That's A Lot Of Tanks, Eh? Modern Spearhead Battle Report

T-64BVs - 1/600 scale vehicles from Oddzial Osmy, available at Pico Armor

 This week I hosted a game of "Modern Spearhead", the adapted version of Arty Contliffe's classic division level-WW2 rules. "Spearhead" is one of the great rule systems out there, and although I like to fuss with the rules from time to time, overall it is one of my favourite games and one of the best sets of rules ever done, in my opinion (of course, YMMV).

Vast echelon of elements in the Soviet 112th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment

In "Spearhead", each base or vehicle represents a platoon or troops or vehicles, a battery of guns etc. This is part of creating the right sense of abstraction in order to play a division-level command game.  The players take the role of regiment and brigade commanders, and are not fussed with the tactical elements. Contliffe's rules engine does this very well, and the key to success in a game of Spearhead is timing and planning, mixed of course with (you hope) some good fortune on the dice.

Leopards waiting on a ridge - with the small figures, I used paper to mark elevations instead of hills - Curt put me on to this, and I really liked the effect

I generally use my large (but old, and now really tired looking for the most part) 1/300 scale collection of figures to play "Spearhead" - whether WW2 or modern.  But, as seen here and there on the blog, I have been getting more and more into the 1/600 scale sculpts from Oddzial Osmy (available easily from the delightful folks at Pico Armor).  Here is an old post of those figures in action - I have been painting a few more to bulk up the collection, and we played another game this past week.

The scenario was a favourite setting of mine - Cold-War-gone hot, with the Canadians in CENTAG's III Corps put into action to try and prevent a Soviet breakthrough on the road to Frankfurt.  Byron, Brian H and Dave V all came out for the game.

For the table, I took advantage of the fact that Conscript Curt had just been in town and he had set up for a 3mm game of Napoleonics (more on that will be found shortly over at Analogue Hobbies I'm sure).  He used paper to mark the contours of elevations and hills.  If you would have told me about this beforehand, I would have found it odd, but I loved how it worked in practice with the very small scale figures - it reinforces the "proper" sense of abstraction for the game - you are a senior commander, not tactical, and helps you think at that level.  I made a few small changes and bang, the table was ready - Curt had already done most of the work for me :)

T-72s have overrun 2PPCLI on the first ridge line

Brian and Dave took command of the Soviets. They had a full BMP regiment at their disposal - designated the 112th Guards Motor Rifles - three battalions of BMP2 mounted crack troops, and an attached battalion of T-64BV tanks.  The Regiment had its own attached 122mm SP artillery battalion.  To bulk up further, the 112th received the 80th Independent Tank Battalion, equipped with T-72s.  Off table there was further support from the division - another battalion of 122mm guns, and a further (scary!) battalion of 152mm guns!  Air support in the form of Su-25 "Frogfoot" attack planes was also available.

The Royal Canadian Dragoons open fire

The Soviets had just crossed a small river, and their objective was to break through to the Canadians and capture the next town and river crossing.  Time was of the essence, of course. NATO was on the run, and Frankfurt could be reached and CENTAG disemboweled - as long as the schedule was met!! Forward comrades!

In the face of this monstrous horde, Byron took charge of the Canadians.  He had the 2nd Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (mechanized troops in M113 APCs), and the Royal Canadian Dragoons and their Leopard C1 tanks (bulked up with a fourth squadron - NATO would have got them there somehow as the crisis in Europe boiled up, I figure).  NATO doctrine is flexible, so Byron peeled some elements from both units to create a small reserve task force in case things went pear-shaped.  For support there was the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and their 155mm SP guns, and the hope of air support from US A-10s and even some division level 203mm US guns...

Initial deployments and plans - Byron has two layers of defence (blue areas) and a reserve off table, while the Soviets have plotted a vicious right hook...

Dave and Brian crafted a fairly straightforward plan - sacrifice some units to overrun the forward deployed Canadians on the first ridge, and send the bulk of the regiment past the right flank so the Canadians on the second ridge would have difficulty engaging. Use the merciless amount of artillery to pound any resistance into dust!

You can see 2PPCLI is no longer in the game...

That's kind of how it unfolded - the Warpac forces broke out of the town and engaged 2PPCLI on the first ridge, taking heavy losses, but backed by horrible amounts of artillery.  Soviet counter battery even located the Canadian gunners in RCHA, took out a battery and forced the survivors to relocate.

The Dragoons would take revenge for their comrades - those Russians on the ridge at the right were soon vaporized

Once 2PPCLI was crushed, the Soviets swept over the ridge, and encountered the guns of the Dragoons.  The Leopards made short work of the Soviets who took the first ridge.  Meanwhile, US air support showed up and started to put some hurt on the Russians.

Byron's challenge illustrated - if he could just get the Dragoons moving...

Realizing he needed to maneuver to stop the Soviet flank maneuver, Byron activated his small reserve and sent them forward, and he tried to issue orders to get the Dragoons to hit the Russian flank.  In "Spearhead", the ability to change your orders is crucial to the success of outnumbered but more flexible forces like the Canadians.  Just don't roll a "1"...so, anyway...

Visual recreation of Byron's order change rolls...Dragoons stay put

Byron's reserve came forward, but he could not get the dice god to allow the Dragoons to move in time! The Soviet flank thrust took a bloody nose from the small reserve (and more US air strikes), but Soviet artillery, and a visit from the Su-25s, blasted the Canadian reserves.  With two of their three elements broken, the Canadians were defeated.

Su-25 Frogfoot pastes some Canadians in M113s

Soviet victory was achieved in 8 turns of hard fighting! Promotions for the Soviet Commanders! The Soviets had two battalions (a BMP unit and a T-72 unit) knocked out of the game, and two more (a second BMP unit and the T-64s) chewed up a bit, but their plan held and they managed to overwhelm the Canadians.

Suppressed Leopards courtesy of huge Warpac artillery barrages

It was, however, a close-run thing - the pivotal issue was Byron's bad luck with his order dice - if he had been able to get the Royal Canadian Dragoons moving, they might have swept right into the flank of the Soviet advance over the second ridge...it could have gone either way.

Soviet Motor Rifle units sweep the forested ridge!

While it was a loss for the Canadians, and the poor lads of 2PPCLI took a drubbing, the Royal Canadian Dragoons were still actually in great combat shape, with three full squadrons and some attached support still ready to fight.  If and when the guys are up for another game of "Modern Spearhead", I think we'll have a scenario where these fellows are trying to cut their way out of the pocket they find themselves in and re-join the NATO lines.

Thanks to Byron, Brian and Dave for coming out to play, and doing a great job playing the command roles in character!

Battle of Brandon - Cold War 3mm "Red Dawn" Prequel

One of the defining movies of the '80s was definitely John Milius' classic Cold War scare-piece Red Dawn. High school kids forced to witness their country's invasion by the Reds took up arms and ran to the hills to wage a guerrilla war against the evil invaders who imprisoned and tortured their parents, flattened their cities, and even shut down their McDonalds.  

Of course, the Red scare is remembered fondly by many of us who grew up in the '70s and '80s and the Conscripts are no exception... especially Conscript Greg, who can pretty much recite the movie's dialogue verbatim! As regular readers know, Greg's been working on a new insane 3mm modern project and he had a notion to run an '80s game as a kind of "prequel" to the events of Red Dawn... over to you, Greg...

"In the 1984 movie 'Red Dawn', the Soviet Union and its allies launch a land invasion of the contental United States!  How? An enormous intercontinental pincer movement!  With saboteurs and elite airborne units leading the way, aided by select nuclear strikes (!), the Soviet 'coalition' tears right up through the 'open door' along the border with Mexico, occupying much of the US great plains and mid west.  The other arm of the Soviet pincer comprises three army groups that come across the Bering Straight, trying to link up with this southern thrust. 

So, like, Canada is in the way, there, eh? What happens to poor Canada in 1984's "Red Dawn"?  Let's play a game and find out!

It's September 1984, and the Soviets are invading!  Canada is scrambling to respond the best it can. Teeming Red Army tank and motor infantry divisions are spilling along invasion routes out of the Yukon (!) down through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Western Manitoba - home of Brandon and Prairiecon!  A Russian Corps has advanced down Highway 10 in Manitoba, looking to get to the US border. Soviet paratroopers have seized Brandon and its bridges over the Assiniboine river, but the advance has been slowed because the Canadians have blown the Shellmouth Dam, temporarily flooding the Assiniboine valley in the Brandon area.  Lead elements of the Soviet advance have been trapped south of Brandon.

Soviet Bombers and missiles have already hammered the air base at Portage and CFB Winnipeg.  But the troops in Shilo have fought off the Soviet surprise attack, and are ready to respond. The 8th Canadian Hussars roll out from CFB Shilo to stop the isolated Soviets south of Brandon and check the Red advance.  Success here could allow the Canadian Forces to buy time and rally to at least keep the Red Army from moving further south and west."

View from the north (Soviet) table edge, looking south down Highway 10 towards Boissevain. The attacking force had 10 turns to break the Canadians - basically by destroying half or more of their units and hoping for a failed morale test. The Soviets attacked with two companies of T-72s and an armoured infantry battalion, plus artillery and air assets. The Canadians deployed two understrength Leopard companies and some infantry in M113s, some artillery tubes and A-10 Warthog ground-attack aircraft.

Greg explains the situation to Conscripts Kevin, Dave V. and Jim. Greg had designed the game using the tried and true "Spearhead" rules, but with each 3mm individually based tank representing one actual vehicle.

Off we go! The Soviet column (T-72 company) moves down the road followed up by armoured infabtry. The other tank company stages in the field to the right. Artillery park is in the wooded depression.

Canadian artillery.

Leopards move up to take position behind the rail cut.

The situation develops. T-72 company takes a hard left at the T-intersection and begins deploying down the road, turning towards the enemy and preparing to drive up across the field. The infantry commander behind them on the road was slightly annoyed that they were taking so long to do it ;-)

As the T-72s moved up, Canadian gunnery took its toll - obviously the gunners had studied their training materials carefully!

Leopards on the Canadian left flank were quickly overwhelmed by Mike F's T-72 company - you can see them beginning to take up positions to roll up the flank.

Meanwhile back on the left my T-72 company was getting obliterated by some hot die rolling!

"Hey, this is awesome. We wiped out the Leopards."

"Ummm... are those A-10s?!?!?"

Destruction of the T-72 platoon is complete.

Triple-A fire from the ZSU-23-4s attached to Mike's tank company saves them from aerial pasting with some hot rolling...

...while the Soviet Frogfoot ground-attack aircraft do some damage of their own.

Carnage!! While the Canadians caused enormous casualties to the attacking Soviets, the latter's resolved held just long enough for the defenders to be brought down to half of their original strength, forcing a morale roll. The dice came up "2" which was not enough to keep the Canucks in the fight - Soviet victory!! Onwards to Denver!!!

What a great game - if you've never tried 3mm you have to do it - it just looks so cool. Almost like a map exercise with exquisite little miniatures! Spearhead is a great system to use, also, as it rattles right along. In fact I think Greg had forgotten to bvring his rulebook but he knows the rules so well it didn't even matter.

Thanks Greg for bringing out the game and running it for us! "WOLVER-- err, 'BOBCATS!'"

Battle Report - Crisis In Kaliningrad - Modern Spearhead

BMP-3s and motor rifle troops take up a position to defend Russian sovereignty - and Gazprom pricing

Last week Dallas hosted the Conscripts for a game of Modern Spearhead.   The scenario was an imaginary ultra-modern confrontation between Poland, NATO and the Russian Federation along the border of the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.  The battle was a "limited engagement" taking place in the context of escalating tensions around a Russian cut-off of gas supplies to Poland.

It was a great turnout on Thursday, and we were particularly happy to host veteran conscript Sean M, returning to Winnipeg for a visit from parts east in Canada.  Was great to see you again Sean!

Polish Leopard IIA4s advance

The scenario pitted a mixed brigade of Polish and NATO troops against a brigade of top-notch (for the most part) Russian Federation troops.  The Polish/NATO goal was to surround the small border town of Bagrationovsk (political symbolism for Poland).  The Russian goal was to break the Polish units only - Russian leaders, while making all sorts of noise in the media - were privately concerned that any excessive casualties on NATO countries would inflame public opinion in the West to encourage further conflict.

Another view of the BMP-3s on the hill

The Russians had two battalions of top-end T-90s, a battalion of BMP-3 motor rifle troops, and for "flavour", a battalion of naval reserve T-55MVs.  The Polish had a battalion of Leopard IIA4s, a battalion of PT-91 Twardy tanks (upgraded T-72s - we used T-80BVs to represent these on the tabletop because they have the reactive armour bricks), and a battalion of motor infantry in BWP-1s (domestic Polish BMP-1 IFVs).  The Dutch had a mechanized infantry battalion in YPR-765s, with a couple of YPR-765 TOWs for support.

PT-91 MBTs (represented by GHQ T-80BVs) advance against the BMP-3s...it will end in tears...

Both sides had off-table artillery and air.  The Russians also had some Hind F helos.  But I substituted the normal "check for support" table with one of my own for the scenario to represent the general queasiness of the higher level Russian/NATO command to send in all sorts of assets that might lead to a general escalation of the conflict.

T-90s under fire as they try and hold the Leopards back...

Kevin H, Sean and Dallas took command of the Russians.  Mike F and Brian H rolled with the Polish/NATO combo.  Brian surprised all of us by volunteering to run the Dutch - but he was later disappointed to learn their battalion had zero MBTs (after all, the Dutch sold off their Leopards).

Sean's T-55s hang out in reserve, waiting to score a moral victory...

The game would last 10 turns - or until one brigade or the other broke.  The game itself proceeded quickly - fast enough that we were able to take a number of breaks to catch up with Sean's hilarious stories, and watch the Winnipeg Blue Bombers somehow win a game.  

A Tunguska provides AAA/SAM cover to the BMP-3 motor rifle troops

Kevin's T-90s took a real pounding - from air strikes and from the Leopard IIs of the poles - but they managed to stick in to the bitter end.  Mike pushed the Leopards and the Polish mechanized infantry around the west of the town, while sending the PT-91s around the east side.  Dallas had the BMP-3s dug in on a hill to block that move, and the BMP-3 were absolutely amazing, and with Dallas' hot rolling, they massacred the PT-91s with AT missiles and 100mm guns.

Dallas' troops got hit hard by an air strike, but otherwise the NATO troops didn't get to them. BMP-3s are awesome

Sean had the T-55s hanging back on the north of the town.  He tried to move up and support Kevin, but rolled the "scottish number" on his order change check for three straight turns, leaving the T-55s in place while poor Kevin was hammered.  Sean did rack up a moral victory when one of his T-55MVs managed to engage and knock out a Leopard IIA4 using tube-fired ATGMs.  I think he will be talking about that for months...

The Dutch move out.  Dallas's company commanders, however, are pretty sure they "look" Polish...

Down a battalion, the NATO troops brought the Dutch in to try and take the Russian motor rifles out.  Dallas was aware of the command direction to NOT inflict excessive casualties on the Dutch, but in the heat of the battle, the various platoon commanders could not be certain the new troops were not Polish, and so let them have it with a combination of 100mm HE and 30mm cannons.  The Dutch got blasted to pieces...

Kevin's T-90s paid a high price against the Leopards, so he evened the odd with a call for air support.

The outcome was a military victory for the Russians - the Polish/NATO brigade broke on the seventh turn.  On the other hand, with CNN footage of the helpless Dutch mechanized troops getting ventilated by the BMP-3s, public opinion in the west will harden dramatically against the Russians.  Poland lost the battle, but took a step forward in the war....until next time....

A big thanks to Dallas for hosting, and to everyone who came out to play some Modern Spearhead!

Game This Week- Modern Spearhead - (Imaginary) Crisis In Kaliningrad

Russian Federation armoured forces mobilize...

We have at times past gamed an imaginary ultra-modern conflict in Poland.  Poor Poland - it just seems geographically placed for these kinds of scenarios.  Thankfully it is all imaginary - at least for now. We have previously used the Cold War Commander engine for those games, but this week we will employ the tried and tested (and much faster) Modern Spearhead rules.

The scenario imagines a crisis brewing in the Russian Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.  A confrontation has developed between the Polish government and the Russian Federation over the transit of gas. An angry and aggressive Polish administration has responded by blockading and occupying small parts of the Kaliningrad Oblast, with the assistance of the Lithuanians. 

"You will pay what GazProm is asking...seriously...."

The Russian response is forceful - they have moved some elite armoured and airborne formations into the isolated enclave, and are preparing the "push the Poles back", with deadlines announced and a stated intent to use force to "protect their sovereignty". 

NATO representatives meet to discuss the possibility of a meeting to establish an agenda for a framework consultation to evaluate a report on further discussion of a review on the matter of whether the circumstances in Poland constitute a crisis or a non-specific event...

NATO is preparing to assist against Russian aggression, mostly by having meetings about meetings. 

"So, I totally don't need this right now, just so you guys know...."

Distracted and broke, the EU members of NATO (other than Poland and the Baltics) are not keen to be involved.  GazProm is cutting side deals with them to up the ante. Distracted and broke, the US is not that keen to help either, as Polish gas rights hardly seems like something to galvanize US opinion, but it doesn't want to wimp out either.

"Can you believe this whole Polish thing? At least Sarko isn't involved...."

Seeing all this mushiness, the Poles are sticking to their guns, concerned about the cold winter that will be on the way if they do not stand up to what they see as Russian GazProm-gunboat diplomacy...

The Poles are ready with their new NATO kit....

A "limited engagement" is in the making - will it stay limited? Will the Russians give the Poles a shove, or will they receive a bloody nose in the process?  Will the conflict be limited enough to be resolved, or become something that even the jello-spined countries of NATO might actually sort of have to do something about....


It's (ultra) Modern Spearhead! The latest MBTs and IFVs! But will your command be allowed to fight all-out? What does that secret second order to the brigade commander say? Does the brigade actually have that much ammunition anyway, since no countries can afford anything these days? Will the use of air power really be authorized as diplomats scramble to avert a larger war? Will the infamous "Black Eagle" tanks make another appearance? Hope to see you Thursday for some "conflict resolution".