Force_on_Force

OSPREY

PUBLISHING

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Design Notes

A Word of Thanks

Getting More Involved

The Special Operators Group

What Do I Need to Play?

Getting Started

Using This Rulebook

Kinetic Operations

Commonly Used Terms and Concepts The Turn Sequence

Choose a Scenario Set up the Table

Draw Fog of War Cards

Set up Units

Set up Hot Spots Begin Play

Declare and test for Unbuttoned AFVs

Declare Overwatch Units

Active First Initiative Units Resolve Reactions

Continue Activating Initiative Units

End Phase: Move and/or Fire Remaining Non-Initiative Units

Start New Turn

Declare Overwatch Units

Play Continues to Game’s End

Infantry Combat

Units

The Rule of Equivalences

Basic Units Characteristics

Unit Cohesion

Leaders

Unit Attributes

The Nearly Universal Mechanic

	8	Tests and Checks	29
	8	Unopposed Tests/Checks	29
	10	Opposed Tests/Checks	29
	10	Die shifts	29
	11	Line of Sight (LOS)	29
	11	Line of Fire (LOF)	30
	12	Fog of War	31
	15	Movement	31
	16	Tactical Movement	31
	16	Rapid Movement	31
		Moving Units on the Table	32
	17
		Out of Contact Movement	32
	18
		Fire Combat	32
	18
		Rounds of Fire	32
	18
	19	Resolving Fire Combat	33
		Special Rules for Fire Combat	41
	19
		Ambushes	41
	19
		Night Fighting	43
	19
		Supressed Weapons	43
	19
		Outgunned	43
	19
		SMGs, Shotguns and Handguns	44
	20
		Intimidating Weapons	44
	20
		On-Board Mortars	45
	20	Smoke	45
	20	Close Assault Combat	46
	22	Close Assault Quality Test	47
	22	Resolving an Infantry vs Infantry
	23	Close Assault	47
		POWs	48
	23
		Casualties and Dependents	48
	23
		The Casualty Penalty	48
	24
		Dependents	53
	26
		Fire at Units with Casualties and/or
	27
		Dependents	53
	28	Close Assaults against Units with Casualties
	28	and/or Dependents	54

Morale	54
Morale Checks	54
Terrain Effects	56
Buildings and Structures	57
Firing at Units in a Building	58
Water Obstacles	61
Vertical Obstacles	62
Forests and Woods	62
Extremely Rough Ground	63
Hidden Units	64
Actions and Reactions	65
Initiative and Non-Initiative Units	65
Actions	65
Reactions	65
Overwatch	70
Putting It All Together: A Few Blocks of Hell	71
Scenario Information	72
US Army Mission	73
Insurgent Mission	73
Special Rules	74
Optional Rules	74

Mechanized Comba	75
Activating Vehicles	75
Vehicle Types	75
Wheeled	75
Tracked	76
Vehicle Movement	76
Loading and Unloading Passengers	76
Vehicle Commanders – Buttoned Up and
Unbuttoned	76
Unbuttoned Commanders	77
Buttoned Up Commanders	77
Vehicle Firepower	78
Restrictions on Vehicle Fire	78
Weapon Classifications for Vehicle Combat	79
Vehicle Defense	80
Sample Vehicle: M1A1 MBT	80

Firing at Vehicles	81
Determine Hits	81
Vehicle Crew/Passenger Casualties	84
Vehicle Crew & Passenger Morale	85
Morale Results for Vehicle Crews	85
Bail Outs	86
AFVs and Infantry	86
Non-AT Infantry Weapons vs. Vehicles	86
Infantry AT Weapons vs. Vehicles	87
Vehicle Weapons vs. Infantry	89
Infantry Close Assault vs. AFVs	90
Vehicle Attributes	92
Guns	92
Types of Guns	92
Using Guns	92
Putting It All Together: Knife-Fight at
Mahmudiya	93
Scenario Information	94
US (2nd Platoon, Charlie Company) Mission	94
Iraqi Mission	94
Special Rules	94

Air Mobile Operations	95
Air Mobile Troop Insertions	95
Fast Rope Insertions	96
Ground Fire	97
Optional: Ambient Fire	97
Helicopter Damage Effects	98

Close Air Support	100
Conducting an Air Strike	100
Requesting an Air Strike	100
Reaching the Target	101
Determining the Effectiveness of the
Air Strike	102
Damage Assessment	102
Strafing Runs	103
Pylon Gun Runs	103
Bombing Runs/Missile Strikes	104

	Attacks Specific to Helicopter Gunships	105	Advanced Rules for Infantry
	Danger Close	105	Combat	119
			Advanced Weapon Rules	119
	Show of Force	106
			CS Gas	119
	Examples of Generic Aircraft	106
			Claymores	119
	Artillery	107
			Flamethrowers	119
	Spotters and Forward Observers	107
			On-Board Mortars	120
	Calling in a Fire Mission	107
			Special Battlefield Hazards	121
	Resolving a Fire Mission	107
			NBC Warfare & MOPP Suits	121
	C-RAM	108
			Mines and IEDs	122
	Determine Fire Mission Effectiveness	108
			Mounted Units	123
	Resolving Counter Battery Fire	108
			Types of Mounted Units	123
	Putting It All Together: On the Outskirts of Some
			Movement for Mounted Units	124
	German Town	108
			Fire Combat and Mounted Units	124
	Scenario Information	108
			Close Combat and Mounted Units	125
	NATO Mission	110
			Casualties, Dependents and
	WARPAC Mission	110
			Mounted Units	125
	Special Rules	111
			Combat Stress	125
	Optional Rules	111
			Background Stress Level	125
	Asymmetric Engagements	112	Positive Leadership & Stress	126
	Irregular Units	112	Negative Leadership & Stress	126
	Irregular Unit Command Issues	112	Mixed Leadership	126
	Irregular Actions/Reactions	113	Stress Test	126
	Irregular Morale	113	Civilians on the Battlefield	127
	Hopped Up Units	114	Regulars and Civilian Mobs	127
	Playing an Asymmetric Engagement	115	“Popular” Leaders and Civilian Mobs	128
	Initiative	115	Mixed Mobs: Civlilian & Combatant
	Insurgency Level	115	Units	128
	Irregular Reinforcements	115	Hostile Mobs	129
	Building Clearing	115	Tactics Techniques and
	Putting It all Together: Contracting Trouble!	116
			Procedures (TTPs) for the
	Scenario Information	116	Small Unit Leader	130
	USMC Mission	116	Offensive Operations	130
	Insurgent Mission	118	Defensive Operations	132
	Special Rules	118	Use of Armor/Vehicle Assets	133
	Optional Rules	118	Considerations for Insurgent Players	133

5

Appendix 1: Example Weapon

systems

Appendix 2: Unit and Vehicle

attributes

Unit Attributes

Advanced First Aid Training (ALS)

Cavemen CASEVAC

Despised

Designated Marksman (DMR)

Elusive

Forward Observer (FO)

Indigenous Scout

Interpreter

Mounted Unit

Mounted Cavalry

Medic

Pointman

Poor Initiative

Special Teams

Stealthy

Terminal Air Controller (TAC)

Vehicle Attributes

Active Protection System (APS) 1

Active Protection System (APS) 2

Advanced Armor

Advanced Optics/Sensors

Amphibious

Anti-Personnel Grenades

Bar Armor

Countermeasures

Deathtrap

Enhanced Fire Control

Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA)

Fire-or-Move

Hardened

Heavy Hitter

IED Countermeasures

	134	Improved MGs	142
		Lifesaver	142
		Light for Class	142
	135	Mine Resistant	142
	135	Obsolete or Poor Armor	142
	135	Restricted Arc of Fire	143
	135	Safe Haven	143
	135	Slow Turret	143
	135
		Smoke Dischargers	143
	135
		Technical	143
	136
		Up-Armored AFV	143
	136
		Up-Armored Soft Skin	143
	136
		Appendix 3: The Campaign
	136
		Game	144
	136
		Get to Know Your AO	144
	136
		What Type of Campaign Are We Playing?	144
	136
		What’s the campaign setting?	144
	137
		What’s the campaign duration?	145
	137
		What force am I playing?	145
	139
		What level of force am I playing?	145
	140
		Is this a co-op campaign?	145
	140
		Defining Your Force	145
	140
		Your Platoon	145
	140
		The Campaign Turn Sequence	146
	141
		Pre-Action Sequence	146
	141
	141	Execute Operation	149
	141	After Action Sequence	149
	141	Building the Insurgency	156
	141	Insurgency Hierarchy	156
	141	Insurgency Development Rolls	156
	141	Regular Platoon Log	159
	141	Insurgency Log	160
	142	Appendix 4: Sample
	142
		Organizations and
	142
		Vehicles	161
	142	Organizations	161

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	Australia	161	Scenario 1: Top Malo	182
	Royal Australian Regiment	161	Scenario Information	183
	France	162	Royal Marine Mission	183
	Section de Combat (Infantry Platoon)	162	Argentine Commando 602 Mission	184
	Germany	163	Special Rules	185
	Gebirgsjäger or Fallschirmjäger Zug		Optional Rules	185
	(Mountaineer or Paratroop Platoon)	163	Scenario 2: Of Birds and Bees	185
	Panzergrenadier Zug (Platoon)	164	Scenario Information	186
	Russia	165	US Mission	186
	Motorized Rifle Regiment (BTR & BMP)		NVA Mission	188
	Platoon	165	Special Rules	188
	United Kingdom	166	Scenario 3: Welcome to Hell	189
	British Army	166	Scenario Information	189
	British Royal Marines	166	Russian Mission	189
	United States of America	167	Chechen Mission	192
			Special Rules	193
	United States Marine Corps (USMC)	167
			Optional Rules	193
	US Army	167
			Scenario 4: Encounter on the Yehudia Road	194
	Vehicles	170
			Scenario Information	194
	US Vehicles	170
			IDF Mission	194
	British Vehicles	174
			Syrian Mission	195
	French Vehicles	176
			Special Rules	196
	German Vehicles	177
	Russian Vehicles	178	Glossary of Military Terms	197
	Scenarios	182	Fog of War Cards	198
	Suggested Victory Point Values	182	Index

7

INTRODUCTION

The rules that follow have been designed around a limited number of shared game mechanics – once you’ve learned the basic concepts, you’ll have no trouble applying them to more advanced concepts. This will allow you to spend less time learning rules and more time actually playing games.

Force on Force is very flexible with regard to the number of figures or space required to play. A thrilling and satisfying game can be played using a dozen figures per side on a two foot square board or using dozens of figures supported by vehicles on a huge gaming table. Ineither instance, the game-play will be quick, satisfying, and will reward players who use sound battlefield tactics.

While a tremendous amount of effort has gone into making Force on Force a truly modern rule-set capable of recreating both traditional, kinetic engagements between similar forces and asymmetric counterinsurgencies, the mechanics presented here are easily modifiable for use in virtually any period within the age of gunpowder. Force on Force puts the emphasis on the man behind the gun, not the gun itself, and this design philosophy allows the rules to embrace a level of universality that might otherwise prove impossible.

Extensive examples and Design Notes have been included with the rules to make them as accessible as possible. We’ve also included a detailed table of contents and exhaustive index to make this rulebook an easy-to-use reference.

DESIGN NOTES

When we designed the core mechanics for Force on Force, we set our sights on creating a game that captured the feel of modern conflicts but which would be fast and simple to play. We also wanted a rule-set that could support

games played on a smallish table with a reasonable amount of figures or scaled up for larger games if desired.

We also wanted our game to be results oriented rather than focused on process – we assume that the infantrymen and vehicle crews our models represent actually know how to do their jobs to the extent of their level of training and we don’t have any interest in micromanaging them. The player’s job in Force on Force isn’t to direct an individual rifleman’s fire, it’s to direct fireteams and vehicles to fulfill their missions. This design philosophy mitigates the need for players to make extraneous decisions and maintains the focus on the kinds of decisions made by leaders of the types of units represented in a typical Force on Force scenario.

By far the most important thing we wanted to represent in Force on Force was the quality of the men behind the guns. The differences in weapon capabilities on the battlefield, especially at the level of the infantryman, pale to insignificance in comparison to the capabilities of the units of men using those weapons. History has shown repeatedly that superior firepower is not a reliable countermeasure to superior training, discipline, and experience.

The game has come a long way since we brain-stormed its original mechanics while drinking soda on the front porch on a succession of hot Oklahoma evenings. Force on Force has been influenced and shaped by new ideas brought in by players from, literally, the four corners of the world and refined through lively discussion on our community forum. What you hold in your hands now is not the culmination of a half-decade’s evolution, however. It is simply its latest phase – Force on Force is a living game that will continue to grow and adapt to its players’ needs and desires.

8

INTRODUCTION

US Navy SEALs, Persian Gulf, 2002

9

FORCE ON FORCE

Alley

	down	Ambush
A	stroll

Force on Force will be supported by a line of companion books focusing on specific theaters of operation or campaigns. Free, downloadable scenarios, playing aids, and game data is available on our website. Our web-forum gives you a chance to ask us questions directly or offer suggestions for improvements or expansions to the game.

Thanks for giving Force on Force a try. We believe you’ve just invested in a game that will provide you with hours of enjoyment for years to come!

Shawn & Robby Carpenter

A Word of Thanks

We’d like to take a moment to recognize the folks who labored behind the scenes to help bring you this game. Force on Force wouldn’t be what it is without the endlessly enthusiastic support of the following people:

Play-Testers and Consultants

Andy Rix	Chris Mihlan
Christopher Maes	Cyril Vallin
Donogh McCarthy	Doug Robinson
Jake Rose	Jason Mastros
Jim Roots	Jim Wonacott

Jose Ventura	Ken Gordhamer
Leigh Neville	Les & Alex Shorey
Michael Moore	Mid-America Wargamers
Piers Brand	Rene Raap
Rich Chambers	Rutger van Marissing
Stephen Crawford	Steve Morris
Tom Konczal	Will Roots

Special Thanks to:

Piers Brand & Cyril Vallin for their fundamental contributions to the new armored combat rules.

Tom Konczal, Rutger van Marissing, & Chris Mihlan for their keen proof-reading eyes.

All the Jims because you can’t have too many Jims! Jake Rose & Chris Maes for answering some very

specific, detailed questions – it’s good to have the input of guys who’ve actually done what we’re writing about. Thanks for your help, guys!

Piers, Cyril, Jose, Jake, Christopher, Jim W. & Leigh for being the OGs (Old Guards) for the project.

The SOG and all our loyal players without whom this game would not exist!

The veterans who have supported this game so enthusiastically – thanks for your friendship and, infinitely more importantly, thanks for your service to your nations.

Getting More Involved

If you’re interested in contributing to the future development of this game through suggestions, constructive criticism, and the occasional sarcastic post, please visit the Ambush Alley forum.

You can find the forum at: ambushalleygames.com/forum

You can also contact the authors directly at: [e-mail]

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