Operation SEALORDS, and the game
Tags
I've got a game of SEALORDS: The Vietnam War in the Mekong Delta scheduled tomorrow with AS at EGO. Over the last few days I've been setting up the small scenario modeling Operation Game Warden.
But first, a bit about SEALORDS, the SouthEast Asia Land Ocean Riverine Delta Strategy, which has to be the most acronym ever. The driving motivation behind SEALORDS was to deny the VC logistical support and bases for VC forces operating in the Mekong Delta region southwest of Saigon. The Delta is pretty close to Saigon, on the order of 10s of miles, which allowed the VC to get in very close. The Delta is characterized by the Mekong River (of course), along with a network of naturally developed distributary waterways, and man-made canals connecting everything with everything. Land movement is very difficult in the Mekong Delta, and prohibited in the game. Moving forces requires water craft or air craft, both of which the US could supply in abundance. As a result of various operations as part of SEALORDS, the VC were largely driven away from operating in the Mekong Delta.
On to the game.
Turn Sequence
Recap previous turn, and briefly describe goals for each side for upcoming turn.
I. First Player Random Events Phase
Roll d6 consult First Player's Random Events table on the game map (6.3).
II. Second Player Random Events Phase
Roll d6 consult Second Player's Random Events table on the game map (6.3).
III. First Player Reinforcement and Refit Phase
Increase First Player's Command Point (CP) by the amount allowed per scenario rules (6.4).
A. First Player Reinforcement Sub-phase
Purchase Reinforcements to place directly on the map by expending CPs (6.4).
B. First Player Refit Sub-phase
- Spend CP to allow units in Refit Box to re-enter play in a future (roll d6 for entry turn), and
- Place refitted units, if any, back in play (6.4).
IV. Second Player Reinforcement and Refit Phase
Increase Second Player's Command Point (CP) by the amount allowed per scenario rules (6.4).
A. Second Player Reinforcement Sub-phase
Purchase Reinforcements to place directly on the map by expending CPs (6.4).
B. Second Player Refit Sub-phase
- Spend CP to allow units in Refit Box to re-enter play in a future (roll d6 for entry turn), and
- Place refitted units, if any, back in play (6.4).
V. Mutual and Alternating Operations Phase
Players alternate conduct of individual operations (7.0).
- Force Designation Sub-phase (7.6.1)
- Force Movement Sub-phase (7.6.2)
- Recon Sub-phase (7.6.3) a. Flip b. Designate
- Free World Air, Airmobile, Naval Gunfire Sub-Phase (7.6.4)
- Fire Sub-phase (7.6.5)
- Recycle (7.6.6)
A. First Player Operation
See sub-phases above.
B. Second Player Operation
See sub-phases above.
C. Repeat operations
Repeat Steps A and B until both players have no more operations to conduct (6.5).
VI. First Player Logistics Phase
Determine supply status for all units. Logistical bases, Special Forces camps, SF companies, Local and Regional Forces, ARVN divisions, militia garrisons and markers are always in supply (14.2).
All other units are in supply when:
- Colocated with logistic base, either marker or printed on map (14.3.1).
- Colocated with LSC or MRB unit. (14.3.2)
- Communist unit colocated with Supply Cache marker or Supply Infiltration Junk (which are removed from play once used). (14.3.3)
Expend CP for resupplying out of supply units, or place such units in appropriate Refit Box.
VII. Second Player Logistics Phase
Same as First Player.
VIII. First Player Territorial Victory Point Phase
Consult Victory Point table on map to determine territorial points.
IX. Second Player Territorial Victory Point Phase
Consult Victory Point table on map to determine territorial points.
X. End of Turn
Increment the game turn counter. Return to I. First Player's Random Event Phase, and continue.
Turn 1
Recap previous turn, and briefly describe goals for each side for upcoming turn.
This being Turn 1 of the first game, the main goal for both sides is just pushing counters around, to see what happens.
I'm probably going to spend all the command points possible as early as possible to cut this solo game short. I'll be playing it opposed tomorrow.
I. First Player Random Events Phase
Roll d6 consult First Player's Random Events table on the game map (6.3).
Roll 3 "Dispute in Politburo" subtract roll d6 for 5 from CP. Ouch.
II. Second Player Random Events Phase
Roll d6 consult Second Player's Random Events table on the game map (6.3).
Roll 5 for "Weather" which is roll d6 for 5 reduction in CP for upcoming turn.
III. First Player Reinforcement and Refit Phase
Increase First Player's Command Point (CP) by the amount allowed per scenario rules (6.4).
First player now has 30 CP.
A. First Player Reinforcement Sub-phase
Purchase Reinforcements to place directly on the map by expending CPs (6.4).
No reinforcements this turn.
B. First Player Refit Sub-phase
- Spend CP to allow units in Refit Box to re-enter play in a future (roll d6 for entry turn), and
- Place refitted units, if any, back in play (6.4).
No refits this turn.
IV. Second Player Reinforcement and Refit Phase
Increase Second Player's Command Point (CP) by the amount allowed per scenario rules (6.4).
Second player now has 10 - 5 for 30 CP this turn.
A. Second Player Reinforcement Sub-phase
Purchase Reinforcements to place directly on the map by expending CPs (6.4).
No reinforcements this turn.
B. Second Player Refit Sub-phase
- Spend CP to allow units in Refit Box to re-enter play in a future (roll d6 for entry turn), and
- Place refitted units, if any, back in play (6.4).
No refits this turn.
V. Mutual and Alternating Operations Phase
Players alternate conduct of individual operations (7.0).
- Force Designation Sub-phase (7.6.1)
- Force Movement Sub-phase (7.6.2)
- Recon Sub-phase (7.6.3) a. Flip b. Designate
- Free World Air, Airmobile, Naval Gunfire Sub-Phase (7.6.4)
- Fire Sub-phase (7.6.5)
- Recycle (7.6.6)
Operation 1: VC
VC move a leg Bn and HQ on an Unarmed Light Craft (ULC) from Cambodia to attack a SF base close by. Operation costs 2, movement costs 1 b/c HQ, total CP expended 3.
VC CP remaining: 27.
- Bounce roll: VC 4 + 3 for leading with Leg, FWA 1 + 2, VC has the bounce.
- FWA commits an airstrike costing 1 CP.
- VC brings 8 but 1L for SF base in Tan Chau. Roll 2 on the 6-7 column
for
Asends the airstrike back to the refit box. FWA on the 2 column roll 5 forRwhich is refit, the VC elect to refit the HQ unit. Round 2: FWA has the bounce, attack on the 2 column roll 2 forAwhich is inapplicable against VC; VC roll 6 on the 3 column (shift 1L for SF base, 1L for town defense) which isKand 4 VP for VC.
Operation 2: FWA
Attack at Soc Trang, whoops, we have civilians, local infantry and a
Deception marker in play. This is gonna be dicey for the FWA. Cost of
operation is 1, movement of SEAL team company, 1. That Civilian marker
is 2 VP for the VC. Looks like the Deception marker is equivalent to a
dummy counter. Roll for the bounce, to the VC. FWA bringing in airmobile
unit, another SEAL team, cost another 1 CP (at least). Combat: VC roll
2 which is no effect as no airstrike markers are used in this round.
FWA roll 6, which is column 8-9 for 11 strength and town defense and
results in K+B. Since the Deception unit is not in play, that leaves
the Local Force as the K and 2 VP for the FWA.
VP:
- VC: 7
- FWA: 4
CP:
- VC: 27
- FWA: 26
And that's all I'm going to do tonight. I need to get the game packed up to go to EGO and play AS tomorrow morning.
VI. First Player Logistics Phase
Determine supply status for all units. Logistical bases, Special Forces camps, SF companies, Local and Regional Forces, ARVN divisions, militia garrisons and markers are always in supply (14.2).
All other units are in supply when:
- Colocated with logistic base, either marker or printed on map (14.3.1).
- Colocated with LSC or MRB unit. (14.3.2)
- Communist unit colocated with Supply Cache marker or Supply Infiltration Junk (which are removed from play once used). (14.3.3)
Expend CP for resupplying out of supply units, or place such units in appropriate Refit Box.
Not going to worry about supply for this game.
VII. Second Player Logistics Phase
Same as First Player.
Not worrying about supply this turn.
VIII. First Player Territorial Victory Point Phase
Consult Victory Point table on map to determine territorial points.
- Solely occupied city squares: 0
- Solely occupied towns: 5
- Saigin LOC occupied: 0
- Infiltration supply: 0 (technically, 2 in Cambodia, ignoring for now)
Total: 12.
IX. Second Player Territorial Victory Point Phase
Consult Victory Point table on map to determine territorial points.
No "printed" bases occupied, hence no VP here.
Total: 4.
X. End of Turn 1
Increment the game turn counter. Return to I. First Player's Random Event Phase, and continue.
AAR
So, VC win, the larger difference being the territory held.
This seems like a pretty cool little game. It's got quite a number of moving parts though, a lot to keep track of.
I was only able to get 2 operations of a single turn played, partly because I've been busy doing chores today, but mostly because writing everything out to learn the rules really well costs a lot of time.
Blunders
Nothing out of the ordinary, considering this was learning the rules, and not really understanding the victory conditions.