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Just
Another Day in the Delta
a
scenarion generator for "Contre Les Viets"
by
Peter Hunt
Introduction
“Contre
Les Viets” is best played with an umpire but if there are only two of you
“Just Another’ Day in the Delta” can be used to generate quick play
scenarios to enable you to get through several games in a session.
This system is based on the old SPI game “GRUNT”.
Terrain
The
game simulates a sweep through the Red River Delta.
Terrain should consist of a village, cultivated land, a road, streams
or irrigation ditches and dykes, low hills and areas of scrub, woods and
jungle on a standard 6’ x 4’ table.
French Forces
French
initial forces consist of one regular infantry company who arrive on the
table side of their choice. Their
aim is to sweep and clear the area in four hours.
This is based on Pirey’s assertion that the industry standard for
such sweeps was two villages a day. This
company is part of a sweep by a Groupe Mobile so in support there will be:-
ź
Artillery – one 105 mm battery may be
called in direct support.
ź
Airpower – Emergency Request number is 5,
fighters are on ramp alert.
ź
Reinforcements – another infantry company
or a mechanised platoon, both accompanied by an artillery observer.
These will arrive one hour after being called.
Thirty minutes after being called the French player throws a secret
dice to determine the location of the reinforcements.
On a 1 or 2 they will arrive anywhere on the same table edge as the
original company, on a 3 or 4 they will arrive on the table edge to the left
of the original table edge, on a 5 or 6 they will arrive on the table edge
to the right of the original.
However
“Just Another Day in the Delta” is just that.
Just another day in a long dirty war.
Today might bring the French into contact with a full VM company
spoiling for a fight or a peaceful village with nothing more aggressive than
a bad tempered water buffalo and the ubiquitous mosquitoes.
Therefore if the French commander calls for support unnecessarily and
pulls resources away from other elements of the GM that need them he will
have an irate colonel to answer to tonight.
Time
Use
“Hit the Dirt” Special Rule 4: the Moving Clock.
The clock will advance 15 minutes at the end of each French
initiative if a 4, 5 or 6 is thrown.
VM Forces
In
each scenario the VM player has 30 hidden unit counters.
Three of these are for booby traps and three are for caches.
The rest are either dummies, which represent the animals and
civilians in the area, or a variable number of squads and commanders
depending upon the scenario.
The
VM player throws a secret dice to determine his scenario and then deploys
his hidden unit counters as he sees fit.
Rifle squads and PCs may be deployed “hidden” in the open.
They are revealed if they fire, if they are fired on, or if a French
unit moves to point blank range. Until
they are so revealed they may be moved and remain hidden.
If
the scenario allows for VM punji stakes or fortifications the VM player
secretly notes the locations of bunkers, tunnels and punji stakes.
Caches
and booby traps may only be deployed in cover and may not move.
Game Duration and Special
Rules
The
game starts with a French initiative. It
ends after four hours, when the French declare “No contact” or when the
VM declare that all units which started the game on the table are either
dead or have left the table.
The
VM player may move dummies, unrevealed squads or commanders and revealed
units off the table by normal movement.
The
French player may “investigate” any VM hidden unit counter by stating
that his movement for a French squad or group is to investigate the counter.
He then specifies his route to the counter and is subject to normal
reactive fire en route and, if the counter or the route is in cover, ambush
fire if applicable.
ź
If the counter is a dummy (representing
peasants going about their business) it is removed.
ź
If the counter is a cache the unit must
spend one full initiative without movement destroying it.
ź
If the counter is a booby trap the
investigating unit is attacked by four fire dice without any adjustment.
The booby trap is then removed.
ź
If the counter is a VM squad or commander
it is revealed at point blank range in the open.
Such a “hidden” squad in the open cannot ambush a squad
investigating it. If the counter
is a VM squad in cover it may ambush fire at its investigator or engage in
close combat as a surprise encounter.
Winning and Losing
The
French gain:-
ź
1 point for every VM squad or commander
destroyed, or cache destroyed.
ź
2 points for every VM heavy weapon
destroyed.
The
VM gain:-
ź
2 points for every French squad, or
commander or heavy weapon destroyed.
ź
4 points for every French heavy weapon
destroyed in close combat.
ź
1/3
point for every dummy unit that is the victim of French direct fire, area
fire or reconnaissance by fire.
ź
˝ point for every VM unit on the table or
successfully withdrawn at the end of the game.
If
one side exceeds the other by less than 50% the result is a draw, by 51-100%
they have a marginal victory, by 101% they have a decisive victory.
Reduce
the VM victory/defeat by one level if the VM are fortified.
Reduce
the French victory/defeat by one level if the French use an unnecessary
support. This is cumulative i.e.
if the French use artillery, air and reinforcements against “sporadic
opposition” their victory level would be reduced by three, so if on points
they had a decisive victory this would be reduced to a VM marginal victory.
The Scenarios
Dice
Score = 1. “No Contact”
VM
= 3 booby traps, 3 caches, 24 dummies. No
fortifications.
French
permitted supports = nil.
Special
Rules. The French player may
declare “no contact’ at any time.
ź
If the scenario is “no contact” the
French have a decisive victory if they have investigated less than 6 hidden
unit counter or a marginal victory if they have investigated 6 to 10
counters. Any other result is a
draw.
ź
If the scenario is “sporadic contact”
the result is a draw.
ź
In any other scenario the French are
decisively defeated.
Dice
Score = 2 “Sporadic Contact”
VM
= 3 booby traps, 3 caches, 2 snipers, one of whom is in a spider hole, 22
dummies, no fortifications
French
permitted supports = nil
Dice
Score = 3 “Light Contact”
VM
=3 booby traps, 3 caches, 1 sniper, 1 PC, 3 squads, 19 dummies, 2 punji
stakes, no fortifications.
French
permitted supports = nil
Dice
Score = 4 “Delaying Action”
VM
= 3 booby traps, 3 caches, 1 sniper, 2 PC, 6 squads, 1 HMG or 1 x 81 mm
mortar, 14 dummies, 2 punji stakes, no fortifications.
French
permitted supports = Artillery
Dice
Score = 5 “Heavy Fighting”
VM
= 3 booby traps, 3 caches, 1 sniper, 1 CC, 2 PC, 6 squads, one x 81 mm
mortar, 1 x HMG, 12 dummies, 4 punji stakes.
VM may fortify with spider hole for sniper and one bunker.
French
permitted supports = Artillery, Air.
Dice
Score = 6 “More than you can chew”
VM
= 3 booby traps, 3 caches, 1 sniper, 1 CC, 3 PC, 9 squads, 1 HMG, 1 x 81 mm
mortar, 8 dummies, 4 punji stakes. VM
may fortify with spider hole for sniper, one bunker and two tunnels.
The tunnels run between a building or bunker and the nearest other
bunker, building, vegetation cover, paddy or water feature.
French
Permitted supports = Artillery, Air, Reinforcements.
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