The Last Scenario

With the end of the war closing in, the Queens Dragoons Guards conduct their last move to contact.  The 1 UK Armored Division REECE force is close to the final objective of Operation Granby with only a small Iraqi force in their way.  This scenario features a small armored REECE group consisting of a couple CVR(T)s (Scimitar and Scorpion), a Striker ATGM plus a Milan ATGM and LMG Team riding in a FV432.  The Iraqi force consists of a weak Infantry Platoon in BMP-1s and a couple T-55 tanks.  Both sides are moving towards one another during day light and neither side has any reinforcements or support.  The Brit victory condition is to destroy 3 or more Iraqi AFVs while losing no more than 1 of his own units, otherwise the Iraqi player wins.  Again another nice looking scenario that should be challenging for both sides. 

Second Scenario

The second scenario is the largest of the three in the pack/set.  This time the Desert Rats put in a set piece attack onto a defended and entrenched Iraqi force with a full strength Infantry Platoon supported by T55 tanks and a couple Anti-Aircraft Guns.  The initial British assualt is by a force similiar in composition to the previous scenario but reinforced halfway thru the game by a couple Challenger 1 Mk3 tanks.  To off set the awesome power presented by the arrival of the Challenger's the Iraqi player is also reinforced by a Platoon of T62s about the same time.  This scenario, like the previous one, features limited visibility caused by smoke from burning oil wells near the battlefield.  This time only range is effected not movement.  The result of 2D6 rolled by the Iraqi player each turn determines the actual visibility, note that if a 12 is rolled the Desert Rats receive a single Tornado GR1, hence the reason for the Iraqi AAA.  The aircraft gets two runs, one bombing and one strafing.  I may slightly modify this portion by adding an additional FV432 with a FAC team that will actually do the targeting.  Victory conditions during this scenario are difficult for the British player.  He must clear all the Iraqi entrenchments and destroy at least 4 tanks.  If he accomplishes this task but losses 3 or more units in the process (again vehicles or squads) the game is a draw.  Otherwise the Iraqi player wins.  Again another interesting scenario that looks like it will be challenging for either side.

The Scenarios

As previously stated, these scenarios are really nice.  They appear to be balanced, at least from just reading them and seem like that will make nice skirmish games.  Attainable victory conditions for both sides that are relastic or relative to the historical outcome of the actual engagement/battle.   At a basic level, the scenarios force both sides to do  better than their historical counterpart.   For example, in the first scenario a British Armored Infantry force in Warrior IFVs with 2 squads of Infantry, plus a LMG Team and a FV432 with a section of man-portable Milans conduct a movement to contact.  This force is supported by a CVR(T) Striker ATGM vehicle and a Lynx Helo w/TOWs.  The Desert Rats meet a slightly larger force of Iraqi Infantry in BMP-1s with LMGs, RPGs, and a SA7 Team supported by a couple of T55 tanks and a ZSU-23/4 Shilka SP AAG.   The battle takes place in daylight but its cloudy with a chance of rain, so visibility can be limited and can change.  If it rains ranges and movement are reduced and the arrival of air support only occurs when and if the rain stops.  The weather conditions are determined randomly by the Iraqi player with a die roll each turn.   The British objective is to destroy or force off the board, most of the Iraqi Armor/IFVs.  While the Iraqi objective is to avoid the Brits conditions or destroy 2 or more of their units (squads or vehicles).  If both achieve their victory conditions, its a draw.  Looks like a really fun scenario but appearances can be deceiving.  More on the other two scenarios later.

Reasoning

Just so happens that, by chance, I came across some really good resources for scenarios.  As Squad Leader by Avalon Hill was one of the first wargames that my brother and I played, I still find the scenarios as good material for translation into miniature games.  One night not too long ago I found a two part scenario pack that covered the First Gulf War published by Bill Wilder on ebay.  These packs covered just about every aspect of the war with all the partipants having at least one scenario devoted to them. Of the 24 total the Desert Rats featured in three of them.  The scenarios were large for 20mm so I modified them just a little to fit on a 4x8 board and not look to out of proportion.  This modification took the form of a reduction of the forces called for on the card but not so much as to unbalance them.  I will go into a little more detail on the scenarios later but suffice it to say they look very promising and should make for good miniature games.  I am deliberately using these scenario cards because of a reoccuring problem.  The ability or maybe the lack thereof or more directly, the loss of control.  Almost every game genre, era or period that we choose, always seems to grow beyond our ability to contain it.  See a cool model or figures and before you know another unit has been added.  The the end result being a game period, era or whatever label it has becomes unplayble due to its size.   I'm determined to build only the forces called for on the cards and nothing more.  Just enough stuff to play these scenarios and nothing more. This will please my patient and understanding wife but will be a chore to actually accomplish.

Desert Storm???

Just bear with me.  Desert Storm but from the British Army's perspective, no 73 Easting with 2nd ACR crushing the Iraqi RG or the Marine Corps driving straight over the Regular Army.  Its the same 4th and 7th Armored Brigades of WW2 Desert Rats fame but this time fighting with TOGS equipped Challenger tanks, Warrior IFVs, Milan ATGMs and TOW firing Lynx helicopters in the last large scale conventional war fought by a western army in the 20th Century.

Time for something new

Decided this weekend to start a new project.  I have had a long standing, on again off again, almost romance, or interest in the Western Desert of the Second World War but wanted to do something a little more up to date or modern this time, but not too modern.  My brother has always been my steadfast opponent in the many battles we have fought over the years.  Be they in the hot deserts of Wichita Falls or Burkburnett, be it in micro armor, 15 or 20mm, be they in Command Decision, Clash of Armor or NA44 but this will be quite a sell.  Desert Storm.