Brief AAR Scenario Z TRAP

 

AAR Scenario Z (TRAP) Scenario and Map by Nadir Elfarra.

 

The game is a relatively old Avalon Hill wargame called MBT (Main Battle Tank). The was a follow on game called IDF which had the same rule set. A vassal mod has recently been released and the designer has been entertaining a re-release in the near future. Ground scale is 100m per hex. Time is the nebulous 1-5min per turn. Counters depict are individual vehicles/helicopters/aircraft/squads/half squads/weapons teams

 

Scenario here.

 

First Clash Map

 

Modifications: The USMC ground force was changed to 3x Rifle Squad, 1x MG Team, and 1x Team (Assault – SMAW) Opfor Anti Aircraft Platoons were mix. End product was 2x BRDM/AAA vehicles and 1x Lt Truck with 2x SA-7 Teams.

 

Opfor Anti-Air Platoons arrived onboard in the North and in the West.

 

The game opened up with each Opfor Lt Truck and single rifle squad punching out ahead of the platoon main bodies to arrive at the spot where the chute was reported (Hex V20). The pilot did have a chance to E&E across the bridge and into an orchard vic hex R22. I feel that the fact that the pilot was able to end up south of the bridge, help greatly as the Opfor fixated on the chute hex and was intent to search outward from there.

 

The Anti-Air Platoons also entered the board and headed toward center map as to hopefully have an impact in chasing away the expected American aircraft. This notion was quickly wiped away in Turn 2 when the 2x AH-1W and 1x AV-8B arrived on scene and made their presence felt early and often.

 

The anti aircraft platoon arriving from the west map edge was annihilated by the two cobras Snake-Eye and Psycho. The lead squad, on a truck, headed south from Blickheim, and a truck loaded with 2x SA-7 Teams were caught by a cluster-bomb unit dropped by the AV-8B (Ratso).

 

The lead truck-mounted unit from the platoon in Kuppenheim made it to the area where the chute was sighted and quickly began searching the wooded area in the immediate area, vicinity of hexes V21-W21-X21, while the 2x BRDM/AAA combos were attrited in their movement south. One of the AAA pieces finally made it to the search area where it was subsequently killed by a hellfire strike, leaving behind his partner to a mobility kill in W12.

 

Forces arriving in the area from Niederbuehl in the east never made an impact in the battle, basically too far to move within the time of the game. Had the final pilot position end up toward them it may have been different. Same can be said for the dismounted element of the northern platoon.

 

In the final crescendo, the pucker factor increased markedly as Ratso the AV-8B who was planned to make a devastating strike on a number of enemy grunt units moving too close to the hidden pilot – immediately before the ground force insertion in the next air phase, entered the board, turned to line up on the “U” hex “column” and was subsequently engaged and shot down by the BRDM/AAA hybrid during its ingress.

 

Snake-Eye and Psycho did there best to pick up the slack firing rockets and 20mm bursts into the gaggle getting some hits and suppressions on a number of them.

 

The next Air Phase, Elvis and Stinky, the CH-53E’s inserted to hexes P23 and Q24. This alerted the remaining enemy in the immediate area south of the bridge to focus on the insert site and orchard to their west. One enemy got within 2 hexes causing the pilot to panic move right into the advancing USMC platoon reinforced.

 

The Cobras provided continuous suppressive fires while the dismounts accounted for themselves and their cargo, before loading the pigs for their extract flight off the south edge of the map.

 

Opfor losses were 4x Squads, 4x SA-7 Teams, 3x Trucks (0 pts), and 3 AAA Vehicles. Opfor did down the Harrier for 20pts. The pilot was worth 50pts.

 

Per Nadir’s scoring model, it ended 89:20 in favor of the US.

 

Suggestions to possibly make it more interesting:

 

1. Have an AA platoon already establishing in the area, hey they already downed the first pilot.

 

2. Possible give opfor a motorized look giving them the ability to get into the fight.

 

3. Alter the US gunship/aircraft enter turn to 3. The Cobras and Harrier really rocked the world of those AAA assets, both the BRDM hybrids and the truck transported SA-7’s most all caught on the move. This would make for a much-much tighter game.

 

This scenario is relatively short, and bloody. This run-through ended either in the 2nd Air Phase of the 7th or 1st Air Phase of the 8th Turn. It would be a lot of fun as a quick infantry/air dominant MBT scenario for two players or maybe even an umpired one.

Cool scenario, Pete.

 

Suggestions to possibly make it more interesting:

 

1. Have an AA platoon already establishing in the area, hey they already downed the first pilot.

 

Yeah, that took out that guy and downed a Harrier, and you want to make em even nastier ?!

Forgot one thing from before, an image of the situation at the insertion of the TRAP unit.

 

here.

Of 4x BRDM-2 with a homebrewed ZU-23 mounted on top, and two trucks loaded with a total of 4x SA-7b teams, only one made it to the area of operations and actually set up before eating a hellfire. The two trucks were incinerated en route, and the one BRDM/AAA vehicle that shot down the harrier was one left behind, en route, after being immobilized by one of the cobras.

Hi there, Would a new one like me be welcome here?

Thanks so much in deed.

 

 

pret personnel

Hi there, Would a new one like me be welcome here?

Thanks so much in deed.

 

Sure, what are your interests? Also in part checking to make sure you aren't an automated bot (sorry for the suspicion).

Having been bumped for unrelated reasons, it did cause a re-read...a tense, yet enjoyable scenario with a somewhat plausible result.

What times: MBT, the Arab-Israeli Wars ... and previously Panzerblitz ... all preludious to the ultimate PC variant Steel Panthers