to withdraw from the tournament,
or any given round, at any time, for any reason, please contact
the GM as soon as possible. Notify him of your intentions and
turn in your individual Player Record Sheet.
Late Entry: Registration and entry to this event will
remain open. Players arriving late for the start of any given
round may have to forego playing in that round.
Matching: All rounds will be by random draw with the exception
that you won't be matched against a player you've already played
in the Mulligan round.
Byes: Defending Champion will receive first bye if player
eliminator is not available.
Side Determination: Choice of sides for each match will
be determined by player preference. If either player requests,
preference choices may be made secretly, then simultaneously
revealed (both players pick a playing piece of each side, choose
one side, then reveal their chosen side at the same time). If
the players both prefer the same side, they will bid extra Supply
Points to offer their opponent in exchange for accepting the
non-preferred side according to the procedure below.
Bidding Procedure (Auction Format):
All bid increments must be in whole numbers; no fractional bids
are allowed.
Each player rolls one die. The player rolling higher bids first.
Re-roll ties.
The First Player may bid zero or any amount greater than zero.
The Second Player must either accept the First Player's bid or
increase it.
Players alternate this procedure until one player accepts the
bid.
The player accepting the bid plays the non-preferred side and
the extra Supply Points he receives from the bid are immediately
recorded on the Supply Point Track.
The Supply Points from the bid can be used only to purchase extra
impulses per 12.53; they may not be used to refit on-map units.
Alternate Bidding: There will be an alternative optional
bidding scheme available for those who wish to reduce the likelihood
of a first turn blowout result for either side.
Tiebreakers for ranking: Final player with no non-Mulligan losses
takes 1st place. Loser to final player takes 2nd place. Other
places by number of wins, strength of player they lose too, player
AREA rating, random selection in sequence.
Time Limit: All games must be concluded ten minutes before
the scheduled start of the next round to allow for recording
of results and seeding for the next round. Any match not completed
within the scheduled time limit will be adjudicated. No one likes
adjudications, neither the players nor the GMs. Please make every
effort to complete your rounds within the scheduled time limit.
If you feel your opponent is playing at a pace that will not
allow completion of the match, contact the GM immediately. The
GM reserves the right to disqualify a player for deliberate slow
play.
Adjudication Procedure: Before adjudication, the players
will be asked their honest opinion of who has won (or would win)
the game. If they cannot agree between themselves, the match
will be adjudicated. A panel consisting of the GM and two assistant
GMs will adjudicate all unfinished games. The panel will take
into account their perceptions of the relative speed of the two
players when adjudicating. Their deliberation will be secret,
and their decision will be final. The GM and Assistant GMs are
not permitted to adjudicate their own matches. If the match involves
the GM or an Assistant GM, the GM will appoint another member
to fill out the panel. The panel may adjudicate the game as a
tie. A tie will be considered a half-win and a half-loss for
seeding purposes and for qualifying for the semi-finals.
Mistakes and Illegal Moves: If both players agree, they
can back play up to the point of error and resume play. Otherwise,
these will be handled per 8.13. Exception: overstacked areas.
If an area is discovered to be overstacked, the situation must
be immediately corrected by the following method. The opposing
player designates units to be retreated from the overstacked
area until stacking limitations are satisfied. The owning
player then retreats the designated units from the area according
to the retreat priorities listed in 9.64. The implications should
be clear: to prevent his most powerful units being retreated
from an area, the owning player must make certain that he does
not exceed stacking limits. (Example: The Allied player is
discovered to have twelve units in St. Mere Eglise on June 9.
The German player designates 4/8 infantry and VII corps artillery
as the units to be retreated. The Allied player then retreats
the two units to Utah Beach.) The GM reserves the right to
disqualify a player for deliberate or repeated illegal moves.
End of Your Turn: You should make it clear to your opponent
when your turn has ended. Once your opponent has moved one of
his units, or a die has been rolled, you may not move or change
anything more. If using a clock, your turn has ended when you
start your opponent's clock (and not before).
Setup: All units must be set up before the play of any
game commences. Players are responsible for the set up of their
own units. If an error is found to have occurred after the start
of play, players should make every attempt to place the unit
where it should have been.
Dice Rolling: To avoid disputes, and speed play the following
dice rolling rules are in effect.
All die rolls should be made into a box lid, glass, dice tower,
or similar device. This speeds play, prevents dice from disturbing
the playing board, and reduces the incidence of cocked dice.
For combat dice rolls the attacking player rolls all four dice
at the same time. This greatly speeds play and avoids one player's
dice disturbing the other player's dice after they have settled.
For interdiction die rolls the interdicting (non-moving) player
should roll. For bridge repair and air supply rolls, the moving
player should roll. This avoids any dispute over who should roll.
In the event that any dice in a combat roll are either out of
bounds or cocked, all four dice are to be re-rolled. This prevents
any newly rolled dice from disturbing already settled dice.
Players are encouraged to yell "Boxcars" when they
roll a twelve. If double boxcars are rolled for an Air Bombardment,
this is known as "a Greenwood" and is usually accompanied
by much whining.
FAQ and Errata: The following FAQ and Errata from Avalon
Hill will be in effect:
- Can units move/regroup off the beaches to a Beach Approach
Box? A. No.
6.2 - If both players have a choice of placement for reinforcements,
who has to commit himself first? A. The German player.
6.2/6.5/19.5 - If the Allies vacate Merville or St. Mere
Eglise in the Regroup Phase, leaving it uncontested and in German
control, what happens to the reinforcing Airborne unit dropped
there on the 7th? A. Since it would have to assault without benefit
of an impulse, it is not allowed. The reinforcement would have
to go to the Offshore Box instead and could land only over the
beaches and only on or after the 8th.
6.3 - Does the Daylight Phase end immediately after a failed
Sunset DR, or may the Allied player finish that impulse first?
A. The latter. The Allied player could even declare a Double
Impulse after seeing that the Sunset DR will end the day at the
end of the current impulse.
6.3/11.23 - If an Assault dice roll which otherwise would
end the current day kills enough units to earn daylight drms
sufficient to alter that nightfall point to a number higher than
the assault dice roll, does the day end? A. Yes
6.4 - Errata The last sentence should read: "Any isolated
German unit at the end of the German Refit Phase must make a
Surrender dr (12.8).
7.1 - If two adjacent areas both contain ten friendly units,
can any of the units switch places during the Regroup Phase?
May two Corps Artillery units in adjacent Areas switch places
during the Regroup Phase? A. No, No.
8.22 - Can the non-assaulting units in an Area which has
just been cleared (but not overrun) by other units which started
in that Area, seize bridges as though the Area were initially
free even though the attacking units which failed to achieve
an Overrun cannot? A. Yes, but only after paying the required
one or two MFs spent by the attacking units.
8.34 Errata: The first sentence should read: "Non-Armor
units starting their impulse in a Contested Area may only move
into a Free Area and must end their movement there."
8.4 - If the German declares a Double Impulse, would a unit
moving through an Area containing fresh FLAK get the benefit
of the FLAK screen even if the FLAK are in the second active
area and will move later in that combined impulse? A. Yes. The
answer really has nothing to do with the fact that it is a Double
Impulse. Even in a normal impulse, a unit could move out of its
starting Area and then back into it and derive protection from
a fresh FLAK unit in that Area which will also move in that impulse.
The unit is fresh until it actually moves. Therefore, it can
protect other units moving out of its Area until such time as
it actually moves.
8.511 - There aren't enough bridge markers! What are the
bridgeless river markers used for? A. There are if you remove
Allied bridge markers between Allied controlled Areas where they
become unnecessary as instructed by the rules. People who run
out of bridge markers are usually ignoring either this rule or
the restriction against blowing bridges with no enemy in an adjacent
Area. The river markers without bridges are used to mark successful
Allied river crossings of boundaries without a bridge so that
if they cross that boundary again they need not make a Mandatory
Assault.
8.511 - If a German-owned bridge is seized, then destroyed
by the Allies, is the river crossed by that bridge Allied-controlled
(so that German units crossing it into a Contested Area must
make a Mandatory Assault? A. Yes. It should be marked with a
I-River marker.
8.53 - Can an artillery unit support a subsequent attack
following an overrun if it could not support the Overrun attack
because it was not in or adjacent to the Area Overrun? A. Yes.
An artillery unit can join in to support overruning units anytime.
They do not have to be part of the initial attack force.
8.53 Can an artillery unit supporting an assault into bocage
continue to support other asssaults by units elsewhere during
the same impulse? A. No. Since Overruns cannot occur in bocage,
any artillery that supports an assault into bocage cannot support
other assaults later in the same Impulse.
8.54 - Can units in an Active Contested Area exit that Area
before any Assault in that Area is resolved so as to avoid the
1 or 2 MF penalty for leaving the Area after it has been assaulted?
A. Yes. However, in doing so, they forfeit any possibility of
avoiding the "Exit of Enemy-Occupied Area" restrictions
should the subsequent Assault eliminate all defenders in the
active Area.
9.1/9.2 - Should individual brigades like the British 56th
Infantry or the Canadian 2nd Armored Brigade be considered part
of a division for Divisional Integrity or the ability to call
in Divisional Artillery Support? A. No.
9.2F - If a Wehrmacht artillery unit supports an Assault
by SS units, but no other Wehrmacht units participate, is one
subtracted from the German AV? If SS and Wehrmacht artillery
combine in a bombardment, is one subtracted from the German AV?
A. Yes. Yes.
9.41/9.61 - Does retreat after an Optional Assault reduce
attacker losses? May the attacker voluntarily retreat if he wins?
A. No. All assaulting units in a failed assault become D1. No.
9.62 - If the defender opts to take a voluntary retreat from
an assault in which no CPs were inflicted on the defender, must
the first unit to retreat be the primary defender? A. No. Since
the primary defender had to pay no CP losses it would be under
no obligation to be the first unit to retreat in a voluntary
retreat.
9.63/9.66 - Since it takes all MF to cross an unbridged river,
can an infantry unit whose only retreat route is across a friendly,
unbridged river and into a fully stacked Area continue to retreat
further? A. Yes. Retreats are not restricted by MF.
9.64 - When an area becomes fully stacked, must units continue
to retreat through it rather than into an adjacent area which
happens to be adjacent to more enemy controlled areas? A. No
9.66 - Assume five units land, move through a Controlled
Beach Area, and then lose a Mandatory Assault into an enemy-controlled
Area. If the Beach Area can accept only two more units before
becoming fully stacked, what happens to the other three? A. They
would be eliminated, unless there is another Allied-controlled
or contested Area which they can retreat directly into.
10.12 - Can a bombardment target a D2 unit? A. Yes. The bombardment
will do no damage to the D2 unit, but any APs inflicted will
"slide off" and must be applied to other units in the
area that are not yet D2. The defender would choose which additional
unit(s) are affected so long as the APs inflicted are fully used.
This, by the way, is not just an ad hoc ruling, but was fully
the intent of the design. The shielding of artillery from bombardments
was never meant to be absolute .... it's shielding was limited
to being selected as the primary target only to simulate the
difficulty of finding such hidden targets. When affected by additional
APs sliding off the primary target it is assumed to have been
hit by counter battery fire as a result of evoking a reaction
to the main bombardment.
10.4 - Does a Spent Coastal Artillery unit absorb one or
two APs? A. Two.
11.24/11.4 - Can the Sunset DRM change by more than three
during a Double Impulse? A. No.
11.4 - Is a Double Impulse one or two impulses? If an Area
is attacked in the first impulse of a Double Impulse, can it
be entered in the second impulse of that Double Impulse? A. One.
No.
11.4 May a player bombard an area, then use the Advantage
to assault the same area with units which began the impulse in
that area? A. Yes
11.4 May a player see the results of his first assault in
an Impulse before declaring a Double Impulse to combine forces
from the first Area with those from a different Area to assault
a single Area? For example, may the Allied player wait to see
how an assault against Sword Beach turns out before declaring
a Double Impulse to activate Juno Beach and assault Caen with
the forces from both Sword and Juno? Yes. The Area where the
first assault occurred may not be assaulted again by the combined
force though.
11.6 - If a player uses the Advantage to declare a Double
Impulse, can he still use the Advantage to force a re-roll during
that Double Impulse? A. No. He loses the Advantage immediately
when it is used in the sense that he cannot use it again, but
the opponent gains it only at the end of the impulse - or in
this case - the Double Impulse.
12.5 This rule says that a supply line consists of a chain
of friendly areas, whether or not contested. Can a German depot
be placed in an Area to which there is a supply line even if
that supply line contains friendly contested Areas? A. No. The
rule prohibiting the Allies from tracing a supply line from a
beach to the depot through contested Areas applies to the Germans
as well.
12.71 - If the Germans regain control of a Beach which is
subsequently Contested (but not yet Controlled) by the Allies,
can the Allies use a Depot in that Beach to supply units in that
Beach Area? A. No
12.71 - What happens when a British beach is controlled by
the Americans, or vice versa? A. The depot could not be placed
in or traced to that beach, but the supplies could still be banked
for use in buying an impulse. If a beach is German controlled
and uncontested anytime after June 6th can it be amphibiously
assulted again? A. No. Can it be Amphibiously assaulted in a
subsequent impulse of June 6th? A. Yes. What happens to the supply
of a beach which is German controlled and uncontested? A. It
ceases to exist until the day after that beach is again controlled
by the Allies.
12.9 - Can more than one Air Supply die roll be pre-designated
to the same unit to increase the chance of a refit? A. No.
13. - Can US units regroup into British-controlled Areas
and vice versa? Can units regroup from a Contested Area? A. Yes.
Yes.
14.1 - Can units be regrouped from a free zone to an adjacent
contested zone? From a free area to an adjacent contested zone?
A. No. No
15.2 - If all Allied units on a beach become D1 after an
unsuccessful amphibious assault, but any become Spent during
the Refit Phase, is the beach fortification destroyed? A. Yes.
19.2 - Do reinforcements scheduled to arrive in a zone still
do so if it is contested? A. Yes
19.4 - Can 1/919 retreat off Utah if the attacker is stopped
by interdiction so no assault roll is made? A. No. 19.4 defines
a spent or disrupted unit as incapable of attack so no assault
has occurred and the defender cannot therefore take a voluntary
retreat.
19.4/21.5 - "If the [interdiction dr] is equal to the
interdiction value, the unit becomes Spent in the beach area...."
However, if all the other units making a mandatory assault in
that impulse lose the assault - or there are no uninterdicted
units left to even make the assault, all landing units are D1
- not spent.
19.4 If there is no applicable coastal interdiction, can
allied units be sent ashore without first pre-designating all
units that will land during that Impulse such that the allied
player can see the outcome of a landing unit's move before deciding
whether to land another unit? A. yes - provided the beach hex
is not enemy-occupied.
20.1 Does a bridge controlled by a side contesting - but
not controlling - the area on one side of that bridge lose control
of that bridge automatically if it loses control of the other
side of the bridge?
A. No - contrary to 20.1 - which should refer to both Areas
becoming Free rather than just "friendly controlled".
20.21 - If a side tries to repair a bridge that already has
an opposing +1 Construct marker on it, do they get the benefit
of the existing Construct marker's drm on their repair attempt?
A. No. Assuming their attempt failed, both sides would have a
+1 Construct marker on the bridge site.
21.5 - If an amphibious assaulting unit becomes "D1"
due to Coastal Artillery Interdiction, does it become "D2"
if the Amphibious Assault fails? A. No.
21.6 & Setup Card: Can Field Artillery units land in
an Optional Assault on a contested beach once the fortification
has been destroyed? A. Yes
22.3 - If the only Supply Source for a Victory Point Area
is a contested beach, do the Allies get credit for that Victory
Point Area? A. No. Supply and supply lines can be traced through
a contested Area to the source, but a Contested Beach cannot
supply anything outside its own Area. Similarly, supply cannot
be traced from a British-controlled Area to a U.S. beach for
Victory Point purposes.
22.4 Victory Points: 9.6 VPs or higher are required for an
Allied win. Rule 22.4 is modified to award a Victory Point to
the Allies for contesting areas worth 7 VPs. Claiming that VP
does not prevent the Allied player from also fulfilling the ".6"
portion of the VC by contesting more areas worth an additional
6 VPs.
24.5 If the Storm has already occurred before June 19th,
what is the scheduled weather on June 19th? A. Overcast.
24.6 What does the "2" mean on the back of the
Allied Supply markers? A. The Storm value of Allied Beach depots
as described in 24.6. |