Spearhead in the Gap
Assault: Tactical Combat in the 1980s
Elements of the US 3rd Armor Division (SPEARHEAD) have been alerted to an anticipated invasion of West Germany by units of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic. First Brigade of the 3rd Armor have been deployed to the area around the Fulda Gap in Bad Hersfeld. The M60A3 Main Battle Tanks, M113 Armored Personnel Carriers and M901 Improved TOW Vehicles have been preparing a defense to defeat the Soviet army’s westward advance.
As this is a war game, you will play the role of either a US or USSR battlefield commander. If Interested, choose one of the following:
NATO Commander
You will command an unknown sized element of the US 3rd Armor Division or Deutsches Bundeswehr. The size and composition of your force will be determined by a dice roll. If you would like to take command of the NATO force defending the gap, roll a 1d12 and link it below in this OOC tab. Then I will send you a Private Message (PM) containing the unit and its composition you will command. You will also receive an image depicting the map where your units will be deployed. The unit could be as small as a company or as large as a battalion containing mechanized infantry, armor, reconnaissance and artillery assets. There is also the chance you may have air assault infantry or attack helicopter assets. Your maneuver units will be of platoon and section strength.
I will only disclose what the US force looks like, once someone steps up and says, “I would like to command the NATO forces in this game,” accompanied by results of the dice roll.
The NATO commander will win this engagement if he eliminates a certain number of soviet units and/or prevents Soviet units from exiting the west edge of the board. The game will last 18 turns or 90 minutes of game time. Each turn is five minutes and each hex on the map equals 250 meters of terrain.
USSR Commander
You will command an unknown sized element of a Soviet army element. The size and composition of your force will be determined by a dice roll. If you would like to take command of the WARSAW Pact force probing the gap, roll a 1d12 and link it below in this OOC tab. Then I will send you a Private Message (PM) containing the unit and its composition you will command. You will also receive an image depicting the map where your units will be deployed. The unit could be as small as a battalion or as large as a regiment containing mechanized infantry, armor, reconnaissance and artillery assets. There is also a chance you may have air assault infantry or attack helicopter assets. Your maneuver units will be of platoon and section strength.
I will only disclose what the USSR force looks like, once someone steps up and says, “I would like to command the NATO forces in this game,” accompanied by the dice result.
The Soviet Commander will win this game by eliminating NATO units and/or exiting Soviet units off the west edge of the map. There is a bonus, if you can exit units to the west by turn 12 or within one hour of game time. The game will last for 18 turns or 90 minutes of game time. Each turn is 5 minutes of game time and one hex equals 250 meters of terrain.
OOC
1. I will serve as the Game Referee. I will use the rules of a war game called, “Assault: Tactical Combat in the 1980s.” I will also provide you with reports and messages from your subordinate leaders as though I were Role playing those NPCs.
2. We will communicate via Private Messenger until contact with the enemy is made. You tell me where your units are moving along what route and who is firing at whom. I can answer questions related to the gaming system to help facilitate who is doing what, when and where.
3. I will use the gaming system to determine the outcome. Please do not argue about the outcome of an engagement.
4. There are several dice rolls to be made throughout this game. I may ask you to roll as many as twenty different rolls of 1d10 or more during each turn. I will use your rolls to determine the outcome of engagements. Since both commanders are giving me instructions at the same time, I will play one full turn to determine the outcome and then communicate this individually to each. If a Soviet unit can see a US unit and vice versa, will post a map of what is seen on both sides in the In Character tab.
5. As you create dice rolls in the forum’s Dice section, link them in the OOC tab for all to see. You can label them or compartmentalize then however you see fit. I will tell you how the dice rolls relate to the outcomes. I may come back and ask for more dice rolls if needed.
6. As I am made aware of outcomes of combat, I will communicate them to the respective player(s) so they can post them in their own style preferably using a role playing style. Create characters and tell a story about these character; about their life and maybe even their death.
7. The maps I will use have a hexagonal grid overlay which depicts sections of terrain that cover 250 meters.
8. Each game turn is 5 minutes. I will use both the NATO and the WARSAW Pact orders/moves/dice rolls as though everything is happening at the same time.
9. You do not need to know how to play the game. In fact, possessing a grasp of the game might interfere with your ability to enjoy the aesthetics of this role play.
10. You have the option to enlist (a) friend(s) to role play (a) subordinate(s) unit if there are too many units for you to manage.
The scenario we will use is a probe on the part of Soviet Forces. The element of the US 3rd Armor Division (Spearhead) will be in a defensive position in the vicinity of the Fulda Gap and will have been there for 24 to 72 hours prior to contact with Soviet probing forces. Their intention is to prevent Soviet forces from bypassing their defensive position. The Soviet army forces in the Gap are probing the strength of US resistance and are searching for an area where US forces are weak in an attempt to push through, continuing their advance to the west.
A few things you may need to know about the gaming system…
1. I will ask for die rolls for your HQs and TOC units (Tactical Operations Center).
2. Units move either in column formation (one behind the other) or in Line formation (vehicles are abreast). You may need to specify which you are using as column provides fastest movement speeds over great distances, but lacks combat power. Line formation provides the best combat power, but movement is slowed.
3. Units in column formation will not shoot. They must switch to combat formation. All you need to do is give me the instructions to have your units automatically switch to combat formation when fired upon.
4. Units that are in cover can execute Opportunity Fire which is similar to executing an ambush from a covered and concealed location. You must tell me before a battle which units and where are in cover. These are units which are in the defense. They may be dug into the ground and invariably are using some form of camouflage.
5. I will also ask you to give me locations of where you want your indirect fire (Artillery) to land, depending on whether you have artillery assets. Artillery is fired at a location on the earth. If enemy or friendly units happen to occupy that location, they must accept the consequences they receive.
6. Pay careful attention to the maps I provide you. The colors depicted on the maps refer to different elevations. Your HQs units need to be able to see their subordinate units in order to have a more efficient and positive effect on them. I can provide you with a guide to determine a clear Line of Sight (LOS) if you need one.
Note on Characters…
You will not need a character sketch for this role play. Feel free to name the characters in your command element and develop their characters throughout the game. The US or Bundeswehr commander will hold the rank of Captain, Major or Lieutenant Colonel. The Soviet Commander will hold the rank of Major, Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel. I will let you know when we know what size element you command. I encourage you to name the NPCs subordinate to your commander, whom I will play as when reporting to you about sightings and combat action.
If you have any questions, please ask. If there is something confusing in this OP, please let me know so I can clarify and maybe edit to this passage.
