Seasonal Interphase

2. Pacification Phase

For the purposes of Pacification DRMs, all NLF units in a box on the Regional
Display are assumed to be occupying hexes in the region which are not:
1. occupied by US/ARVN/FWA troops, or
2. adjacent to US/ARVN/FWA troops on Patrol missions,
in the following order:

1. Up to five units in a capital

2. One unit per town
3. One unit per cultivated hex
4. One unit per other type of hex

3. Strategic War Phase

D. Blockade Segment

The total number of CPs allocated to the VC from the previous turn are split between
sea and trail supply by a fixed formula. The number sent by sea is determined by the
following formula:

VC Sea CPs = 1 x Total VC CPs

Total US Naval Points + 2

Once the number of VC Sea CPs is known (round down), the remainder go via the Ho
Chi Minh Trail.

Note: the Ho Chi Minh Trail is not used for movement in the solitaire game, only for
supply and northern recruits for the VC.

5. Recruitment Phase

B. NVA and VC Placement Step

The NLF, before anything else, spends CPs to upgrade either the Trail by one level or
its Air Defence by one level per season, based on the following priority table:

1. Build Trail to Box 5

2. Build Air Defence to 1
3. Build Trail to Box 9
4. Build Air Defence to 2
5. Build Trail to Box 11
6. Build Air Defence to 3
7. Build Trail to Box 12

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The NLF will never let the Optimal Trail Status fall below 5 in 1966-1967 and 9 after
1967. If the Optimal Trail Status falls below these levels, the NLF will upgrade the
trail to either 5 (or 9 respectively) even if that means upgrading by more than one box
in a single season.

If VC draft < VC controlled population, then all net NLF CPs (i.e. after upgrading the
Trail or their Air Defences) go to the VC for next turn.

Otherwise, the NLF divide their net CPs between the NVA and the VC using the
following formula:

Total VC CPs = VC controlled Population x Net NLF CPs

VC draft

Once the number of VC CPs is known (round down) and allocated to next turn, the
remainder are allocated to the NVA.

NVA units are always built and placed in the North Vietnam box on the Regional
Display. NVA CPs are spent according to the following priority table:

1. Increase the NVA Replacement pool to at least 30

2. If a Spring Turn after 1967, Declare Offensive and increase pool to at least 45
3. Build as many Independent Infantry Regiments and Artillery Units as possible,
on the basis of one Artillery unit for each two Infantry Regiments produced
4. Build as many Divisions as possible
5. Upgrade all Division Regiments to Mechanised
6. Upgrade all Independent Regiments to Mechanised

VC Supply Conduits are not used in the Solitaire Game, nor is the VC Regional
Maximums rule used.

For the VC, first build the VC replacement pool to 9. VC Battalions, independent
Brigades and Political Sections are all placed in a single cup for drawing. Set aside all
three VC Divisions.

Provided there is both the supply and manpower available, VC units are built in
Regions that currently have no VC forces in them. The VC units are built one per
Region, based on the order of the Regional Display (top row to bottom row, left to
right along rows) EXCEPT units are not built in Gia Dinh/Saigon, Cambodia, Laos or
North Vietnam.

If you get to Quang Tri and you can still build more VC units, then go back up the
table (top row to bottom row, left to right along rows) and build one VC unit per
region in all regions that have less than six VC units in them.

Sea supply is used to create VC units in those boxes marked with a blue line, and Trail
supply is used in those boxes with a green line. Where a box contains both blue and
green lines, use Trail supply if available, otherwise Sea supply, otherwise
Accumulated supply.

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All VC units cost 1 Personnel and 2 VC Supply to create.

Whether on the map or in a box on the Regional Display, all VC units are placed face
up.

If at any time a box on the Region Display contains at least one Independent VC
Regiment and at least three further VC battalions, remove the three VC Battalions and
replace them with a VC Division Headquarters, and remove the Independent VC
Regiment(s) and replace it (them) with the corresponding Divisional Regiment(s).
Immediately place all removed units back in the cup.

If at any time an Independent VC Regiment is drawn from the cup for a particular
Region and a VC Division HQ is already present in either that Box on the Regional
Display or on the map in that Region, immediately replace the drawn Regiment with
one of that VC Division’s Regiments.

C. Infiltration Segment

The Infiltration Segment is not used in the Solitaire Game.

Game Turn

2. Special Operations Designation Phase

Any VC or non-mechanised NVA unit that is not in a city or cultivated hex is removed
from the map and placed in the Regional Display. All NLF units in a city conduct
Hold operations and all NLF units in cultivated hexes conduct Patrol operations, if
eligible to do so.

4. Operations Segment

All NLF units conduct operations before any US/ARVN/FWA units do so.

NLF units are activated Box by Box on the Regional display, in order of Rank A to
Rank L, and left to right within Ranks.

No more than six VC units may be in any one Regional Box at the end of an
operation, EXCEPT for North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

No NLF unit may deploy from a Regional Display box into a hex which contains a
US/ARVN/FWA unit, nor may they be placed within 1 hex of a US/ARVN/FWA unit
on a Patrol mission. EXCEPTION: If using this rule means that there are no hexes in
a region which are available and VC placement is still required, place ALL NLF units
in the single border hex of that region which contains the weakest combined ground
combat strength, even if this means placing the units in a hex with US/ARVN/FWA
troops. If there is a choice of hexes, place units in the hex which is furthest from
Saigon.

For each region, conduct a Target Eligibility Check (TEC), in priority order:

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 1. Any unoccupied capital – immediately deploy 5 strongest units and, if
no US/ARVN/FWA reacts into the hex, place a Hold marker on them
2. Any unoccupied town – immediately deploy 3 strongest units and, if
no US/ARVN/FWA reacts into the hex, place a Hold marker on them
3. A single hex containing SVN unit(s), weakest to strongest
4. A single hex containing US/FWA unit(s), weakest to strongest

If an eligible unit target is available, or if US-controlled units react into a capital or

town, determine whether the net drm of any attack would be 0 or more. In
determining the net drm you must include terrain, Regional Forces and any proximate
defending artillery, but not any airpower or naval gunfire.

If this net drm is 0 or better for the NLF, deploy all VC units around the target unit,
strongest to weakest, one at a time, and one to a hex, according to the Placement
Chart:

1. Any city/town hex

2. Mountain hex
3. Forested hills hex
4. Marsh hex
5. Jungle hex
6. Hills hex
7. Cultivated hex
8. Grassland hex

If there is a choice within each of these categories, determine which hex by:

1. Adjacent to the fewest US-controlled units

2. Hex closest to Regional capital
3. Road hex
4. Hex closest to Saigon

If all surrounding hexes are filled with NLF units and more NLF units are still to be
deployed, the remainder are placed as per the Placement Chart.

The US player now adds defensive naval and/or air firepower and recalculates the
drm. If the new drm is less than -1, attempt to find another target. If there are no
eligible targets, all units in that region return their Box on the Regional Display.
[Design for Effect Note: I realise that this will lead to the ‘gamey’ situation where a
unit in a city or town will bring in just enough air firepower to halt the attack, 1 to 1
odds plus 1 more US air strength point = -2 drm. But this still uses up valuable US
resources, may make a region Free Fire and still the NLF units are available for action
later in the turn. Think of it as a NLF feint attack that drew a response.]

Then the first, third and fifth strongest units left in that regional box on the Regional
Display will move to an adjoining box (denoted by red arrows) on the highest possible
rank. If there are arrows to two boxes on the same rank, move to the left-most box. If
all adjoining boxes already contain 6 VC or non-mechanised NVA units, do not move.

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On entering the new box, units again conduct a Target Eligibility Check. NOTE: The
new TEC is conducted with all units in the box, i.e. the ones which have just arrived
in the box and any that were left over from an earlier part of the turn. If there are no
eligible targets, they all remain in the box on the Regional Display.

If, during NLF operations, US-controlled units retreat, NLF units will follow to the
maximum of their pursuit movement, by the route which uses the fewest movement
points and attempt to continue the battle. If the US-controlled unit retreated to a hex
where the new drm for the NLF, including any unused Pursuit Bonus, is less than -1,
the NLF forces will halt. If they are in a town or city they will Hold; if in a cultivated
hex they will Partol; if neither they will return to the Regional Display.

All mechanised NVA units remain on map once placed there. They never return to the
Regional Display. If not combining with a NLF operation brought about by a TEC,
these units will move:

1. into a hex where the US player has a lower Ground Combat Strength and
commence a Search and Destroy Operation;
2. adjacent to a target hex of a current NLF Operation and join in;
3. to the nearest unoccupied road hex;
4. closer to Saigon via a road.

US Operations

The US conducts operations normally, except that when a unit enters a Region (or is
currently located within a Region) which has NLF units in the appropriate box on the
Regional Display, all non-Arty units on that operation may expend 1MP to ‘Locate’
all NLF units in that region. This in optional, not mandatory.

NLF Units which are Located are placed on the map, strongest to weakest according
to the above Placement Chart.

If there is a choice within each of these categories, determine which hex by:

1. Adjacent to the fewest US-controlled units

2. Adjacent to another NLF unit
3. Hex closest to Regional capital
4. Non-road hex
5. Hex closest to Saigon

Alert/Reaction Movement

The VC never uses Reaction Movement. The NVA will react into a target hex
containing other NVA units if the target hex either (a) only contains NVA artillery or
(b) is being attacked by a US-controlled force with greater ground combat strength
than the NVA ground combat strength in the target hex.

Unless on a Hold operation, all VC will attempt to avoid battle by using alert
movement. They will not attempt to enter US/ARVN/FWA hexes unless there is no

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other alternative, and will never enter a US-controlled hex if the drm for the ensuing
incidental attack would be worse than -1.

NLF units on Alert Movement will expend up to their full movement allowance.
Units will move so as to end their movement (in order):

1. Not to be adjacent to any US/ARVN/FWA unit

2. Not to be adjacent to any US/ARVN/FWA units participating in the operation
3. Adjacent to the fewest number of US/ARVN/FWA units participating in the
operation

If there is a choice within each of these categories, determine which hex by the
Placement Chart. If there is still a choice, determine the hex by:

1. Adjacent to another NLF unit not in the Target Hex

2. Hex closest to Regional capital
3. Non-road hex
4. Hex closest to Saigon

If the VC remains adjacent to at least one unit in the operation, and the net DRM for
the US player is greater than +3, then the VC unit will instead Disperse.

NLF losses are allocated from the Replacement Points, EXCEPT: where the unit is
(a) surrounded, and (b) any incidental attack would be at a drm worse than -2, and (c)
the US drm is greater than +3, any losses after the first round of combat will be taken
as units destroyed.

If no RPs are available, losses are satisfied by removing the weakest units first. For
example, if the VC have 3 casualties for three units of strength 3, 2, and 2, the two ‘2’
strength units would be eliminated and the VC RP pool would increase by 1, rather
than eliminating the ‘3’ strength unit.

If an NLF unit is not in a Hold stance and sustains casualties greater than those
inflicted on the US-controlled attackers, it will retreat. Units in a Hold stance will
always continue to Hold, unless their Replacement Pool = 0, is which case they will
retreat normally.

Retreats by NLF units (except for Security Operations) are conducted using the same
movement rules for Alert Movement. If NLF units retreat into a new region, the units
on the Regional Display for that new region are immediately deployed as per the
Placement Chart.

NLF units retreating from Security Operations will only retreat one hex, and the
retreat will be to the hex which is adjacent to the greatest number of road hexes. If
there are two or more hexes which meet this criteria, use the Placement Table to
determine which one in the retreat hex. Immediately at the end of any Security
Operation, any unit which retreated due to that Security operation and not in a city,
town or cultivated hex is moved onto the Regional Display.

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Once all US Operations have been completed for that turn...

All VC units and non-mechanised NVA units which are not adjacent to
US/ARVN/FWA units at the completion of all US operations are returned to the
appropriate Box on the Regional Display.

After the US has completed all of its Operations, the second strongest unit (only) in
each box on the Regional display may move to the next available box on the Regional
Display, again conducting a Target Eligibility Check. NOTE: The new TEC is
conducted with all units in the box, i.e. the ones which have just arrived in the box
and any that were left over from an earlier part of the turn. If no eligible targets, they
remain in the box on the Regional Display.

Peter Phelps

peter_phelps@yahoo.com

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