WIP Scenarios

[astano]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm currently working on a few different CMBS scenarios, the first of which is ready for public testing.  If anyone is interested post here or send me a PM.  I can e-mail or Dropbox the file as necessary.

 

It's a custom map approximately 800 x 800 meters set at night and pitting a US Bradley platoon (+) vs. approximately a platoon of Russian defenders.  The US rifle platoon plus some snipers and Javelin teams start on map, with their Bradleys arriving at approximately the halfway point of the scenario.  It's intended as a not particularly difficult, infantry-centric fight; the force size should be pretty manageable and I think the time limit is fairly generous.

 

Briefing excerpt in the spoilers:

 

SITUATION

It is 2230 on 09AUG2017.

Earlier today, TF 2-64 "Rogue" conducted a deliberate attack along the axis of MSR ROUTE YANKEE. 2-64 met stiff Russian resistance along the axis of ROUTE GREEN, a secondary road atop a slight ridge running perpendicular to ROUTE YANKEE. Despite repeated attempts, 2-64 was unable to achieve a breakthrough at ROUTE GREEN. With darkness falling and 2-64 tiring and running low on ammunition, the attack was broken off until morning.

Not long after 2-64 broke contact, sympathetic locals informed US forces that the Russians had withdrawn from their positions along ROUTE GREEN. A subsequent fly-over by UAVs appeared to confirm that the positions along ROUTE GREEN had been abandoned.

S2 now believes that Russian forces, their flanks threatened by successful attacks to the south, have withdrawn to more defensible positions further along ROUTE YANKEE. S2 further templates that a delaying force will remain in position along ROUTE GREEN in order to delay US forces and allow the Russian main body enough time to resupply and dig in.

Based on this estimate, higher intends to secure the intersection of ROUTE GREEN and ROUTE YANKEE and destroy the enemy delaying force under cover of darkness in order to allow the main body of TF 3-64 "Rampage" to assault Russian positions at daybreak, before they have a chance to resupply and prepare their positions.

Weather is currently cool and cloudy. Conditions are generally dry, and there is a light breeze from the West.

MISSION

3rd Platoon, Devil Company, 3-64 will destroy enemy forces along ROUTE GREEN no later than 0100 hours 10AUG2017 in order to allow for uninterrupted passage of follow-on forces.

ROUTE GREEN sits atop a low ridge with rolling fields extending in either direction, making it a valuable defensive position. ROUTE GREEN is bisected by ROUTE YANKEE, the TF's axis of advance. North-east of the intersection of ROUTES YANKEE and GREEN is HILL 136, which was heavily bombarded by 2-68's and divisional artillery earlier today. Beneath HILL 136 are some workshops and warehouses. South-east of the intersection is an unnamed town designated on your maps as CHICAGO. To the best of our knowledge, CHICAGO is still occupied by civilians.

In order to allow the main body of 3-64 to pass through the AO unmolested, you must accomplish the following tasks:

-Destroy enemy rearguard forces
-Occupy the high ground on HILL 136
-Occupy CHICAGO

Because CHICAGO still has a significant civilian presence, your ROE is not to fire on any building unless you identify enemy forces in that building.

Additionally, you need to keep your forces at 80% strength or better so that they can conduct follow-on operations.

You have an hour and a half to complete your objectives.

FRIENDLY FORCES

You command 3rd Platoon, Devil Company, TF 3-64 (CAB) "Rampage." 3-64 is fresh, having only recently entered the AO from Poland, and Devil Co was the battalion reserve for today's action, leaving your men well-rested and fully supplied. In order to maximize the element of surprise, 3rd Platoon's rifle squads have infiltrated to within 600 meters of ROUTE GREEN, leaving the platoon's Bradley IFVs behind. The platoon is currently in defilade at a point marked POINT 116 on your map. Your Bradleys are scheduled to arrive in 45 minutes on ROUTE YANKEE for the final phase of the operation.

Attached to 3rd Platoon are two sniper teams from the HHC Sniper Platoon, and two Javelin teams from the HHC Scout Platoon.

You have priority of fires from one battery of the Battalion's mortars (2 x 120mm). The remainder of the Battalion's artillery is currently repositioning and resupplying, but one of the Battalion's batteries (3 x 155mm) should be ready and at your disposal in half an hour. You also have been tasked the HHC's RQ-11B Raven drone.

You have some limited pre-battle intelligence from the earlier UAV flights.

ENEMY FORCES

It is unclear what enemy forces may be in position along ROUTE GREEN. 2-68 was opposed by a Russian Battalion Tactical Group, equipped with BMP-2s and T-72B3s, but UAV fly-overs didn't observe any operational vehicles remaining in the AO. Reports from the locals indicated that the armored forces were replaced by approximately a platoon of troops mounted in trucks and Tigrs, but S2 does not consider this information totally reliable. Additionally, Russian forces have taken a beating over the last month's combat operations, so you may be faced by second echelon forces with lower-quality troops and equipment. Nevertheless, be prepared to run into some armor and expect determined resistance.

S2 expects the Russians will have ATGM teams covering ROUTE YANKEE, as well as FOs and/or FACs to direct fire on US forces advancing on YANKEE. Expect some infantry teams and light vehicles in positions to protect these assets. Both HILL 136 and CHICAGO were occupied by enemy infantry earlier in today's fight and offer good cover and LOF over ROUTE YANKEE, so the rearguard has probably re-occupied some of those positions.

Russian forces may also be under the effects of our ongoing electronic warfare efforts. However, because this area is not being specifically targeted for EW, any such effects are likely to be light.

BASIC PLAN

There's no indication that your approach has been observed. Your platoon should be able to approach the buildings at the foot of HILL 136 in defilade. From there, you will need to locate and destroy any enemy ATGM teams before your Bradleys arrive. Don't forget to use your UAV to scout ahead of the dismounts' movement.

 

I have had one tester go through it already and results were mostly positive, barring some objective quirks which have since been adjusted.  However, since this would be my first published scenario, I would like to get as much feedback as I can before putting it on the Repository.

 

I also have a couple other scenarios in various stages of completion (one just starting testing and one with the map about 50% complete) that I will hopefully be looking for testers on in the not-too-distant future, which I'll post about here as well when/if the time comes.

[Eagle2]

Just finished my second play-through. The first time I played I took too many casualties, the Russian snipers are brutal.  

 

The map was very well done, lots of flavor objects and good use of terrain, and I liked your use of triggers.

 

 

********SPOILER*****************

 

 

 

My only suggestion would be to either use different light vehicles or keep the TIGR's further back. When they rushed the left flank their gunner was dispatched very quickly.

 

 

 

Overall I really enjoyed the scenario, you have a knack for map design and force balance. If you ever need another tester let me know, I'd be more than happy to help!

[astano]

Update:

 

I've received responses now from all four players that contacted me to test the scenario and got some pretty useful feedback.  Remarks were generally positive, especially regarding the map, and pending a few changes I'm pretty happy with the scenario overall, so some comments I'll be incorporating now, and some I'll be keeping in mind for other things I'm working on.

 

I plan to thank my testers by forum name in the release version briefing (unless requested otherwise by PM), but thanks again to all of you for taking the time to play through and get thoughts back to me.

[astano]

Just submitted my first scenario to the Repository.  Thanks again to all the testers who provided feedback.  Not sure when it will actually be available, but since there are currently no automatic Repository notification threads I guess I'll be making my own when it posts.

 

In the meantime, I plan to maintain this thread for all my WIP scenarios, of which I currently have three.  One is reasonably far along in testing so if anyone is interested in having a look at it feel free to post or PM.  The other two are still in map-making (they actually cover some of the same geographic area, so about half of the smaller one, currently on 3D work, will make up probably a quarter of the larger).

[TAKODA]

I searched the repository but it hasn't appeared yet. Bummer.

[astano]

If anyone's interested and hasn't seen it yet, my first scenario, referred to above, is now available on the Repository (link in sig / forum thread).

 

I also have another scenario that is now ready for public testing.  I currently have one tester lined up but I'm always looking for more feedback.  The scenario revolves around a US Scout Section (+) making contact with Russian mechanized forces, and needing to act accordingly.  There are four different Red AI plans.  I've tried to give it a sort of Tactical Decision Game feeling, and dropped the player in the middle of the action with unclear objectives and a briefing that may or may not directly address the situation - the idea being that the player needs to assess the situation and act in accordance with the objectives and intent of their chain of command.

 

From the briefing:

 

SITUATION

"CONTACT FRONT! BMP! FIRING!"

You have barely processed what's happening before the Bradley's chain gun hammers to life, the acrid smell of gunpowder filling the fighting compartment. The BMP turned out of a farm complex about 450m to your front, exposing its sides to your 25mm main gun. Its crew probably never even saw you.

"Target destroyed, he's flaming up pretty good," your gunner informs you. "Dismounts bailing out," he adds.

You give your gunner the go-ahead to fire on the infantry with the coax, and order the driver to start backing down the slight rise behind you before opening Blue Force Tracker (BFT) on your PDA. And that's when you notice that your Scout Section is on the wrong road, about a quarter mile out of position.

MISSION

Before setting out this morning, you were briefed by the Scout Platoon leader as follows:

"I want you to take your section down ROUTE DAGGER towards this town, marked on your maps as OBJECTIVE TUCSON. The battalion main effort will be attacking down a parallel route so we've been tasked as flank security.

DAGGER is a two-lane blacktop road that runs through a number of towns parallel to the TF's axis of advance, and several smaller roads feed into it. The towns are all marked on BFT east to west as FRESNO, LUBBOCK, ALBUQUERQUE, and TUCSON. Second to the TF's route, it's the largest and most improved road in the AO, which makes it important to us and the Russians - it's a probable axis for any Russian counterattacks, so we need to secure it to prevent that and to provide an alternate route if the main effort fails.

I've tasked a couple sniper teams and one of their Humvees to your section, and we're sending along an engineer squad and their Bradley to breach or evaluate any obstacles on the route. I'm also giving you priority for our Raven. Second Section will be to your north reconnoitering a third route. I'll be with 1st Section and the HQ elements trailing a few kilometers behind you so that I can manuever to your Section or 2nd Section if either of you make contact. Since the Air Force has finally got control of the sky, there should be lots of air around today. Maybe we'll get lucky and have some available if we run into trouble. Main effort has priority of fires for all TF artillery.

We don't know what, if any, enemy resistance we'll hit. Most intelligence preparation has been targetted at the main effort's axis of advance, so we don't have the luxury of satellite imagery or recon flights over our route. However, TF does expect that we'll make contact today - there are a lot of Russians in front of us and they'll probably try to manuever to cut off the TF advance at some point, so stay on your toes.

It is critical that we keep DAGGER clear of Russian forces. Failure to do so will expose the TF's flank to enemy attack. If we run into Russian forces, we're to destroy them if we can. If we run into something we can't handle, our orders are to go firm at a defensible position and hold until relieved. TF reserve will be about an hour behind us at any given point, so you'll probably only have to hold that long if we make contact."

Your column is currently sitting on an unmarked road, with the town designated ALBUQUERQUE on your maps about 200 meters behind you. You must have taken a wrong turn off of ROUTE DAGGER somewhere in the town, and ROUTE DAGGER is now about 400 meters to your south.

ALBUQUERQUE is a small town with many residential and small commercial buildings. The most notable structures are the seven storey church tower and five storey hospital building. ALBUQUERQUE is surrounded by farms and fields. To ALBUQUERQUE'S east, where your column now sits, is a ridge rising about 10 meters, then plateauing and running west. The ridge is wooded, and there are some copses among the farms and fields.

It is currently 0815 on 18AUG2017. Weather is clear, cool, and dry with a gentle wind from the west.

FRIENDLY FORCES

You command 3rd Section, Scout Platooon, TF 1-77 "Steel Tigers" (CAB). Your section has one Bradley (APS) and one M2-equipped recon Humvee. Fortunately, one of your more "resourceful" Scouts has obtained a Javelin launcher for your second team.

Your Section is followed by two sniper teams in an unarmed Humvee and an engineer squad in another APS-equipped Bradley brings up the rear.

The Scout Platoon is at full-strength, as are the attached sniper teams and engineer squad. Your scouts are generally highly-skilled and well-motivated. This is the first time you've worked with the snipers or engineers, so aren't sure of their competence.

ENEMY FORCES

Through the smoke, you can tell that the wreck in front of you is a BMP-2M. Unfortunately that's not much to go off of. You couldn't make out exactly how many dismounts made it out or if they were carrying any equipment that would tell you what sort of formation it was. One thing is for sure though - were there's one BMP, there's bound to be more.

PLAN

You will have to develop and execute a plan according to the mission and intent outlined by the Scout Platoon leader this morning, and you obviously want to keep as many of your men alive as you can. But act quickly - there are probably more enemy forces immediately to your front.

What now, Sergeant?

NOTES

Point values for objectives are deliberately omitted from this briefing. The idea is to put the player "in the boots" of the Scout Section leader. You should determine what you need to do in light of your forces, your estimate of the enemy's forces, and, most importantly, the objective(s) and intent expressed by the Scout Platoon leader in your brief this morning.

 

My testing so far indicates that this mission can be really easy or really hard, depending on some of the decisions you make and the breaks you do (or don't) get.  You're up against a fair amount of Russian AFVs with limited but very effective NATO AT assets, so if you can keep everyone alive the Russians might have a rough time; conversely, if you lose even a couple AT weapons, it can be quite a nail-biter.  I've had results in testing ranging from zero NATO casualties, to chasing T72s off the objective with Humvee drivers armed with AT4s because that's all I had left.

 

If anyone would like to give it a couple play-throughs and report back I'd really welcome more feedback.  Feel free to post here or PM if you're interested.  Otherwise, I expect to have it up on the Repository in the next couple weeks.