More work on Fire Fields-- Afghanistan

 Had a lively discussion over at TMP about leaders leading from the front verses at their CP.  There are clearly trade offs but do rules allow both and reflect the trade offs?  Obviously, I think Fire Fields does because that is the type of decision I want to give the player and myself.  You can use your action points to "ensure" the schwerepunkt performs perfectly at the expense of not much else getting done or you can manage the battle and allow your platoons more efficiency at the loss of some expertise.

I played two more test battles and the command system and AI is working well.  The combat results hasn't.  The opposed roll thing is giving me too wide a variation.  All things being equal units should be pinned about half the time. [ Granted things are rarely equal.]   So I have re worked the combat results table.  Today's battle is a platoon action to test the new CRT.  

I decided to roll up a scenario for a US platoon in Afghanistan from my new GWOT table in Grunt's Forward.  I rolled up "One of our plane's is missing."

So our platoon is a Quick Reaction Force and they get a message that a fighter was lost.  They hop in their Humvees and head out!   

First the platoon from the 10th Mountain...

They are led by Lt Cespedes, an ROTC grad, from Texas A&M.  He is new in country and rolls a "1" for leadership so he starts poor noted by the bag of shame on his command stand. For variety I make 1st squad poor led by Sgt Schutzen and third squad veteran led by Sgt Dooley.  [ Now that the  command system is working I need to test individual variation in the system.] 

Roll up the board per PF.  US will enter from the south.  We will have an Apache overhead but won't have direct comms.  Each 5 hex tile is a "square" with the exception of the irrigation ditch which counts as its own space.  

For this scenario there are normally 4 places where the pilot can be.  Because we are "modern" the US already knows the pilot's location. [ He is hiding in the irrigation ditch.] They just have to get there and get out.  To make it more of a challenge There are only 3 possible locations the bad guys have to look and they are towards their edge.  

What is your plan LT?

Cespedes decides to send 2nd squad to the trees in front of the ditch and have them go grab the pilot.  1st squad will enter the trees on the left and provide covering fire. He will leave 3rd squad back at the buildings as a reserve and he will move up just behind 2nd squad.  They have mobility so hopefully a quick grab and go!

We randomize entry time of the 10th mountain, bad guys and Apache and we are off! 
 

The platoon executes the first phase of the plan perfectly with no contact.  They hear an Apache coming.  

 The bad guys get these...

 that are placed like this...

 that translate into this!  [ two squads in the village with a LMG, RPG, leader and a truck.  One squad with LMG moving towards the ditch.  Unknown enemy moving towards their left.] The bad guys immediately take us under fire and we return. [ No order needed. Not that we have spotted anything yet!]

  An apache shows up for support.  It is hard for them to spot enemy troops but it isn't hard for them to spot a technical!  

 View of the US "lines"   Orange markers show direction of fire. 

Our Lt gets 3 commands. [ He actually got 4 but gets 1 less for being poor.]  He orders 2nd squad forward into the ditch.  He cautions the Sgt to use the natural lay of the land as cover.  He doesn't go himself as 1st squad, Sgt S his weakest leader, is already pinned down and needs help.  
 

2nd squad gets stuck just before the irrigation ditch.  " Blast it!  I told them to use cover!"  However...

 

2nd squad uses their own initiative to figure it out, making the ditch!  

Cespedes, feeling better about his decision not to go to the ditch moves over to first squad [ right side of picture] and fails to rally them.  Unfortunately,  2nd squad is now caught in a crossfire when rebels show up on their flank.  [ Center of picture.] 2nd squad is pinned down and lose cohesion.  They do manage to pin the rebels in front of them.   

 Our hero gets 3 actions again but things are more dicey now.  What would you do?  He radios 3rd squad and tells them to deploy on the right flank to support 2nd squad.  Next he realizes 2nd squad is in a precarious position and they have the pilot.  He abandons 1st squad and moves to 2nd squads location and makes it into the ditch.  

 This photo shows the Apache has driven off the technical.  

The rebels have pushed a squad into the crops in front of 1st squad. [ bottom center]  They are pinned but 1st squad is not only pinned but disorganized.

2nd squad is still caught in a crossfire. [ center] Rebels have advanced towards their position but are pinned yards away.  2nd squad is pinned and disorganized as is Lt Cespedes.  

3rd squad has arrived on the right flank. [ upper center]  Sgt Dooley used his initiative to spot the enemy in the crops and failed.      

Close up of the action at the ditch.  the squad has broken down into 3 distinct pinned packets. 

 Even in a ditch, Cespedes gets 4 action points!  

He rallies the 3 men closest to him and directs the grenade launcher to accurately lay fire on the rebels.  Next he spends 2 points to call back to base and asks the Apache to lay down fire in the crops right of the irrigation canal.  

Meanwhile, the rebel leader moves up his own right flank to rally his men in front of 1st squad.

However, with no pilot there the men pull back to the village!!  1st squad, pinned down and disorganized will continue to fire into the crops. 

  

 The Apache gets the word and successfully spots rebels in the crops. Guided by the Apache fire, Sgt Dooley finds the rebels.  If nothing else, the crossfire is broken on 2nd squad!  

 2nd squad is again pinned including Cespedes  but the rebels are hurt by the grenades.  They are pinned and disorganized and 3 men are paralyzed with fear.  On the right flank...

all 4 rebels go down!   

Our pinned hero has stopped the rebel charge but he and his squad are pinned in a ditch.  1st squad is pinned firing at crops.  3rd squad is ready to move up his right flank.  He is overwhelmed as he gets 1 action. He rallies himself.  We get 2 individual actions.  The first goes to Sgt Dooley who moves up his squad and starts his own crossfire on the rebels in front of the ditch.  The second...

 goes to 2nd squad and Cpl Jones.  He unpins himself and safely scampers back from the ditch with the pilot!  

 A picture of Dooley's crossfire on the rebels who are pinned down.  

 The paralyzed rebels fall back but the leader brings more men up to charge the ditch.  They all become pinned.  Moreover, the rebel fire is ineffective enough that 2nd squad becomes unpinned due to the paucity of fire.  

 Since there is no return fire from the crops into 1st squad, they too become unpinned.  However,  they are so pumped they keep shooting.

With the pilot safe, all US troops unpinned and half the rebel troops pinned the rebels decide to retreat.  There will be other opportunities to give the Americans a bloody nose!  

Great game that played in just under an hour.  The command and control is really working well as Dooley could be counted on to be pretty independent and Sgt Schutzen not so much.  A big part of leadership is knowing your folks and who can do what.  The CRT led to many, many pins.  Probably need to dial that back a bit but it is better than before.  A work in progress.  

Enjoy

Joe