"Combat in the jungle is characterized by long periods of developing the situation and looking for the enemy; and short periods of violent, and sometimes unexpected, combat.
The thick foliage and rugged terrain of most jungles limit fields of fire and speed of movement.
Battles are not fought for high ground as frequently as conventional battles. Orientation is on the enemy rather than on the terrain. Hills in the jungle are often too thickly vegetated to permit observation and fire, and therefore do not always qualify as key terrain. In the jungle, roads, rivers and streams, fording sites, and landing zones are more likely to be key terrain features". (FM90-5 Jungle Operations)
Whilst the main rule book for Chain of Command covers most terrain encountered additional rules are important for representing the battlefields of South East Asia and more importantly to produce a game reflective of the Vietnam conflict.
These rules draw from both the Field Manual (FM90-5) Jungle Operations and Len Tracey's excellent Terrain guide for WW2 Malaya featured in Lardies Christmas Special 2015 which can also be used if players prefer.
I have listed the following rules from the CHAIN OF COMMAND main rule book to alleviate the need to keep referring when terms are mentioned.
FOOT TERRAIN AND MOVEMENT
Open Ground: Movement is conducted without penalty.
Broken Ground:Tactical and Normal movement allowed, but no moving “At the Double.”
Heavy Going: Tactical and Normal movement allowed with one subtracted from each D6 of movement. No moving “At the Double.”
Really Heavy Terrain: Tactical and Normal movement allowed with two subtracted from each D6 of movement. No moving “At the Double.”
VEHICLE MOVEMENT
Broken Ground: Slow and Wheeled vehicles move as infantry, with the total rolled on the dice indicating the distance moved in inches. Average vehicles move with an additional 1” of movement for each D6 used to move, Fast vehicles add 2” per D6.
Heavy Going: Fully tracked vehicles may move here with the total rolled on the dice indicating the distance moved in inches, whatever the speed rating of the vehicles, and with a chance of becoming immobilised due to damage to the running gear. Wheeled and partially tracked vehicles may not move in Heavy Going.
Really Heavy Terrain: Impassable to all vehicles.
Solid Obstacles: Fully‐tracked vehicles crossing solid obstacles must do so at fast speed but will discard the lower dice rolled. If they roll a double they will become temporarily immobilised. On subsequent activations of the driver, they will roll a D6, freeing themselves on a roll of 5 or 6 and moving that far in inches. However, a roll of 1 will mean that they are permanently immobilised for the rest of the game.
CoC - DMZ TERRAIN DEFINED
VARIABLE LINE OF SIGHT
Some of the distances for line of sight are listed as variable (including a D6 roll) reflecting difficulties in spotting and fleeting glimpses through trees/vegetation.
Variable line of sight is rolled for every time a unit needs to determine how far it can see. This includes rallying and command orders.
Troops on Overwatch or Ambushing roll 2 D6 for Variable line of sight and always take the higher roll. This is to reflect troops ability to better spot movement.
PRIMARY JUNGLES
Description
These consist mostly of large trees whose branches spread and lock together to form canopies. These canopies, which can exist at two or three different levels, may form as low as 10 meters from the ground. The canopies prevent sunlight from reaching the ground, causing a lack of undergrowth on the jungle floor.
Extensive above-ground root systems and hanging vines are common.
Key Details
Foot movement is easier in tropical rain forests than in other types of jungle.
Vehicular traffic difficult.
Observation from the air is nearly impossible except where felled trees or construction make a gap in the canopy of the rain forest.
Ground observation is generally limited to about 50 meters.
PRIMARY JUNGLE Rules
- Broken ground for foot movement.
- Vehicles treat as Heavy Going.
- Wheeled and partially tracked vehicles may not move in Heavy Going.
- Variable Line of sight is 6 + D6 inches.
- Hard cover
SECONDARY JUNGLES
These are found at the edge of the rain forest and the deciduous forest, and in areas where jungles have been cleared and abandoned. Secondary jungles appear when the ground has been repeatedly exposed to sunlight. These areas are typically overgrown with weeds, grasses, thorns, ferns, canes, and shrubs.
Vegetation may reach to a height of 2 meters.
Key Details
Foot movement is extremely slow and difficult.
Observation limited to only a few meters.
SECONDARY JUNGLE Rules
- Really Heavy Terrain for foot.
- Impassable to all vehicles.
- Line of sight is 4 + D6 inches.
- Hard cover.
SWAMPS
Description
These are common to all low jungle areas where there is water and poor drainage.
Mangrove Swamps.
These are found in coastal areas wherever tides influence water flow. The mangrove is a shrub-like tree which grows 1 to 5 meters high. These trees have tangled root systems, both above and below the water level.
Key Details
Movement restricted to foot or small boats.
Observation in mangrove swamps, both on the ground and from the air, is poor. Concealment is excellent.
Palm Swamps
These exist in both salt and fresh water areas.
Key Details
Movement through palm swamps is mostly restricted to foot (sometimes small boats).
Vehicular traffic is nearly impossible except after extensive road construction by engineers.
Observation and fields-of-fire are very limited. Concealment from both air and ground observation is excellent.
SWAMP Rules
- Really Heavy Terrain for foot.
- Impassable to all vehicles.
- Line of sight 4 + D6 inches
- Light cover
SAVANNA
Description
This is a broad, open jungle grassland in which trees are scarce. The thick grass is broad-bladed and grows 1 to 5 meters high.
Key Details
Movement generally easier than in other types of jungle areas for vehicles.
The sharp-edged, dense grass and extreme heat make foot movement a slow and tiring process.
Depending on the height of the grass, ground observation may vary from poor to good.
Concealment from air observation is poor for both troops and vehicles.
SAVANNA Rules
- Broken ground for foot.
- Any foot movement faster than tactical movement adds +1 Shock.
- Broken ground for wheeled movement.
- Open ground for tracked movement.
- Variable line of sight 6 + D6 inches
- Tracked vehicles see over it but suffer Variable Line of sight restrictions seeing into it.
- Light cover for foot
- No cover for vehicles
BAMBOO
This grows in clumps of varying size in jungles throughout the tropics.
Troops should bypass bamboo stands if possible.
Key Details
Difficult obstacles for wheeled or tracked vehicles.
Troop movement through bamboo is slow, exhausting, and noisy.
BAMBOO Rules
- Really Heavy Terrain for foot.
- Any foot movement faster than tactical movement adds +1 Shock.
- Vehicles treat as Heavy Going.
- Impassable to Wheeled and partially tracked vehicles.
- Variable line of sight 6 + D6 inches
- Light cover except any foot troops that are hit by any type of HE attack are treated as in the open to reflect bamboo splintering.
RICE PADDIES
Description
These are flat, flooded fields in which rice is grown. Flooding of the fields is controlled by a network of dikes and irrigation ditches.
Key Details
Movement by vehicles is difficult even when the fields are dry.
Concealment is poor in rice paddies.
Cover is limited to the dikes, and then only from ground fire. Observation and fields of fire are excellent.
Foot movement is poor when the fields are wet.
When the fields are dry, foot movement becomes easier.
The dikes, about 2 to 3 meters tall, are the only obstacles.
RICE PADDY Rules
- Dry: The paddy field counts as open ground for cover and line of sight. Treated as open for foot movement and Heavy Going for Vehicles.
- Wet: The paddy field counts as open ground for cover and line of sight purposes and Heavy Going terrain for both foot and vehicle movement.
- Infantry units up against dikes gain hard cover.
- Vehicles treat dikes as solid obstacles.
- Vehicles crossing the dikes count any hits as weakest armour.
PLANTATIONS
These are large farms or estates where tree crops, such as rubber and coconut, are grown. They are usually carefully planned and free of undergrowth (like a well-tended park).
Key Details
Movement through plantations is generally easy.
Observation along the rows of trees is generally good.
Concealment and cover can be found behind the trees, but soldiers moving down the cultivated rows are exposed.
PLANTATION Rules
- Count as open ground for foot.
- Count as broken ground for vehicles
- Variable Line of sight 12 + D6 inches
- Light cover.
VILLAGE HUTS
Local village huts constructed of light material i.e. bamboo etc.
VILLAGE HUT Rules
- Huts are treated as buildings but only provide light cover and are destroyed by any hit from HE rounds.
- Armoured vehicles can drive through and destroy them without any effect to the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF ALL RULES
PRIMARY JUNGLE
- Broken ground for foot movement.
- Vehicles treat as Heavy Going.
- Wheeled and partially tracked vehicles may not move in Heavy Going.
- Variable Line of sight is 6 + D6 inches.
- Hard cover
- Really Heavy Terrain for foot.
- Impassable to all vehicles.
- Line of sight is 4 + D6 inches.
- Hard cover.
- Really Heavy Terrain for foot.
- Impassable to all vehicles.
- Line of sight 4 + D6 inches
- Light cover
- Broken ground for foot.
- Any foot movement faster than tactical movement adds +1 Shock.
- Broken ground for wheeled movement.
- Open ground for tracked movement.
- Variable line of sight 6 + D6 inches
- Tracked vehicles see over it but suffer Variable Line of sight restrictions seeing into it.
- Light cover for foot
- No cover for vehicles
- Really Heavy Terrain for foot.
- Any foot movement faster than tactical movement adds +1 Shock.
- Vehicles treat as Heavy Going.
- Impassable to Wheeled and partially tracked vehicles.
- Variable line of sight 6 + D6 inches
- Light cover except any foot troops that are hit by any type of HE attack are treated as in the open to reflect bamboo splintering.
- Dry: The paddy field counts as open ground for cover and line of sight. Treated as open for foot movement and Heavy Going for Vehicles.
- Wet: The paddy field counts as open ground for cover and line of sight purposes and Heavy Going terrain for both foot and vehicle movement.
- Infantry units up against dikes gain hard cover.
- Vehicles treat dikes as solid obstacles.
- Vehicles crossing the dikes count any hits as weakest armour.
- Count as open ground for foot.
- Count as broken ground for vehicles
- Variable Line of sight 12 + D6 inches
- Light cover.
- Huts are treated as buildings but only provide light cover and are destroyed by any hit from HE rounds.
- Armoured vehicles can drive through and destroy them without any effect to the vehicle.
Hopefully this helps produce a more theatre specific and tactically challenging wargame reminiscent of the Vietnam conflict.
Very good food for thought
ReplyDeleteThanks for shading
No worries.
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed your blog very much and we love your terrain mat; can we ask how you made it?
ReplyDeleteIt was made from teddy bear fur. It started as a caramel brown coloured fur sprayed with green paint then dusted with white then yellow spray paint. The fur was brush to stand up before being painted. The roads were shaved out using sharp scissors and hair clippers with a BBQ lighter used to singe the left over fur. The website I followed for this technique has since closed down however the following links use a slightly different but very effective techniques. http://1stcorps.co.uk/making-terrain-for-1st-corps-28mm-ww2-operation-kutosov/ http://www.lead-adventure.de/index.php?topic=72573.525
ReplyDeleteBe wary though that terrain placed on the surface may appear to float or topple if not based accordingly. Figures will also need to have some weight to the base. Happy to answer any further questions.