Vietnam 1965-1975 3 - Operation Starlite (2)
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This is a solo game to get reacquainted with the rules, particularly combat resolution, which is non-standard. While the map and counters are from my Victory Games edition, I'm using the new GMT rules.
I'v been meaning to get this thing going for a couple of weeks, but haven't been able to muster the energy to get started. For today, I'm not going to worry about progress overmuch, instead will focus on process of (re)learning the game, starting with the turn sequence. To wit: "Who moves first?" is the initial problem to solve.
Who goes first:
- Support Phase: FWA only.
- Special Ops Phase: FWA, then NLF.
- Strategic Movement: FWA only.
- Operations Phase: NLF chooses who conducts first Operation.
For Operation Starlite, for the first turn we can go straight to Operations Phase.
Setting up
US forces
- 5118: 3/3/3M, 2/4/3M, 155 mm artillery
- 5220: 3/7/1M, 7/1M HQ
- 4 replacement points
- 4 air points
- 1 air mobile point
- 1 cruiser
NLF forces
- 5219 or 5320: 1st Regiment VC, Political Section (this game, choose hex 5219)
- 4 VC replacement points
- All VC movement allowances reduced by 2.
Turn 1
1. Support Phase
The US player indicates available air, airmobile, and riverine support on his record sheet, placing appropriate markers on the General Record Track.
2. Special Operations Designation Phase
- The US player notes any units on holding or patrol operations.
- The NLF also notes units on holding or patrol operations.
US decides to do nothing here.
3. Strategic Movement Phase
The US player may conduct security operations and employ strategic and naval movement.
Nothing.
4. Operations Phase
The heart of the Vietnam 1965-1975 game is the operation. The three main things to remember about operations are:
- The NLF player always determines who performs the next operation, and may choose to pass in favor of the US player performing an operation (Section 5, page 9).
- Each unit may perform only one operation per turn (Section 2.2, page 5).
- Operations proceed as a series of rounds until the US declines is unable to perform further operations. The NLF then decides to either continue operations or end the Operations Phase (Section 5, page 9).
Operations are explained in brief in Section 2.2, page 5, and described in detail in Section 5, page 9 of the rules.
A. Designation Segment
As explained in the preface material in Section 5 (page 9), the NLF always designates who conducts the next operation. The designated player is the phasing player and commences to:
- Choose the type of operation;
- which units participate;
- the target hex of the units (if applicable).
Operation 1, NLF
NLF takes the first operation:
- Operation: Search and Destroy.
- Units: Both Polsec and regiment.
- Target hex: 5220, FWA cannot React.
Operation 2, US
- Operation: Search and Destroy
- Units: 3/3
- Target hex: 5020
Operation 3, US
- Operation: Search & Destroy
- Units: 3/7/1M, 2/4/3M, 7/1M, 2/12 155 Howitzer.
- Target hex: 5019.
B. Support Declaration Segment
The US player may:
- Assign air support;
- Assign naval support;
- Declare free fire zones.
Section 5.1 (page 9) contains details.
Operation 1, VC
None.
Operation 2, US
None.
Operation 3, US
- 4 Air Points
- 6 Cruiser Points.
- No Free Fire (per scenario rules)
C. Movement Segment
Operation 1, VC
VC movement:
- Polsec: Hex 5020
- Regiment: 5121
Operation 2, US
3/3 moves to Hex 5020, expends 5 MPs: - 3 MP for moving 3 hexes though cultivated terrain. - +1 MP for crossing minor river - +1 MP for leaving Hex 5019, which is in VC regiment's ZOC.
VC regiment Reaction: move to Hex 5019. This is interesting: there is a difference in the maps. On the new map, the road goes to 5118 instead of 5019 as shown on the VG map. Anyways, this regiment spend 3 of 4 MP on the new map, 2 of 4 MP on the old map.
Operation 3, US
- 3/7/1M to 4920.
- 2/4/3M to 5120.
- 2/12 and 7/1M to 5119.
D. Alert Segment (only in US operations)
Operation 1, VC
N/A.
Operation 2, US
VC Political Section in 5020, roll 3. Alert movement allowance is 3 + 1 (cultivated terrain) - 2 (scenario restriction). Required is 1 for cultivated terrain + 2 for leaving enemy hex, result is no Alert movement.
Operation 3, US
VC regiment in 5019, roll 4 for alert. Result: - +4 for die roll - +1 for cultivated terrain - -2 for scenario. - Total MP: 3
Movement cost to 5018:
- 2 for leaving enemy hex
- 1 for interdiction
- 1 for entering 5018.
- Total required: 4
Upshot, no Alert movement.
E. Combat Segment
Operation 1, VC
No combat.
Operation 2, US
Attack 5020, reveal Political Section which is removed from map, 3/3 is Ops Complete.
Operation 3, US
The counter is flipped, revealing a VC regiment: - Combat: 6 - Support: 2
Attacking units are 3/7/1M and 2/4/3M, with 2/12 and 7/1M in support: - Combat: 6 - Support: - 2/12: 7 - 7/1M: 8 - Air: 4 - Total: 19 / 2 = 9.5 (no Free Fire).
15.5 / 8 = 3 to 2, DRM +1.
Roll 2 + 1:
VC: 6 + 9.5 = 15.5, lose 2 Replacement Points. US: 6 + 2 = 8, lose 1 Replacement Point and 1 Air Point, no Pursuit modifier.
F. Retreat Segment
Operation 1, VC
None.
Operation 2, US
None.
Operation 3, US
VC regiment retreats to 5018, which costs: - 1 to enter 5018, - 2 for leaving 5019, - 1 for being under interdiction.
G. Pursuit Segment
Operation 1, VC
None.
Operation 2, US
None.
Operation 3, US
This is nuanced: Both USMC battalions have Pursuit capability, and here's how it played out.
2/4/3M is going to stay where it is as it can still attack, and its unused Pursuit value can be used as a DRM.
3/7/1M is going to spend the Airmobile point and move to hx 4919, which cost 2 MPs to land in a ZOC. I believe this spends 2 of the 3 Pursuit MPs for 3/7/1M.
2/12 and 7/1M stay put and will provide support for next combat round.
Combat round 2:
VC: 6 ground + 2 support US: 3 ground + 25 / 2 support -> 12 total b/c support cannot exceed 3x ground combat value. Odds: 12 / 8 = 3 / 2.
VC: column value 6 + 12.5 = 18.5. US: column value 3 + 2 = 5.
Roll 3 + 1 (odds) + 3 (2/4/3M Pursuit) = 7.
- VC: column value 6 + 18 = 18, lose 3 Replacement Points to eliminate the unit.
- US: column value 3 + 2 = 5, lose 1 Replacement Point, and an Airmobile Point if hot LZ.
And that's it.
H. Interdiction Removal Segment
Operation 1, VC
None.
I. Continuous Operations Combat Segment
Now return to Segment and and repeat until neither player is able or willing to conduct an operation.
5. Game Turn Indication Phase
AAR
This took me most of two days to play through, but I do believe I have a complete understanding of each step. Playing the new rules, with the new example playthrough, turned out to be both confusing and helpful. Confusing because the playthroughs are slightly different, helpful because the differences forced me to really dig into what's happening.
I recall having a few questions after my previous (first) experience with this example scenario, which I do not recall resolving. These questions are sprinkled through that playthrough.
In that playthrough, I did a simple comparison of complexity for this game with respect to other games. Seven years later it's time to update that, so here's a new procedural complexity in increasing order, as I see it.
Ogre < PanzerBlitz < "Dark" series < Simonich '4x < High Frontier < OCS < VN < EFS
Of the games I've played, only East Front Series has more procedural complexity, and that's debatable. While EFS has a long, complex turn sequence, VN has multiple different procedures depending what sort of Operation one conducts. It's like if every Operation in Fire in the Lake required throwing counters for a full order of battle on the map, and playing it out tactically.