AK47 Game Report - Skirmish at S'Mosa (Part One)

Yesterday, Jon and I played the first game in what will probably be an extended, if irregular, AK47 mini-campaign. The protaganists are the People's Democratic Republic of Mbote (me) against the Zumatan Dictatorship (Jon). The conflict kicked off with a skirmish at a crossing point on the Npungwe River.

Political Phase

Jon was the attacker and gained four groups upgraded to heavy weapons (regular mortars) while, as the defender, I gained a +1 firing for my regular infantry unit plus a professional upgrade for my fast raiding unit of jeeps and armoured cars.

Initial Deployment

The initial deployment for the Zumatans consisted of a unit of professional heliborne special forces, a mixed  AT / mortar regular unit with APC's and a regular unit of vigilant AT missile equipped scout cars.

The Mbote force consisted of a unit of militia techinicals with RCL's and AAA, a unit of regular infantry with RPG's, mortars and a towed AAA gun, together with a unit of professional HMG armed jeeps and armoured cars.

Turn 1

The first turn saw a cautious advance by the Zumatans toward the border post at the table centre, while the Mbote forces adopted a broad frontal approach covering all three of the dispersed objectives. The Zumatans seized the high ground on their side of the table and positioned an AT and mortar equipped unit to cover their assault.

The unit of Zumatan armoured cars advanced on their right flank, screened by the unit of Mbote armoured cars on the opposite side of the table. The Mbote militia technicals were positioned on the right flank of the Mbote side of the table, ready to sweep around the Zumatans left.

In the table centre, the Mbote infantry began an advance on the border post, while a Zumatan transport chopper hovered onto the battlefield opposite very, very slowly.

Turn 2 

In turn two the firefight kicked off when the Zumatan mortars opened up on the Mbote infantry unit opposite but a series of whacky dice rolls ended up with mechanical breakdown of their accompanying APC's, confusion in the ranks and a +2 firing bonus.

Luckily for the advancing Mbote regulars this resulted in no hits but, for their part, the supporting militia technicals advancing on the flank failed to dislodge any of the Zumatans from their hilltop position. This meant that the following turn would see a hard fought firefight for control of the centre ground.

Turn 3

The third turn saw an intensification in the battle, as both sides attempted to knock out opposing units from long range. The Zumatans succeeded in blowing up one of the technicals with some well aimed mortar fire and the AT guns destroyed the towed AAA gun that was attached to the Mbote infantry.

This was at the cost of yet more double 3 breakdown rolls for the Saracen APC's, raising a few eyebrows back at Zumatan HQ. The Mbote AAA gun did manage to pin the AT guns and mortars before it was wrecked but the accompanying Mbote regular infantry were pinned by the barrage and had to go to ground.

Turn 4

In the fourth turn, the Zumatan chopper landed and debussed a unit of Zumatan SAS professional troops next to the objective in the table centre. Meanwhile, on the far side of the battlefield, the Mbote technicals advanced at speed to close the range with the Zumatan artillery units pinned on the hill.

Next, the Mbote infantry unit decided to re-deploy in a backwards direction, leaving it's attached mortars in place to fire on the pinned Zumatans. Things were looking a bit sticky for the Zumatans, who had already suffered some crippling morale point losses in the previous turn.

In the subsequent firefight, the Zumatan mortars managed to pin the Mbote regulars for a second turn but the armoured cars failed to inflict any damage on the infantry unit, despite the use of Vigilant AT missiles in a direct fire role. The Mbote mortars were more successful, however, with a concentrated barrage wiping out one mortar and pinning another, together with the AT guns.

In the subsequent morale phase, the battered Mbote infantry managed to hold on despite losing two morale points but the Zumatan mortars and AT guns had had enough and made a rapid withdrawal from the battle in a headlong rout after losing their final remaining morale point.

....to be continued.