Psychology plays a key role in Atomic Africa, reflected in both the suppression and confusion rules.
Suppression
Suppression results from incoming fire. Although the post on action resolution describes the weapons fire procedure, let's review it again briefly, looking at it in a slightly different way. The attacking player establishes the range to the target; this value is called the range threshold. The sum of the range and the target's Defense score is the damage threshold. If the shooter's Attack score fails to exceed the range threshold, nothing happens; the shots go wide/fall short. If the shooter's Attack score exceeds the range threshold but not the damage threshold, the target player assigns one suppression marker to his unit. If the Attack score exceeds the damage threshold, the targeted unit receives two suppression markers and potentially some wound counters. Determine the amount by which the Attack score exceeds the damage threshold; the result is the number of damage points received by the target. The target's Armor value indicates the number of damage points required to generate one wound counter on the target unit. Thus an attack may damage a target, but cause no wounds.
A unit assigned any suppression markers suffers from suppression. Suppression results from being targeted with effective, but not necessarily destructive fire; wound counters do not indicate suppression. Players may only assign orders with a defensive posture to Suppressed units. In other words: players may only assign orders cards featuring the Club or Spade suits to their suppressed units. If such a card play is impossible, the affected unit receives no orders. A Joker played on a suppressed unit works normally, but the controlling player must still choose a defensively postured action after seizing the initiative. A unit suffering multiple attacks may only receive a maximum of two suppression markers, from all attacks, per turn. Note: there is no limit to the number of suppression markers a unit can receive throughout a battle, only on the amount of new markers added during a single turn. Players eliminate suppression markers from their units using the Rally special action as well as the "free" Morale roll at the end of each turn.
Confusion
Units without orders forced to react suffer from confusion. A unit most likely ends up order-less due to suppression effects; i.e. the controlling player holds only offensive orders cards (Hearts and Diamonds). Confusion may also result when a player has too many units on the board and cannot assign them all orders, or when a player has burned through his Reserve already in a turn. Whenever any unit with no orders is forced to react, that unit's player must assign the reacting unit a card from his orders Reserve. If the Reserve is exhausted or holds only illegal cards, the unit reacts in a confused manner. The Reacting player assigns orders to his unit by drawing the top card off his card deck. The player reviews the card; if it is a legal card he places it in play next to his unit. The Reacting player shows any illegal card draw to his opponent, discards it, and continues the process until legal orders are drawn and assigned. The Reacting player places his Destination figure (if applicable), after the Activating player per the normal movement rules, but in a random direction. Use a d12 to determine a clock position place the Destination figure the maximum movement indicated on the card. Place the In-transit figures halfway on the line extending from the Start figures to the Destination figure. Resolve Attacks and Defense as normal. A confused infantry unit that reveals a face card must announce the Dig-in special action; confused vehicles must announce the Sprint special action. Confused units revealing Joker cards still seize the initiative and their controlling players may announce any special action (still respecting any posture restrictions due to suppression, if applicable).
Speaking of vehicles, that will be the topic of the next post: vehicles and fire support.
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