20mm Force on Force US Marines vs Mr Big

Dave hosted a 20mm game set in our fictional West African nation of Tangerine, a country famous for it's orange varieties and unique history have being controlled at one time or other as a whole or in parts by every colonial power including the Arabs.

Our imagi-nation setting is circa 2010, a period in Tangerine's history where the US intervened against a coup eventually leading to a multi-national force led by the US to protect the legitimate government from the rebels/other legitimate government/freedom fighters/terrorists/radical capitalists/liberal socialists. The coup backed by the army called for a return to traditional values, reverence of the ancestors and spirits and a more equitable distribution of the new found mineral wealth.

The Scenario

Mr Big is a drug lord, sponsor of terrorism, people trafficker, exporter of oranges with pips and the Defence Minister to boot of the new Republic of Tangerine. His private militia 'Oranges are not the only fruit' (a charity for tax purposes - OANTOF for short) have got their hands on a Soviet made SU23. Unfortunately they know how to use it and have downed a few helicopters forcing the US Marines to go in on the ground and neutralise the threat.

The Forces

US
Platoon of US Marines
1 x M1128

OANTOF Militia
Random amount of pick ups and charity workers with guns and RPGs
1 x SU23

The Game

I commanded the Marines and Dickie and Pete Mr Big's OANTOF militia.

US Marines set up in the centre and on the flanks. Due to my confusion over what could do what the 4 Marines that I thought were inside the M1128 were eventually allocated to the Humvee

My veteran Marines with AT capability are on the right.

The little out of town shopping area of Satsumadorp

Suspicious pick ups 

Pick ups nicely placed to be then removed as they hadn't come on yet

The SU23 will not be here when I come a looking

My troops move off and confirm there is no tracked AA vehicle in these trees

The M1128 holds back in reserve ready to blast any bad guy that appears

Marines slogging towards the right hand trees

2 pick ups skif to a halt outside Satsumadorp's toilets (for customers only)

The charity workers jump off the vehicles had head into the facilities

The Marines reach  the edge of the trees and spots the retail areas' dug outs

The trees on the right of Satsumadorp aren't hidding a big AA vehicle 

The M1128 advances and begins targeting pick ups. Rumour has it target selection was based on snooker ball colour scores but this has been firmly denied by the crew.

The red pick up falls back. The hut shop where a lot of fire came from gets flattened.

The Humvee streaks out of the trees and heads to the NE of the out of town retail village

Marine infantry on the right keep the toilet block occupied with heavy fire

Talking of heavy fire after much discussion Pete over ruled Dickie and made him open fire with the SU23. The cause of this tactical change was that the Humvee was soaking loads of small arms fire and still advancing. Dickie's who was in charge of the SU23 reckoned if he didn't fire I wouldn't find it. To be honest he was right. However the Humvee was whizzing around to try and bump in to it. Although it didn't career in to the SU23 when it opened fire there was no hiding it. The Humvee did not like this.

Boom goes the Humvee. 2 casualties

The SU23 revealed. Missed in all the excitement was that the 2 dug outs were occupied by militia and then neutralised by Marine fire.

The second retail outlet gets flattened and a Mr Big look alike is seen running from it before going down to a well placed 105mm shell

The M1128 accelerates in to the shopping area looking to get a bead on  the SU23. 

The pick ups block it's way and it takes them out. The US squad on the right charges across the open ground takes loads of fire, 1 Marine is knocked down passes his casualty test and gets back up and takes out the militiaman firing at him. Hollywood would be proud.

While all this action has been going on the Marine veterans have been getting in to position to spot the SU23. When it opened fire on the Humvee they could finally see it. They let loose an AT rocket and with the last shot of the game as we'd run out of time at the venue I blew it up. I was jubilant and Dickie definitely told Pete he'd been right

Fantastic game. Full of action and I can't believe it moments. Naturally I am biased as I won. Dickie and Pete's militia were no  match for the Marines and my dice was phenomenally good. Where an average score was needed I aced it be far, when a high score was needed I got it every time. They didn't stand a chance. Dickie and Pete were great opponents and played the story rather than the game, risking the SU23 to counter by ridiculous luck with the dice.

I looked forward to playing Force on Force again.