[DS2] Complex 15 Assault: AAR (long)

This was the first serious playtest of a scenario I am working on.

The intent was for a scenario that could fit in a standard 4 hour con
format
without being a straight meeting engagement. I wanted a mission,
with objectives, etc....
I also wanted it to feel more fluid, and like a story. To do this I
added
"cards"
that the defender had to turn in to activate calls for support and
reinforcements.
Each of these triggered die rolls for how long they had to wait, and got
them another
"card" that represented the radio message exchange for their request.

We simply designated 3 buildings in the facility for the operation. The
scenario has an optional random, blind choice option. We also designated
the
facility as a urban environment - which is not necessary.

I will be publishing a more flexible version of this for others to
download
and try, soon (pdf with the cards etc. included) .

[BTW: for those that remember the recent Genetic Engineered Infantry
debate,
this was the first serious combat test of their design. I removed the
controversial extra arty observation ability but left them at 5 to
kill.]

RAIDER
Objective
=========
Intelligence has indicated that a significant threat is developing
within
the opposing force. Enemy research efforts are reaching towards a
breakthrough that could unbalance the current military situation.
Unfortunately, full details on the status of this research have eluded
intelligence gathering efforts.

Your mission is to escort and defend a force of engineers and
intelligence
elements. The priorities for this mission are to gather physical
evidence of
the current enemy research efforts and to destroy designated key
portions of
the facility.
(There is more: essentially, the 33rd was to land first and clear the
path.
Then it was to set up blocking positions to secure the flanks and
provide
cover for later withdrawal. The 16th infantry was to provide the
immediate
escort and security for the engineers.)

Force
=====
33rd Armored Company
2 armor platoons (B2, O3), each with:
** 4 T-BT-8b "Cavalier" type MBT (class 3, slow GEV, DFFGx5)
2 armor platoons (O2, B1), each with:
** 4 T-CL-2 "Claymore" type MBT (class 3, fast GEV, HELx5)

16th Infantry Company
4 infantry platoons (O2, O1, B1, B3), each with:
** 3 line infantry elements
** 2 GMS/L teams (enhanced FCS)
** 1 APSW team
** 2 power armor elements
** 3 I-CL-3a "Inverness" type IFV (Class 3, fast GEV, HELx1)
** 1 I-CL-2 "Chimera" type IFV (Class 4, fast GEV, HELx1)
** 1 C-CL-2 "Kentron" type command (Class 2, fast GEV, RFACx1)
2 armor support elements  (attached from 6th Lancers) (O2, B1), each
with:
** 4 D-CL-3 "Hellion" type combat cars (Class 3, fast GEV, 3 DFFGx2)

3rd Engineering Cohort (ad-hoc)
1 transport platoon (attached from 23rd support battalion) (B2), with:
** 5 H-CL-1 "Freshman" type trucks (Class 4, low mobility-wheeled, no
armament)
2 engineering teams (B2, O3)
2 Intel Team (not represented on the combat board - consider them
integral
to the engineering teams)

Fire Support
The mission does have access to supporting fire from a heavy orbital
platform. This platform's current fuel supply has not allowed it to
achieve
a stationary orbit. This limits its availability to single fire missions
once an hour (4 turn intervals: Turns 1,5,9,13,17,etc., counts as 2
heavy
arty guns).

DEFENDER
Objective
=========
Technicians and scientists of the government are reported to be nearing
significant breakthroughs that will greatly enhance our military
capabilities. Our enemies will surely attempt to steal or destroy the
knowledge that our researchers have garnered.

(The air support, artillery, 8th armor, 11th infantry, and local militia
were all random arrivals.)

Force
=====
Research Complex 15 Security Detail
1 infantry platoon (B1), with:
** 5 line infantry elements
2 armored platoons, each with:
** 4 Vampire Mk I BT (B2,B3) (Class 3, slow tracked, HVCx3)
3 AT elements, each with:
** 1 Buttress Mk I At Gun (Class 2, towed, HVCx4)

Akeoga Volunteer Militia (G2)
2 elements of militia infantry

11th Infantry Company
3 platoons of infantry (B2, B1, G1), each with:
** 6 line infantry elements
** 2 GMS/L teams (superior FCS)
** 4 Beatle Mk Ia APCS (Class 3, fast GEV, no armament)
1 platoon of GE infantry (O1), with:
** 6 line infantry elements
** 2 GMS/L teams (superior FCS)
** 4 Beatle Mk Ia APCS (Class 3, fast GEV, no armament)

8th Armored Company
4 platoons of MBT (B2, B3, O2, B1), each with:
** 5 T-EC-1 "Yergecheffe" type MBT (Class 3, slow GEV, MDCx5)
2 platoons of heavy tanks (B2, B1), each with:
** 4 T-BT-3a "Dragonne" type heavy tank (Class 5, slow GEV, DFFGx4)

Air Support
3rd Wing, 2nd Air Force, with:
** 2 GAF-5-A type ground attack fighters (Class 2, aerospace, RFACx1,
DFOx2)

Fire Support
18th Artillery, with:
** 3 Daemon Mk II SPG (Class 4, Grav, med. arty)

(This was some days ago, so it may not be 100% accurate but the essence
of
the events
is here)

Turn 0
=====
The scenario lays out a defense outpost near a likely insertion site and
approach towards the facility. The starting infantry for the defense was
positioned there. The defending players were taken out of the room and
notified of the loss of their forward position one of the "radio
messages".
This started the battle.

Turn 1
======
The raider armored company began moving towards the facility -
2 platoons on each flank around the central forest. The defenders
exercised
their option to call for their air support and advanced their two
armored
platoons (one to each flank) to harass the enemy's advance.

Turn 2
======
A brief exchange of fire on the southern flank produced 1 tank kill on
each
side.
Initial exchange on the North produced no losses. The defenders placed
their
call
for artillery support.

Turn 3
======
The raider infantry company landed and began moving out.

On the Southern flank the raider's completely eliminated the remaining
opposing
tanks (3), at a cost of one tank.

Fire exchanged in the North eliminated 2 defender tanks.
Then the defender air support arrived. It dropped its MAK DFO upon the 2
Southern
flank raider tank platoons. These tanks had been channeled by the
terrain
and were
slightly bunched... the damage was severe - 6 tanks lost, effectively
eliminating the
two platoons (1 tank left).

Turn 4
======
On the Southern flank, the raiders cleaned out the opposing AT gun
position.

In the North, the defenders called down their artillery on a hillside
occupied by an
raider tank platoon. The platoon moved to avoid the strike - charging
the AT
gun
positions and eliminated both of them. Then the defender's northern tank
platoon
exchanged fire with the other raider platoon on that flank - 2 defenders
were lost
at no cost to the raiders.

Then the defender air support made its run with its HEF DFO ordinance.
This
was
remarkably less dramatic - the first strike hit a tank platoon
immobilizing
1 tank,
the other strike hit an platoon of APC mounted infantry with no damage
inflicted.

Turn 5
======
The engineers arrived, with their light armored support and moved
towards
the facility.
The last northern defenders were killed off.
The defenders called for their infantry support.

Turns 6-13
==========
The raiders rushed their infantry forward - taking up dismounted
positions
within
the facility, along its western edge, to block any approach to the
working
engineers.

The engineers also entered the facility, beginning their work on 2 of
the
structures.
The combat cars arrayed themselves along the road passing through the
facility.

The defenders held the arrival of their infantry company in Turn 13 to
join
in one
rush with the armor reinforcements - that had been called when the
facility
was
entered - and to avoid the raider orbital artillery that was available
during
Turn 13.

Turn 14
=======
The defenders had the 11th infantry and 8th armor arrive. Initial fire
exchanges were
light - one combat car & 1 APC (raiders),  2 tanks & 1 APC (defender).
(GE
Playtesting
Note: GE infantry die on board APCs just like norms.) The GE infantry
then
dismounted.

The engineers finished their work on 2 of the buildings and moved to
take
care of the
third structure. We marked full building smoke across the facility for
the 2
demolished
buildings. This eliminated visibility down the road...

Turn 15
=======
The GE infantry close assaulted into the smoke. They encountered
elements of
2 raider
infantry platoons - 1 fell back, 1 held. Of the elements that held, 2
were
PA (so
excitement was high for the first GE-PA fight), losses were light and
the
second
raider platoon fell back. (GE Playtesting Note: 1 GE unit had 4
valid hits drawn against it fighting the PA.) The defender did not
pursue -
concerned
about over extending the GE force.

On the Southern flank, the defenders recognized how lightly defended the
raider was
due to the DFO losses early on. 3 platoons began hooking up the large
hill
around the
woods South of the facility.

Fire exchange on the Northern flank heated up with 2-3 defender tanks
lost,
and some
raider infantry elements falling.

Turn 16
=======
The defender launched a close assault directly into the Western edge of
the
facility.
Almost a full infantry platoon slammed into 4 raider infantry elements
and
an APC.
The raider held to face the charge. Each side lost 2 elements. Each side
held on
the Reaction Checks, and in the second round of the fight each side lost
another
element. The raider forces held on their Reaction Check, but the
defenders
(tho
still numerically superior) failed their check and fell back. (It was
one of
those cool
dramatic moments that make gaming fun.)

All the raider elements that could opened fire upon the defender forces
flanking
to the South. The impact from this was negligible - only 1 (or 2) tanks
destroyed.
Then the defender opened fire. Two vehicles had LOS upon one of the
engineering trucks -
the one carrying the engineer element that had finished its task and was
trying to
withdrawal. The DFFGx4 hit the target - and failed to destroy the armor
1,
flanked,
soft top truck.... It was amazing. So many 0's...
Then a little class 1 HEL fired on the same truck... hit... and burned
it to
a crisp. The
engineers failed to bail.

There was some more shooting, but it was anti-climatic.

Turn 17
=======
Did not materialize. We stopped and analyzed the situation. We agreed
that
there was
slim hope that the remaining engineer could evac successfully. The
freedom
of the
defenders to flank the raider force due to the depleted armor (from the
air
support)
was what turned the tide against the raid.

The remaining fighting in the facility would be quite high in
casualties,
but escape
could easily be sealed off by the flanking force.

We declared it a defender victory - but fun for both sides as the issue
was
not obvious
until Turn 15 or so.

Conclusions
===========
We decided that the facility was too close to the Western map edge. The
reinforcements
for the defense should have had to advance under fire rather than reach
the
facility
for attacks almost immediately.

The attackers had no air defense - LAD or ADS. This proved to be serious
flaw in the
raider force structure.

Some of the players wished that the initial orbital salvo would not have
guaranteed
the outpost died. They were willing to wave the issue of interface
landers
coming in
close to enemy positions for a cool fire fight.

The random arrivals and radio messages seemed to add a lot for the
defenders. They felt
it added flavor and brought the scenario alive. I was pretty happy about
this and
plan to add a few of these features for the raiders.

The battle ran about 5 hours or so. Too long for the time limit goal,
but it
had gone quite rapidly
up until the infantry started engaging in the facility (I am pretty sure
there was more firing and what not that I left out above). This part is
fairly important to the operational plan, so I am not sure what to do
about
it.

The GE forces seemed OK, but didn't get enough action to fully evaluate
due