Fulda-Gap86-Instructions-And-Cdrs-Briefing-V2-NATO.Docx 1 © ‘Barca’ James Billingham, 2017
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FULDA GAP ’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates (TM)© A Campaign for “Cold-War-Gone-Hot”, circa 1986 Fulda Gap’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates NATO Tactical Commander’s Briefing Fulda-Gap86-instructions-and-Cdrs-briefing-v2-NATO.docx 1 © ‘barca’ James Billingham, 2017 FULDA GAP ’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates (TM)© A Campaign for “Cold-War-Gone-Hot”, circa 1986 Fulda Gap ’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates ™ - A Campaign and Escalation League WHAT: Fulda Gap ’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates ™ is an ‘Alternate History’ Campaign and Escalation League for miniatures based around the Team Yankee(R) rules and models. You can use whatever manufacturer of models and scale suits you and your opponent. You could play solo, if desired. The campaign is a ‘home-brewed’ system designed by gamers like yourself. The setting is the area of Germany around the “Fulda Gap”, circa 1986. Battlefront Miniatures, LTD. has not written, published nor endorsed this campaign. Team Yankee is a registered Trademark of Battlefront Miniatures, LTD. Our group uses the Team Yankee rules set, books and models to play the battles on the table top. The “alternate universe” is a “cold-war-gone-hot” vision of what might have happened had the Warsaw Pact invaded NATO in 1986, specifically the 8th Guards Army (USSR) versus V (US) Corps. WHY: To have fun, meet other gamers, and be part of a larger story/narrative that draws you in. Also, this is an Escalation League, where you can start with a small force, experiment, and grow your force at a modest pace. Our approach is casual, but you can be somewhat competitive, if that works with your opponent or circle of gamers. As of the writing of this document, there are no plans for competitive prizes. If that changes, it will be so indicated in Official Thread. The “we”, here and online, refers to ‘barca’ and members of the RCDD (Rose City Dukes and Duchesses FOW Ranger Group), in the Pacific Northwest. WHO: Any gamer – you - with access to the internet and the rules set, books and models to play “modern combined arms” battles on the table top. Although our group chooses to use “Team Yankee”, you have other choices in this area of miniatures wargaming. In the spirit of gaming fun and social openness, we welcome all gamers. However, anyone who violates the forum rules or flames fellow gamers will be “put off the island.” The campaign is run by the Campaign Organizer (barca), and is supported by: • RCDD (Rose City Dukes and Duchesses FOW Ranger Group): https://rosecitydukes.wordpress.com/ • the forum ordofanaticus.com: http://www.ordofanaticus.com/index.php?/forum/10-flames-of-war/ • our two FLGS: o Guardian Games, in Portland, Oregon, USA: ggportland.com o Oregon City Geeks and Games, in Oregon City, OR, USA: ocgeeksandgames.com WHEN: Our campaign runs from April ??? to July 27 of 2017. Each turn is about 10 days long. The specific schedule is posted in the Official Thread. A summary of the current turns’ results and events will be posted at the end of the turn, on the forum, in the thread of that turn. The BATTLE ORDERS for the next turn will be posted at the beginning of that turn. WHERE: Online for communication. Local for your battles. Play your battles in a location convenient to you and your opponent. That can be your FLGS (Friendly local Gaming Store), your club, or a friend’s place. Fulda-Gap86-instructions-and-Cdrs-briefing-v2-NATO.docx 2 © ‘barca’ James Billingham, 2017 FULDA GAP ’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates (TM)© A Campaign for “Cold-War-Gone-Hot”, circa 1986 QUES: How do I get involved? ANS: Follow these instructions: 1. If you do not have a user account at ordofanaticus.com, then sign up to get a free one. A paid account is not required. That forum is our primary communications channel. 2. Ensure that you read the Forum Rules at http://www.ordofanaticus.com/index.php?/topic/3591-of- forums-usage-guidelines-aka-code-of-conduct/#comment-43467 3. Track the forum threads that have this in the topic line: “Fulda-Gap-86 Escalation Campaign”. The Official Thread is the basic info about the campaign. The Turn Threads are the specific information for that turn. Once a turn is completed, we start a new turn and a new forum thread for that turn. 4. We also have a blog with campaign graphics and photos: https://rosecitydukes.wordpress.com/ The Ordo Forum does not support a lot of graphics, so we post them in a blog. The blog will be listed in the Official Thread. 5. Download “FG86-Instructions-To-Cdrs.zip.” In the official thread, look for the link to this zip file. Download it and read it before proceeding. 6. In the current turn, check the start and end times of that turn. If you are confident that you and your opponent can complete and report on a table top miniatures battle within that time frame, then you can “claim” a battle. 7. Read through BATTLE ORDERS. The information in the zip file - FG86-Instructions-To-Cdrs.zip - will explain how to read a BATTLE ORDER, and what it means to you for setting up your game. You want to consider the battle orders that have the status of “Unassigned”. These are the battles that no one has claimed nor completed. 8. On that turn thread, post that you are claiming a specific battle. We refer to each battle in a turn by its BATTLE ARROW NUMBER, which is unique for that turn. Once the Campaign Organizer has read your post, he will update that BATTLE ORDER to “assigned.” 9. If you want to communicate with your general, or fellow team members, then do so by PM (Personal Message) on the forum. If you want to talk to all of the gamers in the campaign, then post in the turn thread, or start a new topic of your own. If your team wants to exchange email, that is their prerogative. As a courtesy, do not post anyone else’s e-mail address nor personal information on the forum. If you want to exchange personal contact information, do that via PM. 10. If you want to contribute some “fan fiction”, After Action Reports, or photos to the storyline of the campaign, then PM the Campaign Organizer. 11. Play out the table top battle. Record your results in the BATTLE REPORT (“BATREP”) format. An example blank BATREP is included in the zip file, mentioned above. Fulda-Gap86-instructions-and-Cdrs-briefing-v2-NATO.docx 3 © ‘barca’ James Billingham, 2017 FULDA GAP ’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates (TM)© A Campaign for “Cold-War-Gone-Hot”, circa 1986 12. Post a BATREP on the turn thread on the forum. Do this within the timeframe of that turn. Late reports will be discarded. 13. You can follow the progress on the forum and the blog: https://rosecitydukes.wordpress.com/ 14. At the end of each turn, the GENERALS will compile the results of all the table top (TACTICAL) battles. For each of these battles, they will determine the condition of the fighting units on the ROLL-TO- DESTROY tables. 15. The GENERALS will dice off the remaining battles (OPERATIONAL BATTLES) that were not fought on the tabletop. For each of these battles, they will determine the condition of the fighting units on the ROLL- TO-DESTROY tables. 16. Victors will advance, losers will retreat, casualties will be recorded and processed, and campaign victory points will be assigned. The results of that turn will be posted. 17. The turn cycle starts over. The GENERALS and the Campaign Organizer setup the next turn, start a new turn thread and issue new battle orders. FAQ: QUES: Do I have to play regularly? No. You can come and go. QUES: Do I have to use Battlefront’s Team Yankee rules? ANS: No. You and your opponent can use whatever miniatures rules you both agree on, so long as they cover combined arms battles at the company to battalion level, in the period between 1980 and 1989. What you will have to do is to translate your final battle results into the Victory Points as defined in the Victory Points table in this article: “Get Away - Raiding Force Mission” at http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=462 QUES: Do I have to use Battlefront’s models or even the 15mm (or 1/100) scale? ANS: No. You can use any manufacturer of miniatures and any scale you wish. QUES: Do I need to have the all of the UNIT CARDS? ANS: No, so long as you have the Battlefront Team Yankee handbook for your force, then you have the same information that is on the UNIT CARDS. QUES: If I have the UNIT CARDS, do I need the intelligence handbook for my Force? ANS: No, so long as you have the UNIT CARDS for your force, then you have the same UNIT data that is in the handbook. However, you might be missing a more complete explanation of the special rules that are unique to your nations’ forces. QUES: Can I mix nationalities in my force? Fulda-Gap86-instructions-and-Cdrs-briefing-v2-NATO.docx 4 © ‘barca’ James Billingham, 2017 FULDA GAP ’86: Iron Beasts at the Gates (TM)© A Campaign for “Cold-War-Gone-Hot”, circa 1986 ANS: For Team Yankee tournament play, probably not. But for this campaign, then yes. We are relaxing those rules for this campaign and escalation league.