VENETIC

Death Card Game Test 1

The first in a series of play tests for my new set of Vietnam wargaming rules called “Death Card”. The rules use a pack of playing cards for each player instead of dice.

Two squads of ARVN with a Walker Bulldog tank approach a ville cautiously.

Approaching the crossroads, the ARVN commander can sense there is trouble ahead.

Trouble is indeed lurking in the shadows of the bar to the right.

A VC RPG team.

The ARVN player must display a card matching his tank’s armour class: he pulls one out showing hearts (Class 3). The VC player randomly draws spades (Class 4), which means his hit with the RPG has penetrated the tank’s armour. Note that in this case, the numbers on the cards are irrelevant.

The ARVN player must draw a card to save some or all of the crew but draws a Joker (= failed result)

The crew fail to bail out as the tank goes up in flames.

A VC heavy machine gun opens up from the other bar’s rooftop at the ARVN soldiers visible behind the burning tank.

A laser marker is used to prove the HMG has line of sight.

An HMG gets 4 chances to hit when it fires, so 4 cards are drawn.

8+ is required on targets in the open, so the HMG scores 4 hits. 3 is enough for a kill.

The stand is removed.

The VC HMG targets the man behind the original target - line of sight is confirmed:

Two hits are achieved.

The man is marked as being Seriously Wounded, meaning that for the time behing, he cannot move or fire.

The HMG continues to fire at him, scoring two more hits.

Three is enough for a kill.

Not having a clear shot at the ARVN further up the road, the HMG fire ceases. The VC player also moves forward a lone man to lie in wait on a corner across from the bar, in case it is rushed from this flank at ground level. Then the VC player declares his phase is over as there is nothing further he wants to do.

The surviving ARVN on the road are ordered by their commander hiding behind the burnt-out tank to flank the intersection to the right.

The point man’s eyes are on the opposite side of the road, but he fails to see any VC.

They move forward to the roadside, alongside a bus stop.

Even with eyes on the other side of the road from this close, they only gain low spotting results and fail to spot any VC.

The ARVN are then caught off guard by a VC who reveals himself by opening fire:

Along with another VC in the same field:

This VC opens fire with an SMG and scores one hit, resulting in a Light Wound on the ARVN point man.

Further shooting is less successful and the VC player’s phase ends.

The ARVN point man returns fire, but misses.

The VC opposite him opens fire and scores 2 hits.

The ARVN point man is killed.

The VC continues firing.

The second ARVN is hit.

Then the VC’s fire goes wide.

The 3rd ARVN returns fire, but he misses too.

The VC fires, but misses wildly.

Further ARVN fire fails to hit due to the cover that the VC has.

The VC kills the second ARVN.

The 3rd ARVN is seriously wounded and then killed, followed by two more of his comrades.

Leaving one lone ARVN still in the firing line.

He too becomes a casualty.

The 2 VC assigned to hold that flank of the crossroads have successfully fought off the ARVN flank attack.

Back on the road, the ARVN commander is still sheltering behind the burning M41 tank, and has to keep his head down due to the machine gun fire still being received.

He still has one squad left, but advancing under HMG fire would be suicidal.

The VC force is small but determined, and they have the approaches covered.

The ARVN commander admits defeat, as he no longer has enough men to take his objective.

This was the first test of the Death Card rules and the basic mechanics worked well. I need to write rules for group fire, as it is clear that even with small-unit games like this, there should be the ability for two or more men to fire at the same target.