That's My USAID -- AAR

[mikedemana]

I ran my "That's My USAid - Congo Chaos" game four times at Historicon 2017. It is a free-for-all scenario set in The Congo in the 1960s as the country is falling apart after independence. There are 5 factions, including:


UN Peacekeepers

This faction has been detailed to meet a freighter bringing in badly-needed food and medicine. They are tasked with guarding it until a transportation unit arrives to take it to UN relief distribution centers. The peacekeepers are from Ghana, whose president Kwame Nkrumah was not above meddling in internal affairs of the nascent nation. So, they have a bit freer reign than, say, a Western European contingent.


Congolese Paratroopers

This faction has heard about the UN shipment and sends a force to commandeer it. They try their best bluff, saying that they are taking possession of the shipment as they are representing the armed forces of the nation of The Congo. The UN refuses, and a standoff ensues. The paratroopers are the one professional force on the board, well-trained by the Belgians and funded by the U.S., who have their Col. Mobutu in their back pocket, so to speak.


Leopoldville Leopards (Local Militia)

This is the local militia in the area that the freighter has pulled into. They marshal a force together and decided to seize the shipment for themselves. Very little food or medicine has made it from the elites into the hands of the ordinary people, who are beginning to suffer.


Congolese Regular Army (ANC)

This represents an army unit loyal to the Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba. They have heard about the shipment and been ordered to seize it and make sure it falls into the hands of the government. They know the paratroopers are lackeys of the Belgians and the West, and don't want to see it fall into their hands.


Boma Bandits

These are rivermen from the town of Boma. They saw the UN freighter go by and hastily gathered a force to see if they can hijack the goods. Little food or medicine has come to Boma since the country began to fall apart. Their families need these supplies, and they are determined to get them!


Congolese Army squads move through the shantytown and past the destroyed factory

The game played out differently each time. If I had to name a victor in each scenario, then four different factions won the game in the different runnings. The most surprising was the UN faction coming out on top in the final game Saturday night. The UN player cleverly began negotiations and managed to convince the Paratroopers not to attack them. This allowed them to concentrate on the Boma Bandits, who they were able to hold off. Meanwhile, the Leopoldville Leopards and the ANC hammered the paratroopers, each side taking casualties. Usually, the peacekeepers take in on the chin, sometimes being eliminated to a man!


The .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the jeeps begin to hammer away at the paratrooper positions

I used my soon-to-be-published rules, Wars of Insurgency. Each players controlled 3-4 squads of troops ranging in size from 4-9 figures. Each figure represents one man. Action is fast and furious, and players are usually running their turns and resolving combat themselves by the second turn. Everyone seemed to have a great time, with lots of backstabbing and mayhem going on.


The army enters the edges of the town center and also begins to fire upon the paratroopers

Most of my miniatures are 20mm Liberation Minis, but there are some odds and ends that come from FAA or other sources. I really enjoy 20mm as a modern skirmish scale. You can still do nice individual details on the models -- which aren't too fiddly to handle individually based in 20mm. I also like the way weapon ranges look on the table with 20mm, though the rules can be used for any scale -- at least from 15mm through 28mm, though.


The river bandits race their canoes up to the pier and fire on the paratroopers from close range


Afraid their riverborne rivals will make away with all the loot, the Leopards redeploy their jeeps and begin to fire on the outboard canoes


A canoe veers off to assault the shore and hopefully take out the .50 caliber guns


One squad of rivermen actually seize the bridge and fire upon the paratroopers below

I expect the rules to be published this summer -- everything is written, for the most part. I just need to do the layout in the desktop publishing program. I'll let everyone know when they're available, in case readers are interested in picking them up! Thanks for reading...!

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

[mikedemana]

Apparently, there are a lot of crickets in Africa... 

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

[gamer Mac]

Sorry but some of us have to work for a living and can't spend all day looking at pictures
Very nice pictures they are too,
Very nice set up and some lovely painted figures thought they were 28 mm

[juergen c. olk]

great setup...can't wait for your rules..

[von Lucky]

Nice looking game - chaos and backstabbing are always good ingredients for a multiplayer game.

[Mako]

Sounds like fun.

Thanks for sharing your pics.

Appears that your rules could be used for current day Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and parts of SE Asia as well.

[mikedemana]

Appears that your rules could be used for current day Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, and parts of SE Asia as well.

Although I call them my "modern Africa rules," they are intended to be used for any low-intensity conflict, counter-insurgency, etc. I was working on resizing the photos for the rulebook last night -- which include some of the amazing figures painted by talented LAF members Ash and Jacksarge!

Thanks for the comments, everyone...and interest in the forthcoming rules!

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

[Terryb]

Really nice figures and battle report. Just started collecting 28mm from Britannia miniatures here in the UK for a Congo style setting. Your rules look like they may be able to scratch that particular itch. Looking forward to seeing them published.

[commissarmoody]

Great looking little report. Looking forward to checking out your rules when they come out.

[Marine0846]

Great looking game Mike.
I look forward to the rules.
Have a lot of unpainted 28mm guys for this period.