Firestorm: Stripes

"We're getting back in there and kicking Ivan in the teeth!" CPT Cook announced to his platoon leaders. "In there offensive this morning we gave them a good black eye, and their attack has halted. We are going back in there before they can get reinforcements and dig in their heels. Any questions?" The lieutenants glanced at each other. "No? Alright, mount up!" They all scattered to their men, but 2LT Rosebrock could be heard shouting to the company.

"Alright boys, we win this, lunch at McPizzaKing is on me!"

We decided to play a mission that flowed well with our last battle. Even though the Russians technically one, their battalion was battered while I had little casualties. With this in mind, we chose the counter-attack scenario with NATO being the attacker. We played 100 points, and I rolled for the Time of Day and got daylight.

The Russians deployed their T-72 HQ, a T-72 Company, an SA-13 SAM platoon, and had a T-64 company in ambush. I deployed my entire force, and used my Scout Section's spearhead platoon to push out and allow my FIST to deploy with a line of sight where the Russian reserves were going to be coming from.

I moved up my units to start pressing the attack. The infantry dismounted their transports and took positions in McPizzaKing. Second platoon moved up to take cover behind a wall while Third platoon moved onto the road to press what looked like an exposed flank. Second platoon is able to kill a T-72 and bail another, while Third platoon scores one T-72 kill as well.

2LT Rosebrock sits high in his TC seat, peering through the coupla. He grinned at the flanking shots his platoon were taking on the T-72 company. Suddenly there was the crack of a tank cannon to close for comfort followed by the explosion of Tank 33 right next to Rosebrock's. The driver calls out, "Tanks! 12 o'clock!" Rosebrock quickly shifts his view and looks as the turret traverses to the new targets. T-64 lie in the woods to the front, well camouflaged.

Rosebrock mutters to himself, "so this is what it's like to be on the receiving end."

My opponent deploys his ambush in the woods to the 12 o'clock of my third platoon and HQ. He is unable to get reserves, but remounts his T-72s. His T-64s is able to kill one Abrams, but the rest of them and the T-72s all miss.

Second platoon pushes up and over the wall, with one tank becoming bogged and is left behind. They push past the BP station. Third platoon and the CO line abrest behind some craters, facing the T-64s. Second platoon destroys a T-72 and bails another, kills a gopher. Third platoon fires at the T-64s, but they all either miss or ricochet off the thick armor. However, the gopher and T-72 losses push the formation out of good spirits. Both the SAMs and T-72 company pass their morale checks.

The Soviets pass their formation morale, they will not let us break them so easily. He gets a reserve T-72 company onto the table, and begins moving them toward the battle. He remounts his bailed T-72s, positioning them to attack Second platoon. The battalion commander moves from the safety of the woods to strike from the edge. The commander fires, destorying an Abrams. The T-64s fire at Thrid platoon and the CO, miraculously only bailing one.

My Abrams remounts and prepares to return fire. The infantry passes a Blitz Move test, positioning themselves in the building and readying their Dragon ATGMs. They fire, killing a T-72. The FIST call in Laser-Guided Munitions on the reserve T-72s, destroying one. Second platoon whiff all their shots, while Third platoon and the CO kill two T-64s and bail another two.

The Russians get another unit of reserves, bringing in a third T-72 company. They remount and prepare to try to counter-attack. They push across to the open field while the reminders of the second T-72 company push up to the farm. The sole survivor of the first T-72 company takes aim at second platoon along with the battalion commander, and both miss. The T-64s fire at Third platoon and the CO again, missing or the rounds bouncing. The second T-72 company fires at the infantry caught crossing the road, but luckily they miss.

CPT Cook, ready to put the nail in Ivans coffin, rushes the remaining T-64s and fires point blank into their flank, destroying one and causing the other to flee at the tenacity of the American forces. Third platoon breaks off the push for the objective and engage the remaining T-72 in the company, finishing him off. Second platoon fires at the battalion commander and gopher, killing both. A lone tank from second platoon pushes into a tree line and engages the incoming reinforcements, killing one. The Corbas, who have missed every shot so far, lands a hit on a T-72 and sends the turret sky high. Another laser-guided munitions strike destroys an additional T-72. The infantry occupy the BP station and other nearby buildings to garrison the town against counter attack.

The Russian reinforcements keep pressing the attack, keeping a platoon of Storms as reinforcements. The third T-72 company uses their stabilizers to push into range of the Second platoon Abrams in the wood line, and amazingly rolls three sixes for hits! Needless to say, that Abrams didn't stand a chance. The second T-72 company fires at some obscere targets in Third platoon, missing them all.

This turn will break the back of the Soviet advance. I move my Cobras up close to finish off the enemy, Third platoon moves up to engage the second T-72 company while Second platoon pushes into the tree line to engage the third T-72 company. The FIST calls in more munitions against the Storms, destroying one. Third platoon obliterates what remains of the T-72 company while Second platoon a bails two in the other, leaving the formation with no core units in good standing and no battalion commander to rally them, they break off the attack, leaving the Americans victorious!

"They're breaking off their attack! We got 'em on the run!" The call from the FIST made the net fill with cheers. We had a loss early in the morning followed by a total victory in the early afternoon. The Russians were on the ropes now, and Team Argonaut was going to pursue them back to Red territory. But first, there were other matters to attend to.

"Argo 3-6, Argo 6. About that lunch you promised us."

A fast and brutal game, with lots of highs and lows. My opponent had an interesting strategy, by taking smaller but more numerous units. Unfortunately, his dice couldn't back him up in a lot of cases, and he found himself missing a lot. A fun game that we both enjoyed, looking forward to the continuation of our stories tomorrow, Onward to Leipzig!

P.S. In case you were wondering, 2LT Rosebrock made good on his promise of McPizzaKing,