Bill Rutherford's recent review of 20th Century skirmish rules prompted me to take up my pen again, and offer a few of my own thoughts on the subject of modern gaming. Forthe past several years, my personal gaming interest has been entirely on the 20th Century, and more to the point, on low-level guerrilla warfare in the last 25 years. I have also developed a more recent interest in another phase of 20 Century warfare, that is the small scale "brush-fire" warfare engaged in by both the U.S. and the British armies in the years between the world wars. Both periods have much to offer gamers, and in fact have a surprising number of similarities between them. I'd like to take each period in detail, and offer some thoughts on each. THE INTER-WAR ERA The years between 1920 and 1939, while relatively peaceful as far as the great powers were concerned, actually saw a bewildering array of large and small wars in various parts of the world. Perhaps the most important factor affecting warfare in this period was the speed with which technology was "improving" the weapons of war, and the corresponding way that tactics had to change to deal with the new technology. My wargames in this period use two different sets of rules, depending on the size of the game. One, mentioned by Bill in his article, is the WRG Infantry Action set, the other, not mentioned, is basically my variation of Henry Lubber's variation of The Sword and the Flame. Both sets serve quite well to deal with the transitional weapons and tactics of this period. The choice, as I said earlier, depends on the size of the game. My U.S. intervention games focus on the activities of the U.S. Marines in Central America. The revolutionary tactics that were developed by the Marines in this period are better represented by the WRG set, which allows for more individual action. It is interesting to note that while the British were still using the same basic tactics in India that they used in Queen Victoria's time, that the U.S. Marines were busy inventing a whole new system. The credit fort his development seems to go almost entirely to one individual, Capt. Merrit A. Esdon, USMC. Being close to the action at all times, Edson saw that a different type of thinking was needed to deal with bandits and guerrillas who habitually faded in and out of the jungle at will. Edson realized that Marine tactics had to be more responsive, and that Marines needed the flexibility to respond as needed to the situation at hand. The key to Edson's theories was the creation of the fire team concept built around the firepower provided by the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). He redesigned the basic squad formation to include three fire teams, each consisting of one BAR man, and three riflemen. He also made liberal use of the newly developed Thompson sub-machinegun to add close range punch. Edson stressed the importance of cooperation between the teams, which evolved into the fire and maneuver tactics thatarethe basic cornerstone of modern small unit tactics. Again, while I have played games in this period using TSATF, the WRG rules give more opportunity to use the small team tactics properly. India on the other hand is a different story. Despite the use of armored cars and aircraft, warfare on the NW Frontier in 1925 would not have confused a soldier from 1895 in the least. The new weapons certainly added to the firepower of the Imperial forces but their importance was no tfully appreciated in this theater. TSATF easily handles the use of these "modern" weapons, keeping in mind that the native forces are no longer using ancient muzzle loading, jezails, but rather are almost as well armed as their British opponents. Part of the difficulty certainly was the terrain of the NW Frontier. The high mountains presented a formidable obstacle to the low-flying bi-planes of the RAF, and the rugged terrain made travel by the early armored cars hardly comfortable. The opposite was found in the Middle East, where the RAF made great strides in air to ground liaison with its Air Patrol during the interventions in Iraq, Persia and Saudi Arabia. RAF planes, working closely with local constabularies and armored car units, were able to effectively patrol large tracts of open ground. Aircraft are an important factor throughout this period, as their effect on the battlefield was only beginning to be fully appreciated. The introduction of a Bristol fighter or a Dehaviland bomber into a NW Frontier game can be devastating, especially if the Pathans are not allowed to have sufficient cover of machine guns. In Central America, the Marines are credited with developing true dive-bomber tactics, and as the WRG morale tests will show, the introduction of a pair of Vought Corsairs into an antiguerrilla sweep can have a significant impact. One very curious note. Throughout this period, the British conducted extensive exercises along the NW Frontier, working on the integration of tanks, planes and infantry. These exercises were not aimed at the tribesmen of the frontier, but against an expected and predicted Fourth Afghan War, against a Russian equipped and trained, conventional Afghan arm. This offers many ideas for interesting games, given the logistical nightmare of moving vehicles and troops through the frontier passes and to find ground suitable for tanks. Overall, you will find that this transitional period has a lot to offer, and will repay some research with many enjoyable games. Figures for the period are readily available in 25mm from Modeler's Mart (Frontier) and in 20mm from various plastic manufacturers with conversions, 15mm offers a wide variety by combining colonial and WWI ranges. Vehicles are harder to come by, but they are out there. My personal preference is for 25mm figures using Frontier and Lyzard's Grin figures and Falcon, Lindberg and Lyzard'sGrin equipment and vehicles. There is plenty written on this period, both fiction and history. Read fiction for the color, but history for the details. One thing you will notice in your readings are the similarities to be found between the U.S. experiences in Central America and the conditions that were encountered decades later during the Viet Nam War. THE POST-WWII ERA From 1945 to the present, the world has seen an almost constant parade of low-level wars and revolutions. Despite the apparent end of the Cold War, and the changes in Eastern Europe, the Third World continues to have its share of problems. Current military jargon has labelled these confrontations "Low Intensity Conflicts". This term is more a description of the aims or objectives of the fight rather than a comment on the size and scope of the engagements. Under this definition would fit things as diverse as a DEA raid on a drug cartel base and the Falklands War. The Gulf War too, would qualify, as it had a single very specific goal in mind throughout the operation. However, the type of conflict most normally connected with this term are the low-level counter-insurgency wars that are commonplace in the Third World. This is a difficult period to simulate on the table top, and presents challenges to both players and game designers. Beyond the moral aspects, i.e., the notion of "Black Wargames", which I will not get into, there are practical problems to overcome. Not the least of which is the physical representation of terrain. Certainly, no one has the time, patience or trees required to create a jungle or rain forest, though the size of the problem depends largely on the size of your figures. Using 54mm plastics as I do for these games, I effectively cut down the area that is represented on my table top. While gamers using 15 or 20mm figures may be representing several thousand yards of close terrain, I may only be dealing with a clearing Ora plantation on the table. I have found it very effective in this scale to indicate jungles along the edges of my table, and have the troops emerging and disappearing as needed. Certainly one consideration is that you must be able to physically move your figures through the terrain, so a compromise between realism and practicality must be reached. Buildings, of course, take on a degree of importance in skirmish games not found in larger scale games - your models must be able to deal with this. At the least, they must have removable roofs and should have open doors and windows. I know that some gamers use diagrams along with closed buildings, but for me, that just doesn't do it. The size of the game is a very important thing to keep in mind when working at this level. Bill carefully pointed out in his article the optimum command levels for a single players, and I cannot stress the importance of this enough. To really get the feel of small unit tactics, a player's command should really never exceed a platoon, a couple of squads with supports would be more appropriate. Keep in mind the fact that many countries involved in ongoing LICs have altered their squad formations upward, so that a basic squad may have from 12 to 15 men, rather than the 8 to 1 Owe are used to dealing with. Too many figures, and you will find the game bogging down with players losing control of their commands. One important factor, in fact, perhaps the most important factor in small unit games, is morale. It was once said that "The will of soldiers is three times more important than their weapons." The most technologically advanced army in the world won't beat a force of ill armed guerrillas if the former are disaffected conscripts and the latter dedicated men fighting for a cause they believe in. Rules should reflect this, making it difficult for troops who have become pinned or lost their nerve to rally, unless the senior leader present takes the time to give them a "pep" talk. Morale checks may be time consuming and bothersome, but excluding them will take much of the "realism" out of your simulations. Military manuals used by the U.S. and other armed forces stress motivation and encouragement of troops to ensure that they will have the will to fight when the time comes. A common problem with small unit games is the use of weapons that don't belong. While you may find that a Viet Nam War era SEAL team or similar take the field with everything but the kitchen sink, that is certainly far from the norm. The core of a small unit game is keeping the weapons in proper perspective. There are plenty of references around that give detailed descriptions of small unit organizations. The key is to insure that the troops have the weapons they need to accomplish the task at hand. If you have a party of guerrillas attempting to blow up a railway bridge for instance, don't load up one figure with all of the explosives! Aside from being a real mess if he gets hit, it would also mean the end of the mission and complete failure. Our "House Rules" for modern games are based on Wally Simon's set of rules controlled by cards. They have been modified to reflect my particular view of things, and give an excellent game with a couple of squads per side. The morale section has been particularly modified to reflect its importance. We have used the WRG set for these small games as well, especially when we want to do a larger, more conventional type of game. As I mentioned, we use 54mm figure for these games. There are plenty of figures available in this scale for moderns, and with a bit of imagination, anything that's not available can be easily converted. The best advice I can give you if you have an interest in this period is to read everything you can get your hands on. Army manuals can be found after some searching and are great for finding out how things are supposed to work on paper. They go into great detail, describing what troops are taught about expectations from private soldie rto company commander. Manuals and first hand accounts are also an excellent source of organizational details, especially for finding out what weapons belong at what level. Don't ignore military fiction, and even magazines like Soldier of Fortune, War, and Peace, etc. These all provide good ideas for scenarios and tactics. They are also good for the background color so important to good scenarios. To sum up: if commanding Napoleon's Grand Armee at Waterloo isn't your cup of tea, or if you need a break from fending off Pickett's Charge, look into small unit wargames, and get a feel for combat at the sharp end! One last thought. Keep in mind above all that it's only a game, and it's supposed to be fun! WARGAME RULES FOR LOW-INTENSITY CONFLICTS - 1940-2040 These rules are an extension of the card controlled skirmish rules developed by Wally Simon. The system has been adapted to simulate combat from squad to platoon level, from WWII through the modern era. If current weapon development slows down, the rules can easily be used in a Sci-Fi type of environment in the near future. Locally, we use 54mm plastics for these games, but there is nothing to prevent the use of smaller figures. The basic system, for those unfamiliar with it, it as follows: Each player is given a deck of 12 cards, numbered 1 (ace) through 6, twice. The numbers control the actions which may be performed each turn. The players draw three cards as their "hand", replacing a card, each time one has been played. At the start of the game, each player should roll 1D6, to determine the order for the game. The high die is given the choice of moving first or second - for the entire game. On each card point, (ace=1 point, 6=6 points), the following actions may be carried out by an individual or group: Move 3"/6" (vehicle) Change position, i.e., standing to prone Fire a weapon etc. Reload a weapon Enter/leave a building or vehicle Prepare a grenade Administer First Aid to a wounded man Throw a grenade Set up/break down a crewed weapon Change weapons Mount/dismount horse or motorcycle Aim an ATRL or similar guided weapon Firing is done by each individual figure or crewed weapon. Basic fire effect is determined by rolling 1 D10 for each shot as follows: FIRING 1-3 Shot missed 4-5 Pinned, target goes to ground, no move or fire until rallied 6-7 Light wound, figure mofes at 1/2, fires at -1 8-9 Serious wound, no unaided move, fire at -2 0 Target is killed It would help the game if colored markers were used to identify the condition of troops on the field, e.g., White = pinned; Blue = light wound; Red = serious wound. Two serious wounds will result in the figure being killed, 2 light wounds are equivalent to a serious wound. MODIFIERS TO FIRE EFFECT Target in flak vest -1 Target in kevlar vest -2 Target in combat armor -3 Target in light cover -2 Target in hard cover -3 Target in bldg/bunker -4 Target prone -2 Target in vehicle -2 Target in wood/thatched bldg. - 3 10s digit of range -N* (*Example: target is 62" away, -6 on die). Target is infantry group moving with less than 1.5" between them (MGs and SLRs only) +2 Firer moving at double -2 Firer in cover (aiming) +1 Firer is trained sniper +2 Firing from ambush +2 Sustained fire per increment +1 Full auto fire +2 Firer has light wound -1 Firer has serious wound -2 Firing to offhand side -1 Laser target designator +2 Figures performing no other actions for 2 turns may administer first aid to a seriously wounded figure, reducing the wound to light. Single shot weapons, e.g., bazookas, ATRLs etc., need to reload after each shot, at this scale however, other weapons are assumed to have sufficient ammunition at their disposal. WEAPON RANGES While the die roll modifier imposes a certain built-in range limit, certain weapons must have a definite maximum range as follows: Hand thrown grenade 12' Automatic pistol or revolver 15" Sub-machine gun 18, Note that LMGs will fire 2X, and HMGs will fire 3X each point. SMGs will fire only 1 X, but will get full auto bonus. HEAVY WEAPONS Fire against vehicles, buildings, etc., will be handled in a relatively simple manner, considering the scale of the game, use two D10. Weapon % Chance of 1st hit PIAT or AT Rifle 25% Bazooka/pschk. 30% LAW/RPG/Carl Gustav 50% Anti-tank gun/RCLR 40% Milan/Dragon 60% Modifiers Firer wounded -5 Firer under fire -10 Target under 12" +10 Fire from cover +10 Firer is irregular -10 Firer under/on top/behind +10 Trucks, jeeps and similar soft-skin vehicles are destroyed on a single hit. Light AFVs, e.g., personnel carriers, 1/2 tracks, etc., will be disabled on the first hit, and destroyed on the second. Heavy AFVs will be disabled on one hit, lose secondary weapons on a second, and be knocked out by the third. Wooden and thatched structures will be destroyed by a single hit. Stone and brick buildings will take two hits to reduce to rubble. Very heavy defensive works will withstand three hits before crumbling. Figures in destroyed structures will be diced for as from small arms fire, with pinned results indicating death as well as a roll of "0". Weapons that fire indirectly, e.g., mortars, grenades, etc., will have a chance of deviating from their target point. Use a die marked 1-20, and a 10"x10" grid marked at every 1/2 inch to determine the point of impact. Once the actual point of impact has been found, use a burst area of approximately 3" diameter as the kill zone. Dice for all figures in the circle if hit by a mortar of 80mm or heavier, ora howitzer. Dice for 1/2 the figures in the area if hit by a grenade or lighter mortar. Morale should be checked each time a unit has been hit, and any time troops are ordered to close with an opponent. Also pinned figures may try to rally. Morale may be checked by individual, or by groups of up to 4 figures. A "healthy" figure counts as 20 points, a wounded or pinned figure counts as 10 points. In addition, each section leader has 50 "leadership" points that may be given out to improve a morale check. A platoon leader, if one is present, has 100 such points. these command figures however, must be within 6" of the troops testing. Roll 21310 for each tester(s), passing morale by rolling equal to or less than the calculated morale rating. Morale is calculated by adding up the basic point values forthe figures and adding or subtracting modifiers as appropriate. The modifiers used will be as follows Each figure in squad KIA -10 Each figure in squad WIA -5 Distance between testers -N' Testers isolated/cut off -5 Threatened by armor -10 Testers are guerrillas etc. -5 Ambushed -5 Under fire from MG or sniper -5 Testers are veterans etc. +10 Testers in soft cover +5 Testers in hard cover +10 Each secure flank +5 Secure rear +5 Supported by AFV +5 Draftees/conscripts, etc. -5 The effect of failing morale depends on the previous condition of the testers. Pinned figures who fail their morale check remain pinned, and on the next card play, will crawl away 1 " per increment, from the fighting. They will do this until they are rallied or leave the table. Other figures who fail a first check become pinned. Troops such as guerrillas, irregulars, etc., i.e., those who tend to hit and run, may choose to remove from play any figures failing a morale check. This would be a very viable option in a campaign game. Morale checks may also be used as a means to determine whether or not a figure may perform an action that is not specifically dealt with by the rules, e.g., "heroics". When all else fails, troops may still resort to close combat to take a position. When this happens, the mechanism will be quick and deadly. Players pair off figures as possible, extra figures may be doubled up. Each player rolls 1 D10 for each fighter, the result being as follows: 1-6Target is missed 7-8Light wound 9Serious wound 0 Target killed Add 1 point if fighters are regulars vs. irregulars, or defendinga fixed position. Subtract 2 points if the fighters are wounded. Figures hit from behind only get to strike if not killed or wounded. The melee ends when all figures in contact have fought once. The side with the most casualties loses the combat, and withdraws his troops the distance indicated by the card played. The winner may occupy the ground or simply regroup as desired. No set of rules can coverall eventualties or situations, however, here are a few final thoughts to add. 1. A figure who is carrying a seriously wounded comrade will move at a maximum of 1/2 normal speed. 2. A figure who is doubling, to close with an enemy, evade contact, etc., may move 41, per point, but is subject to a firing penalty. 3. Spoken orders can be heard a maximum of 12" away, beyond that, communication must be by messenger or radio. 4. Use basic common sense in determining the effect of terrain on movement and line of sight. At this scale, terrain is where and what it appears to be. 5. The use of mines should be carefully controlled, and basically limited to troops in previously established positions. The effect would be judged in the same fashion as indirect fire (after impact). Mines used against personnel will have no effect on vehicles and vice versa. Mines used against vehicles will destroy softskins, and disable anything else. 6. Air support will be seldom used at this scale, beyond 1 or 2 helicopters or similar. Weapons will operate as their ground equivalents. Keep in mind overall that at low levels and in "sideshow" wars, tactics and equipment may well be called for that would appear out of date if employed in a more major conflict. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #56 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1991 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com