Atomic Africa (Pt 8): Action Resolution

Players roll dice and resolve all actions in the final sub-phase of the Activation Phase.  Players roll dice, then use their order cards to interpret their action scores from the dice.  Utilizing the action scores, players simultaneously resolve all their ranged attacks and any other actions.  Players always roll three dice to determine their action scores, the type of dice corresponding to their three Attribute dice.  For example: a unit from the platoon in Figure 1 would roll two 10-sided dice and one 8-sided die when resolving actions.  If a unit has any wound counters, it must shift its Morale die to one lower type for each counter.  Another example: a squad from the platoon featured in Figure 1 has two wound counters.  The unit thus rolls two 10-sided dice and one 4-sided die when resolving actions, shifting the Morale die twice for the two wounds.  Table 5 summarizes how to determine the Attack and Defense scores from the dice roll.  The "Basic Action" on the Table is the move-and-shoot maneuver resulting from playing an Ace through 10, while all the other moves are considered Special Actions, available only upon the play of a face card.  A separate post details the procedures and results of these special actions.

Players resolve ranged attacks simultaneously, first determining cover, then measuring range, and finally determining suppression and wounds.  Figures either have No Cover, Light Cover, or Heavy Cover.  Targeted players determine the cover at their unit's Start, In-transit, and Destination figures.  The predominant cover type is then used for resolving the attack.  For example: a unit's Start figure at the edge of a forest with Light Cover, a group of In-transit figures in the open (No Cover), and a single Destination figure in Heavy Cover behind a wall.  The predominant cover is Light.  The shooting players measures the range next, using the measuring stick with unequal bands.  The end with the largest band is placed over the center of the shooting unit's In-transit figures and extended toward the target unit's In-transit figures.  The number of bands between the figures indicates the range (1-8).  If the target lies beyond the reach of the measuring rod, the range is considered 9.  Using the shooter's Attack score and target's Defense score as detailed in Table 5 above, resolve the attack as follows.  Subtract the range value from the Attack score.  If the Attack score is 0 or less the fire is ineffective and has no further effect on game play.  If the range reduced Attack score is greater than 0, place one Suppression marker next to the target's Destination figure; the fire is effective.  Next, subtract the target's Defense score from the modified Attack score.  If the Attack score is 0 or less the fire has no further effect on game play.  If the Attack score is still greater than 0, place a second Suppression marker next to the target; fire is not only effective but destructive.  The target receives one wound counter for each full increment of remaining Attack score equal to the target's Armor (no rounding).  The target receives a +1 bonus to its Armor score for Light Cover, and +2 for Heavy.  For example: a squad with Light Cover is range 3 from its attacker.  The shooter's Attack score is 13, the squad's Defense score is 2.  Subtracting the range results in an Attack score of (13-3)=10.  The squad receives one Supression counter.  The squad's Defense of 2 reduces the Attack Score further to (10-2)=8, resulting in another Supression counter and wounds.  The squad normally has an Armor of 2 which would result in (8/2)=4 wounds, but with the Light Cover bonus the squad's adjusted Armor of 3 results in (8/3)=2 wound counters. 

After placing all wound and suppression counters, players then conclude the Activation phase by moving their respective units' In-transit and Start figures up into contact with their Destination figure, completing their movements.  If any unit performed the Sprint special action, move the Destination figure an additional amount of 4.5cm increments equal to the Sprint Bonus indicated by the dice.  After displacing the Destination figure, complete the sprinting unit's movement as above.

Atomic Africa also allows units to merge during the Activation Phase.  A player wishing to merge two units simply maneuvers one unit's Destination Figure so that it ends up in contact with another friendly unit.   At the end of that Activation Phase, all of the figures of both units will converge into one larger group.  The new unit combines any suppression markers and wound counters from each merging unit.  Players may merge units to reduce the order card burden, allowing more cards to be kept in reserve.  

Next up... the Clean-Up Phase!