You could choose to go this route...
Or you can affirm the eternal truth that "Manly Men Play Wargames"!
Hmmm.... I'll affirm the latter, I think...
And along those lines of affirming Games Theory as a Manly career choice, I deviate from my paying job to keep my mind sharp by playing this quite interesting and challenging game from Art of Wargames: "Forward Together - Rhodesian Bush War".
I've played about 20 times at this point, about half the scenarios: the ones with the least special rules because I'm trying to get a feel for the basics! And it's been a great time since I enjoy military tactical puzzles. Also, the challenges are difficult and engrossing at times without much rules overhead. I can bang out a scenario in about 20-40 minutes depending on how much time I spend thinking and taking pics. And I'm enjoying it!
This got me to thinking... What does "replay value" really mean? I say it's:
1. Scenario seems balanced: One must keep playing it to see if it truly is or if it's been luck of the dice that has me losing / winning.
2. Scenario seems to favor one side: One must keep playing it to see if that is so, if it was luck, or bad tactics. If it is unbalanced, what changes would make it even-up?
3. I like the game / rules / scenarios. But it *might* be even better if I changed / modified a couple of the rules...
And there you have it - replay value means you keep coming back to see if you have cracked that nut open, or if you need a different nut cracker, or to try a different nut. "Forward Together" has that in spades, for $20 alone or $40 with two other games in an omnibus edition. Reminds me a lot of Classic Squad Leader but at 6 pages of pretty straightforward rules.
Consider Mission #5:
Relatively simple victory conditions: clear the guerillas out of the village and occupy it. with breathing room all around. A modest amount of Maneuver Units [MU] on both sides, 3 and 4 respectively.
G8 is actually a Guerilla Team - I changed it but didn't retake the pic.
The forces are almost equal in numbers, with 12 Hits to 15 Hits, but the Gs are weaker units. The support weapons slightly favor the Rhoadies as they have Grenades - I'm still figuring out the benefits of Grenades as a Squad Weapon. Altho one doesn't want to attack with even numbers, the Rhoadies may pick the time and place of what is essentially a surprise attack.
The Mission has a tight time line of 7 Game Turns. The Rhoadies have to defeat the Gs, cross the river and occupy the village - the movement alone takes *at least* 3 Turns. To defeat them, there have to be no G Units within two hexes of the village. Measuring hexes to engagement Range [3 Hexes], the attack has to begin as soon as possible but NLT Turn 3, for realistic odds to attrit the Gs enough that they have to Rally to Activate. This degrades their performance enough to - hopefully - finish them off piece by piece.
Plan 1: INFIL from East - Central board edge at hexes K4 and K8. Set up a base of Fire at J4 and H7 to destroy the security Team in G5 while initiating Fire on village Units. I played this out three times, and lost all three games, badly. There isn't enough time to destroy the security Team G8 and then advance on the Village. Engaging the Units in the Vill is just poking a bear with a stick. Most will get Aggressive and start fighting back, and they have cover.
Verdict: Not recommended.
Plan 2: INFIL from North - West across the hill, using the heights for LoS advantage to engage targets in the Village. This resulted in a firefight at C5-D5-F4 v. the village. It took until Turn 4 to really engage them as the hill slowed movement. Four Game Turns isn't enough to destroy the Gs with Firepower. Assaulting the Village is slow due to the river and buildings being 2 MP / AP each. The costs reduce attacking Firepower. Tried twice and ran out of Turns both times. Once I was out-shot by some hot die rolling by the Gs!
Plan 3: INFIL from North - West with a flanking force going 'round the hill to the West, then attacking the West side of the Village after the Gs are engaged, perhaps moving out of position to engage the Northern Squads.
How did this go? Well, see for yourself below!
Turn 1. Rhoadies move onto the boardm bypassing security Team G8.
Turn 3. R Teams F & G are able to bring effective firepower down from the hill. Team H continues flanking move, will engage next Turn.
Turn 4. Rs win Initiative and continue firing at G5 since it has the Leader. They destroy the Squad but the Leader survives and jumps over to G7. G8 Disengages.
Turn 5 Rs. Firepower destroys Team 6, as F Squad rolls hot.
Turn 5 Gs. G7 rolls Aggressive Posture, advances a hex and misses with all Fire. G8 rolls a Defensive Posture but can't see anyone so does nothing.
Turn 6 Gs win IN. They manage to Rally and Activate G7. H Squad takes another Hit and has only one left!
Turn 6 Rs. F & G Squads Manage destroy G7 with Fire.
G8 rolls Aggressive and enters the River.
I play Turn 8, just to see what happened...
Turn 8, Rs win IN. H Squad Rallies, enters G8 hex and melees, win's by ONE POINT and G8 is destroyed. F Squad enters Village in Good Order.
Turn 3. Rhoadies spring the attack, with seven total Actions of Fire, the best I can do. They roll 3 Hits, about average, no complaints but a second Hit on G6 would have been nice! Then they would have to Rally to Act.
Turn 3 Gs. G6 rolls a '6' and Disengages, moving 2 Hexes away from F-H. G5 rolls Defensive but +1 for Leader so Aggressive Posture, moves into Hut vacated by G6 and Fires twice. G7 rolls Defensive Posture and Fires at H Squad. G8 rolls Aggressive and closes in on H Squad. No worries - just a few guerillas...
I was pretty fortunate that G6 with the RPG and best Firepower Disengaged! Damage assessment at Turn 3 is below, 3-1 in favor of Rs.
Turn 4. Team G8 rolls Aggressive Posture and melees H Squad, outrolling them 8-1 and wiping them out! Small consolation that G5 rolled to Disengage and G6 to remain Defensive.
Guerilla casualties: 5, 7 and 8 are all Reduced and must Rally to Act.
Above, G5 Rallies, rolls Disengage but changed to Aggressive Posture with Leader. Advances a hex and Fires at H. Below, G7 Rallies and rolls Defensive Posture, also Fires at H Squad.
G8 Rallies, advances and Melees weakened H Squad, out rolls them again, wiping them out.
G6 fails to Rally.
Turn 5. Rs win IN, F Fires and wipes out G8. G squad Melees G7 and wins by a measly point, wipes them out. Still, doesn't look good...
Turn 5 Gs. G5 Rallies, rolls Aggressive Posture, Melees G Squad, defeats them 8-5. Ugh! G6 fails to Rally.
Turn 6, Gs win IN. G5 Rallies and Fires. G6 again fails to Rally.
Turn 6 Rs. F Squad destroys G5 with Fire...
Verdict, plan is still too slow - I played until Turn 8 to barely win.
Elapsed time, 40 minutes with recording game in pics, so 30-35 minutes play time.
Overall, I still liked this plan, and felt it had potential if I did it correctly and had even luck all around. I decided to try it again.
Turn 2, Rs have IN [by scenario rule] and stay out of LoS, creeping into positions.
But... it doesn't matter since F & G Squads are unable to clear the village.
"Game over, Man! Game over!!"
What a mess...
That was a bit unlucky and a bit badly thought out. I should have Fired at G8. I decided to see what would have happened had I made a better decision with the Rs, and re-played Turn 4.
Turn 7, Gs win IN.
G6 Rolls Aggressive Posture, Misses with Fire.
So... the attack from NW with flanking force looks good on paper, but I can't seem to make it work.
Turn 7 Rs. F Squad Fires and wipes out G6 - Hoorah! Oh but wait, they can't move into the village and they lose again...
So... the attack from NW with flanking force looks good on paper, but I can't seem to make it work.
Verdict: Not recommended.
Took 46 minutes of play time with taking pics. So likely 35 min. Altho I wiped out the Guerillas, I forgot I also had to occupy a building to win. Also, it takes a long time to cross the river and enter the town, 2-3 turns due to the max 3 APs spent moving.
Time for a new plan!
Plan 4: INFIL from East Central again but mass through K4, then come down the road in force. This allowed for a concentration of firepower with the Action Point mechanic and friendlies don't block LoF / LoS [one may agree or disagree].
In the first play-thru, I easily wiped out security team G8 and advanced down the road. Guerilla 5 and 6 rolled Aggressive and clustered together to fight me.
By Turn 7, I was still fighting G6 plus leader and RPG, and hadn't made it out of the roadway. Both sides were bloody, and this was not recommended COA!
This was a quick disaster, 15-20 minute to a bad loss. Altho the Rhoadies concentrated enough Fire to quickly destroy the security Team G8, the terrain slowed and restricted them. This gave the Gs a concentration of Firepower as well. This failed a second time, without making much of a dent in the town.
Verdict: Not recommended.
Plan 5. Enter South - East and engage on Turn 2 with a base of fire in H7 / H8, and an assault force crossing the bridge at G9.
Turn 1 Rs enter and assume attack positions. Gs get no reaction rolls... all is quiet!
Turn 5 Rs win IN. They advance into the village, Firing.
Turn 5 G8 fails to Rally. G5 Rallies and Fires.
Turn 6, Gs win IN. G5 rolls Aggressive Posture and melees H Squad but loses badly with a difference of 3-8 on the rolls!
Turn 7, Gs win IN but G8 fails to Rally and is wiped out by Fire from H Squad.
I got a bit lucky with my initial round of Fire on Turn 2, so decided to play again. This time I shot the Gs out of the village and chased down the G6t which had Disengaged twice [two 6s in a row]. Just in case he changed his mind and returned, he wouldn't be able to be within 2 hexes of the village without winning a melee.
This was my most decisive win. Altho both INFILS from SE won, I wiped out the Gs with only 2 Hits the last time around.
"Forward Together" is a deceptive little game. The mechanics are nuanced but pretty simple to any board gamer with a few systems under their belt. But they give the Gs a fair amount of latitude to engage you, so you need to plan carefully as you rarely outnumber them. A mistake or two, or a few lucky shots by them, and you could easily have half your force needing to Rally before Activating, and you can't afford that!
This worked really well overall, and I was able to use Range and the Bridge to bring plenty of Firepower to bear while also closing in easily - but not getting too close!
These mechanics would make a great 'Bot for a number of situations where quality v. quantity is part of the equation. Altho the three games in the series are all asymetric conflict [Rhodesia, French Vietnam, Contras] it would work just fine for any modern era conflict that has a mix of Firepower and close combat. Really, there's always a place where one side has some weak forces, perhaps green, perhaps worn-out veterans.
To summarize, I think this game has great replay value and several mechanics worth stealing and importing into other games. The footprint is small enough to fit on my dresser so it has been set up continuously for several days. I have been squeaking in a game here and there, trying various plans or tweaking scenarios. My favorite tweak so far is to insert a couple of "?" Markers in likely places for the Guerillas to have forces.
Post your comments on Mission #5 or the game in general!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment! t will be posted after it's moderated.