Chef Pierre Piper went Poppy Picking

A composite force of French and South African UN soldiers advanced on an opium producing village which had failed to pay the local warlord his dues.  The warlord told the local army commander who reported to the UN that the village was "financing the local guerrillas with their misbegotten opium money".  The UN reacted by sending in soldiers armed with Jerry cans of petrol.

[1] A French VAB enters and engages a VBIED, the VBIED reacts with an assault but is short on movement [2].  A Rooikat enters and destroys the VBIED [3].  In the distance a P4 Peugeot, a VBL and infantry on foot advance and engage a hidden group of guerillas armed with two RPGs

We played a second Force on Force game, introducing Breaching, Hotspots, Vehicles and Irregulars.  I realised how hard it is to play irregulars for a new player, they only react once, sometimes don't have leadership, die like flies and the only medics seem to be flies.

The local army commander's "lie" held some truth.  A group of guerrillas had moved into the area and were building up their force for an attack on the local city.  The attack by the UN was a surprise and the guerrillas were caught with only one "roadblocking" unit in place.  A suicide-bomber in a VBIED saw his chance at immortality and drove a B-line straight at the first UN force he saw, a French VAB.

The French VAB, commanded by Chef Pierre Piper opened fire with its Remote Weapon Station, peppering the car but not stopping it, the car got within 4m of the VAB but the occupants were suppressed.  A UN Rooikat then appeared on the road and with a single round hit the Golden Holden VBIED which exploded, luckily for the VAB the explosion did no damage.

On the French left flank a P4 Peugeot, a VBL and a unit of infantry spot and engage an ambush.  In the ensuing firefight (over two turns) the guerrillas are all killed, a VBL is destroyed and two crew are seriously injured.

Firefight between the French and the ambushing unit.  A VBL is hit and destroyed by an RPG.  At this moment the guerillas have 7 Points and the French 2.

The French continue their advance without any visible opposition, a fire team moves to the smaller of the poppy fields and using an petrol and phosphorous grenades set it on fire.

The French set fire to the Poppy plantation.  The last surviving guerrilla in the compound is hit.  In the distance a group of French snipers moves into the compound to setup an overwatch position.

On the left flank the P4 Peugeot advanced to protect that flank and was engaged by two units of guerrillas.  The guerillas suffered from indecision (hotspot spawned units without leaders, a harsh reality of an insurgency).

The Rooikat, a second VBL and a P4 move up to cover the compound entries [1], and fire team moved up to the nearest compound [2] and breaches the wall advancing into the compound.  A fire team of French advance to the main poppy field and set it on fire.  The local guerrilla leader assaults the breachers, but the French are victorious [4].  Meanwhile a massive mob of guerrillas with no leader attempt to flank the French.  Without anti-tank weapons the best they can hope for it so assault the infantry or cars.

The French then continued their main drive to the large poppy field.  Using three vehicles to cover the advance infantry breached the first compound and advanced on the fields setting fire to the last crop.  Four guerillas led by the local leader assaulted the team which had breached their compound.  French were surprised and a vicious melee ensured ending with the death of all four guerrillas.

With their objectives secured (i.e. on fire) the French began their orderly withdrawal.  Though a group of 20 enthusiastic leaderless guerrillas ran to get into the fight.

The Rooikat intercepted and the twenty guerrillas after taking a few hits ran for cover allowing the French infantry to fall back unharmed.  Except, as they crossed the road an IED was set-off hitting two teams of French soldiers, the first team was hit three times, the second escaped without harm.  Miraculously for the French all three hit men escaped with minor scratches.

And thus ended the poppy picking patrol.

Once again lessons were learnt.  The main one I was reminded of was how hard it is too play irregulars in Force on Force.  Hard from a morale point of view.  Who really have to think of your men as lunch money, without spending it you get no lunch...but you have money....

Next week we will just have a fun little game to reinforce the lessons, this time involving prey, hunters and hunter's of hunters.

AAR - Operation [REDACTED]

"What happened at Malika Airport last week?"

"Nothing happened." replied the US Spokesman to the press at the UN HQ.

The truth is more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

The Russian kill and wound the South African guards and steal the UN QRF Medivac helicopter

A heavy firefight is believed to have occurred at the western edge of the airfield.  A three way struggle occurred between the Russians, the UN and the Hotakistanis.  A fourth force was also rumoured to be involved, and this was confirmed by a release from Wikidrips.  We played a massive 4-sided mission.  Operation Democritus begins (see Mission Briefing here)

Unknown to the UN forces the Russians had discovered a stolen nuke (of Russian origin) on one of the crashed aircraft at the airfield.  The nuke "belonged" to the Hotakistanis.  As the Russian moved to recover it a secret force of Hotakistani revealed themselves and a race was on, the Russians to recover the bomb and the Hotakistani to set off the bomb.  The UN, unaware of the nuke, raced to turn the Russians back to their part of the base.  In the vicinity of the aircraft was a secret NSA base which would result in the operation being removed from all the annals of the world (or so they thought!).

The fight started with a section of Russians attacking the helipad at the southern end of the airfield.  Their plan was to steal a helicopter, retrieve the bomb and then fly it back to Russian territory.  The South African guards at the helipad were taken by surprise by the Russians and they fell quickly.

Meanwhile at the west end of the airfield the Russians advanced on their secret objective, the nuke in the crashed airliner.  The nuke had been stolen by the Hotakistanis and crashed on the runway on the first day of the invasion, their plan had been to explode the bomb if they failed to secure the main UN base.  They had been defeated and the bomb had never been set-off.  The plane had then been dragged to the wrecking yard at the airfield, the UN unaware it contained a nuke.

The Main Maintenance Workshops and the wrecked planes.

The Russian rushed into the Main Maintenance Workshops, they heard the helicopter had been captured and that their comrades had also captured a BMP-1 which would soon arrive (Turn 4) to assist them in their task.

The Russian arrive at the MMW

The Russian paratroopers catch sight of their objective, the crashed airliner is in sight.

On a course to intercept the Russians was a motley UN force thrown together from the remnant units at the airfield.  The UN force included a section of South Africans, a section of British, a squad of Americans, a P4 Peugeot with French special forces and a fire team of Australian special forces.  The UN force moved into the buildings overlooking the main wrecking yards.  They battled to breach one of the buildings but were soon in overwatch positions above the yards.

A team of South Africans show the Aussies how to break in to a building.  Mark has painted his Eureka Miniatures Australians (most envious!)

Unknown to the Russians or the UN a third force was hiding just over the outer fences of the airfield.  The Hotakistanis had come to the realization that the Russians had discovered the bomb and they now raced forward to arm the bomb and deny the airfield to the UN.

The Hotakistani platoon run through a minefield losing three men, and cut through the chain-link fence.  The race is on!

The Hotakistani swarmed from their hideout, ran through a minefield, losing three men seriously wounded, and then breached the outer fence.  The Russians soon came under fire from the Hotakistanis.  This would turn into a bloody fire fight ending with only one Hotakistani left alive and only four Russians.

The Russian run towards their objective, but accurate fire from the Hotakistani stops them in their tracks

Unknown to the Russians they had run past a hidden group of Hotakistani agents from their Special Activities Detachment (SAD).  The SAD team had been hiding in one of the upper floors of a workshop, from where they could observe the wrecked jetliner.  The SAD men popped up and poured fire into the running Russians.  The Russians were soon able to neutralize this threat but at a cost.

Russians ambushed by the SAD men.  The Russian leader, Lt Razputin flexes his muscles.

The UN could see the firefight from their positions in the office blocks.  The commander ordered the French patrol to make contact with the Russians.  The French Special Forces moved forward to order the Russians back to their compound.  The Russians failed to move, saying they could not understand German.  At about this time a runner brought up a decoded message which showed the UN commander that the Russians were attempting to retrieve a Empty Quiver - a stolen nuclear bomb.

The French drive up to the advancing Russians, a tense stand-off ensues.

The firefight near the workshops intensified, with the Russians losing a few men.  The French supported the Russians by firing at the Hotakistanis THROUGH the Russian forces, but miraculously no Russian went down to this "semi-friendly" fire.

The firefight grows in intensity.  The French come to the Russians assistance, but fire through the defending Russians.

After softening up the Russians the Hotakistanis charge in with grenades and bayonets, killing four of the Russians.

The first of many close quarter combat.  In this one the Russians are wiped out.

The gunfire and explosions had a dramatic effect in the NSA Darpa base at the other end of the wrecking yard.  Several containers started to shake and blood curdling screams could be heard from within their confines.  Soon the containers failed and out poured a fourth force.  Within the container cages were torn and smashed.  Unfortunately, the nature of this new force has been redacted by the NSA.  The first casualties of this new force were the two NSA agents in the building.

Unfortunately the image of this event has been redacted.

[REDACTED]

Luckily the NSA is a sieve, and we can therefore show you these images:

NSA DARPA EXPERIMENTAL ALIEN DIVISION

The fourth force was some form of alien or synthetic lifeform.  They surged forward, loping, skittering, hunting any human they could sense.  The UN force was the first to see them, the men either puckered up or lost sphincter valve control.

The stolen helicopter lands, the Russians as yet unaware of the new nearby threat.

The Russian helicopter and BMP arrived around about now.  The BMP was soon to become a thorn in the UN side, it main gun a threat to the advance of their troops and a threat to the UN vehicles.  The South Africans had been checking through the vehicles parked in the yards and found a Ratel and a Rooikat in operable condition, they mounted these vehicles, though only the machine-guns could be operated.

The Russian BMP arrives, it survives the operation, but gets hit by 3 to 4 RPGs.

The firefight in the centre continued with multiple casualties on both sides.  The UN taking pot-shots at the participants.  The Hotakistanis realised that the central yard was becoming too dangerous and began a flanking move to get to the airliner.

Hotakitanis begin a flank move to reach the airliner

About now the aliens started to disgorge from the NSA buildings, the shocked UN force poured a withering fire killing into these horrific beings as they ran across the road towards the UN position.  One of the alien queens mounted a wall (and rolled a 1 for the Reaction test, received a card, Man Down, rolled a D10 for the ten alien teams and rolled a 9!  The queen.  She died as she fell from the wall.  Rather anti-climatic to the mirth of the other players.  Especially as I have had a uncanny ability to fall off walls in another game we play!)

An ignominious end to one of the alien Queens

The Aliens swarmed forth, though many died, many advanced on the Russians who had just debussed from the helicopter.

The Aliens rush the Russians

The Aliens began to suffer from an inability to martial themselves to charge into close quarters (by the end of the game I had rolled at least ten "1s" with a D10 for the close combat TQ check.  Not just failing but failing with 1s!)

One successful assault out of four attempts!  The Hotakistanis attempting to range in on the aliens, but the UN intervened shooting down the two Hotakistani snipers before they could fire on the aliens.

The Aliens attacking the UN forces faced a wall of overwatch fire.  Very few aliens made it, most dying in puddles of acid.

A wall of overwatch lead puts an end to the alien advance on the UN forces

The Russians, ignoring the UN request, breached the airliner and advanced to the bomb in the centre of the aircraft.

The Russians ignoring French order breach the plan and advance to the bomb, but suffer wounds and cannot carry the bomb.

The aliens now spotted that there were walking incubators in the airliner and started to breach the aircraft, but once again they failed to muster the will to attack the Russians in the aircraft.  The Hotakistanis also breached the plane but were ambushed by FBS Russian agents, but they overcame the two Russian agents and attacked the fireteam at the bomb, wounding two of the Russians.  The Russians could now not retrieve the bomb with the four men required to retrieve and evacuate the bomb.

The aliens once again failing to muster themselves to assault the walking incubators.

The UN now suffered two setbacks, both their overwatch buildings caught fire and the UN had to rapidly evacuate their advantage points (both Reaction Cards, one played by the Hotaksitanis and one by the aliens, the UN player was not impressed)

Bad luck, the first of two fires in the UN held buildings

The Russian now joined the alien killing spree, firing on the aliens.  They wounded two aliens, then the aliens charged them, losing two more to the Russians, and then in close combat the Russians dispatched the last alien.

Russians wiping out the aliens.

The Russian, after killing the drones, turned on the queen and quickly killed her.

The Alien queen dies.

The firefight in the yard continued, devastating both the Hotakistanis and Russians.  A team of Hotakistanis entered the plane and took down the Russians with UN "assistance" (the Rooikat and P4 had moved up to fire on the airliner).  The aliens clawing at the outside of the plane once again fail to muster the will to charge into the plane!  The Rooikat was destroyed by the Russians.

The South Africans engaged the Russian BMP with an RPG, but after two hits could not penetrate the armour.  The BMP responded to the fire, also with little effect.

The Hotakistanis clear the plane with UN assistance, while the aliens twiddle their thumbs!

The aliens now exacted some revenge on the UN, a group of five aliens surged into a fire team of Americans, killing them all.  The aliens were soon killed by the Australian SASR.

Aliens munching on the US fire team

The aliens finally entered the plane and killed the Hotakistanis in the plane.  A final Hotakistani surge to breach the aircraft and set off the nuke was withered under heavy fire, but in the end one of the Hotakistani agents got to the bomb.  He started to arm the bomb but was interrupted by incoming UN forces (he required a full turn so he was too late and the mission ended).  The bomb was captured by the UN. Only four Russians were left standing and the last Hotakistani killed himself rather than be captured.  The surviving Russian fell back over the perimeter fence and were extracted by a Russian force later in the day.

A reporter at the airfield reported that the Russians had attacked the UN.  The Russians said that the bodies in the reporters photographs said to be Russians appeared to be a Malikstani militia men, pointing out that none of the uniforms contained Russian badges or flags.  The UN reported that the photographs were fakes or were taken during the initial invasion a month before.

There was never a fight.

There was never a bomb.

The UN and Russians are still on good terms.

There were certainly no "unexplained" events.

Period.

The aliens [that never did exist] were also all killed, though one [of the non-existent] aliens had escaped with a victim...

A bloody four-player four-sided game that ran very smoothly.  Probably our biggest game ever, with over four platoons of infantry.  The Force on Force rules held up well and we finished the game in good time.  Initiative was gold during this game, the ability to have overwatch was precious indeed.  Initiative bounced around, but the UN was able to hold it for most of the game.  The UN captured two vehicles which helped them hold on to initiative for most the game.

The aliens inability to muster themselves to attack and the ignominious end to the one queen resulted in lots of [rude] chortling.    In the end it was a UN victory as they received a bonus 20VP when the Russians and Hotakistanis failed in their missions.  But it was still narrow, with the UNs 57VP vs. the Russians 51VP.

The secret arrival of aliens in the campaign certainly led to shock among the three regular players.  I wish I had a picture of their faces as I setup the 40 drones and two queens.  It was classic.

Sadly, this is going to be my last game for a long time to come, though I hope the campaign will continue.  I will see if I can get players keen in WA, and I hope the Queenslander's keep it going.

Force on Force has enabled us to play some truly enjoyable games.  At least 41 of those games have been reported on this blog.  Not to mention the excellent players Mark, Bill and Shane.  And all the other guest players that have been involved in the 3 years we have played this campaign.

To anyone who has visited our blog I hope we have been able to entertain or inspire you to further gaming.  I hope this is not the end and we will soon be playing the campaign in both Queensland and WA.  If anyone this side of  Sagittarius A wants to join in to play missions in the campaign please PM me.

AAR - The Battle for No Name Ridge

After the Hotakistani mechanized infantry began to fall back, from their defeat at the hands of the French, the British 2nd line troops and the French Armoured Car recon unit caught them in a pincer.  With an Apache stalking the Hotakis the British spotted a BMP grinding its way up the hill by old ruined fort.  the Battle for No Name Ridge has begun.  The Hotakistanis would need to hold out until the reinforcements from the airlanding to the west could move to join them.

Background to the battle: The initial Hotakistan attack included a combined parachute and insurgent attack on Malika City airport.  To support this attack the Hotakistani's pushed BMPs across the river at Azmakassar to relieve the paratroopers.  The paratroopers, however, were defeated, and French from FOB Breakbone and British from the airport moved to stop the BMPs.  The French turned the Hotakistanis at the old UN checkpoint and now the Hotakistani's are falling back, into a French - British baguette/sandwich.

Objective: Destroy enemy forces and hold the ridge.
Rules: The Hotakistanis were able to make a pre-start move of 10" by passing a TQ vs. their fatigue (4+).

Forces:
Hotakistani
BMP Platoon, Fatigue 4+ (they should have lost one BMP, but it did not effect the game so we let it stand)
T-55 Tank (reinforcement card)
Hotakistani Paratrooper Squad

UN
British Infantry (2nd line TQ8/MOR8) (-1 section due to fatigue) [SNAFU Correction: Should have had MOR10]
+1FP for one team per turn
+1 British Infantry Section
Apache Gunship TQ8 Fatigue 4+
French Armoured Car Fatigue 4+  (-1 section due to fatigue)
155mm Artillery (which we forgot about, and really did not have the opportunity to use).

The British infantry were strung out and only two sections made contact with the Hotakistanis.  They spotted a BMP grinding its way up towards the ruined fort on No Name Ridge and before the Hotakistanis could react a AT-4 blew out the backdoor.  The survivors spilled out the back and top only to be met with small arms fire.  One Hotakistani was seriously wounded and another lightly wounded.

AT-3 destroys a BMP

On seeing their smouldering comrade the other Hotakistani's reacted by debussing from their BMPs.  One squad took up positions in the ploughed field and the other moved into the orchard.

The smoking BMP-1 near the crashed Golden Holden

The Hotakistanis in the orchard were attacked by two fire teams of British, but both sections came off the worse for wear.  A T-55, driven by Hotakistani paratroopers, arrived.  It appeared to be a Malikastani tank, but the British soon realised it was not so anymore.  A LAW hit the tank breaking the tanks main gun.  The Hotakistani soldiers who had survived the destruction of their BMP now tried to run up the hill to the protection of the ruined fort, but caught the ire of a British GPMG gunner, three of them went down in the hail of bullets.

The first (and last) French armoured car arrived and engaged the BMP on the ploughed field terrace, the BMP was soon smoking and the crew bailed.  The third BMP was hit by mortars of unknown origin which put it main gun out of action.  It's ATGM was still good and so it advanced to the bush-line and fired at the French AMX-10RC armoured car.  The rocket made it a whole ten feet before it fell to the earth and harmlessly rolled into a ditch.

The battle begins

The commander of the T-55 unbuttoned to spray the British with the DShK HMG, he managed to wound one or two before taking a bullet in the eye.  With him down the Apache faced no AA.

Eventually a British section leader managed to contact the lurking Apache and it swooped in, firing on the infantry on the terrace (to no effect) and on the BMP and T-55.  The BMP was destroyed by 30mm cannon fire.  The BMPs damaged 30mm cannon unable to give AA protection.

The QRF Apache makes a gun run.

A view from the west looking towards the orchard

By now the Hotakistani's had lost three of their BMPs, but had only suffered one death, and three seriously wounded.  They, however, had now started hurting the British.  Then things began to change.  A second T-55 arrived (card) and surged through the corn, firing on the British HQ, three of the Brits were downed, then the British searched for a LAW (TQ 4+) and fired (and played an automatic catastrophic kill card).  The T-55 blew apart as if it was a hydrazine soaked origami tissue-paper tank!  The card Giveth and the card Taketh!

A LAW from the HQ squad destroys the 2nd T-55

Meanwhile in the orchard the Hotakistanis wreaked havoc upon the British.  Soon the Hotakistanis would feel brave enough to advance.  The Apache returned and made a second run, with less effect.  The only Hotakistani to duck was the religious commissar, much to the silent amusement of the Hotakistani HQ.

The Hotakistani's now made their move (3rd and 2nd to last turn) they advanced and took the ruined castle, moved up to engage the French armoured car, moved down to the road and prepared to assault the downed British fire team in the road by the orchard and the Hotakistani's in the orchard charged the British HQ.

The British HQ managed to hit two of the charging Hotakistanis, but it was not enough, in a quick and bloody fight the British HQ was reduced to three men who surrendered.  This is when a squad of Hotakistani Paratroopers began to enter and engage the remaining British.  On seeing their HQ surrender and the new arrivals the remaining British quietly fell back towards the old UN checkpoint.  The ridge was left in the Hotakistanis hands.  The French armoured cars, with no infantry protection, decided it was time to advance to the rear and drove around the Hotakistanis to laager with the infantry with the coming night.

Hotakistani victory
Hotakistanis: 32 VP
UN: 29 VP

This was a fun little game.  The Hotakistanis in the orchard were probably the most important unit, restricting the British from maneuver.  The lack of AT with the British, after firing 3 AT-3s was limiting.  The Apache did not do much other than destroy a BMP.  The Hotakistani infantry proved very resilient in this game, though their armour less so, though a T-55 did survive (mostly) to the end.

AAR - I thought this was the desert

When platoon sergeant Chanetelle [sic] looked through the VAB's window she wondered, "I thought this was the desert".  It was the desert, but a river in the desert.  The few local Malikastanis in the area eked out living on the fall of the river flood plain, between the canals and anastomosing channels.

In this "idyllic" spot a battle was to be fought over an abandoned UN bunker.  Why it became a central point of this battle is hard to understand, it had been built in the wrong place, pointing the wrong way and...well...that was actually it, less said about said bunker the better...okay I will shut-up about now [who controlled the bunker at the end of turn 8 received an extra 10VP]

Mission
Contact mission.  Both side enter from an edge.  10VP bonus for holding the bunker.  Treelines with bushes blocked LOS.  Vehicles could see over corn, but not men.

French entered from the left and the Hotakistanis from the east, the bunker is in the centre

The campaign info:

French unit BBX and Hotakistani unit AZ2 fought it out in Attack 1

Hotakistani Force
One Mechanised BMP platoon
One 4-barrelled 14.5 HMG

French Force
One Mechanised VAB platoon
120mm Mortar
JTAC
Apache air support
155mm Heavy Artillery Battery
+1 DShift to Morale

Lieutentant M'karrakm ordered his men forward, his BMPs rumbled over the rough field and entered the orchards.  Some of his men had dismounted and walked-in.  The crew of the AA gun pushed their gun across the ploughed field.  No Franj to be seen.  That would soon change.

A BMP moves up, while the Hotakistani infantry move to the abandoned checkpoint

The French advanced cautiously, though more than half the force arrived late.  The French VABs were to suffer several bogs as they traversed the river, ditches and hedges.

A Ratel 20 subbing as a VAB

The French and Hotakistani's advanced through the fields with poor LOS to the enemy, eventually they made contact at spitting distance.  A French section reached the bunker, but fell back to the ditch when two BMPs approached the bush line.   That was the closest the French would get to the bunker.

Inevitably a VAB bogs in a drainage ditch.  The French see two BMPs move into position near the bunker.  The section in the centre fell back from the bunker under fire from a BMP.

The Hotakistani fire proved too heavy and the fire team went down, one dead and three seriously wounded.  Not a good start.

Hotakistani fire drops the lead French Fire team

The French bogged VAB was hit by a 73mm shell and was destroyed, the crew, however, bailed.  The French moved up a 300m fire team and fired on the BMPs, destroying one and causing the other to bail.  They, however, took two casualties.

The bogged VAB explodes, but the two BMPs are knocked out by AT-4

The French tried desperately to bring down artillery fire, but due to the proximity of the enemy to their troops they were always in "Dangerous Close" and on most occasions decided not to bring in fire.  Eventually they made contact with the Australian 155mm battery in Bahijindal and the first stonk arrived.  The Golden Holden took the first hit becoming a mangled mess of steel.  The other shells overshot the bunker but caused a few wounds.  Around this time Hotakistani Lieutenant M'karrakm felt through share willpower he would carry the day [random event: No Morale checks for the Lt and his attachment].  Blood would overcome steel!  He inspired his men in the bunker to withstand hellish fire throughout the French onslaught.  They would not give up the bunker until they were all dead or beyond medical help.

The first four 155mm shells land.  But Hotakistanis in the ditches and bunkers survive.

The 300m section falls under heavy fire, while the Hotakistani rush the French in the ruin.  

The Hotakistanis now charged across the narrow open ground and took cover in the drainage ditch near the ruin.  The French in the ruin knew they were in trouble, if the Hotakistanis assaulted the French stood little chance.  The French fired everything their had, but to no avail, the Hotakistanis fired back causing a few wounds.

The French now fell back to the first ditch and ordered an Apache in "danger close".  The Hotakistani's in the ruin were a hardy bunch.

Keeping low the Apache fires on the ruin.

The French overcame their fear of "danger close" and brought in a second stonk on the bunker.  The shells once more overshot the bunker, but did some damage to the infantry.  The rear BMP was also destroyed by French flanking through the orchards [the game was very close in points, but the bunker had become central as the +10VP would lead to an Hotakistani victory, the French now turned all their attention to the bunker]

The 2nd stonk (red circles) lands.

With the Hotakistani BMP down and their squad in the ditch adjacent to the bunker down the French could not move in at the bunker.  It became a slow attrition, the VAB moved up to the hedge and sprayed the bunker, a few Hotakistani's went down, and the RPG missed.  The second 300m fire team came up, but the last survivor in the bunker fired an RPG at them, knocking two down, the last Frenchman attacked with a AT-4, but could not touch the last man in the bunker.  A VAB that was flanking on the French left moved into LOS and downed the last man in the bunker from the rear.

Down to the wire! With the last man in the bunker down at the end of Turn 8 it was all over.  Instead of the Hotakistanis having 20VP vs. French 16VP, it ended then with 10VP for the Hotakistanis and 16VP for the French.

This was a hard, but fun, game.  The French had lots of support, but found it difficult to bring in the fire due to "danger close".  The large 7-man Hotakistani teams laid a lot of fire.  The French double AT-4 teams were hard-hitting as well, though they needed to replenish missiles from the VABs.  The French had more initiative dice, but I think in the end the two forces had an even amount of initiative.  Fun.