| Everyone Loves Karl
By Jason Rahman
December 2007
The giant mechanized mortar known as Karl has always fascinated gamers; that's why we included two of them in Panzer Grenadier: Edelweiss. We've looked at the vehicle's history and given rules for its use in the same article. Today Jason Rahman goes even further with some advanced options for the best.
Advanced Karl Special Rules
1. Movement
The Karl mortar moves just like any other mechanized unit and it pays the same movement point costs. It must pre-plan all moves one turn in advance. Once you have pre-planned Karl's movement, it must undertake that movement. Any pre-planning is kept secret from the opposing player. Once the Karl is set up for firing, it can only be moved again if it is packed up. To pack up, Karl must spend one turn without performing any other action. The Karl mortar counts as two units for stacking and fire modifier purposes. It cannot cross any rivers with or without the assistance of an ENG except at a bridge that has been reinforced.
2. Bridge Reinforcement
For an ENG to reinforce a bridge, the ENG(s) must enter the bridge hex. The ENG must spend two turns to begin reinforcing the bridge. Starting the third turn after the ENG first started reinforcing the bridge roll one die and on a result of 6 the bridge has been reinforced. Continue rolling until the bridge is reinforced. If on the first turn the result is an unmodified 1 or 2, then the bridge is too small to be reinforced and cannot be reinforced for the rest of the game. Add one to all reinforcing rolls if two ENG are reinforcing the bridge and add two if three ENG are reinforcing the bridge. If while reinforcing the bridge the ENG is interrupted during either of the first two turns or any turn on which the ENG is rolling to reinforce the bridge, you have to start all over again. If two or three ENG are working on the bridge and one or two of the ENG are interrupted, but there still is at least one uninterrupted ENG working on the bridge, then work on the bridge continues. However, you lose the +1 or +2 modifier until the additional ENGs have recovered from any morale impairment or have ceased firing on enemy units.
3. Firing
To fire the Karl it must first be set up. To set up it up, it must spend one turn without doing anything else other than setting up. Once set up the Karl may plot its target to be fired on next turn. Once a target has been plotted you must fire on that target; you cannot take your plotting back. All plotting is kept secret from the opposing player. The Karl must plot its target again any time it wishes to change the target hex, but it may continue to bombard the same hex without re-plotting. Karl uses one point of ammunition per shot and if it runs out of its normal allotment of three points of ammunition it cannot fire.
4. Ammunition Supply
The Karl mortar only carries three points of ammunition and cannot at any time carry more than three points of ammunition. If it runs out of ammunition it cannot fire until it re-supplies itself with more ammunition. You can only re-supply the Karl with one point of ammunition per turn.
5. Road Supply
To receive ammunition for the Karl you must trace a supply line to a road hex. To establish a supply line you must trace a straight line from the Karl to a road hex. This line cannot pass through any hex that contains or is adjacent to any enemy combat units. The road that the Karl traces its line of supply to must lead to the edge of the board belonging to the owning player. No road hex between the hex being tapped into and the board edge can be occupied by or adjacent to enemy units. Also, no hex on either the supply line or road can be targeted by an AT attack of greater than 2 value.
6. Supply Dump Supply
If no road hexes are present on the map, then the owning player may place a "supply dump" on the map. You can trace the supply line for the Karl to this supply dump. To trace a supply line to the supply dump, you must follow the same procedure as for road supply except that the supply dump can be no farther than 12 hexes from the Karl. The supply dump may be targeted by bombardment or direct fire with a +2 modifier. If the supply dump is forced to undertake a morale check then use the scenario morale and if there are two different scenario morale values use the higher one. If the supply dump is disrupted it may continue to supply Karl with ammunition, but if the supply dump is demoralized then it cannot supply ammunition until it recovers. The supply dump is stationary and if it is assaulted or forced to retreat it is eliminated. The supply dump counts as one unit for stacking and for all other purposes.
7. Damage
Fire targeted at the Karl receives a +1 modifier for both direct and bombardment fire. Karl can be targeted by anti-tank fire and it has an armor value of 0 for this purpose. This armor value doesn't protect against bombardment or direct fire.
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