5. STACKING LIMITS

5.1 INFANTRY/CAVALRY: Each side may stack up to three squads or their equivalents (5.5) plus up to four SMC per Location without penalty. Hexes which have additional vertical Locations within their horizontal hex parameters are entitled to their own separate stacking limits on each level of that hex. Stacking limits can be exceeded only at increased risk and inconvenience to all of the friendly units therein, and never during initial or offboard setup. Q&A

5.11 MOVEMENT: Entrance of a Location overstacked by Personnel (even if overstacked only due to the moving unit's entry) costs one additional MF for each squad (or its equivalent; FRU) in the Location that exceeds normal Personnel stacking limits. Vehicles must pay one MP for each overstacked squad or equivalent (FRU), in addition to any overstacking movement cost for vehicles (D2.14). Personnel movement into a Location overstacked by vehicles is not penalized. Overstacking movement penalties can cause use of Minimum Move (4.134) or Difficult Terrain Advance (4.72). Q&A

EX: There are two squads and a crew in building hex 1F5 If a squad moves into 1F5, it will cost three MF (two to enter the building, plus one to enter a now overstacked Location). If another squad advances into the same Location, it will have to become CX because the MF cost of the Location is now four MF (two to enter the building, plus two to enter a Location overstacked by 1½ squads). A single HS/crew entering the Location at this time will also incur only a two MF overstack penalty because its entrance increases the overstack to only two squads.

5.12 ATTACK PENALTY: All units attacking from or within a Location which their side has currently overstacked must add one to their IFT/CC DR (or +1 to their To Hit DR for ordnance) for each vehicle and squad equivalent (FRU) by which they exceed normal stacking limits.

5.13 DEFENSE PENALTIES: Overstacking penalties during the MPh apply only to moving units although the presence of non-moving units in the target Location will probably be the determining factor in whether a moving unit is overstacked at the instant of attack.

5.131 PERSONNEL: All Personnel units (except PRC) being attacked in a Location their side has overstacked suffer a -1 To Hit DRM when attacked by ordnance (or a -1 IFT/CC DRM when attacked by any other means) for each squad equivalent (FRU) by which their side exceeds normal Personnel stacking limits.

5.132 VEHICULAR: If a vehicle is being attacked in a Location whose vehicular stacking limits its side has exceeded, it is not directly penalized. However, any Vehicle Target Type Final To Hit DR which exceeds its Modified To Hit Number (C3.3) by < the amount of vehicles in that hex (excluding any out of the firer's LOS, wrecks, and the firer itself if in the same hex) may still possibly hit another vehicle in that vehicular-overstacked hex. Make a subsequent dr; if that dr is < the total number of vehicles in that hex other than the firer, wrecks, or vehicles out of the firer's LOS, one of them has been hit (use Random Selection if three or more targets exist therein - modifying each vehicle's dr by the reverse of its size modifier if they have different size classifications and randomly select among ties). A Specific Collateral Attack would apply normally. Overstacking penalties do not apply to attacks resolved on the ★ Vehicle line of the IFT. Q&A

EX: A PzKpfw IVH tank and two Kuebelwagens occupy woods hex 1EE4. The tank is fired on by a Russian AT Gun in Z9 during the Russian PFPh at a range of eight hexes for a Modified To Hit Number of 8. Only the +1 TEM of the woods will affect the DR, resulting in a hit on the tank with an Original To Hit DR ≤ 7. However, an Original To Hit DR of 8 or 9 will hit one of the Kuebelwagens instead on a subsequent dr < 3.

5.2 VEHICULAR: Each side may have only one vehicle in each Location without suffering overstacking penalties. The presence of a wreck(s) in a hex does not affect stacking penalties.

5.3 PRC: Many vehicles have the capacity to transport Personnel in various quantities as specified on the vehicular counter. In addition, some AFV after 1942 may carry Riders (see D6.2). PRC and their SW are placed on top of the transporting vehicular counter and do not count against Personnel Location stacking limits as long as they remain mounted on their transport. PRC may never overstack on their vehicles.

5.4 COMBINED ARMS: The presence of a vehicle(s) in a hex does not alter Personnel stacking limits. There is no stacking limit for ordnance or SW, although the number of crews/HS which may function as Gun crews in a Location (5.5) limit the effective use of Guns in a Location to three.

5.5 EQUIVALENTS: Five SMC equal a HS, and two non-Inherent-crews/HS equal a squad, but ≤ 4 SMC count as zero squad-equivalents. However, if an Infantry crew/HS is manning a Gun it is considered equal to a squad for stacking purposes.⁷ A squad's equivalent can be substituted for a squad which has been given special capabilities by a SSR so as to share those special capabilities (e.g., if a SSR specifies that a squad may set up hidden, two hidden HS can be used instead provided that nationality is allowed to Deploy HS). Q&A

5.6 LOCATION RESTRICTIONS: Although a Location containing a pillbox/entrenchment can be overstacked, the pillbox/entrenchments therein can never be overstacked; i.e., they can hold only their specified amount of Infantry per side. Similarly, a sewer or tunnel may never contain > three squads (plus four SMC) or their equivalent per side.