Due to Covid, it's been almost two years since playing a miniature wargame on the tabletop. And, it's been almost five years since our last Flames of War Vietnam game, (back from before even the 'Nam book was released). In 2016, we played the Fair Fight scenario, with Strom playing the Local Forces. This time, it was my turn to take my (now fully painted) VC Local Forces army into battle for the first time.
We decided on the Hot LZ scenario, with Strom playing his US Air Mobile force. My 50 point Vietcong force included:
- Two (maxed-out) Local Forces Infantry Companies (with rifles),
- One Anti-Air Platoon,
- Front Artillery Unit (with six guns),
- A Front Artillery Observer,
- Six Local Resistance Teams,
- Three Machine Gun Bunkers, and
- Five Booby Traps.
For the Hot LZ scenario we each placed one objective, and the winner was the player to capture the opponent's objective. Strom placed his objective near the road and I placed mine in the village. Some of the US forces started on the table (defending their objective), while the remaining units would come onto the board as reserves, delivered by helicopters. The VC forces would enter the game, randomly, using Guerrilla Reserves.
My first Local Forces Infantry Company entered the table in the dense jungle, and engaged the US forces near their objective. The forces traded fire, and each side took casualties. The US forces called in artillery, and the strength of my force was slowly winnowed down over the course of the game. Later, they would launch a futile assault on the objective.
Meanwhile, my other Local Forces Infantry Company entered the table and secured my objective within the village.
They were attacked by two US helicopters - a Huey and a Loach. They took a few casualties before finally digging in. They were later joined by the Anti-Air Platoon, which scored a victory by taking down the Huey with anti-aircraft fire.
The US touched down three transport helicopters, which soon landed a sizable US force outside the village. It was a short slog into the village, and the VC forces would do their best to delay their movement toward my secured objective. The village was now also occupied by Local Resistance (villagers), with questionable loyalties....
With the villagers observing for the VC artillery, fire rained down on the US forces as they marched toward the village. We traded artillery fire back and forth, and both forces slowly took casualties. The Loach avenged the destroyed Huey by eliminating my artillery observer unit, (which had unwisely tried to get a better view at the advancing US forces).
Booby traps delayed the US force's attempted march into the village, and then the VC machine gun bunkers entered the game.... The machine guns further complicated the US's efforts to attack. My opponent's Navy SEALS would attempt to neutralize one of the bunkers, silently advancing in the jungle flanking around its firing arc.
Finally, my Local Forces Infantry Company which attempted to overtake the US objective after a failed assault finally failed its morale roll, and was destroyed. It failed its roll to recycle and re-enter the game.
With both forces now well dug in around their own objectives and only limited ability on both sides to formulate any competent attack, the game could have lasted many more turns just trading artillery strikes until one force had the advantage. But instead, we called it a draw, as dusk fell over the battlefield....
All in all, it was a fun game, and helped us become re-accustomed to the rules. Unfortunately, we found the 'Nam rulebook to be not very well organized, but we soon had most of the special rules for our forces memorized. Many of the rules questions we had were addressed in the official "Our Man in Saigon" FAQ document. Although we will likely play Team Yankee ("World War 3") for our next Flames of War game, we are looking forward to future 'Nam games.
