0109 - Converting the team to version 4

The alpha is finally here. It came out the same day my new primer arrived. I think Free League did this knowing that there are only so many hours in a day and they wanted to prevent me from painting my new Team Yankee miniatures. It almost worked.

As it was, it took me two day to prime the models and it was two days well spent. So far I love the rules. They seem to be fast paced yet gritty. I love, the inclusion in the rules of the need for food and water. Sure, the others had these but they seem to have dramatic effects in the game and I have a sneaky suspision that this will become a problem for the team in the future. I also like the A-D die system and its integration in such things as weapon quality. Simple and elegant way to model wear on anything you really care about.

I like the barter rules and the ability to raise and lower the price by 10%. Very reminiscient of my own hosue rules and I find the soulution to the price in bullets to be more reaonable the abitrary dollar amounts. The fact that the characters start out with a lot less equipment I find a nice change. Both the v1 and v2 rules were way to generous on this point and I generally only allowed 10% of the amount they would normally have for new characters. Without that, the challenge becomes how to transport all the stuff and not how to survive on very little.

What I do not like is the DISCUSSION about the back story. I believe the team at FL needs feedback about how the games works for the fan base, not their personal opinion on the back story to the exclusion of the constructive feedback on the rules.

Like the earlier version, if you do not like the back story, don't use it. I hated the back story for the v2 and never used it. Instead, I went back to my favorite version in v1. I have no intention of changing it for my ongoing campaign and I believe the discussion about the global view to be to high-level for the characters. For those fighting for their lives in Poland the "how" they got there takes a back burner to just staying alive. This is my opinion and you are centerainly welcome to yours and I will not debate you on it. To each his own.

I have to be honest at this point and say I have not even read the back story yet, as it is the rules that interest me and not the fluff (apologies to the FL writers who wrote the backstory-). I wanted to take them for a test drive and try them out. In order to do so, I created v4 versions of the characters using the archetypes. The relative lack of equipment here is great, as it plays into the campaign, with the characters bailing out of the burning OT-64.

I used the following archetype for each character:

• 2LT Jade Marshall (US Army – Aviation) - The Officer with Tactician speciality
• 2LT Wayne Logan (US Army Medical Corp – Nurse) - The Medic with Combat Medic speciality
• SSG Michael Griffin (US Army – Ranger) - The Operator with Sniper speciality
• MAJ Edward Harris (US Army – Engineer) - The Mechanic with Combat Engineer speciality. The Officer did not really fit to a hands on guy like Ed
• SPC Walerian ‚Wally‘ Losinski (Polish Army – Support) - The Mechanic with Mechanic Speciality
• MSG Eduard Lyubomyrovych "Potato" Potapenko (Soviet Army – Airborne Infantry) - The Gunner with Machinegunner speciality
• SFC Jack Robinson (US Army – Armor) - The Grunt with Load Carrier speciality
• SSG Micheal Macron (US Army – Infantry) - The Grunt with Rifleman Speciality
• AGT Sukhikh Klara "Klasha" Kirillovna (US Government Agent) - The Spook with Psy Ops speciality

I admit that I tweaked some of the characters. Mostly this involved changing theri weapon loadouts or bumping a Coolness Under Fire to better represent their actual Initiative. Just a few tweaks but it would not be our game if we didn't tweak it.

I used the group equipment options to get a backpack for Klasha (guess Spooks carry everything in their pants pockets), an underslung grenade launcher for Robinson, two more belts for Potato's PKM and some other equipment the team was needing.

I like that they have so little, honestly, because this reflects what they could grab as the scramble out of the burning OT-64. Since I wanted to learn the in's and out's of the combat system, I have removed the injuries from all the characters. Now they get a fresh chance to get wounded.

Now that all is said and done, we can drop them back into the ambush. 

0108 - The Great Escape - Part VIII - A Dark Alley Somewhere- Turn 1

 1110 08 AUG 2000, Zdunska Wola, Poland

===================================

"I remember the first explosion, as the flames ripped through the vehicle just before the fuel tank went up. I didn't hear the second explosion, as my ears were still ringing from the first one. Griff started wavin' for everyone to get the hell out of Dodge and I was not in a mood to be asked twice. We were hoofin' it from here, that was for certain."

 I started writing this and then thought to go back and read the other posts. Needless to say, I had started writing it with a different plot. Still, we need to remember that the rule is once you put something on paper or wherever you keep your journal, then it is written in stone and will happen. We determined with the help of the GME that the Poles would fire on the characters without warning. That is the way it will be.

 I made a couple of adjustments to the equipment, replacing the L1A1 with an FN-FNC and concentrated the 140mm RAW and the HEAT rifle grenades with people that can actually use them.

 After finishing the record keeping, I looked at the map and tried to find a nice place for the ambush. There is a section of straight road with buildings on one side just before the road crosses a bridge. This would give the ambushers cover without offering much for the team. The majority of the Poles will take cover in the stream bed with a small element of the team's left flank under cover of some buildings.

 We should still give the characters a chance to detect the ambush.

 [Detect the ambush – Asset Level 11 (modified) – Difficult (x1) – Target Number 11 – Roll(s): 15] – The ambush is successful

 The Poles get a free turn of shooting.

 Assumptions:

Prior to the beginning of the lead flinging session, we can make the following assumptions:

 • Robinson is driving. His head is exposed.

• Wally is at the commander's station. His head is exposed.

• Potato is manning the turret. He is exposed from the chest upwards.

• Macron, Klasha and Marshall are inside the vehicle, wounded

• All others are standing in the rear hatches but protected by the hatches from the side. From the front, the team in the back can only by hit in the head, chest and their left or rights arms, depending on the side they are standing on (Harris and Griffin on the left, Logan and Griffin on the right).

• Can-Can is moving at 30m/turn

• The Poles on the stream bank are laying down have packed dirt as cover (AV 2)

• The Poles in the houses are behind brick walls (AV 3)

 Let's begin then.

 Initiative Step 5

Actions:

•    Elite Polish soldier #1-1 will fire two bursts from his M231 at the team.

 Elite Polish soldier #1-1 fires his M231. The range is 45m (Medium), resulting in two die being lost.

 [Fire burst #1 at the team – Asset Level 15 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 11,5,7] – No hits

[Fire burst #2 at the team – Asset Level 15 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 10,4,10] – No hits

 The group got lucky on that one.

 Initiative Step 4

Actions:

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-2 will fire two bursts from his RPK-74 at the group

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-3 will fire one 140mm RAW HEAT rifle grenade the OT-64

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-4 will fire two bursts from his AKR at the group

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-5 will fire two bursts from his AKR at the group

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-6 will fire a HEAT rifle grenade at the OT-64

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-7 will fire two bursts from his AKR at the group

 Veteran Polish soldier #1-2 fires his RPK-74 at the group. The range is 45m (Short), resulting in no die being lost.

 [Fire burst #1 at the team – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 12,14,18,9,17,13,17,6,15,1] – One possible hit

[Fire burst #2 at the team – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 8,18,10,10,16,6,7,9,6,16,] – No hits

 One possible hit. Several members are exposed and possible targets. They are:

 • Robinson

• Wally

• Potato

• Griffin

• Logan

• Harris

 A random roll reveals it to be Potato, who is hit in the right arm for 4 points (Scratch).

 Veteran Polish soldier #1-3 fires his 140mm RAW HEAT rifle grenade at the OT-64. The range is approximately 45m (Short). The difficulty is increased one level due to target movement.

 [Fire 140mm RAW – Asset Level 13 – Formidable (x1/2) – Target Number 6 – Roll(s): 4] – Hit.

 The round hits the OT-64 on the hull front (AV 4). The round has a penetration of 75C, resulting in a difference of 71, resulting in three major damage results. This may well be the end of Can-Can.

 The first hit is 3 (fuel) and the damage result of 71 is the chance that the fuel will catch fire. A percentage roll of 63 seals Can-Can's fate. With a "whoosh", flames and smoke start to fill the crew compartment. :-(

 The second roll is a 5 (ammo), resulting in 71% of the ammunition being destroyed. The vehicle is on fire, so that does not really make a difference.

 The final roll is 4 (fuel), which really has no effect as the vehicle is already on fire. The crew must now abandon the vehicle.

 Concussion

Concussion from the explosion rolls over the vehicle and its crew. As I mentioned before, not all of the hit locations of each team member are exposed. Marcon, Marshall and Klasha are completely covered and will not take any concussion damage. Veteran Polish soldier #1-4 and Veteran Polish soldier #1-5 have their heads, arms and chests exposed, as they are preparing to fire. In any case, the damage will still be divided by 7 before being applied.

 The damage is:

 • 2LT Wayne Logan - Concussion Value 8 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 4, Damage = 9 / 7 = 1 points per hit location, with an additional point to head and right leg

• SSG Michael Griffin - Concussion Value 8 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 4, Damage = 14 / 7 = 2 points per hit location.

• MAJ Edward Harris - Concussion Value 8 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 4, Damage = 13 / 7 = 1 points per hit location, with an additional point to every location except the left leg

• SPC Walerian ‚Wally‘ Losinski - Concussion Value 8 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 4, Damage = 13 / 7 = 1 points per hit location, with an additional point to every location except the left leg

• MSG Eduard Lyubomyrovych Potapenko - Concussion Value 8 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 4, Damage = 9 / 7 = 1 points per hit location, with an additional point to head and left leg

• SFC Jack Robinson - Concussion Value 8 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 4, Damage = 10 / 7 = 1 points per hit location, with an additional point to head, left leg and left arm

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-4 - Concussion Value 2 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 1, Damage = 4

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-5 - Concussion Value 2 / 2 (partially exposed in an armored vehicle) = 1, Damage = 3

 Burst

The team who are exposed in the vehicle, as well as Veteran Polish soldier #1-4 and Veteran Polish soldier #1-5, are within the primary blast area. Elite Polish soldier #1-1, Veteran Polish soldier #1-2, Veteran Polish soldier #1-3, Veteran Polish soldier #1-7 and Experienced Polish soldier #1-9 are in the secondary blast area. Only exposed hit locations may be hit.

 The damage is:

 Primary Blast Area:

• 2LT Wayne Logan - No hits

• SSG Michael Griffin - 1 Hit (Head, Hits the helmet, 2 + 1 Blunt Trauma = 3 points of damage total, no quick kill)

• MAJ Edward Harris - No hits

• SPC Walerian ‚Wally‘ Losinski - 1 Hit (Head, does not hit the helmet, 8 points of damage, doubled to 16 due to quick kill, now seriously wounded)

• MSG Eduard Lyubomyrovych Potapenko - No hits

• SFC Jack Robinson - 4 possible hits, all stopped by the vehicle armor

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-4 - No hits

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-5 - No hits

 Secondary Blast Area:

• Elite Polish soldier #1-1 - No hits

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-2 - No hits

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-3 - No hits

• Veteran Polish soldier #1-7 - One possible hit blocked by cover

• Experienced Polish soldier #1-9 - No hits

 That hurt a lot. Wally is out cold, and the vehicle is burning. The worst part is that it is not over yet.

  Veteran Polish soldier #1-4 fires his AKR at the group. The range is 45m (Medium), resulting in two die being lost.

 [Fire burst #1 at the team – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 20,4,5] – Not hits, weapon jams

 Veteran Polish soldier #1-5 fires his AKR at the group. The range is 45m (Medium), resulting in two die being lost.

 [Fire burst #1 at the team – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 5,19,16] – Not hits

[Fire burst #2 at the team – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 15,9,18] – Not hits

 Veteran Polish soldier #1-6 fires his HEAT rifle grenade at the OT-64. The range is approximately 55m (Long). The difficulty is increased one level due to target movement.

 [Fire HEAT rifle grenade at the OT-64 – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 13] – Catastrophic failure.

 The soldier fails to estimate the correct impact point and the grenade sails over the OT-64, impacting harmlessly farther down range.

 Veteran Polish soldier #1-7 fires his AKR at the group. The range is 30m (Short), meaning no dice are lost.

 [Fire burst #1 at the team – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 1,1,12,1,14] – Three possible hits

[Fire burst #2 at the team – Asset Level 13 – Impossible (x1/4) – Target Number 3 – Roll(s): 11,11,5,4,16] – One possible hit

 This guy is now going to be called "Dead-Eye Dick". Four 1s in ten shots. Unbelievable, but the team is still only partially exposed. The hits will be distributed randomly among the team.

 • First hit - Harris (Right Arm, 9 points)

• Second hit - Harris (Chest - 6 + 1 for blunt trauma = 7, no quick kill)

• Third hit - Robinson (Chest, protected by the vehicle)

• Fourth hit - Robinson (Abdomen, protected by the vehicle)

 Initiative Step 3

Actions:

• Experienced Polish soldier #1-8 will fire two rounds (quick shots) from his SVD at Robinson

• Experienced Polish soldier #1-9 will fire his RPG-16 at the OT-64

• Experienced Polish soldier #1-10 will fire two rounds (quick shots) from his SVD at Wally

 Experienced Polish soldier #1-8 fires two rounds (quick shots) from his SVD at Robinson. The range is approximately 45m (Long). The difficulty is increased one level due to target movement.

 [Fire SVD at Robinson – Asset Level 11 – Difficult (x1) – Target Number 11 (9 on second shot due to recoil) – Roll(s): 8,5] – Two possible hits.

 Both rounds hit but are stopped by the vehicle armor.

 Experienced Polish soldier #1-9 fires his RPG-16 at the OT-64. The range is approximately 55m (Short). The difficulty is increased one level due to target movement.

 [Fire RPG-16 at the OT-64 – Asset Level 11 –Difficult (x1) – Target Number 11 – Roll(s): 9] – Hit.

 The RPG hit Can-Can in the forward hull. The final penetration is 65 - 4 = 61, which translates to three major damage results (again).

 The resolved hits are:

 • Fuel (no need to resolve this, as the vehicle is burning anyway)

• Engine (the engine of this burned out wreck is now inoperable)

• Ammunition (61% or the remaining ammo is destroyed)

 Experienced Polish soldier #1-10 fires two rounds (quick shots) from his SVD at Wally. The range is approximately 45m (Long). The difficulty is increased one level due to target movement.

 [Fire SVD at Wally – Asset Level 11 – Difficult (x1) – Target Number 11 (9 on second shot due to recoil) – Roll(s): 11,8] – Two possible hits.

 Both rounds hit but are stopped by the vehicle armor.

 The crew must bail out next turn. Fire spreads throughout the vehicle and Wally is stunned. The Poles will continue to fire, and the team must get to cover. Not a good situation at all.