Bucha, Ukraine - 27 Feb 2022 - 15mm
USMC vs. NVA, Hill Battles near DMZ, 1967 (replay - finish)
December 1967, South Vietnam, Quang Tri Highlands, near the DMZ. To finish up the replay of Lima Co / 3rd Bn / 4th Marines / I Corps hitting an NVA-occupied village northwest of Camp Carroll (320th PAVN Division) during the infiltration and build-up to the Tet Offensive …
System: Valor & Victory (Vietnam Edition)
OKay, so when we last left Captain Waterman's HQ platoon, he was pinned down pretty badly in the rice paddies north of the village, with RPGs, AKs, and PKMs on his right, a DShK on his left, and 60-mm mortar providing base of fire for the NVA to his front. Now a new reinforced NVA squad has moved into the buildings facing the paddies, putting him in even further jeopardy. If you're wondering why 2ndLt Pierce's platoon wasn't able to put down any supporting fire last turn, one thing I forgot to mention was the random movement of one of these civilian groups actually put the civilians into his line of fire. Free World forces are FORBIDDEN to put fire any fire through or into a hex containing civilians. However, using the advance and assault phase at the end of Marine Turn 4, Pierce is able to move up into the civilian hex, thus clearing the obstruction. He'll have to wait until next turn to put any more fire down, however, meaning Waterman and his men will have to survive ANOTHER whole turn of NVA fire and possible assault. -- SPOILER ALERT: he does not. The NVA on their Turn 4 positively smash Waterman's platoon, he's basically the last man left standing after I pay all the required casualty points.
In the south, we saw where Collins carried off a risky but successful assault against NVA squads holding the southern approaches to the village. Occupying that hex, Collin's platoon now has a clear (but long) LOS finally against the back of that mortar pit. Yes, he can get assualted (like Rasmus did to me last game), but this time I still have a satchel charge ready to defeat any charge before it hits me. Meanwhile, Bergman's platoon has to use full movement (booby trap roll 11 or 12) to get up on that ridge and occupy those first hooches, advance and assault phase sees him actually in the of the objective hexes. The Marines might finally be turning this around! 
Okay, time for the NVA to win this game. If they can assault Waterman's hex, all those casualties are considered "captured" and thus worth extra NVA victory points (quick note: I have already adjusted the victory points a little further AGAINST the Americans, giving the NVA 4 points per casualty marker inflicted, 8 if they are "unsecured" or captured). So this will be 32 victory points if they win this one hex, since Waterman himself will count as a casualty marker and all FOUR markers would then fall into NVA hands. But Waterman has 2 firepower points, adds in his satchel charge (last one), and then rolls a 4 on 2d6! Awesome! The roll is adjusted +1 for the NVA partial cover (rice paddies), but Waterman's firepower is considered 2+16=18 for the satchel charge (commanders can either apply their bonus OR their actual firepower rating, not both), then -2 for point blank opportunity fire. So on an adjusted 3 on the APFP table (18 row) yields 6 casualty points, more than enough to wipe out this assault before it reaches him! Captain Jiang Xuan and his mortars, however, and Lt. Phan Khoi pour fire into Pierce's struggling platoon, inflicting 6 casualty points. The first two are absorbed by the civilians in that hex, killing them. Four more pin down the rest of that platoon.
The beginning of Marine Turn 5 sees more heroism from Captain Waterman. An NVA fireteam to the west of the rice paddies fails to pin him down. Then he gets another monster roll against the Phan Khoi's hex, while the hapless 2nd Lt. Pierce (although rallying during the American command phase) fails with a very pool roll. Waterman's roll is good enough to actually take out the stack (admittedly he rolled obscenely well, I think a 3 on 2d6). Maybe Pierce's platoon flushed Khoi's shooters from cover. Meanwhile, Collins has taken the NVA pit under fire from the rear, pinning them down. Now, with Khoi's hex killed off and Jiang's hex pinned, the way is clear for Bergman to conduct a bloodless assault and take the whole village ... assuming he doesn't hit any booby traps. He has to NOT roll an 11 or 12 since he's using full movement rate . . . no whammies, no whammies . . . SUCCESS! Jiang's sand bag mortar pit is assaulted and no casualties taken. The whole village in now in USMC hands, and only one NVA fireteam remains on the board. 
Captain Waterman is finally pinned down by that lone NVA fireteam, who uses advance and assault phase to fall back one hex to avoid USMC counterfire next turn. Waterman had +1 defense for the rice paddies, and +1 defense for the NVA fire just scraping by the jungle in hex F2, two cumulative modifiers that JUST saved his life. Meanwhile, Bergman has prisoners but I won't get extra points for them since I wont be able to get them evacuated before the end of the game (I might change the rules on how POW evacuation works, I have a pretty good idea for a possible option for how Free World Forces can do this).
Okay, the last turn of the game. The Marines, using "Assault Move" in some places (slower movement rate, but +1 cover and less chance of hitting undetected booby trap) moves to secure the last objective hexes. Also we HAVE to evacuate the casualties in Waterman's hex or they will count for 8 NVA victory points instead of 4. Captain Waterman actually failed his roll on Turn 5, so we have to get all three evacuated on Turn 6. Each infantry unit can make one check (I can't get any actual Navy Corpsmen to them in time). So I need to load up that hex with as many infantry units as I can. 2nd Lt Pierce saves one, Waterman saves another, and the remaining infantry save the third. Phew. That last NVA fire team, meanwhile, inflicts FOUR casualty points on a stupid-lucky roll on German's platoon securing that western bridge. Now ... here is why the Americans like moving around in large, heavily-armed groups. One, it reduced risk of boobytraps. Two, it makes their stacks "spongier" and thus more resilient when absorbing casualty points. I don't mind such "gaminess" in a system when it reinforces and encourages real-life tactical and historical doctrines and behaviors. By moving in such a big group, the fire is spread out among them and they whole stack can be pinned rather than anyone actually taking a fatal wound. So here’s the final score.
The NVA have knocked out eight USMC fireteams, no officers, and one US Navy Corpsman (nine units), at 4 VP each = 36 points. All casualties were secured, and the NVA hold no objective hexes. One civilian counter was killed but it was the NVA that did it (no VP for the NVA). Final NVA score remains at 36.
The USMC has knocked out 23 NVA fireteams and officers = 23 points. Two POW counters successfully evacuated = 6 points. USMC owns all five objective hexes = 15 points. Total score = 44 points.
USMC has won this one, probably due to Captain Waterman up in that norther rice paddy, hopefully winning a Bronze Star at least if not a Silver Star or a Navy Cross.
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