World at War - Operation Garbo (Exp.)

In World War Three, neutrality was never more than a temporary option. Nevertheless, Sweden hoped to remain on the war’s sideline, as she did during the Second World War, but no amount of diplomacy or peace-minded moral posturing could keep her from being drawn into the world’s climactic conflict. It's the summer of 1985, welcome to the next exciting chapter in the dark world

When the war began both NATO and Warsaw Pact aircraft violated Swedish airspace in order to strike each other. As a show of force, Sweden sent up her own fighters, and also filed a complaint with the U.N., but these measures did nothing to prevent the violation of her airspace. The Soviet Union was getting the worst of the air strikes and threatened to invade Sweden if the strikes continued. As the Swedish politicians mired themselves in craven bureaucratic banter, the NATO air strikes continued. The Soviets’ patience quickly withered and they went ahead with their invasion. Securing Sweden, the Soviets hoped, would neutralize the NATO air strikes and provide them with a foothold from which their bombers could more easily attack Great Britain. It also threatened NATO’s left flank and put Norway in a difficult position.

On paper the invasion was a great idea for the Soviets, but they were constrained by force commitments in Central Europe, thus only second-line troops and elements of elite parachute units and naval infantry were available for the attack. Regardless, the invasion went ahead, and it was a surprise. Sweden had little time to mobilize her army, but local Swedish commanders know how important having the initiative was, and they counterattacked as soon as they could. In the initial fighting, the few elite Soviet forces tried to overcome the Home Guard defense units. Later, the Swedes were able to organize their forces, and their armored brigade, the Sledgehammers, counterattacked. WWIII had expanded to peaceful Scandinavia, and World at War: Operation Garbo, designed by Nils Idemalm, will take you there.

Thor's Hammer: Pits elements of the Swedish 10th Mechanized Brigade against elite Soviet naval infantry and their tank support around the occupied port of Sodertaljie.

We Can Still Hurt Them: Elements of the Home Guards strike toward the Arlanda airport. Since the Guards had a difficult time mobilizing, the units are a mish-mash of what the brigade commander could throw together. But they are determined to put up a fight.

Buy us Some Time: the Swedish 5th Tank Battalion’s defense of the fortress near Boden against a large Soviet force that includes airmobile units.

A General's War: Features the Swedish Supreme Commander of all armed forces; after his helicopter is shot down he must lead an AT platoon in a desperate battle against Soviet paratroopers and naval infantry. It may be the first time in war-gaming history that the equivalent of a four-star general takes the role of a lieutenant!

Into the Valley of Death: A ragged Swedish reinforced tank battalion collides with a soviet tank unit. The Swedish brigade is trying to strike towards a harbour to stop the flow of soviet reinforcements. Based on an action from the book Operation Garbo.

Fight on Gotland: Slightly based on an action from the novel Operation Garbo. Soviet forces have landed on Gotland. They are aggressively striking out from the beach head. In their way are parts of the 18th mechanized brigade trying to contain the beach head. In the lush fields of Gotland, the forces collide.

The Forces

Swedish forces include its upgraded Mark 4 variant of the British Centurion tank, the famous Swedish S-tank—which has no turret!—and the PBV 302, a combat-proven APC. Other units include AT helicopters, tracked TOW and SAM launchers, and the hard-hitting, but fragile, IKV 91 tank destroyer. Home Guard units made up of old men with old rifles and fast, jeep-driving recon units support the heavier tank units. The Soviet forces include units from the 76th Airborne Division, with BMDs, BRDM2s, and other vehicles. Naval infantry units include amphibious tanks such as the PT-76 and the more common T-55 and BTR vehicles. Heavy tank units made up of T-72s are present, too, of course, and new support weapons include the man-portable SPG-9

About the World at War Series

Units represent platoons of vehicles, such as T-80, T-64, BTR-70, BMP-2, FV-432, Challenger 1, Rapier, SA-13, ZSU-23/4, helicopters – Lynx and Hind E, aircraft – Su-25 and Tornado, and infantry armed with support weapons such as Spandrels, SA-16s, Milans, Blowpipes, AGS-17s, etc. The system throws typical turn-based gaming out the window. The platoons are grouped into formations (companies for NATO or battalions for the Soviets) and lead by a headquarters unit. Each unit of the formation must be within range (generous for NATO, less so for the Soviets) of the HQ to activate with its formation. Oh yeah, individual units might activate, and recon units can double their range from the HQ, but you’ll want to keep those formations together. The formations are activated by chit draw, and better-trained, better-led units can activate more than once in a turn, moving, shooting, and fighting in each activation. On the flip side of a coin, there is no guarantee that a formation will activate even once. The opaque container (we like to call it a cup in the rural south) into which the formation chits are placed is seeded with end turn chits. When the second end turn chit is drawn, the turn ends. Doesn’t matter if anyone has activated; the turn is over.

Combat. We love this combat system. When attacking, each platoon rolls a number of dice equal to its firepower. Every die that equals or exceeds the “to hit” number (right superscript) hits the target. The target then rolls the number of die equal to its armor factor plus terrain advantages. Each die that equals or exceeds its armor factor negates a hit. The first hit disrupts a unit, second reduces it, the third eliminates it.

Units may also close assault, entering the opponent’s hex to either deal a death blow or force him (or her) out of valuable terrain. Same procedure, but both units use their close assault value. The side that takes the most hits must retreat from the hex. Infantry is VERY good at this, especially against armor without its own infantry support.

OBS: Detta är en expansion och Blood and Bridges krävs för att spela denna.