Russkies in Oklahoma!

[seabolt]

TURN 4

Now that's more like it.

I was beginning to wonder if Epoletov really belongs in the He-Man Ex-Soviets SP Club. Volodia and I would have killed a third of each others' units by this point in the fight, just as a warmup for the real murdering. I should have known better. My geekdar should have picked up the ominous sound of huge brass cajones clanking in the East ...

It turns out the Godfather had another purpose for his opening artillery barrage: paving the way for a wave of Antonov transports full of hardcore mechanized paratroops. It looked grim when the first An-32 hit the screen because, as mentioned, what little losses I had incurred had all been to my heavy AA. (Technically, I didn't lose the second Vulcan. CM splash damage simply killed its guns and immobilized it. :rolleyes: I @-bailed the crew to cheat Epoletov out of the kill, cheapskate that I am.)

What I failed to remember is that there's nothing that wakes up the Green Machine's trigger fingers like a set of wings without USAF stencilled on them. *Everybody* opened up on the transports. Paladins neglected their fire missions, Humvees buzzed like little bees, I think even the 60mm crews were firing their slot 2 M-16s for the heck of it. (Kidding.) One Antonov fireballed with all hands on board. I think at least one skipped out full of SAM holes without dropping its passengers.

Despite that, Epoletov landed a couple of scout cars, three BMD-1Ps, and the better part of a paratroop company in my rear (about 500 meters east of the big urban area in my northern backcourt). Unfortunately for him, he miscalculated how far east my Abramses would be. Starting the match in a CM-defensive posture had cost me a couple of turns to form them up.

Naturally, things got ugly. The first three shots cleared the field of BMDs. Two more rounds and we lost the adjective "mechanized." I moved the Abramses only enough to gain LOS to the most convenient unit, but by the time the tanks finished firing, just about everything Russian was suppressed. But if I'm doing the purchasing there's no such thing as an MBT without shotgun riders hanging around. The farther ones pounded away with their Humvee-mounted 40mm GLs while the closer ones swooped in to finish off routed units. I knew this was a risk---which is why the Abramses didn't close in---but Humvees and scouts have the unfortunate duty of being there to be killed. Meanwhile, the tanks and distant escorts got the hell out of Dodge. Just in case.

In the south, the Apaches ferreted out a couple of scout cars and their riders. One of the foot patrols survived, but won't be accomplishing much other than catching 60mm rounds.

At turn's end, the usual Russian barrage commenced ... much of it centered on Epoletov's own LZ. No room for sentiment in the eastern branch of the fan club, apparently. Then the Grachs swooped in, also aiming for the LZ, also hoping to pick off an Abrams or three lured in by the meat. Then the Su-34s rolled up behind them ... Had my tanks been a little farther east, I would have been sorely tempted to turn them back west and burn all of their move finding LOS. That would have left them sitting near ground zero watching the wrath of God(less) roll in on them.

All in all, the Russian air armada tagged a couple of Humvees, a mortar crew, and some scouts ... and pretty much finished annihilating its own expeditionary force. :smoke: The damage pendulum definitely has swung, and after taking several of the Russians' best shots, my forces remain 95%+ effective. It might be time to press this engagement.

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