20. Fortifications and Entrenchments¶
20.1 General¶
Fortifications and entrenchments are improved defensive positions constructed to provide additional cover for defending units, or to hinder enemy movement (i.e. barbed wire or minefields). A scenario's OOB will indicate if fortifications or entrenchments are available, the number provided, and guidelines for placing them on the board(s). Fortifications and entrenchments remain in their hex even after the units occupying them have been eliminated, or have abandoned the position. Fortifications and entrenchments have no effect on LOS, unless otherwise indicated.
20.2 Placement¶
Fortifications may only be placed in open terrain hexes, including open hill, road, beach and field hexes. Entrenchments may be placed in any hex except buildings, stream, gully or wadi, canal, pond or marsh hexes.
20.3 Movement and Occupying¶
The cost to enter a fortification or entrenchment hex is +1 Movement Point (Exception: Minefield (see 20.7 Minefield) and barbed wire (see 20.8 Barbed Wire) do not cost an additional Movement Point to enter), in addition to the normal terrain cost to enter the hex; no additional Movement Points are needed to enter the defensive position. Fortification or entrenchment hexes may also be entered by advancing into the hex (and the emplacement) during the Advance and Assault Phase, or after conducting a successful close assault. When a unit occupies a fortification or entrenchment hex it is placed under the fortification or entrenchment counter. Enemy units may not move into or through an occupied fortification or entrenchment hex, unless conducting a close assault or armor overrun. An unoccupied fortification or entrenchment hex may be entered and/or occupied by either side, unless otherwise noted. A unit that enters a fortification or entrenchment hex must either continue moving or enter the defensive position, as long as doing so does not exceed the emplacement's stacking limit. A unit may never occupy a fortification or entrenchment hex and remain outside the defensive position.
20.4 Stacking Limits¶
Only the fortification or entrenchment, and the unit(s) occupying the position, are allowed in a hex. Friendly units may move freely through a hex containing an occupied fortification or entrenchment, but they may not stop in the hex and remain outside the fortification or entrenchment. If the defensive position is already at its full, stacking limit capacity, the unit must continue moving, or it may not enter the hex if it would be unable to exit.
20.5 Bunker¶
A bunker is a fortification. A bunker may be occupied by one Gun, or two infantry units (of any type) and their support weapons. A concrete reinforced bunker provides a +4 cover modifier, and a wood reinforced earthen bunker provides a +3 cover modifier. An attacking unit cannot target a unit in a bunker with ATFP; it must use APFP when firing on a bunker. Units in the bunker may only fire out of the bunker's FFA, indicated by the white triangle at the top of the fortification's counter. Mortars may not fire out of a bunker, even if the firing unit has LOS to the target hex. A bunker blocks LOS.
20.6 Sandbags¶
Sandbags are a fortification. Infantry and Gun units may occupy sandbags, and normal stacking limits apply. A sandbag position provides a +2 cover modifier.
20.7 Minefield¶
A minefield is a fortification. A minefield attacks a unit as soon as it enters the minefield hex. A minefield only attacks when a unit enters the minefield hex; it may remain in, or leave the minefield hex, with no further detriment. A die roll is made for each unit affected by the minefield, with a roll of 3 or less resulting in the unit's elimination.
20.71 Hidden Minefield¶
Hidden minefields are provided only by special scenario rule. When a minefield is hidden the owning player secretly records the map and hex location of the Minefield marker. When a unit enters a hidden minefield hex the owning player reveals the minefield, places a Minefield marker in the hex, and resolves the minefield attack normally.
20.8 Barbed Wire¶
Barbed wire is a fortification. An infantry unit that enters a barbed wire hex must stop. The unit may advance out of the barbed wire in the subsequent Advance and Assault Phase, or continue moving normally during the owning player's next Movement Phase. Infantry units firing from a barbed wire hex suffer a +1 die roll penalty to their attack. Vehicles may not enter a barbed wire hex. AFVs are unaffected by barbed wire. During the Fire Phase, in lieu of an attack, a unit may place a satchel charge (if available) in an adjacent barbed wire hex, automatically removing the obstacle. The unit placing the charge is marked with a Fire marker.
20.9 Foxholes¶
Foxholes are an entrenchment, and may only be occupied by infantry units. Normal stacking limits apply to a foxhole hex. A foxhole provides a +1 cover modifier to the hex it occupies, in addition to the terrain in the hex.
20.10 Trenches¶
Trenches are an entrenchment, and may only be occupied by infantry units. Normal stacking limits apply to a trench hex. Trenches provide a +2 cover modifier, in addition to the terrain in the hex.
20.11 Caves¶
Caves are an entrenchment. Caves only appear in Pacific Theater scenarios, and only the Japanese player may use caves. The scenario's OOB will indicate the number of Cave markers the Japanese player receives. A Cave marker identifies the entrance to an underground tunnel complex, and each Cave marker must be placed within four hexes of another Cave marker. Infantry units and Guns may occupy the cave entrance, and normal stacking limits apply. A cave provides a +2 cover modifier to the hex it occupies, in addition to the terrain in the hex.
20.12 Tunnel Complexes¶
Tunnel complexes usually only appear around large, fortified strongpoints, and are more prevalent in Pacific Theater scenarios. Only infantry units may enter a tunnel complex, and they may only do so through a bunker attached to the tunnel complex, or through a cave entrance (i.e. the Cave marker). A bunker may be placed along a tunnel route, and a unit may enter the bunker from within the tunnel, as well as from above ground. When a unit enters a tunnel it is removed from the map board and placed on the tunnel complex diagram. Units move through the tunnels per normal movement rates, one Movement Point per hex. Units in a tunnel may not be seen or attacked.
20.121 Tunnel Complex Diagram
Some scenarios may provide the description or diagram for a tunnel complex, while others may allow the owning player to design their own layout. If the scenarios allows the owning player to design their own complex, the player may use a copy of the scenario's map board, or a blank hex sheet, and draw the layout of the tunnel system. Any section of the tunnel may be no longer than four hexes, and must have a bunker or cave entrance at each endpoint of the tunnel complex. A cave entrance may have any number of tunnels branching from it, but each tunnel must lead to another entrance. Tunnels may never travel under a water feature (i.e. stream, pond, marsh, beach, ocean or river hex). Separate tunnel systems may intersect each other, as long as each follows the rules outline above.