This one of Korean War scenarios from Rally Point 17.
Played with Wes Vaughn, featuring 22 Chinese Squads (6 are reinforcements) vs 14 French and ROK squads (4 squads enter as reinforcements) plus 2 M16 "MeatChoppers".
Each side is also equiped with a verity of support weapons:
For the UN 5 MG's, 2 Baz 50, 57 RCL and 60mm Mortar.
For the Chinese 3MG's(1 Medium), a demo charge, baz 44, 57mm RCL, and 2 Mortars (60mm and 82mm). Each of the medium Chinese weapons also comes with a Crew.
Victory is decided in one of two ways. If the Chinese can grab 7 out of 8 (they start with 3) victory locations and hold for end of the UN turn they win otherwise they need to hold 4 out of 8 when all the shooting stops.
This provides a few basic routes to victory for the Chinese, rush the 4 victory locations on board 70 and hold on till end of turn or make a more gradual approach avoid early loses and hold one additional building on boards 70 or 57 at game end. A combination is also possible rushing on turn 1 and then holding on to at least one building when the french either deny you the needed buildings or take some back from you.
For the UN they also have a few options for victory. They can setup up front to try and stop the first turn rush, or further back to avoid loses and await reinforcements for a counter attack. Assuming the don't lose the via the 7 victory locations method, they could also consider a counter attack vs the 3 Chinese controlled hill hexes maybe later in the game to deny Chinese the victory.
The UN setup their initial forces on the 2 western boards the Chinese on the 2 Eastern. From the map below you can see the hill which is ideal for setup of the 2 Chinese mortars.
Even though its winter (ground snow) the grain (in this case dry paddy fields) are still in effect. The paddies serve to slow movement (unless using the banks) for infantry, provide a bit of cover and restrict movement of the meatchoppers.
The scenario highlights a number of rules from Forgotten War.
W.2C ONUC and ROK are allied
W.3 KW terrain, light woods, grain is rice paddies
W.5 WP Grenades (there was a single Chinese assault engineer, but he could never find even regular grenades)
W.6 Bayonet Charge Gotta read this as likely to be critical for any chance the UN may have.
W.9 RCL allows fire for UN RCL from initial foxhole setup
W1.2 Paddy Fields (they are dry),cost 2 mf (unless using the banks), provide +1 tem for same level firer and halftracks cannot enter
W2.3 Inherent crews of the meatchoppers will be moral 8
W3.1 The ROK are subject to Early KW ROK, don't try to give them any SW except LMG.
W5 Other UN Forces Biggest item is French are not subject to NTC for Bayonet Charge.
W7 The Communist Chinese you will need to know most of this section below if the most critical to this scenario
W7.11 Early KW CPVA ammo shortage and repair only on 1
W7.4 With only 2 initial leaders command control is going to be a problem, your crews, recon and assault engineer (for movement) are exempt. The rest of your guys will need to either move with a leader, in an IPM, toward a designated and seen victory location or enemy within 4 hexes or roll a NTC.
W7.97 CPVA can declare HtH CC and receives a -1 to their roll also they are stealthy (W7.9)
What does all this mean?
I have deployed a single french squad and each full strength fench squad has a sw as does one of the ROK.
The defense is setup to firelane will all 3 mg's directed by leaders (to avoid cowering). With the mortar in 70f2 to try and smoke the CPVA mortars expected on the hill.
My intention was to make a strong defense against the 1st turn rush using an IPM on board 70 while also holding a lesser attack at bay on board 57. Turn 1 reinforcements would then provide support as needed.
CPVA Setup and Turn 1
My opponent opted to not setup for the turn one rush in the South, instead a smaller force was setup in the north and a more cautious attack was launched on board 70. As expected the mortars setup on the hill the 8-1 was used to direct the MMG and squad with LMG most of the rest of the squads moved independently. The first turn prep fire was very successful with 3 squads broken and the 9-2 leader killed by a mortar CH.
UN Turn 1
The UN receives 4 elite french squads and 2 meatchoppers. The meatchoppers have obvious advantages (24 fire power with 3 ROF), but less obvious disadvantages. They are lightly armored and open topped with easy to kill numbers for the CPVA support weapons (Mortars 6 and 5 for Immob/stun, 5 for stun with mg in hull). Reinforcements enter mostly at 57RO to make it hard for the mortars to hit and still able to move into support of the board 70 troops. Lucky for me the mortar manages to smoke both mortars with WP and give the halftracks are small and moving making any hits unlikely. The Halftracks move up to 70 G4 and G5 and start hammering his troops. The 9-1 and 3 squads rush in to bolster the board 70 defense with the 8-1 taking over rally duties now that the 9-2 is dead. Given the small number of CPVA troops on board 57 the 1.5 unbroken squad are confident they will be able to hold their positions at least for now.
Turn 2
Second turn results were disappointing for the CPVA. Support weapon fire is ineffective and given the low firepower of the CPVA squads they are unable to make any impression on the UN. The same cannot be said for the UN return fire. The meatchoppers go to town with multiple ROF striping and replacing multiple squads. The UN squads are also very effective with more CPVA squads reduced and replaced. Rally attempts are also very effective with the a broken French leader rallying and his squad broken squad going berserk.
To be continued
Played with Wes Vaughn, featuring 22 Chinese Squads (6 are reinforcements) vs 14 French and ROK squads (4 squads enter as reinforcements) plus 2 M16 "MeatChoppers".
Each side is also equiped with a verity of support weapons:
For the UN 5 MG's, 2 Baz 50, 57 RCL and 60mm Mortar.
For the Chinese 3MG's(1 Medium), a demo charge, baz 44, 57mm RCL, and 2 Mortars (60mm and 82mm). Each of the medium Chinese weapons also comes with a Crew.
Victory is decided in one of two ways. If the Chinese can grab 7 out of 8 (they start with 3) victory locations and hold for end of the UN turn they win otherwise they need to hold 4 out of 8 when all the shooting stops.
This provides a few basic routes to victory for the Chinese, rush the 4 victory locations on board 70 and hold on till end of turn or make a more gradual approach avoid early loses and hold one additional building on boards 70 or 57 at game end. A combination is also possible rushing on turn 1 and then holding on to at least one building when the french either deny you the needed buildings or take some back from you.
For the UN they also have a few options for victory. They can setup up front to try and stop the first turn rush, or further back to avoid loses and await reinforcements for a counter attack. Assuming the don't lose the via the 7 victory locations method, they could also consider a counter attack vs the 3 Chinese controlled hill hexes maybe later in the game to deny Chinese the victory.
The UN setup their initial forces on the 2 western boards the Chinese on the 2 Eastern. From the map below you can see the hill which is ideal for setup of the 2 Chinese mortars.
Even though its winter (ground snow) the grain (in this case dry paddy fields) are still in effect. The paddies serve to slow movement (unless using the banks) for infantry, provide a bit of cover and restrict movement of the meatchoppers.
The scenario highlights a number of rules from Forgotten War.
W.2C ONUC and ROK are allied
W.3 KW terrain, light woods, grain is rice paddies
W.5 WP Grenades (there was a single Chinese assault engineer, but he could never find even regular grenades)
W.6 Bayonet Charge Gotta read this as likely to be critical for any chance the UN may have.
W.9 RCL allows fire for UN RCL from initial foxhole setup
W1.2 Paddy Fields (they are dry),cost 2 mf (unless using the banks), provide +1 tem for same level firer and halftracks cannot enter
W2.3 Inherent crews of the meatchoppers will be moral 8
W3.1 The ROK are subject to Early KW ROK, don't try to give them any SW except LMG.
W5 Other UN Forces Biggest item is French are not subject to NTC for Bayonet Charge.
W7 The Communist Chinese you will need to know most of this section below if the most critical to this scenario
W7.11 Early KW CPVA ammo shortage and repair only on 1
W7.4 With only 2 initial leaders command control is going to be a problem, your crews, recon and assault engineer (for movement) are exempt. The rest of your guys will need to either move with a leader, in an IPM, toward a designated and seen victory location or enemy within 4 hexes or roll a NTC.
W7.97 CPVA can declare HtH CC and receives a -1 to their roll also they are stealthy (W7.9)
What does all this mean?
- CPVA expect to break all your SW (dice roll of 10+).
- CPVA expect to have your troops straggle, single squads will only be able to assault move about 40% of the time. You can mitigate this by careful positioning (make sure they see a VC location), using recon squads or using leaders for IPM or moving stacked with the leader.
- CPVA firepower and range is poor, single squads will have almost no effect against defenders in cover (unless point blank) and your Grenadiers are hopeless , you will break your support weapons and given the terrain multi-location fire groups will incur additional hindrance.
- CPVA close combat is your friend. Given the ability to HtH and the -1 CC drm even at 1:4 you kill them all with a roll of 5. The UN just hates this.
- UN Bayonet charge may be your only chance to take back a lost location, remember that if you don't advance into the location there is no ambush roll (you will be lax), the CPVA will still get his -1 CC drm. Expect massive losses on both sides.
I have deployed a single french squad and each full strength fench squad has a sw as does one of the ROK.
The defense is setup to firelane will all 3 mg's directed by leaders (to avoid cowering). With the mortar in 70f2 to try and smoke the CPVA mortars expected on the hill.
My intention was to make a strong defense against the 1st turn rush using an IPM on board 70 while also holding a lesser attack at bay on board 57. Turn 1 reinforcements would then provide support as needed.
CPVA Setup and Turn 1
My opponent opted to not setup for the turn one rush in the South, instead a smaller force was setup in the north and a more cautious attack was launched on board 70. As expected the mortars setup on the hill the 8-1 was used to direct the MMG and squad with LMG most of the rest of the squads moved independently. The first turn prep fire was very successful with 3 squads broken and the 9-2 leader killed by a mortar CH.
UN Turn 1
The UN receives 4 elite french squads and 2 meatchoppers. The meatchoppers have obvious advantages (24 fire power with 3 ROF), but less obvious disadvantages. They are lightly armored and open topped with easy to kill numbers for the CPVA support weapons (Mortars 6 and 5 for Immob/stun, 5 for stun with mg in hull). Reinforcements enter mostly at 57RO to make it hard for the mortars to hit and still able to move into support of the board 70 troops. Lucky for me the mortar manages to smoke both mortars with WP and give the halftracks are small and moving making any hits unlikely. The Halftracks move up to 70 G4 and G5 and start hammering his troops. The 9-1 and 3 squads rush in to bolster the board 70 defense with the 8-1 taking over rally duties now that the 9-2 is dead. Given the small number of CPVA troops on board 57 the 1.5 unbroken squad are confident they will be able to hold their positions at least for now.
Turn 2
Second turn results were disappointing for the CPVA. Support weapon fire is ineffective and given the low firepower of the CPVA squads they are unable to make any impression on the UN. The same cannot be said for the UN return fire. The meatchoppers go to town with multiple ROF striping and replacing multiple squads. The UN squads are also very effective with more CPVA squads reduced and replaced. Rally attempts are also very effective with the a broken French leader rallying and his squad broken squad going berserk.
To be continued