BKC vs IABSM for AVBCW!

[sunjester]

I’ve been trying a little experiment with my VBCW stuff. I originally planned the armies for BKC, but due to the localised nature of this type of conflict, my first scenarios were at a company level, so I played them with IABSM (very successfully).  I wasn’t sure if I’d be happy with BKC at a lower level with less units on the table.

Having played a really good scenario with IABSM, I wondered how it would turn out with BKC, so thought I’d give it a go. I used the same number of stands in both games, just fiddled the command a bit. In 10mm I have my infantry on 30mm bases and for IABSM I used 2 stands per section. So I basically treated a platoon in IABSM as an under strength battalion of 6 platoons in BKC.

I worked really well and I was delighted with the results. Both rules gave a completely different game, partly due to it being different opponents in each game, who used very different tactics anyway. The main thing was both games were really good fun and all players were happy with the way their plans panned out (or didn’t!).

In both games the Socialist defenders were still in position at the end of the game. But in the IABSM game there was no way that the Royalists were going anywhere. They had lost three tanks, two to the AT “suicide” squads when the tried to break into the village with a blitzkrieg style attack. Plus the Socialist reinforcements hadn’t even come into play yet.

However, in the BKC game, it was much closer. By concentrating fire on one house at a time the regulars had inflicted heavy casualties in the defending militia and captured the first line of defence. The Socialist tanks were hammering the German panzers and had destroyed the Panzer II, but their infantry support was bleeding away fast. With more time I think the attackers had a 60/40 chance of clearing the village.

For anyone who wants to give this a try, I’ll post up the scenario.

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

I'd be really interested in seeing the scenario - not that I've got into VBCW (yet).  I use both BKC and IABSM albeit for different engagement levels.

Regards

Edward

[sunjester]

Here you go Edward.

A VERY BRITISH CIVIL WAR, NETHER WALLOP- NOVEMBER 1938


Played on a 6x4 table. Along the (long) northern edge runs a rive with a bridge about centre of the table. Immediately south of the bridge is a village, with a church and walled churchyard in the middle and an offset crossroads south of the church. Most of the houses are surrounded by stone walls. The rest of the table is hedged fields with the odd copse of trees. The hedges are impassable to wheeled vehicles except at gaps and gates.

Elements of the Social Workers Army have been carrying out harassing raids against the British Union of Fascist and Government forces in this area.
One such raiding force has been tracked down to the village of Nether Wallop, and a two pronged assault has been launched against them. Regular Army forces and BUF militia have been ordered to clear the “Reds” out of the village.

Warned by local sympathisers of the coming assault the SWA column have sent out a desperate plea for help to their comrades and reinforcements is on it’s way.


The SWA initial forces start deployed on the table, they may be concealed.

The SWA reinforcements enter along the Northern table edge at Turn 3 (BKC) or the 3rd turn of the reinforcements card (IABSM).

The BUF deploy along the Western table edge within 40cm of the SW corner.

The Regular Army deploy anywhere along the Southern table edge.

BKC Army List
Royalist Forces

HQ (CV7) BUF
6 x Militia

HQ (CV8) German Legion
4 x Regular
1 x MMg
1 x Pz II
2 x Pz I

CO (CV8) Army
2 x Regular + AT rifle
HQ (CV8) Army
6 x Regular
1 x Mortar

HQ (CV8) Army
6 x Regular
1 x Mortar

HQ (CV8) Army
2 x Vickers MKVI




Socialist Workers Army

Starting Forces –  Militia
CO (CV8)
1 x 75mm Howitzer

HQ (CV7)
2 x Armoured Car
2 x AT squad

HQ (CV7)
6 x Militia
1 x Lewis gun squad

HQ (CV7)
6 x Militia
1 x Lewis gun squad

Reinforcements – Regular (SCW vets/Army deserters)
HQ (CV8)
6 Regular

HQ (CV8)
2 x Vickers E, type B tank




IABSM Army List
Royalist Forces

BUF
1st Platoon - BUF
Big Man 1 – Level 2
3 x Rifle sections (8 men each) Green
2nd Platoon - German Legion
Big Man 2 – Level 3
2 x Rifle sections (8 men each) Regular
1 x MMG (5crew)
1st Armour – German Legion
Big Man 3 – Level 2
2 x Panzer I light tanks (Morale level 3)
1 x Panzer II light tank (Morale Level 3)

Regular Army
Company HQ
Big Man 4(CO) – Level 3
1 x Rifle section (8 men each)
1 x AT Rifle (2 crew)
3rd Platoon
Big Man 5 – Level 3
3 x Rifle sections (8 men each)
1 x 2”mortar (2 crew)
4th Platoon
Big Man 6 – Level 3
3 x Rifle sections (8 men each)
1 x 2”mortar (2 crew)
2nd  Armour – Tank Troop
Big Man 6– Level 2
2 x Vickers Mk VI tanks (Morale level 3)

Socialist Workers Army

Starting Forces –  Militia
HQ
Big Man 1 – Level 3
1 x Rifle section (8 men each)
2 x Armoured Cars
1st Platoon
Big Man 2 – Level 2
3 x Rifle sections (8 men each)
1 x Lewis gun teams (3 crew)
2nd Platoon
Big Man 3– Level 2
3 x Rifle sections (8 men each)
1 x Lewis gun teams (3 crew)
Support Platoon
Big Man 4 – Level 1
1 x 75mm Howitzer (5 crew)
2 x AT Teams (4 crew)

Reinforcements – Regular (SCW Vets/Army deserters)
3rd Platoon
Big Man 5 – Level 3
3 x Rifle sections (8 men each)
1st  Armour – Tank Troop
Big Man 6 – Level 2
 2 x Vickers E, type B tank (Morale level 3)

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hi Sunjester

Thanks for this. Gives me something more to consider when I'm thinking all this through  . At the moment I'm tinkering with grafting bits of "If the Lord Should Spare Us" onto "Red Actions". Always handy to see what others are doing. I've only got IABSM 2 so I'll have to go and have a look.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Poggle]

Thanks for sharing this scenario. As another AVBCW player using 10mm, it's always useful to see how other chaps play things out. 

[Luddite]

Lovely part of the world Nether Wallop.  2 miles from where I grew up.

Surprised to see the Reds so far out of Southampton and Pompey too.  Especially given the BUF holed up at Eastleigh...

Shame to see the war come to such a place...

 

How did the scenario work out anyway?  Did the Comrades prevail?  Any Pathe News footage or stills?

[sunjester]

Sadly there were no news crews present to record the events on this occasion.

I'm working on my own campaign for the VBCW which is going to be based along the Thames Valley. Still a bit of a work in progress but coming along.

[Last Hussar]

I think in my defence I should point out that the spotting in IABSM did for me, plus the platoon I was planning to assault with didn't move for most of the game, until it was too late.  I don't know what its like in BKC, but stuff in houses is REALLY hard to get rid of.

[GordonY]

BKC is very similar, fluff your command roll and that unit just aint moving, infantry in houses is a pain to dislodge, you need 6s to hit them and you need 6 of them to kill them. The only way to get them out is the old fashioned way, get in there with the bayonet.

[Last Hussar]

But there are no blinds in BKC

[GordonY]

But there are no blinds in BKC

Thankfully