While patrolling through the Mountains of Arghandab, a US army platoon spots suspicious movement along the edges of the village. The platoon commander decides to detach two squads to clear the village by seizing a compound overlooking the centre of the village to observe the potential insurgent movement, while the rest of the platoon remains behind to guard the approaches to the village.
The local insurgents, alarmed by the US troop movement in their safe area, gather for a fight. One of their senior leaders, Al Hameed ibn Sayeed, is about to be trapped in the village and must be evacuated before the US troops can make serious inroads into the village and cut of their retreat.
US troops approach through the rock formations nearby, placing a fireteam on Overwatch and quickly advancing their second team (lower right part of the picture) to secoure the first compound.
Their objective is the blue marker in the central compound by the field.
The Islamists try to make contact with their leader quickly, before the US troops can take positions dominating the open field in the centre or outmaneuver them.
Unfortunately, they are too late, the Americans are already in position.
US Troops maneuver through the woods on their right flank. The Insurgents are sending a blocking detachment to deny the Americans control of their objective.
Under the cover of their Humvee and another fireteam, the Americans conduct fire and maneuver, bringing down their fireteam from the rock formation to seize the objective compound.
However, they have to clear it of any enemy presence in the surrounding area, which will be hard given the Insurgent mob gathering in the backyard.
So far, it has been relatively silent, but the battle is about to ensue...
Suddenly, the firefight erupts as the US troops are shot at by Insurgents in the bushes ahead. Being in good cover, the Americans are only suffering morale effects while they are able to inflict minor casualties. The Islamists try to use the opportunity and make contact with their warlord.
But despite being pinned, the US troops still mean business and evaporate most of the Insurgent unit trying to make contact with their objective.
Within two turns, the rescue party is eliminated, including an Insurgent leader, which will weaken the chain of command. Fortunately for the Insurgents, they were able to call in reinforcements with a new leader prior to this disaster, so they can replace their losses.
With the threat on the left flank eliminated, the Americans send a Fireteam into the woods near the Insurgent objective, trying to block off any further advances into this direction.
Dislodging the US fireteam from this position will be hard and require some concentration of force.
Meanwhile the battle rages on on the centre, with another US fireteam arriving at the objective compound. Awful die rolling by the Islamists save the day as the Americans are again only pinned. This was a key moment, as the close range firefight could have gone the other way around....
The return fire throughout the following two turns severele reduces the Islamists strength, including another leader, who is yet again replaced by reinforcements.
On the right flank, a US fireteam is caught by surprise as a large unit of Islamists enter the compound and head into a vicious close quarters battle. Despite massive defensive fire, the Insurgents only lose two men and through a streak of luck, are able to overwhelm the US Fireteam.
Three out of for are casualties, the remaining man surrenders. The entire fireteam is lost!
Close combat is bloody!
Even with this major setback, the US forces are able to drive off the Islamists after several turns of severe firefights and another close assault on a weakened Insurgent unit. Desparate attempts to throw all available reinforcements at the US objective to prevent the capture and prolong the game can only delay the inevitable.
The Americans on the left flank have tight control over the Istlamist objective and the Insurgents find themselves unable to put enough pressure on either flank.
The large mob threatening the Fireteam in the field is finally driven off by flanking fire, breaking their morale and forcing a retreat. The objective is secured.
A US victory!
My notes on how to further improve the game:
-Casualty selection requires a clever mechanic, rolling which special figure is hit is too tedious and time consuming
-Close assaults are very bloody, un-pinned troops should have the opportunity to retreat from an assault to avoid getting ripped apart.
-a few minor things that need to be defined more clearly.
