Malikastan Mission Briefing - A Tale of 2 City Fights

It was not the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was not the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of unquestioning belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it had been the spring of hope, it was now the winter of despair, we had had everything before us, we now knew we had nothing before us, they all thought they were going direct to Heaven, but they were merely turning to dust—in short, the period was so far back to jingoistic isolationism, that some of its noisiest authorities tweeted on it being finished by Christmas.

December 24 2019
The forces of the world, some under the umbrella of the UN, some under independent command and now encircled the garden city of Hotaki in Malikastan.  The fanatical followers of the long dead Hotaki saw that his prophecy of the "coming of the Franks" was upon them, and when the "Franks" entered the tomb of Hotaki all the warriors of Hotaki who had died over the last several hundred years would rise from their graves and bring on the final days.  Hotaki warriors sat in their prepared positions contemplating their rewards or contemplating on the joy of seeing their many fallen comrades join them once more with tales of Paradise.

A week ago, on a cold winter's morning, the pincer movement of the two vanguard armies entered the City of Hotaki.  The British had offered the name for the operation as Operation Put-In, a good rugby term.  The Americans changed it to Operation Tweet.  The Russians merely called it Operation Trump Card.  The US President tweeted how "clever" the Russians were, and how the Russian forces would put the efforts of the US, French and British armies to shame.

We are playing a Malikastan mission this Wednesday.  And, maybe Brisbane will play the other pincer.  The Russian pincer will involve the attempt to capture a hill overlooking Hotaki City, upon which sits a World Heritage ruin of the pre-Hotaki era.  During the capture of the ruin by the Hotakistanis they had been destroying portions of the ruins to bait the west in attacking the city and thereby bringing about the beginning of the Final Days.

For the last two days the Russians have been fighting through the IEDs and fortified positions to get to the base of the hill.  Their first assault on the hill was repulsed with heavy casualties.  They have now brought up heavy self-propelled artillery to "gently" remove resistance so from the ridge line so that their VDV (paratroopers) can gain a foothold on the hill.

Victory Points
Malikastani Terror Brigade & Hotakistani Regulars
+2 VP for each time the Russian player fires the 155mm at a position on the hill
+1 VP per Russian KIA or Seriously Wounded
+5VP per Russian Vehicle destroyed

Russian VDV (Paratroopers)
+5VP if the Russians hold the ridge line at game end or beyond
+5VP if the Russians have advanced to the edge of the board
+1VP for each MTB or HR fire team/crew destroyed.

+5VP for each armoured vehicle of the HR destroyed

Turns: 7
Russians start with initiative and automatically hold initiative for turn 1 and 2.
From the beginning of turn 3 roll for initiative as normal
Conditions: Clear.  At the beginning of each turn roll a D6, on a 4+ a wind picks up (see Dust special rule).  Roll a direction dice and a wind speed.  At the beginning of each turn reroll the wind speed dice.
Play Area: 4'x4'

Russian Paratrooper (VDV) (INI10, TC8, MOR10)
Full VDV Platoon (minus the weapons support section)
One 2S23 Nona w\120mm
One Tunguska
One 2S19 MTSA 155mm
One T-72 arrives at the beginning of Turn 3.

Malikastani Terror Brigade (INI D6, TC D6, MOR D12) REGULAR
Team 1 Leader w\AK, 3 w\AK, 1 w\RPG (AP3/AT3M), 1 Suicide Bomber (AP3/AT3L)
Team 2 Leader w\AK, 3 w\AK, 1 w\RPG (AP3/AT3M), 1 Suicide Bomber (AP3/AT3L)
Bunker (3 crew) with DShKa HMG (5D10)
VBIED (Sedan, Uparmoured Soft, FA2D6, SA2D6, RA1D6 AP6/AT2M)
AT Minefield (AP-/AT4D8H)
AP Minefield (AP4D8/AT1D8L)
Two IED (AP4D8/AT2D8M)

Hotakistani Remnant Armoured Brigade (INI D6, TC D8, MOR D8) REGULAR
Two T-55

Special Rules
DUST.  Place a dust cloud behind any vehicle that has moved.  Place a dust cloud in front of any 100mm gun or larger that fires.  Dust blocks LOS until it dissipates or moves.  Place a large dust cloud at the location where the 155mm shell explodes.  At the beginning of each turn roll a D6 for each dust cloud, on a 4+ it dissipates, otherwise it moves on the wind.
Medical.  The Russians have normal medical,  Malikastani/Hotakistani have Caveman Evacuation.
Prepared positions and ratlines.  The Malikastani/Hotakistani forces have well-prepared positions,
Mines.  The Malikastani/Hotakistani player may place three minefields, one of which is fake, one of which is AT and one of which is AP.  Any unit moving in a minefield will trigger a mine on a failed TC.
Remote Detonated IED.  The Malikastani player also places two IED anywhere in the 2/3 of the board away from the Russian edge.  The crew of the bunker must
Explosive Rule: All blasts have a diameter equal to their number of AP dice.
Loaded: The Russians are carrying unlimited supplies of RPG.