ASL - Up Front Campaign Game System

Up Front cards are used for generating attacks, digging in, receiving reinforcements and building a Planning Hand.  At the end of a battle each side draws a normal hand for their nationality.  These cards are used as follows, with cards being discarded and drawn (with the normal national restrictions) every game hour. 
To properly use these rules you must have a chart dividing the game day into 20 minute increments (here is a blank one, and a sample for the first day of the RB campaign game, both are Word docs).  The 20 minute increments are the length of a mega-turn for lack of a better term.  Remember that each mega-turn is equivalent to 10 regular ASL game turns, so if a reinforcement group was to enter the mega-turn following a new scenario being started, those troops enter on turn 10 of the ASL game.

Up Front cards are used for generating attacks, defensive works and Planning Card hands.  Attacks are generated using Fire cards for each Maneuver Group that will be involved in the attack (for purposes of this rule a Maneuver Group is a collection of units that will all use one card hand).  Cards are drawn and discarded each hour.

Planning Hand costs and national idiosyncrasies are listed at the bottom of the page.

Fire cards are used to commence an attack with a pre-designated Maneuver Group, or an OBA module -or- they may be used to obtain reinforcements.  Each Fire card has two numbers, Fire value and Factors Required.  The Fire value is the number of Maneuver Groups, OBA modules or air strikes that may be activated by that card.  The Factors Required is the number of 20-minute inter-turns that the attack requires to be activated.
If used to obtain reinforcements the Fire value is the number of CPP (Campaign Purchase Points) that are received and the Factors Required are the number of 20-minute inter-turns that must pass before the reinforcements arrive.  If multiple cards are used to generate a larger number of CPP’s the number of inter-turns is based on the greatest Factors Required value of any of the cards.  A number of CPP’s equal to the number of Maneuver Groups currently in play may be spent on FPP’s (Fortification Purchase Points) instead of on reinforcements.  Each CPP spent on fortifications generates 2d6 FPP and requires a number of 20-minute inter-turns equal to the Factors Required value.

Movement cards (not terrain cards) are used to allow inter-game movement of a pre-designated Maneuver Group.  Reinforcements must be brought into play with a Movement card.  A Movement card must be spent for each maneuver Group that is scheduled to arrive on the map.  A Movement card may be used to reposition a Maneuver Group currently on the map.  Each Movement card allows a single Maneuver Group to move four times, using its normal movement factor (Double Time NA, ESB allowed).  Each of the four movements should be done separately to allow for movement bonuses from leaders or road movement.  Movement that is done outside the LOS or >16 hexes away from a KEU costs one MF/MP per hex.
All movement that is done within 16 hexes and in the LOS of a KEU costs MP/MF equal to (5-DRM of terrain).  Prior to the first turn of a scenario   the Attacker may move once as above (not four moves).

Terrain cards are used to generate your Planning Hand; the absolute value of the terrain card is the number of d6 rolled for Planning Hand Points.  For example a Building card with a –3 value would allow you to roll 3d6 for Planning Hand Points.

Cower cards do nothing except take up space in your hand and force you to waste a discard on them.

Marsh cards are discarded onto the enemy to increase the number of 20-minute inter-turns it takes to implement an activity.  Each Marsh card played in this way increases the number of inter-turns by 1d6.  You may also play the Marsh card as terrain to use for Planning Hand Points.

Stream cards are discarded onto the enemy to increase the number of 20-minute inter-turns it takes to implement an activity.  Each Stream card played in this way increases the number of inter-turns by 1d6.  You may also play the Stream card as terrain to use for Planning Hand Points.

Concealment cards have a variety of uses.  They may be used to obtain limited FPP’s -or- they may be used to reduce the number of inter-turns that an activity takes to accomplish -or- they may be used to initiate a Patrol (use the Patrolling rules from CH's Platoon Leader system).
If used for fortifications the value of the card is the number of d6 that are rolled for FFP’s that may only be spent on “?” and Foxholes.  Both types of fortifications may be placed immediately and do not require any time to construct.
If used to reduce the number of inter-turns an activity takes by simply subtracting the value of the card from the length that is needed.  A Concealment card can allow an activity to take place immediately if there has been at least one inter-turn that has past.
For Patrolling the card can be used to generate either a number of patrols equal to the card’s absolute value +1 or it can be used to generate a single patrol with a detection modifier equal to the card’s value.  For example, a –3 Concealment card could generate 4 (3+1) patrols, or a single patrol with a –3 to the detection roll.

Hero cards allow you to receive 3 First Line squads and a 7-0 leader (leader NA for Japanese and Finns).  These reinforcements may immediately enter the board and may move up to four times as if they had spent a Movement card.  They may be attached immediately to any Maneuver Group.

Pillbox cards are used to generate FPP.  Roll 2d6 x 5 for the number of FPP that may be spent on any type of fortification that is allowed in the campaign being played.  Any purchased fortifications are placed on board immediately.  Alternately the card may be used to receive a single Elite squad of Assault Engineer/ Sappers with two DC.  The squad may enter immediately and move up to four times, as if it had played a Movement card.  It may be attached to any Maneuver Group.

Radio cards are used to immediately make a single OBA Harassing Fire FFE that is treated as being Pre-Registered on the target hex.  The target hex must be visible to at least one friendly unit and the type of OBA is determined randomly using the standard DYO OBA charts.

Rally cards are used to purchase Planning Hand cards.  Roll a number of d6 equal to the value of the Rally card; the result is the number of points you may spend on Planning Hand cards.

Rally All cards may be played to give you a +1 ELR boost for the next 24 hours of game time.  During this period any units that would surrender due to HoB results instead become Berserk.

Smoke cards are used to place an OBA Smoke FFE that is treated as being Pre-Registered on the target hex.  The target hex must be                 visible by at least one friendly unit.  Obviously this card is best played to coincide with an attack.

Sniper cards are used to reduce enemy reinforcements.  The card is discarded randomly onto any enemy reinforcement group.  A die is rolled for its effectiveness, a KIA reduces the enemy by 4 CPP, a Pin results lowers the enemy by 2 CPP and No Effect causes the unit to be depleted.  The player that loses the CPP has until the end of his or her own turn to make good the CPP loss through the play of another Fire card.  If they cannot make good the loss, any excess CPP are permanently gone and any reinforcements purchased with them do not arrive.  If the amount of CPP is reduced the player may not  change the units they purchased and in some cases may not have enough points to pay for certain units and in this case any excess points are lost and may not be spent on different units.

Wire cards are discarded onto the enemy to increase the number of 20-minute inter-turns it takes to implement an activity.  Each Wire card played in this way increases the number of inter-turns by 2d6.

Breeze cards are used as a sort of pseudo-ECM, they may be played reactively (during the other players turn) to negate the effects of  a Radio or a Smoke card.

Flank cards allow you to move a Maneuver Group without paying the increased cost for being within 16 hexes and LOS of a KEU.

Ford cards must be played in conjunction with a Fire card(s) that are being used for a single reinforcement group to allow those reinforcements to enter the board immediately.  They may enter the board and move up to four times just as with a normal Movement card.  This card may also be used on a reinforcement that is waiting to arrive and allow it to appear immediately.  It may also be  used as a normal Movement card if necessary.

Planning Hands

Planning Hands are a reserve of cards that each side will have at the beginning of each battle, they are best kept track of by listing them on a sheet of paper or this handy chart.

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