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Overview
I
Ain’t Been Shot Mum! from Too
Fat Lardies is a relatively recent set of WW2
rules by Richard Clarke and Nick Skinner with
quite a few clever ideas which make it close to ideal for
gaming the
Indochina War. IABSM is
designed as a set of core
rules with campaign supplements detailing the specifics of each
theatre. While no Indochina supplement is yet available, Richard Clarke is currently working on one (when
he can be drawn away from his Vinogel, that is).
At the heart of IABSM is a card-based
activation system. Each platoon gets its own card and is activated when
it is
drawn from the deck. In addition, the more effective leaders, the NCOs
or
officers that are real shakers and movers, also get their own card
which allows
them to activate the unit they are attached to. This is most useful
since there
is also an end of turn card which brings the current turn to an abrupt
end
whenever it is drawn. In addition, all unspotted units are moved using
"blinds" or card templates to preserve the fog of war. Furthermore,
army and period specific cards can
also be
added covering such things as bonus fire, rapid deployment or whatever
tickles
your fancy.
The second core system is an integrated
movement, observation and firing sequence. Once a platoon is activated,
its
sections get to use a variable number of d6 dice, ranging from 2 to 4
for
a
full-strength section according to its quality, to carry out the above.
Thus, a section from
an elite platoon may choose to allocate 1d6 to spotting, 2d6
to
firing followed by 1d6 of movement while a lowly militia section chooses
to use
1d6 for movement followed by another d6 for firing. The beauty of the
system is
that morale is neatly covered by the fact that sections have their
allotment of
dice reduced as they suffer casualties and disruption. Sections
may also have
a positive or negative firing modifier to cover units with high
firepower but little flexibility or conversely units with excellent
fieldcraft but little in the way of armament. A conventional morale
test can be used to cover special situations such as being on the wrong
end of a flame-thrower or napalm strike.
The third key aspect is that the authors have chosen to adopt a
semi-free
kriegspiel approach to resolving firing and observation. Their approach
seems to rely on the wisdom of the pot-belly, i.e. most players will
have enough games under their belt that they can work out whether the
chances are good or poor without needing long tables of
modifiers. Finally, although the rules are designed for games involving
an infantry company with supports, the artillery and armour rules are
well thought out and are decidedly do not feel like they are merely
tacked on.
This is definitely not a rule set for those who need colour pics on
every
page and diagrams to cover all situations but rather, as the authors
put
it, a tool box for players to tweak at will. All in all, the rules lend themselves admirably
to chaotic battlefield situations and asymmetric forces typical of
Indochina.
Suggested
rules additions
No plan survives contact with
the enemy
It it a well known military axiom that no plan survives contact with
the enemy. The up-side of this is that plans tend to do just fine until
then. Include two Coffee Break cards in the deck at the beginning of
the game: as long as neither side has opened fire the turn only ends
when
the second card is drawn. Once firing has
started, remove one of
the Coffee Break cards and carry on as per rules.
Ammunition
resupply
Units low on ammo may be resupplied either by moving a porter unit or
supply vehicle in contact. Alternatively, the unit may move to a supply
marker, porter unit or supply vehicle.
Land Mines and BoobyTraps
While IABSM has rules for minefields, something else is required for
triggering the isolated land mine, IED or booby trap typically used by
the Viêt Minh. These are covered by the Land Mine and Booby Trap
random event cards. Mine attacks are resolved as per rule 9.7. Booby
trap attacks are resolved as per rule 9.1.
Minesweeping
CEFEO Engineers may sweep a road or path ahead of friendly troops to
protect them against the use of the Land Mine card. Sweeping is
achieved by using 2d6 for movement: the Engineers move forward a
distance equal to the smallest result and the ground covered is
considered swept. Engineers with sufficient dice may make two
consecutive sweeps.
Air Drop
Normally used for resupply rather than personnel drops unless the
scenario calls for one. Best resolved in the time-honoured method of
dropping numbered paper squares corresponding to an infantry section or
supply marker from a reasonable height.
Gathering local intelligence
CEFEO Big Men may attempt to collect intelligence from villagers or
prisoners by declaring so when their activation card comes up. They may
do nothing else and the attempt is resolved when the Local Intelligence
card is drawn. The chances of success and usefulness of the information
gathered depends on the scenario and is left up to the umpire.
Suggested Cards
Obviously not all cards will be available in each game and the make up
of the deck will depend on the forces deployed, the location and the
period.
An example of a PDF card set can be downloaded here : CEFEO
Cards (1187 Kb), Viet Minh Cards (820 Kb), Compulsory
and blank
cards (230 Kb) or the whole set (2209 Kb).
Compulsory cards
CEFEO / Viêt Minh Blinds
Move
Self-explanatory.
Coffee Break
As per Tea Break except that real men drink café or cà phê
Unit cards
CEFEO / Viêt Minh
Company HQ
As infantry. May be used as activation card for integral support
weapons if these are not attached to an infantry unit and do not have
their own cards.
CEFEO / Viêt Minh
Infantry Platoon
As per rules.
CEFEO Tank Platoon
As per rules.
CEFEO / Viêt Minh
Machine Guns
As per rules. AA Machine Guns may target aircraft as per rules.
CEFEO / Viêt Minh Mortar
As per rules for on-table mortars. May be used for medium and heavier
mortars if the scenario warrants having these on the table.
CEFEO Recoilless Rifle /
Viêt Minh SKZ
Treat as anti-tank guns for activation purposes, otherwise as per rule
8.2.
CEFEO / Viêt Minh Sniper
As per rules. More than one sniper per side would be rare.
CEFEO DLO (Détachement de Liaison et
d’Observation)
Forward Observer. As per rules for Forward Observers. May control
either artillery or air strikes.
CEFEO Engineers / Viêt
Minh Sappers
As per rules. This would usually cover small detachments of one or two
sections. CEFEO Engineers may clear mines ahead of road bound unit see Minesweeping above.
Viêt Minh Tank Killer
Team
As per rules.
CEFEO / Viêt Minh Big Man
As per rules.
Viêt
Minh Commissar
Treat as a “Big Man” that may only rally, reduce disruption and
initiate a Tiên
Lên ! charge ; i.e. Commissars may not activate units.
CEFEO PIM / Viêt Minh
Porters
May resupply units that are low on ammunition. PIM stands for Prisonniers et Internés Militaires,
Military Prisoners and Internees deemed sufficiently reliable to be
used as porters.
Support cards
These cards govern both when an event is activated within a turn and
the delay before it becomes effective. E.g. if Air Support is
available with a 5 turn delay, it will come on table the fifth time
the Air Support card is drawn. Devious umpires are encouraged to
substitute decoy cards for the real ones : e.g. insert a Luciole card to count turns before
Artillery Support is available.
Mortar Support
Basically as per Artillery Support.
As an option, two such cards are included in the deck to reflect the
CEFEO mortars’ shorter response time; if used, CEFEO mortars fire on
whichever card is drawn first (drawing the second card in the same turn
has no effect, it is not a bonus fire card).
Artillery Support
Properly spelled “Artillary Support”, this is as per rules.
Air Support
As per rules.
Air Drop
This regulates on-table parachute drops.
Reinforcements
Self-explanatory.
Criquet (Cricket)
Airborne Forward Observer and Forward Air Controller. As per rules for
Forward Observers. May control both artillery and air strikes.
Luciole (Firefly)
Flareship. Illuminates the whole table once overhead.
Force characteristics
cards
Due to the very wide range of units and their very variable
performance, the force characteristics cards included in the deck
should be very scenario dependent. Where no nationality is mentioned
the card may apply to either side. Care should be taken when including
these cards in the deck: while the Viêt Minh Tiên Lên ! or Commissar
cards will also be used, Poor Fire Discipline should be used for some
of the lower quality Du Kich only. On the other hand, while any force
commanded by the one of the Paratrooper Mafia in Dien Bien Phu warrants
a Dynamic Commander card, a game involving Charton's column on the RC4
should definitely include both Hesitant Commander and Hesitant Troops
card.
CEFEO Heroic Commander / Viêt Minh Socialist Hero
As per rules for Heroic Commander.
Dynamic Commander
As per rules.
Hesitant Commander
As per rules.
Hesitant Troops
As per rules.
Poor Fire Discipline
As per rules.
CEFEO Rapid Deployment
As per rules.
CEFEO Local Intelligence
Used for gathering
intelligence from villagers or prisoners.
CEFEO Final Defensive Fire
Basically a Bonus Artillery Support that is best restricted to a few
pre-set points. Otherwise as per other bonus fire cards.
Viêt Minh Infiltration
All Viêt
Minh Blinds
may make an immediate move, even if they have already moved
this turn.
Viêt
Minh Tiên Lên!
(Forwards!)
As per rules for Uhraaaahhh! Charging group must include a Big Man or Commissar.
Viêt Minh Trình Sat (Intelligence and
reconnaissance units)
The Viêt Minh player may make an immediate spotting attempt with
1d6 on a CEFEO-held ground feature or Blind. Line of sight to a
friendly unit is not required. Normally used if the scenario is a
Viêt Minh set piece attack.
Viêt Minh Dich Van (Propaganda amongst the
enemy)
The Viêt Minh player may force a CEFEO Indochinese section
(typically local auxiliaries) to take a guts test. If failed, control
of the section passes to the Viêt Minh. The scenario must be a
Viêt Minh set piece attack and obviously not all such scenarios
will use this card.
Bonus Machine Gun Fire
As per rules. This is best restricted to MGs in defensive positions
firing on pre-set lines.
Bonus Mortar Fire
As per rules.
Rally
As per rules.
Patrol
Any one reconnaissance unit may take an additional turn, moving and
spotting, but not firing.
Random events cards
Apply results immediately and draw another card. The means of selecting
units randomly is left to the umpire's discretion.
Land Mine
The Viêt Minh player may make a mine attack on any one unit of
his choice which is currently moving on an unswept road or path.
Booby Trap
The Viêt Minh player may make a booby trap attack on any one
infantry unit of his choice which is currently moving off-road. Unlike
the Land Mine card, minesweeping provides
no protection.
Low on Ammo
On a result of 6 on a d6, one random section or vehicle is low on
ammunition, its firing is limited to one dice until resupplied.
Bogged Down
One random vehicle which is currently moving off-road bogs down
immediately. This is in addition to the normal bogging down rules and
should only really be used for very wet terrain (e.g. wet season in the
deltas, the Plain of Reeds...).
Unbogged
One bogged down vehicle chosen at random immediately unbogs. One use
for this card is to have only amphibious vehicles benefit from it.
Quagmire
One random CEFEO infantry section which is currently moving off-road is
immediately immobilized. It may extricate itself when next activated by
losing 2 dice, any remaining dice may be used for firing or observation
only. Use sparingly in very wet terrain only.
Vehicle breakdown
As per rules.
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