5. WADIS

5.1 A wadi⁸ is a terrain feature of any overlay (12.) whose ID letter is a "W", and is represented by gully-like artwork in brown, black and yellow. In addition, each group of continuous hexes on board 25 (and on Overlay E1) which contains this same type of artwork is a wadi; e.g., 25D7, E8, E9, E10 and P10 are wadi hexes and together constitute a wadi - as is also true of hexes I5 and J5 on Overlay E1. See also 12.41.

5.11 A hex containing a tiny portion of wadi along one of its hexsides (e.g. 25C7, G10, or Z10) is not a wadi hex, but that hexside is a wadi hexside.

5.12 A wadi is a Depression, and is the equivalent of a gully for all purposes except as modified below. Note that many of the wadis printed on board 25 (and on Overlay E1) change elevation along their length, and some wadi hexes also contain a Hill Crest line that is not crossed by the wadi. Movement in such Hill Depression hexes (B19.5) requires frequent use of the rules for Abrupt Elevation Changes (B10.5-.51) and Double Crests (B10.52), and the special LOS considerations given in B19.5-.52.

5.2 MF/MP: Normal gully movement rules apply to wadis [EXC: 5.21]. In addition the following rules apply to movement in Hill Depression hexes. When a unit entering a Hill Depression hex crosses a higher Crest-Line Depression hexside (B19.5), it pays the cost of moving to a higher elevation only if it actually increases its level. When a unit entering a Hill Depression hex crosses a higher Crest Line but not a Depression hexside, it always pays the appropriate cost of moving to a higher elevation (due to making an Abrupt Elevation Change).

EX: Infantry moving from 25G10 INTO G9 expends two MF, since the unit remains at level 0. A tank thusly moving pays three MP. Infantry moving from IN I9 INTO J8 expends four MF (2 [enter wadi] x 2 [higher elevation] = 4), since it is moving from level 1 to level 2. A tank thusly moving pays seven MP (2 [enter wadi]+ 1 [COT] + 4 [higher elevation] = 7). Infantry moving from H7 INTO G7 expends four MF (2 [Abrupt Elevation intermediate level] + 2 [enter wadi] = 4), while a tank thusly moving expends seven MP (4 [Abrupt Elevation intermediate level] +2 [enter wadi] + 1 [COT] = 7). Infantry moving from J5 INTO K5 expends four MF (1 [Abrupt Elevation intermediate level] +2 [enter wadi] + 1 [hammada COT] = 4 ), or expends three MF if moving from J5 to Crest status in K5 along the K5-15 hexside (B20.91). A tank moving from J5 INTO K5 pays six MP (2 [Abrupt Elevation intermediate level] +2 [enter wadi] +2 [hammada COT] = 6).

5.21 BOG: When exiting a wadi via a non-wadi hexside, a vehicle that expends MP as a truck need not undergo the Bog DR that is required of it by Note BB of the Chapter B Terrain Chart.

5.3 WADI CLIFF: A cliff that forms the side of a wadi (e.g., 25F6) is a normal Depression Cliff (B11.1-.21). A Depression Cliff on the same side of a wadi as a normal cliff hexside represents a continuous cliff from the bottom of that Depression to the top of that cliff.

EX: Infantry IN 25O9 wishing to directly enter N9 must Climb successfully for two turns - first to level 1, then to level 2.

5.4 CREST STATUS: Unlike a gully, Crest status in a wadi may be used by all types of Infantry, SW, vehicles and Guns, within certain restrictions. No type of unit may gain Crest status along a Depression Cliff (B20.9), although the presence of a normal cliff or an Abrupt Elevation Change as a hexside of a wadi hex does not itself prevent Crest status along that hexside.

EX: See the 5.3 illustration. Crest Infantry in 25O8 may have the center protected hexside of their Crest counter along any hexside of that hex except O8-N8. Crest Infantry in O9 may have their center protected hexside only along hexside O9-O8 or O9-P8. Having it along hexside O9-O10 or O9-N9 is prohibited by O9's wadi cliff.

5.41 SW: All types of Infantry-possessed SW (as well as those SW that can be used while a Passenger/Rider) may be used from a wadi Crest position; however, any Infantry-manned SW not allowed to fire from a gully Crest position (see B20.95) may fire from Wadi Crest only within the manning unit's protected Crest front (B20.94), and Area Fire still applies for firing other Infantry-manned SW outside that manning unit's protected Crest front. Infantry may Place a DC vs a Crest vehicle by expending the MF required for it to enter that Crest position and making a Position DR (C7.346), but no unit may Throw a DC at such a vehicle.

5.42 VEHICLE: Any type of vehicle may gain Crest status in a non-bridge wadi hex, and may do so from either WITHIN that wadi hex or from an adjacent hex, but once it achieves Crest status it must immediately expend a Stop MP. To gain Crest status from WITHIN the wadi it must expend five MP (actually 4 + 0 MP for moving forward to a higher elevation but not entering another hex, plus one MP to Stop) - or alternatively it can Reverse into Crest status by expending four times its Reverse multiplier, plus one MP to stop. A vehicle may also enter a wadi hex via a non-wadi, non wadi-cliff hexside to directly gain Crest status without going INTO the wadi, and may do so using either forward or Reverse movement. The MP cost using this method is the COT of the wadi hex (usually one MP for Open Ground - times that vehicle's Reverse multiplier [D2.21] if using Reverse movement) plus any cost for SMOKE, Dust (11.7), etc. in the wadi hex. A vehicle in Crest status is covered by a Vehicle Crest counter, which is placed with the words "HD (rear)" face-up if the vehicle directly gained Crest status by using forward movement across a non-wadi hexside without going INTO that wadi hex, or if it Reversed into Crest status from WITHIN that hex. A vehicle in Crest status may never change its VCA, but may change its TCA in the normal manner. A vehicle may gain Crest status by making a Minimum Move (even using Reverse Movement - i.e., making a Reverse Minimum Move), but only if that move begins IN the wadi hex in which the Crest status is gained, and once in Crest status the vehicle is assumed to immediately expend a Stop MP. A maneuver to/from Crest status is most easily visualized by imagining a Crest vehicle to be at the vertex that the Crest-side "tip" of its counter touches (hereafter referred to as its "Crest CAFP"). Note however, that for LOS purposes (5.424) the vehicle is not considered to be at the Crest CAFP. See also 5.421. Q&A

EX: The non-stopped tank IN 25D2 wishes to gain Crest status in C2 with its VCA at D2-C3. Its total MP cost to do so is ten MP (3 [enter wadi] + 2 [change VCA to D2-C3] + 4 [enter Crest status] + 1 [Stop] = 10). The Crest-status tank may be visualized as being "at" vertex C2-D2-C3, which is its Crest CAFP. Alternatively, it could achieve this same Crest CAFP by Reversing from WITHIN C2, but this would require 23 MP (3 [enter wadi] + 1 [change VCA to B1-C1] + 2 [Stop and Start] + 16 {4 [enter Crest Status] x 4 [Reverse]} + 1 [Stop] = 23), thus requiring two MPh to accomplish. The tank would then be marked with the "HD (rear)" side of a Vehicle Crest counter since it Reversed into Crest status from WITHIN that wadi hex.

EX: The non-stopped tank 25C3 wishes to gain Crest status during this MPh in C2 with its Crest CAFP at C2-D2-C3. It has three choices: it can move INTO the C2 wadi (3 MP), change VCA to D2-C3 (2 MP), enter Crest status (4 MP), and stop (1 MP), for a total expenditure of ten MP; or while still in C3 it can change its VCA to D3-C4 (2 MP), stop and start again (2 MP), then Reverse into Crest position in C2 (4 MP; 1 [Open Ground COT] x 4 [Reverse] = 4) and stop (1 MP), for a total expenditure of nine MP; or while still in C3 it can change its VCA to B2-C2 (1 MP), move directly into Crest status in C2 (1 MP) and stop (1 MP), for a total expenditure of three MP. In this last case it would then be marked with the "HD (rear)" side of a Vehicle Crest counter since it directly gained Crest status by using forward movement across a non-wadi hexside without going INTO that wadi hex.

5.421 WADI CLIFF/HEXSIDE: A vehicle may not gain Crest status such that its Crest CAFP is on the same side of a wadi as a same-hex wadi cliff (i.e., the wadi cliff may not be "between" the wadi and the vehicle's Crest CAFP). Nor may a vehicle gain Crest status such that the two hexsides that form its Crest CAFP are both wadi hexsides.

EX: Using the two previous examples, the only other crest CAFP that either tank can attain in C2 is at the C2-C3-E2 vertex. The other four vertices of C2 are all on the wadi-cliff side of the wadi. A vehicle cannot gain crest status at all in E2, since vertex E2-D2-D1 is formed by two wadi hexsides (E2-D1 and E2-D2) and the other five vertices in the hex are all on the wadi-cliff side of the wadi.

5.422 EXITING: Since a Crest vehicle may not change its VCA (5.42), there are only two ways it can exit Crest status: It can move to a different hex by crossing a hexside that forms its Crest CAFP [EXC: it may not enter a wadi hex which contains a wadi cliff on the same side of that wadi as the vehicle's Crest CAFP] and is vulnerable to Underbelly Hits (D4.3) as it does so; or it can move INTO the hex it presently occupies. Moving to a new hex incurs no cost for leaving the wadi hex,⁹ and moving INTO its present hex incurs just the cost of entering a wadi (i.e., it excludes the wadi's COT and any SMOKE, Dust, etc. costs).¹⁰ A vehicle may not exit Crest status by moving directly to Crest status in another hex. A vehicle may exit Crest status by making a Reverse Minimum Move, but must then immediately end its MPh in Reverse Motion (F.11).

EX: The Crest tank in C2 can move only to C3 or INTO C2. Its cost to enter C3 is the normal three MP for a tank to start and enter hammada If it Reverses INTO C2 it must expend nine MP (1 [start] + 8 {2 [enter wadi] x 4 [Reverse]} = 9), and if making a Reverse Minimum Move to do this it could neither make any VCA change nor expend a stop MP. The tank cannot enter D2 directly from its C2-D2-C3 crest CAFP because D2's wadi cliff is on the same side of the wadi as that CAFP. If the tank's Crest CAFP were C2 C3-B2 it could move from Crest status directly INTO B2 at a cost of five MP (1 [Start] +2 [enter wadi] + 2 [hammada COT] = 5). However, it could not move from Crest CAFP C2-C3-B2 directly to Crest CAFP B2-C3-B3; it would first have to move INTO B2, then change VCA and move to Crest Status.

EX: The Crest tank in U4, whose Crest CAFP is U4-U3-V3, can move only INTO U4 or, by using Reverse movement, to U3 or V3. Its cost to go INTO U4 is three MP (1 [Start] + 2 [enter wadi] = 3). Its cost to enter either U3 or V3 is nine MP (1 [Start] + 8 {2 [cross hedge and enter Open Ground] x 4 [Reverse]} = 9).

5.423 TEM: A Crest vehicle is HD (D4.2) at the wadi's Crest level to fire from any direction [EXC: not to Indirect Fire, OVR or Aerial attack, and not to Direct Fire that has a LOS INTO that wadi hex]. A Crest AFV (or Crest non-burning wreck) can provide a + 1 TEM only to same-hex Crest Infantry who have at least one protected Crest hexside (B20.92) emanating from that vehicle's Crest CAFP - and, vs Direct Fire, only if the attacker's LOF crosses that protected-Crest-CAFP hexside. This TEM is not cumulative with the Infantry's Crest (or any other positive) TEM. A burning Crest wreck provides no TEM to any unit.

5.424 LOS/HINDRANCE: LOS to/from a vehicle/wreck in Crest status is drawn to/from the center dot of its wadi hex. An AFV/non-burning wreck in Crest status never creates a LOS Hindrance. A burning Crest wreck creates a Smoke Hindrance/DRM in the normal manner, but only at ≥ that hex's Crest level.

EX: See the 5.3 illustration. A stationary Crest AFV in 25O8 (with its Crest CAFP indicated by the blue dot) provides a + 1 TEM only for Crest Infantry who have a protected Crest hexside along hexside(s) O8-O9/O8-P8, and only vs an attack that does not incur the Crest entrenchment TEM (as per B20.92) or other positive TEM, and whose LOF crosses at least one of those protected Crest hexsides. If the AFV were a burning wreck, the resulting smoke would have its normal effect throughout the hex but only at ≥ Level 3.

5.425 MOVEMENT & STACKING: The extra MP incurred when a vehicle enters a Location that contains a vehicle/wreck (D2.14) applies in a wadi hex only when both the moving vehicle and the in-hex vehicle/wreck are IN the wadi, or when the latter is in Crest status and either hexside connected to its Crest CAFP is being crossed by the moving vehicle. A vehicle may not "occupy" a Crest CAFP that is already occupied by another vehicle, wreck or Gun.

EX: See the 5.3 illustration. Assume a Crest AFV in 25O8 (with its Crest CAFP indicated by the red dot). Another vehicle entering/leaving O8 will have to pay an entry MP as per D2.14 only if it crosses hexside O8-O7 or O8-P7.

5.4251 BOG & IMMOBILIZATION: A vehicle entering or leaving Crest status must make any terrain-related Bog/Immobilization DR required for moving into/INTO/within that wadi hex (e.g., for being Accessible to hammada [3.31] or sand [7.31]) only if it is also paying the COT of that wadi hex.

5.4252 PERSONNEL: Personnel may Abandon/unload-from their Crest vehicle in the normal manner. Those Personnel are then immediately placed in Crest status on the same side of the wadi as their vehicle. Use a ⅝" Crest counter for them in the normal manner. Personnel must be in Crest status to board a Crest vehicle [EXC: if they are Capturing it during CC as per 5.426].

5.426 FIRE/CC: Since a Crest vehicle is HD instead of having protected Crest hexsides, its vehicular/Passenger/Rider attacks (including the use of allowed SW; D6.1, D6.22) are never penalized as Area Fire as per B20.94. No Gun or vehicular weapon in wadi Crest status may fire at a target that is one or more full levels lower than that wadi hex's Crest level; moreover, any type of Gun not normally (as per Vehicle/Ordnance Note) allowed to fire at a lower elevation may fire only to a higher elevation while in Crest status [EXC to both: AAMG and mortars are not thusly restricted, nor is firing either INTO the firer's own hex or along only wadi hexsides, provided no VCA change is necessary in order to do so]. A Crest vehicle may be OVR by any vehicle that enters its hex (assuming the latter can otherwise OVR it). CC attacks by/vs a Crest-status vehicle/PRC are always treated for all purposes as if the vehicle were not in Crest status (i.e., a vehicle's Crest status affects neither Capture attempts vs it nor CC attacks by/vs it/its-PRC). See also 5.4-.41.

EX: See the 5.3 illustration. A Crest AFV in 25O8 (with its Crest CAFP indicated by the blue dot) may fire to ≤ level two only if it is firing a mortar or AAMG, or if firing INTO O8 or into/INTO N8 - though in no case may it change its VCA (5.42). Enemy Infantry in/IN O8 could make CC attacks/Capture-attempts vs the AFV at no penalty for the latter's Crest status, nor would there be any such penalty for the AFV's CC attack vs those Infantry.

5.427 RUSSIAN: Should a SSR specify that vehicle Crest status is allowed in certain Depression hexes, Russian CT AFV claiming it are HD in the normal fashion when fired on but are subject to a -1 drm to the TH DR's colored dr for Location of Hit purposes (as given in B9.33).

5.43 GUN & CREW: A non-vehicular Gun may utilize Crest status in a non-bridge wadi hex and, provided it is unhooked, gains such status automatically when its manning Infantry do (5.4252). However, if those Infantry subsequently lose their Crest status the Gun still retains it for itself. A Crest-status Gun and its manning Infantry use a ⅝" Crest counter in the manner prescribed for Infantry; both receive the normal Crest Infantry entrenchment DRM, but only vs Direct Fire attacks that lack a LOS INTO the wadi and cross a protected Crest hexside in the normal manner. Such a crew may claim a Gunshield DRM in the normal manner. A Gun may be towed into/out-of Crest position; it may also be Pushed directly into, or out of, Crest status (i.e., either INTO the wadi, or into an adjacent hex) using normal Infantry Crest movement and Manhandling rules. A Gun may not set up Emplaced in Crest status (F.1A). A Gun may change its CA while in Crest status [EXC: a NT Gun must keep at least one protected Crest hexside within its CA], and is not penalized by Area Fire for firing outside of its protected Crest front (B20.94). See 5.426 for the restrictions on what levels the Gun may fire to.