Oscar Sierra Charlie by Evil Bear Wargames is the first of four related games to be brought out by that company. It's a skirmish game for between six and sixteen figures in a modern or near future setting. The other games will allow bigger battles, more scifi games and a campaign system.
I don't intend to review the rules at this point, rather, I'll just talk through the main points of tonight's game with Matt Slade.
Before the game, we struggled with the rules a bit. They're simple enough, but there are plenty of choices to be made each turn and the rules are spread awkwardly through the slim 52 page A5 book. They really could be laid out better. After the game we had a pretty good grasp so this shouldn't be a problem again, but a QRS will be made.
Anyway, the game. First, the forces.
In the brown corner, from Ground Zero Games, the NAC. Weighing in at level 4 (trained soldiers) with superior ballistic protection we have one RPG, one LMG, three assault riflemen and a commander with an assault rifle. 99 points worth.
In the red corner, from Armies Army, the SKOV! Hitting the scales at level 3 (untrained militia) with no armour whatsoever, are one RPG, two LMGs, six riflemen with assault rifles and a commander with an SMG. 100 points.
The site of a terrible crash will be the venue for tonight's rumble. The main objective is in the centre of the board and cannot be moved, only claimed and occupied. Four other objectives lie scattered around, probably the Colonel's CD collection from his crashed car. These four objectives start in the centre and scatter d10" in a random direction before the game.
Deployment points were placed and missions rolled. We both rolled the same mission, number 3. It seems that as well as collecting personal effects and securing the wrecked car we'd be after each other's commander. 14 points Alive or 7 points dead if we can recover him to the deployment zone.
We start to deploy...
A lot of the fighting took place around the grouped objectives. We rolled low when they scattered!
First objective quickly returned to my DP. It's safe there for now but not necessarily out of the game.
An opportunity arose. A long shot in both senses of the phrase. Could my RPG fire across the board and take out Matt's commander? It's worth a try.
That's him laying down top left. I also killed two other riflemen but we leave the commander on table so that I can bring him to my deployment point if possible, whilst Matt defends him.
The crack shot RPG trooper with his bright reload marker (a hastily commandeered 7TV token):
It got a bit exciting after this and I forgot to take photos. Notably, I drew a land mine card and saw off a few more militia, whilst an RPG duel ended up as a pistol duel due to reduced range. I managed to clear the central area but time was running out and I wouldn't be able to recover any more objectives. I did however claim and occupy the unmovable objective in the centre, despite having a jammed rifle.
A lot of manoeuvring later and a lone rifleman on my left flank threatened my commander and the recovered objective. Things got worse when in the last turn Matt played a card that saw my Commander cracking up about something 'Kevin' said and unable to activate!
Superior firepower and armour saw me through against superior numbers and unfamiliar rules. When my commander stops laughing I'm sure he'll be asking why we didn't recover all the CDs, but we'll try again.
An enjoyable game with plenty of depth to the rules and a system that we'll certainly try again.
I will write that QRS though.
Man of the match thanks to one awesome lucky shot:
