AAR: The Walking Dead

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I hope this is going alright and isn't to long in description.

I've decided to just post the last two screenshots from TURN 12. Still in Clockwise fashion. I think for continuity's sake, it's best to post the turns in a separate posts.


Turn 12 SE Corner
Not much happening here, but you'll note what my Sea Knight helos and mostly my COBRA gunships unmasked for me. You might notice the 2nd Cobra flying towards FBD, flying over the road on the WEST edge. At the first flag to the EAST you'll see how far my jeep got before it was ambushed very early in the game, so I know the NVA are in those trees. Where the road runs off the map to the SOUTH, you'll find my Sniper in the trees with full LOS of the flags to the NORTH/ACROSS and one further to the SOUTH where the road swings to the RIGHT and off the map to the EAST. In the trees by each of the flags in the SE corner in ambush positions, sits a Recon Section w/supporting LOS to cover those flags/Sniper and beyond. Those arrived on TURN 5. This was a Intel Goldmine for me as it set mind to future plans with the hope that some of any future reinforcements would come overland at some point. But again the "wheels were turning" and I just needed the tools to get the job started.



TURN 12 SW Corner
On the NORTH side of the river you'll again see the situation I was in around Fire Base Dragon (FBD) and my 2 Cobra Gunships coming in from the EAST "on the road" they would help me in many ways while I had them. The 1st attack came from SOUTH of the river and, it was sizeable by the VC, they were "MOTIVATED". If you don't "Buckle Down" right off I can see where some might get overwhelmed to a degree, this reminded me of the Ia Drang Valley in 1965. Except you have the advantage of having a "cozy" FB for your guys. It only rained Mortar/B-40/Heavy Artillery occasionally, OK, that's not quite true. You will get pounded early and in cycles throughout. I literally EVERY SINGLE TURN hit that MORALE button for every unit in FBD. AND I'M GLAD I DID IT!! I don't know if I would've exhausted all the turns this Scenario allows for at 60 Turns otherwise. If I'm wrong on that (turns) please Suhiir correct me.

Going to enjoy the rest of this night before it's back to work for me.

And if Don you're looking in after I get all these posted, I'll start my submission checks from the last patch in a more "organized" fashion, however, in a "catch as catch can" I haven't come across any issues.

Regards,
Pat

[Suhiir]

It's a long scenario to permit the player to do something besides a banzai charge. OF COURSE the problem is the number of attackers means you need to get those reinforcements in ASAP.
Decisions, decisions.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Suhiir
I have no problem with the length of the scenario. And you're correct and does make you think about your options, the first was do I rearm my M-48 tank? I chose to keep it the fight for a couple of more turns and would lose it. However that tank rendered those 2 platoons that got in the wire, as posted, routed and left with 1/2 survivors each using only it's secondary weapon as it was out MG HE. Of course it "hurt" quite a few other units as well.

Second was to use my inbound Sea Knights as "gunships" as they came across especially mortar positions and were taking them out. The only issue there being, I would eventually see half my reinforcements retreat back off the map as the helos had enough of small arms and AA fired at them. Again worth the price for what it gained me.

It was good fun and made you think. Just to get to the end was victory enough. I did save the final score but, you'll just have to wait until I get there.

Now it's lunch, shower and work! Have a great day!

Regards,
Pat

[Suhiir]

Fastboat
This is EXACTLY the sort of thing I'd hoped for when I made the scenario. You face a number of problems, some immediate, some longer term, which do you prioritize? The reinforcing units (particularly heloborne) can be used in a number of ways; reinforce the base, a flanking attack, land in the rear and hunt mortars, and others. Use your artillery to break up attacks, to suppress their mortars, try to do both? Aircraft are great for close support (if you have an FO, and I intentionally made the pilots "experienced" so aircraft are pretty reliable), but is that mortar cluster that's suppressing your defenders a higher priority?

There are no "right" or "wrong" answers, just the ones you, the player, decide to implement.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I went to delete the pictures from IMGUR from my profile page and came back here to review a couple of things and found the pictures I deleted gone from the post as well. As things were fairly "static" from Turn 12 through 17 in those areas, I'm posting below the Turn 17/12 pictures below. They were originally on Page 1/POST #9.

I have modified the write up for the 1st one below.

[IMG][/IMG]
Turn 12 N.W. Corner
In the upper right corner those 2 Marines still someone forgot about them but there was suppression issues with the one surviving Recon Engineer as well. Both would go onto to win the Medal of Honor. They just took out a 37mm AA unit (W/Loss of 2 Recon Engineers) at their current position and the B40 Rocket sites just to the East. They would further take out several mortar sites as well as the game progresses. You'll note the first of 3 Sea Knight helos in the "gunship" mode at bottom middle. They're heading towards the open area 300m to the North of that helo shown. Air attacks in that area showed smoke, which at the time convinced me there's mortars positioned there.

[IMG][/IMG]
Turn 12 Lower S.W. Fire Base Dragon
Showing my fire suppression missions with threat axis to the North and S.W. You can also see the heavy fighting that occurred to the South near the main gate and you can see where I lost my tank around Turn 10 as well.

Sorry for the screw up. Not sure what to do about deleting them IMGUR without deleting them from here.

HOWEVER THAT'S FOR ANOTHER DAY!

I'm off for my daily walk.

Regards,
Pat

[zovs66]

You should not need to delete images from Imgur. I have literally hundreds if no more up there and have had no issues.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Thanks!

I'm just one who prefers to keep things "neat and tidy" if possible.

Now to my last Jason Bourne movie as I end my 5 week adventure with the series.

If I remember correctly when I watched it at the theater, there wasn't too much going on in that movie, it was more relaxing, more sorta like kind of movie, wait a minute, that last actually sounds more like Heidi, sorry !

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

Originally Posted by FASTBOAT TOUGH

Thanks!

I'm just one who prefers to keep things "neat and tidy" if possible.

YEAH BUT....... when you post an image to IMGUR then post the link to it here or whereever......that's the Image the link used to display the image when you load the forums

When you delete your IMGUR images to keep things "neat and tidy" there is NOTHING for that link to display so of course, the image will no longer show where you originally put the link

The moral of this story is....DON'T DO THAT. Once you post an image on IMGUR you should never delete it unless the location the image link was posted no longer exists otherwise the link will be broken.

So, in this case, it is NOT possible to "keep things neat and tidy" without breaking the link

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Alright the below will take you from TURN 17 through TURN 30. The daughter surprised us with her company to celebrate CINCLANTHOME's "40 being the new 60!" birthday. That being said LETS GO!!!...


Turn 17 Fire Base Dragon
NORTH: Artillery is having an affect on those NVA units through suppression and losses but at least 1/2 still try to advance. You'll see a HUEY Gunship & SEA KNIGHT helos as the NVA smoke Screen is just clearing about 3 NVA units bumped into them when the smoke screen was more dense and the helos took advantage.
The EAST & SOUTH are quiet now however as noted in the Turn 12 posts, I know trouble already brewing in the Ville. SOUTHERN attack is completely broken up at this point. However note the VC Platoon that just showed up BOTTOM CENTER. Hmmm!?!
SW VC units are retreating or routed but, though still causing some grief.
NW as you can they've been massing up there and I'm hitting them with the Artillery I used in the SOUTH.


Turn 26 Fire Base Dragon
The NORTHERN attacks as you can see have been pretty much broken up and basically they would not recover in this area. But you'll note my Artillery and Air are "Danger Close" but, I would NOT suffer any losses to fratricide.
EAST the NVA Units showed up around TURN ~22 in CLOSE coordination with the renewed attack to the SOUTH that came on in TURN 20 (Remember my lone VC Platoon in TURN 17.) which is breaking up at this point, however, there's still plenty of fight in some of those VC Units, some even fanatical it would seem.
SW is pretty much like the NORTH about finished as well by this point.
The NW still hanging TOUGH with reinforcements coming from the treeline. Though I got Air Units earlier in the game I chose not to use the first of them until around TURN 17 in coordination with my Artillery. It was this in coordination with FBD defensive fires that "broke the back" of those attacks.


TURN 26 SE CORNER
By this time the battle has started to shift more in this direction. At TURN 20 I received about 5/6 AMPHIBS w/Troops (To include 1 mounting a 105mm MG.) and a M-48 Dozer tank. TURN 25 I received (As stacked on the road) a MK-48 "ZIPPO", about 4 Trucks w/Troops, 2 Ammo Trucks, "Rat Patrol" (In homage to one of my favorite TV shows growing up.) Jeeps, HOWTAR Jeeps and I believe it was 3 Trucks w/60mm Mortars. WEST Center is my HQ in the helo, I've already established a safe "air corridor" and used it to airlift my 2 RECON units (Loaded in the HUEY.) into FBD that were in ambush positions on the RIGHT side of the road in the trees closest to the first two flags as you come on the map from the EAST. My SNIPER was positioned on the LEFT side of the road even with the 2nd flag up the road as you might remember. If you follow the line to the EAST from the HQ Helo, you'll see my SNIPER leading my relief column to FBD. I'll let him get further ahead for another couple of turns as I organize my relief column. It would consist of my M-48 Dozer, 2 RR Jeeps, 3 HOWTARS, 2/3 "Rat Patrol" Jeeps, both Ammo Trucks and I believe 2 OTAS units. A couple of AMPHIBS would get to the clearing 150m to the WEST of the SNIPER where my Sea Knight Helo would pick them up for transport into FBD. Everything else is heading up the road so I can coordinate my assets in that area to tie down those troops and present a threat axis from that area. I'll be using the trucks as weapons fire support to protect my flags in the SE area plus a couple of "Rat Patrol" Jeeps in ambush positions at both the Front/Back Doors of those flags. You see 1 truck heading into the trees by the 1st Flag bottom where the ZIPPO and last Ammo Truck is. Further up the road I've off loaded my infantry, some will reload, while others will march up the road so I can use those trucks as indicated above. Across from them you'll see my 60mm Mortars. Further up, again my AMPHIBS taking troops up the road, they'll be coming back to pickup the guys walking up the road and eventually the couple still remounted in the trucks so I can use them as well for Fire Support to the SOUTH/SE.


TURN 30 FIRE BASE DRAGON
The NORTH is still fairly quite.
To the EAST the NVA are fully exposed with fire missions assigned with some of my Heavy Artillery 203mm/155mm. You'll also see the HUEY has just unloaded those RECON (As noted in TURN 26 SE slide.) units to reinforce that side of FBD.
To the SOUTH is a mix of Mortars/105mm and Air fire missions the renewed effort by the VC in this area that came about TURN 20 or just after. The picture isn't as bad as it looks, but, it ain't over yet , though it's heading that way.
The attack from the WEST is also starting to "peter out" as well. The NW is active and generally in support of the attack from the EAST.
Where ever you see full Squad units on the wall, those were brought in by my Sea Knight Helo that's still in the game (Plus those already mention.) it's been a "God Send" for me. Again in "Defensive" fire discipline since around TURN 20 to conserve ammo. That being said, I had no problem opening up on units getting to close or in the wire as you might notice with a couple of my "Danger Close" fire missions to the SOUTH. I wouldn't take any fratricide causalities during the course of the game.

I will get back to the news on the MBT and APC Threads as time allows, I'll give you a teaser I have an article from a good source that the AJAX Program is in jeopardy of cancellation.

Regards,
Pat

[Suhiir]

What? Running low on ammo ... what a pity ...