DECISIONS, DECISIONS

HERE is an idea for a game scenario that should make life interesting for all concerned. It can be gamed by a GM and at least 2 players OR 2 teams of players consisting of 2 players each.

A. THE SITREP (BOTH COMMANDERS). The Rebels have staged a massive planet wide offensive and the government forces are taken completely by surprise. This battle takes place in one of the planetary provences during this offensive. Some units of the Planetary Defense Force have gone over to the Rebels en masse, others are locked in a bitter internal fight among former comrades, some units have been over run by previously unsuspected Rebel formations or surendered without a fight, and others are trapped in their bases and fighting for their lives.

The situation at the provencial capital is extremely serious, with heavy fighting going on inside the capital city limts as well as in the outlying suburbs. The issue is in doubt. Provencial military HQ and especially the politicians, are almost hysterical from shock and fear of the Rebel bogeymen.

1. TASK FORCE COMMANDER ONLY. Three days ago you were commanding officer of a training company at a PDF basic training base. You have been selected by the base commander to lead an ad hoc task force of infantry only, ordered to take and hold the only bridge ( GUPTA RIVER GORGE) in the region capable of supporting the weight of the armored brigade that is attempting to relieve the provencial capital. The armored brigade is fighting its way north, and is expected to arrive at the bridge 2-3 days time. At present the bridge is defended by a unit of Planetary Police and Militia, of about platoon size, armed with light weaponry. Oddly enough, there has been NO Rebel activity in the district. ..

a. The Task Force consists of overage training cadres, partially trained recruits, and a few of the real soldiers stationed at the training center ( 1/3 cadre, 1/3 trainees, 1/3 soldiers). Armament is limited to personal weaponry, squad support weaponry/anti-armor weaponry, and available heavy weaponry that can be moved by airlift.

b. The task force will be flown to the vicinity of the bridge by unarmed VTOL aircraft, off-loaded, and then march to the bridge on foot. There is no air support available, but the training center can provided limited long range artillery firesupport WHICH COULD BE WITHDRAWN WITHOUT WARNING.

c. The task force is 100% PDF infantry, an consists of three infantry platoons and one weapons platoon with air transportable heavy weaponry only (or 2000 points 40K style; PDF is modelled on the IG but without famous personalities, commissars, preachers, or abhumans).

d. Regular PDF uses basic IG profiles, body armor and weaponry; Cadre uses basic IG profiles but LD 6, body armor, and weaponry; the trainees use the basic IG profile but LD5, body armor and weaponry.

2. THE REBEL COMMANDER ONLY. For three days, your command ( 3 platoons or 1500 points 40K style) has been on the attack as part of the surprise offensive. Todate your command as only been in action against police stations, militia installations, and isolated units of the PDF stationed in the provence or attempting to move through the provence. Your casualties have been light, morale is high, and the small arms your unit began the fight with have been supplemented with captured weapory from the government forces.

a. About 1/3 of your force is trained and equipped up to the standards of regular PDF infantry (basic IG profile, body armor and weaponry), 1/3 is trained up to Militia infantry standards (basic IG profile but LD 6, body armor, and weaponry), and the remainder is basically partially trained ( Armageddon ganger profile, assorted ganger weaponry, and NO ARMOR).

b. This morning, HQ ordered you to divert from your planned objective and move north ASAP to the bridge over the GUPTA RIVER GORGE, capture same from any government forces present, and hold it until relieved. Denying use of this bridge is critical to the success of the battle being fought at the provencial capital 100 klicks north of the bridge itself.

c. To make your march you have access to enough unarmed civilian wheeled vehicles to carry your company (costed and rated as an ORK truk If the Rebel CO decides to field any of these on the table top. Any unarmed civilian vehicles can be used under the WYSISWYG rule).

d. You will not have any air support or long ranged artillery support assigned. You will have to depend the heavy weaponry possessed by your company (normal IG heavy weapons choices) for fire support and anti-armor missions.

e. At a designate site SOUTH of the bridge (insert map coords here) your force will rendezvous with local Rebel toops familiar with the area who will provide yu with local intel and terrain info (500 points of rebels using gamer profiles, weaponry, and NO ARMOR).

B. TERRAIN AT THE GORGE (ALL). T he table used is 10-ft by 5-ft, with the roadways entering from the center of the narrow ends. The gorge is centered and 36" wide, with the GUPTA RIVER flowing rapidly 48" below the spans. The river is 24" wide and flws from the WEST to the EAST at 12" per turn. The rest of the terrain at the GUPTA RIVER GORGE is forested and hilly, a wilderness area, with a three-span bridge crossing the gorge itself. at each end of the bridge is a pair of concrete bunkers that serve as defense positions and living quarters. The trees and vegetation have been cleared away for a distance of 24" beyond the bunkers. There is a two lane paved roadway adjoining the bridge at each end. The roadway is 6" wide, as is the bridge. The trees and vegetation have been cleared away from the roadside for a distance of 6" on each side but extend right up to the edge of the gorge itself. GM should make a scaled map of the bridge and surrounding terrain for use of himself and the players.

C. TERRAIN AT THE GUPTA RIVER FORD. Terrain WEST and upstream from the gorge must also be mapped. Running down the center of this table from the WESTERN narrow end to the EASTERN narrow end is the GUPTA RIVER. Here the river is 24" wide, and flowing at a leisure 2" per turn from WEST to EAST. There is a ford in the center of the river that is 12" wide and knee-deep on a man . The river banks are low and the ford is gravelled so that wheeled vehicles can pass with only a 1D6 chance of becoming stuck (score 1 on 1D6 for each vehicle attempting to ford, if any). There is a narrow dirt road entering the ford from the SOUTH table edge, and exiting the NORTH table edge. The entire area is forested, with low vegetation and low hills. This dirt road intersects with another dirt roadway that leads to the paved road that leaves the NORTHERN table edge at the bridge.

D. PDF DEPLOYMENT. The Task Force arrives first by unarmed VTOL aircraft in the clearing off table NORTH of the bridge, and has an uneventful march to the bridge area. The bridge is completely deserted - apparently the Police Detachment and the Militia have decided to fade back into the civilian population rather than do their duty.

1. GM will now drop "bomb" NO. 1 on the TF Commander. One of his patrols as made contact with an individual wearing a Militia uniform who claims to have been a part of the bridge guard. He warns the TF Commander of the existence of an upstream ford across the river. This ford IS NOT indicated on any of the TF maps. Further questioning will reveal that the ford has a gravel bottom, is usable by civilian wheeled vehicles and men on foot at this time of the year. The final bit of good news about the ford is that it is BEYOND the maximum range of any of the support weaponry the TF has at the bridge. . ..

2. While the TF Commander is chewing on this tidbit, his XO will inform him that the training center is under attack by Rebel ground forces, and that the promised artillery fire support has been cancelled, so the only firesupport the TF can rely on is that it has with it. . ..

3. TF Commander must now deploy his troops at one or both locations, his choice!

4. TF must deploy forces at each end of the bridge, with the proviso that the troops at the SOUTHERN end must be placed within the bunkers and behind the barricades placed across the bridge entrance! Those on the NORTHERN end may be placed anywhere, after both bunkers are manned!

5. ANY TF troops dispatched to the ford BEFORE the first table top turn will arrive after an uneventful speed march! These troops can be deployed anywhere on the NORTHERN side of the river and will have ample time to construct field defenses.

6. TF troops deploy on table first, and move second on turn one!

E. REBEL DEPLOYMENT. The Rebel company marching toward the bridge from the SOUTH, will rendezvous with the local Rebels off table. The Commander will be advised the government troops at the bridge have abandoned their posts, and that it is now being guarded by a squad of local Rebels!

1. GM will now drop "bomb" NO. 1 on the Rebel Commander. While the rebel leaders are talking, the squad that is "guarding the bridge" arrives in their truck, and reports that a "100s" of PDF regulars have been dropped just NORTH of the bridge by VTOL transports. The rebel squad pulled out without offering a fight, so they have no details as to real numbers, armament, or equipment.

2. While the Commander is thinking about this revolting developement, the local commander tells him about the river ford (see C above for info about the GUPTA RIVER FORD).

3. THE local Rebel force is now under the control of the Rebel Commander.

4. THE Rebel Commander must decide whether to commit his troops to to action at one or both locations!

5. ALL Rebel forces must deploy on the SOUTHERN side of the river, and measure all movement from the table edge. Rebel deploy second and move first on turn one.

F. THE local time is 1200 hours when the Rebels arrive on table. It is a hot, clear day, with a slight breeze blowing from the SSE to the NNW.

G. GM THERE is a 1D6 chance that marine predators will be attracted to blood in the river waters. Roll 1D6+2 to determine how many turns after the first casualties occur in the river to see BEFORE these predators arrive on table. Indicate marine predator swarms with a model or a template 60mm radius. marine predators have WS3, BS0, S2, T2, W3, I2, A3, LD12, SV0 for folks using 40K rrules. THERE WILL BE 1D6 SWARMS ATTRACTED BY THE BLOOD!

DAWGIE

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