A Simplified Guide to Crossfire Rules

By Matthew Welch (Version 0.5) Line of Sight/Fire: Units have 360° line of sight. Rifle
units can fire in any direction. Other units can only fire
This guide hopes to explain the rules of Arty Conliffe's
in the direction they're facing ±45°. Units have line of
fantastic game Crossfire in a way that is easy to learn
sight to units in neighboring terrain pieces. Units
and understand. I used the wording of Gaetano
completely behind hills, fields, woods, rough ground,
Ferrara's similar game, Covering Fire!, as a starting
and hedges are outside line of sight. You cannot fire
point, so it is not 100% compatible with the rules laid
through friendly units. Lines are measured from/to the
out in Crossfire, but my hope is that if you learn from
center of the concerned units.
this, the rules of Crossfire will all seem familiar to you.

Activation
Preparation The player picks one unit and it may do one of the
The Battlefield: The game is played on a flat surface, following actions:
around 6’✕4’, with as many terrain pieces as necessary
• Move: Pivot or move straight
to cover at least 50% of the table. Each terrain piece
• Shoot: Fire at one enemy
should be between 4”✕4” and 8”✕8” in size, and they
• Go Prone: Hit the ground for better cover
should be placed so that no clear line of sight can be
• Rally: Shake off pin or suppression markers
drawn from one edge of the table to the opposite.

Basing: Any scale of miniatures may be used. A single Movement

square base usually holds 3 figures and represents a
squad of about 10 soldiers. Bases representing platoon Units may pivot and move in a straight line as far as
commanders and forward observers typically have 1 they want until they fully enter or exit a terrain piece. If
figure and are half the width of a squad base. your turn hasn't ended you can use another action to
keep moving. Units can also just pivot as a move action.
Distance: Only one measurement is used and that is
"near" or "nearby", which is defined as less than the Group Moves: Whenever a unit moves, all nearby
width of one squad base away. friendly units may also move. They move one at a time,
but count as part of the same activation. Indicate a
The Armies: A typical army will consist of the destination. All units must end their move near that
following: destination.
• 1x Company Commander (Attack 0)
• 3x Platoons consisting of: Shooting
• 1x Platoon Commander (Attack 0)
Units may shoot as far as they want at the closest
• 3x Rifle Squads (Attack 3)
enemy in their line of fire. Roll as many dice as the
• 3x HMGs (heavy machine guns) (Attack 4)
unit’s attack value. Subtract 1 die if the target is prone
Other unit types will be discussed later. or in terrain that offers cover (hills, fields, woods, rough
ground). Count up all the rolls of 5 or 6:

Playing the Game •

•
1: Pinned—Can’t move
2: Suppressed—Also can’t shoot
Players take turns activating their units, but in a • 3: Killed—Remove from play
different manner than most games. Players do not take
If you score a suppression on a unit that is already
a set number of actions on their turn. They may activate
suppressed, it is killed. If none of the shooting units
many units on one turn, or activate the same unit
score a suppression or kill, then the player’s turn ends.
repeatedly. In fact, players repeatedly activate any unit
of their choice until they either miss when shooting, fail Group Shooting: Whenever a unit shoots, all nearby
a rally test, or are suppressed by reaction fire. Only then friendly units may shoot with it (as part of the same
does it become the other player's turn. activation), but they must all fire at the same target.

Crossfire: A platoon commander may direct all units in

his platoon (including attached HMGs) to fire at a single
target. They must all have line of sight to the target and
line of sight to the platoon commander.
Close Combat Reactions
Whenever any units end a move in contact with enemy
When an enemy unit moves or pivots and is in line of
units, a close combat happens. The following units are
fire of one of your units, you may react to it by shooting.
involved:
Choose a point along its route and perform a shoot
• All units that are in contact with an opposing unit action as above. If your unit misses, then the enemy
• If you have no rifle squads involved and there is one unit proceeds along its path and your unit can’t react to
nearby, you may include it any other action until the player’s turn ends. If you
• If you have no commander involved and there is one score a pin, the target ends its move on the spot, and if
nearby, you may include it you score a suppression or kill then the player’s turn
ends on top of that.
Company commanders count as rifle squads for close
combat. A platoon commander by himself automatically If you're reacting to a group move and suppress or kill
loses a close combat. Otherwise, both players roll one one of the units, the others still finish their move before
die and apply the following modifiers. the player's turn ends (and may also be fired at).

• +1 for each rifle squad involved Group Reactions: Whenever a unit reacts, all nearby
• +1 if there is a commander involved friendly units with line of fire may shoot with it (as part
• -1 if a crewed weapon (HMG) is involved of the same reaction), but must all fire at the same
• -2 if a suppressed unit is involved target.

The lowest rolling side is killed and must remove all Crossfire: A platoon commander may react by
units involved in the close combat (if tied re-roll until directing all units in his platoon (including attached
one side is killed). If the active player loses, their turn HMGs) to fire at a single target. They must all have line
ends. of fire to the target and line of sight to the platoon
commander.
Going Prone
Going prone makes a unit more defensive if in open
Deployment
terrain. The unit remains prone until it makes any kind Players roll-off and the winner picks one terrain piece to
of movement. Only rifle squads can go prone. be the objective. The other player picks one of the table
edges as his deployment zone with his opponent taking
the opposite. Starting with the player that won the
Rally
deployment roll-off, the players alternate in placing one
Units that are pinned or suppressed may use rally unit each no more than one quarter of the table from
actions to remove those conditions. Roll one die and their edge.
apply the following modifiers to the result:
Mission: At the end of each turn after the first, if
• +1 If no enemy is in line of sight unpinned and unsuppressed units from only one side
• +1 If a commander is nearby are inside the objective they score 1 victory point. The
• +1 If the unit is a commander first player to score 5 victory points wins.
If the unit was pinned, you need a 4 to succeed. If the
unit was suppressed, you need a 5 to succeed. On a Start Playing!
failure the player’s turn ends.
This is all you need to get started. The following
sections will describe further options you can use to add
detail to your battles.
 Smoke: Smoke blocks line of sight and can be targeted
Units anywhere in the forward observer's line of sight. It lasts
until the beginning of the player's next turn. Roll a die,
SMG Squads on a 3 or more place a line of squad-sized smoke bases
according to the chart below.
Submachine gun squads are a special type of rifle
squad. They normally have an attack value of 2, but if • 2 for 50-60mm or 2” Mortars
their target is nearby they use an attack value of 4. • 3 for Guns up to 81mm or 3” Mortars
SMG squads never roll less than 2 dice, even if firing • 4 for Larger Guns and Mortars
into covering terrain. If all your squads involved in a • 6 for Heavy Artillery
close combat are SMG squads, add +1 to your roll.
If a forward observer is caught alone in a close combat,
they automatically lose it.
Engineers
Engineers are a special type of rifle squad. They are
able to clear obstacles (see below). Actions
Commanders Retreat
If a Commanders is suppressed it does not provide To retreat, a unit must begin the player's turn in a
bonuses to units rallying, crossing wire, or in close terrain piece. It may pivot and move backward toward
combat. They also are not considered to be in line of the player's table edge as one action and does not draw
sight for national movement rules. reaction fire while doing so. Once it has left the initial
terrain piece the action ends and that unit may not
Expert Commanders: Get an extra +1 when helping a retreat again this turn.
unit rally or cross wire, and an extra +1 in close
combats.
Recon by Fire
If playing with hidden deployment (see below) you can
Forward Observers
fire on a terrain piece in an attempt to reveal troops
Forward observers call in indirect fire from off-table hidden there. Roll one die, on a 6 all hidden units in that
artillery. They start the battle with a set number and terrain piece are revealed, or it is shown to be empty.
type of fire missions, according to the scenario. Each The player's turn ends if they fail to roll a 6. Only rifle
forward observer can call one fire mission per turn, and squads and HMGs may use recon by fire
if they do, they can’t do anything else that turn. Failed
fire missions do not end the player's turn. Forward Group Recon by Fire: You can roll an additional die for
observers can call two types of fire missions: every nearby friendly unit. The attempt succeeds if any
of them are a 6.
High Explosives: These can be targeted at any unit in
line of sight and attack with the following values:

• 50-60mm or 2” Mortars: 3
Hidden Deployment
• Guns up to 81mm or 3” Mortars: 4, +1 suppression In some scenarios one side will deploy hidden. Number
• Larger Guns and Mortars: 4, +2 suppressions all terrain pieces they are eligible to set up in and the
• Heavy Artillery: 5, +3 suppressions player will write down which units are in which pieces. If
a hidden unit moves or shoots it is revealed and placed
If the targeted squad is killed, additional nearby squads
on the board. If an opposing unit enters a terrain piece
are suppressed. The targeted player chooses which
with hidden units in it, they are all revealed. When units
ones. If the additional squads were already suppressed,
are revealed, the owning player places them where they
they are killed. Hills and fields do not provide protective
want within the terrain piece.
cover from high explosives unless the units are prone.
Ambushes: Hidden units may react to opponents
entering or reaching the edge of their terrain piece with
an ambush. An ambush works like a regular reaction,
but units get to roll an extra die.
Terrain National Variations
Russia/Italy/France: Rifle squads must begin and end
Obstacles all moves in line of sight with a commander.

Minefields: Are deployed hidden and occupy a whole US/UK/Japan: Rifle squads must begin all moves in line
terrain piece or join two within four base widths of each of sight with a commander.
other. When a unit enters the minefield it is revealed
Germany: No move restrictions.
and the unit stops. The minefield attacks the unit with 4
dice. The player's turn ends on a suppression or kill. Commanders (particularly platoon commanders) can
Ignore pins. Minefields attack any unit trying to move move along with other units in a group move to
into, through, or out of it. maintain line of sight.

Barbed Wire: A section is 4 squad bases long and 1 If moving to contact to initiate a close combat, Japanese
deep. Units must stop when they contact barbed wire and Russian units ignore pin results, but suppressions
and need an additional move action to cross just to the become kills.
opposite side of it. Non-engineer units roll a die when
Japanese HMGs have an attack value of only 3, but don't
crossing. If a commander is nearby, add 1. On a 4-6
take the -1 crewed weapon penalty in close combat.
they succeed, otherwise they stay there and the
player's turn ends. Vehicles do not require a roll and Russian platoon commanders do not add +1 to rallying.
destroy the wire when they cross it.

Engineer squads can remove a minefield or barbed wire Vehicles

if they have spent an entire turn in or adjacent to it, are
Vehicles can only take one action per turn, and may not
unsuppressed, and have not taken any actions during
retreat or go prone. They may not participate in group
that turn.
shooting. Vehicles can also only react once per
opponent's turn. A vehicle's line of fire is determined by
Buildings its turret if it has one. The turret may be rotated along
with any move action.
Buildings block line of sight and provide cover. Moving
into contact with an occupied building, like moving into Firing at a Vehicle: Weapons capable of firing at a
contact with a unit, initiates a close combat. All vehicle will have accuracy and penetration values
occupants of the building and all units contacting it are assigned to them. Vehicles have armor values for their
involved in the close combat. If the occupants are front and back sides. Roll one die, add the weapon's
hidden they may react with an ambush or allow the accuracy value (which may be negative), and subtract 1
close combat with a +1 to their roll. if the target is in protective cover. If the result is 4 or
more, roll again. If that roll plus the weapon's
Individual units in a building cannot be targeted by a
penetration value (which may also be negative) is
high explosives attack from a forward observer. The
greater than or equal to the target's armor value then
building itself is targeted. If the attack succeeds, the
the target is killed. Vehicles are never pinned or
targeted player decides which units are affected.
suppressed.

Vehicles Firing at Infantry: Works the same as high

Troop Quality explosive missions from a forward observer. Weapons
will have attack and suppression values assigned to
Depending on the scenario or troops selected, units
them.
may be designated as veterans, regulars, or green
troops. Regulars follow all the rules as given. Close Combat: Vehicles may participate in close
combat. If they are not in woods, fields, or rough
Veterans: If all your units involved in a close combat
ground, turreted tanks add +3 to their roll, turretless
are veterans, you get an extra +1 to your roll. Veterans
tanks add +2, and other vehicles add +1.
add +1 to their attempts to rally or cross barbed wire.

Green Troops: If any of your units involved in a close

combat are green, you take a -1 to your roll. Green License
troops take -1 to their attempts to rally or cross barbed
This document is provided under a CreativeCommons-
wire.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. All
content from Gaetano Ferrara's Covering Fire! is used
with permission.