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Ultramodern Wargaming – Ukraine 2024
Recommendations: 13001
About the Project
Lately, I've been running war games every weekend with members of the community via web conference. Players log on and play wargames with each other in real time, regardless of location, and we usually have at least a couple spectators as well. Many times it’s been Darkstar, but we’re also running wargames in Panzer Leader, Arab-Israeli Wars, and now Valor & Victory.
BoW/OTT community members @brucelea, @damon, @davehawes, and @rasmus have taken the plunge, leading battalions across thousands of meters of desert, starfleets in pitched battles across the heavens, or vicious firefights in the jungles of Vietnam, all without leaving the comfort of their home.
Hard-core, old-school command-tactical wargames can now be run (complete with spectators and recordings) in real time, with BOTH PLAYERS moving pieces across THE SAME virtual game board, thus maintaining player agency, speedy and instant results (no play by e-mail), interwoven turn sequences, any questions / feedback instantly received and addressed, and with the game being virtually recorded as it goes, a ready-made battle report can actually be created as we go.
All of this without the players having to install any new software on their computer, on any platform (PC or Mac). All that's needed is to agree on a time, a handful of dice, and a bellyful of courage!
Every weekend can now be a boot camp! All without costing me thousands of dollars in airfare, too!
Related Game: PanzerBlitz
Related Genre: Historical
This Project is Active
Ultra-Modern Military Contractors vs. Eldritch Abominations in abandoned Soviet Lab
Here is the game play video from yesterday’s Halloween Special. In this game of Sitrep Skirmish, community member @gladesrunner took a team of elite private military contractors into what was supposed to be an abandoned Soviet-era bioweapons lab somewhere in the war-torn Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine.
Once within the dark, oppressive bunker however, they found far more than they were told in their mission dossier. Someone had been using this bunker for illegal research and experiments, and their warped science had somehow opened a gateway to so somewhere … else.
Unspeakable, formless horrors how teem through the concrete shadows, disembodied entities that possess what’s left of the laboratory staff, horrific mutilations of what used to be lab security, and pure Lovecraftian monstrosities lurking unseen in the gloom.
Not our usual fare for the Sitrep Skirmish system, but in the spirit of Halloween we decided to go for something new.
We had a great audience for this one. Might be a fun listen while hobbying or painting, driving or sitting on the train, anytime you just need some of that “friends clowning around at the gaming table” vibe.
Hope you like it!
Sitrep Halloween Special: Special Forces vs ... God Knows What Horrors?
CORRECTED TIME: 6PM UK / 2PM US
Oriskany Jim and his better half Jennifer take a light-hearted turn in this one, using the Sitrep Skirmish system to pit a fireteam of elite Operators against the denizens of what intelligence thought was a former Soviet biological weapons lab. Well, there’s definitely been some “off-the books” experiments afoot in this facility. The only question now is, can the operators make it out alive?
Tune in! Be part of the show! See how it turns out!
Live Sunday at 2PM East US Time, 6PM UK Time
Here's the map of the "haunted bunker" in today's game, a former Soviet lab in the Ukraine where undocumented experiments have gone a little awry. Found the base map on line, made quite a few updates to suit today's purpose.
Yeah, something bad happened here ... 
Here are our operators - new figures, including (finally) a two-armed shooting pose for a more serious female soldier / operator (opposed to the drug cartel mamacitas we had in previous games).
Here are some of the bad guys. I'm picturing a theme not unlike "The Mist" or an Eldritch "Cthulu"-like vibe. Someone opened a doorway ... and something came through. The real "boss" baddies aare not shown here. Gotta save something for the game today! Battle Report: US Special Forces & Montagnard vs. Communist NVA and Viet Cong
Although the full video of the wargame played between myself and Rasmus is up on our YouTube channel, just for fun I thought I would also post a brief battle report as well (perhaps for those who don’t want to click through the 3-hour gameplay).
In summary, the game is played in Barry Doyle’s Valor & Victory system, updated by my own Valor & Victory: Modern Expansion publication. This scenario takes place in 1966, near the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam, unofficially across the border in neighboring Laos. It is through Laos and Cambodia, after all, where the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail runs, providing a near-ceaseless flow of troops, weapons, and supplies to communist forces of the PAVN and National Liberation Front fighting in South Vietnam.
One side is made up of US Special Forces (about 20 officers and man) around which has been built and trained a force on anti-communist Montagnard insurgents, indigenous mountain tribesmen living in Vietnam and Laos. Historically these were organized into CIDG detachments (Civilian Irregular Defense Groups). The enemy force is made of a mixed for of PAVN (NVA) regulars, supported by main force guerillas of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong). I am playing the Communist PAVN/NLF forces, and Rasmus is playing the US Special Forces and CIDG Montagnard insurgents.
The full background on these engagements has been posted previously, I won’t belabor the point here. Suffice it to say that both sides are using masked counters (including dummies), the identity and force composition of which are concealed from the opposing player until said force is encountered, assaulted, or opens fire. In this way we approximate the stealth and concealment to integral to jungle guerilla operations. We can also see civilian counters (families of noncombatants, moved at random and under control of neither player), and five objective hexes chosen to reflect their location’s part in overall control of the locality. 
Things go sideways for the communists right away as one of my platoons stumbles into a hidden M18 Claymore antipersonnel mine, costing me half a squad off the bat. These are handled as per the usual VVME booby trap rules, where each s tack must roll 2d6 at the end of its movement. An 11 or 12 indicates a trap has been struck, unless the unit was using slower, more cautious “Assault Move” rules, where only a “12” hits a mine or booby trap.
One of Rasmus’ CIDG platoons (under command of Lt. Bui, an ARVN observer from Saigon) walks into a bit of a trap themselves, where they are soon spotted by NVA and VC forces and taken under a horrendous fire. They’re a little too forward, note other Allied platoons are still too far back (and undiscovered by my own forces) and thus not yet in position to provide fire. Admittedly, I made a rules mistake here where ethe platoon in hex K5 originally made the spotting check (illegal because of elevation in hex J5) but units in J8 and K8 are in position to make the same roll and open fire accordingly.
The communists smell blood in the water and swarm out of the foliage surrounding the village and LZ Whiskey. I really pour it on here, even including fire from a single 60mm captured mortar here. Note Rasmus’ platoon marker “2”, which at the time was not actually revealed to me. I have showed the forces mapped to Counter 2, including two medic teams that swiftly start “dust-off” evacuation of Lt. Bui’s devastated CDIG platoon.
To counter my fire superiority over the open terrain of LZ Whiskey, Rasmus starts a general flanking maneuver around the south side of the village. Not one but FOUR lucky breaks fall his way here. (1), yet another flanking force of mine hits ANOTHER M18 Claymore mine (my THIRD of the game) in hex G5. (2) The civilians that were rooted in hex I9, along with my forward platoon (and thus preventing any fire or assault into that hex per American Rules of Engagement stipulations) suddenly get spooked and bolt out of the hex, clearing the way for a horrendous fire of Green Berets and Montagnard allies. Out of four 2d6 APFP fire rolls, Rasmus will roll snake eyes TWICE (lucky breaks 3 and 4), the best possible roll in the game. Not only is my forward platoon wiped out at a stroke, but two of Rasmus Green Beret units are now “valorous” (note the blue medals, +1 APFP and x2 assault score for the rest of the game).
By the time we get to Turn Five (second last turn of the game), it’s time to start thinking about grabbing what objectives we can. My remaining forces in the hooch to the south and eastern tree lines (including mortar support) manage to carefully pin down all of Rasmus’ forces in hex E7, which is then assaulted by part of my damaged platoon from the north. Green Beret and Montagnard prisoners will make lovely guests for our torture pits later. Unfortunately, these are then COUNTER-assaulted by more Green Berets and Montagnard forces form the south, and now NVA prisoners are taken, including an officer (all these captures are big VP bonuses for both sides). Meanwhile, that flanking force to the south kicks open the back door of the hooch and starts wiping out more NVA and VC stacks, taking more prisoners. 
The final dispositions. At the end of Turn 6. A detached force from my norther platoon manages to take the road objective hex to the northwest, while others take the actual LZ Whiskey (even if they are wiped out by Green Beret opportunity fire). Lt. Herkimer meanwhile takes the hooch and high ground to the southeast, but this still leaves me with three of five objective hexes. Meanwhile, my NVA command group and mortars trades fire with the Americans and Montagnard Laotians in the large southern hooch, both sides pinging away with light damage on each other (up to and including the appearance of an American special forces sniper. To be honest, though, the objective hexes seized, the casualties inflicted, and the prisoners taken have already told the tale on this one.
The final score. The bloody cost paid by the Green Berets, including prisoners taken or killed on the table, has just been too much. Also, I commanded three of five objectives at the end of the game, meaning that a strike of F-4 Phantoms out of Thailand was probably needed anyway to clear the communists from this village … effectively erasing the village. Perhaps worst of all, the faith in the Laotian Montagnard in their Green Beret mentors has perhaps been sorely tested, given the body count. Still, the NVA has been badly hurt in this area, given the relatively close score. Congrats to Rasmus on a good, hard-fought game!US Special Forces and Montagnard Guerrillas vs. NVA and Viet Cong
Here’s a the replay video from Sunday’s stream, where @rasmus and I sat down to recreate a guerrilla warfare engagement during the earlier stages of the Vietnam War.
He’s got the US Special Forces and Montagnard Guerrillasl, while I have the People’s Army of Vietnam (NVA) and National Liberation Front (Viet Cong).
The system we’re using is Barry Doyle’s Valor & Victory.
Might make for a fun listen while hobbying or painting.
Preparation for Today's Live Wargame
Getting ready for today’s live wargame.
We’re up in less than 30 minutes! Swing by and check us out!
Live TODAY at 2PM East US Time, 7PM UK Time
The general layout of the Vietnam War's geography, with the small yellow circle approximating the location of today's special forces skirmish. Totally NOT in Laos, of course. That would be ILLEGAL. What would CONGRESS say?
The Montagnard (French slang: "People of the Mountain") is a blanket term for a whole spectrum of non-Vietnamese native tribes who lived in the Vietnamese backcountry. These people always hated the Vietnamese central governments, both North and South, but especially the Communists. Tough, resourceful, and with intimate knowledge of the terrain, they made excellent guerilla fighters, often trained by US Special Forces as part of the CIDG program. 
The map for today's game. We'll be playing double blind, with only these marker counters at first. Only when a counter is identified do we show what enemy force is mapped to that counter ... or if there are any enemy forces there at all (half of these will be straight out "dummy counters").
The PAVN / NVA and NLF / Viet Cong forces for today's game.
The US MACV/SOG and CODG Montagnard forces for today's game. There's also an ARVN officer here as a Saigon "observer."Live Community Wargame: US Special Forces and Montagnard Guerrillas vs. NVA / PAVN
Join community member Rasmus and Oriskany Jim as they use the Valor & Victory game system to recreate guerrilla operations of US Special Forces and Montagnard allies against Vietnamese communists of the PAVN / NVA.
Tune in! Be part of the show! See how it turns out!
Live Sunday at 2PM East US Time, 7PM UK Time
Stalingrad Playtesting Almost Complete
Down to the last few scenarios – playing out engagements in the hellish winter of 1942-43.
Scenario 10: Operation Uranus (Zhukov Strikes): November 18, 1942 - Sirotinskaya, South of the Don River. The Germans in Stalingrad have driven themselves to exhaustion, and the Soviet defenders stand at the brink of collapse. Only now does Soviet Marshal Zhukov release his carefully-hoarded reserves in Operation Uranus, This is a huge double pincer smashing through the Axis flanks miles behind Stalingrad, encircling all of the German 6th Army (and part of the 4th Panzer Army as well). Ill-prepared Rumanian troops were largely responsible for holding these flanks, but German units were struck as well. Here we see reeling remnants of the German 384th Infantry Division (Infantry Regiment 535) struggle to hold back rampaging spearheads of the Soviet 65th Army, including 4th Guards Rifle Division (11th Guards Rifle Regiment) and 3rd Tank Brigade.
Right off the bat, things get very hairy here on the German left. Sturmovik air strikes have hit some (but not all) of the German 7.5 cm antitank guns. So the Soviet tanks are wary of advancing toodeep in that frozen brush until Guards infantry can clear them out. A massed infantry assault is bloody, and the Germans hit back with a battalion-level mortar barrage. Making matters worse, a bad Soviet roll activates a German sniper hidden in that barn to the right.
With the German left wing caved in, the Soviets set to work rolling up the German line. They have to take TWO road exit hexes to score a wide enough breakthrough for commanders back at Battalion and Regiment. But those German antitank guns are still in position, and the Soviet tanks use buildings to screen their initial movement. The ATGs hit Soviet infantry instead, inflicting enough damage that, well ... the infantry won't be able to clear out those ATGs for the tanks after all. The tanks will have to charge sooner or later.
The tank charge is bloody, but not as bad as initially feared. The first gun is overrun after missing a point-blank opportunity fire roll.The second gun hits one the tanks afterwards, but now the Soviets in their next turn should be able to knock out that last gun position dug into that Soviet farmhouse. Steiner is there, but he has no antitank grenades and only a four-man MG team ... Even Steiner (note the "Valourous" medal indicated unlocked abilities) can't assault two T-34/cs with so little firepower.
"Winter Storm" - Manstein's Gambit: December 18, 1942 - Near the Myshkova River, Southern Russia. Huge Soviet armies have sealed 6th Army and units of 4th Panzer Army in a vast pocket, pinning them in the ruins of Stalingrad. These Germans are ordered to stand fast, despite their desperate situation. Help is promised in the form of Operation "Winter Storm" under the command of the legendary Erich von Manstein. This is an armored drive from the southwest, aiming to punch through the Soviet encirclement to relieve “Festung Stalingrad.” One of the obstacles this German relief effort must overcome is the Myshkova River, defended by elements of the Soviet 2nd Guards Army. Here we see units of Panzer Grenadier Regiment 126 and Panzer Regiment 201 (23rd Panzer Division), hitting elements of 6th Guards Mechanized Brigade and 117th Corps Artillery Regiment.
Two PzKpfw-IIIJs have flanked the Soviet left,sealing off one of two objective bridges. They could only make this move after blowing that Soviet 76.2mm divisional gun out of that barn behind them. In their flanking maneuver, however, they got too close to some Soviet guardsmen in that farmhouse, and one of them had antitank grenades, which they then MISSED with in their attack. Bad luck plagues the Germans as well, TWO hits were scored on flank armor on that T-34 (the last one) and both failed to penetrate that sloped armor.
One of the playtesting games ends in a draw. A handful of German infantry (mostly leftover mortar crews) and the last PzKpfw-IIIJ hold the two bridges. The Soviets gather everything they have left and launch two assaults on the last turn of the game. The German mortar crews ... against all odds, hold out at one of the bridges. The tank does not. Each side thus holds one of the two objective bridges, indicating a draw.
Part of the map and set up for the final, hopeless, doomed defense of Festung Stalingrad. Freezing, starving, diseased, abandoned ... a collection of German half-squads braces for the inevitable end in the ruins of the downtown civic district, probably not far from the "Universimag" department store where Paulus has his headquarters bunker. The scenario takes place on January 27, with elements of the 100th Jaeger Division against the 52nd Guards Rifle Division. Paulus will surrender in four days. The last German holdouts in the north (XI Corps) will surrender three days after that."Battle of Britain" - Oriskany Jim's Military Historical Review
We’re trying something new on the Sitrep Podcast. Movie references keep coming up during our live streams and podcasts, as well as requests to try a movie review.
So here we go: Oriskany Jim takes a shot at the military historical review of MGM’s 1969 classic “Battle of Britain“.
Movies are too often the first reference for wargamers getting into the historical genre (or even trying a new era). So we’re hoping we can provide some insight into which movies can actually help a propsective historical wargamer and which ones should be avoided at all costs.
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