TMOCB USMC v VC Downed Aircrew Recovery

Having acquired a helicopter and some downed aircrew figures I could now try out the rescuing the downed aircrew scenario from TMOCB. For the initial try out the opposition was provided by the VC.

Lieutenant Donovan and his men advance towards the site of the downed Huey. Sgt Elias is on the left with Rambo on the right:

The burning Huey:

The first VC section arrives but the villagers are unimpressed and only two bases join up:

The second VC section leader is more persuasive with the maximum four more bases joining his force:

Sgt Elias starts to search the jungle for the helicopter crew but is ambushed by VC! The VC are easily cut down though:

The M113's are back as a support option! They join up with Lt Donovan:

Sgt Rambo finds the first crewman. Unfortunately he is dead but at least his fate is known and his body recovered:

Rambo finds a second crewman, again dead:

The VC assault Rambo and his men!:

Rambo's men drive off the assault with no losses while the VC lose heavily:

Another VC section attempts to move into the village and begin recruiting. They only need a single 4 on six dice but fail leaving them stuck in the open:

Rambo's men wipe out the remainder of the VC section that assaulted them:

Lt Donovan and his men rush up behind Rambo but hit a booby trap, one base goes down:

The Americans are nicely concentrated and hope to take advantage of their heavy firepower to clear away any VC appearing:

Sgt Barnes and his squad appear. They search some bamboo and find the third helicopter crewman, again he is dead:

Another VC section moves up having recruited in the village:

Again the VC attempt to advance but fail, the failed activations are stymying their plans and this section is very vulnerable stuck in the open:

Sgt Elias and the M113's make the VC pay for their error, cutting the section in the open down:

Lt Donovan finds the last member of the helicopter crew, this one is alive!:

Yet again the VC fail to activate at a critical time:

So far everything is going the American's way:

The Americans take up defensive positions now they have found all the aircrew:

Lt Donovan calls down an artillery strike but it fails to hit the target:

The VC assault Lt Donovan and the M113's. They are thrown back but not before one M113 is destroyed by a valiant VC patriot:

The assaulting VC squad is reduced to just the leader:

At this point Lt Donovan makes a mistake! He attempts to call down an artillery strike on the larger VC section massing in the village. The strike is badly aimed however, with Donovan himself being hit! The VC section leader also goes down:

Even so it looks all over for the VC. The second VC section decides on a literal last throw of the dice and assaults the remaining M113 knocking it out!:

The VC follow up and destroy the remaining men of Lt Donovan's command taking out the (previously alive) last member of the helicopter crew:

Rambo and Elias cut down the last VC section ending the game:

The final scores - VC Turning Up (25), 4 Caches not found (4), 2 American bases killed (6), 2 M113's destroyed (6) and one unit destroyed (4) totalling 45 points. US score 19 VC killed (19), 4 units destroyed (16), 7 caches searched (4), 3 dead aircrew recovered (25) totalling 64 giving the Americans a 'Proper Win':

For much of the game (until Donovan's unwise and in all honesty unnecessary artillery request) the game looked like a walkover for the Americans, they were actually unlucky not to find more crew alive.

I think I make fewer errors with the Americans now and the luck which went all to the VC in the first few games seems to have deserted them now, an early activation failure with a unit really hurts as it stops the rest of the force from doing anything much for that turn. The VC had three turns when the first unit to activate failed with four or more activation dice.

I might try out the firebase game next, I can probably make something up from my 28mm WW2 scenery to see if it is worth trying to make some actual defences!