Team Yankee Battle Report - World on Fire - Round 1 US vs Iran

 I have signed up for BlitzMinis's World on Fire campaign and my first (and sadly only) game in Round One is vs Hongxi.  This is my first game of Team Yankee against Hongxi and also my first game against him since SEVEN years ago (see link at http://vernwardiary.blogspot.com/2014/06/) where we had Epic 40k.

For this game I am using my beloved M60A1 US Marine formation (with 3 M1 IPMs!) against Hongxi's dual formation (Chieftain and T-62) Iran list.  

My deployment consisted largely of two formations of M60s at each flank, and guarded by an anti-air unit.  The flanks are connected by a small unit of Humvees in the middle.

US's right flank, with M60s in the extreme right with LAV-AD, two TOW-2 Humvees held form a week link at the center.  Note that the clump of trees printed in the table cloth count as an actual forest in this game.

The US left flank, I used the LAV-25's spearhead rule to let my M60s deploy in the safety of the forest

.  My M109s are positioned in the forest at my deployment zone

Hongxi's left (my right).  Chieftains behind a hill with a big fat unit of Basji and artillery in the forest.

The Iranian right comprises of three chieftains and five T-62s.  A small M113 infantry platoon held the objective.  A small unit of 3 T-55s lies in the center.  They will perform an important role later

The Iranians kickstart the battle with the Basjis heading straight into the forest while the Chieftains crest the hill and take potshots at the lone M60 with the LAV-AD.  They missed.  

On the Iranian right, the chieftains did a cautious advance with the T-62s behind.  With no visible targets, the Iranians handed the turn to the Americans.

On the American right, I make the mistake of taking the chieftains head on.  5 M60s charge up the hill and retaliate.  The Chieftains either shrug off all the shots or bailed only to remount next turn.  As a consolation, the LAV-AD fired at the Basji pinning them

The American left did no better, eight shots from the M60s with no casualties incurred by the Chieftains.  A disappointing turn one for both Iranians and Americans.

Iranian turn two, the Basji failed to rally.  The chieftains fired at the exposed M60s and killed nothing! 

On the Iranian right, the chieftains fired at the exposed M60s .....and killed nothing as well.  For two turns the Iranian tanks had done nothing.

The Americans couldn't believe their luck! A single M60 left the cover of the forest to gain vision to the Iranian OP but alas a missed shot.  Meanwhile the remaining three M60s fired at the chieftains hoping that some shots will go through.  While the Iranians are not so lucky at hitting their targets, they sure can pass their saves with no casualties.

For only a while more though, a TOW-2 from the Humvees caused the first Chieftain casualty of the game.  Meanwhile the American artillery also manage to score another kill on the M113 transports.

On the American right, the confident M60s fired again but uh oh....the chieftains passed everything.  Maybe the US were too cocky.

The Iranian reserves arrived in turn 3.  They killed a VAD with no losses suffered despite failing all their saves (i had dismal FP rolls for my AA most of the day).  The remaining VAD will flee off the table next turn.  The following turn, they will move to the center of the board stay start taking out my MBTs.  The Chieftains also managed to take out a M60.

Not so lucky this time! On the Iranian left, the chieftain score three kills while the Basji rallied charged out of the forest towards the objective.

The volley was hurting.  The M60s reversed and take cover behind the hill while taking out the T-55s that finally made their way towards the US line.  The LAV-AD had a tough choice here, to continue shooting the Basji and risk being shot at by the chieftains? or just redeploy.  I chose the former, cutting big holes into the Basji formation. 

Not inside the pic, in the American left the M60s pull back into the safety of the trees after witnessing the terrible trade off in the right.  The humvees fired another Tow-2 and killed a second chieftain!  Leaving the last chieftain to flee the battlefield in the iranian turn

During the Iranian turn 4, their T-62 reserves arrived at their right to shore up their line.  The T-62 formation advanced to threaten the Americans hiding in the trees.  Next, the artillery killed off the LAVs and the humvees.  Meanwhile the Basji in the Iranian left finally reach the US objective, and killed a LAV-AD along the way.  

American Turn 4.  M1 IPM and marine infantry to the rescue.  Through a mixture of shooting and assaulting, they will kill off 2 chieftains and cut down the Basji to size (though the Basji manage to kill off another LAV-AD via the RPG in turn 5 before dyigng)

Turn 4 when the reinforcements arrived.

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end of American turn 5 when the Basji were defeated but the LAV-AD lost another of their number.

Meanwhile on the American left, without any chieftains facing them anymore, the M60s charge forth and fire! Killing 2 T-62, they will eventually defeat the T-62 platform and make a mad dash for the Iranian objective.

Things got a bit messy from Iranian turn 5 onwards, basically the Iranian planes came in and took out 2 of the M1s.  the last M1 fled off the table.  The Chieftains manage to finally make their way across the forest and killed off the last of the M60s and LAV-ADs.  The iranian has achieved air superiority.  The Americans were so desperate that the AAVP were to move forward to use the AA MGs as AA platforms (my AA did badly today with the only kill coming from the AA MGs of the M109s, so all I could do what to throw more AA MG shots and hope for the best).

The US have only 3 tanks left to avoid formation break while Hongxi told me that he actually need one more dead chieftain for formation break as well (he keep on passing morale for that). but Alas, I ran out of AT options while he still have his airforce.  Desperate, my M60s make the final dash towards the objective, after 5-6 rounds of arty shelling, his infantry were effectively wiped out and all my M60s need to do is to reach there!

But it was too late, Hongxi manage to take out 2 M60s which led to the last tank fleeing in my turn and causing formation break.  The US forces were defeated.

With hindsight one may argue that I should have deploy my IPMs first and leave my AA weaponry in reserve, conserving them for the crucial moments and not letting them got shot up.  However, there was no way to really tell if Hongxi will put his aircraft in reserves or not! In the end, I chose the safer common route of putting my most expensive unit in reserve while deploying my AA early to shoot down his aircraft earlier (too bad he deploy them in reserves instead).

Well, it was great experience anyway so a win-win in my book.  As mentioned, I have not fought HX for years.  Losting this match for a chance to fight this battle is worth it.

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P.S: I realise I posted in the wrong blog.  But I am not going to change it since I took a lot of effort to make this post :).  Also I would like to mentioned that due to unfortunate turn of Covid19 related events in Singapore, I would be sheltering at home and forgoing my games for Round Two of the campaign.  There is a real likelihood that I will miss Round Three as well.  It's a pity but there isn't really a choice here.  Family matter first.