Atomic Africa (Pt 7): Final Movement

The order cards revealed dictate exactly how far units may move, allowing players to then finish this movement in the next sub-phase.  The Reacting Player moves first in the Final Movement Sub-phase.  The numbers on the cards, from 10 to 1 (the Ace), indicate the number of 2.5cm increments the unit may move in total.  This number is the maximum movement; the unit may move less (except Confused units who wander the full amount).  The Reacting Player first uses the movement measuring rod and adjusts his In-transit figure to the nearest whole increment.  He then removes another figure from the Start Group, and places this figure an appropriate distance away on the table.  The newly placed figure is the Destination figure, and as the names imply the Start Group, In-transit figure and Destination figure mark the past, present, and future positions of the unit.  The distance between the Start Group and In-transit figure combined with the distance from the In-transit figure to the Destination figure must total to the maximum movement indicated on the order card or less.  The Reacting Player finishes placing his Destination figure and the Activating player places his in the same manner.  Terrain features usually model areas of that may hinder mobility.  Known as Difficult and Extremely Difficult terrain, these features reduce the maximum movement increments indicated on the orders card.  The moving player must reduce the maximum movement distance when entering and exiting the terrain feature.  Traversing a small feature, such as a wall or trench, counts as both entering and exiting, and thus the penalty counts twice.  Table 4 summarizes the movement penalties for various terrain.  Example: a fire team of six figures receives a 7 of Clubs as an order card.  During the Final Movement Sub-phase the controlling player adjusts the In-transit figure, as depicted in Figure 3a, and then places his Destination figure.  Initially he wants the unit to scale a wall (Extremely Difficult Terrain, Figure 3b), but the movement penalty of -2 twice reduces the maximum movement to 3, preventing him from placing the Destination figure there.  Instead he decides to place the Destination figure in the nearby forest.  Since the unit only entered the forest, it only receives one -1 penalty, reducing the max movement to 6, which allows the unit to reach the trees.

Figure 3a: Repositioning the In-transit Figure

Figure 3b: Moving into terrain