BATTLE REPORTS - AT THE CROSSROADS

 

At the Crossroads

The main idea behind this game was to test a table layout that we want to develop further - a crossroads with one faction holding it and everybody else trying to grab it; who is able to hold it against everybody else wins. Also, this game finally established another faction - VOMIT - about which more can be found out here.

The Location:

Soeliland - yet another village. Two important roads intersect in the middle of this rather smallish village. In its attempt to extend its influence beyond the capital of the city (or rather beyond those quarters of the city it can claim any control over) DRS forces have occupied houses 2, 3 and 4. Further reinforcements are a radio call away. Unfortunately CUSTARD command has decided that this very crossroads would be a good place for a checkpoint. Thus, a sizeable CUSTARD force is about to infiltrate into the northwestern part of the village. Somehow PLAoSS got information about the impending CUSTARD operation, and General Mahmud instantly decided that this would be an excellent opportunity to claim yet another victory over his evil enemies. Therefore he instructed one of his subordinates to seize the crossroads and repel everybody else. This in turn was reported to the VOMIT command. Field Marshal Nubaba, seeing an opportunity to deliver a stinging defeat to his arch-enemies of the PLAoSS, decided to send a force of his own to capture the crossroads.

Below a general overview over the key positions. DRS forces were located in houses 2-4, one APC was parked in front of house 1:

The Objectives:

In this game, this was absurdely easy - get the crossing and be the last man - or woman - standing...

The participating forces

1. DRS
2. PLAoSS
3. VOMIT

Platoon

HQ +2

2 Marine squads (average)
1 PC +1

3 rifle team

1 AT team

1 M113

1 armour section (green)
1 Panhard +1

1 M-48

1 MG section
1 PC +1

1 MG team

Platoon

HQ +2

2 Militia squads (green)
1 PC +1

3 rifle team

1 MG team

1 AT team

Platoon HQ +2

2 Militia squads (green)
1 PC +1

3 rifle team

1 MG team

1 AT team
4. CUSTARD

Platoon

HQ +2

Father Francis
1 RR ATG

2 Militia squads (green)
1 PC +1

3 rifle team

1 MG team

1 Ferret

1 Engineer section

(average)
1 PC +1

1 Engineer team
DRS Panhard and MG team

CUSTARD has a slight edge in numbers and troop quality, obviously because it actually planned the attack against the DRS forces. PLAoSS and VOMIT are almost of the same strength. The DRS forces therefore face quite a considerable challenge, despite the fact that they have the only tank in the game.

As a special rule for this scenario the DRS armoured forces were only allowed to roll once the DRS infantry had suffered the first losses.

Phase I: First action

The game began with CUSTARD entering the north western part of the village, occupying house 8 in the process, which eventually proved to be quite a wise move, as we'll see later. A CUSTARD armoured car then tried to dash for the crossing, only to be stopped in his tracks - well, wheels rather... - by a DRS bazooka team. Bang went the Ferret, and initiative passed on to VOMIT.

The first phase of the action
DRS bazooka team outside house 2
DRS bazooka team taking out CUSTARD Ferret

VOMIT entered the village on the opposite site and carefully - very, very, very carefully... - occupied the complex to the right of house 5 as well as house 5 itself. VOMIT forces then began shooting at the exposed DRS teams on the road outside houses 1 an 2 and also immobilized the lonely DRS APC outside house 1. After some inconclusive shooting between DRS forces and VOMIT and a long - looooong - period of deliberation, the VOMIT commander decided to close assault house 4, which was quite a heroic move; unfortunately, due to insufficient forces the attack collapsed in the face of one hand grenade shrewdly rolled out of the door of house 4...

hotly contested house 5
DRS position under attack; bazooka team has reacted, but ineffectively; M113 immobilized
Close-up on bazooka team and M113; the latter actually had some sort of revetment, which unfortunately was facing downthreat...

Phase II: PLAoSS arrives

Initiative then passed on to the PLAoSS. Its forces concentrated on the two-storey house 6, which dominated most of the eastern part of the village. From there, PLAoSS took out the DRS APC and began a fierce firefight against both DRS forces in house 4 and VOMIT troops located in house 5 and the block to the right of house 5.

overview over the tank action

The PLAoSS had not everything going in its favour, however - CUSTARD forces now firmly entrenched in house 8 opened effective fire against house 6, making PLAoSS lose initiative again.

PLAoSS position inside and atop house 6 - eventually, nearly all of the PLAoSS forces were in the building; suppressed rifle team is a testimony to CUSTARD's ability of covering the grounds in front of house 6
PLAoSS commander pondering his next move; DRS bazooka teams conspicuously absent...

Phase III: DRS support arrives

CUSTARD now pushed forward into house 7 which enjoyed views of most of the main road as well as house 6. A firefight against PLAoSS forces in house 6 proved to be inconclusive, and in a rapid succession of initiatives now the southern end of the village exploded in action.

Finally the DRS armoured section arrived and was nearly simultaneously engaged by VOMIT forces in house 5 and PLAoSS forces in house 6. The DRS Panhard was critically damaged by a RPG hit and the DRS advance stalled.

DRS forces at first carefully probing the southern end of the village...
... but look at all this firepower!
DRS Panhard trying to pass house 5
There we go! DRS armoured forces commander giving orders for his forces to advance

Phase IV: Fighting VOMIT!

Of course, the DRS forces were not to give in that easily. While CUSTARD forces battled with PLAoSS troops and occupied house 1 almost without any opposition, thereby gaining control over one of the corners of the crossroads, the DRS infantry commander decided to take action against the VOMIT forces pinning down his armoured comrade. In a daring move house 3 was evacuated by the occupying squad which then moved first towards the narrow alley leading up to house 5.

DRS squad taking cover behind a wall; house 5 in the background
DRS situation before the assault against house 5; house 3 has already been evacuated
Close assault! Immobilized Panhard on the right hand side
DRS squad moving down the narrow alley

From there the DRS infantry launched a close assault against house 5 that - over several quick changes of initiatives - resulted in fierce hand-to-hand fighting. Involvement of the DRS tanks produced mixed results - while the firepower of the M48 proved to be quite effective, VOMIT forces not only managed to immobilize it, a PLAoSS AT team also finally knocked out the immobilized Panhard. However, despite some losses, the DRS troops succeeded not only in taking out the only AT asset available to the VOMIT forces, but also in eliminating the overall VOMIT commander. The DRS forces thus managed to gain control over most of the road leading up to the crossroads.

Phase V: The end

We then decided to call it a day. CUSTARD clearly had been successful, losing only the Ferret and gaining control over all of the north western part of the village, indeed even denying control over the crossroads to anyone else. PLAoSS was still a force to be reckoned with; however, it remained locked up in house 6, as most of area immediately outside of it were covered by CUSTARD from house 7 and house 1.

Surprisingly, the DRS forces not only were still somewhat intact, they were alive and quite kicking. Reduced to one squad and an MG section with the support of an immobilized tank, at least regaining house 4 and trying to hold it would probably not have been out of the question. VOMIT still had some forces on the table as well, but the loss of its force commander resulted in some units being now immobilized; overall, it was the weakest faction on the table.

Did we learn any lessons from this game? Well, the layout certainly has potential, particularly the idea of having one side split up into a fairly immobile infantry force and a mobile armoured force. This was definitely not the last contested crossroads in Soeliland...

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