"Nam Rules Question " Topic
10 Posts
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Lee494 | 10 Dec 2017 1:50 p.m. PST |
I've had many of the gamers who play my WWII Skirmish Action Rules ask me to do a version for Nam. Consensus seems to be keep it simple, playable on a 3x3 foot "kitchen" table, let people use their FoW Nam minis and keep it platoon sized like the movie Platoon or tv show Tour of Duty. Even if you don't play my rules for WWII I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks! Lee |
15mm and 28mm Fanatik | 10 Dec 2017 3:25 p.m. PST |
While Vietnam seems like the logical next step after WWII for Skirmish Action, I'm much more interested in a set of easy-to-learn and fast-playing Ultramodern rules that allows us to game "What If?" skirmishes with near-peer adversaries like Russia and China. 'Force on Force' didn't do it for me. Love the WWII rules BTW. |
Lee494 | 10 Dec 2017 5:00 p.m. PST |
Thanks Fanatik appreciate the compliment! Lots of good feedback from Fall In too. Along with requests for everything from Korea to Mideast, Modern and Nam. Many asked that I make sure gamers can also use FoW minis like you can with the WWII rules. I'm trying to get my arms around what to do next and thank you for your help! I'll keep you and everyone posted. Be doing a lot of work on the new rules over the Holidays and should have something to start playtesting in Jan. Lee |
miniMo | 10 Dec 2017 9:19 p.m. PST |
For any period, I look for elements that stand out as particularly unique. For Vietnam my list of what makes it interesting that is different from other periods: * Patrol Boats * Helicopters * Gun Trucks |
Extra Crispy | 11 Dec 2017 6:35 a.m. PST |
I have no idea which WW2 rule are your. That said, if you have a WW2 rule set it should be adaptable to most post WW1 settings. What makes most post WW2 settings different, to my mind, is the new strategies: not necessarily ground acquisition, but political goals. Tere's less of an orientation toward conquest in the WW2 manner. For Vietnam besides the kit (Helos, Gun trcuks) you need to look at hit and run tactics, tunnels, hidden movement, booby traps, etc. A platoon of VC or NVA will not take on a US platoon, except maybe in a hit and run. You don't really have scenarios like "take the bridge and hold it open." |
10mm Wargaming | 12 Dec 2017 3:51 a.m. PST |
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Blutarski | 12 Dec 2017 7:41 p.m. PST |
You'll definitely need comprehensive rules for artillery and close air support. There was a reason why the radio operator was THE most important member of any infantry company in the field. B |
Wolfhag | 12 Dec 2017 8:38 p.m. PST |
Don't forget the Claymore Mines and flamethrowers for the US. Light/60mm mortars are the arty you'll use the most. An airstrike from treetop level of snake and nape = game over. Also, be sure to have a breakdown roll for the US PRC-25 radio, it happened a lot. Good luck, Wolfhag |
Blutarski | 13 Dec 2017 8:29 a.m. PST |
"An airstrike from treetop level of snake and nape = game over." Wolfie – Recently picked up an interesting book "Phantom over Vietnam" by John Trotti, a USMC pilot who served in VN. It is perhaps (for me at least) the most honest analysis of the reality of close air support – in terms of both benefits and limitations. By the author's account, delivering the goods on target was by no means a slam dunk exercise; and often "the target" was a best guess by the FAC. The "green square" effect played a role. Hence my exhortation for "comprehensive" rules for close air support. Anyways, if you're interested in the topic, I recommend the book. Good point re radio reliability issues, BTW. It reminded me also of the fact that fresh batteries were like gold when the chips were all pushed in the middle of the table. B |
Wolfhag | 13 Dec 2017 9:53 a.m. PST |
Blutarski, If that book came out a long time ago I'm pretty sure I read it. I agree about the difficulty, there should always be at least a remote chance for a SNAFU. I was a trained (not highly) to call in air strikes, arty and naval gunfire. There are many variables. There is the close air support with friendlies within a few hundred yards that can observe the target and then aircraft attempting to hit a target identified by grid coordinates only with no friendlies in the area. In a skirmish game, it's about close air support. Is there a FAC in the area? Do you have a dedicated air support liaison or ANGLICO with you? Is the aircraft in direct support or aborting from another target? Are the friendlies and enemy identified by smoke? How close are the friendlies? Is the enemy listening in on your net and popping the same color smoke as you to designate the friendly position? Can you mark the target with tracers? Close Air Support with 500lb Snake Eye bombs and napalm is normally delivered very low, sometimes at treetop level. I've had Phantoms make those approaches over me with the afterburners on. Awesome! Terrain presents other variables but the enemy was normally in some type of cover like a treeline or copse of trees. If you are fortunate enough to have a FAC that can identify your friendly smoke you can give him a vector to the enemy. The FAC can mark the target with WP rockets too. This pretty much ensures the target is identified and the plane makes the correct approach. Friendly fire incidents happened when the aircraft made an approach that brought them over the friendly position. That can happen even with a FAC. Even if the airstrike is not exactly on target the enemy will most likely withdraw. Behind enemy lines in I Corps Force Recon Teams called in effective close air support while on the move and being chased under a full canopy jungle. Once the aircraft was vectored into the general area (within a grid square or two) the Team Leader would notify the pilot he'll be dropping smoke while on the move. After dropping 3-4 every 50-60 yards the smoke would rise above the trees and show the pilot the direction the team is moving. Then he lines up on the smoke and comes in low to drop the ordnance along the smoke. If the team was still being chased they'd be targeted. If they moved out of the smoke they'd lose the Recon Team's trail. You could have an entire game revolve around an airstrike. Don't remind me about batteries for the PRC-25. I think they weighed about 7 pounds each and seemed to be good for only a few days. I had to physically threaten guys to carry more for me. We put a Trojan rubber over the handset to make it waterproof. In poor terrain the range to other platoons might only be a few hundred yards. The PRC-25 was a smaller version of the WWII SCR-300 with about the same performance. Wolfhag |
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