The Breakout!

Have been working on a new scenario for Platoon Forward.  It is entitled "Breakout" and consists of you getting your men back to friendly lines after being cut off.  ( Think Steiner in Cross of Iron.)  Of course totally avoiding combat isn't real fun so you will run across something while you try to dodge patrols.   Here is my final playtest.
A second thing I tried is moving Platoon Forward down a level to make it more like Squad Forward.  Here the platoon leader would be an NPC.  I don't want to keep track of all ten men in the platoon for picked the two NCOs and two privates.
Vietnam 1967.
Sgt Lawrence's squad strayed too far from the LZ  and when the NVA attacked they were cut off from the LT.  They waited until dark and decided to try to slip past the NVA back to the LZ.
Characters  ( Rolled up using the tables in Grunt's Forward)
Sgt Lawrence  Gr I   Drifter before he found a home in the army.   Gambler and greedy
Cpl Black       Gr 0   Storeclerk from a small town before drafted.  Conformist/ position
PFC " Moose" Edwards   Stereotypical big kid from the midwest.  Very cheery and religious
Pvt "Mongoose"Smith   Son of a migrant; grew up in slums but volunteered for the army as he believes in the American dream. 

2 4 man teams each with a thump gun.  1 M 60 also attached.

Forgot to take a picture of the board.  US moves from right to left.  there is scattered jungle throughout.  One house in the middle and swamp/heavy jungle on the left.   There is no turn limit but reinforcements come in 3 turns after the shooting starts.

1 Squad moves out!

The patrols are all dummies but they spot a supply cache next to the house.  They are seen and a firefight erupts. Lawrence's boys get the better of the fight with the second hit killing the NVA officer. ( Mongoose can't hit a thing however! ) One unnamed PVT is KIA with a headshot.   Lawrence tells Black to get his fireteam close enough to blow up those boxes.  The team moves to within 40 yards and ...

Moose hits them with his thumper!

Job done the squad needs to get back to the LZ.  One man is hit in the abdomen on Black's fireteam; leaving no one behind a two man carry is instituted.

Two man carry-- Moose can almost do it himself!

Bad guys show up at the top on the table.  1 A and 1 B blind. 

The squad moves along the road so they don't get lost in the dark.

Moment of truth!  The board edge is only 60 yards away and the squad is in soft cover.  Results for the enemy could range from a full squad plus MMG to nothing.  Guess what?  I roll Nothing!  ( unlikely but possible.)   The squads links back up with their platoon after destroying some NVA supplies.  They had 1 KIA and 1 WIA.

Great scenario!  There is a fairly wide range of forces you can encounter but I don't think it would be more than a stiff game.  This one was easy with a great deal of tension.  Tension was also created by the back story of my 4 guys.  I was always afraid one of them would get hit.  I do like dropping the level down to a squad and will probably try that again.
I plan to give the scenario to Rich for the summer special

For those of you that want to try this the only NVA forces I rolled up were:
1 NVA officer and 4 soldiers.  For more of a challenge add a patrol of 3 soldiers.

Enjoy

Joe

Meharisti del Fezzan with Commando forward

Happy Easter everyone!  Son home for spring break and we all had a great time.  Even played a game of Saga and two of Dynasty baseball.
Grunt's Forward has been with Rich for 10 months now waiting to be published.  As his business has grown he has had to change priorities.  I have decided to self publish it so we will see!  I plan to use Photohshop and Word.  Anyone with golden tips about formatting please send them my way.
A new project I am kicking around are scenarios focused on special operations.  This is tentatively called Commando Forward.  This smaller type of battle plays well with Combat Patrol.   My first playtest used the Italian camel corps in the desert.   The scenario is called "Observation".  A unit it observing the enemy when they are compromised by bad guys.

Lt Mandolin and Pvt Petrocelle were seconded to the camel corps for several "interior" missions.  The Lt was busy counting british vehicles when he heard his Bedouin sentries cry.

The Bedouin guards sound the alarm!

Two British carriers come to see who is snooping.

The camels are moved to safety.

The british deploy and a gunfight breaks out.  The Italians don't have much time as they need to make their escape.  The Breda LMG jams and then breaks ( Big surprise there.).  Lt Mandolin pins down the brits and then makes a dash for the exit leaving a 3 man blocking team.

The Italians make a break for it!

The rearguard under fire!

Both brens focus on the rearguard.  It is too much.

The rear guard succumbs to wounds while buying time for the rest to ride away!  

Great fun that took less than an hour!  Great initial playtest.

For those that want to try it I rolled up--
Lt Mandolin Gr II leader (can lead all forces)
8 Bedouins including 1 breda LMG and a Gr I leader.
Pvt Petrocelli

Brits
2 Bren carriers
7 soldiers and 1 Gr I NCO.

Enjoy

Joe






 

Counterattack in Lenningrad

Finally played Platoon Forward with Combat Patrol and my SS squad in Russia 1941.  This platoon has been successful and their platoon leader promoted to company command.  The scenario I rolled up was defend against counterattack.  Two platoons had attack into a factory complex and dislodged the russians. They had an ATG and one squad to defend.  My platoon was sent up to reinforce!
Characters:
Oberschar(furher)  Kehl    generous/wealth   Gr II    +1
Unterschar             Weiss  egotistical/wealth   Gr I
Schar  Kurtzon  nazi zealot/ wealth                                   Gr I
Schar  Vaughn  cautious/ wealth                      GrI

The battlefield including my new Crescent Root building foreground right.The Germans have one squad and ATG in the center factory.  Russians will enter from the left.  Our Platoon from the right.  Russians get a 3 turn head start.

Another view of the factory.

Platoon Forward gives the russian attack two prongs with the stronger one on the right.

Russian MMG sets up to give support.

The attack is launched!  The armored car top center it taking out by the now desperate ATGunners.

Russian infantry make ot down the top of the board.

The russian advance rolls forward.

But wait!  Kehl is coming with the platoon.

The ATR takes a shot at the White scout car.  1st and 3rd squads move to the factory.  2nd squad moves to their left to take on the russian MMG.

Covered by smoke the russians enter the factory ahead of 1st and 3rd squad. 

One gunner is killed and the rest hunker down at the far end of the factory.

The ATR strikes home!!!  ( Glad that wasn't a KV-1)

2nd squad is pinned down short of the MMG nest!

An epic battle occurs in the factory with neither side giving ground!  ( Picture taken with factory building removed for clarity.  Celtic cross signifies stunned troops)  UnterSchar Weiss is hit and his squad drags him back to the ATG.  Kehl shows up and takes Vaughn and 3rd squad  ( half squad) into the factory.  The battle hangs in the balance--- with a few well thrown grenades

the  russians retreat, weighed down by multiple morale markers.   The factory is saved!!!!!

Great battle.  When I designed the scenario that is the knife edge conclusion I was going for.  Oberscharfurher Kehl's leadership was key in getting 3rd squad moving. Am really happy with the tweaks I have done to the leadership rules.  Post battle Weiss is on WIA and will miss one mission.  3rd squad's morale is improved to NL.  Company is so happy that not only does the epic story make the rounds ( and grows bigger all the time!) but the platoon is promised either a MMG or MTR for their next mission.

Am still really digging Combat Patrol.  It plays smoothly and gives credible results using individual soldiers without bogging down.  I am also really happy with my Creascent Root buildings

For those of you that want to try this the USSR had
1 white scout car (green)  1 armored car (green)
2 squads with 2 Gr II leaders and 1 Gr I and 1 Gr I commissar
1 additional LMG teamm
1 MMG
1 50mm Mtr ( green)

Enjoy!

Joe

The charge of Lt zur See Wehneit

Been playing multiple games but none have been overwhelming. Still working on a scenario generator for SAGA.   I think 4 squads total is about all one person can handle in Combat Patrol which for the solo player means two squads a piece.  After that the game starts to slow down.
Pictures of recent battles:

SAGA battle with workers building a church forced to defend it!

The Vikings approach!

Final assault on the church.  Vikings lost.  It was fun!

Combat Patrol Afghanistan    Needs more period flavor. 

 

Tunisia.    Game bogged down.

Tunisia; even here the Italians are retreating!

Now on to the sea.   Release the Hounds is done and I have moved on to Flotilla Forward.  These are the campaign rules for any small craft battles.

OLzS Schwartzmann looked at the stars; the clouds had been clearing which was a mixed blessing for his small force.  He could find convoys easier but the British escorts could see him more clearly!!

OLzS Schwartzmann   Flotilla leader.  ( These are the characteristics rolled up for your characters)   Ardent Nazi seeking wealth  Avg leader
LtzS Bareuther  Cultured man who believes in Germany's quest but not the Nazi party.  Natural born leader
LTzS Wehneit   Pessimistic about surviving the war in small boats.  Father was naval officer in WW I on a Cruiser.  Is reckless
LTzS Rudorffer  Naive but lusts for battle.  Father is a mid-level Nazi official so Schwartzmann likes Rudorffer and cuts him slack. 

Convoy intercept  Viz 7K yrds

OLTzS Schwartzmann on patrol. 
The lookout on Schwartzmann's boat called out a large ship dead ahead.  Schwartzmann took Bareuther towards the ship and sent the other two boats around in front to see if there was a convoy near.

HMS Rifleman

He identified the British ship as a minesweeper of the Algerine class right after it started firering.  He crew could do nothing but grin and bear it as he tried to closed the 3.5 miles toward the convoy.  ( He was saving his torpedoes and 20mm guns don't fire very far.)  Unfortunately several near misses from the 4 in gun caused moderate damage to his ship.  When a shell fragment went through his torpedo tubes he decided to quit while he was ahead.  He peeled of towards a squall and gave command to Bareuther.  He told Bareuther to fire his torpedoes and peel off as well. 

Schwartzmann seeks the shelter of the rain.


Rudorffer signalled a new ship was sighted but it was not a freighter.  It was a Hunt Class Destroyer.

HMS Southdown arrives guns blazing.

Situation when scale is reduced to each hex 100 yards.  Bareuther is lower left with Wehneit and Rudorffer to the right trying to get around the DE. 

At this point there is an explosion at the right end of the E-boat line.  A (un)lucky direct hit from the Southdown sinks Rudorffer's ship.   

Rudorffer and crew KIA/LAS

HMS Southdown laying smoke screen

With half the ships gone Bareuther fires his torpedoes at the minesweeper (haven't yet seen a merchantman) and orders Wehneit to fire at the DE then peel away for home.

As Bareuther banks hard to port he and his crew are rewarded with a large explosion as the minesweeper is hit!!

HMS Rifleman badly hit but will actually survive the night to be towed back to port. 

What is this?  LTzS is continuing on hoping to find the merchants. 

He continues on...

At last; he sees a merchantman.  Now his fish won't be wasted.  He fires and then turns hard to port.  Unfortunately for him, no explosion is heard or seen-- he missed.

Schwartzmann and Bareuther are furious with Wehneit.  Needless to say Wehneit's crew is not fond of him either.  He is given a formal drewwing down by Fregat Kaptain Froshler the CO. Rudorffer is not found.
Froshler is not happy with Schwartzmann as he can't lead his officers, lost a Nazi officer and failed to hit a merchantman.  He blocks the flotilla getting a replacement boat and crew. 

Great game!   RtH continues to work well as a moderate complexity game.  Flotilla Forward is also shaping up.

Enjoy

Joe

Attack over Turtle creek

Hope everyone had a great holiday.  We were traveling visiting family so a fabulous time was had by all.  Over Christmas I played a game of Combat Commander Pacific with my brother who does boardgames.  It was fun ( not as good as Combat Patrol or TW&T) and inspired me to start an army platoon on Guadicanal.  Their first mission was a platoon attack over a creek.  Since there are no rules for Japanese in Combat Patrol I halved the number of morale checks but considered leg wounds as incapacitations.
First we roll up the men.  Because combat patrol uses teams rather than squads I rolled up the ASLers as well.
Lt Braxton  Pre War NCO                   jovial/ family        Gr II               +1
1st squad
         SSgt "Smokes" Hayes    Baker    Cheap/ girls          Gr I
         Cpl  Dunaway           Ranch Hand  Fanatic/Pleasure   Gr 0
2nd squad
         Sgt "Big Joe" Lawrence    store clerk  Likeable/pleasure  Gr 0        +1
         Cpl Nance     orphaned                      cocky/ religion       Gr I       -1
3rd squad
         Sgt Trumble    son of a preacher   likeable/ government    Gr I        +1
         Cpl Blaze       store clerk             cheap/ pleasure             Gr 0

Turtle Creek    The US had two stonks of 81mms which they dropped into the jungle.
Lt Braxton's plan was to have his best squad (1st) cross over the footbridge; his worst squad (2nd) provide covering fire from the top right and his last squad advance to the swamp and either provide fire or advance.

Close up of Jap positions

2nd and 3rd squad advance

2nd squads team able reaches the swamp

1st squad team able runs into a ... ATG!   ( Lucky roll on the table.)

With Big Joe pinning the Japs in the jungle Smokes gets his squad across intact.  ( One Japanese LMG broke which helped!)

The Japanese Lt, seeing the danger leads his forces out to throw Smokes back!  The fighting is brutal but Smokes squad yields under the pressure.  ( I gave the Japanese +1 in melee.  +2 if you are carrying a sword!)

Seeing Smokes get across.  Lt Braxton directs 3rd squad to follow up their success.

Sgt Trimble meets the Japanese force and the hand grenades fly! The Japanese are cut down.

Flushed with success, Trimble takes on the half squad that is left in the jungle despite the BAR being jammed.  The Japanese retreat through the jungle.  The exhausted americans do not pursue.

Fun first battle.  Lt Braxton is pleased with the platoon.  He thinks briefly about putting Trimble in for a medal but there is probably not enough there and his CO Capt Grimes, will be cautious because he wants to become Maj Grimes ASAP.  That said, Capt Grimes must be impressed with the platoon because an unarmed man shows up at the platoon and introduces himself as "Black ink" Webb.  He has been given permission to write about the platoon! Just what Braxton needs!!!

Just for fun used the same board to have a squad of US infantry patrol against a squad of VC.  Worked well.

Enjoy

Joe