A unit will take a BREAK TEST as its key level of casualties are reached in a battle. Take a test immediately a base is lost. Take a single test immediately 50% of the unit’s Strength Points (SP)s have a PIP or casualty/blast marker on them. Use 1D6 and refer to the UNIT GRADING. The unit passing a break test may continue to attack or defend, or need not withdraw, or surrender depending on the circumstances. Having passed the test, the unit’s resolve is judged to be firm enough to fight on to the finish (with one exception – see TANK TERROR).
-
A unit that has failed its break test is disorganised, and must reorganise out of contact with the enemy, and not under fire before it can fight in an organised fashion again.
-
A disorganised defender that is close assaulted by an enemy will disperse and reform overnight at its Divisional Logistics Area (DLA), or surrender if retreat is not possible.
-
A disorganised attacker must halt, but may continue to fire at the defender, or withdraw out of contact to reorganise.
-
Note that veterans may break off an attack without becoming disorganised.
Failure to Press Home an Attack
-
The attacker who fails to pass his break test may come to a halt and still engage the defender as a disorganised attacker in a firefight, or withdraw out of contact with the enemy, at his own discretion. The attack may only be pressed home if it is then reinforced with previously unengaged reserves. This may be reserve battalions of the regiment, or extra artillery support, for example.
-
Note that units which cause fewer casualties than they receive from the defender in any one round must also receive reinforcements before they can press home an attack.
-
Note that armour, and troops in armoured personnel carriers (APCs) or riding on tanks can close assault even if they do not win the firefight. They will however take any casualty markers as permanent loss to SP to reflect the high risk of this tactic.
A unit may only withdraw if its line of retreat is clear, that is out of the effective fire zone of troops capable of direct fire, and if the retreating troops are at least as mobile as the pursuers. Broken defenders may elect to sit tight in their position in the hope that the attacker is unable to press home his attack, but if the close assault goes in, then it overruns the defenders, who surrender at no further loss to the attacker. The defenders are removed from the board
.
Every gaming group has its own house rules. Here are some of ours:
Restoring Discipline
-
For the Eastern Front, we allow Commissars and fanatical Axis unit headquarters to shore up the morale of their own unit to pass a morale test by firing one CU at their own unit. The casualties are taken off immediately as loss of SP, and the unit automatically passes its own morale test. This decision may be taken after the original test is failed and represents the brutal extent that both sides went to in order to keep their own troops in the line of battle.
Upgrading or Downgrading Units
-
At the end of battles we decide if a unit should be upgraded or downgraded if it has performed well or badly.
Not Quite Mechanised 
Pingback: How NQM Works – a Brief Outline | Not Quite Mechanised
Pingback: The Battle of Bir Bar ‘el – Breaking into the Position | Not Quite Mechanised
Pingback: How the NQM CSO Works – a Brief Outline | Not Quite Mechanised