Situation Report (Sitrep) # 3: Strategic Withdrawal

Stardate: Wonday, 107-130 ABY/TAg Market Island Security Forces

Subsector: Shannekam

Planet: Zenya

Region: The Tau-Tau Autonomous District

Situation Report:  Evacuation of Vandalla Island and Re-disposition of TAg Market Island Security Forces

Mid-day, Local Time 

Since the Ooverton Constabulary Battalion suffered fewer casualties than the Vianda Constabulary did, it was redeployed to Kulovaan Island to bolster the defenses there.  Meanwhile, the civilians and the survivors of the Vianda Constabulary were brought to Pierson Station.  Two days after the Battle of Vianda, the civilian population of Kulovaan Island was also evacuated to Pierson Station, but without incident.

The 599th DIL task force currently remains on Vandalla Island.  Since battledroids can be repaired in the field, it is not known how many of the droids were actually destroyed during the Battle of Vianda.  Other than aggressive off-shore patrols, the battledroid invasion force has not advanced beyond Vandalla Island.

This situation could change within the next day or so.

Reinforcements from Bongolaan (and Tarsus) are estimated to arrive within one to three days.  During this time the Zenyan Planetary Assembly has been called to debate and possibly vote on a course of action regarding these islands.  An Imperial ambassador is reported to have arrived at the capital of Kairobi.  How his presence will affect any vote is unknown at this time.

Meanwhile, the Tau-Tau defense force is in the final stage of mobilizing against the Sith Mutant infestation on Gadnek Island to the south.

GM Notes:

The actual battle discussed in the previous posts was played-out solitaire using the rules Future War Commander.  I made a small modification to the rules in order to adapt them for boardgame play.  The Battle of Vianda was fought using Squad Leader boards.  Since each hex in Squad Leader represented about 40 meters (m) and one centimeter (cm) in Future War Commander (FWC) represents 20 m, I simply reduced the weapon ranges and movement rates by one-half.

The rules themselves are based on Warmaster and is more of a game than a simulation.  This fit the bill and was fairly easy to play, even solitaire.  The game can be somewhat frustrating because you have to roll two six-sided dice (2d6) against a headquater's command rating in order to successfully activate a unit.  That is, get a unit to move and/or shoot.  Units can be activated more than once per turn, provided their commander makes his command roll against worsening modifiers.

During the Battle of Vianda, the 1st Maniple (Company) of the 7th Cohort was suppose to quickly seize Vianda Mountain.  Instead, thanks to my bad die rolls, the unit stood in place for several turns.  This also happened to me during a Korean War scenario of CWC during a convention.  My friend Adrian ran a CWC game for a convention a couple years ago.  One player consistently blew his activation die rolls, so his forces remained stationary for most of the period.  Towards the end, Adrian finally let him start moving his forces just once if the player failed his activation rolls.  (He suggested doing this after three unsuccessful activation roles during a convention game).

An even bigger issue I have with FWC and it's cousins Blitzkrieg and Cold War Commander (BWC & CWC, respectively) is the way it handles commanders.  According to the rules, commanders, or any command group is immune to direct fire, but can be subjected to indirect fire (artillery and airstrikes).  Also, the command radius (the ability to control combat units) is based on the distance between the commander and the farthest combat unit within the group.

I think both of aspects of these rules is outright silly, especially when you have situations of headquarter units far in front of their combat units.  So several months ago I wrote a two-page set of house rules modifications to change this.  In short, command units can be attacked directly, if there are no combat units closer to the attacking unit.  In a sense, combat units screen their headquarters from direct fire.  I also changed the command radius measurement from the farthest unit to the closest.  I figure with even World War II-level communications, combat units can effectively relay orders from their headquarters.

Despite these issues, FWC is an easy enough set of rules to host mass sci-fi battles.

Situation Report (Sitrep) #2: The Defense of Vianda

Stardate: Fiday, 104-130 ABY/TAg Market Island Security Forces

Subsector: Shannekam

Planet: Zenya

Region: The Tau-Tau Autonomous District

Situation Report:  Initial Dispositions of Tarsan Forces Around Vianda

Early Morning, Local Time

(Image: Tarsan defenses of Vianda and evacuation site)

Thanks to advanced warning of the Bongolaanian attack, the TAg Market Island Security Forces have been mobilized and managed to prepare some defensive positions on Vandalla Island.  

(Image:  Alpha Company of the Vianda Constabulary occupying defensive positions)

The Vianda Constabulary (a police/light infantry unit consisting of two companies), lacks the manpower to defend the entire town.  Since the objective is to fight a delaying action to allow civilians to be evacuated, Major Lazar has decided to established roadblocks around the most-likely access routes around Vianda's southern district.  

(Image: Bravo Company guarding the mountain pass)

Bravo Company (B/VC) has deployed several squads along Vianda Pass to safeguard the avenue of retreat and provide some defense in-depth.

(Image: The roadblock on Vianda Peak)

A roadblock has been constructed at the entrance of Vianda Pass.  This is guarded by two squads from B/VC. 

(Image:  Elements of Alpha Company/Ooverton Constabulary safeguarding the bridges) 

While the Vianda Constabulary holds the southern part of town, along with key terrain along Vianda Pass, elements of Alpha Company of the Ooverton Constabulary Battalion (A/OC, identical in composition to the Vianda Constabulary) have been tasked with safeguarding the access of retreat through the Vandalla Jungle and the perimeter of the evacuation site.

(Image: The Constabulary command post overlooking Vianda)

The Constabulary Task Force Commander, Colonel Foulon, has entrenched his command post, along with 3rd Platoon/A/VC on the peak of South Mountain.  

As dawn begins to break, Constabulary scouts report the entire 7th Cohort/599th Droid Infantry Legion (7/599DIL) is on the march from the west.  

(Image:  7/599DIL prepares to assault Vianda) 

The Battle of Vianda is about to commence.

Game Master's Notes:

It is now 104 days after the events depicted in the webcomic Breakout from Bongolaan.  In other words, we're back to the campaign's "present."

Since my gaming space is limited and my time available to game even more so, I chose to play out this battle using odds and ends from various boardgames.

The map boards come from Avalon Hill's Squad Leader, while the counters representing individual leaders have been cannibalized from remnants of copies of GDW's Snapshot and Azhanti High Lightning.   The infantry counters used to represent the Tarsan and battledroid squads were scratch-built using the Land Unit Counters Rendering Machine by The Zhodani Base. 

Breakout From Bongolaan Webcomic: The Plot So Far...

Well it's been nearly 11 months since I posted Chapter Six of my webcomic Breakout from Bongolaan.   With the exception of my father-in-law passing away, this year-long binge of "Life getting in the way" has been filled with happy occasions.  However I was left with little time to add to the story in terms of both pictures and narrative.

Now, I'm getting ready to--finally--post Chapter Seven!

For those who've been waiting, I appreciate your patience.

For those of you who've wandered off, I hope I can regain your attention.

The story so far weighs-in at 182 pages.  

Because so much time has lapsed between Chapters Six and Seven, I thought I'd include a synopsis as a refresher.  Although for anyone new to the story, I recommend you read webcomic itself:

It is the last day of the year 129 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin, annotated as Stardate 365-129 ABY).  The citizens of the planet Bongolaan are celebrating the Galactic New Year, along with the election of a new president, Zeveg Bharzi.

However, the former president, Bunda Akhtar, has decided he doesn't like being a former president and is planning a comeback coup.  Despite having only two cohorts of battledroids available, Akhtar is confident he'll succeed, because reinforcements are on the way.

After defeating the Galactic Alliance at the Battle of Caamus, the Imperial fleet overran the Core and Mid Worlds and is now sweeping through the Fringe.  One such Imperial task force is now dropping out of hyperspace and is bearing down on Bongolaan.

Meanwhile, four offworlders have gathered at the Presidential Palace Masquerade Ball and are awaiting the arrival of President Bharzi and his entourage.

Cad So Billes:  A Durosian shuttle pilot for the Jedi Support Corps.  He's spent the past year on Bongolaan flying supplies, equipment and personal to various work sites.

Callithea Lockridge: "Calli" is the shy administrative assistant to the Tarsan Ambassador, Fitzroy Heraud.  She's scheduled to leave Bongolaan the next day and return to her homeworld of Tarsus.

Sei'do Avari:  A man of questionable background and reputation, but appears to have considerable technical skills.  Is suspected by Cad of being up to no good, but has been vouched for by Nance Windu.

Nance Windu:  Claims he's not a Jedi, despite being the Jedi-in-charge of the earthquake recovery effort on Bongolaan for the past year.  Unbeknownst to his companions, Nance is haunted by an evil Force Spirit.

By the end of Chapter Six, Calli's comlink conversation with her ambassador was disrupted by interference, assumed to originate from an approaching thunderstorm.  Ambassador Heraud, along with the Twi'lek singer Shiri Blen and her Rodian agent Geelo, are currently on the outskirts of the capital city, Ratankiri, with the presidential motorcade, getting ready to lead New Year's Eve Procession to the Presidential Palace. 

In actuality, the communications disruption is the opening phase of Bunda Akhtar's coup.  

It's about to rain on everyone's parade, but first there's some loose ends to tie up...

Situation Report (Sitrep) #1: Possible Moves by 7/599 & 8/599 DIL on Zenya

Stardate: Fiday, 104-130 ABY/TAg Market Island Security Forces

Subsector: Shannekam

Planet: Zenya

Region: The Tau-Tau Autonomous District

Situation Report:  Defending the Tarsan Evacuation Zone from Battledroid Attack

Early Evening, Local Time

Evacuation of Tarsan citizens is about to commence.  A thin defensive perimeter is currently held by the Vianda and Ooverton Constabulary Battalions (shown above).  These units are really nothing more than reinforced police companies, with only a few crew-served weapons and no artillery.  Their current orders are to conduct a holding, or at least a delaying action, until all Tarsan non-combatants have been evacuated.

How the constabulary conduct this mission will depend on what course of action the 7th Cohort/599th Droid Infantry Legion (7/599DIL) and the 8/599DIL will take.

In open combat each droid cohort is strong enough to defeat both constabulary battalions.  So the droid task force commander may execute separate attacks, in order overwhelm both constabulary units simultaneously and quickly seize the evacuation beachhead.

However, neither of the constabulary battalions are in the open.  The Vianda Battalion is currently in hasty-fortified positions around it's namesake city.  Ooverton has been abandoned and it's constabulary have entrenched and are in the process of setting-up ambush sites in the woods surrounding the beachhead. 

The droid task force commander probably knows this and will therefore concentrate is attack against one constabulary unit.  Such an attack may unfold in one of three ways--

1. A combined attack against Vianda.

This has the advantage of bringing enough force to bear against a unit in a built-up-area (BUA) and the droid will be able to keep their rear areas secure.  However, if the objective is to disrupt the evacuation, such a methodical operation will most likely allow the evacuation to proceed unmolested.

2.a. A combined attack directed against the evacuation zone's defensive perimeter.

Such an attack will by-pass the Vianda Strongpoint, but unless sufficient security forces are left behind, the droid task force's rear area could be vulnerable to a sally from the Vianda Constabulary.

The 7/599DIL will have to choose one of two routes to circumvent Vianda.  Either over the mountains, as shown above or...

2.b ...around the Vandalla Range and through the woods. 

While battledroids don't suffer from fatigue the way living beings do, they can succumb to mechanical breakdowns.  A force-march through the woods, or over the mountains may cause an extensive delay in such an attack.

The enemy plans discussed so far are based on the premise the droid task force commander's goal is to capture Tarsan citizens. 

3. If on the otherhand, he (or she?) is more interested in seizing Tarsan property, then the 7/599 and 8/599 could simply advance against Vianda and Ooverton, respectively. 

Both constabulary battalion commanders have been advised of these assessments. 

A battledroid attack--in any form--is expected to occur within the next 12 hours, or sometime before local dawn tomorrow.

The Kul'kva Constabulary Battalion is to remain on Kulovaan Island, (part of which is seen on the southern edge of the above image), until Tarsan non-combatants are evacuation to Pierson Station on Milquoor Island. 

All evacuaees and constabulary forces are to make their way to Pierson Station for final debarkation to Tarsus once Task Force 627-1 and 627-2 have arrived.

However, based on the latest position reports, TF 627-1/2's ETA are still two to four days from now.