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Generic Backstory: Approximately one month ago, the neutral Village Alpha was visited by a NVA tax collector. When they balked at his demands, his bodyguards took the village headman's wife and shot her on the spot. The North Vietnamese now conisder this village theirs and will return to take money, rice, livestock, and anyone of fighting age on a monthly basis. US intelligence indicates that this tax collector is on the way for another visit and US forces are tasked with stopping him. Since the tax collector didn't make many friends the last time he was in the area, it is expected that he will be travelling with a large bodyguard element comprised of North Vietnamese Army regulars.
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Various setup info:
A trail is necessary for this game.
Americans should be outnumbered, but it's not necessary.
The briefing can be done in front of both teams. The only secret is the American extraction point. The NVA can't know it.
The tax collector will be identified to both teams before the game and will be carrying only a pistol.
There could be a signal to let everyone know the tax collector got away. No sense having the Americans looking for him if he is long gone.
The Americans should get a head start plus the NVA should walk the trail slowly from point B to C as if the enemy may be nearby. This will allow the Americans more time to set up, plus give the NVA a few minutes to practice patrolling together. Both teams should always act as if the enemy is near.
Both teams will have goals and a score will be taken at the end of the game to decide the winner. This is to keep the teams objective oriented and avoid having the mission end with one shot or descend into a free for all. Scoring explained at the end of this post.
Here is a simple map of the trail:
Americans start at point A, and A is their respawn point as well.
NVA start at point B, and B is their respawn point if they have more players than A. Otherwise, pick a closer spot.
Point C is halfway between A and B.
Point D is the American extraction point. Only the Americans will know it's location. I would suggest that it be at a right angle to the trail and a good distance away. It's no fun if the Americans can turn and run back to their start point, they should have to attempt to disengage or fight their way to the extraction point.
Americans will insert at the village (A) and set up an ambush between A and C. Their goal is to kill the tax collector and have at least one American survivor extract at point D. The Americans may set up their ambush anywhere between A and C and can split their group if they wish. They may only move to the extraction point (point D) if the tax collector is dead or has gotten away. They must move as a team to point D, but they can leave people behind to provide cover. Basically, they CANNOT have one guy run to point D in order to have a survivor.
The NVA mission: Protect the tax collector. Be on the lookout for Americans in the area. Kill 'em if you see 'em. All NVA must stay on the trail until the first shot is fired, then they can go anywhere. The tax collector must stay somewhere near the middle of the NVA soldiers while walking the trail. The NVA cannot put him in the very back and have him run away when the first shot is fired. Once the first shot is fired, he can move around and get behind cover, but he must stay near the trail, and the group must stay near him to protect him. After a certain amount of time (two minutes? five minutes?), if the tax collector feels the Americans will win, he may turn and flee down the trail back to point B by himself if he wishes. If he reaches B, he is safe, the Americans failed to kill him.
Scoring:
Americans:
Killing tax collector: 1
Having at least one American survivor and reach point D: 1
Killing all NVA soldiers: 1
NVA:
tax collector survives: 1
No Americans get to point D (tax collector alive or dead): 2
My reasoning: The NVA get two points for killing the Americans to prevent a tie in the event the tax collector is killed and all the Americans are too. I justify this by saying that they get one point for wiping out the American team and an extra point because no Americans are alive to tell anyone whether the tax collector was alive or dead.
A tie is possible if the tax collector and an American both survive, which sorta makes sense. You could take out the ability to let the tax collector run to avoid this. The Americans win if they miss the tax collector but still kill all the NVA and have one survivor. So if the tax collector does get away, they have the option of extracting for a tie or attacking for a possible win.
