Combat Cards in Nuevo Rico

This battle was played using the excellent Combat Cards system, with a couple of house rules.

It involved a skirmish between two South American States, Nuevo Rico and San Theodora; both made famous by the inter-war period by the boy-reporter Tin-Tin. For more information on these states in modern times, look here. This battle actually takes place around the year 2018 when both states have squandered their people's resources on equipment that the USA can no longer afford to store.

Below is the starting position for the battle. Both sides need to dominate the area and get two additional victory points if they are the only side to have units in a quarter of the battlefield. If you look closely you may notice a grid of dots. We play on these to avoid the encumbrance of rulers.

Both the San Theodorans (in tan) and Nuevo Ricans (in green) are tying to reach the downed Noevo Rican helicopter in the centre of the battlefield (worth two victory point if yours is the only unit it in contact).

Here is my Nuevo Rican mechanised platoon, bunched up around their commander and ready to charge onto the helicopter.

Three San Theodoran main battle tanks (classed as behemoths) are going to be a problem. Stevens, the egocentric commander of the San Theodoran invaders has three, Nuevo Rico has none.

Here San Theodoran mechanised troops in Bradleys occupy a central position in cover of a field.

San Theodoran infantry perfer to take a stroll in the open.

Well, it is obvious that I need to take that town, and the deck favours me with a visit by two Nuevo Rican  gunships.

OK, the gunship's fire is well off mark, but it does give the San Theodoran mechanised unit a fright.

A "fall back" result on the San Theodorans sees the mechanised unit retire to a clump of palm trees.

Nuevo Rican civilians are still clearing the area; very wise.

Another pass with the gunchsips gets an "out of action" result on the San Theodoran infantry holding the town.

At the farthest south of the battlefied, a San Thoedoran anti-armour squad keeps an eye on some enemy recon elements.

The Neuvo Rican problem is that they must cross that road, and that road is covered by a San Theodoran tank. Already a Noevo Rican recon unit is "out of action".

That blasted tank fires on another  Neuvo Rican unit who wisely retire back into the field.

If the Nievo Ricans are going to win this game they need to capture the town and get to the downed helicopter. The Noevo Rican command is in disarray (no Issue Order cards, in fact I only got one in the whole battle). In desperation a lone Nuevo Rican mechanised unit dashes across the road (maybe the San Thoedorans have no "opportunity fire" cards.

Yes, the San Theordorans do have opportunity fire cards, and kaboom, they get 4 victory points when the tank hits that mechanised unit in the rear.

Some survivors flee back out of the town.

Next a Nuevo Rican fire support unit tries to cross the road (I did say I was desperate by this stage).

Meanwhile the San Theodoran mechanised APC moves up to the helicopter (that is worth two victory points).

If I can't get round one flank, I will try sneaking round the other. I send a recon unit on a recon mission, but it gets shot up by a San Theodoran infantry squad in a building.

Still trying to infiltrate; a recon unit comes muzzle to muzzle with an enemy tank.

And get blown to pieces for its pains.

I continue to loose vehicles from that single, but well placed, San Theodoran tank.

There it is the dratted vehicle, but I am trying to flank it with mechanised infantry.

The last Nuevo Rican attack fails...

The Nuevo Ricans have lost the downed helicopter (2 victory points) and having been cleared out of 2 quarters of the field (4 victory points) and have lost 15 points worth of troops. This is more than they can bear and my force breaks. The situation along the main road tells the whole sorry tale.

Next time I think we might try a variant to the command rules. I think 1point should buy three commands. Once command can be used to assign any action, while two commands issued to a commander stand would allow him to issue orders. We will see.