3rd Playtest of Surviving 'Nam - 'Perfect Ambush'

    A platoon of the Big Red One infantry division patrols a trail in Vietnam, headed for an ambush!

Cpl. Hawk was on point for the Big Red One, leading a column of 15 U.S. Army infantrymen through an area of dense jungle. Intel had advised that this area was very active with Viet Cong, but so far the two squads and headquarters element were having a walk in the park. Supposedly, in another klick or two, they'd rendezvous with the trucks to take them back to base. As the winding trail straightened out, Hawk could see it take a sharp bend to the left up ahead. He shook his head, and called just loud enough so the squad leader, Cpl. Kern, could hear, "Stay frosty and keep your spacing...this looks like a perfect ambush spot!"

    Troop dispositions at contact, with V.C. troops circled and the platoon moving to the right to exit

Just as the words left his mouth, the heavy, humid air of the jungle was shattered by gunfire. As one, the platoon hit the dirt. Kern called, "Contact nine o'clock and 12 o'clock -- and bunker between the two!" Immediately, the soldiers began to move off the relatively open trail and into the woods on the left and right. In the front of the column, soldiers began to pour fire into the bunker and the jungle to their left and front. Firing from his hip and trailed by his radioman Pfc. Byars, 2nd Lt. Cooper cursed as his M16 jammed. "Piece of shit!" 

    The V.C. bunker dead ahead of M60 gunner Pfc. George, who would duel with it for a couple turns

Where the trail took its bend, a V.C. armed with an RPG rose and fired to his left. There was a flash and loud explosion. Leaves and branches fell like rain. The men could hear Pfc. Tatum screaming as he went down. Dammit, Hawk thought, first blood to the V.C.!  Meanwhile, more V.C. popped up from spider hole fighting positions along the left side of the platoon's column. The sounds of their AK-47's and older bolt-action rifles threatened to overwhelm the senses of the U.S. soldiers. At the rear of the column, Cpl. Frey of 2nd Squad pointed out a V.C. to his M79 gunner, Pfc. Janowicz. The bloop gunner squinted, raised his shotgun-like weapon and fired. Boom! A flash and a scream brought a smile to the eagle-eyed M79 gunner, "Got 'em, boss!"

    The soldiers quickly move off the trail and into the cover of the trees once the firing begins

Back at the front of the column, the former, Pogue Pfc. Otis, was proving his worth, again. He fired a burst at the RPG gunner who'd taken out Tatum. The grenade launcher went flying as the guerrilla threw up his hands, then collapsed. Behind him, Pvt. Cassidy chucked, "Get some, O-thai!" This was the former rear area private's second month with 1st Squad, and he was proving useful. "You are officially not a cherry anymore, O-thai!" Suddenly, the humid air whistled with the sound of incoming mortar rounds. Men hit the dirt again, but looked up hopefully when the rounds impacted solidly on the V.C. bunker.

    Pfc. Tatum is hit by the explosion of an RPG round, fired by the V.C. at the top left

Lt. Cooper called out, "Relax, boys -- those are mine!" Smoke rose from the bunker and sticks and leaves continued to fall like rain all around. The men of 1st Squad looked at each other and grinned. Cassidy shouted, "Holeee shit! Get some L.T.!!" The machine gun inside the bunker chattered again after the smoke cleared, and it was obvious at least one V.C. soldier was still alive inside. The platoon's M60 gunner, Pfc. George, was targeting the bunker, but his shots seemed to be having no effect on the enemy inside the stout wooden construction.

    Lt. Cooper removes his helmet to better spot his Fire Mission's rounds fall on the bunker

Cpl. Kern called over to his friend. "Hawk - toss a grenade through the opening. That'll finish them off!" Hawk looked uncertain, but slung his M16 and pulled out a grenade. He rose to a crouch and pulled the pin, when suddenly automatic weapon fired tore through the jungle all around him. Startled, he dropped to the ground and lost his grip on the grenade, cursing and reaching for it frantically. BOOM! "Oh shit," Kern called out. "Hawk's down!" The corporal rose and fired wildly into the surrounding jungle, blaming himself for his friend's wounding. More fire tore through the jungle, and Kern yelped and went down, too. Things weren't going well with 1st Squad -- three soldiers were down already. 

    Stupid! I had Cpl. Hawk prepare a grenade, even though he wouldn't be able to throw it till next turn

At the rear of the column, Cpl. Frey pointed out another V.C. raising up out of his spider hole to Janowicz. "I see 'em, boss." He angled his grenade launcher, estimating the distance carefully. "Now you see him..." BOOM! The round landed on target. "Now, you don't -- that's how you do it, boss! You can buy me a beer back at base..." Frey patted Janowicz as he ran by him, motioning him to move on up. As he neared Pfc. Griffin who had taken cover in the trees on the right side of the trail, he saw movement beyond him. Griffin heard the crunching of undergrowth behind him at the same time and turned. His eyes widened, bright white against his dark skin. A squad of four V.C. had appeared, outflanking them. The V.C. noticed Griffin at the same time and fired through the trees at him. His back to a thick tree, he was unharmed, but the other soldiers all hit the dirt around him.

    Outflanked! Four V.C. riflemen appear on the right & rear of 2nd Squad - a dangerous moment

Seeing the enemy bunched up, Griffin pulled out a grenade, prepared it, and lobbed it towards the oncoming V.C. The fragmentation grenade bounced once and exploded. Three of the four went down, screaming. "Good toss, Griffin!" Kern called. To Cpl. Frank, the platoon medic, he yelled for him to hurry up the trail. It sounded like 1st Squad was taking casualties. He fired at the remaining V.C., but missed. Frank took off running through the trees, but after a few steps, his boots snagged a wire. A stick grenade exploded at his feet and Frank went down, rolling and grabbing his leg. 

    A quick-thinking Pfc. Griffin tosses a grenade at the squad, taking out 3 V.C. with one attack

Meanwhile, 1st Squad and HQ were starting to take care of business. Pvt. Cassidy fired a M79 round and landed in perfectly between two enemy. The explosion tossed them into the undergrowth, where they lay still. Pfc. George and his assistant gunner Pvt. Warfield, loaded another belt into the M60. Fire laced out from the barrel, this time striking home through the bunker opening and killing the last V.C. machine gunner inside. George swiveled and fired to his left, where the large V.C. squad was guarding another bend in the trail. One went down and the others flattened themselves, pinned by the machine gun's suppressing fire. Another V.C. fell backwards as George lowered his aim. Cooper's radioman fired into the jungle while the lieutenant was taking a call from the battalion colonel. He saw one V.C. go down, but wasn't sure if he'd hit him or just made him keep his head down. 

    Pvt. Cassidy shows he's a pretty good shot with the M79, too -- not just Janowicz!

Another V.C. with a RPG popped up in the jungle to the left of radioman. Frantic fire from the U.S. soldiers poured into the jungle around him. It wasn't until Lt. Cooper called in another fire mission on the position that the RPG gunner finally went down. Meanwhile, men were checking on their comrades who had been hit. Pfc. Otis called out that Tatum was hurt bad and couldn't walk. After helping George load a fresh belt, Warfield dashed through the trees to check on Hawk. He bandaged up the now twice-wounded corporal, joking that he'd take home two Purple Hearts, now. Hawk held out his hand and Warfield helped him up. He grimaced but nodded to say he was good. Dashing up from 2nd Squad, Pfc. Carter checked on the medic. Together, they bound up his leg wound with a bandage the medic pulled out of his bag. He gave Carter a thumbs up and used his rifle to leverage himself to his feet and took a few steps. He nodded to show he was good, as well.

    The extra Fire Mission card came in handy as Cooper's strike takes out a V.C. RPG gunner

Lt. Cooper shouted over the gunfire, "We have an alternate pickup point, men! Gather up the wounded, exfil the way we came in!" Just as he and his radioman stood, a single shot rang out from the trees to the left. Cooper pitched forward and dropped like a stone, unmoving. Byars reached for him, rolling him over. Another single shot rang out. Byars fell on top of his lieutenant. The single shot barked again, whizzing past Pfc. George's head and causing him to duck and crouch down.

    A shot of the platoon 'taking care of business' and downing V.C. all around them

"Sniper 10 o'clock! Let him have it!" The surviving members of 1st Squad poured fire into the trees where the sniper fire had come from. No one seemed to be able to him him, though, and the single shots rang out again and again. Thankfully, the incoming fire seemed to be rattling his aim, as no one else was hit. Eventually, Pfc. George was able to take the deadly sniper down with his M60. Meanwhile, Cpl. Kern was back on his feet, also only lightly wounded. Carter and Otis were carrying Tatum between them, and the medic was sprinting towards the Cooper and his radioman. 

    Peek inside the  bunker as Pfc. George's M60 finally finishes off the last of the machine gun crew

Cpl. Hawk limped down the trail, tracing a circle with his fingers in the air. "Everyone up! Grab the wounded. We're leaving!" 1st Squad and HQ fell slowly back, carrying their wounded with them. Byars turned out to be okay, the bulky radio having absorbed the bullet. He was helping carry the C.O., who looked messed up. As they reached 2nd Squad, Janowicz and Griffin were guarding the woods to either side. The joke died on Janowicz's lips when he saw the limp form of the lieutenant being carried towards him on the trail. Cpl. Kern patted both of the rear guards on the shoulder as he walked by, praising their good work today. Janowicz couldn't resist and held up four fingers to Griffin to show how many V.C. he'd killed. Griffin grinned, then flashed a full hand and a single finger. Janowicz looked surprised, mouthed the word six, and nodded appreciatively. With those two guarding their rear, the platoon withdrew down the trail.

    After finishing off the bunker, George switches fire with his 'hog' to this V.C. squad

This was my third solo playtest of  Surviving 'Nam: A Year "In Country" with Mr. Charles rules. Before the game, I made a number of tweaks to the rules. I am very fortunate in that I have more than a half dozen groups of players testing these cooperative miniatures rules for me in the U.S., U.K., and Italy. A consensus seemed to say the rules worked well, but were fairly deadly and lethal to the U.S. soldiers. So, I dialed back the "Danger Levels," and added some non-lethal cards to the event card deck. I really liked the way this game played out. The only time the doo-doo really seemed to hit the fan was when I had a run of consecutive bad dice rolls. 

    The 'sitrep' late in the game, with soldiers checking on wounded comrades, while others keep firing

And then just when it seemed things were in hand ,and the platoon was taking care of business, that damned sniper showed up! When rolling to avoid his shots, my men threw consecutive a 2, 3, and another 3. My firing at him was equally pathetic until the M60 finally took him out. Surprisingly, the bunker LMG ended up doing nothing to my platoon. Neither did the two LMG-armed troops that popped up in 2nd Squad's area. Janowicz and Griffin took them out quickly and handily. As it was, 15 men marched down the trail, and only two needed to be carried out -- Pfc. Tatum and the unfortunate 2nd. Lt. Cooper. The other wounded walked out on their own. I consider that casualty rate acceptable -- especially in a scenario that is supposed to be a classic, L-shaped ambush.

    Getting to those who have been hit and are 'Down' is a key part of the rules & managing your squad

Sadly, the rolls took a turn for the worse on the Post-Battle Recovery Chart. Cooper lost a limb and his war is over. Two of the Lightly Wounded, though, Cpl. Hawk and Cpl. Kern, apparently were toughing out worse wounds than they appeared. Kern will be out for two months and Hawk for three. Hawk's wounding was my fault (or Kern's?). I used Kern's squad leader ability to have Hawk prepare a grenade, even though he wouldn't be able to throw it till Hawk's own activation. Before he got his turn, though, a V.C. shot him and got a "Pin" result, which means the soldier drops the grenade and is automatically "Down." A bit of an "own goal," as they would say in soccer! Griffin made up for it later, though, with his beautiful grenade toss at the V.C. squad that had outflanked the rear of the column.

    'Let's go, people - we're moving out!' Cpl. Hawk & Cpl. Kern get the troops moving off-table

So, I guess it was another game where you didn't want to be in charge! The lieutenant is out, Kern is in Da Nang recuperating, and the next likely 1st Squad leader is in a hospital in Japan recovering, too.  The sole remaining part of the platoon's leadership is Cpl. Frey. of 2nd Squad He recommend to Ltc. Meyer that Pfc. Griffin be promoted to corporal and given 1st Squad. The colonel agreed, and also pulled some strings. Another poor Pogue (People Other than Grunts) was transferred from the rear to 2nd Squad to replace Griffin. What's more, a brand new cherry "Butterbar" will be joining the platoon next mission, 2nd Lt. Fickell. The good news is the platoon's 12-month tour of Vietnam is now 25% over. Who knows? Some of them may survive Vietnam yet!

    Pfc. Carter & Pfc. Otis combine to carry a wounded Tatum faster

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 290
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 231

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 53
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 136
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 201

So, what's been going on with my painting? I have finished my second batch of six figures for Devilry Afoot. I am underway on the next group of orcs, and am also mixing in some Native American shamans for my Franklinton campaign. Expect another update soon with pics of those finished figures. I also need to take some photos of the rice paddies I made (and you may catch a glimpse of in the photo below!).  

    Near the battle's end, the field is littered with the wounded and dead at the site of a 'Perfect Ambush'

Surving 'Nam Playtests: Mission 2 - Temple at River Bend

    1st Squad lined up in the trees along the river, ready to open up on any V.C. that appear

Both squads crouched in a circle around Lt. Cooper and Cpl. Kern. "There's a ruined temple complex across the river up ahead," Cooper said, pointing at his folded map. "S-2 say that there's good Intel some V.C. are using it as a bivouac and bunker against H&I fire. Our mission is to sneak up on it, pour fire into it, and drive the V.C. out of there. Second & Third Platoon are waiting in ambush along the trail they'll withdraw on and should shoot them up pretty good. Those we don't get, that is!"

    View of the tabletop before the battle -- the Americans would enter from the right, V.C. on the left

Cpl. Kern jumped in quickly. "As soon as you catch sight of the river, get in cover. Move through the trees, hump them like they're your high school buddy's girlfriend!" A couple squad members chuckled. "We're a diversion - don't take stupid risks. No John Wayne bullshit!" All were nodding or smiling at that comment, though Cooper looked at Kern a little funny. "First squad on me...let's move out. Hawk - you got point. Watch out for punji sticks!" Hawk grinned and flipped Kern the bird. He patted the pogue Otis on the shoulder as he walked by, whispering something that sounded like, "See -- told you this would be fun...!" 

    Led by Cpl. Kern, 1st Squad enters on the left -- immediately taking cover in the trees

This was my second playtest of my Surviving 'Nam: A Year In-country with Mr. Charles rules. I was encouraged after the first playtest, though it had been exceptionally bloody for the platoon. Losing NCOs left and right meant that 1st squad was now led by a corporal and 2nd by the lieutenant himself. The river he referred to took a wide U-shaped bend with the U.S. soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One) walking into the pocket of the "U." There was ample patches of medium vegetation on the platoon's side of the river, as well as opposite. In addition, across the river were several temple buildings and ruins, as well as a couple newer hooches. 

    Led by Lt. Cooper, 2nd Squad enters on the right and they also immediately take to the trees for cover

I gave this scenario a "+1" to the roll on ending the Countdown to Contact phase. Unlike last game, though, it took three full turns of Squad Leader-based movement before the die roll equaled or exceeded six (die roll + turns elapsed +1). During this early phase of the game, the squad leader rolls two dice per figure in his command. Successes are doled out to the soldiers as chosen by the players, with no figure receiving more than two. That meant both squads had good firing positions in cover, lining the bank of the river. The squad leaders were also in position to direct their soldiers (and give one of them a free activation each turn), and the new medic, Cpl. Frank, was back from the firing line in the center, as much as he could be. In short, we were ready once the enemy showed his face.

    Both squads advancing cautiously forward towards the river, sticking to the cover as Cpl. Kern said

After the first playtest, I tweaked the transition from the Countdown to Contact phase to the normal activation procedure. This time, instead of just moving straight into it, I first flipped Event Cards until it I revealed three cards that brought enemy onto the board. After rolling randomly for where they were deployed, I then started into rolling for my soldier's activations. I alternated a soldier from Kern's 1st Squad with one from Cooper's 2nd Squad, like two players would do if they were playing the game cooperatively. However, I was absolutely on fire with my rolling! I rarely failed activations -- unlike the first playtest! 

    1st Squad in their positions along the river, with the new medic, Cpl. Frank on the far right

In short order, the three lone VC whose cards were revealed were gunned down by the U.S. soldiers. The terrified clerk/typist even got the first kill, shooting a black-clad man across the river from him who was lining up a shot with his RPG. Someone laughed and shouted, "Get some, Otis!" Pfc. Griffin took aim at a rifleman in the distance, squeezed off a burst, and watched him fall to the ground. 2nd squad's M79 gunner, Pvt. Janowicz, moved to where he could see one of the V.C. behind the temple complex, and popped off a shot. It landed on-target, and the last of the three V.C. that I had just put on the table dropped as a casualty. Someone was still out there, though. Every time Cpl. Hawk raised his head, he drew a "That Was Close!" event card, which put a pin on him. There was a sniper out there...somewhere! Maybe not the most accurate one, but hitting close enough to keep the corporal's head down!

    2nd Squad watches incoming V.C. mortar fire land short across the river, causing no casualties

It wasn't till the end of the next turn that a V.C. light machine gunner came on board, but way off in the far corner of the board. So, for a turn and a half, Kern's and Cooper's squads held their positions or shifted just slightly. On the following turn, though, things began to happen. A squad of five V.C. popped up in the woods just across the river, on the unit's right. They lit up poor Pvt. Carter's position, but he hugged dirt and the rounds went overhead. When the fire slackened, he looked up, saw one moving and squeezed off a burst, pumping his fist as he saw him fall. Lt. Cooper had apparently been busy while the platoon was waiting for the V.C. to initiate contact, though. Shortly after the enemy squad appeared, a fire mission from the company mortars landed right on their position. I had drawn the first "Fire Mission" card during the lull, and it then it came up a second time (which is when it is actually played on an enemy) immediately after the enemy squad appeared. Cooper's radioman, Pfc. Byars, patted the lieutenant's shoulder as the rounds crashed around the enemy squad, whispering, "Get some, L-T!" Not to be outdone, Pvt. Janowicz lobbed a M79 round on target, too, killing another. After a bloody first mission, the platoon seemed to be ready for payback this time!

    While Lt. Cooper scans the opposite bank for enemies, his fire mission explodes into the V.C. squad

Cpl. Kern decided to switch positions to be closer to his M60 gunner, Pfc. Boston. As he was darting through the trees, he triggered a wire and KABOOM! Kern fell, and his buddy Hawk shouted, "MEDIC!" Cpl. Frank sprinted over to Kern, rolled him over and chuckled. Slightly panicked, Kern said, "What the Hell's so funny? I'm hit!" The medic pulled Kern's mess kit loose from his pack -- it was shredded, and had taken the shrapnel from the small explosion. Kern's voice cracked a little when he laughed, but his relief was obvious.

    Medic Cpl. Frank checks on the down Cpl. Kern, who triggered a booby trap during his movement

"Go get 'em, tiger --  you're okay!" Frank said, pulling the dazed squad leader to his feet. In Surviving 'Nam, a soldier who rolls lower than the Danger Level of an enemy shot, booby trap, incoming artillery, etc., is "Down." Another soldier needs to spend an action checking on them, at which point the players roll to see the result of the wound. It can range from "out of action" to "Holy Shit!" (when a player's was knocked to the ground by the force of the round or explosion, but they are unwounded). That's what happened to the lucky Cpl. Kern. He dashed off, grinning back at the medic.

    A squad of 3 V.C. riflemen appear on table and move up to take cover behind a Buddhist stupa

Cpl. Frank took off running again when he heard the shout of "MEDIC!" from Pfc. Griffin, on 2nd squad's flank. As he sprinted over (rolled a "20" which gives an extra action for a total of 3!), Griffin shouted to him that Carter had been hit. Frank found the African-American soldier laying motionless on the ground. He looked pretty messed up, so he didn't hesitate. He snatched him up and carried him out of the patch of trees and line of sight of the enemy. He called over to the lieutenant and let him know that Carter would need a Medevac. Cooper nodded and told Byars to make the call ASAP. The squad had just taken its first casualty. Would this mission end up being like the last, with seven soldiers riding out on Medevac choppers? Cooper hoped not, Capt. Meyer would have his ass if it did!

    The V.C. squad moves from behind the stupa into firing positions in the hard cover of the temple

Meanwhile, Pvt. Janowicz was watching the far treeline beyond the temple complex. He'd seen three V.C. dart out of the trees and duck behind a massive stone stupa. Too hard of a shot, he thought -- the rounded  stone surface would just bounce his round away from the enemy. Sure enough, the trio soon darted from behind the structure and raced to the cover of a crumbling stone wall and Buddha statue. "Better pray to your fat buddy, suckers," he smiled, lining up the shot. Ka-BOOM! "Got two of them!" he shouted. While reloading, he called to Boston, the M60 gunner. "You going to fire that hog, today?" Boom! "Got the other," Janowicz laughed. The M60 gunner just shook his head. Now, that crazy Chuck knows I didn't have line of sight on those dudes, he thought.

    Janowicz's first M79 round lands between 2 V.C. sheltering behind a Buddha statue, taking them out

Suddenly, AK-47 fire hammered out from behind the platoon. Cpl. Kern shouted, "Boston, on our six! Enemy to the rear!" Boston spun away from the river and saw a half dozen black-clad enemy stalking towards them, firing from the hip. He laid down a sheet of covering fire, just like his mentor, Pfc. George, had taught him. All the enemy hit the dirt, one obviously wounded. Suddenly he heard Janowicz shout, "Get down...RPG!" An explosion in the trees caused a fresh round of cursing from an obviously unwounded but narrowly missed Janowicz. Kern was shouting again, "Across the river, Boston! V.C. bunker in the trees!!" The unmistakable sound of an enemy light machine gun fire from across the river made Boston spin back again. 

    V.C. RPG gunner pops up & attempts to give Janowicz a taste of his own medicine, narrowly missing

"God damn it!" Boston cursed, hosing fire towards the muzzle flashes coming from the trees. How did they miss that freaking thing? Shit was hitting the fan, now! Boston fired off another burst at the bunker, then turned and layed down suppressive fire on the squad behind them. "A little help, guys!" he called. 1st Squad's M79 man Cassidy cursed and moved along the river until he could see the bunker. He popped off a shot, but missed long. The bunker's machine gun fired another burst and the FNG Warfield, who had been trying to follow Boston around with more M60 ammo, screamed and went down. "I'm hit!" he called.

    Enemy LMG in a bunker across the river opens up on 1st Squad, catching the Americans by surprise

Kern called out to Boston, "I got Warfield -- you keep up the suppressive fire! You're doing great...no matter what Janowicz says!" The squad leader ducked through the trees to Warfield. The new guy was rolling around in agony screaming he was hit. Kern grabbed him, found the wound -- a bullet had scraped a hunk out of his shoulder, and bandaged it. Kern put his hands on either side of the terrified soldier's face. "You're going to be okay -- it was just a graze. Now, grab your rifle and move towards the rear. The C.O. says its almost time to go!"

    An "Outflanked!" Event Card brings a squad of V.C. riflemen onto the Americans' rear

When the sound of the M60 died down for a second, Janowicz called out, "Hey Boston! I bet I get the bunker before you do..." The M60 gunner smiled despite himself, loaded another belt of ammo, and fired at the bunker's opening. He swore he could see the rounds disappearing inside. Then he saw the 40mm grenade from Janowicz's M79 bounce through the hole and inside. BOOM! Well, so much for that -- even if he had killed the gunner, Janowicz would claim he did it. "TOLD YOU! Woowee! Did you see that shot, Boston?" 

    Pvt. Janowicz, at right, admires his shot bouncing a 40mm grenade through the bunker's opening 

Lt. Cooper's voice cut through the din. "Time to go, everyone! Janowicz -- shut your trap and move out!" Slowly, the squads begin to pull back. Each soldier would fire off a few shots at VC that were still attacking, then darted out of the trees towards the rear. Cooper's radioman Byars moved to help Cpl. Frank with Carter, and the two picked up speed, moving the unconscious private to the rear. Cpl. Kern lingered towards the rear, making sure no one got left behind. As he turned to run, he saw Lt. Cooper watching him. The two locked eyes, both smiled, and raced under the trees. 

    Pfc. Byars & Cpl. Frank, the medic, carry a badly wounded Pvt. Carter toward the rear & Medevac

The platoon's mission was to provide a diversionary attack on the temple complex. I ruled that once the platoon had killed a number of enemy equal to their numbers, that would be considered a sufficient diversion. When the enemy squad showed up on our rear, as a player I did the quick math, and calculated that would take us over the number required. Of course, that was also when the bunker and the RPG man appeared! Through the first half of the game, I was thinking, "This one is too easy." When Carter went down, and the enemy started appearing one after another, I was thinking, "Oh, crap -- here it comes again!" However, in the last game my dice went south at crunch time. This game, they stayed fairly consistent. 

    1st & 2nd Squad exfiltrate from the battlefield, having scored satisfying payback on the V.C.

I had only two wounded to roll for -- I got lucky when Cpl. Kern survived the booby trap unscathed. I knew Pvt. Warfield should be okay. He was only Lightly Wounded (+4 to the roll), and he made it off table (+1). I rolled the d20 and he got more than a 20. You want a high roll on the injury table. So, he was fine and wouldn't miss any time -- which the other soldiers would probably say was good since he just got there! I was sweating it a bit on Pvt. Carter. He was out of action (no modifier), but was carried off-table (+1). Carter scored, "Enjoy Japan!" He would be recuperating in Okinawa and miss the next three missions. All in all, the platoon had a MUCH better post-battle than after the first mission. 

    Screen shot of my Post-Battle Recovery table that wounded soldiers must roll on 

Organizationally, Cpl. Frey would return to take command of 2nd Squad next month. However, with Carter out, 2nd Squad needed another body -- it was only Frey, Griffin, and Janowicz. So, this meant one roll on the Replacements table. I scored a "15" -- "Welcome to the squad!" Capt. Meyer transferred a junior NCO from one of the other platoons over to 1st Platoon, 2nd Squad. He is "Grunt" status -- combat experienced. So, the guys will be happy to welcome Cpl. Bosa to their unit. Speaking of which, I imagine there has to be one or two readers out there who have figured out my naming system for the Big Red One!  Over to 1st Squad -- they are back to full strength in March with Pfc. Tatum's return. Otherwise, the new medic performed great under pressure (no failures on activation rolls). Lt. Cooper is starting to perform well under pressure -- he and Kern worked well together on this mission. So, February was a relatively good month for Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment -- at least our little section of it!

    A screen shot of my replacement table -- only one roll on it needed after this mission!

On the rules writing front, there are a couple tweaks that I'm going to make after this game, but I am happy with how the it is playing. Earlier this week, I got a chance to assemble the first draft of the rules into a coherent organization. So, if you are interested in helping me playtest Surviving 'Nam, please reach out to me. I have three folks who have done so already, so they should be getting some files this week. I hope you enjoyed the battle report. It obviously doesn't record every die roll and every Event Card drawn, hopefully conveys the main flow of the game and the action. 

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 167

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150

Resin Bunkers from MBA for Vietnam Project

    28mm NVA Jungle Bunker available from Miniature Building Authority - you can see fig inside

I picked up these four resin bunkers and sniper positions at Historicon 2025 from Miniature Building Authority. Not that every game is going to include a bunker, but the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong did use them, and they were usually well-camouflaged, making it hard to see them. My plan was to have them "appear" on the tabletop when a light machine gun Event Card is drawn in my Surviving 'Nam rules. Same with the sniper positions, though I may need to purchase a prone figure or two to have them and their base actually fit inside the position with the roof on! Oh, no -- just when you thought it was safe -- more purchases! 

    Coconut Log MG Bunker from MBA (originally made by Acheson Creations) with some VC figs

These 28mm pieces were originally produced by Acheson Creations, and Kirk at MBA has picked up them up and carries them on his website. All of the pieces came with detachable roofs. I purchased the Coconut Log Bunker, NVA Jungle Bunker, and two of the Sniper Positions. I'm a big fan of Acheson pieces, but have learned by now that you MUST do something to get of the mold release agent. Otherwise, your paint will bead up like rain on a newly-waxed car -- or pull away and bubble. My method is to put them in the dishwasher with soap on a low heat, light wash cycle. Next, I prime them with Krylon Fusion Acrylic black matte spray paint. The final step before painting is to go over the surface with a 50/50 mixture of black craft paint and water, to ensure all crevices are fully filled.

    U.S. soldiers investigate MBA's 'Sniper Position' - it blends in well with my Jungle Scatter pieces!

Typically, Acheson pieces are a snap to paint up. Sometimes, it is only 3-4 colors on something and you're done, except for flocking. These were a bit more complex, though. I decided to do the wooden log construction of the bunkers first. I did a wet brush of dark brown, letting them dry overnight. Then, I did two highlights -- the first in Howard Hues Camo Brown and the second in Khaki. I'm always happy with the wood look this color combo gives, and these were no exception.

    A V.C. machine gunner inside the Coconut Log Bunker with the roof off of it

Next up, I went to work on the very thick vegetation molded onto both the roofs and the bottom parts of the positions. I decided to go with a three-color approach. First, I painted it all in a very dark green craft color that I have. After drying overnight, I did a medium green dry brush. These pieces are excellently sculpted, and have nice deep grooves in the palm fronds that are perfect for dry brushing. The next morning I put on the final very light green dry brush -- applied lightly. I really liked how the vegetation looked at this stage, and think it will blend in nicely with the model trees I use on the tabletop, which was a concern I had originally.

    The bottom part of the NVA Jungle Bunker comes in two pieces, with the roof as a 3rd piece

The final detail on the pieces were the boulders or large rocks modeled into the vegetation at various points. In carefully looking over these pieces, I found that I had painted a number of the rocks green thinking they were vegetation instead of rock. Even after I thought I was done, I found more of them! I did a three-color approach to these, as well. I used a Charcoal craft paint as a base coat, then a medium and finally light gray dry brush highlight. At this stage, everything was painted. I liked how they looked, but definitely wanted to do a wash on them before flocking. 

    MBA's 'Sniper Position' with palm frond roof off of it - the inside portion is too small for my figs!

In the end, I did two washes. For the vegetation, I used a dark brown vehicle wash from Vallejo. In creating my jungle scatter pieces, I had toned down the green plastic of those with a brown wash. I felt that doing a brown wash on top of the vegetation on the bunkers would give them a similar look to the scatter pieces. I was glad that I made that decision. I think the brown-washed vegetation looks great! Next, I did a black wash on the rocks and wood. The last step would be flocking, and like everything else with these bunkers, it would be multi-step and more complex than usual.

    Side view of 'NVA Jungle Bunker' - you can see the separate back wall better in this photo

First, I had to paint all of the earth that was showing. I used my usual craft brown paint. This was fiddly in some places, as I had to pick out the brown between individual palm fronds or rocks. Some modelers might have painted the earth first, in the time-honored paint "inside out" approach. However, I was afraid I would have too much splash over with the wet and dry brushing of the vegetation and boulders. Of course, I could have done the earth first and then gone back and just touched up the mistakes. If I were to more of these pieces, that's probably the method I would try next. 

    'I'm not going in there...YOU go in there!' -- a close up look at the front of the Sniper Position

Once the earth color had dried, the time for flocking had come. I have an old Elmer's glue bottle that I keep filled with half white glue, half brown craft paint (the same color I use for the earth). Once again, I carefully brushed this onto the brown earth spots, and then poured over Woodland Scenics Blended Turf. I tapped off the excess, and then used a makeup brush and a soft paint brush to whisk off the excess flocking from the leaves and boulders. I seized the chance of a borderline low humidity that day to spray the flocked pieces with Krylon clear matte.

    This look at the roof of the NVA Jungle Bunker gives a good picture of the intricate detail

The final step in the flocking process was to add patches of Woodland Scenics Blended Green Grass in irregular patches to the turf. It is a similar process I use for many of my bases, and I like the effect it gives. Like with my miniature bases, I also glued on a few tufts here and there. And leaves! I am really liking the touch that miniature leaves give to figure bases and terrain flocking. Now, I just need to find another source of them before I run out. One final spray coat and these bunkers are done! Well...they were supposed to be done. I wasn't 100% happy with how the roofs sat on the bunkers. I swore they fit nice and snug before I primed and painted everything! However, they seemed a little wobbly after it was all done. So, I decided to add a layer of black felt to the bottom of the roofs. Not only would it essentially be invisible when the roof was sitting on the bunker, the felt material should both snag and cushion the posts a little, and help them sit a little more secure. That is the hope, at least!

    Front of the Coconut Log Bunker -- you can barely see the flesh of the prone machine gunner inside

I'm very happy with how these bunkers and sniper positions came out. I'm so glad that Kirk from MBA has kept some of the incredible Acheson terrain line in production. If you need a few bunkers for either Pacific theater of World War II or Vietnam, I highly recommend these!

    Top down look at a Sniper Position which shows the dry brushing on the palms fairly well

So, what else is on my painting desk? Since terrain is often a "do a little bit and let dry overnight" kind of pace, I have been working off and on the last five Fantasy Fishmen I had primed and ready to go. They're off to a great start and are pretty far along. After that, I have some decisions to make as far as miniatures go. I can begin painting my horde of 28mm metal Orcs and Goblins, or I can do up a few batches of miscellaneous stuff I've been wanting to get done eventually. My guess is it'll be Orcs and Goblins, but we shall see!

    Last look at the NVA Jungle Bunker with 2 of my 28mm 'Black Sun' range NVA troops

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Miniatures acquired in 2025: 288
  
• Miniatures painted in 2025: 167

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Terrain acquired in 2025: 36
  
• Terrain painted in 2025: 61

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2025

• Scatter acquired in 2025: 115
  
• Scatter painted in 2025: 150