AAR - They are like zombies!

The hordes of insurgents surged through the now undefended legation district, like zombies they ran past an ODA group and a Malikastani platoon which were in the process of searching for civilians.  The ODA were also attempting to retrieve the body of their commander, while the Malikastani's were intent on rescuing their president.  The Russian consulate officer also needed rescuing.  It would prove a hard set of objectives.

Mission outline here: http://bigfof.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/mission-they-are-like-zombies.html

The reinforcement cards for the two forces:
UN1 ODA Team (so a 3rd team)
UN2 Convoy of three Light APC (VAB)

Hotakistani1 Squad of paratroopers
Hotakistani2 Flamethrower

The Field of Battle

Two groups of insurgents had passed the forward ODA and Malikastani positions before the sentries had realised that they were insurgents.

The celebrating voices of the advancing insurgents was interrupted by an insurgent rocket barrage.  Rockets crashed into the buildings and streets, collapsing roofs and throwing shrapnel across the streets.

It did not take long for the ODA and Malikastanis to recover, and both Haqiqa units were brought under fire, one destroyed in the chicane outside the Russian consular building, the other badly mauled in the street in front of the MOFUC building.

The opening dispositions

The opening salvo of insurgent rockets and the opening engagements

While the Malikastani commander and his radiomen repaired the two HUMVEES, his one squad finished off the insurgents in the road before the Russian consulate.  The ODA in the tall building fired down into the insurgents in front of the MOFUC building, causing a few injuries.  The Malikastani's in the blockhouse moved forward to save their president, but took fire and lost one man wounded before getting into the building and making contact with the president.

The ODA searched a floor in their building and found no civilians, all in all not many non-Malika civilians were left in the area.  Just then a convoy of French VAB's (manned by Malikastanis) arrived to rescue the president.  A squad of Hotakistani paratroopers hearing the gunfire also arrived, armed with a flame-thrower.

The paratroopers made haste towards the ODA building and fired their flamethrower, the ODA survived without injury, but they quickly fell back escaping the smouldering building.  A suicide bomber chased after the special force operators, he surprised the ODA team and  blew himself up...but it was more fizzle than bang (1,1,1,2!).  In the field north of the garage complex insurgents began to form and were shot down by the 2nd ODA team.  This field would contain scores of dead insurgents by the end of the day.

Out of the flame-thrower into the exploding insurgent

The convoy of VABs moved to the front of the MOFUC building.  They engaged the paratroopers with their HMGs, and were supported by the arrival of a third team of ODA at the roadblock.  The flame-thrower soon covered the first VAB with fire, but it survived.

The paratroopers take on the convoy and the ODA

The two HUMVEES also advanced, ready to pick up any civilians discovered by the ODA or Malikastani teams.  An insurgent technical now arrived in the open ground north of the garage.  This vehicle was to live a miraculous life, the ODA poured fire into the truck, but did nothing (turn after turn after bloody turn!).  By the end of the battle the swiss-cheese truck drove off on its rims, but it still drove.

The new terrain pieces: Marsh and wire fence.

A squad of Malikastani's moved to the top storey of the building overlooking the open lot and fired, giving and receiving.  

The ODA in the garage discovered two groups of civilians and called the Malikastani commander in his HUMVEE to come and extricate the civilians.

It was about now that insurgents broke into the rear of the MOFUC building, but were wiped out by the Malikastani soldiers protecting the President.

Meanwhile, the Malikastani President and his four bodyguards made a dash for the waiting VAB, they closed the doors just as flame enveloped the vehicle from the paratroopers flame-thrower.  The VAB survived.  But they were not safe, yet.  A two-man RPG team appeared from around the corner and fired, but failed to penetrate, then a mob of insurgents with Molotovs clambered onto the vehicle, but to no avail.

Insurgents clamber over the presidents VAB, while the gunner on the 2nd VAB is wounded.

The newly arrived ODA team and the VAB guns threw back the paratrooper RPG team with three casualties.

Two Malikastani soldiers now entered the Russian consulate and the Russians and Malikastani's headed to safety while the ODA and 3rd Malikastani squad covered them.

Russians head for safety.

Just as they ran a Frogfoot flew in and let loose a salvo of rockets, the rockets exploded down the street, wounding a Russian consular officer, a Malikastani overwatch soldier and a member of the ODA at the HESCO roadblock.

Rockets explode down the street

Just when things were looking good ... disaster struck, the VAB with the president rev'ed.  The supporting VAB cleaned the insurgents off the presidents vehicle, then the presidents VAB sped off.  An insurgent inside the MOFUC building fired a RPG which struck and destroyed the VAB.  The crew, bodyguards and president leapt from the burning VAB only to be struck by the paratroopers flame-thrower and a second RPG.  The whole Malikastani group went down and would remain in the street for a long time.

The president caught between two RPGs and a flame-thrower

Around the corner, near the golden Holden, insurgents were now moving through the parked cars, they engaged the HUMVEE manned by the radio operator, and were in turn engaged by the ODA who had entered the building.  Then the Russians tried to move but were brought under fire.

Insurgents fire on the Russians but then fall to the ODA from the building above them.

The civilians in the garage loaded into the HUMVEE and speed off, dodging any insurgent fire.  With the road through the back of the tall buildings blocked by the now burning HUMVEE the driver decides to drive across the marsh.  Just then a large bomb lands on the Russian consulate and is destroyed, showering all close by units with shrapnel.

The HUMVEE struggles through the marsh, while the Russian consulate vanishes in a bomb blast

The last two VABs are destroyed just as the insurgents are reinforced by a T-55.  The T-55 is soon hit by a Malikastani RPG, doing light damage, but the crew bailed.

VABs destroyed by RPG while a T-55 arrives, only to be hit and bailed.

Insurgents in the square tall building are engaged by the ODA, while insurgents march on the presidents body.

The ODA team in the southern tall building get ready to bring in artillery danger close as a last desperate [but UN player decides to clear out the HUMVEE first, and allow the civilians to escape...a bad mistake!].  The escaping HUMVEE is also ambushed and destroyed, in the process the UN loses contact to the artillery [card draw on Reaction roll of 1].

The ODA exchange fire with insurgents across the alleyway.  While Russian special forces arrive at the bunker.

THE END.  Insurgents descend on the president's body, he is found to be dead, but one of his bodyguards is found alive and captured.  And then disaster, a group of insurgents break into the tall ODA building, the ODA fire at the onslaught only wounding one enemy.  And then it is bayonet work.  The ODA fail completely, unable to even wound or kill a single insurgent, all but one ODA team member is killed, the last surviving ODA team member becomes a prisoner.

President down - HUMVEE down and ODA down - in one turn the turns have tided

[In three foul swoops the insurgents go from behind in points to way ahead, victory is beyond the UNs grasp.]

Insurgents: 39VP

UN: 16VP

Comments: Hmm, well the enemy does get a vote!  The ODA with MOR8 suffered, but the insurgents were patient and nasty and were willing to sacrifice.  What went wrong for the UN?  One major problem was not being able to give mutual support between units.

An interesting game, the moving hotspots proved a good idea.

The wire-mesh fences make an interesting terrain type, they give no cover but restrict movement. 

Eleven Missing in Action

Mark and Kevin played “Operation Buffalo Wing” today.

Eleven US Soldiers MIA

World Wide News (WWN) – Malika City – Malikastan

25^th of October 2015

Yesterday an operation involving US and Malikastani troops resulted in the most costly day suffered by UN forces in Operation UNSAF(EM).  The Haqiqa insurgents have claimed to have killed seven US soldiers and captured a further four.  The US President’s spokesman confirmed that eleven US Army personnel were missing in action in Malikastan.

A United Nations official, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that the town of Azmakassar has turned into a battle field when US and Malikastani forces attempted to rescue employees besieged in a McDougal’s Chicken Emporium.  The official said the operation had started well and the employees were rescued, but the protesting crowds soon turned nasty and in close hand to hand fighting the US forces suffered casualties.  He said Azmakassar is now an insurgent town, the MANA forces are besieged in their base on the northern outskirts of the town.  He also added that the rumors that the insurgents had a T-72 tank were unfounded.

-          Router News Feed

The initial US operation worked like clockwork, a squad in HUMVEES drove to the McDougal’s fast food outlet, dispersed a crowd and rescued the McDougal’s employees.  A squad of MANA and their T-55 protected the US army’s eastern flank.  A UAV and a MANA Hind attack helicopter orbited the centre of the town.

Two US squads moved up on foot behind the HUMVEES, they soon ran into an ambush, but they managed to suppress the fire, they also set up overwatch positions to restrict any insurgents from interfering with the rescue mission.

McDougal's in the centre with the Overwatch House to the left

The HUMVEES approach McDougals

The HUMVEES (Peter Pig) passing Overwatch House

  The first sign of trouble was insurgent instigators handing out AK’s to the disgruntled crowds, the crowds started to act in a more belligerent manner.  The US soldiers soon realized that there was an over abundance of 18 to 24 year old's in the crowds.  The initial firefight had barely begun when the four security guards, within the fast food restaurant, ran into the street and tripped an IED, the four men went down in the explosion.  The insurgents grew in number but they were very inexperienced and could not get organized.  A RPG hit the lead HUMVEE destroying its engine.  The crew fired their TOW missile at near point blank range, but failed to hit the crowd.  The HUMVEE took another hit and was destroyed, the vehicle was abandoned with one of the crew limping from a minor wound.

The firefight begins

The HUMVEE is destroyed and the crew bail out.

In the supply yard behind the McDougal’s the MANA troops became involved in a long firefight with a few insurgents, after a long one sided firefight the insurgents lost.

MANA's T-55 (Peter Pig)

 The US Army assisted the wounded security guards at the IED blast and began moving them to the rear.  The five teenager’s and the McDougal manager piled into the rear of the second HUMVEE and made a fast escape, coming under desultory insurgent fire, but escaped unscathed.

With a growing insurgent threat the US forces began to withdraw and the operation appeared to be a near perfect mission.  That is when it started to go pear-shaped.  The US rear-guard was suddenly hit by heavy fire, probably more luck and skill on the insurgent’s part, but four US soldiers on the roof of the overwatch building next door to McDougal’s went down.

Most the US troops had already retreated to the form-up line.  The HIND gunship flew over mowing down dozens of insurgents, but even this did not stop the insurgent surge.  The first success of the insurgents seem to promote insanity, it seemed that all these young insurgents all wanted to overrun the US overwatch position, dozens died, but more and more rushed the fallen US soldiers.

A US fireteam assaulted a nearby building killing the insurgents within, they then charged into the overwatch building.  In the lower building the fight turned to hand to hand fighting with US and insurgents falling.  In the streets outside the building dozens more insurgents died under a hail of fire.  Inside the building the insurgents overcame the US troops.  Though wounded badly three US soldiers were captured.

This is when the insurgent tank arrived.  Witnesses said the tank was manned by an experienced crew.  The tank soon destroyed the MANA T-55.  The US desperately tried to rescue their lost men before the tank came to bear.  The US UAV and the MANA Hind searched the streets for the insurgent tank, but could not find it.  Rumors indicate the tank may have been a T-72.

The sun goes down on the Overwatch House

A US fireteam assaulted the overwatch building and managed to rescue their three captured comrades.  But then a large group of insurgents broke into the building, and in a bitter struggle the US fireteam was killed and the three US prisoners were once again in insurgent hands.  With failing light and the threat of the tank the US withdrew to reform leaving four of their number in insurgent hands.

The UN forces had snatched defeat from the loving embrace of the Goddess of Victory.

Major D. Zaster has immediately postponed all operations and has directed all resources to find the captured men and retrieve the bodies of the seven dead soldiers.  He has requested that Major Richard Sole also redirect his special force operatives to assist him in his rescue operations.