Desert Eagle progress...

scenario!

Well, I have put up a new page for Desert Eagle (DE) and posted a revised version of the NSA army list. This is still a work in progress.

I'm now working on the first scenario. This will pit the NSA against ISIS in a (fictional) attempt to rescue NSA prisoners from ISIS following the al-Bakamal disaster. In this scenario, based on Scenario B: Defending the Indefensible from Lion Rampant, the NSA return with Jordanian Special Forces (Counter Terrorism Battalion 71) to get their men back.

I am really excited about this. You will now see some massive improvisation from me so I can get this thing play tested. Highly likely to involve a lot of cardboard!

New Syrian Army....

first Desert Eagle faction!

It has been really busy recently with work and summer child care activities. In my spare time (having fixed the fence, the washing line, front door etc etc), I have been pottering with Desert Eagle. 

NSA troops May 2016

Following my last post, I figured that I needed to work out troop types and special rules using some real world examples. I'm not sure why I started with the New Syrian Army (NSA), possibly because they are current news, also perhaps because they are small and self-contained as well as being quite a good model for other factions. I have had a go at an initial army list for the NSA, you can find it here. 

I have to report something very strange. I'm 58 this year and have been studying this sort of thing for what feels like forever. I used to read Rand reports on the Vietnam war when I was a teenager. Researching the NSA brought everything back and I suddenly realised it's like 1968 all over again. Or is that 1975 and the CIA intervention in Angola? Currently I'm overcome by a very weird feeling of deja vu all over again. Bay of Pigs anyone? If Donald Trump wins how long before he gets assassinated?

Anyway, I've gone over the top on the army list, I found myself becoming more and more interested in the subject and what happened in the NSA's recent unsuccessful battle. I think there is a fundamental problem trying to design something that is currently happening in real life, its quite difficult because all the parts are moving. Nevertheless, a start has been made so lets see what happens!

Desert Eagle.....

will it fly?

I'm beginning to think the answer is yes. That's YES!

Up-armoured HMMWV, this one from MoI Emergency Response Unit

I'm grateful to Le Duc for his recent after action report of Dragon Rampant. I have now obtained a copy of this from Amazon and I'm very glad I did. 

Before it arrived I had reached some conclusions about units and vehicles that I think will solve the issues I was having defining them. DR has opened my eyes to some further opportunities for defining units as well as new areas such as the use of the DR leadership characteristics and spells (alright not quite spells but summoning up a drone strike is quite spooky!). From my point of view DR opens up wider horizons than LR, which was properly focussed on historical models. Its great so if you haven't got a copy, get one now!

Today's thoughts are around units:

Team: 6 SPs (DR influence!), six men with small arms, LMG and AT weapon. These can be elite Special Forces, Counter-terror troops, Police SWAT teams or terrorist cell, foreign fighters or Iranian Qods Force commandos. Don't forget Presidential body guards or Spetznaz. Special rules apply such as Fleet Footed, Invisible, Evade, Skirmish amongst others.

Squad: 12 SPs, up to 12 men with full range of small arms, LMG and AT weapons. Variable characteristics such as Army, Police Commandos (Emergency Response Units), Militia (tribal or PMF), Army of Adversity etc. Big range of capabilities and potential upgrades.  

Iranian ZSU 23-2

Weapons team: 6 SPs, around 6 men with specialist weapons. These include HMG (.50 cal or Dushka), recoilless rifle (106mm or SPG9), AA gun (ZSU23-2), sniper and support. I'm thinking about some rules around "news gatherers" and potentially IED controllers or S-VEST teams. I see that DR has exploding rats, nuff said.

ISF special forces 2015

Vehicles: These are separate units and, like creatures in DR, have their own SP. Currently these look like:

• Light vehicles: 6 SPs, may be transports, technicals or VB-IEDs. May be ugraded with armour or weapons.
• Medium vehicles: 12 SPs, trucks, IED resistant vehicles of all types, APCs or large VB-IEDs. Options for upgrading.
• Heavy vehicles: Tanks, upgrades for professional crew etc. There will be limited definitions here since the usual reaction from anyone in the real world is "WTF...its a tank!" even if it isn't. 

Lots more to do on this but it is looking very promising.