20. STREAMS & CREST STATUS

20.1 A stream is a gully containing a small rivulet. A hex such as 13P4 containing a thin meandering blue line enclosed in a layered white, brown, and dark green background which extends through two hexsides of the hex is a stream hex. 13G4 and I6 are not stream hexes because the stream symbol crosses only one hexside therein. Non-stream remnants such as those in 22J0 and X10 do not block or impede Bypass movement of the J0-K1 hexside.

20.2 A stream is usually a level -1 Depression hex (A6.3), although it can exist at one level lower than that of any surrounding terrain. A unit IN a stream cannot see any other Depression hex unless it is ADJACENT and connected by a stream hexside, or the LOS can be drawn to another stream hex without leaving the layered blue-white-brown-dark green stream depiction. A flooded stream is usually level 0; see 20.44.

EX: A unit IN 13P5 can see P3, N4, O4, Q3, N6, M7, and all adjacent hexes, but cannot see M6 or Q4 because the LOS thereto is blocked by higher level Open Ground depictions.

20.3 Barring other terrain in the hex, a stream is considered Open Ground for TEM and Rout purposes, provided a LOS INTO it exists (see bridge; 6.32).

20.4 DEPTH: The depth of water in a stream is the only thing which distinguishes it from a gully hex. A stream may be defined as one of four types: dry, shallow, deep, or flooded. If undefined by SSR, a stream is considered to be shallow. In DYO scenarios where this information is unknown, it can be resolved with a single dr as per the following chart. This dr is modified by the current EC drm (25.5).

dr	Depth
≤ 1	Flooded
2-3	Deep
4-5	Shallow
≥ 6	Dry

20.41 DRY: If a stream is dry, it does not exist; rather, it is considered a gully for all purposes, and all marsh hexes on the same board are considered mudflats.

20.42 SHALLOW: If a stream is shallow, Infantry/Cavalry enter at a cost of three MF regardless of whether the move is through a stream hexside or not.

20.43 DEEP: If a stream is deep, Infantry/Cavalry enter at a cost of four MF and become CX (A4.72 would apply to an advance entry) - regardless of whether the move is through a stream hexside or not, or whether the unit was previously CX or not. Q&A

20.44 FLOODED: If a stream is flooded, it is one level higher than it would normally be (i.e., usually level 0), and is treated as a flooded pond. All mapboard-depicted ponds in a scenario that has a flooded stream are also one level higher than normal, as per 21.21. See 16.6 for a flooded stream's effect on marsh.

20.45 EXIT: There is no cost for leaving a stream hex other than the normal doubling of MF (or a four MP increase) when moving to a hex of higher elevation [EXC: Abrupt Elevation Change; 10.5].

20.46 VEHICLES: Vehicles transit a stream hex as if it were a gully, regardless of water depth [EXC: Flooded]. All vehicles leaving a stream hex via a higher elevation hexside are subject to Bog in that stream hex. Motorcycles may not drive into a deep stream. Wrecks do not appear in a flooded stream.

20.5 No Fortifications are allowed in a stream except Wire/minefields, and even these are not allowed if the stream is deep or flooded.

20.6 FIRE: Only the inherent FP of Infantry, their LATW, inherent SW, DC, LMG, or FT may be used while IN a shallow or deep stream and is resolved as Area Fire. The only other weapons which may fire IN such a hex must be vehicular-mounted.

20.7 FRIGID/FROZEN: If a stream is designated as frozen, it is treated as a dry stream regardless of depth [EXC: a flooded stream is still one level higher; 20.44]. If a non-dry stream is not frozen, but snow is present, the stream is a frigid Water Obstacle. If Infantry/Cavalry units enter a frigid Water Obstacle without a bridge they are Replaced by the next lower Class unit or Disrupted as per A19.12-.13. Any boat capable of conveying that size unit can be used to cross a frigid stream at the normal MF cost of the Passenger for entry of that type of stream. There are no loading/unloading costs or other boat rules to consider when crossing a stream unless it is flooded.

20.8 FORDS: A ford represents an area within a stream or gully hex where the Depression's sides have a gentler slope and the streambed itself is level and lies near the surface, but the ford is still at the same elevation as that stream hex, and is treated as a stream/gully hex except as amended below. Fords are not printed on the mapboard, but are represented by ford counters which can be placed on a stream or gully hex only by SSR. Q&A

20.81 Movement into a ford stream hex from any direction is treated as if the water depth were one classification shallower (dry rather than shallow; deep rather than flooded).

20.82 Movement from a ford hex does not require a Bog DR even if the move is across a higher level hexside, but does require the normal additional MF/MP costs if moving to a higher elevation.

20.9 CREST STATUS: Crest status can be gained by Infantry in any Depression hex that contains neither a ford nor a bridge. However, Crest status is never allowed along a Depression Cliff hexside (such as 24E7-E6). One Crest counter may service all units in a hex or multiple Crest counters can be placed in a hex to allow different units Crest status in different directions.

20.91 Any Good Order Infantry already IN a Depression may claim Crest status in that same hex during its APh by remaining in the same hex and placing a Crest counter beneath it, or by expending two MF in its MPh to do so. Good Order Infantry outside a Depression may claim Crest status in the Depression hex it enters along the hexside it enters by expending one less MF than the normal COT of that hex but its Crest counter must be placed so that the middle of the three hexsides it could conceivably protect is the hexside it crossed. Therefore, this option could not be used when entering a Depression via a Depression hexside. Units may begin a scenario already set up in Crest status. Infantry in Crest status are considered entrenched one level higher than the Depression against all Direct Fire attacks across any of the front three hexsides of that Depression hex (as identified by placement of the Crest counter) which are not crossed by a Depression hexside. Crest counters must be placed so that the middle of the three hexsides it could conceivably protect does not cover a hexside intersected by the Depression terrain. Once placed, a Crest counter cannot be altered until it is removed.

EX: Entry of 14T3 from T2 (see the 20.92 illustration) costs two MF unless the Unit claims Crest status in T3, in which case it costs only one MF.

20.92 TEM: The entrenchment benefits of Crest status do not apply to Indirect Fire or OVR, or to Direct Fire from any position that has a LOS (A6.3) INTO the Depression hex, or to fire at the Crest target which is not traced through one of the protective Crest hexsides. All fire traced INTO a Depression hex affects units both IN the Depression and units in Crest status in the same hex with the same DR. However, same-level, non-adjacent Direct Fire which is valid against Crest status Infantry does not affect units IN that Depression. Q&A

EX: The crest 4-6-7 in 14T3 is a ground level target. It is entrenched vs attacks through S3, T2, and U3 hexsides, but not from S4, T4, or U4 hexsides. The 4-6-7 can see the 5-4-8 in R3 but only because both are in Crest status; if either or both were IN their respective hexes they could not see each other because of the intervening ground level terrain along the S3-S4 hexside which would block their LOS. The 5-4-8 is entrenched only against fire across the R4 and Q4 hexsides, since S4 contains a connecting Depression hexside.

20.93 MPh/APh: Infantry may not move directly from one Crest status to another (even in the APh). Crest Infantry are always considered on one specific side of the Depression terrain feature as indicated by the placement of the Crest counter beneath them with the word "Crest" on the occupied side of the Depression. Crest Infantry may exit the Depression hex to a non-Depression hex along the same side of the Depression which they occupy as if they were leaving a foxhole (one MF & COT or normal APh capability). Crest Infantry moving to any other hex must first move (or advance) out of Crest status within the same hex they presently occupy as if they were entering it from an adjacent non-Depression hex. Q&A

EX: In the previous diagram, it will cost two MF (shown in red) for the 4-6-7 to move out of Crest status plus another two MF to enter T4 (or another one MF to enter S4 or U4), whereas it would cost only two MF to move directly from Crest status to S3, T2, or U3 and if pinned or broken in T3 would be placed IN the Depression at the end of its MPh. It would have to become CX (A4.72) to advance into T4, but could advance into the other adjacent hexes without such a penalty.

20.94 FIRE/CC: Crest Infantry firing at any target not within their protected Crest front must fire as Area Fire. Crest Infantry in CC are subject to a -2 DRM for all attacks against them and a +2 DRM for any attacks they make (unless the attackers had just entered the hex through a protected Crest hexside), but if they survive their initial round of CC, they must immediately drop their Crest status if held in Melee. Q&A

20.95 SW: Other than their inherent FP, a Crest Infantry unit may fire only LMG, DC, LATW, FT/inherent SW. Any unpossessed SW previously in Crest status falls INTO the Depression hex.

20.96 BROKEN UNITS: If broken, Crest Infantry must leave their Crest status during the following RtPh.

20.97 FORTIFICATIONS: Fortifications in a Depression hex are assumed to be IN the Depression rather than in Crest status.

20.98 STACKING: Despite the different elevation levels of units IN a Depression and those in Crest status, both count toward the total hex stacking limits of that hex.