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Author Topic: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4  (Read 2977 times)

Offline Skrapwelder

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ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« on: August 22, 2010, 09:36:26 PM »
Capay Valley, California - August 20th. The fourth game in our Second American Civil War campaign. The factions fighting for the Constitutionalist side were the local chapter of Minutemen and a the Constitutionalist Militia centered around the Veterans Association of the Central Valley and the local Stalinists. On the Nationalist side were elements of the 11th Cavalry Regiment, the local Citizen's Vigilance Committee, a mechanized infantry section of Trotsky's 4th Internationale, and the first appearance of the Capay Valley Regulators. Having discovered the location of a Nationalists ammo dump the Constitutionalists attempt to storm the depot, fighting up some very rough terrain in the hills Southwest of Esparto, California.

Setup for the game:

The Nationalist depot was positioned at the top of a slope littered with scrub trees and loose rock. Troops attacking were limited to half movement all the way. The only real benefit would be the abundance of light cover. A switchback trail cut across the table leading to the depot.

The Constitutionalist forces could come on the table at the low end and by coming up the trail. The majority of the force came up through the scrub with only a few small elements opting to take the trail.

The Nationalist forces were fairly evenly split with 2 artillery pieces, a light tank and a light machine gun defending the top of the hill while the bulk of the infantry took positions in the rocky hills between the depot and the trail.

Photos of the battle:


The initial terrain layout. The depot is in the foreground. The Nationalists had a truck parked at the switchback as a partial roadblock.


The first move of the Consti's was to set up their artillery piece on a hill at their end of the table. An artillery duel between the two sides quickly developed.


A Consti cavalry scout unit raced up the road only to be ambushed at close range by the Capay Valley Regulators who couldn't have asked for a better target. The rapid fire of their pistols at such short range took out several of the riders and forced the rest to take a hasty withdrawal, not recovering until just before the end of the fight.


The artillery duel was quickly over after two turns. With four shots and two direct hits the Regulators artillery put paid to the Consti gun. Most of the crew survived the explosion and retread off the board in their truck.


After the smoke cleared.


Consti infantry advances while their cavalry retires.


The main Constitutionalist force heads straight up the slope, through a burned out section of woods. Once their cannon was out of the way the Nationalist artillery concentrated on the troops in the middle and their vehicles.


Nationalist troops from the 11th cover the switchback, using the truck as cover.


The Consti's ran a mortar carrying truck up fast in an attempt to drop mortar rounds on the depot. It took heavy fire from the 11th's Lewis gun as well as a round from one of the regulator's cannon killing all the crew and taking it out of the fight.


Capay Regulators and the Silver Legion troops poured fire into the oncoming truck as well.


The Nationalist artillery were having a good day. Here, the destruction of another Consti truck by cannon fire.


The Nationalist line drops back behind the cover of the hill . On the right the Jaguar Legion troops of the 4th Internationale force break cover and fire into the approaching Constitutionalist infantry. A mine had been laid in the trail but proved to be a dud. When the Consti's crossed the road they were greeted with a "Phffft!" and puff of smoke. The light tank of the 4th Internationale started working its way down the road.


Another view of the Consti center. The red poker chips are activation markers. They are flocked with grass on the reverse side and flipped to red once a unit activates. At the beginning of a new turn all the chips are flipped back over.


The right flank of the Consti's was moving faster than the center as several units used the cover of the tree line to advance against the Nate infantry holding the switchback. The Nationalist infantry took several casualties, mostly in the Lewis gun's crew.


The troops of the Jaguar Legion make the approach hard on the Consti infantry.


The 11th's men stand fast.


The attack up the center stalls but good progress was made on the Consti right flank. The infantry on the Consti left was forced back by fire from the Jaguar Legion.


The Consti push on the right falters in the face of an extraordinary barrage from the 11th's infantry. Only one of the firing troopers missed. It was about this time that the Constitutionalists decided it was in their best interests to withdraw and with only a few goodbye shots from the artillery they got off the table.


Gratuitous tank picture.


"Oh yeah! You're all under arrest!"

Offline Count Winsky

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 315
Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2010, 01:21:20 AM »
Always Love your games.  Thanks for the battle report. 
“There is no force like success, and that is why the individual makes all effort to surround himself throughout life with the evidence of it; as of the individual, so should it be of the nation.”

Marcus Garvey

Offline postal

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Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2010, 03:43:18 AM »
very nice I really enjoyed it

Offline leadfool

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Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2010, 06:03:38 AM »
Damn Fascists, We will get our revenge!!!!

The game was great, and the terrain really impressive.  I especially liked the burned out forest section. 

The game was great but it was amazing how the card flip was in the defenders favor.  They got off first shot in the artillery duels each turn and that made a huge difference since they had more and better attillery.  We lost 1 gun and 2 mortars, our gun and 1 of our mortars got off 1 shot each. 

Their rifle and pistol fire was also devastating.  The Stalinist communists lost 13 plus and officer wounded, a mortar, a truck and killed 2 enemy.  The Yolo county Sportsmans association along with the Yolo equsterian club, lost their only artillery piece, 18 men, and horses, without inflicting a casualty.  The minutemen in the center perhaps did a little better, but lost their mortar as well.

That is why we pulled back, before it got any worse!

FOUNDER OF THE D'ISREALI ARMY
_______________________________

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for lunch.  Liberty is a well armed Lamb, contesting the vote.
B Franklin.    ----

Offline Trooper

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 663
Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2010, 01:28:34 PM »
As always, an excellent battle report of what looked like a great game to play. It always inspires me and has got me thinking about moving my VBCW across the pond to fight an ACW2 game of my own. Congrats guys.
They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
We will be victorious!!

Offline Alfrik

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  • Focus of Mission plus Logistics will carry the day
    • Armored Ink
Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2010, 09:34:07 PM »
The game board layout and the fact that all troops and vehicles could only move half speed slowed the rate of advance also. The game tension was terrific to the point that we're planning a re-fight, switching sides as attacker's and defenders! Both sides get to study the battle and improve their plans to a degree. While I was a defender, my 3 units of rifles were up on the big hill and never got to fire a shot..boo! (due to 30" rifle range..) So with a re-fight and sides switched, I proposed the following happened a couple days after the battle:
______________________________________
Seems that the Stalinist attempt to take a Dump... supply dump by force led to a successful attempt by .... BEER TRUCK!

After the battle dust settled and the main units were withdrawn to new action fronts the reduced defense team of local boys and old men welcomed a "neutral" beer truck to the depot .....followed by a 24 hour Beer bender, the beer truck driver and co driver easily managed to take the dump they were told to.. in the right place even. So, after they took the camp, those drivers are wanted for Reckless endangerment, providing liquor to minors, speeding, failure to pay the alcohol stamp taxes , failure to pay Inventory tax on all that ammo they just took possession of and overstaying their allotted time while taking the dump! Pah dah dum...... (I like listing the charges... as my leader is the Police Commissioner...its my Duty to enforce the Laws!)


Now to get a game date all the players can make it to!
http://armoredink.blogspot.com/

Painting Pledge for 2014 Cthulhu Wars and all expansions figures to paint! Arrrgh!

Offline leadfool

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1002
Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2010, 03:56:05 AM »
We had a number of players in this game, running their own or other players forces.  We had Robert Knestrick, Hal Lottman, and Mike Obrien, and LAFFER Black Chavalier, and myself, on the attackers side

On the Defense side was Skrapwelder, Alfrik, Dondi88, and a "Jason" 

Alfrik, I am sooooo sorry your troops did not also get a chance to shoot at mine. 

Offline Alfrik

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Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2010, 05:47:02 AM »
Gee, my sympathy detector must be broken.... hmmm have to get it checked! Jason had a fine tense time at the bend in the road, and I have to admit, my not fielding my artillery means Nils can grit his teeth over someone else's arty fire....  ::)
The lack of shooting meant the commissioner had more time to file all the proper paperwork with the charges for those miscreants that were captured... As usual they are being held in the morgue till fines can be charged to their estates....    o_o

Offline leadfool

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  • Posts: 1002
Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2010, 03:11:52 AM »
Good luck collecting a fine from the estate of a dead communist!

Offline Alfrik

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Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2010, 03:48:24 AM »
OH, OH !  I know this one!  Deep pockets, all communists a part and parcel of the collective, so we here by levy the fines against the collective. Load up the cash in boxes and truck them on in!  ;)

Offline leadfool

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Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #10 on: August 26, 2010, 06:56:03 AM »
Communist doctrine says all capital must be used for the greater good and the Sacramento Soviet, of the Central California Communnist Party, (CCCP), has determined that the resources are better served by the purchase of ammunition.

In related news the Electrical and Utility Workers Union, has formed a special unit the Kilowatt Generation Bureau, (KGB) who will be investigating ineffeciency within the ranks.


Offline Alfrik

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Re: ACW2, Fire in the Valley Game #4
« Reply #11 on: August 26, 2010, 01:29:13 PM »
 lol lol lol lol

 

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