With the help of the other wargamers of the Pz8 Yahoogroup, I am developing the Pz8 1975-2010 Two Pages rules for micro armour (a draft version can be downloaded from the Files section). This is a playtest solo game, set between two modern South American imagi-nations (Malaguay and Pizzarra) in the desert of the Sierra Moana.

Malaguay army is a professional force with German equipment, while the Pizzarran are a conscript army with ex-Soviet weapons... could be a Cold War game, indeed. 

Here are the Order of Battle and the data for the various units involved.
Malaguay (Regular)

6 x Leopard 2
6 x Marder (1 is HQ)
2 x M109

Pizzarra (Green)

9 x T80
9 x BMP1 (1 is HQ)
4 x 2S3

                               Move           Range       LRF       S         Att (Soft / Armd)           Defence

Leopard 2                5”                 27”          y          y            3 / 6                           6

Marder                    6”                 12”                                    2 / 3                           2

M109                      4”                 40”                                    5 / 3                           1

T80                        5”                  27”        y            y            3 / 6                           6           

BMP1                      6”                 15”                                    2 / 3                           1

2S3                        4”                 40”                                    5 / 3                           2

ATGW                                         30”                                     - / 5

LRF = Laser Range Finder S = Stabilization System

Marder & T80 have 1 ATGW (Anti Tank Guided Weapon) each


Malaguay wins if destroys 7 enemy units, Pizzarra wins if destroys 5 enemy units.

The battle started with a salvo of ATGW at extreme range from the Pizzarran, without effect. Then the Pizzarran force advanced, under fire from the Malaguayan Leopard 2. First T80 and Leopard 2 units were destroyed, with both forces moving to take cover in the rough ground areas.

The regular Malaguayan managed to score more hits, but the Pizzarran enjoyed a larger volume of fire. Malaguayan Marder fired their ATGW and hit some enemy units, but some of their Leopards were destroyed while still in the open desert. 

Battle continued with both forces firing at long distance from cover, and with the Pizzarran scoring loads of 6s! Malaguayans switched target and fired to the distant enemy self-propelled artillery, destroying two units. 

Seeing three Leopard units burning in the desert, the overconfident Pizzarran T80 advanced, but did the same ending... and that ended the battle too.

Losses were: Malaguay 3 x Leopard 2 and 1 x M109; Pizzarra 5 x T80, 2 x 2S3.

Overall a fun game... if you are found of two-pages modern rules!

There was some discussion on the Pz8 Yahoogroup about the Pz8 WW2 Divisional rules. As a result I made some changes (a revised .doc file can be downloaded from the Files section of the group) and made a test solo game. Since I think that this simple set (only two pages) may be used for pre-WW2 and post-WW2 conflicts too, I arranged a (sketchy) scenario about the battle of Abu-Ageila, during the Six Day War (1967).

Israeli (Regular, except Paratroopers = Elite) 

 HQ

• 1 Centurion Btg (Slow / Heavy Tanks) + 1 Paratrooper Btg ( Motor Infantry) + 3 Artillery Btg
• 1 Super Sherman  Btg (Medium Tanks) + 1 AMX 13 Btg (Fast / Light Tanks) + 2 Motor Infantry Btg + 3 Artillery Btg

Egyptian (Green)

HQ

• 1 Infantry Btg + 1 SU 100 Btg + 1 Artillery Btg
  
• 2 Infantry Btg + 1 T34/85 Btg + 2 Artillery Btg
  
• 2 Infantry Btg + 1 T34/85 Btg + 2 Artillery Btg
  

EGYPTIAN INFANTRY deploy in Fortifications
EGYPTIAN/ISRAELI INFANTRY add + 1 vs tanks
SU 100 add + 1 vs tanks
EGYPTIAN/ISRAELI ARTILLERY units have 4 turns of fire


VICTORY CONDITIONS: Israeli must occupy Abu-Ageila within the end of the day, loosing less than 3 units; or destroy at least 6 Egyptian units. Otherwise it is an Egyptian victory.

The IDF advanced towards the North and Central Egyptian positions and engaged them on turn 3, after one turn of ineffective artillery preparation. Centurions and Paratroopers crushed the northern enemy defences, meeting only some resistance from the SU 100 tank-hunters. In the central area, things went badly instead for the Israeli, that lost all their Motorized infantry before clearing the Egyptian fortifications. The T34/85 Btg counterattacked and engaged the Super Shermans in a long fight, while the AMX 13 Btg was badly treated by artillery fire and compelled to withdraw out of range, for rallying. 

In the following turns, the Paratroopers Btg rushed towards Abu-Ageila, followed by the slow Centurion tanks, while from the South the Egyptian T34/85 and Artillery moved to hinder the fatigued Israeli tanks. This was the situation after Turn 9, when a D6 roll = 5 ended the day.

The changes discussed in the Pz8 Yahoogroups worked well, but I am not still 100% satisfied about the rules.   There is still some work to do about Artillery, for example. I will do other games before publishing a revised version on this website, together with another project: the Pz8 1975-10 Two Pages wargaming rules (a first draft of these too, can be downloaded in the Files section of the group).

As I told in the previous posting, this solo scenario can be done with many variations. This night I added 3  Japanese snipers in foxholes. They were Veteran and could aim to individual figures (most likely flamethrowers and bazooka...). Sniper fire results only in Casualty (no Suppression). Each sniper was activated as one unit, with max. 1 Suppression (after that, the sniper is considered killed). 

This game went much differently; the snipers killed 2 US flamethrowers, their squads were compelled to attack the bunkers with hand grenades... and got several unlucky rolls (or lucky saving rolls for the Japanese). The bazooka team was not able to destroy a bunker at distance and even if the snipers were wiped out by BAR and M1 fire, aimed shooting from the bunkers caused heavy casualties to the US. With 12 men killed the platoon retired, after being able to destroy only one enemy bunker.

Now I must get a Sherman tank and see how it goes! 

I eventually found time to paint one box Airfix US Marines, supplemented by some ESCI US Figures... the uniforms are not representative of USMC so I painted them as US Army (olive drab and some helmets with brown camouflage).

This afternoon I arranged a quick solo game with FUBAR one-page rules (that I adopted as my favourite all-purposes skirmish set). Three US squads, each with one flamethrower attached, and one HQ with a bazooka team, are assaulting 3 Japanese bunkers.

I made these simple rules for this game:

- Bunkers are activated like single Units, but can take only two actions: On Guard & Aimed Fire.

- they are armed with one HMG, and have “Heavy” armour (save 4+)

- can be attacked by Bazooka and Flamethrower; or by one Infantry man within 1” from the  embrasure, launching Grenades inside.

- For each unsaved hit, roll 1D6:

1-3 = Crew Stunned, - 2 to the next activation

4-6 = Bunker destroyed, crew killed

US infantry came near the bunkers using a "Duck" action. Japanese fire caused some Suppression and the US advance was halted. The HQ squad walked into fire range and destroyed one bunker with a bazooka shot.

In FUBAR you can trade Suppression for Casualties, in order to avoid to a unit to be penalized in the following activation. So did I and one US squad was activated and fired with its flamethrower, even if loosing two men. Another Bunker is burning...

... and another squad uses the same tactic, loosing 3 men but avoiding Suppression and coming at close distance. One man is ready to throw a grenade inside the embrasure, in case the flamethrower misses.. but it will be not necessary.

The game was very fast and can be repeated two or three times in one session, with variations. For example add some Japanese snipers, aiming to the flamethrowers and the bazooka; or other Japanese forces.

From Wikipedia:  "The objective of Force Z which consisted of one battleship, one battlecruiser and four destroyers, was to intercept the Japanese invasion fleet north of Malaya. However, the fleet was without any air support, which had been declined by Admiral Sir Tom Philips, the commander of Force Z. Although the British had a close encounter with Japanese heavy surface units, they failed to find and destroy the main convoy. They were then attacked and sunk by long-range medium bombers while attempting to return to Singapore"

In this hypothetical scenario, played with the Pz8 1939-41 Naval Rules, Force Z (HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse) intercept a Japanese fleet (Haruna and Kongo battlecruisers, Atago and Takao cruisers) with a limited and disorganized air support.

Here are the data for the ships involved. 
                                                                Def            Att            Range

HMS Prince of  Wales                                      5            5            4
(10x 14”)

HMS Repulse                                                  3            3            4
(6 x 15”)                                                      

Haruna, Kongo                                              3            4            4
(8 x 14”)                                                        

Atago, Takao                                                1            2            3           
 (10 x 8”)

I played solo picking the British, with the Japanese managed by a D6 roll. The Japanese also had 1D3 Bombers and 1D3 Torpedo Bombers (all land based). At the start of each turn I rolled one 1D6 for the B. and one for the TB. = 5,6 = one air attack was conducted (rolled 1D6 to determinate the target).

The playing surface (100 cm x 50cm) is divided in 8 zones. Ships can move from one zone to another or stay and manouvre broadside. The two opposing fleets can not cross the central line. This abstract system allows a simple game on a small table.

The Japanese sporadic air attacks caused only limited damages to the HMS Prince of Wales and the HMS Repulse, that were repaired in the following turns. The two fleets came at short range but even if Force Z was able to hit several times the Kongo and Haruna, damages were again limited and soon repaired. 

The British had a superior firepower, but they wer not able to achieve a decisive "critical hit" or to cripple the Japanese ships. After some turns the Japanese progressively withdrew, under smoke curtains, making more and more difficult to hit them. When the Japanese fleet leaving the table, the battle ended... a strategical victory for the Force Z, that now controls the South China Sea!