Third in the Regiment scenario book series for Dirtside II and StarGrunt.
This is also the first book from Art of War Games since I reviewed the first scenario book, and they have made some improvements.
Concept: Rival mining companies have hired mercenary forces to gain control of a planet. The Regiment (based on Hammers Slammers) versus Parker's Panthers. Twelve scenarios are provided, but no instructions on how they tie together…
The campaign system is unchanged, including the problems mentioned in my previous reviews.
As usual, the book provides stats for the Panthers vehicles, which the designer apparently intends the Panthers player to use: Bengal (GEV Tank), Lynx (GEV APC), Tomcat (GEV Scout), Cougar (Fast Assault Gun), and Hellcat (Fast Transport for Power Armor). A Hellcat variant (stats not provided) is used as a command vehicle.
You apparently need to buy the 1st book in the series to get The Regiments stats.
A new addition to the format is a page providing the organization of a Parker's Panthers mechanized infantry battalion. At 9,954 points, this is apparently intended to be the force used by the Panthers player throughout the Dirtside scenarios.
Another change is that the designer has decided to abandon the idea of giving point levels for the Dirtside scenarios. Instead, the players begin with 10,000 point forces (as usual), but point levels for following scenarios are simply given as "remaining forces" (letting the campaign system control what is available).
As with previous books in the series, the designer simply presents the scenarios, with no instructions as to how they are to be used. From what the designer has said elsewhere, he intends the scenarios to be played in order, without repetition (despite what it says in the campaign rules). Unfortunately, the scenarios have no effect on each other, except for wearing down forces – for instance, if the Regiment fails to capture the space elevator base in scenario one, it has no effect when he returns to the space elevator in later scenarios. Also, some of the final scenarios seem to be mutually exclusive, but the designer provides no instructions to that effect.
Still no sizes given for squads in StarGrunt, though given that the rival forces are similar, you could assume a common size for both.
The twelve scenarios are:
First Battle of the Anchor [DS] – "Slugfest" for control of space elevator anchor, on tabletop with minimal terrain.
Crossing the Rho River [DS] – The Regiment is protecting a bridgehead over a river so they can capture a "minehead" on an island. Again, the designer is assuming that GEVs can't cross a river (they can in Dirtside, they can't in Hammers Slammers); he's also apparently made the entire tabletop woods, which are impassible to GEVs in Dirtside! He does provide stats for the bridge, then fails to specify where the river (or the bridge!) is located (on the Regiment's side of the table, I would assume). Nor does he specify where the "reinforcement corridor" for the Regiment is actually located. Panthers have six turns to cross the table and destroy the bridge (50 victory points). No rules provided for repairing the bridge, but no engineering troops provided, either. Oh, and what does a "minehead" consist of in game terms? And strange there's no road…
Minehead #53 [DS] – Regiment needs to take (another) minehead. This time, we get a description of a minehead. It's in the middle of the board, and the Regiment enters from a short table edge… seems to be a lot of unused tabletop, then, and do the Panthers know which edge the Regiment is coming from? Unknown. Do the Panthers get to set up as hidden? Unspecified.
Minehead #78 [SG] – Regiment gets victory points for stealing an AI core (by spending one turn in a certain building) and/or blowing a generator (another building). One confusion is that it says someone can get victory points for protecting the generator, then says only the Regiment qualifies (but they're trying to destroy it!). The "all trees" tabletop will be a problem for the GEVs!
Minehead #42 [DS] – Panthers get extra victory points for crossing the tabletop long edge to long edge ("breaking the lines"). There's another minehead, but it's just terrain this time. Trees, open meadows, hills.
Northern Strike [DS] – Panthers need to capture a bridge (again, why? they're riding hovercraft!) over a 6" river. Again, no road, and a board full of impenetrable woods (and hills).
Battle at the Logging Camp [SG] – Panthers are trying to overrun an artillery base. The Regiment lines a long table edge with an unspecified amount of trenches, barbed wire, and bunkers. Open, hilly terrain. Strangely, none of the artillery seems to be supporting the Regiment in this fight. (Both sides can pay logistics points to get mortars, though.) Regiment gets bonus points for destroying the "rebel" (what rebels?) command.
Destroy the Supplies [SG] – The Regiment is attacking a supply base to destroy supply containers. Terrain is rocks, hills, trees (no buildings? hardly a base…). Points for saving/destroying the supply containers. Stats provided for the containers.
Cut Off the Head – Rytec [DS] – The victorious Regiment needs to destroy the corporate headquarters of Rytec. Panthers get points if they can hold out for at least six turns. Board is two-thirds hills and scattered forest; one-third holds the dozen buildings of the Rytec center. Stats provided for the Rytec HQ building (but not the other buildings). The big problem here is that this scenario seems intended to be played if the Regiment is victorious in the earlier scenarios, but no rules are provided to determine how that is decided.
Cut Off the Head – Colfire [DS] – Exact same scenario as above, but the Panthers are victorious, and the Regiment must defend the corporate offices. I would think you either play one or the other scenario, not both, but no instructions are provided. Also, hardly counts as an extra scenario – it's identical to the last one.
Evacuation [SG] – This scenario assumes that a player has failed to defend their HQ, and now must evacuate. One player starts in the buildings (center of board); the other player starts on the board edges. Points for evacuating forces which leave the tabletop; points for preventing any escapes. Note that it's entirely possible that the player didn't lose the HQ in the prior scenarios!
Second Battle of the Anchor [SG] – Essentially a repeat of the first scenario, but for StarGrunt instead of Dirtside. The evacuating player gets points for escaping on the space elevator, and more points for doing it in six turns. (But do victory points really matter at this point in the campaign???) The evacuee gets infantry; the defender gets the same amount of infantry, plus four APCs or Gun Jeeps!
Cudos to the designer for making a greater attempt to flesh out the scenarios, and for specifying an organization for the Panthers. However, the book still look rushed, incomplete, unplaytested.
ponders the woes of a heavy base.
