Attack on the Northern Hills

This is the first-draft outline of a scenario for Arc of Fire that I'm working on for possible use at Crisis Point 2025. It's a slightly redacted version to keep a little of the detail from potential players.

Background

Russian forces have previously occupied Tcherbevan International Airport and are pushing to capture the bridges over the Krupnehr River with a view to moving into the centre of the capital.  However, their base at the airport continues to come under fire from Andreivian-Armenian artillery in the Northern Hills. Russian units are ordered to attack into the hills and destroy the artillery.

Situation

The game takes place on two tables representing hilly areas separated by the impassible Shavi Kedi (or Black Ridge).  Travel between the two tables is possible only across the Maghali Pass.

Both tables represent areas that are largely under Andreivian Armenian control. There are two villages on the western table; Khndzori Arahet and Hamardzaktun. They are connected by a road that forms a key Armenian line of communications and that then runs through the Maghali Pass. 

The eastern table has an old ruined fort (under Armenian control) at the end of Maghali Pass. From the fort another key road leads down to an Armenian village, Menak. In the east is the village of Melas Gora under Andreivian Government control. A road running northeast from this village is a key Government supply route.

Areas shown as plain green on the map above will be broken up by as many steep hills as we can squeeze on - this isn’t countryside that’s going to be dominated by one or two tanks! Steep hills are impassable to vehicles and cannot be used to deploy artillery. 

Deployment

Andreivian-Armenian forces can deploy anywhere on the map (at least X” from the southern edge and Y” from Melas Gora). One artillery piece must be deployed in the central third of each table. The artillery pieces do not need line of sight to the airport - they are firing based on from reports from spotters and intelligence received from Armenian agents in the city (we know this from a previous matrix game).

Andreivian Government forces deploy within Melas Gora. 

Russian forces enter from the southern edge. They can split as they like between the two tables but note that they need to take out both guns. Optional Russian helicopter deployment if enemy leave rear areas unguarded?

Victory Conditions 

Each faction has a victory target of five points.

The Russians gain victory points as follows:

Action	Victory Points
Destroy both Armenian artillery pieces	3
Each village captured	1
Controlling the line of communications between two uncaptured villages	0.5
<redacted>	2

Note that no VP are awarded for destroying only one of the artillery pieces.

The Armenians gain victory points as follows:

Action	Victory Points
Every X artillery rounds fired at the airport	1
Each village/fort* held at the end of the game	1
Cutting the Government’s line of communications to Melas Gora	1

Note * <redacted>.

Note that an Armenian village or the fort gains only 0.5 VP if the line of communications is cut on one or both sides of it.

The Andreivian Government gains victory points as follows:

Action	Victory Points
Melas Gora is held	3
<redacted>	1
<redacted>	1
Menak or the fort brought under Government control	1

Forces

All forces are to be agreed based on what we have/what people want to play with. But see the following…

Andreivian-Armenian Forces

A selection of militia infantry and assorted vehicles.  

Must contain two artillery pieces. 

Must have <redacted>.

(I have one M1938 122mm howitzer)

Andreivian Government Forces

Platoon of Government paratroops and assorted vehicles

Russian Forces

Mostly infantry but may have a couple of tanks. Perhaps two reinforced infantry platoons?

If people are happy to learn the artillery rules (they are fun) the Russians and potentially others could have limited off-table fire support.

(I have a platoon of VDV airborne troops and am working on a similar force of Naval Infantry.)

(I have two T-80s)

Aircraft can be unbalancing in skirmish games but I have a few suitable aircraft models (Andreivian Government A-4 and Mil-24, Armenian Hawker Hunter, and Russian MiG-27) that it’d be fun to use. Perhaps appearing as a result of rolls on a tweaked version of the Random Events Table?