The following examples are intended to assist with some of the trickier aspects of play in the recently released Next War: Taiwan.

Penghu Invasion Example

The following is an example of how to conduct an invasion of Penghu using the Advanced Game Series Rules. It is not, necessarily, the best way to go about it, but it is used as an illustration of the various methods of taking a hostile Penghu away from the Republic of China.

The example assumes that the PRC controls the Taiwan Straits Inshore Box. The example dispenses with all other non-essential steps, phases, and segments in the Sequence of Play and covers only the relevant portions of the Initiative Movement and Combat Segments.

At the beginning of an Initiative Turn, the PRC controls the Taiwan Straits Inshore Box, and both of the pesky ROC SAGs have been eliminated. The PRC determines that it will invade Penghu using the forces shown. For convenience, they are shown on the Naval Display, but they also simultaneously occupy the PRC Holding Box on the main operational map as well.

In the Initiative Movement Segment, the PRC loads the 2A/1 and 2/1 Marine units on the AMPH and moves the AMPH directly to the Taiwan Straits Inshore Box (per 6.5.1.2). Normally, a player would have to wait until the next Movement Segment to conduct an Amphibious Assault because such can only be conducted by moving from a friendly-controlled or Contested Inshore Box, with no enemy Naval units present (SR 8.5.8), to an All-Sea hex adjacent to a Beach. However, as Penghu is a Land Area, it can be Amphibiously Assaulted directly from the associated Inshore Box (GSR 5.1.4). So, since he doesn’t have to wait, the PRC player decides to vertically envelop the island as well by using Airmobile Movement (allowable per GSR 5.1.4.4 as well as graphically depicted on the Naval Display) with the 129^th brigade of the 43^rd Airborne Division. The ROC player conducts Local Detection against the Airmobile unit (SR 24.3) and detects it with a roll of “1”. Fortunately for the PRC player, the ROC player misses with Local SAM and Local AAA. Local AAA is allowed because it’s within 2 hexes of a unit (the ROC Marines on Penghu). The unit is placed on the “red” side of the Penghu Land Area. Note that this is solely for convenience. Both the red and blue halves are considered one Land Area. To follow that up, and provide some additional combat power, the PRC player elects to Paradrop the 43^rd Airborne Division HQ onto the island as well. Because this is a Paradrop mission into enemy territory, normal Air Defense Fire procedures are followed (SR 25.1 #1). The ROC Detection Level, having been reduced by PRC SOF, Air, and Cruise Missile Strikes is a measly 2. The ROC rolls a “4” and does not detect the incoming Airborne Movement. Since this was a Paradrop, the HQ has to roll on the Paradrop Table (on the Standard and Advanced Game Player Aid Card). Penghu (and all Land Areas) are considered to be Rough terrain (GSR 5.1.4.6). The PRC player rolls a “6” which causes an “S1” result. A Strike 1 marker is placed on the HQ (and it loses one of its combat capabilities for the turn). Here is the situation at the end of the Initiative Movement Segment:

In the Initiative Combat Segment, the PRC player declares that he is attacking the ROC 77th Marines on Penghu. The two airborne units will attack along with the Amphibiously Assaulting marines. The PRC Marines are halved while assaulting, so they contribute two points. The airborne brigade contributes another two points. Since the majority of combat strength is not contributed by Amphibiously Assaulting units, there is no column shift on the CRT. In addition, the PRC uses the final combat capability of the 43rd Airborne Division’s HQ to support the attack making the final odds 9:3 or 3:1. The PRC player also declares that both the AMPH and the SAG will provide Naval Combat Support for a -3 DRM, and the Zhi-10 will fly a Combat Support mission from the PRC Holding Box for an additional -1 DRM (assume that Local Detection missed). Neither side decides to commit any Air Units although they both could. There are no column shifts applicable, so the PRC player rolls the attack on the 3:1 column cross-referenced with Rough (which is Column 9 on the CRT). The final DRM, adding -3 for Naval CS, -1 for Attack Helo CS, -1 for Light Infantry attacking, is -5. Note that there is no multi-Formation DRM for the PRC because the Marines do not count for that purpose. Unfortunately, the PRC rolls a “9” which, after modification, becomes a “4”. This is a 1/1R result. So, both sides lose a step. There is no retreat because Retreat results are ignored in Land Area combat (GSR 5.1.4.6). One of the PRC Marine units is eliminated since there are units remaining in the “hex”, and the PRC can try again in the upcoming Exploitation Combat Segment. Here is the final situation:

Naval Movement Examples

The following examples will outline various aspects of naval movement.

Assume that the non-Allied player has Air Superiority and Cruise Missiles available, the Submarine Threat Level is 4, the ASW Level is 3, and the situation is as follows:

1. The Allies decide that the Senkakus are vulnerable and wish to reinforce the garrison there. They declare that the AMPH in the Northern Approaches will attempt to enter the Ryukyu Islands At Sea Box/Zone. This is a Contested Sea Movement for either of two reasons: (a) the At Sea Box is enemy-controlled, or (b) even if it wasn’t there is an enemy Naval Unit present, the PRC SAG. The Allied player checks the Contested Sea Movement table on the Standard and Advanced Game Tables Player Aid and checks which Die Roll Modifiers (DRMs) might apply. The enemy SAG and the friendly SAG cancel each other out (+1 and -1 respectively). The ASW Level is -3, but the Submarine Threat Level is +4 for a net +1. The Inshore Box doesn’t apply as it is currently Contested, and the Land Area is friendly-controlled. The non-Allied player decides to expend a Cruise Missile point for an additional +1. So, the net DRM is +2.
   1. Assume the Allied player rolls a 4 +2 = 6 which results in either an Abort or a Strike 1. The Allied player opts to press on in order to reinforce the islands, places a Strike 1 marker on the AMPH, and applies a step loss to the embarked troops which, in this case, eliminates a USMC battalion. Alternatively, the Allied player can have the AMPH remain in the Northern Approaches, and its movement is complete for this movement segment.
      1. Because his goal is to reinforce the Senkakus, the Allied player continues moving the AMPH into the Senkakus Inshore Box. He can do this because he has only entered one new At Sea Box so far, the Ryukyu Islands. This is also a Contested Sea Movement for either of two reasons: (a) the Ryukyu Islands At Sea Box is enemy-controlled, and (b) even if it wasn’t there’s an enemy SAG present. Once again, the Allied player checks for his DRMs, and they are all the same as the non-Allied player again opts to expend a Cruise Missile point. The Allied player rolls 7 +2 = 9 which results in an Abort or Strike 2. The Allied player wisely opts to Abort the movement and remain in the Ryukyu Islands At Sea Box. Had he taken the Strike 2 marker, that would have destroyed the AMPH. If the result had been an Abort or Strike 1, he would have been faced with the choice of placing a Strike 2 marker on the AMPH and eliminating another battalion or Aborting the movement.
2. The Allies also know that reinforcing Taiwan is an important mission. They decide to move the AMPH in the Central Approaches into the Taiwan Straits At Sea Box. Because the At Sea Box is enemy-controlled, this is a Contested Sea Movement.
   1. Assume that the Allies press on regardless of the result. Once again, they can continue moving as they’ve only entered one new At Sea Box. They can now enter the Taiwan Straits Inshore Box. This is also a Contested Sea Movement because of two reasons: (a) moving from an enemy-controlled At Sea Box, or (b) moving to an enemy-controlled Inshore Box.
      1. Once again, assume the Allies are able to press-on, i.e., they haven’t received enough Strike damage to make it dangerous, so, because they still have only entered one new At Sea Box, they continue to move from the Taiwan Straits Inshore Box to the main operational map and attempt to enter one of the Taiwanese Ports. Unfortunately, the non-Allied player had mined that Port previously with an Aerial Mining Mission. So, this is also a Contested Sea Movement for one of three reasons: (a) moving from an enemy-controlled Inshore Box, (b) a move from an All-Sea hex to a Port when the Inshore Box is enemy-controlled (entry into a Port must be traced through an adjacent All-Sea hex), or (c) the move was traced through a Mine Marker Area of Effect. In this instance, the density of the mine marker also becomes a DRM on the Contested Sea Movement. If the Allies are successful, they’ll be able to disembark any surviving Marines into the Port.
3. Alternatively, if the Allies wish to reinforce Taiwan with both groups of Marines, the AMPH in the Northern Approaches can move into the Central Approaches and must stop for this Movement Segment as it has now entered one new At Sea Box.
4. Note also that the PRC SAG in the East China Sea At Sea Box could move to an All-Sea hex on the operational map in one Movement Segment: East China Sea At Sea -> Taiwan Straits At Sea -> Taiwan Straits Inshore Box -> operational map All-Sea hex. Only one new At Sea Box was entered.

Author: Mitchell Land