Gameplay walkthrough

+Erik McGrath

Before you can get into the details of what you do in play you have to know how to play in the first place. So for this installment I am going to do a walkthrough of the sequence of play.

Gameplay 

Play proceeds in turns which each turn having an active and a reactive player. The first turn goes to the attacking force and is said to be Attacker Turn 1 with the next turn being Defender Turn 1. That is each player gets to the active player and the reactive player in each enumerated turn. This system is used so that effects with a measured duration can be easily handled. Smoke is a common element with time dependence.

Turn Sequence

The turn sequence in Boots on the Ground is divided into four separate phases. The first two phases, Command and Suppressive Fire, are solely for the current active player. The second two phases are blended in that both players have options during these phases though the active player always has more options.

Phases

Let me expand on the quick reference table to the right and briefly explain each step of four phases.

Command

•Establish Command

The first thing you do on your turn is determine who is within each leader's command radius and thus who can benefit from their leadership. Units that are not in the command radius of any leaders often are in for a rough time.  Only the best trained soldiers can operate effectively when cut off from their units and they are usually best served trying to get back to a leader as quickly as possible. 

•Make Rally Tests

After command is sorted out you roll Morale tests for each model with disruption counters. Use model's own Morale only if it is not within range of a leader of their nationality and service branch. This means it is possible to be within command range of a friendly leader but still forced to use your own Morale. Most commonly this is because of Armor and Infantry units operating together. 

•Check Communication

If the force has radios or phone lines now is time to see if they are still connected. Landlines function automatically so long as they are unbroken and a leader is in base contact with the device. Wireless devices maintain contact so long as the operator is not disrupted. If the model carrying the radio is disrupted then they must make a skill test to maintain communication. If contact has been lost previously then this is the time to try and re-establish it. Landlines can only be re-established by repairs, radios make a skill test.

•Emplace weapons or men

This is when you set up support weapons or dig in to appropriate terrain. If the crew of a weapon is not disrupted they automatically succeed in setting up their weapon. Entrenching requires a skill test.

•Make Wound/Panic Recovery Tests

Any model that has been incapacitated or panicked has a chance to recover. The process is the same though the specifics vary for each condition. Both need to test to recover (or get worse) on their own using Endurance for wounds and Morale for panic. And having friends can make a big difference since a model in base contact can apply first aid and an ally within half their command range can try to snap the model out of it. Successfully treated wounds become ambulatory and in both cases a success causes the model to become broken. 

Suppressive Fire

Each part of this phase is similar in that it involves making attacks before (or in the lull between) active attempts to maneuver. This phase is all about cutting off the enemy's options before you try and exploit them. Whether it is with machineguns or massed rifles or bombardment from divisional artillery the rule is the same.

Suppression fire places a suppression zone template on the battlefield and any model under the template when it begins or that takes an action while under it has an attack resolved against them. All area attacks use this process: roll to hit, place the suppression zone (either on target or scattered), resolve effect against those under it. 

The template remains in place so long as the unit placing it chooses to maintain it and is capable of doing so. Being disrupted is a common cause of ending suppression as is the suppressing unit moving. 

Units that attack during this phase may not move during the maneuver phase but they are still eligible to make active fire attacks in that phase.

•Conduct Suppression Fire Attacks

•Conduct On-board artillery and AFV Attacks

•Resolve Off-board Artillery

•Resolve Aircraft Attacks

Maneuver

•Resolve Active Movement

The active player now chooses who to move and how they move. Every model has a base speed (4" for infantry) and chooses to move up to a multiple of that speed. For infantry the options are Crawl, Tactical, Rush, Sprint. Vehicles have Cautious, Cruising and Rapid speeds which correspond to the latter three infantry movement modes in many ways. Vehicles of course can't crawl.

The slower a unit moves the more of a benefit it gets from cover and the easier it is to reduce the effect of obstacles such as mines, wire or rough terrain.

•Conduct Reactive Fire Attacks

This subphase actually takes place simultaneously with Active Movement. At any point during the active player's movement the reacting player can declare reactive fire against that unit. This attack interrupts the moving unit at any reasonable point along the movement.  Most reactive fire is not able to use suppressive fire but some weapons, notably MGs are. 

•Resolve Reactive Movement

No one stands still on a battlefield for long. This subphase allows the reacting player to maintain some degree of response to the changing situation. An infantry model can choose to move up to half its base speed or it can choose to flee. Fleeing units gain a disruption counter and can only move away from the enemy towards a source of cover better than their own. if there are no good choices they may move toward cover even if that brings them closer to the enemy so long as they are closer to the cover they are entering at the start of their movement than any enemy are. 

•Conduct Active Fire Attacks

This is resolved just like reactive fire and may interrupt reactive movement in the same way if you would rather shoot someone where they are rather than where they are going.

Close Assault

Most turns this phase never happens since it requires enemy troops being within very close proximity and once engaged a close assault is usually a decisive moment in the game. Units fighting in a close assault that is not resolved in one turn do not participate in any other phases until the assault is decided.

•Initiate Close Assault and make Assault moves

The active player chooses whether or not to start an assault. Since both forces just weathered close range active/reactive fire this is not a trivial choice.  So long as the active unit outnumbers the reacting one and is not disrupted then an assault is automatic. If there are any inhibiting factors a Command test is required by the leader of the unit in order to attack. If so they active unit must move up to half its base speed toward the enemy and get into base contact if able.

•Conduct Firefights

The first part of an assault is the firefight. Both forces make simultaneous attacks with their small arms. Grenade and other close in weapon attacks will have already been resolved in the active fire phase. Units who are in base contact do not make firefight attacks but can be removed as casualties due to them.

•Conduct Hand to Hand

Provided anyone is left in base contact the fighting continues on in brutal hand to hand fighting with bayonets, pistols, entrenching tools, rifle butts and whatever else is at hand.

•Losing side retreats

If there is a clear winner then the loser is forced to retreat. Units in hand to hand combat do not retreat and most soldiers are reluctant to leave their allies to die so if any units not in base contact can make Morale rolls to stay and fight as well.

•Winning side consolidates

If one side wins they can reposition their troops by up to their base speed.