Back in Nam

 Dave and me have careered into the Vietnam war, I've collected Empress minis (it all started with a flash sale) and Dave have gone for Gringo40s. It a score draw on who has the best figures. Between the 2 of us we have 2 platoons of USMC (Dave's to be painted) and 2 companies of Vietnamese plus support.

I've been tinkering around with Bolt Action rules and a dungeon crawl style game with cards being drawn each move to either give the USMC artillery support or to bring NVA and VC on the table. 

Last night we played our 1st  play test of the rules

3ft by 4ft jungle terrain. Aim is to get 3 four man and command fire teams across the table and off the other side

1 very small early skirmish, NVA destroyed before firing a shot and the infantry race through the jungle. You draw a card at the start of your move unless you run, then it's the end of the move,

Dave was very lucky

Until he tripped 3 booby traps in quick succession. Pinning the commander and taking out 1 marine. Casualties have to be rescued and exvac'd. Helicopter called for

Then an entire NVA platoon appeared to the West, less than 8 inches from the pinned command and M60 team

The USMC managed to pin the NVA 

and call for an artillery strike - very danger close - impossible for the USMC to not be hit

The 3 NVA units all recieve pins but no casulaties but the M60 team is obliterated

The pins and fire fro the 2 remaining fire teams are enough to rout the NVA . Helicopter evac arrives to take the bodies and another wounded man away

Remaining fire team and commander make it off the table.

It was great fun and the rules worked well and the battle was frenetic. Some tweaks needed. Had to buy more figures for casualties. 

The final score was 1 NVA platoon destroyed, 5 US marines killed, 1 by NVA, 1 by booby trap and 3 by friendly fire

I'll add the rules as blog page after tinkering.

As for the forces

NVA - Empress

VC - Westwind, not great figs

M113 and Photographer - The Assault Group 

USMC Platoon - Empress

Huey - Butlers Printd Models - nice but annoying to clean up