Back to WW2 and a long-awaited mini-campaign involving the Soviets.
I recommend checking my previous post under this label for background information relating to the campaign. The rules used will be Blitzkrieg Commander 4. Figures and vehicles are a mix of Heroics & Ros, 2D6 Wargaming and GHQ.
The action will be reported on the blog from a Russian perspective with the Germans controlled by AI.
Orders of battle have been changed from the book increasing them in size.
The Scenario
Russians
The force commander has been instructed to reconnoitre a mountain pass preparatory to a new Russian offensive. Not expecting any material opposition, Russian High Command believe they are incredibly generous allocating a reinforced motorised infantry regiment to complete the task.
His task is to establish what, if any, German forces are occupying the pass and aggressively drive them out if he is confident of success. Which of course the High Command have no doubt that this is precisely what he will do!
The Russian commander despairs of the largely clapped out early model T34’s making up his armoured support and the addition of a naval infantry battalion does not assuage his concerns. Its all very well believing there will be little opposition but the narrow steep-sided pass could prove to be a killing ground to a well organised defence.
Germans
Several Fallschirmjager and SS units have been sent to a mountain pass, ostensibly to rest having been heavily committed in the fighting, but to hold it should the Russians foolishly attempt to find a way through. Their victory condition is simple to prevent the Russians from taking the valley.
This is the map from the book. I have recreated these to take account of my terrain which you will find below.
Continued –
The Russian Orbats are included but the Germans will be left until the final posting. You, the reader, will in this way be in the same position as the Russians. Not knowing what is ahead!
The orbats are in BKC4 format:
Russian Order of March
Initially move along road unless indicated otherwise.
Recce Battalion across width of battlefield
1st Motorised Inf Bn
Medium tank Bn on flanks of 1st Mot Bn
Sniper teams (anywhere on table)
Motorised Inf Regt CO
Mortar Bn
2nd Motorised Inf Bn
CinC
Anti tank Coy
Artillery Bn
Regimental Engineer Coy
3rd Motorised Inf Bn
Anti Tank Bn
Regt Inf Gun Coy
Naval Inf Bn
Naval Inf Support
The maps below represent those provided to the Russian commander. They are not 100% accurate and only contain the most basic of detail.
Each map is 3′ x 3′ on the tabletop. The Russians will start on Map 1 moving north to Map 2. Maps 3 to 9 are selected at random before finally arriving at Map 10.
Most of the valley sides are steep and rocky making them inaccessible. That is not universal though and some areas will allow troops to gain the high ground flanking the valley.
The game will be played on a 4′ 6″ x 3′ table allowing for 1.5 map areas to be included simultaneously. As the Russians move to a new map they are shunted along half a map at a time. Any troops that are on the part of the tabletop that is removed have their positions marked off on a map with calculations made when they will physically reappear.
MAP 10
MAP 9
MAP 8
MAP 7
MAP 6
MAP 5
MAP 4
MAP 3
MAP 2
MAP 1
I will aim to create a separate blog update for each map as the Russians advance.
One further note before I conclude this section – I have deviated somewhat from the original scenario which includes intelligence gathering of German troop dispositions. Hence ‘Reconnaissance’ in Strength. I have left this aspect out assuming that such intelligence will automatically be relayed back to Army HQ and concentrated on the action instead.
The next post will include the Russians arrival on Map 1 at the southern end.
Bit of a one off project this, but a fun one! As you surely have seen by the title, it’s a Necron C’tan Shard of the Void Dragon! Personally I thought this was the most impressive GW mini released last year, so I was excited to have a go at it. Surprisingly it was quite an easy kit to build, and feels like it’s fairly sturdy on those crazy lightning arcs. Overall I was impressed, and I felt like I needed to do a pretty decent job of it! Hopefully I have achieved that, but I’ll let you decide…
I’m pleased with the result, and I hope you all like him. Stay safe!
“When we get to the village, what’s gonna happen, Sarge?”
“Expect the worst, kid.”
“What’s the worst, Sarge?”
“What you don’t expect, kid”
The downside of most game scenarios is that both sides usually have a pretty clear idea what to expect. This scenario idea tries to remedy that. It is written with 28mm figures and the Spectre Operations rules in mind, but should be adaptable to other rules and scales.
It starts….
This scenario starts from the USMC point of view with a patrol marching up to a Vietnamese village in the Highlands, sometime in the late 1960ies. The patrol may be any size, from a squad up to a full platoon. Just find a way to scale up the opposition in such a way that the scenario remains a challenge and will not become either a walkover or a certain defeat.
The table.
In all cases the table is the same. A marching route leading from the US side of the table across its length to a Vietnamese village situated roughly in the middle of the table. The road up to the village starts in woods, then the terrain opens up to run through into some rice paddies, dotted here and there with a copse of trees or palms, to arrive in the village. The rice paddies are bordered by more woods towards the edge of the table. On the far side of the village the terrain is about the same: rice paddies, a road and woods. One long side of the table might be a river. This might enable marine assets for both parties, but might also limit ambush opportunities.
The Mission
The US patrol is tasked with inspecting the village on a routine patrol. The village has been visited before. There is no intel indicating any specific danger, but then this is Nam and what was safe yesterday might not be so safe today…..
The patrol has been ordered to engage enemy forces at their discretion, possibly eliminating Vietcong cells and gathering intel on more interesting discoveries. They will retreat in the face of superior hostile forces. The LZ for extraction is off table on their table edge of entry. They have the opportunity to call for artillery support or even air assets which might or might not be immediately available.
The scenarios
While the US player always starts with the same resources and the same jump-off point, the Vietnamese player must not. He has the choice out of several scenarios which each offer him different resources and objectives and may choose one, unknown to the US player.
The start of each scenario should be indistinguishable from the start of the others.
US resources:
Artillery: the US player may radio in Artillery as long as he has a working radio. He may call in an artillery strike on any table location.
Air support: the US player may radio in Air support as long as he has a working radio. He may call in an air strike on any table location.
Medevac: the US player may evacuate wounded in two ways: carry them off table via the US table edge or picking them up by helicopter from the table.
Scenario 1: Ambush
The village has been thoroughly infiltrated by the VC. Nearly every villager is a dedicated cell member and armed. Weapons are well hidden on their person or in the vicinity and a number of VC is hiding below ground, waiting to spring the trap at the right moment.
Special rules
The VC have approximately the same strength as the US patrol.
They may place at least two hidden bunkers and six hidden tunnel exits on the map.
They may then allocate any number of troops to each and any of these locations.
On top of that, any number of the visible Vietnamese peasants may also be VC. These have to be indicated in writing beforehand so as to prove the locations and peasant figures are indeed VC.
VC may also be hidden in houses or numbered locations on the table.
The VC player does not get any reinforcements in this scenario.
Possible locations for bunkers, tunnel exits and places where VC might hide may be Spotted by the US player.
Peasants may be Spotted (as VC if they are) within 2 inches.
The VC has orders to inflict as much damage as possible on the US patrol, take prisoners if possible and retreat in the face of superior hostile fire power.
Victory conditions
US Patrol: 1 point for each US trooper evacuated alive (unharmed or wounded). 1 point for each VC trooper killed or captured.
VC: 1 point for each US trooper killed. 2 points for each US trooper captured alive
Test game: to be reported.
Scenario 2: Patrols meet
The patrol encounters enemy resistance in the form of VC and NVA occupying some hidden positions at the Vietnamese side of the table and gradually filtering onto the table from the Vietnamese table edges. This is a Vietnamese patrol of about equal strength as the US. They lack real artillery support but have the benefit of occupying a number of hidden positions on the table at the start of the game. They might have a mortar or two off-table at their disposal.
The Vietnamese player has orders to engage enemy forces at their discretion, possibly eliminating US patrols and gathering intel on more interesting discoveries. They will retreat in the face of superior hostile forces.
Special Rules
The VC player has the same amount of troops as the US player. He may deploy from any or all of the Vietnamese table edges.
The VC player may place at least two hidden bunkers and six hidden tunnel exits on the map from his short table edge onwards up to the US edge of the village.
The VC player may not allocate troops to these locations at the start of the game. He may however use them durig the game and use the tunnels for movement.
The VC player does not get any reinforcements in this scenario.
The VC player may attempt to call in mortar strikes once per turn as long as he has a working radio. This will succeed on a roll of 4+ on a D6.
Victory conditions
US Patrol: 1 point for each US trooper evacuated alive (unharmed or wounded). 1 point for each VC trooper killed or captured.
VC: 1 point for each US trooper killed. 2 points for each US trooper captured alive
Test game: to be reported.
Scenario 3: Weapon stash
The village includes a large VC weapon stash and is actually an important logistical hub in the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The stashes will be easily found once the US enters the village and starts searching houses. The VC has been alerted to the US patrol rather belatedly and has just had the time to post some ambush VC troopers amongst the villagers at work in and around the village. The rest of their troops is hidden in and around the village. Their aim is delaying the US patrol while transporting the stashes off table by any means necessary.
Special Rules
The VC have approximately the same strength as the US patrol.
They may place at least two hidden bunkers and six hidden tunnel exits on the map.
They may then allocate any number of troops to each and any of these locations.
On top of that, any number of the visible Vietnamese peasants may also be VC. These have to be indicated in writing beforehand so as to prove the locations and peasant figures are indeed VC.
VC may also be hidden in houses or numbered locations on the table.
The VC player does not get any reinforcements in this scenario.
Possible locations for bunkers, tunnel exits and places where VC might hide may be Spotted by the US player.
Peasants may be Spotted (as VC if they are) within 2 inches.
The VC has orders to inflict as much damage as possible on the US patrol, take prisoners if possible and retreat in the face of superior hostile fire power.
Peasants and VC alike may move weapons cache units off the table via the short Vietnamese table edge. Place the figure in contact with the unit. The figure moves at normal walking speed. Ox drawn carts move at normal human walking speed.
Victory conditions
US Patrol: 1 point for each VC trooper killed or captured. 1 point for each unit weapons cache destroyed or captured.
VC: 1 point for each US trooper killed. 2 points for each US trooper captured alive. 2 points for each unit weapons cache removed from the table
Test game: to be reported.
Scenario 4: Surprise!
Inspired by the events at -and the great movie about- the events at Long Tan the patrol encounters enemy resistance in the form of VC and NVA occupying some hidden positions at the Vietnamese side of the table and gradually filtering onto the table from the Vietnamese table edges. These are the vanguard of a strong offensive, much stronger than the patrol, supported by armour and mortars.
The Vietnamese player has orders to take possession of the table, drive off any US forces to use the village as a jump-off point for further attacks.
The US patrol will have to choose between their orders to engage and gather intel or their orders to retreat and perhaps miss a clue to warn HQ of an imminent attack.
Special Rules
The VC player may have up to three times the starting forces of the US player in terms of manpower on the table at any given time. On top of that, the VC player may field 3 tanks and call in mortar strikes on any part of the table as long as he has a working radio. The VC has serious superiority here.
The VC player may start with as many (or as few) troops on the table as he wishes, abiding by the above rule. In subsequent turns he may roll for reinforcements. On a 1-4 he may deploy a maximum of 2 squads from any of the Vietnamese table edges. On a 5-6 he may do this as well or deploy a tank instead, up to a maximum of 3 tanks at any given time. The VC player has unlimited reinforcements.
The VC player may place three hidden bunkers and six hidden tunnel exits on the map.
The VC player may then allocate any number of troops to each and any of these locations, while abiding by his troop maximum.
The US player can gather intel by first: – capturing a VC prisoner and escorting him off the table – spotting at least twice the number of VC troops as he as himself – spotting an enemy tank. and then:
He will either have to radio this to HQ and get confirmation, or extract himself via his table edge.
Confirmation by radio will require a 4+ roll on a D6, immediately following the radio transmission. When failed, the transmission will need to be repeated in the next turn.
Victory Conditions
The VC player gets 1 point for each US trooper killed and 2 points for each US trooper captured.
If the VC player succeeds in driving the US troops off the table or killing and/or capturing all of them before the US player can Gather Intel he automatically wins.
The US player gets 10 points for Gathering Intel and passing it on to HQ.
Test game: to be reported.
General Special Rules
Tunnels and Tunnel exits
Moving through tunnels:
Units can move from tunnel exits to tunnel exits unseen. The player notes the number of the starting point and the number of the exit. Units moving through tunnels move at normal (walking) speed, measured in a straight line from tunnel exit to tunnel exit.
A wise VC player measures the distances between tunnels beforehand, as measuring them during the game might give him away. Or be a devious piece of psychological warfare……
Appearing from a tunnel exit/entering into a tunnel:
Exiting a tunnel through the narrow exits can be time-consuming. Only D6 troopers may exit a tunnel per turn and start their move from the tunnel exit. Any Heavy weapons cannot be used in this same turn but have to be set up first. The same goes the other way around, when entering a tunnel. D6 may enter per turn. Heavy Weapons that have fired in that turn may only enter the next turn.
Locating a tunnel exit
Tunnel exits were well hidden. They can only be located at ranges within 2 inches through a succesfull Spotting.
Destroying tunnel exits
Tunnel exits can, once Spotted, be eliminated by a grenade that collapses the tunnel exit. Remove the exit from the table. It can no longer be used. Troops Hidden at that location will become casualties.
Secret locations
The easiest way to locate Hidden positions on the table is to place a large number of numbered stones on the table. Use at least 30 or more. These look like rocks and will blend into the terrain while still remaining easily identifiable. The player using the Hidden positions may place the stones before the game starts.
The stone itself is not the hiding place. Place the stones near a terrain feature that may hide something, like a copse of trees, a building or a bomb crater. This is where the Hidden unit will appear.Agree beforehand where troops can hide and where not. Hiding in the middle of a road for example seems awkward. to say the least.
He then writes down the number of the position he hides something in and what is hiding there. When revealed, he needs to be able to show this to his opponent to prove.
A successful Spotting reveals the location. It does not reveal the number or nature of troops hiding there unless the Spotting troops have Line-of-sight into the Location.
Be reasonable about this. For example, if the US player Spots a Hiding place in a copse of trees that contains Vietnamese troops, he will know there are troops there. Just not the type and precise number of them. Place one random miniature there to indicate the troops are Spotted but not yet identified.
Hidden Troops
Any Activation of Hidden Troops reveals them, except in the case of communication by radio and movement by tunnels.
A location can only hold so much Hidden troops. So the number of troops is limited depending on a location:
Copse of trees: a squad or heavy weapon
Building: two squads or one squad and a heavy weapon or two Heavy weapons.
Bunker: a squad or heavy weapon
Tunnel: Three squads (but see above). Substitute one squad for a Heavy weapon.
Crater: a squad or heavy weapon
One-sided terrain feature: like the far side of a wall. Troops hiding behind a one-sided terrain feature will be visible as soon as the enemy has line of sight on the numbered rock, which also indicates the side where the troops will hide. This terrain feature can hide as many troop bases as fit behind it without showing. One-sided terrain features are also the only way to Hide a tank.
Bit of a whim, and also not. For the past 11 weeks I’ve been paid not at all or too little. It tends to get fixed a few weeks down the line, but mistakes have been piling up and the last 2 weeks I received no pay at all and at the moment I’m due 72 hours in pay, plus overtime, benefits etc.
Contacted my temp agency, asked if they had a job for 32 hours a week working from home. They called me back in 3 minutes time and offered me the job I’ve started training for last monday. But enough about that.
To give myself a small present I picked up a few more rivits. Well, a lot (It was a half price sale, sue me). And some pencils, some paint and some barrels. More Mordheim bits, more Ork bits. I really need to paint more stuff but atm too busy with selling and studying, so maybe next month.
First the sad news, although old. Two years ago one of our members quit the historical wargames hobby. Quitting is hard. It’s harder than quittting smoking. But he did!
He’s now a member of Infinitics Anonymous – he quit Bolt Action, but he moved to the Dutch clan of Infinity players. We wished him luck. Friendly guy. Bolt Action was just not his game. Infinity is a very smart designed miniatures game, btw. A classic. Addictive.
Now the good news. When he left, he donated his 14 unpainted leftover Finnish WW2 figures to our club. Finland and the USSR were at war in 1939, and the Finnish troops fought in German uniforms against the Russians (Democratic Finland never was a formal ally in the Nazi pact, but the Finns were supported by the Germans). Until 1944, when they changed sides.
So the Finnish miniatures are ‘Germans in light grey uniforms, longcoats and white winter parkas’. These 14 metal miniatures hid themselves in my painting room. No urgency. We have a German club army already, painted 3 years ago.
But now the even better news – I rediscovered these lost figures this weekend and finally, finally, finally gave them a quick – German – paint job. Not a true bleak grey/ white ‘Finnish’ uniform because a 14-figure Finnish battlegroup is too small as independent unit on the table. Nobody will notice. Ready!
I painted them carelessly, hastily, as fast as possible and covered all mistakes with quickshade Army Painter dip. Umpteenth German. Game models, not museum miniatures. I fully admit: they’re neither the most detailed nor the best painted miniatures that I ever – finnished – forgive me the bad pun.
At least the Nazi Schweinhunde have extra cannon fodder. Sturdy metal, some interesting poses, engineers, sharpshooter, good for the club pile.
The pile
I also found a lost US army mortar team that I will add to the club reserves.
