In part 1 of this series of articles, we looked at the components of this GMT Edition of a game often referred to as “brilliant” in terms of its ability to capture the essence of the Vietnam War. To follow that up, we’ll start looking at some of the systems in the game which make it both unique and help it evoke that feeling in its players. Then you can decide if this is the Vietnam game you’re looking for.

At its base, Vietnam is just like many other hex-and-counter games. The counters have combat and movement values, unit type symbols, and unit and formation identifiers on them. There’s a hex grid to regulate movement and a Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) to govern that movement. Players adjudicate combat using a Combat Results Tables (CRT). And, of course, the rules tell players how to tie it all together to move, fight, and otherwise contest their way across the map. It’s HOW those rules tie together that sets Vietnam apart from all those other games.

Although we didn’t really explain it in the previous article, we did mention that there are two types of scenarios in the game which are aptly referred to as Campaign and non-Campaign scenarios. The perceptive player might notice that by calling them “non-Campaign” scenarios rather than some other term may imply that the game is really meant to be played in Campaign “mode.” Such a player is not wrong, however, in this article, we’re going to focus on the non-Campaign scenarios, or, more specifically, the rules used in both types of scenarios.

The rulebook itself is divided into two parts. From the rules themselves:

“Only rules Sections 1 through 11 are needed to play the shorter (single operation) scenarios, and it is recommended that the players not bother with Sections 12 through 17 until they are ready for a longer game. Occasional references will be made to Sections 12-17 in the first half of the rules; such references may be largely ignored for the purposes of the shorter scenarios.”

Just a warning…when the rules say, “longer game,” we mean it.

At any rate, we’re not going to discuss mundane topics like using airmobile points to make your units airmobile (thus faster and, well, more mobile) as that’s bread and butter in many other games (come to think of it, we may be familiar with a couple of those games), nor will we discuss using Riverine points to speed your units along in the sodden Mekong Delta because they’re really just more of the same as airmobile points with some interesting interactions with the TEC. Movement rules aren’t all that interesting though.

So, you might ask, what is interesting? Well, the best part about Vietnam is that you, the player, get to conduct your operations pretty much however you’d like to do so (within the context of the rules, of course). What does that mean? We’re glad you asked.

Just as it’s embedded deep in the psyche of the US perspective of the Vietnam War (Operation Silver Bayonet, Operation Attleboro, Operation Pegasus, etc…), the heart and soul (mind?) of Vietnam, the game, is the Operation. The game comes with a laundry list of operations a player may execute (some are limited only to the U.S.-controlled side): Search & Destroy, Hold, Patrol, Clear & Secure, Security, Strategic Movement, Naval Transport, Bombardment, Offensive Reserve, and Defensive Reserve (yes, that’s an exhaustive list). Fortunately, we are providing a greatly expanded Operations Flow Chart Player Aid Card (PAC) detailing how each operation works.

Who’s on First?

But, first, let’s discuss who decides which side gets to operate. In almost all cases (some non-Campaign scenarios alter this), the National Liberation Front (NLF) player decides who will operate next. In other words, at the beginning of a scenario or the end of an operation, the NLF player always has the option to execute the next operation (regardless of which player last operated) or telling the Allied player to operate. If the Allied player refuses to (or can’t) operate, the NLF player may operate or end the turn. This simple mechanism places the initiative squarely in the NLF player’s hands to use or not as appropriate.

Anatomy of an Operation

Now, on to the operation and showcasing what makes Vietnam such a unique playing experience… Let’s assume the NLF player prefers to have the Allied player operate, so this will be an Allied operation.

The first thing the Allied player does is choose which type of operation to execute. The player opts to execute a Search and Destroy Operation (this is likely to be the most used operation by both sides).

Designate Operating Units

Following the flowchart in the PAC, the next thing to do is designate operating units. The player may choose units from pretty much anywhere on the map to participate on the operation unless they’ve already done so, i.e., marked Ops Complete or are already conducting one of the special operations (Hold or Patrol). In most cases, there is no limit to the number of units which may be assigned, so, yes, if the Allied player wanted to do so, every available US, ARVN, and FWA unit on the map could be assigned to the op (which would make for a very large operation and a very short game). So far, this isn’t terribly different from a normal IGO-HUGO game, but now it starts to get a more interesting.

Rangers

Since this is an Allied Operation, the player gets to “Roll for Rangers.” The ARVN Rangers are represented with five counters (Ranger Groups) which serve a couple of different functions in the game. Just by being in the Ranger Holding Box, they cause movement penalties for NLF units in South Vietnamese border hexes. However, in our case here, they can take part in an Allied operation on the map with a couple of provisos. First, the Allied player rolls a die and if the result is equal to or less than the number of Ranger Groups in play, i.e., in the Ranger Holding Box, then the Allied player gets Ranger units equal to the die roll. If the Allied player’s roll allows Rangers to be used, they can place one Ranger Group counter in each hex which contains units previously assigned to the operation. In other words, if all five Rangers are in play, the Allied player rolls a 4, but only has operating units in two hexes, only 2 Ranger Groups can be moved from their Holding Box and placed into those two hexes (one in each) to participate in the operation.

Target Hex

The next thing a player does is designate a Target Hex. Here’s where assigning every available unit on the map might not be such a good idea since there can, initially, be only a single Target hex. The hex can contain enemy units or not; it can even be nowhere near the operating units. In fact, the operating player doesn’t even have to designate a Target hex. However, if there are no units in the Target Hex (becoming Target units), then no combat can occur (except Incidental Attacks, but we’ll cover that another time), so it would be sort of useless. It’s not inconceivable that a player might want to do so, though, so, the option exists.

Assign Support

Support comes in three flavors. One flavor, artillery, is part of a unit, so it gets assigned when that unit is assigned to the operation at the beginning. The other two flavors, only available to the Allied player, are Air and Naval support. It’s at this point that the Allied player can bring some superior firepower, primarily in the form of air points, to bear either on the target hex, or, if the Allied player is the target, in support of the defense. Naval support is useful, but, obviously, will be limited to being used along the coast. This is also when the Allied player can declare a province to be a Free-Fire Zone. If it’s not one, then support is halved (e.g., 9 available support (from all sources) is effectively 4.5). This is a decision the Allied player can’t make lightly as in the non-Campaign scenarios, declaring a Free-Fire Zone usually gives the NLF player Victory Points (VP) while in the Campaign scenarios it affects Pacification (a topic we’ll tackle in the next article).

Movement and Reaction

Finally, we return to something familiar: movement. The operating units (those assigned to the operation) can now move (individually or as a stack). Since they’re likely to be coming from different hexes and converging on the Target Hex, the order in which they move becomes important, because as each unit/stack ends its movement, any enemy units not in the Target hex, adjacent to moved units get to React. They do this by moving their full movement allowance anywhere they’d like to move. They can reposition themselves out of the immediate area (perhaps to a more advantageous spot or to make it more difficult for other operating units to get to the Target hex), or they could even enter the Target hex and become Target units themselves.

Offensive Interdiction

When all the operating units are done moving, the operating player can use any assigned support within range to place an Interdiction marker in one or more hexes. Interdiction serves to make it more difficult to leave a hex by increasing the movement cost for doing so. Of course, any support used for interdiction can’t then be used for killing the enemy (by adding to your combat value and the enemy’s losses – more on that later).

Alert

Once interdiction has (or hasn’t) been placed, if there are any VC units in the Target hex, they get to make an Alert roll. The NLF player adds the movement cost of the terrain the units are in and a +1 if any ARVN units are involved (because of worse operational security). The VC units can then use the result of that roll (even if it exceeds their printed movement allowance) to leave the Target hex. If they can get far enough way that no operating units are adjacent, the operation is over, and all operating units are marked as Ops Complete. If they can’t, they have options such as Dispersal or moving to minimize the number of operating units which can attack.

Combat

If the VC didn’t get far enough way (or chose not to, or there were NVA, or it was an NLF operation, or, well, you get the idea), then, the operating player gets to choose to attack or not (unless operating units are IN the target hex, in which case, an attack must occur). We’ll assume there’s an attack, otherwise, this will be an anti-climactic end to the article. Before anything else happens, though, BOTH sides can choose to place more interdiction (to interfere with future Retreats and/or Pursuits). After that’s done, any hidden VC are revealed, odds are calculated, DRMs are determined, and a die is rolled, and casualties are applied.

That all sounds straight-forward, but here’s where Vietnam differs a bit from the usual. First, the attacker doesn’t have to commit every bit of combat strength. Increments can be chosen (in terms of half points, e.g., 2.5 combat strength of a 3-strength battalion might be committed). Why would you want to do this? Well, that’s where the CRT comes in. Losses (casualties) are based on your committed combat strength (defenders are all in) + your opponent’s support. So, if the attacker commits 2.5 combat strength and the opponent only has 1 artillery support, the attacker’s losses will be based on the left-most (fewest losses) column of the CRT. And this is where the Allied side’s superiority in firepower comes into play as, although you can only count 3 times the attacking combat strength in support for odds, it all counts for enemy losses. In other words, if I attack with 2.5 and bring 50 support points (excessive, but illustrative), then, for odds, I can count 7.5 of the support (and be 10 attacking), but the enemy will use the total defending ground strength, let’s say, 3, plus 50 for losses. That means they’ll be way up on the CRT and likely to take massive losses.

Speaking of losses, that’s another distinguishing item for this game. While you may remove counters due to losses, they don’t have steps or reduced sides. Instead, each side has Replacement Points which may be expended as losses are incurred. In non-Campaign scenarios, these are set by scenario setup. In the Campaign games, each player “buys” REPLs (as they are known). Basically, though, any losses may be subtracted from the total REPLs available within the rules governing such use (but you can read those later). The Allied side can also incur air point and airmobile point losses from the CRT on specific die rolls (but only one per operation).

Retreat, Reserves, and Pursuit

Now that the first combat round is complete, the defending units in the Target hex have the option to retreat their full movement allowance. The Target hex designation follows these retreating units, even if they split up, potentially creating multiple Target hexes. If Allied units were defending, they could also call on Defensive Reserves which just means activating a unit and moving it either to join the fight or move, perhaps into a blocking position; either way, the unit will be Ops Complete at the end of the operation. Enemy units can React (see above) to all this movement.

Once all that’s done, the attacker gets to pursue with a movement allowance equal to the inherent pursuit modifier printed on the counter (if any, and it must be at least 0 – blank is not a pursuit modifier) plus any pursuit generated from the CRT (which could be negative). The pursuing units can move wherever they like (using normal movement rules) and could maneuver to prosecute another attack on the retreated units or just reposition. Either way, enemy units not in a Target hex still get to React (see above).

Finally, once all that pursuit is complete, if the Allied player is operating, Offensive Reserves can be called in. This means that new units can be assigned to the operation in progress, and they get to move and attack.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Once all that movement is over, we return to the top of the order and the operating player decides to attack (only units in Target hexes are eligible to be attacked) and do it all over again. Pursuit movement allowance that is not used for pursuit movement is a die roll modifier in combat. The cycle of retreat, pursuit, and attack continues until one side breaks off or all units in Target hexes are eliminated. Once no attack is conducted, then the operation is over, all operating units are marked as Ops Complete, and the NLF player gets the option to execute an operation or make the Allied player go.

Turn Over, Man, Turn Over (apologies to Hudson)

Once every unit on the map has operated, or the pass sequence (NLF, Allied, NLF) above occurs, the turn is over. If it’s the second turn of the season, it all starts again, otherwise, the players head into the Seasonal Interphase which is a Campaign scenario thing, and we’ll cover that next time.

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Previous Article: This is the Vietnam Game You’re Looking For, Part 1