Modifications to move TY back to 1982
Israel is based on the US from the rule book. Looking all over the internet for the organization of an Israeli mechanized company, I ended up going with the the organization from the great Lebanon 1982 website.
- Israeli Mechanized Platoon = 4 x FN FAL LMG stands, 3 x RPG-7 stands, 1 x Dragon ATGM stand, 4 x Zelda APC.
- I added unit cards for Recon Jeeps and TOW Jeeps, Magach 3 and Magach 5s.
- Merkava Mk1 are like M1 tanks but without the Chobham armor and normal stabilizers. I added Bazooka Skirts to them but I'm not ever sure what they do yet. Also, looking at the ammo the Israeli used vs what the US would have in 1985, I dropped the gun penetration down to 19 (M111 vs M833).
- Zelda APCs are just like M113s but with 1 extra armor for the TOGA armor and a couple extra 7.62 LMGs mounted on.
- For air strikes I made a Kfir card. I thought it wouldn't be as tough as the SU-85 so I used the Tornado save stats for it. Otherwise it has the SU-25 equipment but with Maverick missiles.
Syria is based on the USSR lists. Pretty much directly mapped over, morale and all.
- T-72s are down graded to T-72 Ural, so pretty much just the removal of BDD armor and one lower Anti-Tank value due to the lesser quality ammo (3BM23 round from the 70s).
- Added cards for T-62, T-55, BMP-60PB and BRDM-2 with mounted AT-5 missiles.
- Infantry were expanded with Commandos which are like Afgantsy
Edit: Link to my PowerPoint file where I made the cards. link
Game Setup
For the first game we went with just the basic Meeting Engagement scenario. Bill (the Syrian player) and I both are more keen with playing infantry so we both went with Mechanized forces. Both came out to an estimated 70 points (had to make some educated guesses with the unit mods).
Israel
Mechanized rifle HQ and M577 (counts as Zelda)
Mechanized Platoon - 4 x FN FAL LMG stands, 3 x RPG-7 stands, 1 x Dragon ATGM stand, 4 x Zelda APC
Mechanized Platoon (as above)
Mechanized Platoon (as above)
Armored Platoon - Merkava Mk1 x 4
AA Platoon - M163 x 2
Tank Hunter Platoon - TOW jeep x 2
Tank Hunter Platoon - TOW jeep x 2
Mechanized Mortar Platoon - M125 x 2
Air Strike - Kfir x 2
Syria
Mechanized rifle HQ and BMP-1
Mechanized Platoon - AK74 x 7, RPG-7 x 6, LMG x 2, SA-14 x 1, BMP-1 x 9
Mechanized Platoon - AK74 x 7, RPG-7 x 6, LMG x 2, SA-14 x 1, BTR-60 x 9
Armored Platoon - T-72 Ural x 6
AA Platoon - Shilka x 4
Tank Hunter Platoon - BRDM-2 AT x 2
Helicopters - Hind x 2
How it played out
The board was setup as a rocky/hilly area with a highway running through it. Something like the mountain area in the center of Lebanon where the Syrians ambushed Israeli tanks.
I left one Zelda platoon and TOW jeeps to guard one objective while the rest of the force went for the other. Bill had a mechanized company one each flank with the tanks and other support in the middle. Bill got the first turn and his BTR-60 company managed to get some units up a rocky hill, blocking my advance over to his objective. His BMP company started moving toward my defended objective on the other side of the table. The Hinds tried to move to a side attack on my Merkavas but the M163s blew them out of the sky. Over a week painting those for less than 5 minutes on the table! Tanks and support moved in the middle of the table to block that area. No real damage from his firing. On my turn I moved up one Mechanized platoon and deployed hoping to kill the couple units he had in the rocky hills and take it before the rest of his company arrived. Yep, that didn't work. I barely scratched him. Infantry in bullet proof cover is pretty hard... I dug my other mechanized unit in on my other objective. Merkavas missed while one TOW jeep killed a T-72.
So that's how it set up. Over the game I threw two mechanized platoons at the Syrians on the rocky hill, never able to knock them off. My Merkavas cut their way through the Syrian center and went for one of his objectives. They were bouncing Sagger and T-72 shots left and right. I ended up with two left at the end of the game. The Syrian BMP company kicked my lone Zelda platoon off my objective after a couple turns of assaults. My Kfirs showed up once, only to be blown away by a unit of AA missiles. So in the end it was pretty even. Both of us pretty much had one objective with some beat up mechanized platoons. Pretty good fight we thought.
I didn't realize that my camera on my phone wanted me to keep it still for a couple seconds while it took a picture, so only got a few good ones.
Syrian setup on my left. The T-72s are in the center with the BRDMs and Shilkas behind.
First Israeli assault on the left didn't go to well. I should have more infantry there...
BMP company bearing down on my dug in mechanized platoon guarding an objective.
TOW Jeeps hiding out in an orchard.
T-72s moving up the middle.
My two Merkavas making a run through the knocked out BTR-60 hulks. The Syrians on the hill to the left were a hard nut to crack.
What's left of the Syrian assault on my right.
All the air power that had a game life of about 5 minutes.
