TERRAIN

Terrain is the key to a good Black Ops game. There should be plenty of it! The days of fighting over open fields has, for the most part, gone, and even then the modern battlefield will be littered with shell holes and debris – cover to hide behind. Players should agree what terrain ‘counts as’ before they start their game. Be careful to limit impassable terrain – if your battlefield is full of cliffs, impassable walls and barbed wire, it’ll make for a dull game.

BRUSH OR BROKEN TERRAIN

Brush represents trees, crops and shrubs. They offer some protection from observation and incoming fire but do not impede movement. Crossing streams or debris-strewn terrain will slow down a unit. Units may advance but may not run through brush or broken terrain.

BUILDINGS

Buildings offer various types of cover, depending on their construction. Most offer hard cover and block line of sight for enemies. They also offer some protection against indirect fire.

Units may move a maximum of one level (3" per activation) if they are moving up but can move at full speed coming down.

DOORS

Most doors and windows will provide an obstacle for units. Unless stated otherwise (or specifically locked by the opposing player), a door or window may be left open. Roll a 4+ on a D6 for the portal to be locked. If a door is locked, it must either be lockpicked (using B&E, see here) or broken down (the door has a save of 4+). Scenario-specific security doors may have an improved save.

DIFFICULT TERRAIN

Difficult terrain will slow down a unit considerably. It includes barbed wire, loose rubble or deep water. Units may only move slowly through this terrain at 3" per activation.

IMPASSABLE TERRAIN

This terrain, such as steep cliffs or deep rivers, is impassable to ordinary troops. They can only be crossed with special equipment.

WALLS

Walls and fences offer a potential obstacle to movement. We assume most walls less than 3" in height may be climbed. Higher walls are impassable terrain. Troops may attempt to climb over walls (or climb onto the roof of a one-storey property). Roll a D6:

Climbing
D6 Roll	Result	Effect
1		Obstacle crossed, model may complete remaining movement
2	Success	Obstacle crossed, model may move up to 3”
3
4		Obstacle crossed, movement ends
5		Model fails to cross
6	Failure	Model ends up prone

Climbing Modifiers
Situation	Modifier
Elite	-1
Two or more models attempting to cross at same point at once	-1
Militia	+1

The modifier for two models attempting to cross at the same point at once is intended to represent a climber being given a foot-up or a boost by an ally, and should be interpreted logically – models should start their climbs no further than 1" apart for this modifier to apply.

DARKNESS

While not a terrain effect, darkness will affect observation and shooting. An attacker can choose to attack at night and impose darkness conditions on the battlefield. We assume there is some light from the moon or lighting.

By Johnny Shumate © Osprey Publishing. Taken from Weapon 14: The M16.