Copyright © 1976, Decision Games
Cauldron is a simulation on an operational level of combat between the Axis and Allied forces around Tobruk in North Africa during World War II, May to June, 1942.
In order to be in supply, a unit must be able to trace a Supply Path to a Friendly Supply Source, and if unsupplied it suffers adverse effects, as specified in Section 12.0.
An Axis unit is supplied if an unobstructed Supply Path of 10 or fewer hexes can be traced from the unit in question to a Trail or Road hex, which in turn is connected to an unobstructed series of adjacent, connected Trail or Road hexes (of any length) leading to any hex on the West edge of the map.
An Allied unit is supplied if an unobstructed Supply Path of unlimited length can be traced from the unit in question to any hex on the east edge of the map. (The Path need not be made up of Trail or Road hexes.)
All Axis units are automatically supplied, regardless of Supply Path, through the end of Game-Turn Three. All Allied units are automatically supplied through the end of Game-Turn Seven.
During the Allied Movement Phase of the First Game-Turn, only those Allied units which are within three hexes of an Axis unit, at the beginning of the Allied Movement Phase, or which were attacked by Axis units during the preceding Axis Combat Phase, may move. All Allied units may move normally on Game-Turn Two and all subsequent Game-Turns.
Victory is judged at the end of the game on the basis of Victory Points scored by the Players. Victory Points are awarded to Players for eliminating Enemy units, for controlling Tobruk (hex 0608), and (for the Allied Player) for exiting units off the map.
Value of Units in Victory Points.
Each unit has a numerical Victory point Value equivalent to its total Combat Strengths: Attack plus Defense Strengths for non-Artillery-units; Barrage, FPF and Defense Strengths for Artillery units. Thus, a 4-5-15 armor battalion is worth nine Victory Points.
Victory Points are awarded to a Player when he eliminates Enemy units. If the Allied Player eliminated an Axis 4-5-15, the Allied Player would receive nine Victory Points.
Victory Points are also awarded, in the same quantity, to the Allied Player when he exits Allied units off the map (see Case 18.3).
If any Axis unit physically occupies, or was the last to pass through Tobruk (hex 0608), the Axis Player receives 100 Victory Points at the end of the game. These Axis Victory Points are only awarded if an Axis Supply Path can be traced from Tobruk to the west edge of the map at the end of the game.
If the Axis Player fails to fully satisfy the conditions of Case 18.21, the Allied Player receives 100 Victory Points at the end of the game (regardless of whether or not an Allied Supply Path can be traced from Tobruk to the east map edge, or if, in fact, unsupplied Axis units occupy Tobruk).
If at the end of any Allied Combat Phase. Tobruk is controlled by the Axis Player (according to the requirements of Case 18.21), the game ends and the victor is determined immediately (see Case 18.4).
The Allied Player receives the full Victory Point Value for each Allied unit exited off the East edge of the map. Value is determined as in Case 18.1.
Allied units which arrive as Reinforcements must remain on the map at least one full Game-Turn before they can exit for Victory Points (Thus, if they arrive on Game-Turn Six, they may not exit until Game-Turn Eight.)
No Axis Victory Points are awarded for exited units.
The winner and the quality of his victory are determined by totaling each Player's Victory Points and then subtracting the smaller total from the larger. The resulting net Victory Point total is then compared to the following schedule:
| Net Victory Point Total | Level of Victory |
|---|---|
| 36 or more Axis VP | Axis Decisive |
| 21 to 35 Axis VP | Axis Substantive |
| 5 to 20 Axis VP | Axis Marginal |
| 0 to 4 Axis VP | Draw |
| 0 to 9 Allied VP | Draw |
| 10 to 25 Allied VP | Allied Marginal |
| 26 to 40 Allied VP | Allied Substantive |
| 41 or more Allied VP | Allied Decisive |