Updating the 28mm Vietnam Gallery

Not dead yet...



I've been sick this last week and not really been doing much of anything at all - let along painting... I did a little bit of assembling  (40K Imperial Guard - if you can believe that)... and got in a game of Carcassonne with the kids... and during a few other moments when I wasn't just lying in bed moaning and gurggling I got up and took a few pictures to update the 28mm Vietnam Gallery - click and check it out. I still have the PAVN/NVA and NLF/VC to add...

Kind of makes me want to bust them out and PLAY with them...

I did read Flying Lead a month or so back and have been looking for an excuse to try them out...?

Or perhaps it's time to revisit Force on Force and Ambush Valley...

Vietnamese Cart

A few months back I was trying to finish up my 28mm Vietnam War stuff – and pretty much got it all done… except this…. I assembled it at the time, but it looked like too much work… and so it sat….until this past week when I decided to finish it up – not only to have it finished up and be one step closer to being DONE all the 28mm Vietnam War stuff that I have – but also because it happened to be another theme bonus round in the Fourth Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge and the theme was VEHICLE!

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

The model is from Baker Company.

Force on Force has rules for civilians on the battlefield – any live of fire drawn with in a certain distance of a crowd of civilians has a chance of hitting them – and losing the shooter some victory points. This would work perfectly for that!

A bit of a departure from my current focus on Feudal Japan - but at least it's still "asian" - though the wheels and jerry can's firmly place it in the modren era...

Anyway if you like the cart you can go and

VOTE FOR ME HERE

I’m down near the bottom of the list!

It probably won’t help I’m WAY behind – There are a lot of great entries… maybe while you’re there check out (and maybe vote for!)  PhilH’s “Pulp Café Racer” – it’s a sweet looking early motorbike and rider and it’s one of my absolute favourites and it has less votes than mine!?

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Hmmmmm… I’ve been working on a bit of this and a bit of that… having a hard time staying focused  and motivated. Hopefully this week I’ll finish up another buntai or two. 

A Bit More Vietnam Stuff

I’ve been kind of busy over the last couple of weeks. As I mentioned before we’re doing a little renovating. Today was the first day in a long time there wasn’t workers scurrying about during all daylight hours – even on the weekends for the last few weeks there’s been people here desperately trying to get the insulation and stucco one. Our house has been under a  tarp...

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

I’ve also been busy putting in flooring...

Hardwood floors…

Tiling the bathroom…

So I haven’t had a tonne of time for painting and what little I have gotten done I haven’t really had an opportunity to take any pictures of... until this afternoon….

I finished up a few more Vietnamese over the last few weeks for the new Savage Worlds /Force on Force Tour of Darkness/Ambush Valley campaign we kicked off  last month… (could I get any more links in one sentence!?)

Civilians. The two on the right are from West Wind Productions “Vietnamese Civilians” pack – which, of the 20 civilians in the pack, there were 18 men, and two boys… not one female…? The two on the left are from Eureka Miniatures (which I picked up from Eureka Miniatures USA). This is the ONLY female Vietnamese civilian I have. I modeled one a while back (to mould and cast myself) to balance out the population a bit, but never got around to moulding and casting any… I think Baker Company has some civilians that I might pick up at some point. Maybe I should just find that old master and cast up a few women of my own….

These are West Wind Productions “Montagnards” which bare little resemblance to real “Montagnards”- but would work fine for Colonel Kurtz’s “Montagnards” from Apocalypse Now (Which I’m sure these are modeled after. In Tour of Darkness there are some degenerate, cannibalistic jungle savages that show up in a few encounters or adventures – that kind of remind me of Tcho-Tcho – which is what I will use them for.

The last two Americans from Baker Company.

A few West Wind Productions Viet Cong.

I have only a couple Viet Cong, a downed pilot, a Huey Gunship and the Swift Boat to finish up before I can say I’M DONE! Or at least done all of the 28mm Vietnam stuff that I have – as I mentioned I’d like to pick up or make a few more villagers and have been thinking I’d like to pick up something to use as ARVN. I was thinking I might use some West Wind Productions “Berlin or Bust” Pacific Marines – as their Berlin or Bust figures are a tad on the smaller side… and the ARVN, at least in the earlier stages of the war, look like they’re using American WW2 hand-me-downs (M1 Rifles, BARs, etc) I thought they might fit the bill…?

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I also finished up couple of 1/48 T-72s – but I’ll do them in a separate post. I am also very nearly finished the Generic American-backed Central/South American forces… maybe over the weekend I’ll finish them up… of course I still have a bit of hardwood flooring to put down at some point…

I also recently read Ronin earlier this week and it looks like a pretty slick little system. I’m keen to try it out and might be able to cobble together enough for a Buntai or two from my assorted Japanese Samurai and Legends of the Five Rings minis…

In Country

Some of those new Vietnam War Americans saw some action this weekend. As I was using a mash-up of Savage Worlds and Force on Force, the after action report ended up over on Savage Timmy's Playhouse. 

We made some characters for a new campaign and played a quick trial action. You can read the report and see the rest of the pictures here:

In Country 

Last of the Vietnam War Americans

I’ve had a hankering to play some Ambush Valley and/or Tour of Darkness (or some evil mash-up of the two!?) and since I finished up the Australians… I thought I might as well finish up the last of the Americans…

I actually tried taking these pictures in my new super deep window sill/boxes – which actually get a fair bit of natural light – Not a big enough area to do big unit pictures, but I could fit a terrain square in there for a small group shot – and I think it turned out pretty well – which bodes well for those -40°C days when I’ve finished up som new figures I no longer have to freeze my fingers off to go outside and take pics – or have to wait a week for the weather to warm up a tad (to, say, -30°C…).

I am told the bulk of the workers will be off site and the yard cleaned up in less than a week (I’m not holding my breath or anything, but things do seem to be wrapping up!). When everyone’s gone I should be able to get out in the yard to take some better pics of the whole collection and update the 28mm Vietnam Gallery

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

The last of the American minis (well.. almost… I realized after I finished these up I have one more downed pilot somewhere that still has to be painted!?). These are a mix of figures from The Assault Group, and Baker Company. AS I also have a lot of West Wind Productions Vietnam figures, I’d kind of like to, at some point, pick up some of the 25mm Vietnam figures from Battle Honors, and (if I could track them down!) some from Force of Arms… Is there anyone else that makes Vietnam figures in 25/28mm?

I also happen to finish up this M113 from The Assault Group…

…and this tank that sort of looks like an M48 Patton (at least I think it does – less the search light). I picked it up as part of a pack of plastic toy soldiers at a dollar store years back thinking it looked close to 28mm… I guess I should have put a figure in there for scale. I should have picked up a few more packs so I could have had a whole platoon. I have a feeling the packs were closer to $5 and I threw out all the other stuff that came in the pack… I can’t remember if it was spending $20 on tanks that I may or may not ever use or disgust at the fact that I’d have to throw out so much extraneous plastic soldiers… (actually I may not have thrown them out… they’re probably in a  box somewhere… I am a horrible pack rat!!)

While this is the last of the Vietnam American soldiers I have, I think (somewhere in a box) a few more Viet cong and a bag of West Wind Productions “Montagnards” (which don’t look at all like any Montagnards I’ve seen on pictures, they look more like Col Kurtz’s troops from Apocalypse Now – Were they supposed to be montagnards?). I also have a few vehicles to finish up…

Huey Gunship that is very nearly complete (these are the deep window boxes I was mentioning. Nice, eh?)…

And a Revell 1/48 Navy Swift Boat. I think I might tackle this over the next week. I know… I know… If I’m tackling any model kits I should REALLY be doing the Aurora Mosnter Model kits I promised I’d do for my friend Rick (oh… almost a YEAR ago!)… Maybe if I’ve got the modeling stuff out I could do them concurrently…? That seems like a good idea…

AT some point I wouldn’t mind picking up a few more M113s (and maybe some M113 Armoured Cavalry vehicles…? Maybe even the ones from The Assault Group - if they ever get around to making a crew pack for those!!) and a couple Huey Slicks… (and the aforementioned additional figures from the other manufacturers…) but I’m pretty happy with just finishing up what I’ve got for the time being!

I think after I finish up the Swift Boat and the Gunship it’ll be time to make some more Vietnam terrain – most of which could be used for other places… I’m thinking some rifle pits and log bunkers… some perimeter wire and sandbag bunkers for American bases… gun pits for the mortar crews…. Maybe even a landing pad for the gunship? And a bunch of “Hot Spot” markers for Ambush Valley (which will mostly be tunnel entrances).

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Huey Gunship… Navy Swift Boat… The Mummy!

(and maybe that last downed pilot – if I can find him!) 

More Australians (and Americans) for the Vietnam War

This batch finishes up all the Vietnam War Australians I have… and took a chunck out of the few remaining Americans…

A lot of work going on around the house this weekend – so I wasn’t able to get around to taking these outside to take pictures during the limited daylight hours (and it’d be the same story tomorrow) so I tried taking pictures indoors. It didn’t work out so well… But I don’t know when I’m going to get a chance to take any better photos, so this is what you get for now…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

The latest batch. All the Australians are from The Assault Group, and the Americans are from Baker Company.

The Americans from Baker Company.

The complete Australian Platoon (plus a few extras) All the Australians are from The Assault Group.

Platoon Command – Platoon Leader (lieutenant – with Owen carbine), 2IC (Sergeant - SLR), 2 runners (Privates - one with Radio – both with SLR)

First Section – Section Commander (Corporal- SLR), Section 2IC (Lance Corporal?), two Scouts (Owen Carbines), one Gunner (M60), and four Riflemen (SLR)

Second Section  – Section Commander (Corporal- SLR), Section 2IC (Lance Corporal?), two Scouts (Owen Carbines), one Gunner (M60), four Riflemen (SLR), and one Grenadier (M79)

Third Section – Section Commander (Corporal- SLR), Section 2IC (Lance Corporal?), one Scout (Owen Carbine), one Gunner (M60), and five Riflemen (SLR)

Extra guys with M16s to replace all the Scouts armed with Owen carbines for a later war Australian platoon.

A reinforced patrol from the Australian Special Air Service Regiment.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I have such a small number of remaining things for Vietnam, I should really finish them up. I t would be the sensible thing… but then… when have I EVER done the sensible thing!? 

Vietnam Aussies and Americans

As I mentioned in the previous post I recently tracked down a copy of The Odd Angry Shot - one of my all-time favourite war movies. Watching it again after… oh… 20 years… has inspired me to finish up some of my Vietnam Aussies (and other stuff). I have about a platoon of Australians plus an SAS patrol.

I also happened to finish up a few extra Americans I acquired recently - like, within the last year or so – I had, at one point, more or less finished up all my Vietnam figures… but then picked up a few more from another fellow blogger off the AAG Forum… I think it was Xander…?

I had done a post a few years pack showcasing the collection - Vietnam in 28mm - since then I have finished the PAVN and a few of the other things that were still unpainted at the time (and rebased some of the heavy weapon teams). One of these days I should update the 28mm Vietnam Gallery Page. I don’t have a whole lot to finish up to call this collection complete – so maybe I should push to get this all finished up before I lose impetus.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

A platoon command section for the Australians. The Platoon Commander (a Lieutenant) is carrying the Owen Carbine, The Platoon Sergeant and Runner carry SLRs, and signaler doesn’t seem to have anything…? Darn it, I just remembered I’d ordered a pack of spare SLRs at one point I could have one lying beside him on the ground – perhaps I’ll have to go find them and add one now… (Figures are from  The Assault Group).

Three more Australian SAS patrolmen – also from from  The Assault Group.

A few American LRRP types Again the figures are all from  The Assault Group.

Finally, some Americans with M-79 Grenade Launchers from, I think, Baker Company (these are figures I got off the forum…). I really like the poses of the figures, I have a few more to paint up. If I didn’t already have a whole damn platoon of Americans, I’d be tempted to pick a few more up… maybe I’ll pick up some “characters” at some point…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Perhaps some more Vietnam stuff… and maybe a bit of planning for the winter and next year…

A Weekend of Painting

It’s a long weekend here in Saskatchewan (and most of Canada) and I’ve been painting all weekend… Unfortunately it’s not the sort of painting I usually post about on this blog. (It’s not even the sort of painting I post about on the other blog!). No, dear friends, I was house painting.

If you’ve been reading a while you may remember back in the spring me making dire predictions about how my productivity was about to drop sharply due to immanent renovations that were to occur at my abode. We has talked to a couple of younger fellows about a year about about taking on the project and they were not only willing to do it, they seemed rather keen to take on this sort of project – which is in sharp contrast to the attitude of most builders in this town who would all tell us to tear down our house and build a new one… They originally said they would like to start as early as they could. May, perhaps April if the snow was gone…

Well, things got held up… and they didn’t end up STARTING until the end of July – when they’d originally told us they’d be DONE! (which would have given me most of August to do the few things I was going to do on my own – painting, flooring, some finish work…). When they started in July they told us they’d be done and gone in 6 weeks. It’s now mid October and there’s still a LOT of work to be done – and this is causing me some anxiety as they still need to finish getting the exterior insulation up, roofing, and stucco done and winter is fast approaching – it is dropping well below 0°C at night which is going to make stuccoing a bit of a challenge!

Anyway, here’s some pics of what’s been going on…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

This is what our house looked like at the end of July.

Three pics of the upstairs all cleared out ready to go – keep an eye on that stairwell and the low ceiling and chimney beside it (that any adult would have to duck and walk hunched over past to get into our room upstairs).

Here’s what the house is currently looking like from the outside.

Essentially we needed a new roof and some insulation. The existing walls are brick with wood-chips inbetween – completely inadequate for a region that gets to -40°C (and below!) in winter. While we were at it we figured it might be nice to build a dormer upstairs and replace all the ancient windows that had long since been painted shut.

It turned out easier to just tear the whole roof off than cut holes for some dormers and so we’ve essentially gotten a whole second story where there was previously just a half-story-loft-like room…

So this weekend we packed the kids off to their grandparents and Amanda and I have been painting the walls upstairs all day for the last few days….

That’s me way up there perched precariously over the stairwell cutting the white for the ceiling. This is one of those time where having such a hobby has really come to bite me in the ass. Amanda reasoned that because I have such a steady hand and keen eye (painting all those wee miniatures and all!) that I should do all of the cutting. I tried to point out that I don’t often paint miniatures while perched on a rickety ladder and have to reach my brushed out so far to paint miniatures… This was even less fun the next day when I had to paint a straight line around those fiddley bits between the wall and ceiling…

Amanda rolling the ceiling.

By Sunday we were on to the walls.

Amanda rolling the first coat of purple.

First coat on the walls done.

Me again, cutting the second coat of purple on the walls.

Last night, starting the red in the bathroom.

Today we’re just finishing  up the red in the bathroom and dark purple in the little alcove-like-area in the front dormer… We’ve got a bit of a wait between coats so Amanda’s off to a yoga class and I thought I’d update the blog(s).

Last week they were starting on the new windows in all the rooms – here are the new windows that went into the Hobby Dungeon/War Room.

As I predicted, my productivity has dropped sharply since they began. At the end of June I was sitting at 600 28mm foot painted so far this year – averaging 100 per month… Now, at mid October, I’m sitting at 755… less than 50 per month since all this began. This is largely due to having to shift all the stuff from upstairs to the main floor or basement. Which has meant we are constantly working around boxes of stuff and I can’t really maintain a semi-permanent workstation that I can just sit down and paint at for a few minutes here and there when I have an idle moment… I actually have to tidy up a space, get stuff out, paint for a bit, then clear it all away…

This weekend hasn’t been a total loss hobby-wise. I’ve been finishing up a few Americans and Australians for the Vietnam war – I recently tracked down a copy of The Odd Angry Shot - one of my all time favourite war movies – which I haven’t seen in probably 20 years because I’ve never been able to, before now, find a Region 1 DVD of it! Strangely it’s been released by a company that seems to mostly do asian-cult-horror-erotic movies…? Whatever, it’s still a good flick and has inspired me to finish up my Vietnam Aussies!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Said Vitenam figures; Aussies, LRRPs, Grenadiers with M79s… 

Maybe it's time to do some thinking ahead and planning for the winter and next year... 

Africans, Downed Airmen, and Another Survivor

I may make it to 1200 28mm foot this year yet… I’d like to round the mounted off to 100 as well, but we shall see. Complicating my plans was the arrival of the last two orders of stuff. Now a sensible person that was trying to paint another 55 guys in a week would put those aside and ignore them for a week… but, oh no, not me… As new minis arrive I seem to have to take them out, base and prime them before putting them away int eh storage drawer they’re going to stay in…. and another 200 figures showed up today… (I’ve been a little out of control this year… like MORE out of control than normal…).

Here’s what I finished up last night/this morning – along with basing another 200 other figures…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

Some new soldiers for the Federal Army of the Republisc of Timbogo (from The Assault Group)

Downed aircrew from West Wind Productions.

Finally a lone survivor from Victory Force Miniatures (lone, as in the only one I’ve painted so far and am posting today – there were four others in the pack of “Armed Office Workers” that this guy came in).

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

More painting, likely… Gosh and there’s so much to choose from. It’s almost dizzying!? Probably zombies… or something modern or cold war-ish… 

Break Contact!

Once again most of my regular Saturday Savage Worlds players ditched this week so I played another game of Force on Force, this time with Rick. This game took us back to Vietnam. I’m still trying to get my head around the rules and so wanted to stick with a regular vs. Regular battle, but Rick wanted to try out some better quality troops versus a larger number of lesser quality troops. So here’s what I came up with…

SITUATION

A team of Australian SAS has been operating with a team from the MACV Studies and Observation Group well behing enemy lines near the Laotian border; gathering intelligence on enemy troop movements and such. On their way to the take out point they bumped into and unexpected PAVN force! 

SCENARIO

Duration: 10 turns

Initiative: SAS/SOG have initiative for first two turns, then test thereafter.

Fog of War: Determined normally by Reaction Tests

Table Size: ~5’x4’

SAS/SOG MISSION

Break Contact and get to the LZ by the end of Turn 10.

SAS/SOG VICTORY POINTS

I still haven’t figured these out… probably 5 for each guy that successfully makes it out, and 1 or 2 for each PAVN killed or seriously wounded….?

SAS/SOG FORCE

Initiative Level: D10

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Normal* (see notes at the end…)

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D10/D10

SAS/SOG Forces

Australian SAS Team

1 Team Leader – M16

1 Grenadier – M16/M203

1 MG-Gunner – M60

1 Medic – SLR

MACV-SOG Team

SOG Team Leader – AK-47

3x SOG Operators – AK-47

PAVN MISSION

Capture the Imperialist Spies before they can escape!

PAVN VICTORY POINTS

Probably big points for each SAS/SOG team memenber killed or captured….? 5? 10!? If I were actually using the helicopters even bigger points for bringing one of those down…

PAVN FORCE

Initiative Level: D8

Confidence Level: Confident

Supply Level: Normal

Body Armour: None

Troop Quality/Morale: D8/D10

PAVN Forces

Platoon commander

3x PAVN squads, each with:

-1x Squad Leader

-1x Grenadier – RPG

- 6x Riflemen – AK-47

(3^rd Squad had an RPK Gunner instead of one of the riflemen)

THE GAME

We rolled a die and determined tha trick would play the SAS/SOG forces and I would play the Vietnamese.

TURN ONE

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

Initial Dispositions

Rick started off with having the MACV-SOG team fire on PAVN Squad #1. PAVN Squads #2 and #3 reacted with fire. The MACV-SOG team fired first, but was entirely ineffective. PAVN Squad #1 returned fire and wiped them out!? PAVN Squad #2 lost a Fire Power die for having reacted.

The SAS team decided to fire on PAVN Squad #2 and then move to aid the MACV-SOG team. I can’t remember who fired first, but the NVA Squad wiped out the SAS…

End of Turn One – Game Over: all SF personnel are down…

So we set it up and decided to try again with the SF teams having D12 for Troop Quality. Afterwards I realized what I should have actually done – more on that after the report…

GAME TWO

TURN ONE

Here we go again.

This time Rick declared the SAS team to be on Overwatch. Then he declared the MACV-SOG team would fire on PAVN Squad #1 and then move. PAVN Squads #1 and #2 reacted with fire. The SAS (on Overwatch) reacted with fire on PAVN Squad #2.

PAVN Squad #1 rolled a one bringing out the only Fog of War card in the game – There’s Something Moving Over There! a randomly determined team ( turned out to be PAVN Squad #3!) blazed away at something they saw – another American team moving in behind to surround them! After unloading all their clips into the bush a wounded wild pig trotted out, fell over and expired…

After all the reaction dice settled the order of firing was as followed the SAS fired first at PAVN Squad #2 causing 3 casualties. PAVN Sqwuad #2 was made of pretty stern stuff – they shrugged off those wounded and laid down some serious fire on the MACV-SOG team causing one casualty. The MACV-SOG team fired on PAVN Squad #1 with no effect whatsoever. Finally PAVN Squad #1 returned fire wiping out the rest of the MACV-SOG team!?

Damn… Again!?

MACV-SOG team is down – at least the PAVN took some casualties this time and the SAS are still standing…

TURN TWO

The SAS maintained the initiative.

PAVN Squad #2 checked it’s casualties and administered First Aid. They had suffered one Seriously Wounded and one Lightly Wounded.

The SAS faded back into the jungle and moved over into cohesion with the MACV-SOG so they could administer first aid the following turn. Only PAVN Squad #2 had LOS and they could only react to fire so they made their move with no reactions.

I suppose PAVN Squad #1 could have done something…? Did I try to move them in to close assault but failed a Troop Quality test…? I can’t remember…

TURN THREE

While the Australian SAS team was administering First Aid the Vietnamese wrested initiative of the situation from the Imperialist Agressors!

Upon arriving at the MACV-SOG position to administer first aid they discovered that all of them were actually okay… All of them… Just fine…. For all their screaming and whailing not one was injured… A bullet had hit the team leaders pack exploding a tin of tomato soup within splattering it all over his neighboring team member. The Team leader had felt the jerk and saw the splattering tomato soup and though it was his own blood gushing out. The neighboring team member, on the other hand, though he himself had been hit and was bleeding profusely out his head. In their flailing about they knocked a branch into the eye of a third team member and who then also though he’d been hit. Then the remaining team member had simply wet his pants when he though all his fellow teammates had been hit, and then when he realized he was wet though he had ALSO been hit and it was actually blood pouring down his leg… Then the SAS medic arrived and calmed them down.  Doing a quick triage, they took stock of themselves and realized that in fact no one was hit, they were all just fine and had a moment of uproarious laughter, which was followed by a solemn oath to never, ever speak of this incident to anyone, ever…

Beginning their activations, PAVN Squad #2 declared their intent to fire on the MACV-SOG team. The SOG team reacted by moving away – they did so successfully – passing through the SAS and out the other end of the stand of trees and bush. NO shooting for Squad #2…

PAVN Squad #1 then decided to close assault into the woods! I’ve realized, while writing this I’m not entirely sure if I would have been able to. It says in the book that “If one or more figures in a unit are within Rapid Movement Distance of an opposing unit, the entire unit may launch a charge and attempt to engage the enemy in Close Assault…” However we had declared the stands of trees, which the unit would be starting in and ending in, to be “Dense Woods”. Infantry units may only use Tactical Movement through Dense Woods…? Which takes precedence? One would think that the tactical move only would… but the wording of the close assault rules “Starts withing Rapid Move Distance…” makes me wonder…

Also… The PAVN Squad, I’ve realized afterwards, wouldn’t have had LOS to the unit. The SAS were deeper than 1” into the dense woods and thus LOS to them would be blocked… Of course it doesn’t specifically state that the target of a Close Assault has to be within LOS at the start of the move…?

Well, whether they should have or not, The PAVN charged. The SAS did a Troop Quality test and passed so decided to stand and fire. Defensive fire took out HALF the PAVN squad… but they passed their morale test and in they went! I think the first attack took out a couple SAS, The SAS fought back taking out two more of the PAVN…

I think the two PAVN and TWO SAS went at it for a few more rounds without much of anything… Then they both lost one  and there was just the two of them going toe-to-toe…

Finally the last of the SAS took out the last of the PAVN. The four PAVN that were actually involved in the close assault were diced for and all four ended up dead. The other four I wasn’t sure about – they were shot on the way in… I figured they could be left out in the open and if anyone wanted to check on them they might still be okay…

PAVN Squad #3 did a rapid move to get to near the brush where all this was going down.

TURN FOUR

The PAVN retained the initiative!

Doing a First Aid Check, the SAS had two Seriously Wounded and the other one was fine. Unfortunately one of the Seriously Wounded was the Medic!?

PAVN# 2 decided to split the unit and sent the two Lightly Wounded to the rear with the Seriously Wounded.

PAVN Squad #3 did a rapid move to get up where they would be close to the woods where the SAS were hanging out.

In the End Phase the MACV_SOG team made for cover of a nearby stand of trees and brush.

TURN FIVE

PAVN Squad #3 decided to activate. They were to move into the wods with the SAS – not entering Close Assault – but just entering the stand of trees and shoot them up at very close range… The SAS decided to react by shooting and then running away… I can’t remember how the reactions went… I think the SAS won the reaction so they got to fire first but were ineffective. Then, I think, the PAVN went (because they get to respond to reaction fire, because they are regulars, right…?). The PAVN’s fire wiped out the SAS. They then completed their move into the woods.

PAVN Squad #2 then also moved up to the woods.

In the End Phase the MACV-SOG team moved from one bit stand of trees to antoher.

TURN SIX

While the PAVN were sorting out SAS casualties and prisoners in the woods the MACV-SOG once again seized the initiative! The two SAS troopers injured in the previous turn’s firefight were also Seriously Wounded. All were now POWs.

The MACV-SOG – completely out of LOS to anyone – moved to the far edge of the wood they were in. PAVN #3 also moved up to the edge of the wood that they were in. PAVN Squad #2 moved further into the wood and took control of the Australian SAS injured POWs.

TURN SEVEN

The SOG team retained the initiative.

The SOG team made another dash from one bit of cover to another – not that anyone had any LOS on them.

In the End Phase PAVN Squad #3 moved out of the woods and took cover behind the wood opposite.

TURN EIGHT

The SOG team still had the initiative.

The moved to the far side of the woods they were in which brought them to the edge of the LZ.

PAVN Squad #3 made a rapid move around the trees to try and get to a position where they could see part of the LZ…

Since I had only stated the SAS/SOG teams only needed to get TO the LZ by TURN TEN, we called it there as the next turn the SOG team would be into the LZ.

Once I figure out helicopters, it might be fun to do a scenario like this where they actually have to call a hovering helicopter down to pick them up in a hot LZ… Maybe have a gunship also hovering around to give support – blasting the tree line to keep heads down (and RPGs away from the LZ!?)

SAS/SOG

KIA: 0

Seriously Wounded: 4 – the SAS– taken POW

Lightly Wounded: 0

Okay: 4 – THE MACV-SOG – made it to the LZ

Red

KIA: 6

Seriously Wounded: 2

Lightly Wounded: 2

Okay: 15

I had MEANT to make the SAS/SOG teams have ABUNDANT supplies and totally forgot to give them extra Fire Power… doh…

I also realized afterwards that what I should have done was to make the SAS/SOG Stealthy or Elusive – so they could have started the fist turn hidden and just tried to fad away – forcing the PAVN to throw themselves into the SAS/SOG position to find them, allowing the SAS/SOG forces to ambush them turn after turn… that would have REALLY balanced things out a bit.

Still learning… Sometimes the more I read the rules and play the game the more confused I get… They seem so intuitive… yet I can’t get my head around some things… Maybe I’m just an idiot…?

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I’ve been working on a few 28mm vehicles the last couple days. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish them up soon-ish…