All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...
they can't get away this time.
- Lieutenant General Lewis B.Chesty Puller (surrounded by eight enemy divisions)
As this ruleset focusses on small unit actions with infantry only, the different infantry teams are the main elements that make up the game.
In Final Round the smallest unit is an infantry team. A team consists of roughly four soldiers which are mounted on the same base. For all gaming purposes, all infantry teams are treated equally with no regard to the number of soldiers they comprise of.
There are two different basic kinds of infantry teams. Combat Teams are standard infantry squads which make up the bulk of the player's forces and consist of rank and file soldiers. Secondly there are teams which contain a leader. These play a vital role in the game and are termed Command Teams.
Infantry teams have no other stats than their skill rating, their weaponry and a generic movement rate.
The different types of infantry teams will themselves be equipped with different kinds of weapons. Combat teams and command teams are equipped with infantry weapons (see Infantry Weapons Table below). A team carries only the specified type of weapon (e.g. a mortar-team is not additionally equipped with rifles).
A unit may not change its equipment nor is it allowed to transfer weapons to another unit. If for instance a HMG team is lost, so is the HMG. Simply assume that the weapon is either destroyed or lost in the heat of battle.
Weapon stats are range, firepower and rate of fire (ROF and ROF* for reduced rate of fire). The rate of fire determines how many shots a weapon can fire. If the firer moves, reduced rate of fire is applicable.
| Weapon | Range | ROF | ROF* | Firepower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt-action Rifle | 45cm | 1 | 1* | - |
| Semi-automatic Rifle (US rifle teams) |
30cm | 1 | 1 | - |
| Submachinegun (SMG) | 15cm | 3 | 3 | - |
| Assault Rifle | 30cm | 2 | 2* | - |
| Light Machine Gun (LMG) | 30cm | 3 | 1 | - |
| Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) | 45cm | 3 | - | 1 |
| Flamethrower | 15cm | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Light Mortar | 45cm | 1 | 1* | - |
| Heavy Mortar | 60cm | 1 | - | 1 |
For most fractions, rifle teams will be equipped with bolt-action rifles. Only the US forces are equipped with semi-automatic rifles.
Our editor's notes try to explain the different types of rifles
Which is which? Check the readouts on infantry weapons for a list of weapons and the Final Round counterpart
that "smelly" was the nickname for the British Lee-Enfiled rifle (Short Magazine Lee Enfield; S.M.L.E.)?
More on the Lee-Enfield...
Which is which? Check the readouts on infantry weapons for a list of weapons and the Final Round counterpart
All infantry teams are categorized into one of three different skill ratings. The least experienced troups are called Conscripts. They either went only through an inadequate training or have no combat experience at all. Examples for these type of troups would be replacements, staff personel or the German Volkssturm and Hitlerjugend. For scenario purposes you might also assume discouraged soldiers and squads which ran out of ammo or supplies to be rated as Conscript to simulate their lack of fighting ability or unwillingness to go on.
The standard rank and file troups are categorized Trained, which means they went through a sufficient training and already have some combat experience. Most soldiers in the game, like the American G.I.?s, the German Grenadiers and the British infantrymen, will be rated Trained.
The battlefield cracks are termed Elite. They have experienced the finest training their armies had to offer and probably went through some of the toughest campaigns previously in the war. They are determined to keep on fighting even under the the harshest conditions. Examples for Elite soldiers would be paratroopers on all sides, the US Rangers, the British Commandos and parts of the German Waffen SS. Additionally, an Elite Skill Rating in a scenario might also reflect any other kind of extraordinary motivation to fight, such as having no other way out.
A unit's skill rating affects its vulnerability to enemy fire as well as its capability to act without guidance from a superior or receive orders from a leader.
Skill rating has a huge effect on the game. The editor's notes explain how and why.
Which is which? Check the readouts on infantry weapons for a list of weapons and the Final Round counterpart