4. CELLARS⁷

4.1 All multi-hex, non-Factory buildings depicted on the ABtF map contain a Cellar Location beneath their ground-level Location (i.e., at building Level -1). A Cellar Location is considered the equivalent of another non-rooftop building Location in that hex (even for falling rubble [B24.12] and Victory Condition purposes) except as specified otherwise. The Cellar Level is ignored when determining the Base Level of a building hex.

4.11 TEM: Cellar Locations have a TEM of +3. Cellar Locations may be Fortified. Cellar Locations are ignored for the purposes of B23.912 (i.e., the Cellar need not be fortified to fortify the ground-level Location).

4.12 STACKING: A Cellar Location has a normal stacking limit (A5.1) of two squad-equivalents (A5.5) plus up to four SMC. Overstacking may occur [EXC: NA during setup (A5.1); see also 9.6214], but no unbroken, armed unit/stack may enter an already overstacked Cellar Location if its entry would increase the squad-equivalency therein.

4.2 ENTRY: Only Infantry/SW may set-up-in/enter a Cellar, and their presence therein is indicated by placing them beneath a Cellar counter. Infantry may enter/exit the Cellar level only via a Stairwell or a "connecting" Trench. Infantry already in a Cellar may directly enter an adjacent Cellar Location only if the two hexes involved share a common non-Rowhouse [EXC: unless Breached; B23.711] building hexside.

4.21 All Trench "connections" (see ABTF CG SSR 17) "open into" the Cellar Level if it exists in that hex [EXC: if the ground level above the Cellar has been rubbled; 4.6]; otherwise Trench rules apply unchanged.

4.3 LOS: Infantry in a Cellar tracing LOS outside of their building to a non-ADJACENT Location do so as if entrenched at ground level (B9.21), and trace LOS to an ADJACENT Location in the normal manner (B23.25, B8.2). There is no LOS between adjacent Cellar Locations across a Rowhouse black bar hex side [EXC: if Breached; B23.711]. For the purposes of Height Advantage TEM (B10.31) and Night LV (E1.7) applicability, Cellar Locations are considered to be at Level 0.

4.4 FIRE EFFECTS: The Inherent FP of a unit/FG in a Cellar is halved as Area Fire if the LOF leaves their building's depiction and is not traced to an ADJACENT Cellar Location, and the US# of the unit(s) currently using such Inherent FP is ≥ 3 (A Leader directing fire from a Cellar Location does not add his US# for this calculation). Otherwise, a Cellar Location has no effect on the use of SW/Inherent-FP other than those normally caused by being fired from within a building. A DC may be Thrown from a Cellar Location only to an ADJACENT Location.

4.41 SMOKE: SMOKE at ground level in a Cellar hex affects different-level fire to/from the Cellar Location normally. The extra +1 Hindrance for outgoing fire (A24.8) is NA and fire between ADJACENT Cellar Locations is unaffected.

4.5 BLAZE SPREAD: A Blaze may spread to/from a Cellar Location only from/to an ADJACENT Location.

4.6 RUBBLE: A Cellar Location can be rubbled like any other building Location. If a Cellar Location is rubbled, it and all other building Locations in the hex cease to exist and the appropriate rubble counter is placed at ground level in that hex. All occupants and weapons are eliminated, as is its Fortified Building status (if any), and an AFV can no longer fall into it (4.62, B24.4). If the ground-level Location above a Cellar is rubbled, the appropriate rubble counter is placed at ground level on top of a Cellar counter. The Cellar Location beneath such still exists but all LOS out of that Location across a non-building hex side is blocked.Trenches no longer "connect" to a Cellar Location if the ground-level Location above it has been rubbled.

4.61 Stairwell: A stairwell between the Cellar level and ground level is affected in the normal manner if that ground-level Location is rubbled (B24.4).

4.62 COLLAPSE: The B23.41 cellar rules apply unchanged to a Cellar [EXC: an AFV falls into a Cellar if the Original colored dr of the Bog Check is ≥ 5]. If the crew of such an AFV survives, it may immediately attempt to Scrounge the AFV and the crew is then placed in the Cellar Location instead of at ground level (even if its placement would cause the Cellar Location to be overstacked). In all cases the AFV is eliminated and leaves no wreck. Each Infantry unit in such a Cellar Location must take an immediate NMC; if it fails this NMC a dr (Δ) must then be made for each SW it possesses; a 6 eliminates that SW and 4-5 malfunctions it.]. The removal of an AFV for falling into a cellar in a single hex building does not create a Cellar in that hex.

4.7 ENCIRCLEMENT: The principles of A7.72 (Upper Level Encirclement) do not apply to Cellar Locations; i.e., a unit in a Cellar is not Encircled merely by having no exit to ground level.