RULES OF PLAY TABLE O F CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................2 Individual Player Segment - Specifics (18.0 - 60.0) .......23 Components List ....................................................................3 Mutual Player Segment - End of Turn ...........................50 List of Rules ............................................................................3 Examples ...............................................................................51 Rules ........................................................................................4 Design Principles ..................................................................60 Combat Unit Descriptions (1.0 - 2.0) ................................4 Credentials ............................................................................61 Mutual Player Segments - Start of Turn (3.0 - 12.0) .....11 Credits ...................................................................................62 Individual Player Segment - Overview (13.0 - 17.0) ......21 Abbreviations .......................................................................63 Index ......................................................................................64 GMT Games, LLC • P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232-1308 • www.GMTGames.com 2 A Time for Trumpets ~ Rules of Play Broken. This type terrain is harder to negotiate than clear terrain or INTRODUCTION woods, but it is easier to negotiate than Forest. Due to its undula- A Time for Trumpets (or ATfT) is a one to five player game depicting tions and corresponding concealments, it also provides a defensive Germany’s last offensive in 1944 known as the “Battle of the Bulge.” benefit for close combat while granting the occupants a measure of The Campaign Game includes the period from 16 to 26 December protection against Field Artillery and Nebelwerfer fire. when the Germans had to achieve decisive results. Marsh. Unpleasant terrain for man, machine or beast. This terrain Game Scale represents areas of poor drainage. Small settlements with limited infrastructure, but with Each game-turn represents approximately 6 hours of real time. Villages. enough to provide a measure of protection for a defender. The Each map hex represents a distance of 1 mile across and an area of Ardennes, being inhabited for centuries, possessed hundreds, if about one square mile. The units consist primarily of battalions and not thousands of these villages and hamlets. The most significant companies plus a minimal number of other sized units. and historically relevant are shown on the map. The Map Towns. These represent locations of greater importance than vil- The map shows the Ardennes including portions of Germany, Lux- lages. They are not necessarily large, but are almost always in criti- embourg, Belgium, and France where the Battle of the Bulge was cal locations. Additionally, they represent a hub for supplies that fought. The map illustrates the most prominent terrain features of were deposited throughout the Ardennes by the Red Ball Express, this region. A grid of numbered hexagons (hexes) has been super- and as such they afford the Germans an opportunity to capture fuel imposed on the map as a means of regulating the movement and when they are entered. These built-up areas double the strength of positioning of the playing pieces. Also located on the map is a Game the defenders and also grant a measure of protection against Field Turn Record Track, Off-Board Movement Areas, German Bridge Artillery and Nebelwerfer fire. Holding Boxes and depictions of the Terrain Features. The types Cities. Urban areas at the north edge of the Ardennes. Large Allied of Terrain found on the map and a description of each is provided supply dumps were concentrated in and around the urban areas of in the following paragraphs. Liege, Verviers and Namur. These built-up areas triple the combat Roads. There are two types of roads on the map: major and mi- strength of the defenders and also grant a measure of protection nor. Major roads are portrayed by a solid dark line and represent against Field Artillery and Nebelwerfer fire. primary paved roads of various widths. Minor roads are portrayed Meuse River. The major impediment to German success. It flows by a dark broken line and represent secondary roads, which may northwards along hex-sides from Vireux (0636) on the west edge be narrow paved roads, maintained gravel roads or dirt roads of to Namur and then eastwards to Liege. Units may not cross the significant historical impact. On secondary roads, AFV and truck Meuse other than at bridges. mobile units do not move as efficiently as lighter tracked or cross- Other Rivers. All other rivers that are not the Meuse River. These country rated vehicles. also flow along hex-sides and were also impediments to German Forest. The forest in the Ardennes was as it is today, managed by success. Vehicular units may not cross rivers other than at bridges forest units. The trees were maintained in a geometric pattern and and under certain conditions at river fords. the growth of underbrush and saplings were curtailed. The man- River Tunnel. The Lesse River passes underground naturally in agement permitted systemized harvesting of wood and the forests 3035; hence the river is not an obstacle in that hex. possessed an abundance of logging trails. Originally, ATfT draft maps had two types of forest terrain, consisting of managed forest Streams. Not as wide or as deep as rivers, but during December and rough-forest. For simplicity, the two types were distilled into they were formidable obstacles to movement. Like rivers, they flow Forest. Travel through Forest is slow and most vehicles are road along hex-sides. Under certain conditions some vehicular units may bound. The terrain affords a defensive benefit for close combat, cross streams other than at bridges. but trees become shrapnel when hit by HE from Field Artillery Lakes. There are five lakes on the northeast section of the map. (FA) or Nebelwerfers (NW); therefore, Forest does not mitigate Lake hex-sides are impassable except across a bridge. For example, the effects of FA or NW. see Lake Butgenbach and its four impassable lake hex-sides. Units Woods. Woods represents lightly wooded terrain with areas of across from each other on opposite sides of lakes are not adjacent. cleared space and an abundance of thoroughfares; i.e., secondary Bridges. A bridge exists wherever a road crosses a river, a stream roads, dirt roads, etc. The nature of terrain and the improvements or a lake hex-side. allow fairly easy movement into and through the locale, while Schnee Eifel. The Schnee Eifel, or Scneifel, or Snow Mountains, also providing a measure of concealment and a reduction of vis- is a 46-hex area delineated by an unobtrusive white border around ibility during inclement weather. However, the terrain affords no the area just above Prum. This area is subject to Snow Squalls defensive benefit for close combat, nor does it mitigate the effects until a high pressure weather system moves over the battlefield of FA or NW. on 23Dec44. Clear. Also known as good tank country, this terrain represents wide Map Dimensions. The complete map measures 4-ft x 6-ft. open spaces with few impediments to movement. It includes flat Single Map Scenarios. See 6PzA Scenarios 91.0 and 92.0. terrain or gently sloping hills and agricultural areas for farming or raising livestock. Naturally, the terrain affords no defensive benefit for close combat, nor does it mitigate the effects of FA or NW. © 2020 GMT Games, LLC A Time for Trumpets ~ Rules of Play 3 21.0 Bridge Construction Segment COMPONENTS LIST 22.0 Bridge Demolition Basics A complete game of A Time for Trumpets includes: 23.0 Normal Unit Stacking • Five 22" x 34" maps 24.0 Special Unit Stacking 25.0 Zone of Control (ZOC) • Twelve counter sheets of 2304 die-cut playing pieces 26.0 German Army Boundaries • Two six-sided dice 27.0 Reinforcements • One Rules of Play Booklet: sections 1.0 to 61.0 28.0 Strategic Movement • One Scenario Booklet: sections 70.0 to 160.0 29.0 Movement • One Play-aid Booklet 30.0 Movement Across Water(s) • An 11x17 Card with the Sequence of Play on one side and the 31.0 HQ Movement Mutual Player Segment on the reverse 32.0 Artillery Movement • An 11x17 Card with the Movement Segment on one side and 33.0 Interdicted Forest-Road Movement Miscellaneous Charts on the reverse 34.0 Off-Board Movement • An 11x17 Card with the Ground Combat Procedure plus 35.0 Overrun during Movement - Day Turns Artillery & Air Support Charts on both sides 36.0 Overrun during Movement - Night Turns • An 11x17 Card with the CRT and all other charts required to 37.0 Reaction Interlude before Combat step through the Combat Segment 38.0 Leader Reaction Phase • Four Play-aid Cards for German Artillery Parks 39.0 Leaders 40.0 Panzer Scare • One Play-aid Card depicts the Chains of Command 41.0 German Night Combat Advantage 42.0 Allied Cooperation and Limitations 43.0 Artillery Combat Basics LIST OF RULES 44.0 German Artillery Formation Substitute Units There are three types of rules: Basic, Advanced and Optional. If a 45.0 German Nebelwerfer Operations rule is not identified as Advanced, then the rule is Basic. The Ad- 46.0 German Field Artillery Operations vanced rules impart significant, historical facets to the game; they 47.0 Allied Field Artillery Operations are intended to loosely drive the progress of the game by interjecting 48.0 Bombardment Shock intelligence as it was known