Corrections, Additional Rules, and Variants for GDWs

Trenchfoot
Christopher Salander
I. Rife Adjustments
1. BEF. All ritish rifemen !rin" in #$#% scenarios su&tract one '(#)
from their aimed !re hit roll to refect their mar*smanship. +reat a
result of , as a #.
2. French. +he -e&el rife descri&ed in the ori"inal rules is
incorrect. At the start of the .ar the /rench must use the ori"inal -e&el
#001 rife. +his is still a &olt(action rife .ith an 0 round ma"a2ine, &ut
the ma"a2ine is a tu&e under the rife &arrel. When usin" the -oad
plot, 3ou must use4 # turn per round. +he soldier can stop loadin" at
an3 time and !re .hat he has, after a ReCham&er action.
In #$#5, that rife .as replaced &3 the -e&el(erthier #$,67#5, a
&olt(action rife .ith a three round ma"a2ine. In #$#1 the
ma"a2ine .as up"raded to hold 5 rounds. Gi8e 3our /rench units
the correct rife dependin" on the date of the scenario.
3. Russian. +he rife most commonl3 used &3 the Russians .as
the 9oisin(:a"ant 9#0$#. It .as a &olt action rife .ith a 5 round
ma"a2ine. Due to an armaments shorta"e, 3ou ma3 see the Russians
!"ht .ith rifes from an3 of its allies, includin" the ;apanese Arisa*a.
ut consider usin" the 9#0$# instead of the Winchester.
4. American. All American rifemen su&tract one '(#) from their
aimed !re hit roll to refect their mar*smanship. +reat a result of , as a
#.
II. Co8er and 9o8ement Issues
Prone cover. +reat A-- soldiers in the prone position .ho sta3 still as
ha8in" ordinar3 co8er, e8en if the3 are not in a shell crater. <rone
soldiers in craters .ho sta3 still are in e=cellent co8er e=cept a"ainst
"renades and mortars. >Sta3in" still? means the3 do not Aim, +hro.,
@uic* /ire, Stand Ap, or mo8e.
Trench edges. Standin" soldiers in a trench do not ha8e an3 co8er
from enem3 soldiers .ho are standin" adjacent to that trench and
ha8e a line(of(si"ht to them. Soldiers adjacent to a trench cannot
melee .ith soldiers in the trench. Bither the3 must jump into the
trench or the soldiers in the trench must come out.
Geronimo! Soldiers .ho are performin" a +rot or Run action .ho
reach a trench ed"e &efore the3 ha8e used up their mo8ement points
ma3 immediatel3 perform a ;ump as part of their action for that turn.
Throwing a grenade while rone. Grenades thro.n .hile prone are
limited to a #, he= ran"e and al.a3s ha8e a 5,C chance of scatterin".
III. etter and Worst +roops 'Dptional)
1. !ors" "roos include# ne. recruits, Ara&, <ortu"uese, and
Rumanian soldiers, /rench E +ur*ish Reser8es, Cossac*s, -and.ehr E
militia. +reat as demorali2ed. F# to all !rin" rolls. G# to all melee
rolls. +he3 .ill not ad8ance to.ard an3 enem3 soldiers if the3 ha8e
!8e or more .ound points.
2. Be""er hand$"o$hand %gh"ers include# Gur*has, Sene"alese,
:orth Africa nati8es 'the tirailleurs, &ut not the zouves or li"ht
infantr3). F# to melee roll.
3. Troos wi"h &e""er morale# an3 Guard units, Scots, A:HAC,
/rench Colonial units and the /orei"n -e"ion, ;ae"ers, Stormtroopers,
Alpini, Chasseurs Alpins, Arditi. F# to the +o Slip roll.
IV. DiIerent Dr"ani2ations 'Dptional)
1. Bri"ish '&om&ing ar"()* Allied "rench raiders# # :CD, J
"renadiers, J carriers, t.o >&a3onet men?, t.o >spares?. Desi"nate
the carriers .ith Grenade a" counters made from the &lan* counters
that come .ith the "ame. +he spares start as &a3onet men 'rifemen),
&ut can &ecome "renadiers as needed. A ne. planned plot4 Assume
-oad. +his causes a spare or a carrier to &ecome a "renadier. +he
rifeman selected chan"es status on the !rst turn after this order that
he starts adjacent to a carrier. A carrier can &ecome a "renadier
immediatel3, &3 chan"in" his counter. Spares and "renadiers can also
&e plotted to chan"e to carriers, &ut the3 !rst must mo8e ne=t to the
dead or .ounded carriers location. When carriers are *illed, lea8e the
Grenade a" mar*er on the map. Carriers are treated as unarmed. If
&oth carriers are *illed, no more "renades can &e thro.n until the
"renade &a" is pic*ed up &3 a li8e soldier.
2. +"orm"rooers. Same as the &om&in" part3, &ut no carriers.
+.o(thirds of the soldiers in the unit 'rounded do.n) are "renadiers.
Bach sKuad has at least one 9adsen or er"mann li"ht machine "un
.ith a ma"a2ine. 'SKuads of 6 or more ha8e t.o.) F# on the +o Slip
roll. <ossi&le use of &od3 armor, infantr3 "uns, and mortars. Victor3
conditions for stormtrooper units should &e &ased on e=itin" the
opposite side of the map, &ehind the enem3 trenches, re"ardless of
.hether or not all of the enem3 soldiers ha8e &een eliminated.
3. German Muskete &a""alion. All -9Gs, all the time. # :CD, L
or more -9G pairs, # "renadier. All -9Gs are er"man 9G#5s. /rom
#$#1 on. +here .ere onl3 t.o of these on the .hole front.
V. -i"ht 9achine Guns 'B=pansion)
All -9Gs occur onl3 in t.o man teams, a "unner and an ammo
carrier. +hese are t.o rifemen .ith an -9G counnter and an Ammo
counter placed under them. +o perform a -oad action, the "unner
must &e adjacent to the carrier and in the same posture 'standin" or
prone). All -9G -oads reKuire three turns, &ecause t.o people are
in8ol8ed. Carriers are treated as unarmed. -9G "unners can onl3
tar"et one enem3 soldier at a time. :o recham&erin" is reKuired.
-9Gs cannot ma*e Kuic* shots. As for the AR, the !rst die is rolled on
the Rife Aimed /ire column and the rest are rolled on the Rife @uic*
Shot columns. -9G "unners and carriers cannot &e "i8en Run plots.
-9G "unners are F# for slippin". -9G "unners and carriers ha8e
melee 8alues of #.
If a carrier or "unner is *illed, lea8e his .eapon or ammo counter
on the map. A soldier can &e plotted to mo8e ne=t to the counter and
on the ne=t action, Assume the -oad.
-9Gs .ith &elt ammunition supplies that are not &ein" !red from
a !rin" step can onl3 &e !red and loaded from a prone position, .ith
the prone carrier in an adjacent he=. Gunners holdin" -9Gs .ith
ma"a2ines can !re .hile a.a3 from the ammo carrier, &ut must mo8e
adjacent to the carrier to reload. Also, -9Gs .ith &elt ammunition
supplies .ill not run out of ammunition durin" a scenario unless 3ou
are usin" the optional partial ma"a2ine load rule.
Weapon 9a"a2ine Si2e Shots7turn Reload :otes
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
(((((
Chauchat J% L L turns /rench, A.S.,
special rules
-e.is %0 1 L turns ritish
er"mann 9G#5 &elt % L turns German,
Austrian, rare
er"mann 9<#0 LJ % L turns German, #$#0
onl3, rare
9adsen J% % L turns German,
Austrian, rare, M
9a=im 9G,07#5 &elt 1 L turns German, Austrian
M<resent in the Russo(;apanese War.
Chauchat Special Rules
+he CSRG /usil 9itrailleur 9#5 'A.N.A. the >Chauchat?) .as
notoriousl3 &adl3 &uilt, ha8in" a 8iolent recoil and jammin" freKuentl3.
When usin" this .eapon, use these t.o rules4 #) Add one 'F#) to !rin"
rolls. J) When 3ou roll a # on the die for !rin", the "un has jammed.
+o clear the jam, the "unner must perform three ReCham&er actions.
B=cept for a rare Chauchat or -e.is, -9Gs should not &e used in
scenarios &efore #$#1.
VI. Oea83 9achine Guns 'B=pansion)
Oea83 9Gs are too po.erful for the scale of this "ame, &ut here
are rules for them. Ase no more than one O9G per scenario. Gi8e the
opposin" side 'i.e., the attac*er) three to four times as man3 men as
the side .ith the O9G. /or simplicit3, O9Gs .ill never move durin"
the course of a scenario. +his includes pullin" the O9G out of its !rin"
step to point it do.n the trenchP Treat HMGs exactly like LMGs, &ut
O9Gs can tar"et up to four diIerent enem3 soldiers .ithin 1 he=es
from the leftmost to the ri"htmost soldier and the ammo carrier aIects
its rate of !re. B=cept for the loadin" of the #$#% Ootch*iss and St.
Btienne O9Gs, all nations O9Gs &eha8e the same .a3.
All full3 cre.ed O9Gs ma3 !re up to #J rounds each turn. +hese
#J rounds can &e applied to an3 one enem3 soldier and up to three
more enem3 soldiers .ithin 1 he=es to one side of the !rst soldier in
one of the follo.in" patterns4 #J rounds at # soldier, 1 rounds each at
J soldiers, % each at L or L each at %, "unners choice. All O9G shots
are rolled on the Rife @uic* Shot columns. If the ammo carrier is not
adjacent to the O9G, its rate of !re drops to 1 rounds per turn, .ith a
ma=imum of three tar"ets. O9G teams ma3 ha8e spare ammo carriers
&e3ond the !rst one .ho can automaticall3 ta*e o8er the role of carrier
or "unner. Soldiers .ho are not part of the ori"inal "un team cannot
operate an O9G, unless the scenario rules allo. for such heroic s*ill.
-oadin" #$#% /rench machine "uns4 +he /rench started WWI .ith
O9Gs that .ere loaded .ith rounds from small metal tra3s, or strips.
3 #$#5 the3 had con8erted to &elts. Antil then, treat all /rench O9Gs
as ha8in" a J% round ma"a2ine. -oadin" is J turns, and the ammo
carrier must &e adjacent.
VII. Dptional -9G 'and O9G) Rules
,aria&le Ammo. /or fun and 8ariet3, start scenarios .ith part of
the -9G 'or O9G) ma"a2ine or &elt alread3 e=pended. Roll #d1. Bach
pip represents #71
th
of the ma"a2ine suppl3. +hus a 1 means that the
ma"a2ine starts out full, and a # for a -e.is -9G means that the
ma"a2ine has onl3 0 rounds left in it. /or a &elt(fed .eapon, use a full
ma"a2ine suppl3 of J%, rounds.
,aria&le -amming. An3 time an O9G rolls t.o #s for !rin" in
the same turn, it jams. When an Chauchat or an O9G jams, the
num&er of turns the "unner must e=ecute a ReCham&er action is
determined &3 a die roll. +o add tension, roll #d1 for each turn that the
"unner performs the RC. +he "un does not &ecome unjammed until
the die roll is eKual to or less than the num&er of RCs performed 'i.e., if
the "unner rolls a J after the third RC, the "un is unjammed).
.ow&o( +"(le. -9Gs .ith ma"a2ines ':D+ &elt(fed) can &e
!red .hile the "unner is standin" still 'a.a3 from a trench !rin" step).
All of the shots are rolled on the Rife @uic* Shot columns.
VIII. Increased BIects of Wound -e8el 'Dptional)
, G L4 :o eIect.
% G 14 :o ;ump or Run actions. G# in melee, F# in !rin"
6 G $4 :o ;ump, Run or +rot actions. GJ in melee, FJ in !rin"
#,4 Dead.
IQ. Stormin" Weapons 'B=pansion)
Bod( armor. Some stormtroopers and snipers .ore this. +reat the
soldier as if he is in e=cellent co8er 'as if he is standin" on a !re step)
at all times. +his soldier cannot Run.
Oe is G# for slippin" and needs t.o turns to stand up or "et out of a
trench.
Ri/e grenades. Replace one "renadier counter per scenario .ith an
oI(&oard rife "renadier .ho cannot &e shot at. +he rife "renade
&eha8es just li*e a "renade, e=cept4
a) 3ou can tar"et an3 he= on the &oardR &) the "renade al.a3s
scattersR c) instead of one <ull <in action, a rife "renadier must perfom
one -oad and one Aim action &efore each >+hro. S/ireT Grenade?
action.
0or"ars. +reat mortar shells li*e rife "renades, &ut .ith more
e=plosi8e po.er and a lon"er set(up time. +he mortar shell detonates
in the same phase that it is placed. +here is no chance to run a.a3.
Ase the "renade ta&le for the e=plosion, &ut su&tract J from the die
roll, countin" , and G# as #. 9ortars shootin" at the same he= need
t.o -oad actions &efore the3 can !re a"ain. 9ortars shootin" at a
diIerent he= need t.o Aim and t.o -oad actions &efore the3 can !re.
Ase no more than one mortar per scenario.
Grenade Availa&ili"(. Dnl3 the Germans and the Russians had
manufactured hand "renades in "reat enou"h Kuantities to pro8ide a
"renadier for an3 scenario set in #$#% and #$#5. 3 #$#1 all nations
can ha8e as man3 "renadiers as the scenarios call for. In #$#5 /rench
and ritish sections ma3 ha8e one "renadier .ho uses an impro8ised
"renade. Impro8ised "renades are F# on the "renade e=plosion die
roll. +reat 6 as 1.
Q. Scenario adjustment 'Recommended)
Brusilov1s 23ensive# Dne of the reasons that General rusilo8s
DIense .as so successful .as that he had his units di" saps from their
trenches out into :o 9ans -and 'li*e the .eapon pit). +his reduced
the distance that the !rst Russian soldiers had to co8er .hen the3
started the attac*. +o refect this, allo. the attac*in" Russians to start
the scenario in the three lar"e craters that ha8e onl3 small puddles in
them.
QI. Speci!c /ormations 'Dptional)
+o more closel3 match historical e8ents, attac*in" pla3ers can
specif3 that their troops are in speci!c formations that .ere used in
WWI. When follo.in" these rules, treat 9G cre. pairs as a sin"le
!"ure.
#. S*irmish -ine4 +he attac*in" soldiers form a sin"le line, ri"ht to
left, .ith at least three empt3 he=es &et.een adjacent soldiers. +he
.ide spread of soldiers creates command and control pro&lems, so this
formation should &e limited to just li"ht troops ';ae"ers and Chasseurs)
and the &est sort of re"ular troops.
J. /irin" -ine4 +he most common formation. :o more than one
empt3 he= &et.een an3 t.o soldiers and no soldier in anothers cone
of aimed !re.
L. Assault Column4 Dnl3 one empt3 he= &et.een an3 t.o soldiers.
After the !rst four soldiers, the ne=t four are lined up &ehind the !rst
four 't.o he=es &ac*), and so on until the .hole attac*in" unit is on
the map. ReKuired for German Guard and Reser8e units in #$#% and
American units in #$#0. Dnl3 one plot has to &e .ritten for all of the
troops .ho remain in the column formation.
%. Artiller3 /ormation4 Adopted .hen an artiller3 &om&ardment is
e=pected. /or a /irin" -ine, mo8e e8er3 other !"ure &ac* three he=es.
Neep at least four empt3 he=es &et.een successi8e assault .a8es. /or
an Assault Column, shift e8er3 other ro. of soldiers to the ri"ht,
creatin" a chec*er&oard formation.
4esigner 5o"es
Ri/es. ecause Sprin"!eld .as una&le to *eep up .ith the
demand for rifes .hen the A.S. Arm3 e=panded for WWI, most of the
American soldiers in /rance used an S9-B &olt(action rife &ored to
ta*e American ammunition. Since this rife also had a 5 round
ma"a2ine, in the conte=t of the "ame there is no diIerence &et.een it
and the Sprin"!eld 9odel #$,L.
0orale. +he increased chance of slippin" .ith poorer morale
refects the tendenc3 of the soldiers to stop ad8ancin" and to drop into
co8er. It does not mean that the3 .ere clumsier. Uou can appl3 the
morale 8ariants to diIerent situations, such as .hen Sla8ic troops in
the Austro(Oun"arian arm3 .ere as*ed to attac* Russians, or .hen
Indian troops .ere sent to the Western /ront in the .inter.
0Gs 6 Ammo. Ase the e=tra &lan* counters that come .ith the
"ame to create "un and ammo7"renade mar*ers. <lace the e=tra
.eapon or load counters under the soldier counters. Oistoricall3, -9Gs
.ere distri&uted at a rate of one per platoon, so tr3 not to ha8e more
than one per scenario. /or simplicit3, .e .ill consider onl3 ritish,
American, E /rench units, and German E Austrian stormtrooper and
Muskete units to ha8e -9Gs, and onl3 from #$#1 on.
In the scale of this "ame, an O9G .ill ha8e distinct &lind spots to
the left and ri"ht, outside its cone of !re. 'Remem&er, no Kuic* shots
.ith 9Gs.) B=pect attac*ers to spread out and head for those
locations. O9G teams often num&ered % to 1 men, .ho .ere needed
just to carr3 all the eKuipment .hen the3 mo8ed.
1714. +r3in" pla3in" #$#% scenarios on a map .ith trees and
hills and .ithout trenches or craters. Also, if 3ou appl3 the rife
corrections and the O9G rules, 3ou .ill see .h3 the /rench .ere out(
shot &3 the Germans in earl3 !re!"hts. German soldiers .ould .ait for
the /rench O9Gs to start reloadin" &efore the3 .ould stand up and
rush for.ard.
+houlds and 0us"s. If 3ou are onl3 "oin" to use a fe. rules,
please use the co8er rules and the .ound rules. It ma*es no sense for
someone .ho is prone to &e as eas3 to hit as someone .ho is standin"
up. And I &ecame tired of shoot(outs in the trenches .here &adl3
.ounded soldiers could shoot as .ell as their health3 opponents.
And so on . . . Uou can *eep addin" rules to Trenchfoot, &ut at
some point either the "ame s3stem .ill &rea* do.n under the .ei"ht
of all of the additions, or it .ill &ecome a diIerent "ame. Dther
possi&le additions include stron"points and pill&o=es, and infanr3 "uns
and tan*s for *noc*in" out the same. /or this, I recommend that 3ou
tr3 the most e=cellent "ame Landships, from Clash of Arms.