[Steelwolf]

Actually, I was figuring the scenerio of some nutjob president manufactoring a reason to declare martial law and cancelling elections.

When you consider that under such a situation, federal troops would be on city streets, and the fact that most of the civil rights now enjoyed would be a thing of the past, everything would go up in flames fast.

I would figure states or areas that have a low approval rating of the president would break quick, along with the independant militias who already think the federal government is too controlling would move as well. (If you use the present polls of Bush's approval rating, the total number of states breaking away is about 34)

Also, being that I have some native american ancestors, I figure there is still enough bad blood with the BIA system to get a lot of support off the reservations.

Considering that a quick internet search found former soviet, syrian, egyptian T72's, Iraqi T82's (sold as captured material for scrap, and now being resold as 'collectors items') BMP's, BTR's, British Armour such as the NATO chieftan which can handle any maingun the Leopards or Abrams can, along with SPA units, Mig 21's, 23's, 24's and 25's crated and never flown WITH spares, MI24 Hind gunships, minus guns, ordinance, weapons of various calibers and uses, and a large number of EX US Navy patrol craft all of which is for sale in the states to local citizens.

It is my opinion, that an Independant Militia would have no problem equipping itself with armour that would at least have somewhat of a fighting chance against the Abrams.

National Guard tank units are equiped with obsolete Abrams models, and these are stored within the state, so if a state was to break away, or even a national guard unit was to rebel against what it percieved as an illegal presidential order, the varied equipment fielded by a new confederacy would be at least partially able to deal with modern armour.

The major issue really is to figure out just how much a break away force would have available. This is another area that would be good to explore as far as creating the campaign.

I have been experimenting with a Viginia Tidewater area scenerio, with the opening day being a combined force of Mech Infantry and MP's moving to detain an independant militia and secure a National Guard Equipment depot.

Using tactics from WW2 where Shermans had to deal with Tigers, i.e, shot the sucker in the butt, I have managed to deal effectively with Bradley's, and using nothing more than militia units, have managed to secure the depot.

I have not been able to deal a major blow to the US forces, and end up with a marginal victory, and the fact the survivors would be calling for reinforcements.

In other words, the night between day one and the morning of day two would be air strikes on the militia held posititions, and day two would have units from Quantico moveing to support the survivors.

Unless the depot has a substantial supply of infantry SAMs, vehicles and ordinance, the militia would have to withdraw from the combat zone.