1.

Regular Pincer Manoeuvres

This is the ‘regular’ surrounding and pocketing of enemy positions at an operational level,
happening within a zone and so below the level of detail of individual units in this game. In
AW, it is a manoeuvre within a single attack. Germans have more opportunity for this than
Soviets.

Eligibility criteria
Attacker:
• Mobile armour at top of lead stack
• Attack from >1 zone
• Major Offensive marker placed in target zone
Defender:
• No armour on top of target stack
Other limiting factors
• Weather and terrain of target zone must allow armour pincers (Terrain Effects Chart)

Procedure
Place Armour CM on lead stack; place Offensive and Pincers markers in target zone
If successful (Battle Results Table):
• Replace pincer marker with pocket marker(s) and eliminate the defender stack
• Attacker stacks may advance and participate in mobile exploitation

2. Card-based Pincer Manoeuvres

This is a daring manoeuvre achieved by superior leadership.

Eligibility criteria
None of the Regular Pincer criteria apply (not even weather or terrain), they are trumped by
the card.

Attacker:
• Event card specifies pincer placement (6 German cards, 3 Soviet cards allow this)
• If ‘Tank icon’, then lead stack requires armour unit on top (mobile or not).

Procedure
If ‘Tank icon’ on card, place Armour CM on lead stack; place Pincers marker in target zone
If successful (Battle Results Table):
• Replace pincer marker with pocket marker(s) and eliminate the defender stack
• Attacker stacks may advance and participate in mobile exploitation
3. Mobile exploitation Pincer Manoeuvres

This represents deep penetration and pocketing at a strategic level across a front. In AW it is
a manoeuvre that spans two attacks with one exploiting into the other. It is something the
Soviets will want to use later in the war.

This involves two separate attacks each under normal rules for attack. First attack results in
exploitation, with an exploiting stack entering an area occupied by defender that will be
subjected to a different attack (i.e. a defender who has not yet been attacked).

Eligibility criteria
Ignore the Regular Pincer criteria, they are trumped by the exploitation pincer.

Attacker:
• A successful attack leading to advance after combat
• A Mobile stack that advanced is able to exploit into an area with a defender stack
• The mobile stack will have an Attack CM or a Support CM, but must NOT have
Armour CM from previous pincer manoeuvre
(Stack with Armour CM can exploit but cannot attempt another pincer)
Defender:
• Zone contains a defending stack that will be subjected to an attack later this phase
Other limiting factors:
• Weather and terrain of target zone must allow exploitation (Terrain Effects Chart)

Procedure
Place Mobile CM on the exploiting stack and move into target zone
Flip exploiting stack’s Attack/Support CM to ‘Done’, but keep Mobile CM on the stack as a
reminder
Attack the target zone from adjacent zone(s) in regular combat
• Assign Lead attacker and Support stacks as normal
• Place Pincers marker
• The exploiting mobile stack DOES NOT participate in the attack (it has a Done CM)
If successful (Battle Results Table):
• Replace pincer marker with pocket marker(s) and eliminate the defender stack.
• Lead attacker and Support stacks may advance and use mobile exploitation
(The original exploiting mobile stack does not advance)