After Action Report- Hot LZ!

Despatches II is coming together nicely, but before it can be fully completed Colin and I thought we should be sure that all of the scenarios inside it work well. Plus, we have had some comments that more AAR's will be better, so we thought we should combine the two, and show off some of the scenarios you will be able to find in Despatches II!

Note: In the pictures you will note a few clear plastic tokens and templates, these are a trial run which we have done, watch this space for when they will be released!

The mission we played was the Clear the LZ mission from Despatches II. The basic idea is that an Australian force is on patrol in a nameless village in the Urzgan province, when one of their number trips a booby trap, becoming wounded. The Auzzies call in a CASEVAC blackhawk, bad news is, they need to move to the LZ, and the Taliban are looking to ambush!

The scenario includes a Blackhawk helicopter on table, which is waiting for the auzzies to confirm that the LZ is secure so that it can land. I took charge of the Australian patrol, with Colin in control of the Taliban.

The initial Australian movements were to run onto the table, in smaller groups of two, wary of any Taliban. The ideal LZ was in a nearby field, so the Auzzies were moving at all haste to secure it.

Moving on up!

Advancing in the lush fields of Urzgan!

Unknown to the Auzzies, the Taliban had already secured key compounds in the area.

The first the Australians knew about it, was when a Novice Taliban with a PKM ran on to the table, and attempted to shoot at running digger. While a lot of noise occured, the recoil of the weapon made it next to impossible to hit (01% chance in fact!). But, morale markers onto the Auzzie.

The Auzzies returned fire, but were unable to hit, causing morale markers onto the gunner.

Even worse for the Australians, in a bypassed compound, a Taliban was hidden, lying in wait.

A Novice Taliban, what is there to fear? Well, after all the modifiers he had a 12% chance to hit. Colin rolled an 11, followed up by no less than 15 points of damage. My Body Armour save? A 1. Making a grand total of 5. Meaning the digger took 10 points of damage, and then proceeded to fail his consciousness roll. One soldier immediately out of action!

While this was happening, one of the more skilled Taliban had spotted another Australian advancing on the right flank. Again there was a very low, to hit number, but again it was hit and Colin rolled 12 wounds on him. My Body Armour save? A 1. My marksman with the HK417 took 7 wounds, and also failed his unconsciousness roll (Craig H will no doubt laugh, I keep doing that to his German marksman!).

With that shot, two soldiers immediately out of action!

It was also at this point that the CASEVAC bird arrived, and proceeded to unsuccessfully try and shoot things with it's door guns.

With the helicopter nearby, all of the Taliban were forced to take a morale test (helicopters are scary!). Unfortunatly for the Australians, all of the Taliban passed.

Making matters worse, Taliban reinforcements arrived, and promptly began unleashing a fusillade of small arms, PKM and RPG fire onto the Black Hawk. Due to the Black Hawk's speed, height and dashing good looks, none of the Taliban hit, but the helicopter was forced off table for an activation.

With the helicopter overhead, the Australians managed to clear out the novice in the compound which they missed and managed to somewhat continue their advance. A perfect grenade shot from the Underslung Grenade Launcher managed to hit no less than 4 Taliban in the KZ of the weapon, ending the threat from the far wood.

The last Taliban standing, and yes that is SIX morale markers on the poor chap. He, unsuprisingly failed his morale (he is a novice after all), and legged it.

The funny looking plastic thing in front of him is the forthcoming Grenade Template!

The Australians hunkered down in as much cover as possible, trying to survive the withering Taliban fire.

While the Australians were slowly able to reduce the numbers of Taliban, but not before an Auzzie was killed outright by a PKM gunner. At the end of the first combat turn, we called the game. The Australians had certainly not won the game, but nor had the Taliban. It was a brutal slugging match between the two forces, the Taliban had certainly taken major casualties but it would be the Australian Soldier killed, and the multiple wounded which would be on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald tomorrow.

Next time I think we might try to get the bombmaker....

Pooch