Crossfire Wargame Rules

1. Wargame Rules Review Crossfire introduces variable length turns and area movement to miniature wargaming, two relatively recent game concepts which cut the chaff and allow players to concentrate on tactics. Finally, a game without rulers and protractors, units advance in realistic bounds from one terrain feature to another.
2. Crossfire is one of the more innovative — and more enjoyable miniatures games I’ve played. But everyone who plays it seems to have their own house rules. Tim Marshall has a set of house rules that have to be the most comprehensive I’ve seen.

Crossfire is a set of innovative Wargaming Rules that delivers high-intensity action for miniatures gamers without the inconvenience of rulers or fixed turns. They are one of the first rule sets to use a genuine “variable length bound” that is not artificially contrived. This means there is no set amount of activity that can occur in a players “turn”, nor is there any limit on how often a player can “have a turn”. The result reproduces real life experiences and greatly adds to the ‘fog of war’ effect.
Another innovative feature is the lack of measurements – that’s right, you don’t need a ruler to play Crossfire! Turns are a combination of impulse (you just keep doing things until stopped by something or someone) and modular (an individual move ends whenever you enter a new object or terrain feature). Again this works well with the “variable length bound” concept and creates a real-life like ebb and flow of company and battalion level combat.
– publisher's website

Designer

Arty Conliffe

Publisher

Quantum Printing

Year Published

1996

Status

In Print

The rules were written by Arty Conliffe, with help from Rob Wolsky, and are published by Quantum Printing of 460 West 34th Street, New York NY 10001. Like all good sets of rules, Crossfire sets out to capture the particular feel of the type of warfare it simulates. A crossfire requires a PC or CC to direct the fire of two or more squads or HMGs from one platoon to fire on the same target. Rifles roll 3 dice, SMGs 2 (4 at point blank range), and HMGs 4 dice.

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Crossfire - Rules and Organizations for Company-Level WW-II Gaming

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Hit the Dirt

21 scenarios.

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Status markers indicating 'entrenched' and 'suppressed' squads in a Crossfire game. We used the heads and upper bodies of standing riflemen to create infantry in foxholes. The casualty figures, too, are damaged or unattractive miniatures cut apart at the joints and reassembled in a relaxed or slightly contorted pose. Cover an irregularly shaped plywood base with household filler and texture it to resemble rough ground. Carefully press the figure parts into the wet filler and align them as desired. Large gaps may be filled with Rai-Ro modelling wax or putty prior to painting. To save time, expert modellers may want to make a silicon mould and cast many copies of a particular casualty figure.

Squad Status Markers

We use squad status markers which make it easier to differentiate between 'surpressed' and 'pinned'. 'NO FIRE' status is indicated with existing ammunition box status markers developed for the Fire and Fury ACW game System. Using the same 'out of ammunition' or 'no fire' status marker in two different games makes it much easier to remember the meaning of a particular marker. We also colour-code our status markers red, yellow, and green, to indicate the severity of a marker.

• Casualty Figure – red – Suppressed
• Prone Firing Figure – yellow – Pinned
• Crawling Figure – green – Ground-hugging
• Ammunition Box – NO FIRE
• Half Figure in Foxhole – Entrenched

Using prone firing, and crawling figures to indicate pinnend and ground-hugging status makes good economic sense, because it allows us to deploy all the superfluous prone figures we do not normally mount on our wargame figure stands.

Elite Units

Elite units are much better articulated than regular infantry, they fight in smaller tactical subunits and their individual members tend to take more initiative. To simulate better articulation we deploy elite infantry on half-squad or fire team stands.

Base Sizes

We use different base sizes to indicate the nominal troop strength of a tactical manœuvre elements. In close combat, the wider base receives a +1 bonus to account for its greater strength.

Crossfire Wargame Rules Explained

• Battalion Commander (3 Figs.) – 38 × 38 mm
• Company Commander (2 Figs.) – 38 × 38 mm
• Platoon Commander or Hero – 20 × 20 mm
• Sniper – 20 × 20 mm
• Infantry Section or Squad (4 Figs.) – 60 × 38 mm
• Infantry Group, Half-Squad, or Fire Team (3 Figs.) – 50 × 38 mm
• Infantry Support Weapon (2 or 3 Figs.) – 38 × 38 mm

A German infantry section of WW2 marched together, but fought in two groups: Schützentrupp (rifle group) and l.MG-Trupp. In an attack, the LMG groups of the platoon would form an LMG firegoup under the platoon commander to provide covering fire for the rifle groups who attempted to flank and close with the enemy. If the rifle groups were ordered to attack, each section leader would be with his riflemen, and his assistant section leader remained with the LMG group. Accordingly, we split a regular German infantry section into two groups, each mounted on 50 × 40 mm bases. Lower quality German infantry may be mounted on regular 60 × 40 mm squad/section sized bases, although the 1st section of the platoon might be of better quality, again consisting of two groups.

Crossfire Wargame Rules Pdf

If you would like to share your Crossfire House Rules with the readership of Military Miniatures Magazine, please write to editors@miniatures.de.