TMOCB ARVN Special Forces v Viet Cong

Dave's second game of TMOCB this time with him using the VC and me an ARVN Special Forces platoon in the search and destroy scenario. 

I'd never used veteran troops before in TMOCB so was interested to see how they did. While few in numbers they do have some significant advantages which should allow them to move fast and hit hard. Given their small numbers I spent the 5 asset points on an extra base for one squad and an artillery liaison team for the platoon HQ more for an extra base than any other reason!

There are initial reports of VC activity from an armoured convoy (I just wanted to put the tanks and M113's on the table really!):

An ARVN Special Forces platoon is sent in to investigate:

VC mass in one of the villages, the reports were not wrong:

They sure were not! Sniper! The 2nd squad loses a base which is taken out by a VC ambush:

The casualties are quickly medivaced by chopper:

The first food cache is discovered:

The VC commander makes an error, two of his sections are hit by an artillery strike. One section is unscathed but the other takes very heavy losses:

To the right of the road the 2nd squad advances and finds some hidden weapons and ammo:

The 1st squad destroys more food stores:

The 1st squad moves up along the temple towards the VC hit by the earlier artillery strike:

The 3rd squad arrives but have got a bit lost and have some distance to cover before they can join in the fight:

The platoon commander destroys more food supplies:

The 2nd squad encounters VC, they are few in numbers though:

The 1st squad occupies the temple:

The 2nd and 3rd squads converge on the VC in the village:

With the VC being squeezed between the 2nd and 3rd squads they elect to fade back into the jungle:

Assault! A large VC section attempts to rush the temple!:

The attack is beaten off with heavy losses:

Undaunted a second VC section tries to rush the temple:

Again it is largely cut down though the ARVN take a base loss themselves. When calling don the medevac helicopter disaster strikes as the VC shoot it down! Truly this is the TEMPLE OF DOOM: 

Another ARVN artillery strike, less effective this time:

The 2nd squad clears more of the villages:

More food goes up in smoke:

Remarkably another attempt to medevac is stopped in it's tracks (literally):

Having cleared the temple the 1st squad resumes the advance:

They begin to explore another village:

Masses of VC casualties are in the area:

With few men left the VC quit the field:

A rather overwhelming victory for the ARVN Special Forces, they only lost two bases in the entire game one of which was evacuated (the medevac service did less well though losing a chopper and an M113!) with numerous VC casualties and several caches found. 

Dave was pretty unlucky with his casualty, shooting and assault rolls but the more I play the more I think that winning with the VC against a competently handled White Star force is difficult and the style of play required is rather negative, trying to minimize losses and prevent the villages being searched while picking off any isolated White Star forces. Of course this may well be realistic!

As regards using veterans they seem quite effective, they get an extra action dice, two more dice when shooting or assaulting and always count as 'down' improving their saving throw. 

Next time we will probably try the NVA rather than the VC and see how that goes!