Firestorm: Red Thunder

Set up:
In talking to Mike, Sorren, and Garrett, we wanted to play a series of linked games that gave you a certain points value to start with (allowed you to buy what you wanted but still using the formation guidelines) and then you could commit these formations to battle-but what was lost in one fight, could not return again-so it would challenge a commander by having a finite points value (vs the infinite points we have now) to use each game. Units that broke morale would not return for the next fight, so using units to the last was also discouraged. We wanted a minimum amount of paper tracking, so settled on a 2 battle mini-campaign ( or 1 big one if both commanders wanted to go for an all or nothing approach) to see how this worked. Since none of us have any fixed wing aircraft models, we rolled for air sorties per campaign. Taking a slice from Flames of war we each rolled 7 dice. On each 5 or 6 NATO would get 1 air sortie to use whenever he wanted but it could not come back. On a 6 the soviets would get the same. Sorren let Mike roll......a 5 and a 6 so 2 sortoes to use anytime in the campaign. I rolled 3 6s.......hahahahah the dice goddesses are very fickle-means bad things to come for me I am sure. We used around 225 points total. The US used 84 and the German 131.

We set up a 2 part Soviet attack for a bridge crossing site. The Allies decided to commit the US to defend against the approaching Soviet column, and held some German Armor as his reserve. We used the delayed reserves rule and the Russian picked the time of day-daytime of course.

Turn 1:
Durchenko decides to advance 2 T-72 tank companies, and move a BMP-1 company in as well as his ZSU's just in case. The BMP's will take to the more broken terrain and the tanks will take the faster-going terrain. The tanks take some long range shots on an ITV (miss) and some M!s (miss)-artillery is ineffective.

The ITVs fire, bailing 1 T-72, M1s fire and do nothing, one pair of ITV's pass their shoot and scoot-one doesn't. The US arty drops smoke to cover the ITVs withdrawl.

Turn 2:
The Soviet tanks on the far right have several shots at a fleeing ITV (not covered by the smoke screen) and manage to KIA it. The other tanks miss the US FIST.
The M1 platoon in the center has 4 shots-2 hits and Russian armor saves those tankers, The ITVS that couldn't scoot fire-KIA 1 T-72, the other M! platoon KIAs 2 more T-72s. A dragon team fires and bails a T-72. The CO in his M1 joins the ITV team that has lost 1 vehicle and KIAs another T-72.

Turn 3:
The dragon team really scared that T-72 crew as they refuse to remount. ( Note to Political Officer) The center T-72 company fires at the center M1 platoon and only bails 1. All shots on the ITVs miss, but the dragon team is shot to pieces by the BMP-1s. Also-still no reserves available.

The US player rolls a 5 and brings on a 2 tank Leo2 platoon in case the center M1 platoon breaks. The bailed M1 does not remount-crew is captured. The center M1 platoon pulls back, KIAs 1 T-72 and bailing another. The CO moves p and gets his 3rd and 4th tank kill. The arty bails a BMP-1

Turn 4:
Soviet tanks continue to press forward hemming allied forces in-no reserves .....again. another M! is KIA, 2 more M! tanks are bailed. The arty is ineffective. Soviet infantry dismounts and gets ready to assault US infantry positions around the equipment sheds.

US rolls another 5 and get yet another Leo2 platoon (3 strong from the Leo2 tank company) The remaining M1breaks morale, The remaining M1 platoon fires and KIAs 2 more T-72s, the CO falls back and gets his 5th tank kill (making him a tanker ace in one battle!!!!!!) The US infantry falls back to the factory and the support of the M113 platoon.

Turn 5:
The 5 tank T-72 company KIAs the 2 M1s from the last M1 platoon. The 7 tank T-72 company KIAs 1 Leo2. Russian infantry moves and fires at the US infantry-no kills, the terrain limits their assaulting and they decide to wait until next turn.

The remaining M1 from the M1 platoon passes its morale and it and the CO knock out 2 more T-72s (that makes 6 for the captain and his crew) US infantry and artillery ill 3 Russian infantry teams and knock out another BMP-1

Turn 6: The Russians get a 5-Durchenko orders up the last T-72 tank company in case the German tanks break through. The Russian infantry with some BMP-1 support fire on the US infantry and M113s they bail 1 M113, but the infantry in safe!!! The assault goes in and the infantry takes 9 hits!!!! pinned!!! the assault fails, 1 BMP-1 is burning and 3 teams are killed. The Russians fall back. Artillery bails another 2 M113s and kills 1 US infantry team. The Russian tankers KIA another 2 Leo 2s

The US still has 3 teams left, 1 team, 1 dragon, and the HQ so it falls back behind the oil fields-and more prepared positions. The US CO and XO are the last 2 M1s, the Leo2 platoon rolls a 1 and fails morale. The US commander will not concede the bridge but will concede the battle. Neither side will commit any more troops today. The Russians have secured their 2 jumping off points for tomorrow-both sides will use what little cover night will give to reorganize their lines.

The battle was a long one-the US player was forced back each time-neither of us used air strikes, so the next battle will be a very costly one.