By Fred Manzo
Hell’s Highway Players Aid # 4
Direct vs. Indirect Fire?
I. Direct Fire:
Advantages:
1. Combat Engineers may give a Direct Offensive Fire Attack Bonus of + 1to the die roll if a
defending target does not have engineer support also.
2. Direct Fire has fire modifiers from 1 to 3 points higher than Indirect Fire on the Terrain Effects
Chart.
3. There is a -1 modifier if one or more units conducting direct offensive or defensive fire are antitank
types, have anti-tank capability or are receiving anti-tank support from a HQ, and the target is any
armored type.
4. There is a +1 modifier for Direct Fire when the defending target is in Travel Mode from a hex not
connected to the target by a road.
5. There is a +2 modifier for Allied Direct Fire conducted against a German unit that is isolated at the
moment of fire. This modifier does not apply if the isolated unit is a SS unit north of the Neder Rijn
river.
6. When a hex is vacated by a defending target that retreats or is eliminated, one or two attacking units
that conducted direct fire in the attack may immediately advance into the hex.
7. There is a +1 modifier if the direct fire is conducted from a hilltop.
Disadvantages: 1. A unit conducting Direct Offensive Fire across a bridge or stream hexside is considered in clear terrain if it is the target of any type of Defensive Fire.
2. Anti-tank units may not conduct Direct Fire at non-armored units.
3. The defenders can always return fire.
4. Artillery cannot conduct Direct Fire.
II. Indirect Fire:
Advantages: 1. If the attack consists of Indirect Fire alone and the attacking units are not adjacent to the defending units, the defenders cannot fire back if they lack Heavy Weapons.
2. There is a – 1 modifier for Offensive Indirect Fire when the defender is in Travel Mode.
3. Non-adjacent units Heavy Weapons may come into play.
Disadvantages:
1. Indirect fire units may not advance–after-combat.
2. Each time an artillery unit fires it becomes Disrupted.
Remember, when combining Direct Fire units with Indirect Fire units the fire is considered to be Direct if more than half the units fire Directly.
Games Resources:
Player Aids for Hell’s Highway
This downloadable PDF file contains Player Aids that may come in handy when playing Victory Games’ classic board game: Hell’s Highway. The following Player Aids are included in the PDF file:
Player Aid Sheet Contents
- Player Aid #1: Rules Outline
- Player Aid #2: Movement Rules.
- Player Aid #3: Fire Rules – Offensive vs Defensive Fire.
- Player Aid #4: Direct Vs Indirect and Offensive Vs Defensive Fire (as above).
- Player Aid #5: Direct vs. Indirect Fire?
- Player Aid #6: Terrain Effects Chart: Movement Point Costs and Fire Modifiers.
Games Resources
