Landain

Spearhead in the Gap; A WWIII war game (1985)

Fate allows you to roll dice and not have to worry about hiders and fog of war. You RP with the Thread Moderator and can negotiate about how things will turn out. The dice aren't absolute.

Spearhead in the Gap; A WWIII war game (1985)

This was fun. I had no illusions I would win as the Warsaw Pact commander. When I noticed I would have to fight past a battalion of M1 tanks, it would be challenging at best. I thought maybe if I massed my formation, online in the open terrain, I had the best chance of pushing maybe a few survivors to the right past the left most American unit, but even that was not enough. I didn’t expect my dismounted infantry to be abandoned in the town of Ansbach. I also was not surprised by the effectiveness of the M1 Abrams main gun or the TOW missiles. I was happy to see the Soviet Spiggot missiles were just as effective and tried to make as good use of those as I could. I could see in the dice rolls it was tough because the M1s were dug in. It meant I was shooting at turrets only. But I think it was the CAS that had more effect than the T-80s.

I realize this was more of a probe than an actual assault, but the Soviet doctrine called for attacks of three to one rather than force on force as we had here. I think if I had two armor and a mech infantry battalion assaulting, it may have been decidedly more in my favor. I was surprised the A-10s, F-15s, or F-16s didn’t show up. Gunther mentioned they were flying around in the area in the IC thread. Why didn’t American CAS show up? There were plenty of targets to shoot at.

Regarding the questions…

1. The Fog of War did help to give that feeling of not knowing what was in front of me. I knew there were Americans out there. It could have been one company, two companies, Mech infantry or even an older tank; the M60A3. When I knew it was a battalion of M1s, I knew it was over, but that’s information I did not have at the outset of the game. At that point, I just had to make the best of it. I knew my T-80s were merely targets for the US player. I considered employing smoke, but US M1 Gunners use the thermal sights as their primary which makes smoke irrelevant. It would have had the same effect as a very large sheet of glass.

Did Gunther’s attempts at preserving the Fog of War hinder gameplay? He could have put the responses in the IC thread, maybe even in hiders. As long as CaptainBritton and I could read what was there and not allow it to influence our future actions or refrain from looking, it would be OK. But that takes some serious trust issues. Using the Private Messages (PMs) communicate was probably the best means of communication.

2. The map images I saw were fantastic. Could it have been better if you (Gunther) used operational graphics rather than photographing the little cardboard chits? The hex identifiers did make it easier to identify locations of friendly and enemy units.

3. I’m not sure what you are asking here. I knew how my unit was moving and it appeared the US units didn’t move at all. I think if a US unit had moved and Gunther stated it moved, that would have resolved any issues here.

4. The PMs helped a lot to preserve the Fog of War. The resporting system worked as far as putting it in a format of a message from subordinate commanders and listing the results of dice rolls.

5. This game was great for this scenario/war game. I loved it. I would love to do it again. Not sure I would be able to with work going on.

The FATE system. I have seen that in use. I think it would be great for use I a wargame, if the players were using units, equipment and vehicles of their own creation, either basead on real stuff or not. The Fate dice are kind of based more on events resulting in average ways and only rarely being very good or very bad. You would need to assign some good Die Roll Modifiers on player created junk rather than based on historical performance of this stuff.

Overall, a very good experience. I don’t care what the rules say, hats off to CaptainBritton for melting my T-80s on contact.

♠ Showdowns & Saddles ♠

William noted the reluctance of the outlaws to show themselves around the sides of the train. He considered moving through or over the freight cars to get a shot at who was back there. He did not know how many were left. He figured there couldn’t have been too many; maybe three or four? It would have been nice to know the answer to that question.

“Come on you two; let’s shake up some dust.” Sergio yelled from the front of the passenger car. William and Phineas looked up at Sergio acknowledging the invitation to join the others in their push into the Express car. William knew whoever was towards the rear would be slow in moving forward along the train and decided it might be more important to protect the cargo in the Express Car, since that was what they were hired to do.

“Finney,” Billy muttered. “Let’s join the others. You’ll do fine, kid.” Billy got up, trotting toward the other end of the passenger car with Finney on his heals. When he reached Sergio and Taylor, he saw Misthikoman wrestling with the Navajo man. There wasn’t a lot of room in the Express Car. He then considered his idea of climbing onto the top of the car to shoot the men towards the rear. “How about we go up on top of the car here and stop anyone from entering the express car from the other end or from hitting the engineer? There isn’t a whole of room to get by Misti and the Navajo.”

Billy became squeamish on the idea of riding on top of a train while moving. Maybe Sergio or Taylor would join Billy. It certainly would not be prudent for all four of them to go up there. Two could do the job.

@EvilEdd1984@BingTheWing

♠ Showdowns & Saddles ♠

@Eviledd1984Sergio is inviting William and Phineas to help pursue the outlaws towards the front of the train. I should have a post up later tonight. I can't see much happening yet. The Express car will have a very confining space which is fine for two people fighting it out, but with more than that it will get crowded quick. HOw about climbing a ladder and climbing across the top to the Express car? Stop Bobby at that end or possibly shooting at Mr. Linch from a position of height? or moving across the Tender Car as well?

Post a random fact about yourself.

I watched the show, Lost Girl when I was younger...but, still old.

@Vampiretwilight, this show appears to be right up your alley.

♠ Showdowns & Saddles ♠

Just so I get this right. When Billy and Finney started shooting out the back of the passenger car...

One of the riders, on a white pinto planned to board at the rear of the passenger car, but backed off because of the shooting.

(a) shorter figure riding a brown and white pinto...

the rider backed off complaining there were more guards than they expected. But Bobby and Sparrow are now a more immediate threat to the guys at the front of the passenger car; Sergio, Misti and Taylor...

Bobby and Sparrow have brought their horses up beside the little platform at the back of the express car. The Navajo man grabbed ahold of the railing and made the transfer from saddle to train with surprising ease. Bobby, still in his saddle, pointed his revolver toward the passenger car door...

Do I have that right now?

I ask because I just read Ed's post for Sergio and it appears he turned to head for the back of the passenger car?

@Kelewen@Eviledd1984

♠ Showdowns & Saddles ♠

Sorry about my absence/Delayed posting. I didn't realize we were in a firefight. Also, please note, that I am accustomed to advanced writing standards. I hope my post wasn't too long. I really want to develop Finney's character as a naivete` and slowly change him into a hardened gun fighter in the old west. It will take time. He is not there yet, but this experience should put him in the right direction. Billy is his teacher; as are the rest of you! Like Sergio teaching him some hand to hand combat techniques.

♠ Showdowns & Saddles ♠

Billy and Finney were surprised when the shooting started. This was the first time he had ever seen or heard gunfire, aside from the little bit of practice shooting he did during his trek through the desert to Sweetwater. He stared out the window as bullets flew past him. It didn’t dawn on him he should duck, until Billy yelled at him, “Finney! Get yer stupid ass on the floor!”

Finney woke up. He was shocked by what was going on. He didn’t realize he could die during this exchange of gunfire. His bowler was knocked off his head by a whizzing bullet. He heard it fly by, with a loud hi-toned whine, “Whizzzzz!” It took off his hat and impacted with a wall towards the front of the car.

Billy reached for his Henry rifle. He opened the breach to see it was loaded. He turned to Finney and said, “stay low, follow me. We are going to the back door of this car to take a few of these bastards out. You are going to be ok!” Billy ordered Finney that he would be fine as long as he stayed with him. He didn’t give him an option. Stay with him and you will be safe.

The two bent over and worked their way to the back of the car. Billy looked out the back doorway, which had been propped open to help with the airflow. He saw riders on both sides of the train. He scooted back a bit to the right to not expose himself. He stayed on the right. “Finney, you get on the left side and shoot at the riders on the left side of the train. I’ll stay on this side and shoot at the riders on the other side. This way we are only exposed to those people we are shooting at.”

Finney thought that made sense. He pulled out his .45 peacemaker, extended the pistol into the limited area where he could see someone. The first rider came into view. He didn’t think about it. He lined the sights up with the rider. He was scared. He jerked the trigger quickly. The pistol barked in his hand, sending the bullet high.

Meanwhile, Billy leveled his Henry Rifle in the other direction. When the first rider he saw came into view, he lined the sights up on the rider, led him about a half inch, exhaled, stopped breathing and slowly squeezed the trigger. The .44 caliber cartridge exploded like a cannon. It struck the man in the ribs and tossed the rider into the dust behind him. He had killed men before and today was no different. In fact, he believed he was hired to kill men who threatened Mr. Grainger’s package. He was doing his job.

Billy saw Finney fire his pistol. “Relax, Finney,” Billy cooed. “Don’t be in a hurry to shoot. If you are in a hurry, you will die because you will run out of bullets and they will shoot you after you miss every time.”

Finney was scared. He finally realized they were in a fight for their lives. It was nothing like the fist fight in the saloon. These lead bullets could kill him. One already put a hole in his favorite bowler. A bullet whizzed past his head striking the back of the bench-like seat behind him. Billy extended his firing arm again and slowly squeezed the trigger after taking aim. The hammer fell on the firing pin, surprising the young Amherst College graduate. The .45 caliber projectile struck the rider in the right side of his neck, causing arterial spurt to spew blood across the desert floor. The man slumped over and dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, dead. Finney, felt a pang of dread. ‘I just killed a man,’ he thought to himself. ‘I am a murderer.’ The thought scared him more than the possibility of dying in this fight. The morality of his predicament weighed heavy on him.

Billy could see it written on the young man’s face. “Don’t give him a second thought, Finney my boy. You can go to confession tomorrow as long as you shoot a few more of these bad guys. Because if you don’t, they will most certainly shoot you. Then you can go to heaven and plead your case to Jesus.” Billy focused on the riders outside the train looking for another target.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I always wonder what happened to Val Kilmer...

@role model

Two-year battle with throat cancer, but he is still alive. Unfortunately, he lost his voice.

Spearhead in the Gap; A WWIII war game (1985)

“Comrades, the enemy is burrowed into those ridgelines like ticks on a boar,” oberstleutnant Heinrich called over the radio. “It is our mission to dig them out and eradicate them. They are obstructing our path to reunite our homeland. This western influence of capitalism has gone on too long. Every one of us must do our duty.” Oberstleutnant Heinrich knew the commissar was listening.

“Herr Heinrich,” Oberst Maximilien Muller, the 91st Regimental Commander called over the radio. “Are you prepared to assault your objectives, over?”

“Ja Wohl, mein herr,” Oberstleutnant Heinrich responded. He looked at his wristwatch. It was 0650 hours. “Herr Oberst, we will be on those ridges advancing westward in five minutes.”

“Sehr gut! Don’t let us down. Germany is depending on you, out.”

Heinrich called his Recce company commander, “pull back east of that ridge and head north. Once you pass our main supply route, head for Hasselburg. You may have to bypass the ridge to the west. Stay north of it and look for a safe route there. The battalion will be assaulting soon.”

Heinrich then ordered the rest of the battalion to advance through the crossroads and deploy toward the north east of Ansbach and begin their assault west.

The A Company had already moved through the intersection but lost their 2nd platoon due to direct fire from American Abrams. The first and second platoons moved up just to the right of the small ridge in front of them. The D Company, attached from the infantry battalion, moved in behind them. The B Company moved up to the right of A Company and C Company took the far right of the line. Everyone executed a left face; a battle drill to turn and attack into the enemy.

As soon as the battalion began to deploy, US 155mm Indirect fire began impacting on the road intersection, the entire battalion had to pass through. But since most of the vehicles were armored and buttoned up, the damage was negiligble, but the battalion did lose three T-80 Main Battle Tanks.

Racing across the sky from east to west, were a pair of Sukhoi-25 Frogfoots. The heavily laiden aircraft streaked in at about ten thousand feet, then began a diving run at the known enemy positions west of Ansbach. The two aircraft lined up on the two armor platoons and unleashed a violent salvo of S-13 and S-25 air to ground rockets. The first Frogfoot completely missed its target but tore up the ground and made an impressive splash of orange explosions erupt into the air above. Adjacent to this attack, the second aircraft unleased a similar salvo and struck the four M1 Abrams sending both into secondary explosions killing the sixteen soldiers of second platoon. The two Su-25s pulled out of their dive arced around behind the American armor battalion with the intention of returning to base. At the extend of their arc, a Stinger missile shot up into the sky effortless, striking the fuselage of the second Su-25 causing it to explode on impact. The lone Su-25 streaked back east of the 1K zone and back to a friendly airbase.

Just as the battalion executed its left face and began to advance towards the ridges, all hell broke loose. Just about every American cannon and missile launcher in the area of operations opened up on the battalion. There was a violent rush of fires and explosions ripping up and down the line of East German panzers and infantry fighting vehicles. When it was all over, at least half the battalion was destroyed.

Oberleutnant Heinrich felt the impact of the Armor Piercing Depleted Uranium round which destroyed his tank, but in such a way that he was able to hurriedly crawl out of the turret, across the engine deck and flop onto the ground. The reality is no fewer than fourteen enemy panzers fired on the German battalion commander’s tank. HE was certainly lucky to be alive. As soon as he could get to his feet, he ran to one of the infantry BMPs near the wood line behind him. He called for his UAZ-469 built at the Ulianovsk plant in the Soviet Union.

Before his car arrived, he looked at his wristwatch. It was 0655 Hours. Now he pondered his options. Either we assume a defensive position where they sit or continue the advance. What would he do?