Crew

In your tank, every crew member possesses their own unique set of attributes, skills, and experience points. While names are randomly generated, you have the flexibility to change them at any time. Additionally, each crew member can be assigned a nickname of your choice. While crew members are trained for specific tank positions, they can temporarily fill any role during emergencies. However, if the position is more complex than their training, their effectiveness in that role might be reduced compared to a trained crew member.

Crew members start at a rank appropriate to their initial position and can earn promotions to higher ranks as they gain experience levels. Each promotion results in the crew member receiving two free advance points.

## Crew Member Statistics

Each crew member possesses four stat values, initially generated randomly but can be enhanced by spending Advance Points later:

* Perception is vital for spotting enemy units during battles, and for hunkering down or buttoning up while under attack.
* Morale represents a crew member's resilience and ability to recover from being Shaken or Stunned, as well as fatigue.
* Grit is important for resisting Stunned status, recovering from Critical injuries, and countering being Injured.
* Knowledge provides a slight bonus to all crew member skill effects and increases the likelihood of a crew member gaining expertise in a random vehicle position.

Most skills require minimum stat levels, so consider planned skill additions when increasing crew member stats.

## Crew Member Experience

Following each combat day, surviving crew members earn experience points based on your total Victory Point score. Depending on the points acquired, crew members may advance one or more levels, with each level\*up granting an Advance Point to enhance stats or acquire skills.

## Crew Member Skills

Refer to the subsequent section for more on Crew Member Skills.

## Crew Member Conditions

Throughout a combat day, crew members can experience various Conditions that might adversely affect their performance. The default condition is "Good Order," implying no penalties. Crew members can become "Shaken" due to injuries or incoming fire, making them more prone to subsequent injuries. "Stunned" signifies more severe impairment, halving effective skill bonuses until recovery. "Unconscious" indicates crew members are incapacitated and unable to perform actions.

## Crew Hatches, BU, and CE

Most armored vehicles have hatches allowing crew members to exit swiftly if the vehicle is knocked out. Not all positions have individual hatches, and some vehicles without fully enclosed roofs (like certain tank destroyers) don't require them. Crew members are in one of two states:

* BU: Buttoned Up. Crew members' hatches are closed or they lack a hatch, providing protection.
* CE: Crew Exposed. Crew members' hatches are open or they occupy a position with limited armor protection, rendering them vulnerable.

Crew hatches can be opened or closed anytime on the Campaign Day map or during the Command Phase on the Scenario map. The default hatch status for a crew member in the Scenario layer can also be set, becoming the default for subsequent scenarios.

BU Effects:

* Crewmen are shielded against small arms, MG, and HE attacks; only armor penetration poses a threat.
* Reduced risk of fatigue during Cold and Extreme Cold conditions.
* Harder for enemy units to spot your crew.
* Limited spotting distance and directions due to using a periscope or small porthole.
* Most AA MG weapons can only be operated if the crewman is CE.
* Certain actions unavailable for BU crewmen in Restricted Turrets (RST).
* Increased base fatigue chance for BU crewmen in RST.

CE Effects:

* Crewmen are susceptible to small arms, MG, and HE attacks on your tank.
* Higher likelihood of injury by Close Combat attack if CE crewmen are present.
* Increased fatigue chance in Extreme Cold conditions, reduced in Extreme Hot conditions.
* Enhanced effectiveness of commands like Direct Fire and Direct Movement.
* Ambush chance reduced if at least one crewman is CE at Scenario start.
* CE Drivers gain bonuses for move actions and HD attempts.

Unconscious crewmen with open hatches or in open\*topped positions are still considered CE but less vulnerable to attacks as they are slumped down.

## Crew Member Injuries

Crew members can sustain injuries from small arms or machine\*gun fire if not Buttoned Up or protected by armor. They can also be injured if an attack penetrates your vehicle's armor. Six injury locations are tracked for each crewman, each impacting the day differently:

* Head & Neck: Increased chance of Stun or Unconsciousness when injured; spotting penalty for concealed enemies if Heavy or worse.
* Torso & Groin: Slightly elevated chance of Stun when injured.
* Arm & Hand: Actions requiring arm and hand use are penalized.
* Leg & Foot: Bailing out of your tank penalized if Heavy or worse.

Certain locations are typically protected; for instance, Leg & Foot injuries are unlikely for crewmen in open hatches. Sniper attacks more often target the Head & Neck.

Injuries start as Fresh, can be Patched\*Up during or after battle, and Patched\*Up injuries impose smaller penalties than Fresh ones. Healed injuries leave scarring, decreasing a random stat by one.

Each Heavy or Serious injury increases the chance a crewman is transferred to a Field Hospital to recover. Otherwise, injuries are treated and considered healed after a combat day.

Crewmen might die during combat; their bodies remain but can be relocated within the tank or removed by a supply vehicle if Resupply is granted. Bodies are cleared from the vehicle at the end of the combat day.