Learning the rules. (again)

Dicker scouting

Still scouting

 Our game on Sunday started with our usual chaos. I turned to Kev and said "Have you got a scenario planned?" He said "No" stroked his beard and said "We could do one from the book!" to which I said "We don't have the right stuff! I know we'll each take some troops and just fight an encounter and see if we can remember the rules." We had played Force on Force a few time before so we had a rough idea, but only rough. Me and Ian were to be the British, I gave Ian the choice between Regular or Royal Marines. He chose Marines I am not surprised but I would have preferred regular army as they get a DMR while the RM get an extra LSW. Don't know if Ian realised there was much of a difference between a Designated Marksman Rifleman (DMR) or a L86A2 LSW and knowing that it would take a while to explain I went with his choice of extra fire-power as opposed to a marksman. In a way I was glad as it meant I did not have to have a quick read about Designated Marksmen. Kev and Relfie (took some Taliban troops a basic squad of 8 each with an RPG and LMG, each split into 2 fire teams of 4 men. They also had a couple of motorbikes a technical with a HMG and a separate HMG weapons team on foot. Looking back they should have had a little more stuff as I was not aware just how much lead a Marine fire team can fire in one turn. My mistake and with luck I can learn from it. 


Fire team Charlie One One (Kev in background)

The first turn was all about the Taliban getting into position. They started with initiative and managed to retain it every subsequent turn. No matter what either me or Ian rolled we just could not get initiate. EVER. We did however use this to our advantage by staying still and reacting to their movements and firing. I drew first blood and wounded two of El Relfie's Talibs as they moved into position to fire at Charlie One One. Relfie won the reaction but failed to cause any significant harm to my boys. My return fire put two of his face down in the dirt. They were then "Caveman casevaced" away by the locals. The tussle across the board was mostly a game of hide and seek with Ian's Marines hiding in the crops or against a compound wall completely oat of sight of Kev's Talibs. SO Kev advanced into a strong position behind a wall and bought the technical up and put it on overwatch. Several bloke jumped out the back of the Toyota and made their way to the roof of a building so they could fire down on the Marines hiding in the crop field. Unfortunately Ian was able to react to this rooftop plan and let loose with all he had. The result 4 casualties and more "Caveman CASEVAC" rolls for Kev. Ian tried to "pop smoke" for his other fire team and failed so decided not to walk in front of the technicals HMG. His second attempt to "POP smoke" did work though and he risked it. The combination of cover from the compound, body armour and smoke nullified Kev's overwatch fire and Ian opened up. A GPMG, SA80, another SA80 with underslung grenade launcher and a L108A1 Saw. He did hit the technical and managed to suppress it for the rest of the turn, but as this was the end of the turn it was not superessed for long.


Fire team charlie 0ne Two

Meanwhile back on my side of the board Charlie


El Relfies advance

One One moved up, as did Charlie One Two. Relfie had his HMG set up covering the road and had cut my force in two. His Motorbike crew had dismounted and merged with his weakened unit who had gotten round the corner out of my line of sight. SO as I was saying I moved up and used the building mass to protect my troops (yes okay I hid from the heavy machine gun. very sensible, but not all that heroic.) seeing the situation the Talibs all advanced and with no line of sight I could shoot at nothing. When I did circle Charlie One One back round the way they had come the Heavy GM that was on overwatch let rip. Yeah I bottled it when I tried to unite my troops and took a casualty and ducked back the way I came. I was very lucky as it turned out my medic discovered it was just a flesh wound and declare him fit for duty. Although El Relfie did not know it he pretty much had me pinned down and I was considering calling for air support. I saved the tax payers a few quid by not doing so in the end by a piece of luck. The Talibs were closing in and had moved up to a close assault range I then had to admit that I had not read those rules last night and got jeered at. (Justifiably) Keeping in cover I was able to stay out of sight for the most part except for a dash across an archway.But I won the reaction and moved before the Talibs could fire. Then Kev in a moment of pure Captain Mannering command acumen left his walled overwatch position and tried to flank Ian's troops. he moved his troops across an open stretch of land in sight of Charlie One Two, I won reaction and the whole weight of the fire team with my GPMG, Saw and undeslung grenade launcher fired at the exposed taliban. The dice god failed me and I missed with the lot. And they slipped from view behind the compound walls. Curses.

hmg fields of fire.



El Relfies troops in position.

The technical was getting a battering from Ian and he managed to immobilise it and force the crew to bail out. They remounted in the next turn but for a turn they were no threat. So he sent his men onto the compounds roof and fired down point blank into Kev's Talibs who had eluded me. One round of fire and they were all down and out. El Relfie then moved up real close and got on top of the building closest both Charlie One Two and Ian's marines that had emerged from the crops now the technical was less of a threat. And then the dice gods played another trick and two fireteams of Marines were able to target the guys on the roof. We both fired and only the man with an RPG was left standing, but was forced to pull back. His other unit then tried to initiate some close assault moves (I had taken a few moments to read the first part of the rules for it by then...while they were brewing the tea.) He failed to enter hand to hand as the a whole Marine squad opened up at point blank. Result Dead Talibans and smiling Marines.
This is about where we left it as Kev and Relfie were not really in a position to carry on and Ian had to go home. I would like to thank Kev for supplying all the figures and buildings and Relfie for taking the pics as I'd left my camera at home DOH! Thanks guys it really is appreciated.

This was quite a good refresher for Broadside (2 months away gulp) and worked well to re acquaint us with the rules including some w had not used before. I was surprised that the game lasted as long as it did but that is perhaps my fault for not having a scenario and forces worked out before hand. Yes I did make a few rule errors, but it was mostly around remembering exactly when rule exceptions apply. But generally t worked well AT least for the Brits). I'll try to structure the game better next time.

Other news: I have been to a Hall meeting this morning and seen the plans that the local council have drawn up to improve the hall. Over all very impressed, it should not impact us greatly as a wargames club but it does involve updating our kitchen  loos and car park. Don't get me wrong it's not perfect, but overall feel it is a step forward.

Thanks for reading and next post Wednesday.