Here’s an AAR of the shortest scenario in the game: #6 “Tea Time”.

This scenario simulates the night attack by the VC on the Brigade HQ. The HQ was lightly defended and cooks, clerks, and other “ash & trash” were pressed into service as riflemen. The HQ was saved, but that safety was bought dearly.

The Brigade HQ sets up in 3909 along with B/6/14 Artillery Battery. The VC set up in the hexes indicated by the Assault markers. I’ve spread out the units so you can see who is involved. The FWA also start with 10 Air Points which represents the HH-1 Aerial Rocket Artillery helos which were operating out of the HQ.

Setup rules indicate that the PAVN player must place at least one Assault marker. He places three and declares which units are Assaulting. Note that, although there are eight stacking points of units available to the VC, only four stacking points may actually Assault a hex. In this case, the bigger H-15 Main Force companies (2-3-9s) will do so as there are four of them and each is one stacking point.

As this scenario is meant to provide practice in the Assault Combat mechanics, it is limited to a single PAVN Offensive Bombardment Phase followed immediately by a PAVN Coordination roll and a single Assault Combat Step.

Here we see the PAVN player electing to fire Offensive Bombardment with the LF Mortar Artillery company. Because it’s a mortar (rather than regular artillery), the company could fire in Offensive Bombardment AND participate in the subsequent Combat Step, but the VC player elects not to do so.

Following the limited Sequence of Play as defined above, the PAVN player marks the mortar with a First Fire marker and places the associated target marker on the hex which will be Bombarded.

The PAVN player rolls a “3” and cross-references the roll with the 1-2 column (his Bombardment strength is “2”) on the Bombardment/Support Table. The result generated is a “1”. Dividing this by the Terrain Defense Value of the hex (in this case, “2”), gives a result of one-half. However, fractions are dropped, so no step loss is incurred. Unfortunately, the PAVN player also just missed inflicting a “Fatigue” result by one pip on the die.

With Offensive Bombardment complete, the PAVN player proceeds to the next step, by Special Scenario Rule, which is Coordination. In general, all attacks have to make a Coordination die roll (with some exceptions). In this case, since no PAVN HQ is present, the VC roll against a nominal Command Value of “3”. They roll a “1” which indicates that they are fully coordinated. Other results might indicate partial or completely uncoordinated with adverse effects for the attacker. In this case, the VC units marked for Assault may do so without restriction.

The first step in the Assault Sequence is for the defender to fire Defensive Bombardment. Normally, artillery would be able to do so, but, as these are larger 155mm guns, they can’t depress far enough, and may not fire in defense of their own hex. So, the FWA is limited to the 10 Air Points.

Because the PAVN player has 11 or more steps of units revealed adjacent to the target hex, he is allowed to fire Air Defense Fire against the incoming air. In addition, because of the adjacent artillery unit (mortars are still counted as artillery) he earns a “-1” DRM for that roll. Unfortunately, with a modified “5” he misses (he needed a modified “2” or less). So the Defensive Bombardment proceeds. The FWA, however, fares no better in their rolling and whiffs with a “10” causing no casualties to the attackers.

The next step is for both sides to fire in the Assault step. I’ve moved all the units to the Battle Board so we can clearly see who is involved and who is not. Note that the VC Main Force companies are placed in the appropriate Assault boxes, while the Local Force companies and mortar unit remain in the hex (they could have just as simply remained on the map, too).

In Assault Combat, the defender fires first, so, the FWA player finds the 2-3 column on the Assault Combat Table (defense strength of 3 – 2 for the artillery and 1 for the HQ), and rolls a “5” which misses completely. Firing second, the PAVN player finds the 7-9 column (attack strength of 4×2=8) and rolls a “1”. This provides a result of “2” which causes the FWA player to remove two steps. Since the Brigade HQ, by rule, must be the last step lost in a hex (and it only has one), B/6/14 is eliminated.

Both sides now roll against their best Efficiency Rating to determine if they fire a second, simultaneous round. The Brigade HQ has no ER, so the FWA player doesn’t roll. The VC ER is “4”, but the PAVN player rolls a “7”. He, too, will not fire.

All of the units are placed back on the map in their respective hexes as indicated by the Battle Board, and the Assault Combat Step, and, in this case, the scenario, is over.

Although they took serious losses, the FWA wins the scenario by virtue of still holding hex 3909.

Author: Mitchell Land