Game 35 - 'Miscellaneous' Ridge - 1982

We tried out Sabre Squadron at last.

Now, it's been a difficult set of rules to wrap our heads around, but a few things worked well.

• Artillery is deadly if you stay still. Don't even try to hug cover - once you're zeroed in, you're getting hurt.
• We complicated things a little by simulating a night attack which played havoc with ranges and visibility.
• It's also easy to see how the system focuses on doctrinal difference to highlight flexibility between types of forces. Obviously, we'd see these differences more clearly in a NATO vs 'Pact game. 
• Variations in morale and training makes a big difference - to finding cover and advancing under fire!
• You can cover the movement of an attacking force quite effectively.

Have to say though that the rules are less than intuitive, and there's a lot of things in there that could maybe do with a few extra examples, though there is a decent modern game lurking between the pages. It just needs more practice at our end.

'Miscellaneous' Ridge is a little like Wireless Ridge from the Falklands, but with obvious differences :)

 Paras move off the start line toward the dug in Argentines.

A little flanking maneuvre on the British left.

Good thing too, as dug in MGs were taking their toll.

 Mr. MILAN hits the bunkers...

...which are well defended.

What's left of 2nd platoon moves to the flank cover.

 While sneaky 1st platoon tries to take the ridgeline from the north.

 ...with more cover from the MILAN.

  1st platoon actually gets badly mauled in the open by mortars, though remnants of 2nd platoon then rally and try again, finally engaging in hand to hand combat to throw the defenders out of the northernmost bunker.

...as third platoon finally get underway, using cover from the MILAN and MGs.

By now, 2nd platoon have made it into the trenches...and are working their way along, as 3rd platoon assault the southern bunker.

It was a tough game for the British, and the rules make you pay for every inch of (open) ground. The flanking action did draw the enemy away from the southern objective, and tactics and good defensive decisions tend to work here.  We need to try these again I think, then introduce some armour.

More to follow.

Game 22 - Wireless Ridge, 1982

A little Falklands skirmish this time. Main reasoning for this was to test the Beta rules version of '3rd Generation Warfare' - a new modern warfare ruleset. The scenario is part of the pack.
 
One of the nicer elements of the rules is the action points system. Better commands get more points to do things with their various squad elements, while less effective platoons/companies are less useful as their points dry up quickly. You can move an element (twice) fire a number of times, or use multiple points for supporting fire etc.

The combat rules need a little work as they're quite clunky and table intensive, but these are a 'beta' after all.

We played the game again with FUBAR - another resounding success with a simple ruleset; fast flowing, intuitive, promoting crossfires and fire and movement to lend credence to the simplicity. Elegant and exciting are the watchwords here.

Anyway...to the pics!!!

 Argentine defences on the ridge, with British Armour making a dash around the flank.


 

 

My thanks to my work's car park for providing the basis for the stones used in the Falklands style 'natural rock' effect on the ground.(And yes, once again these are my ESCI 80s West Germans, painted as Israelis, representing Argentinian infantry today. Get the most out of your figures, I say ;).)

 Right - this is where it gets messy. Flanking action in place - but who told the Argies they could advance from their trenches into the  cover right in front of the British phaseline postion ;) ? Unexpected and bloomin' deadly mate!

We spent a while getting our head around the combat system, rolling one dice - rolling buckets of dice, trying every option and failing miserably to get to grips with how it's supposed to work - with one kill, a few suppressions, a scarper and brass piling up on the bloomin' moor.

We need a little more work on understanding the combat system, but the multiple actions on the basis of command effectiveness was really nice.

So - the attack recommenced with FUBAR.

A little advance on the British left, with accurate covering fire from the cover in the centre from B Section and the Scimitar.

 ...and another assault on the right. This one would be particularly bloody. It ain't easy chargin' bleedin' machine guns mate!

...and it never helps when the 'blahdy armour' fails its activation.

The Scimitar does come into its own eventually, accurately covering the desperate assaults against fixed Argentine positions.

There isn't much left as the Paras get into the Argentine position - defended now only by the remnants of the command element. 

Oh...hits from the British command element end the need for an assault, before it even gets a chance to ready itself.

A really, really close game. FUBAR can be used in many games and is always fast and decisive.


The game did prompt me to start thinking about my own rules based on some of the excellent things we're seeing with action points and with FUBAR - at a company/regimental level for WWII and Modern...hmmm, thinking...thinking.

Game 9 - Top Malo House, May 31st, 1982

We had used the original Ambush Alley rules a few months back, with a view to getting into the lovely Osprey hardback version of 'Force on Force' (closely based on the older version). Initial impressions re. the rules were that they were all over the place in terms of layout and understanding. I think the grasp we had of the old Ambush Alley concepts certainly helped - especially in terms of interrupts and general reaction concepts.

  Figures were old Matchbox with some Italieri NATO troops for the Royal Marines...

 A few 'Firefight 20' figures from Tabletop Games in the 1980s (I'm dating myself again I feel...)

 The Argentinians were an altogether different matter. These were Italieri (I think) modern NATO Germans/Belgians - painted as Israelis, though representing Argentinian commandos today. I hope that makes it all clear ;) ?

The marine assault force makes its way forward.

The support element moves into an overwatch position on the ridgeline.

Top Malo House, looking uncannily like a Russian Front cottage on this occasion, teeming with Argie commandos.

A dash to the right and the stone wall in order to secure the flank.

 The dash to the outbuildings on the left not so successful, as reaction tests and overwatch take their toll - 3 serious wounds and a shaken unit.

 ...neatly allowing the marines to dash up the flank and secure the outbuildings.

Devastating fire from the marines, and poor defensive fire, as the commandos are pinned and outgunned.

 

This allows the flank fire team to assault the building, effectively outflanking the element at the enclosure and ending the battle. (Although not seen in the pics, a little sniper duel also ended the commandos' day quite rapidly).

Surrender remains the only option today.

A nice game, and gameplay did not suffer from the stoppages that we feared it might. FoF will certainly be revisited, perhaps with a larger Afghan scenario or similar.(Gobin might even win next time!)