Force on Force: Modern Skirmish game.

My son, Nick, has always been a big fan of computer games like Battlefield and Call of Duty Special ops and those sorts of games- principally those with more modern settings. So my journey was on to find something like that for the table top. Last year we went to MOAB, a convention here in Sydney and there was a display game (I can't remember by whom) of the game  Force on Force by Ambush Alley games and published by Osprey. Well he and I played the Vietnam War scenario and we were hooked. We bought a copy of the rules from the War and Peace Games stand and then a whole stack of modern US Marines and Taliban from Nick Robson of Eureka Miniatures. Within a few days we had them painted and ready to go. Since then we've played quite a few games.

US Sniper team on Over watch

My DSHK 12.7mm MG Team that threatened much but did little.

In this scenario two USMC fire teams and a sniper team were tasked with holding the approaches to two bridges open, which were situated in a hostile town. They were to hold this position until the arrival of a convoy consisting of two Hummers and a M2A2 Bradley. Once the convoy arrived they were all to withdraw from hostile territory across the bridges.

Taliban Cell Six takes up firing positions

Nick (my son) deployed the two USMC fire teams to cover the two roads leading to the two bridges. His sniper team covered both roads and the fire teams. The Taliban had the advantages described in the Enduring Freedom  scenario booklet. The Taliban (me) started with three large fire teams and an IED on table. The IED was placed near the main approach road to the bridges with one Taliban fire team close by.

US Marines in their compound

I didn't wait for more Taliban to arrive before I went for the bridges. I was to pay dearly for my impetuousness. The Sniper team was on overwatch and the moment the first team showed itself, they took casualties from the snipers and were pinned down. The second was hit by fire from the two fire teams and lost its initiative rolls. They failed to even get a single shot in before they took heavy casualties and the final two men failed their morale test and fled.

The Bridges that the USMC Recon team had to protect

It was three turns before I had sufficient forces to try to put pressure on the Marines again. And this time I had a DSHK 12.7mm team. They managed to get onto a rooftop, set up and get off a couple of rounds before that **&*#^&!!! sniper team took the crew out. I did manage to inflict a casualty on USMC Fire Team One by my fifth Taliban Cell who then pulled back after taking a casualty from  USMC  Fire Team Two.

The Taliban Cell that detonated the IED

At that moment the convoy arrived on table. The Bradley was in the lead- and I had guessed well. The large IED detonated right on time and on target and the Bradley came to a grinding halt.

The M2A2 comes to a grinding halt.

 The crew jumped out- and after a brief firefight with the Taliban Cell nearby, got away after jumping into the Humvees without any further problems. From then on I had a tough job trying to slow down the fast moving convoy. There were still too many Marines- and I was short on troops.
Nick won with a comfortable margin- he got 8 of his 10 marines off table unharmed and two out of three of his vehicles. Next Blog- more Jacobites!

Th Hummers drive past the tower in the center of town

The Taliban surge forward after the withdrawing Marines

Taliban Cell four lost their initiative roll and failed to fire at the passing Humvees

My Mortar team that turned up on the last turn- they fired at the withdrawing Marines.....and missed

Lone Taliban moves cautiously into the Marines compound