'Nam project - Vietnamese Hut

I have been working on making some huts for my game off and on for a little while now, and it wasn't until recently that I was put onto the idea of using a certain type of place mat to represent the woven grass walls of huts.

After buying a suitable place mat for $3 I proceeded to strip back the work I had done on my hut and quickly replaced it with cut up sections for my walls.

Seeing how effective it looks really spurred me on to finishing my hut, as seen below:

the roof looks much brighter than it really is.

The plan for the hut comes from Matakishi's web site (as seen here) and I just glued the place mat to the sides, kebab skewers along the windows and doors, and then used the bristles from a paint brush glued over cardboard I had glued in place for the roof.

 I have cut out enough walls to make three of the smaller huts shown on Matakishi's web site, and hope to have those make fairly soon so that I can have a village up and running.

'Nam project - sampans and cards

Despite being busy with real life these last few weeks, I have dabbled hobby wise, and this last week saw the arrival of some items I ordered at the beginning of July.

 The first to arrive was the cards I had made up for my game:

 I initially only intended to get one deck made, but the company that prints the cards was having a 4th of July sale where you could get free postage to anywhere in the world if you spent $30.

 Seeing as one deck of cards plus postage was going to cost me $24, I figured I would create the extra decks and pay the additional $6 to get the free postage.

 Each deck has its own art work so that I can't mix them up.  The decks I had made, in no particular order are:

   An enemy deck for controlling what enemy forces my LRRPs will be combating,

  A mission deck for determining which scenario I will be playing,

 An event deck for random effects during game play and,

 An asset deck for support the LRRPs can have on call. 

 I didn't take photos of all the text on the decks, but the following photo gives you an idea of how they came up:

Even before I placed the order for the decks I had placed an order for some Front Line Sampan models.  I ordered these through their Australian stockist, but it turns out they didn't have them in stock, so my order took over a month to get here.

 I am rather pleased with the sampans, especially as my figures can be placed on the stern and bow of each one and look like they were meant to be there:

Now I just need to paint them up, and I intend to make a new river section for my playing area so I can have a wider river to allow for water traffic during a game.  Who knows, one day I might even buy a River Patrol Boat for my games.



I really like the cards, and I would like to get some more made for my Strange Aeons game (these would be printed in colour this time) and for the Rhodesian War project that myself and my wargaming buddy would like to play.

'Nam project - Campaign game 2

The LRRPs were given a new mission from HQ - they were to do a Bomb Damage Assessment of a crater made from a low to medium payload. The Pilot had dropped some bombs on what he thought was a unit of NVA moving towards one of the many U.S. fire bases  in the area. Now those higher up wanted confirmation of the enemy presence in the area.

The game set up showing the crater

 The LRRPs inserted not too far from the crater, choosing to patrol into the area rather than risk being caught in an ambush at what could be a major infiltration route for the NVA.

The LRRPs begin their patrol

As they approached the crater, potential enemy activity began to show up on the other side from their approach.
 

The LRRPs slowly approach the crater...

The first possible encounter moves out of the AO to the top of the area.
 

...while a possible encounter appears and moves off

Enemy activity seems to increase as two more blips move around the AO, this time both heading towards the crater.

More possible encounters..

... as the LRRPs draw close to their objective.

Another potential encounter proves to be nothing to worry about

Enemy or not?

Not it would seem

Which might have been good for the blip

The first one cause a bit of alarm in the LRRPs, but it was a 'hit and run'. Rather than take on the LRRPs the enemy fires a 'spray and pray' in the LRRPs direction and then melts into the near by jungle. 

The threat passed, the LRRPs shake out into a line formation to  search the crater and surrounds.

More blips appear

and move closer to the LRRPs

as the LRRPs begin their search.

The next encounter turns into another hit and run as this time the LRRPs take suppressing fire before who ever the firer was melts away.

The JNR Scout is fired at.

 With the suppression dealt with and no more encounters around, the LRRPs get on with their mission.

Searching the crater and the sides.

 No sooner had they cleared the crater when torrential rain began and visibility was reduced.

Objective complete it begins to rain.

Just before the LRRPs reform into patrol single file another potential encounter arises.

Enemy or another hit and run?

Fortunately this is nothing to worry about and the LRRPs change formation before moving off to be picked up for a return to base, with their mission a success.

The LRRPs move into single file and into the jungle.

Once back at base the LRRPs pass on what intel they found; there was evidence of enemy equipment in the crater in the form of a back pack. Nothing was inside the back pack, but it was NVA issue. There was also evidence of an active enemy in the area, but not in large enough formations to openly take on the LRRP patrol.


Game notes

This is the first game I used my new card idea, and it worked really well. I rolled a lot of blips to begin with and oddly enough they all seemed to be coming from the same area.

 Each time a blip was spotted I would draw a card from my 'encounter deck' and every time it turned up 'no encounter'.  Once the game was over I found I was lucky, as the very next card in the deck was the enemy, as was a few close at hand.

 When ever a blip spotted the LRRPs before being spotted itself it would fire a burst of snap fire at the LRRPs which I considered to be harassing fire.

 This system worked really well, and when determining the enemy ratings at the start of the game I can also determine the ratio of enemy cards to no encounter cards allowing for heavy or light enemy activity in the area.

 This game was also the first time a random event came up during play, which was the torrential rain. Not a very exciting event, but one that could have allowed the enemy to get right on top of the LRRPs before they were spotted.

 I also need to do more work on my intel charts to see what type of intel the LRRPs can gather during a mission.

 This was the third game I have played using the Disposable Heroes Point Blank rules, and I am liking them a lot.  The rules are well suited to small actions involving small teams of elite troops like the LRRPs.