Week 9 Mission 1 (FOB Oxus) - Bump in the Night

Even though we have not finished Week 8 we will play the first mission of Week 9, it is not part of the current area of operation but helps tell the story of what is about to happen in the campaign.

To the east of FOB Breakbone is FOB Oxus, a multinational base with several Civil Construction Bases (CCBs).  At the end of Week 8, while Breakbone's forces begin to realise they are up against regular troops FOB Oxus is overrun in a major attack.  A dribble of survivors arrive late at night at CCB Cobble with horror stories of mass attacks on the defences of the FOB.  They speak of tanks supported by human waves of insurgents.  While the Lieutenant commanding CCB Cobble is deciding what to do they begin to hear the crescendo of battle emanating from CCB Pebble.  A HUMVEE soon speeds up to Cobble with news that Pebble has been wiped out.  Lieutenant Nomandla Tokoloshe, of the South African UN contingent, decides not to wait for his turn and orders the base to immediately mount up and head towards the safety of FOB Breakbone to the west.  Lt. Tokoloshe realised he was probably leaving the frying pan and leaping into the fire.  To get to FOB Breakbone he would have to navigate the narrow farmland between Azmakassar and the Malika River.

On the other side, Captain Bahij Jamal suffered several breakdowns and failed to reach his Line of Departure for his attack on CCB Cobble.  He decided to form a leaguer for the night and wait for the remainder of his force to catch up during the night and then attack at dawn.  Just past midnight his pickets started reporting the sound of engines in the dark.  The UN forces from CCB Cobble was about to collide with the Hotakistani attackers.

Length: 8 Turns (at end of Turn 8 roll a D12, on a 8+ the game continues, on Turn 9 roll a D12 on a 9+ the game contines etc.).  Roll for initiative from turn 1.

Mapsize: 6' x 4'

Setup: Both sides have semi-random setup, the Hotakistani forces setup randomly in their leaguer, roll a D12 and place the unit in the numbered area (a 11 can be setup anywhere in the leaguer, a 12 means the team may setup within 12" of the leaguer.  All vehicles setup with their front facing outward from the centre of the leaguer.  The UN forces setup in two column shaped areas numbered 1 to 8, roll a D10, on a 9 the team setups in any of the numbered areas, on a 10 the team may be setup within 12" of either of the setup areas.  Each vehicle and each fire team is rolled separately.  All UN infantry may start mounted.  Hotakistani forces may not start mounted.  UN sets up first.

Conditions: Night.  All armoured vehicles on both sides have night vision.  The US and French infantry (in the HUMVEE and VBL) also have night vision goggles (NVG).  Modification to Night rules: Optimum range halved for infantry without NVG, maximum range is 24", all fire beyond TQ in inches is at half FP

Hotakistani Forces - 5th Independent Mechanised Brigade - The Green Flag (TQ8 MOR10 INI6)
x1 T-72 (CONFIDENT)
x1 T-55 (local MANA, TQ6 MOR12 INI6 CONFIDENT)
x1 Weakened Mechanised Hotakistani Infantry Platoon (minus 1 section)
x1 ZPU-1 14.5mm AA
x1 Scorpion Light Tank (may setup anywhere on the board but more than 12" from the UN setup areas or a UN force.

Pro-Hotakistani Haqiqa Insurgents (Irregular TQ8 MOR10 INI6), roll a D6 hotspot dice, on a 1-4 an insurgent team arrives, on a 5-6 nothing occurs.  Roll a D6:

1-4 x3 w/AK, x1 w/SW

5-6 x2 w/AK, x1 w/SW, x1 Leader w/AK

UN Forces - Construction Group Pebble (TQ8 MOR8 INI8 Confident)
x1 Ratel-60
x3 Ratel-20
x1 Ratel-90
x1 UN South African Mechanised Platoon (mounted in Ratels)
x1 Rooikat
x1 Dozer
x1 Articulated Dump Truck (ADT)
x2 Truck w/team of construction workers (unarmed civilian contractors)
The following two infantry teams are (TQ8 MOR10 INI8 High Confidence)
x1 HUMVEE w/0.5 and 5 US Army (x2 w/M4, x1 M4/UGL, x1 w/SAW, x1Ldr w/M4 + x2 AT-4)
x1 VBL w/0.5 and 3 French Army (x1 w/FAMAS, x1 w/FAMAS+LGI, x1 w/Minimi SAW + x2 AT-4)

Victory Points:
UN earn 3VP for each UN vehicle exited off the designated edge, 3VP for each Hotakistani vehicle destroyed, 1VP for each Hotakistani infantryman KIA/SW, 2VP for each Hotakistani POW and 1VP for each 4 UN infantryman exited.
Hotakistani earn 3VP for each UN vehicle destroyed or remaining on board at game end, 2VP for each UN infantrymen KIA/SW and 2 for each POW.

Special Rules:
1) UN Ratels and Rooikat may spend a whole turn within an 1" of an immobilised friendly vehicle connecting towing cables.  A towed vehicle does not move slower as the night has already slowed the vehicles.
2) No vehicles may use rapid movement.
3) Each time a T-72 moves roll a TQ, on a failure the tank stalls and does not move for the turn.  If a stalled tank attempts to move and fails its TQ the tank becomes Immobilised.  An immobilised T-72 may lose power too, each turn a tank remains immobilised due to a stall it must roll a further TQ or lose all power and is there after abandoned.
4) One of the UN trucks is carrying ammunition and demolition charges, each time a UN truck is fired upon roll a D6, on a 5+ the truck explodes: 5D10 explosion with 6" blast radius.

Red modifications are scenario adjustments following first play.  The FOF night rules slowed down play with so many units, so a simple half optimum, double optimum and beyond to 24 instead of using elusive.  Hotakistani units are reduced to stop the scenario from bogging down into a slugfest.

The setup areas can be downloaded in PDF form from Google Docs (printed to A3 size): TEMPLATE PDF