Russkies in Oklahoma!

[seabolt]

TURN 16

I wouldn't want to be a Russian trying to do business on the Internet. Once again, Epoletov struggled to get his turn back to me. It got to the point that I tried to set up an FTP site. (Bottom line: Through a Linksys router? It is to laugh!) We finally fell back on our most reliable option, shuttling the e-mail through a non-U.S. third party. The Cold War lingers on in the electron streams ...

Not that I missed much action in the long interim. Epoletov took a couple more potshots with that hidden ATGM in my rear, killing a disabled Fox, but that was kind of a costly kill. It emptied his loadout and allowed a nearby Apache to spot his 171-pt para AT unit (which must have sprinted over from Mt Acme several turns ago) at hex 50,135. Empty or not, points is points! Scratch one AT section.

He then mounted a little push toward VH 51,184 with the size 0 remnants of his southern para force: a cheap marksman and a high grade scout unit. My units killed the marksman on my turn, and the scout's days are numbered unless there's a lot more 0s lurking in those woods.

In the urban fight to the north, he did finish off a badly wounded Ranger squad, but also poked some units forward for a quick, ignoble beatdown. A few turns ago, once I realized that the northern paradrop was fairly well contained, I turned around some of my armor to rejoin my line of advance. The Abramses were in position this turn to pound on his leading elements, after the Russians ate a CM salvo on my last artillery phase. I sent in the SAM-proof Apache to sniff around, and I've got to give Epoletov credit: He's got a nose for danger like Spider-Man. He's pulled back his line infantry companies to avoid the brunt of my counterattack. I'm not sure where the bulk of them are, but I know they're moving backward at this point.

In the meantime, that SAM unit took another potshot at his nemesis, and got himself killed for his troubles. That's one mean bird.

In the northern para LZ, Epoletov's routed Spetsnaz unit fled right into the muzzle of an Abrams that I didn't turn around. Hasta la vista, pinkie. That might really have been the last unit up there; I trolled some panel trucks through the area and no one so much as threw a nasty glare at those deliciously soft targets ...

Finally, just to ensure that I can't claim a foolproof turn, I moved a cheap sniper unit out of the nearby burning VH to 104,177. Only, Epoletov had his own budget marksman sitting in that hex, which led to an odd little point-blank sniper's duel. I'm afraid that the forces of darkness won that one ...

My one last positive note was during the artillery phase, when two of Epoletov's Nonas dropped conventional rounds on me. I guess that all of the ammo carriers killed in my CB fire are starting to be missed. Of course, my 60mm volume has shriveled by this point, so it's not like ammo shortages aren't cutting both ways ...

-- 30 --

[GUNSLNGR]

I wouldn't want to be a Russian trying to do business on the Internet. Once again, Epoletov struggled to get his turn back to me. It got to the point that I tried to set up an FTP site. (Bottom line: Through a Linksys router? It is to laugh!) We finally fell back on our most reliable option, shuttling the e-mail through a non-U.S. third party. The Cold War lingers on in the electron streams ...

HMMM...emails between Russia and Texas regarding an invasion of Oklahoma. Now why would that get anyone's attention, who may or may not be reading? Which we nor they can either confirm nor deny that it would or would not be possible for someone to potentially know or not know what may or may not go through the World Wide Web...if indeed such a thing exists at all.

[seabolt]

Given some of the topics that I've researched for a living ... I'm already on all of those lists!

Now if you'll pardon me, I've got to go moon the black helicopters.

-- 30 --

[seabolt]

TURN 17

I've been about half right, half dead wrong, in predicting Epoletov's moves in this match, and I sure don't see any reason to break that streak this late in the battle! I still think that the northern drop zone is muerte, but on the Russian turn a Spetznatz unit popped up in the southern zone. I'm pretty sure that SPMBT will inflict casualties for parachuting into non-clear hexes, but given that it grants instant cover (as in, the defender is lucky to even see the chute during the replay), it may be well worth the casualties.

So, I killed the unit, sent an Apache to scout for more ... and got popped. Damage 1 and 500-odd points of pure killing machine decides it's Miller time. That's always irritating, but at least I knew to circle the wagons because there's at least two more Spetznatz units and a scout unit planning to die hard in those trees.

Never one to let failure deter me, I sent another Apache on a flanking run along the top of the map. Ummm, there's *lots* of AA left out there. I was lucky to get the thing back into cover. The third killed a Russian jeep that had been lurking for about 8 turns, hoping to grab a last-turn VH I guess, then made a push toward VH 110,43 that also triggered a hail of fire. But at least I discovered why the fire was so thick -- Epoletov took advantage of his counterattack to move up another AA gun and a SAM unit to replace the two that I (overexcitedly) killed several turns ago. A sniper and some remnants of my attack force killed the SAM and pinned the gun.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Humvee that ate an ATGM eons ago found an RPG-29 team at 96,59 and killed it ... all while shrugging off two bursts from the pinned AA piece. I love it when crews do something useful. They even had a shot left to pop smoke at the end. How you like that, Ivan? They'll be the toast of the motor pool when this is over, assuming they live so long.

The rest of the turn mostly amounted to massive reorganizing---all of these scattered parachute drops have left my readiness state somewhere south of "dismal." But I did manage a neat little counterpunch in the urban fight that killed 4 rifle sections. A little more luck like that and those rifle companies won't be around much longer.

-- 30 --

[seabolt]

TURN 18

Another day, another parachute drop.

Epoletov spent his turn destroying my two "scout" trucks with a scout unit at hex 21,39 (so much for the northern drop zone being 100% clear) then attacking the scarred survivors of my ATGM alley attack, who alamoed up nicely. Then his next wave rolled in.

It was surprising to see yet another air drop, even more surprising when it disgorged its troops in a northwest line centered about hex 57,179---which is smack in the middle of the already established southern drop zone. In hindsight, Epoletov probably would prefer to have done things differently. I already had artillery beating and troops circling the area. A lot of Russian paratroops got mauled right out of the gate.

On the other hand, there's a heck of a lot more of them in there. He seems to be pretty serious about establishing a foothold on the island.

In the meantime, I pushed back a little in the north, with middling results, but mostly spent the turn reorganizing my scattered forces. Part of this involved driving another fully laden Fox northbound behind a line of trees to avoid the ATGMs on that southern hilltop. Yet another 10-pt marksman ambushed it, killing half the "occupants" (who, as explained by Narwan, are actually riding on top of the vehicle like a bunch of drunken frat boys on a dare). That was ... exasperating, but then I suppose nasty surprises are a part of this game for both sides. On his turn, Epoletov had fired that (doomed) 37mm AA gun at a ground target and got answered with not one, not two, but *five* units opfiring back. Good to see that some things about the U.S. Army never change ...

-- 30 --

[seabolt]

TURN 19

Make that another turn---the second of the day---another parachute drop.

Epoletov spent his turn mostly aggravating me with yet more size 0 infiltrators. After finishing off a survivor squad on ATGM alley at 108,43, he attacked a crew section with an HMG sneaking up the highway at 98,66. A sniper tried to sneak up to the adjacent VH via 74,114 before receiving a 7.92mm burst of Do Not Disturb. And an ATGM at 99,71 disabled yet another Fox.

Then the transport arrived and dumped yet more paratroops on the southern island drop zone. Jiminy Christmas.

I had spotted another AA gun at 111,38 in the previous turn, but didn't mention it while a CM mission was en route. With it routed, I pushed an Apache into the urban hexes southeast of ATGM Alley. Opfire quickly revealed that Epoletov has a company's worth of infantry defending the line 110,43-59, which is the road intersecting my old line of advance and looking out on clear hexes. When I tried to skirt his rifles, another AA piece fired from 123,60. I moved up an Abrams to help the Apache sidestep it, but another infantry unit drove back my copter. Running out of move, I used it to finish off the AA gun at 111,68 and a nearby lurking AT unit. It took one last long shot at an ammo carrier that had run up to hex 121,90 (presumably to feed a SAM unit). The shot killed the carrier, and its explosion caused two secondary explosions, which I've never seen before. (And one would think I would have: Epoletov has lost at least a dozen ammo carriers so far in this fight.) Something must have got real hurt, though neither secondary blast revealed any unit data.

Quite a bit of havoc for one helicopter. One can see why I hate to lose them ...

The southern approach to Epoletov's guns being closed, I ran another Apache through the town north of ATGM Alley. After a couple of stumbles, that one slipped through and punched up a 203mm gun at 108,47. It always feels like a new phase of battle has begun once my helicopters first begin feeding on opposing support elements ...

Meanwhile, I finished off some infantry in the woods to the extreme north, counterhunted and killed the sniper from 74,114, advanced a scout to cripple the ATGM at 99,71, and popped smoke with a hearty ":censored: you!" as my singleton crew guy beat a retreat from the highway HMG ...

Which left the southern delegation of the 2008 Convention of Angry Russian Paratroops (CARP). A few mortar and CM rounds had slowed Epoletov's guys a little, and I managed to kill a 66-point parasniper with an 18-point counterpart, but mostly all I could do was hammer the rally key and z-fire. Epoletov's tubes are shooting all around the woods, mine are shooting into the middle of the woods, and both beaten zones are straying into each other more often than not. Like everything else in this match, this is going to get ugly.

-- 30 --

[Vesku]

Mmmm, warm and fuzzy ...

[wigam]

Great read, deserving of some points in the end.

[Walrus]

Great stuff Gene.
That's five waves of paras now eh?
That's commitment for ya :-)
Russian style hahahaha

A brilliant read there chap, keep it up eh!
Cheers

[seabolt]

Mmmm, warm and fuzzy ...

Urra!

Great read, deserving of some points in the end.

Thank you, greatly appreciated. Epoletov set this up for 26 turns, so actually the end isn't that far off. Knowing my man, though, I suspect that the next seven turns will be far more hectic than the previous seven. Lurkers will be delurking like cats hearing a can opener.

-- 30 --