6. HILLOCKS

6.1 A hillock¹¹ is a terrain feature of any overlay whose ID letter is an "H", and consists of hexes shaded brown to reddish-brown. For the following rules it is important to remember that the term hillock refers collectively to ALL hillock hexes on the overlay, while a hillock hex is any with the appropriate terrain art.

6.2 A hillock is a somewhat different type of Half-Level Obstacle. Units on a non-Summit (6.6) hillock hex are at Level ½ (assuming the overlay is on Level 0 terrain). A hillock hex is a type of Inherent Terrain (B.6), and does not contain a hill Crest Line.

6.21 SMOKE GRENADES: Infantry (only) SMOKE grenades may be placed onto a hillock hex from an ADJACENT lower-level Location, and are not subject to the subsequent dr specified in A24.1.

6.3 MF/MP: The following movement costs apply to entering a hillock hex from a lower elevation: Infantry/Cavalry/Wagon, COT (usually Open Ground); any non-Wagon vehicle, one MP + COT. If entering a hillock hex from the same or a higher elevation, the entry cost for any type of unit is just the COT. E3.54/E3.723 does not apply to changing elevation via a hillock.

6.4 LOS: LOS to/from/past/over (B.4) a hillock is determined by the elevation and entrenched/Emplaced status of the viewing and viewed units, and by the presence of any intervening Hillock Summit (6.6).¹² A non-Summit hillock hex does not block LOS to other hexes of the same hillock. For LOS purposes, a unit is considered "adjacent" to a hillock only if the LOS in question to/from that unit crosses/touches a hexside/hexspine that is common to both a hillock hex and that unit's hex, and that hillock hex's topmost height along that LOS is exactly a half-level higher than that unit's elevation.

6.41 ON: A unit (whether entrenched/Emplaced or not) on a hillock has a LOS over (B.4) that hillock, and also over the next hillock its LOS encounters. The viewing unit can also see along that same LOS past yet another hillock - but only to Locations that are behind but "adjacent" (6.4) to this other hillock, and beyond such Locations to ≥ the viewing unit's elevation. [EXC to all: 6.43]. See the "Squads E and F" entry in the 6.6 Example.

6.411 A unit (whether entrenched/Emplaced or not) on a hillock has a LOS past all walls/hedges whose topmost height along that LOS is < the viewing unit's elevation. Such a viewing unit also has a LOS past the first wall/hedge whose topmost height along that LOS equals the viewing unit's elevation - and can also see along that same LOS past a second such wall/hedge but only to Locations that are behind but adjacent to this second wall/hedge, and beyond such Locations to ≥ the viewing unit's elevation. For a Dune Crest half-level obstacle, see 7.512.

6.412 A unit (whether entrenched/Emplaced or not) on a hillock has a LOS over (B.4) all Rubble whose topmost height along that LOS is < the viewing unit's elevation. However, the LOS of such a viewing unit is affected by rubble whose topmost height along that LOS equals the viewing unit's elevation as if the rubble were instead a hedge along the second hexside of the rubble hex through which that LOS is traced; hence 6.411 applies to that LOS, and a unit properly positioned behind such a "hedge" hexside could claim hedge TEM in the normal manner vs that viewing unit on the hillock.

6.42 ABOVE: A unit (whether entrenched/Emplaced or not, and whether on a hillock or not) at a higher elevation than the topmost height of a hillock hex has a LOS over (B.4) that hillock hex. See the "Squads DD and EE" entry in the 6.6 EX.

6.43 A unit must be higher than the topmost height of an intervening hillock hex in order to have a LOS past that hillock hex to an elevation one or more full levels lower than that hillock hex's topmost height. A unit must be at least as high as the topmost height of an intervening hillock hex in order to have a LOS past that hillock hex to entrenched/Emplaced units behind but "adjacent" to that hillock hex.

6.44 BEHIND: In addition to the applications of Reciprocity (A6.5) for the LOS given in 6.4-.43, a non-entrenched, non-Emplaced unit that is "adjacent" (6.4) to a hillock has a LOS past that hillock - and can also see along that same LOS past another hillock to Locations that are behind but "adjacent" to this other hillock. [EXC to all: 6.43]. (See the "Squad A" entry in the 6.6 Example.) For an "adjacent" viewing unit that is entrenched/Emplaced, apply Reciprocity to the LOS given in 6.41-.43 and see the "Squad B" entry in the 6.6 Example. For a unit (whether entrenched/Emplaced or not) that is neither on, above nor "adjacent" to a hillock, apply Reciprocity to the LOS given in 6.41-.44 and see the "Squads C and D" entry in the 6.6 Example.

6.5 TEM: Non-PRC unit(s) may claim a + 1 TEM (or HD status) vs Direct Fire that is traced across/along a hexside of a hillock as it enters their hex, provided that hillock hex's topmost height along that LOF is a half-level higher than the elevation of the target and the LOF did not go over (B.4) that hillock hex. A hillock (hex) provides no TEM or HD status vs Indirect Fire. Being on a hillock does not by itself negate FFMO or Interdiction. See the entries in the 6.6 EX that have asterisked squad IDs. Q&A

6.51 HEIGHT ADVANTAGE: A unit on a hillock can claim Height Advantage vs Direct Fire (B10.31; D4.22) if at least one full level higher than the attacker, but cannot be HD to that attack. Q&A

6.52 AFV/WRECK TEM & HINDRANCES: An AFV/wreck on a hillock can provide a + 1 TEM in the normal manner. A "half-level" Hindrance (as defined in 4.51), whether on a hillock or not, can affect LOS/LOF to/from/across a hillock hex only if both the firer's and target's elevations are within a half-level of, and the elevation of at least one of those units is ≤ that of, the Hindrance's Base Level [EXC: a "half-level" Hindrance in a deir; 4.51]. See the entries for "Squads E and F", "Squad H", "Squad K" and "Squads DD and EE" in the 6.6 Example.

6.53 FIRE LANE: A Fire Lane has no effect on units (including Vulnerable PRC and Horses - but excluding Cavalry Personnel) that are at least a half-level lower than the Fire Lane in their hex, nor does a "half-level" Hindrance (as defined in 4.51) whose Base Level is at least a half-level lower than a Fire Lane in its hex affect that Fire Lane. See the "Squads E and F" entry in the 6.6 Example.

6.6 HILLOCK SUMMIT: Overlays H1 and H4 each contain a hex the color of level-one hill terrain. Such a hex is termed a Hillock Summit hex, and represents one hillock upon another with a total obstacle height of one level. A Hillock Summit is treated as a normal hillock that rises from Level ½ instead of from Level 0. Therefore, a unit on, above or behind a Hillock Summit can see to/from/past Hillock Summits using 6.4-.44, treating the Summits as higher level hillocks. See the entries for "Squads CC and FF" and "Squads DD and EE" in the 6.6 Example. Use a Hillock Summit counter to mark a SSR-specified Summit.