PANDORA'S BOX: AMBUSH

INTRODUCTION
a. after spending the better part of the day watching the SCIFI CHANNEL yesterday, i decided to play a game loosely based on one of the offerings, a ROGER CORMAN epic called CARNOSAUR 3 and modified to fit my own whimsy.

b. rules used are CR2.0 (MODIFIED). the forces and setting can be easily changed to suit your needs/preferences.

c. all of the "men" are 28mm scale from various makers, the HUMMERS are from MAISTRO, the tractor/trailor rigs are proxies, and the chopper has a very nice paper VTOL assault lander from DAN as its stand-in. my much loved and ever useful collection of DAWGIE painted plastic dinosaur toys provided the "carnosaurs"

d. sooooooooooooo, here goes "PANDORA'S BOX" a scenario that can be played solo, with everyone on the same side, or against other players!

THE AMBUSH.
DATE: 06 MAY 2020

TIME: 1000 HOURS, LOCAL TIME

PLACE: RURAL, sparsely inhabited area of the USA West Coast, Pacific North West, West, or South West.

MILITARY SITUATION REPORT:
a. a military convoy, consisting of uniformed, armed soldiers and soft skinned military vehicles is moving a highly classified cargo from one rural location in the CONUS (Continental United States) to another. none of the escort or the truck drivers has a clue as to the contents of the trailers being towed by the trucks. all of the soldiers are MPs of both sexes and varying age/experience. after hours of travel along two lane, often deserted highway, the convoy seems to be no closer to its destination than when it started. all are tired, with excitement and alertness long faded away to be replaced by the boredom, sleepiness, discomfort and irritation that accompanies any long road trip. the order of march for the convoy is as follows:

b. lead vehicle: HUMMER (HMG not mounted, has a radio) with four (4) soldiers armed with personal weapons and wearing light body armor. one (1) of the soldiers is a REP-4/SV-4/MV-4 junior NCO (as in buck sergeant), the other soldiers are either SP4s, or PFCs in rank, REP-3/SV-3/MV-3. two (2) soldiers have assault rifles, one (1) has an assault rifle/GL combo, one (1) has a SAW. all have automatic pistols/combat knife and personal com-units. no hand grenades!

c. second vehicle: HUMMER (automatic GL not mounted, has a radio) with four (4) soldiers armed with personal weapons and wearing light body armor. one (1) soldier is an officer, REP-3/SV-3/MV-3, the convoy commander. the other soldiers are SP4s or PFCs. LT has an assault carbine, two (2) soldiers have assault rifles, one (1) soldier has an assault rifle/GL combo, and one (1) soldier has a SAW. all have pistols/combat knives and personal com-units. no hand grenades.

d. third vehicle: tractor/trailer rig (unarmed, no radio) with two (2) soldiers with personal weaponry, wearing light body armor. both are SP4s. one is REP-4/SV-4/MV-4, the other is REP-3/SV-3/MV-3. both have assault rifles, pistols/combat knives and personal coms, no hand grenades.

e. fourth vehicle: HUMMER (HMG is not mounted, radio), with four (4) soldiers armed with personal weaponry and wearing light body armor. one (1) of the soldiers is a STAFF SERGEANT, REP-5/SV-4/MV-4, the others are SP4s and PFCs, one (1) REP-4/SV-4/MV-4, two (2) REP-3/SV-3/MV-3. two (2) have assault rifles, one (1) has an assault rifle w/GL combo, and one (1) has a SAW. all have pistols/combat knives and personal coms, no hand grenades.

f. fifth vehicle: tractor/trailer (unarmed, no radio), with two (2) soldiers with personal weapons, wearing light body armor. one (1) SP4, one (1) PFC. both are REP-3/SV-3/MV-3. both have pistols/combat knives and personal com units. no hand grenades.

g. sixth vehicle: HUMMER (automatic GL is not mounted, radio) with four (4) soldiers armed with personal weapons, wearing light body armor. one (1) is a REP-5/SV-5/MV-4 buck sergeant armed with an assault rifle, one (1) is REP-3/SV-3/MV-3 armed with an assault rifle, one (1) REP-4/SV-4/MV-3 has an assault rifle/GL combo, and one (1) is a REP-4/SV-4/MV-4 with a SAW. all have pistols/combat knives and personal com units, no hand grenades.

h. seventh vehicle: HUMMER (HMG is not mounted, radio) with four (4) soldiers, armed with personal weapons and wearing light body armor. one (1) buck sergeant, REP-3/SV-4/MV-3, and one (1) REP-3/SV-2/MV-3 PFC armed with assault rifles, one (1) REP-4/SV-4/MV-4 PFC with assault rifle/GL combo, and one (1) REP-4/SV-4/MV-4 SP4 with SAW. all have pistols/combat knives and personal com-units, no hand grenades.

i. air escort: lightly armed recon chopper (has chin mounted HMG armed/mounted, radio, assorted sensors, is getting low on fuel) with two (2) flight crew (pilot and JAFO). both are REP-3/SV-3/MV-3 warrant officers. both are wearing light body armor, both have assault carbines, and pistols, no hand grenades.

j. none of the escorting military personnel have "the need to know" exactly what they are safeguarding. the soldiers do know that the cargo is important to national security, and that deadly force is authorized to protect both personnel and cargo. scuttlebutt has it that the trailers are carrying some kind of new high tech weapons system.

THE TERRORIST SITUATION REPORT.
a. an international terrorist group (your choice fill in the blank) has received intel that a small convoy of US military vehicles will be leaving a heavily guarded research facility and transporting a valuable cargo of weapons grade uranium to another location. the convoy will be using easily identifiable military vehicles, marked as NG vehicles, and will not be blatantly over armed in an effort to pass along its route in a more or less "invisible" state by being in plain sight. the planned route of the convoy is through mostly sparsely inhabited rural and wilderness areas. air cover will be provided by one or two helos at all times, and it can be safely assumed that the convoy will be making regular contact with HQ as it moves along. the ambush site has been selected, the troops and weaponry are in place. everyone has been briefed to avoid shooting up the tractor/trailer rigs (and thereby put the valuable cargo at risk). the air escort flew overhead 10 minutes ago, radio traffic from the convoy indicates that it is now approaching the ambush site, suspecting nothing.

b. actually, the ambushers, are not terrorists, but mercs contracted by a terrorist cell, to procure the cargo for them: as they say in NYC, "money talks and (BLEEP!) walks!". so the ambushers are generated using the CR2.0 MERCENARIES table. all of the MERCs have a personal com unit, CBR mask, are wearing light body armor, are armed with both a normal handgun and a combat knife in addition to any other weaponry. NOTE-other type of handgun listed for a character replaces the normal handgun above.

c. MERC HEAD HONCHO (LEE): REP-6/SV-6/MV-6. armed with a BA handgun (DESERT EAGLE clone), a silenced assault carbine, flash bang, smoke grenades and tear gas grenades.

d. MERC HONCHO #1 (CLINT): REP-6/SV-6/MV-6. armed with a BA handgun, a silenced SMG, and at least a 12.7-mm semi-auto, anti-material rifle. flash bang, smoke, and tear gas grenades.

e. MERC HONCO #2 (ALDO): REP-5/SV-5/MV-5. armed with a belt fed LMG, a pistol grip pump shotgun, a machinepistol and a BA machete. flash bang, smoke, and tear gas grenades.

f. MERC HONCHO #3 (SLY): REP-5/SV-5/MV-5. armed with a SAW, BA handgun x 2 ea, semi-auto sniper rifle, one shot disposable rocket launcher x 1 ea, shoulder launched SAM x 1 ea,, flash bang, smoke, and tear gas grenades.

g. MERC FIRE TEAM "ALPHA": randomly generated REP/SV/MV for all. one has assault rifle w/combo GL, one has an assault rifle, one has a silenced SMG, one has a SAW, and one has a semi-auto sniper rifle as well as a/silenced machinepistol. all have flash bang, smoke , tear gas grenades, one-shot disposable rocket launchers x 4 ea and shoulder launched SAM x 2 ea.

h. MERC FIRE TEAM "BRAVO": randomly generated REP/SV/MV for all. one has assault rifle w/combo GL, one has assault carbine, one has semi-auto shotgun and a silenced SMG, two have an assault carbine and one-shot disposable rocket launchers x 2 ea, shoulder launched SAM x 2 ea, flash bang, smoke, and tear gas grenades.

i. MERC FIRE TEAM "CHARLIE": randomly generated REP/SV/MV for all. one has a multi-shot GL w/a revolving cylinder and a machinepistol, one has an assault rifle w/scope, one has an assault rifle, one has a SMG, and one has a belt fed LMG. one-shot disposable rocket launchers x 4 ea, shoulder fired SAM x 2 ea, flash bang, smoke, and tear gas grenades.

j. MERC VEHICLES/DRIVERS: there are four (4) plain jane looking, new model, civvie SUVs hidden nearby. each driver has the same personal equipment as the other MERCs, but these guys/gals all have silenced SMG. they are waiting for THE WORD to swoop down upon the ambush site to retrieve their passengers.

THE CUNNING PLAN.
a. part one of the cunning plan calls for the MERCS to fake a serious looking traffic accident, in a rural area that the military convoy is scheduled to move through. the spot for the accident has been carefully reconned, with everything pre-positioned and awaiting the signal to deploy from the forest onto the roadway after the air escort flys by and before the convoy arrives on scene.

b. part two of the plan is for the MERCs to overwhelm the convey escort, take control of the tractor/trailer rigs, and proceed to a waypoint where the cargo can be shifted to several innocent looking bob tail trucks for transport to the final cargo transfer point. all convoy personnel are to be terminated on the spot.the client will be at the final cargo transfer point with the remainder of the monies due the MERCs, as well as need paperwork to provide phony IDs and residence addresses.

THE HUNTERS.
a. these guys are some long time buddies, JOE SIX-PACK sort of guys taking some time off from their jobs to spend "male bonding time" in the wilderness hunting/fishing/drinking/playing cards/etc. no radio, no telephone, no TV, just them and life as GOD intened it to be lived (according to JOE SIX-PACK anyway). they are all middle aged, with a mix of prior military experience way back in their youth. they are based at a cabin owned by the two brothers in the party and came out here in a pair of 4 wheel drive SUVs for a week of fun.

b. there is a chance that these guys might be in the area when the ambush is sprung, or that they might be encountered by any fleeing soldiers/pursuing MERCs in the aftermath of the ambush. they have randomly generated REP/SV/MV from the GUERILLA list, no armor, personal short ranged radio headsets, assorted knives/ hatchets/ field dressing gear, limited water and food with them if encountered away from the cabin. they are armed with a variety of civvie hunting weapons, plus a couple of handguns for "hunting/plinking".

c. HUNTER # 1: BA semi-auto (think RUGER .44 MAG) scoped carbine, revolver, knife.

d. HUNTER # 2: BA lever action (think .444 SAVAGE) scoped rifle, knife. has a small caliber semi-auto plinking pistol at the cabin.

e. HUNTER # 3 semi-auto, scoped, 12-ga sluggun (think WINCHESTER or REMINGTON or BROWNING). uses rifled slugs so increase range to that of a carbine, knife/hatchet.

f. HUNTER # 4: bolt action, (REMINGTON) .308, scoped rifle, knife.

g. HUNTER # 5: lever action, (MARLIN) .30-30 scoped carbine, knife.

NOTE: all of these lads are experienced outdoorsmen, and are very familiar with the area.

THE CARGO.
a. the cargo is far from being weapons grade uranium, but, it is a new weapons system. a bio weapons system created in the research facility's labs, and now en route to restricted area for a "limited field test" before both civilian and military powers that be.

b. each trailer is hauling two (2) scientists, along with monitoring equipment, drugs, seating, a bunk, food, water, and a porta-pot. the scientists do have commo with the research facility, but not the military escort. the military escort does not know that the scientists are inside the trailers. all scientists are armed only with trank-pistols and cattle prods for emergency self defense. use the civvie list to generate these boffins.

c. there are ten (10) large steel containers inside of each trailer, and each container has one (1) heavily sedated bio weapon inside of it. i went, more or less, along with the movie plot, and the sedated bio weapons were all "small carnosaurs" created at the research facility from recovered dinosaur DNA. unless the critters are constantly monitored and kept sedated, they will groggily and grumpily awake with a monster appetite (no pun intended!).

d. there is always an "alpha" REP-5/IMPACT-5,protected, carnosaur leading the pack as well as an "alpha" REP-4 animal leading any hunting party. the other carnosaurs are REP-4, protected, larger than man size, intelligent, extremely territorial, vicious, co-operative hunters that attack without provocation! they may only damage in hand to hand combat and have an IMPACT-4. to keep things simple, i went with the basic rules for BUGS listed under "B" MOVIES AND ALIEN ENCOUNTERS (no brains, pukers, babies, etc!).

DAWGIE

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