nnascati | 14 May 2015 2:36 p.m. PST |
All, I am thinking of dipping my toe once again into WWII. I want to do a squad level game using "Nut" or something similar. I have a definite soft spot when it comes to USMC, but I'm not sure how much scope there is for squad level. What do all of you think? Is Europe more conducive to squad level games than the Pacific? |
MajorB | 14 May 2015 3:02 p.m. PST |
There are a number of scanariops (and linked scenario campaigns) available for the "Chain of Command" rules. |
MH Dee | 14 May 2015 3:22 p.m. PST |
There's a Nuts! campaign/scenario book for War in the Pacific. I've got it somewhere, but I can't recall if it's mostly squad level scenarios, I think it's larger actions |
Blutarski | 14 May 2015 4:25 p.m. PST |
Dug in USMC squad – night – Banzai attack with random Japanese. I'd play in a scenario like that. B |
skippy0001 | 14 May 2015 4:36 p.m. PST |
Go for a What-If: Switch !st Marines and The Big Red One's theater deployment. |
Saber6 | 14 May 2015 5:52 p.m. PST |
The Skirmish Campaigns, are a great source |
nnascati | 14 May 2015 7:04 p.m. PST |
Yes, the Skirmish Campaigns are pretty good, but no Pacific, and most are larger than squad level. |
nnascati | 14 May 2015 7:11 p.m. PST |
But my real question, is whether PTO is more or less conducive to squad level scenarios than ETO. |
Rebelyell2006 | 14 May 2015 8:05 p.m. PST |
But my real question, is whether PTO is more or less conducive to squad level scenarios than ETO. I don't see why not. Most of what I've read about the USMC in the Pacific revolved around small units maneuvering to avoid artillery and machine gun fields of fire, or finding bunkers or spider-holes, while on the volcanic islands. On forested islands like the Solomons and Papua New Guinea, the Australians and the Americans had dispersed fighting due to the terrain. Not to mention patrols to find the Japanese that used the jungle as a base for raids and ambushes. |
Ethanjt21 | 14 May 2015 10:30 p.m. PST |
In a really old issue of "The Courier" a friend gave me there was a squad level scenario for the Spanish Civil War that could work. It was a 2x2 table with a river, a bridge, and a single road. The defenders got two one man sandbag emplacements and the rest was trees. Objective was defender to hold the bridge, attacker to destroy it with demo charges. In PTO terms: Marines take a vital bridge and are ordered to hold it until tanks get there to cross. Japanese squad with demo/suicide guy must blow it. I think it was like 6 models to a side. Should be easy to put together. |
Andy ONeill | 15 May 2015 4:24 a.m. PST |
You wouldn't usually see a squad/section operating on it's own outside of special forces. Pretty much everyone else you need an officer which means a platoon +. There are exceptions like patrol – that would have that officer plus some others. Plus of course they are likely to be creeping about past a platoon + sort of organisation. There again, there are plenty of times you find a company ends up more like a section. Dad's company was reduced to 12 men within several days of landing at "broadway" in 1944. |
Tekawiz | 15 May 2015 4:45 a.m. PST |
I play a lot with Nuts! and I make up my own scenarios as I go along. My squad consists of 8 guys. A lot of my games are like episodes from the TV show Combat! My current scenario is to take out a sniper pinning down a few paratroopers. The first part of the scenario is my squad making their way across the board down a road to the village – they were ambushed by a German squad, but made it across. Part 2 – I set up a small village and they have to flush out the sniper. At the man to man level of combat. I think there are a ton scenario ideas whether it be PTO or ETO. |
Tekawiz | 15 May 2015 4:51 a.m. PST |
You can also check out "Platoon Forward" from Too Fat Lardies. Platoon Forward is a scenario generator for squad level gaming. There's enough variety of missions in there to keep your squad busy for a long time. |
nnascati | 15 May 2015 4:57 a.m. PST |
Ethanjt21, Funny, I think I wrote that scenario! |
Ethanjt21 | 15 May 2015 7:53 a.m. PST |
You wouldn't usually see a squad/section operating on it's own outside of special forces. Pretty much everyone else you need an officer which means a platoon +. There are exceptions like patrol – that would have that officer plus some others. Plus of course they are likely to be creeping about past a platoon + sort of organisation. You are correct, but that doesn't make gaming such a thing improbable. I don't allow offboard movement in my games (even squad level) because the table represents your part of a battlefield. Basically, in a squad level game you can assume the rest of your platoon is to the left and right of your table space, doing their thing. In the scenario I listed above you could just say the rest of your platoon/company has drawn off the majority of the enemy formation leaving your squad to blow the bridge, still fits. A good PTO squad level game would be a 2x2 with a bunker in the middle, facing offboard on one edge. Your Marine Platoon is pinned down by its MG fire. Your squad flanks and must destroy/clear the bunker before your platoon is killed by the japanese troops using the suppressive fire closes on your unit. Say 5 turns 1 squad attacking 1 squad defending the bunker. |
Pizzagrenadier | 15 May 2015 1:17 p.m. PST |
Ethan has it. Never understood why gamers can't imagine the action being part of a larger action with the table being just one part of the line or the point of contact. Especially a squad level skirmish game. Squad level can be really fun with two players playing a squad each representing a platoon assault of two squads forward (with the third off board) attacking a half squad or a few hidden mg teams. Add some light mortar support or an off board heavy mg and you have a squad level skirmish but with elements that make it realistically part of a larger action. It's really no different than gaming at other scales. |
bullant | 15 May 2015 2:53 p.m. PST |
The last bullet may provide something you can build a scenario around link Swap the Australian patrol for USMC. The thin red line would be another good source. link |
zoneofcontrol | 15 May 2015 6:24 p.m. PST |
Iron Ivan has a few scenarios listed on a page of their site. Scroll most of the way down to see them. You may need to doctor them up just a tad to fit your needs. link Warlord Games has two scenarios on this page: warlordgames.com/tag/usmc |
Ed the Two Hour Wargames guy | 16 May 2015 7:37 a.m. PST |
Ethan has it. Never understood why gamers can't imagine the action being part of a larger action with the table being just one part of the line or the point of contact. Well said. |
Weasel | 17 May 2015 10:34 a.m. PST |
I mean, if you look at it, your gaming table, to scale, is what? 200 meters wide? Easy enough for the third squad to be just off the edge doing something or other. |
Pizzagrenadier | 17 May 2015 1:53 p.m. PST |
Exactly. And also a valid explanation for adding platoon level support like light mortars and HMGs. The board could represent an area where the platoon commander had designated support and the squad is attacking or defending in that area. |
nnascati | 17 May 2015 6:36 p.m. PST |
Well, I am "In for a penny….." as they say. I've ordered a platoon of USMC from Brigade Games, and a box of plastic Bolt Action Japanese from The Warstore! |