African Wargame

Played a wargame at Larry's house recently.

COL Jim and Joe and I played with Larry and Keith.

Several small African villages tried to salvage a ship stranded on some rocks.

They were opposed by another village and government forces.

Sort of a four sided wargame.

Each group had to guard their village and send forces to grab the loot.

Wargame Scenarios

I look to books, history and movies for most of my wargame scenarios. I also like to link them together if I can. The book The War of the Worlds, by HG Wells describes a Martian invasion of England around 1898. The Orson Wells War of the Worlds radio broadcast depicted a Martian invasion of the United States in the 1930’s. The George Pal movie The War of the Worlds shows a Martian invasion of the United States in the mid-1950’s. Then in 2005 we got another updated American version of The War of the Worlds.

Each of these stories alludes or even depicts warfare against Martians in many parts of the world. Since my wargame collection includes the US Army since the beginning of the nation, I can play US Army vs Martians scenarios based on the depictions in these stories. I use walker Martian war machines for at least the 1898 and 1935 Martian attacks. For the 1953 attack I can use the Pegasus Martian war machine. For the 2005 Martian war I can use the new Pegasus Martian war machines that should be out very soon.

The troops that I use for the Boxer Rebellion, the HaT British Colonial and Americans I can use for the 1898 invasion. I can use the HaT & Imex WWI US Army troops for the 1935 invasion. My Imex Korean War troops work well for the 1953 invasion. For the most recent 2005 version, I can use the new Caesar Miniatures US Army.

Playing a science fiction game with historical figures allows me to get double duty out of my American Army. It also allows me to play another period, with an investment on only one side of the conflict. I am also using the Twilight Creations Martians! figures for Martian infantry. They are similar to the Martian soldiers in the Mars Attacks! movie. Twilight Creations says their Martians should be available soon as separate figures.

The other advantage of science fiction wargaming with historical figures is the terrain gets to do double duty. I already have American civilian buildings for use in historical wargames. So the cost of terrain is already paid for to do science fiction gaming with historical figures. Historical sci fi gaming is a good use of your collection.

WWII Scenario

The Americans know that the Siegfried Line will be a difficult and dangerous nut to crack. Trying to avoid a head on attack, they look for a technological method to avoid having to face these massive defenses. Paratroops and gliders are being saved for the assault across the Rhine River and there are no good drop zones immediately behind the line that would support large scale attacks. Allied scientists develop a machine based on the trenching machines developed in the First World War. The machine will burrow several hundred feet underground, level off and then work its way back to the surface. It will carry a platoon of assault troops. The machine will push the spoil behind it so it will not actually create a tunnel, it will just move through the ground.

The Germans have a long line of defenses across the width of the wargame table. They have minefields, barbed wire, heavy concrete bunkers, machine guns emplaced in concrete positions along with mortars and artillery. Everything is placed on the table in the direction of the American lines. The American troops are drawn up in formation, in preparation for an attack on the Germans. The German line should be very powerful.

The American forces are all in place as if they are going to make a conventional attack. They are hidden or under light cover, but it is obvious they are ready to make an attack. The real American attack will be one platoon of troops in each Mole Machine. They troops will advance underground at the speed of a walk to a point behind the German lines, selected by the American player prior to the start of the game, once the terrain is set up. The American will roll a D6 to determine the actual location of his emerging from under the soil. 1, 50 yards right, 2, 100 yards right, 3, 250 yards right, 4, 50 yards left, 5, 100 yards left, 6, 250 yards right. Due to soil conditions and navigation underground being a new art precise prediction of the location of the moles reappearance cannot be assured. As soon as the mole breaks ground it can move to a level position and the troops can dismount as if they were off loading a truck. The Mole Machine is armored in a fashion similar to a halftrack.

The concept here is the German player should not be informed of the presence of the Mole Machine until they make their appearance on the table. This will create an element of surprise and give the American a tactical advantage. The American must use their infantry to destroy German artillery and attack fortifications from the rear to give the conventional troops the ability to break through the defense line. New technologies were used all the time in WWII, VT fuses, bazookas, jet planes and they created a big surprise when first employed. This technology was not used but it was within their abilities had they wanted such a weapon.

Tarawa Game

I scanned in a few old photographs of a wargame I played with some of my friends. This is the USMC raid on Tarawa in WWII. I read an article that had detailed maps and information on all the troops from both sides and we figured we had all the stuff we needed to play it as a game. They sent in Marine Raiders from two submarines. They went in by rubber raft, but they had trouble with the outboard motors and the reefs. The reef line is shown here by the little yellow string. Marines had to make a saving roll to get over the reef. Our Marines landed after taking several drowning casualties and then killed all but one or two of the Japanese on the island. Here you can see the Japanese reinforcements coming to the island in a landing craft. Coca-Cola is the wargamers choice of beverage at my house.

The B-17 represents a crashed aircraft that was in the lagoon. We had one Japanese sniper under the Airfix Bamboo House who sold his life dearly for the Emperor. He must have killed at least five Marines in the game. As in real life, the Japanese air support arrived and made several attacks on the ground. The Marines withdrew after having destroyed all the ground installations of consequence. As in real life a few of the Marines were left behind because they could not get to the rendezvous in time. They were killed by the Japanese in real life and in the game. We used Zulus! for the island natives as my collection of South Seas Islanders consists of Zulus. The terrain is Geo Hex with cake decoration palm trees for most of the trees, with a bit of lichen tossed in for scrub brush.

The roads were brown roofing shingles. Durable and cheap, cut them to shape and you are done. The aircraft are on wire coat hangers glued into wooden 2x4 blocks. We used a heavily modified Angriff! system using individually based troops firing individually. You can see the large poster we made for one of the firing charts. When using rules that require you to check charts over an over again, we found it helpful to make them into wall hangings and so we did not need to shuffle all that paper, and I can read them without my glasses. I made my own craters and cast them in resin for the artillery.

More Missiles

The fuel for nuclear missiles is so toxic that they have to use these space suits when they are working around it.

Another view of the truck. When taking vehicle pictures, to 45 degree angle views are the minimum. I also like a side view and front view too.

This plain old standard family van is another Air Force vehicle. Another use for a standard civilian model. Check those model railroad stores for HO scale versions of vehicles like this.

This is the inside of the missile silo. Very cool, and all in a nice pale green and light gray.

Another view of the command center. Photos like this enable the model builder to make unusual subjects for wargaming. During the Cold War there was always the fear that Soviet commandos would raid the missile silos and try to disable the missiles. They had military police on site to prevent this from being successful. To lightly armed elite forces fighting it out over nuclear missiles. Esci, Italeri and Caesar all make good troops to try on a scenario like this one.

Wargame Army

Collecting a 20th Century wargame army requires significant planning and research. Simply going out and buying a few vehicles and troops that look nice will never do. I recommend that you obtain a couple books on a particular battle that you like. I like the Battle of Berlin. Get a book that explains the overall battle, then get one that gives the viewpoint of someone who was actually there, two books, one from each side.

Once you have an understanding of the strategic and individual natures of the battle, get a book that explains the role played by specific units. Recently I finished a book about a unit of French SS soldiers in Berlin. Next, determine the size of the playing area you will be able to use in your wargames. The next step is to determine the size of units that will fit on your table. Finally, select the wargame rules you want to use. Different rules require different ratios of models to real life.

Once you have selected the type of units, then you can visit your hobby shop and start buying figures, terrain and vehicles. Buy infantry first. You can always play a small game with a few dozen infantry and a couple vehicles, using boxes as buildings. Planning a wargame army takes a little time, but pays off with a better collection and better games.

Wargame Scenarios

People always seem to want wargame scenarios so here are a few tips on how to generate some. There are several classic military maneuvers and wargame scenarios based on them are sure to please. These work for any era, any scale using the figures and terrain you have on hand.

Defend the bridge. Rivers have been barriers to military operations forever. Defending a bridge with whatever scratch force you can put together is always a good game. You can select any variety of troops and vehicles and place them on the "enemy" side of the river. They have to hold out for X number of turns or they lose. Typically such a force is composed of any solders that were able to be scrounged up and told to hold the bridge until some other forces could make their escape, then the holding force could cross over and get away. Attacking force can be any size, the larger they are less time the defenders should have to defend the bridge.

Coup de main, the attacking force is huge and has overwhelming numbers and firepower. They must capture the radio station, the bridge, the power plant, the telephone exchange, the gas works and the presidential palace as rapidly as possible. The game is all about speed. The defending force should be small and scattered all over the playing area in small outposts, but the longer they hold the longer the enemy will have to waste time fighting. Causalities are not relevant, but time is your enemy. Every turn the defenders hold is a loss to the attackers.

Meeting engagement, two sides of equal strength stretched out along a roadway that ends at each end of the board. Who can get their forces on the board and deployed the fastest and then attack the enemy in strength? A double ended meat grinder with forces fed in from each end. Race to the high ground, the bridge over the small stream, the small forest that blocks your view. Husband your forces at the entry point or move to capture key terrain? It is your call.

Mexican American War 2016

Newsmax.com - U.S. Military: Mexico Could Collapse Under Drug Violence



Wargame scenario, most of our military is in other countries or has been demobilized. All warnings are ignored and Mexican government collapses. Suddenly we have a Somalia right next door. A U.S. Military Intelligence report says that due to drug traffickers murdering police and corruption within the government, Mexico could actually collapse as a government. While Mexico has been fairly stable in the last fifty years, it was wracked by revolution and invasion in the 1800s and early 1900s. The slowdown of the US economy has also meant less money going into Mexico from Mexican citizens living and working here.



So a small town in the US near the border in rural Texas is being raided off and on by "revolutionaries" from Mexico. Just as in 1916 the US Army sends troops to the border to protect American citizens. This times the troops are nationalized members of the Texas National Guard. Set up a small American town, with six or eight buildings, including a bank and a supermarket, and a few others that are destroyed. The National Guard troops are set up some distance away from the town, with the town between them and the border.



Mexican revolutionaries, using American HumVees and other light American made armored and soft skinned vehicles, as well as perhaps a few foreign ones too. I would use a mixture of Caesar figures, the Terrorists, WWII Partisans, and some of the Special Forces troops too. For the TNG use HumVees as well as a platoon of Bradleys and perhaps even a platoon of Abrams. The town can be populated with Revell and other companies Cowboys and other civilians. The civilians have to delay the Mexican forces until the TNG can respond and drive them out. The goal of the Mexicans is to raid the supermarket for food and the bank for cash. They have to load a certain amount of supplies from the market, blow the safe, get the cash loaded and back across the border with only a reasonable number of causalities.



Both history and the news can provide great wargame scenarios, if you just think about if for a few moments.

Small Wargame Scenario

Wargame scenarios can be many things, they don't always have to recreate the Invasion of Normandy or some other large actual event, sometimes a good wargame can be a simple incident.

In 1944 a platoon of German infantry has to retreat over the bridge, take their two supply wagons with them and hold off the attacking Russian infantry for X number of turns. That will be enough for the supply wagons to get away.

The Germans get about 40 or 50 troops and two wagons. The Russians get at least 100 if not 200 troops to attack them. They start just outside of machine gun range. The Russians have to capture the bridge and destroy or capture the two wagons.

The bridge will create a choke point where the Germans will have to defend while the supply wagons get a reasonable distance away. They can only retreat when the wagons are far enough away that the Russians won't be able to catch them. The intent of the game is not that the Germans have to annihilate the Russians or even that the Russians have to destroy all the Germans. As long as the Germans can delay the Russians so they can get the wagons away, then they win. The Russian player has to move quickly or the wagons will escape. Good hunting to both!

Russians and UFOs

Britain Releases More UFO Sighting Files

Where can you get good scenarios for science fiction or modern Cold War wargames? How about the news? Reports of missiles being fired at aircraft. Reports of space ships landing. Reports of space ships crashing.

Change the word alien and substitute the word Spetznaz. The Japanese in WWII had aircraft that would fold up and fit into a pressurized cabin on the deck of a submarine. They would surface the sub and assemble the plane and fly missions to bomb places or scout for enemy fleets. How about a Soviet sub with a similar cabin, they assemble a helicopter, and send troops in ahead of a major attack. Maybe days or weeks before a real attack.

You tell your NATO player that he gets a call of a UFO and space aliens. Maybe the Spetznaz are wearing MOPP gear so they appear alien. Farmers can shoot at them, the police can respond, gunfire between the police and Spetznaz. It could take a long time for the military to respond. Russian player has to take out the nuclear power plant, or the missile defense system, or big radar array. After that they have to go to the airport and steal a helicopter since theirs crashed.

Scenarios are not too hard to put together, you just have to look at the news and then reconfigure the events to fit you time period and the troops you want to use. Instant scenario.

Movies Make Scenarios For Gaming

http://valkyrie.unitedartists.com/

http://www.spike.com/video/valkyrie-trailer/2911101

Amazon.com: The Plot to Kill Hitler: Brad Davis, Madolyn Smith Osborne, Ian Richardson, Kenneth Colley, Michael Byrne, Helmut.

In December the movie Valkyrie will be released. There is also a similar movie called the Plot to Kill Hitler. They tell the story of the July 20, 1944 attempt to kill Adolf Hitler. This was more than just an assassination attempt, it was a military coup to take over the Nazi government of Germany. Their intent was to sue the Western powers for peace and continue to the war against the Soviet Union after they killed Hitler and forced the other Nazi leaders to give up power.

This makes a great wargame for those who have large collections of World War Two Germans. The people who were involved in the plot had troops standing by to take over radio stations, headquarters and arrest Nazi leaders. I played a miniature wargame and role playing game of this several years ago. We had three sides playing the game. One side was the Russian player who was conducting a regular wargame. The other side was several German players, more is better, and two of them conspired together to take over the government from the other two German players. Only the two conspirators knew the real nature of the game.

The two conspirators had to maneuver their forces into position while fighting the Russian player. Once they made their move they were in effect, fighting two enemies, the Russians and the other Germans. We gave them the lessor numbers of forces so that the Germans loyal to Hitler would be that much more difficult to overcome. Just as in real life the conspirators lost the game, but it was close.

Unusual WWII Era Scenarios

Before and even during the Second World War the Germans sent out many military and scientific expeditions to strange and far away places. These can make the basis for many wargames and role playing games. These cylinders are part of a WWII German weather station. These were off loaded from both U-Boats and surface craft and float planes to aid the Navy, Army, and Air Force to predict the weather. Accurate weather reports were important to plan military operations, particularly the invasion, and the bomber attacks. Such canisters were placed in Norway, Iceland, and even Greenland.














The SS sent expeditions as far off as Tibet. These are the kinds of teams Indiana Jones meets in his girlfriends bar in the first movie.















These SS expeditions took movie film and still film. They had mixtures of civilian and military clothing and equipment so there is plenty of room for conversion of figures. Take some Pegasus 1939 Germans and do some head swaps with some Afrika Korps troops.
















Germans explored Antarctica, by plane and on foot and by ship. This later spawned tons of rumors about secret U-Boat bases, UFOs, and Fourth Reich headquarters post-war. If you are looking for some scenarios that can use small numbers of troops, Germans against any of the Allies, even Germans with the Japanese together, pre-War, during the war, or Post War, these unusual locals can change things up a bit.