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19. Special Unit Types

The game has a few additional special unit types, described below.

19.1 Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs)

Tactical nuclear warheads and persistent and non-persistent chemical weapons are a part of the Cold War battlefield. These weapons are delivered by Surface-to-Surface missiles (SSMs), artillery, or aircraft. These weapons are noted in the Mission Briefing if they are available for use (see Section 15.2.1 above). Nuclear and persistent chemicals leave contamination behind that can kill units entering those contaminated areas.

These weapons cost a certain number of Victory Points to use and should therefore not be used lightly (see Section 15.1.2 above for victory conditions). It is highly advised to only use these specialized weapons against extremely high-value (and tightly packed) targets. Make sure to launch strike missions of these weapons where they can be decisive!

19.2 Inactive Units

History shows that not all units on the immediate battlefield that could have participated did. Accordingly, the scenario designer is allowed to place units on the map and then mark them as “inactive”. This makes them unavailable for player orders or relocating in the deployment area until their release is triggered by one of the actions below. While inactive, units have the following restrictions:

  • Inactive units are drawn on the map but have a gray overlay to denote their status. The critical message area in the Dashboard (see Section14.2.1 above) and Detailed Unit Information (see Section 13.3.2 above) will say “Inactive”.

  • They can be browsed but cannot be given orders of any type.

  • They cannot be repositioned during the setup phase.

  • Active and inactive units may stack together within normal stacking limits per hex (35 subunits for NATO and 70 subunits for Warsaw Pact).

  • An inactive unit cannot become the supreme HQ.

  • Inactive unit radio messages are not counted towards traffic levels.

Inactive units become active under these conditions:

  • When attacked (direct fire, indirect fire, or air strikes).

  • When an enemy appears within the unit's SOP standoff range (see Section 23 below) or 1500 meters, whichever is greater.

Once activated, these units behave in a usual fashion.

19.3 Logistical Units

Logistics are an essential part of the battlefield. Units fighting the battle require fuel and ammunition, and the troops need food and water. While the game engine abstracts the use and tracking of logistical forces for ground units (Resupply orders are important and discussed in Section 21 below), a new unit called a FARP (Forward Arming and Refueling Point) has been added to the game for helicopter operations. An attack helicopter that runs low on Ammo or has low Readiness or Morale from combat operations can be ordered back to the FARP to Rest and Resupply which allows the craft and troops to reload and recover.

In future expansions, we may look to include additional logistical units for supply and other functions.

19.4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

UAVs or drones were a new item in the 80s and very few of them were in operation. While we don’t have any in the current batch of scenarios, it is possible to add them and UAVs may be seen in the future. When these platforms are on-map, they are treated like helicopters and the player can plot their moves in the same fashion. When they are off-map assets, they fly in and conduct strikes just like the human-crewed aircraft noted in Section 18.4.5 above.