Ground consists of a ridge of high ground as the US baseline. There are three villages on the Afghan right, rear centre and left. Cropped areas and irrigation ditches providing linear cover in this area close to a major river.

 

 

 

(Based on Gulf war list).

 

1	CO (CV10)	Command
1	HQ (CV9)	Command
1	FAO (CV8)	Command
1	Recce Unit (LAV-25)	Recce
12	Infantry Unit (USMC)	Infantry
3	Infantry Upgrade (SMAW)	Upgrade
1	Sniper Team (Sniper)	Infantry
1	Support Unit (HMG)	Infantry
1	Support Unit (Mortar, 81mm)	Infantry
1	Artillery Unit (155mm)	Artillery

 

 

 

 

 

1	CO (CV9)	Command
3	HQ (CV9)	Command
7	Infantry Unit (Mujahideen)	Infantry
2	Sniper Team (Mujahideen)	Infantry

 

 

 

The US commander has been briefed to mount a deliberate attack in order to seize control of and hold the three villages to deny their use to the insurgents and maintain civilian confidence in the government.

The Afghan commander is tasked with denying the villages to the US and to inflict maximum casualties in order to lower their will to continue the campaign.

 

The Afghan player deliberately selected more commands than were required to maximise his opportunities to carry out hide and redeploy activity, classic guerrilla fighting! He decided to place forces on his furthest left village and cropfield with a small reserve in crop fields in the left centre rear. Snipers and another command were deployed on the Afghan right to delay and allow swift redeployment.

 

 

The US attack began with a support company and the FAO moving up on to the ridgeline to establish a base of fire whilst the remainder of the battalion moved forward over the ridgeline towards the Afghan rights village. The recce platoon in LAV 25s moved ahead in order to bump any possible hidden troops. Seeing the US intent the Afghan commander moved troops through crop fields in the centre to try and take the US forces in the flank. Taking advantage of the view offered by height hey were quickly engaged by support company who slowed them down with suppressive fire. They were then engaged by the FAO with accurate artillery fire. Casualties were caused but the Afghan troops just made the village. One of the delaying sniper teams was not so lucky and, caught in the barrage was knocked out.

 

 

The US continued to advance in three company strength on the Afghan right during turn three. Recce platoon did its job and spotted the second Afghan sniper team. Overwhelming fire knocked this out. The US forces continued to work forward onto the Afghan right village and realising that two platoon elements were unlikely to be effective the Afghan commander successfully hid them. He then began to move command elements to positions around the US player, including behind the US ridgeline with the intent of possibly bringing hidden elements on from the reserve pool in unexpected and inconvenient places!

 

 

Turns four and five saw the US slowly (thanks to poor command rolls) clear the Afghan right and centre villages leaving a couple of platoons in each to secure them. Two platoons from the ridge line support then moved forward to a treeline in preparation for the final Battalion assault on the third village. The Afghan player saw this as an opportunity to inflict casualties against isolated forces. Three platoon elements were deployed from the reserve pool behind an irrigation ditch.

 

 

In turn six and seven these troops engaged the US support company knocking out a platoon and forcing the other back to all round defence on the ridgeline. Meanwhile the US main force was now within firing distance of the third village, held by only two platoon elements. Recce did its job and moved through cropfields spotting the Afghans who had engaged support company. 

 

 

Turns seven, eight and nine saw a fierce firefight between the US and Afghans in the third village. An attempted assault on the recce unit was repulsed and, forced back in to open ground the Afghan survivors were effectively suppressed by accurate mortar fire. 

 

 

By turn nine US firepower, which had remained concentrated and cohesive throughout, had knocked out the third village defenders putting the Afghan player at his breakpoint and then failing the all important command roll on turn ten. The remaining Afghan forces then left the field.

 

 

By capturing all three villages for the loss of two platoons the US player achieved a major victory. Despite excellent efforts to hide and redeploy his forces the Afghan player could not muster sufficient mass at any point to challenge the US who kept together and relied on that cohesion to bring down significant fire when threatened.

 

Another excellent and realistic feeling game fought to a conclusion in about three hours of solo play.