Quote:
Originally Posted by Wdll
Well done.
I assume no heavy elements of the Americans were present?
No air support either?
|
Thank you. From what I understand, the size of the enemy force is directly related to the size of my force - since my units are so cheap, the AI fielded about two reinforced platoons. A Dragon unit is worth about as much as three platoons of Peoples Army. I see this as a potential problem for this campaign long-term - I want my units to go up against superior opposition, including advanced fighting vehicles and airplanes, but the AI may never have the points to field such units. One possible solution is to buy several platoons of (for example) T-55 tanks and to keep them out of harm's way - given how many things can kill them, green T-55s will never be the decisive weapon in any engagement, but they will give the AI additional points to play around with.
What's in a Name?
The first battle is over. A number of green troops advanced to be regulars. The dead were buried with honors, and as the survivors regrouped and gathered what weapons and supplies they could, some stragglers came in to replace the lost ones and even grow the force slightly. With a victory behind them, the first signs of cohesion grew among the soldiers, and in honor of their commander, who achieved that first victory, the men began to call their ad hoc battalion Mustafa's Marauders. Mustafa's Mobile Maniples had been bandied about, but no one really knew what it meant, so the subject disappeared quickly. Lt. Col. Mustafa's experience in the first battle slightly improved his ability to command artillery. Since his HQ unit has 10-vision and size 0, the Lt. Col. is planning to take a more active role in future battles, as a forward arty spotter/scout.
New Hope Brings New Comrades
Perhaps attracted by the sound of battle and the news of a rare Iraqi victory, several Iraqi units who had not yet given up completely managed to make contact with the Marauders and agreed to join them on their quest to find the Last Republican Guard Regiment. These include a new sniper, Mulazim Saqqaf (as more of an elite unit, he found it easy to survive the initial defeat of the Iraqi regular troops; he hopes to develop a healthy rivalry with the other sniper, Mulazim Qattib), as well as some Special Forces scouts (with NO night vision!) and a section of 120mm mortars. These mortars are too heavy for a pickup truck to carry, so unless the Marauders can scrounge up some transportation, the mortars may have to be left behind.
All the Burning Bridges that Have Fallen Before Me...
Following a lead about the possible location of the Last Regiment, the Marauders approach a river that has subsided to the point where it is little more than a stream, although in places the stream spreads out to form mini-lakes. The river valley runs SW to NE, and is full of rough and difficult terrain. No convenient bridge exists, but before the force can even attempt a crossing, they are met by a squad of sappers. The sappers offer no good news - an unspecified force of Coalition soliders, possibly British, have been seen fortifying the opposite side of the river. While the British force's objective may be unclear, the Marauders' choice is anything but - they must cross the stream even if it means an assault against the prepared British position. Fortunately the sappers, all three platoons of them, agree to assist, and they even call up the help of two 130mm field gun batteries, which have yet to participate in the war.
BATTLE 02: Iraq vs. Great Britain, Iraq Assault
Visibility: 2
Turn Limit: 38 turns
As before, VP location, the terrain, and visibility, are all crucial to this battle. Two VP clusters are located toward the northern side of the battlefield, so these will become my primary objective. There is hope, if not ambition, to captue the lower VP cluster, but capturing the top two and getting most of force across the river valley should be enough to count as a "win" in this battle. The crossing will take place in the far north of the battlefield. Since the valley runs SW to NE, in the northern part the valley is close to the Iraqi staging area, and far away from the expected British staging area. Therefore, in the northern part of the river valley, there should be no British troops dug-in among the rough terrain on the other side of the river valley. Everywhere else, the Marauders would run the risk of encountering NV-equipped British units, dug in on rough ground, and defending a river crossing. The elevation on either side of the valley is about 30 - meaning that Iraqi support weapons, positioned in rough terrain on the eastern side of the valley, will have good fields of fire on the western side; to silence them, the British troops will either have to bring overwhelming firepower or attempt to cross the river bed and stream themselves.
With the above in mind, the entire infantry force is massed on the northern side of the map, and it will cross the river valley as quickly as possible. The HQ unit and the two snipers are the ONLY units with NV; all others, including the sappers and SF recon units, have visibility of 2. Therefore, the HQ unite and the snipers will cross the river as well, and will act as spotters and scouts.
