After Action Report--Battle of Friendship Starport (DS2) +

We just played a "quick" game of Dirtside 2 and here's what happened-

First, the participants:

As the evil Red Horde (the ESU)
    Chris (Laserlight) (never played DS2 before)
    Frank (played DS2 once before)
    Wayne (played DS2 once before)

As the capitalist pig running-dog bandit aggressors (the RH)
    John (never played DS2 before)
    Jeff H. (never played DS2 before)
    Rob (that's me) (played DS2 once before)

The forces of the ESU:
    two mixed arms companies of Border Guards (light tracked vehicles, 
militia)
    one composite line company (medium to heavy grav vehicles, PA
troops)
    one btty light artillery
    one btty mdm artillery

The forces of the Romanov's:
    one combined arms co of Reserves (light tanks, light wheeled APCs,
mlitia)
    one composite Guards co (fast hover ATG, line inf, mdm tanks)
    two sections of Maritime forces (boats, fast hover ATG, line inf)
    two sections of Port security (light wheeled trucks, militia)
    (the last two were combined into a company-sized task group)
    2 btty mdm artillery

The Field of Battle:

    Approiximately 4x6 feet with the long axis being north/south.  ESU 
started in North 2 ft while RH started in South 2 ft.  Landing field
just 
south of area's mid-line, with port facilities (BUA) just to the east. 
The 
eastern 8 inches or so of the battlefield were ocean.  A large BUA on
the 
northeastern corner of land (with maritime port facilities).  A large
forest 
was on the south edge of the battlefield and another just was south of
the 
large BUA.  Several hills and smaller woods dotted the battlefield, but 
mostly in the North.  There was a small island in the ocean about midway
up 
the board and there were several spurs of hilly land thrusting into the
water 
as well.

The Orders:

    Basically a meeting engagement--the RH was trying to draw off ESU
forces 
from other fronts by threatening the BUA, while the ESU was trying to
take 
the starport.

The Battle:

    Okay, things went really badly for the RH, as their best unit (the
Guards 
assault gun platoon) was almost wiped out as it tried a mad dash across
the 
starport for a major hill (center of the battlefield).	Then, RH calls
for 
arty got a busy signal.  Next, ESU arty fell on the advancing Reserve
company 
(western flank of the battlefield).  But after that things started to go
a 
little better for the RH, as their artillery finally arrived smacking an
ESU 
Border Guards platoon very heavily (western flank of the battlefield)
and, 
along with some SLAM shots from the patrol boats, wiped out another
Border 
Guards platoon and and damaged anoher platoon (on the eastern flank).  
Assorted light tank fire (from the RH Reserves company on the western
flank) 
and starport security missile fire (near the center of the battlefield)
broke 
up an ESU  grav IFV push for the same major hill that the RH Guards had
been 
decimated trying to reach.  At this point, it looked like things were
almost 
even, but...

...then the artillery started splashing all around the RH patrol boats. 
Of 
the three boats, one went under spectacularly (Boom chit) while the
another 
lost its engine.

At this point, the UN declared a cease-fire (we had to call the game as
we 
had run out of time for the scenario--my 3-year old son had awakened and
I 
had to keep tabs on him).

The Results:

    Though point values for controlled objectives were equal, we gave
the win 
to the ESU as they had really punished the RH forces.  If the game had
gone 
on much longer, things may have been different, but who knows...

Comments:

    We should have used much more smoke, but then we wouldn't have had
the 
arty for squishing things, but it would probably have worked out better.
 
Also, I should have put a little more terrain onto the field, especially
the 
southern half, as the wide open spaces made movement REALLY dangerous.

    On the other hand, more terrain would have slowed things down and 
wouldn't really be in keeping with the wide, flat spaces I think of when

considering where a starport/airport would be located...

After this fight, Chris ran a quick FT/FB battle: Islamic Federation
Sultan 
has to bring to two recalcitrant Amirs back into the fold.

Three 1000 point squadrons per side and treachery always an option, but
I'll 
let him post the info on that one if he's inclined.  I learned one thing
in 
the game that I had been doing wrong (regarding threshold checks when 
dropping multiple levels in one volley) and finally got to try out
Vector 
Rules (which was a surprise for me, as we--the group I normally play 
with--had always used Cinematic in the past).  The game was fun, though
I 
couldn't actually give it the time and attention I should have (looking
after 
my son most of the time), and I do apoligize to everyone who played for
that 
lack on my part.

Anyway, that's it for this one--hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Rob
_________________________________

Londo	    "I'm sorry.  Here, open my wrists."
Garibaldi   "Centauri don't have major arteries in their wrists."
Londo	    "Of course we don't.  What do you think, I am stupid?"