Heavy Gear tactical pack three: Operation Sudden Fire
Disclaimer: I don't have the second product in the Heavy Gear tactical pack series. This may affect my observations on variety.
Premise
The Heavy Gear tactical packs are meant for use with the Heavy Gear tactical combat boxed set. They add maps, rules, units and counters to go with them, and an eleven-scenario long campaign to play through. The campaign isn't linear - the winner of each confrontation gets to decide which scenario of possible two is played next. If one player wins all the time, it could be over very quickly. If the players keep falling back and end the fights in ties, the campaign could stretch on for a long time, the combatants playing slight variations of the eleven basic scenarios.
The product consists of two map sheets, three counter sheets and a 32-page booklet. The price may seem steep, but bear in mind that you're buying a whole campaign. Unless you play weekly or more often, the pack is going to last a while. The maps are basic desert with hills and cliffs. Counters consist of infantry, armored personnel carriers, civilians, lightly packed urban hexes, rubble blockades, containers, Heavy Gears and Naga Striders.
Contents
Inside the booklet are details on the campaign, the two featured units, new rules and new units. Plus the eleven scenarios, of course.
On the Heavy Gear timeline, Operation Sudden Fire takes place in early Winter TN 1937, during the Interpolar War. A southern unit has been cut off and is trying to make do with what it has, in the Serpentine range, deep in the north. Northern units are closing in for the kill. The background works: it's short and sweet, explaining the hows and whys of the battle. It's about retaliation, with the southern units attacking Western Frontier Protectrate and the Northern Guard, bent on avenging the destruction of the city-state of Aquitaine. The southern unit spearheading the attack reached out too far, and got cut off. In an ambush it lost all of its tanks. Retreating the remaining firepower in a hurry, they managed to keep their Naga Striders. Now they're looking for a way out.
Whereas the first tac pack features units with whole three companies (each with four sections), the forces in this campaign are battered and/or separated. The northern force consists of the 13th Gear regiment Doom Prophets' Charlie company - the "Death Knells". They are a former tank-buster unit, all gloom and doom due to past high mortality rates. The habit of ringing a large bell before each fight is a nice touch. Their non-standard units are Hunter Commando EW (electronic warfare), Cheetah Fang (comes with a light bazooka) and Razorback, a slow Heavy Gear with a snub cannon.
The southern force is the crippled 127th MILICIA combined forces regiment "Carrion Serpents". They're looking to replace their stained glory by spearheding the attack into the north. Composed of leftovers, the regiment has no top-of-the-line equipment, instead relying on Dartjägers (fast, bug-eyed variant of the Jäger) and especially their precious Naga Striders. Striders weren't featured in the basic tactical box, and it's nice to see some finally. I do expect tanks next! While I have stats and old, first-edition counters for tanks, I like to play with premium only, and won't use tanks until I come across some in these new sets. Indeed, much of the campaign revolves around the Nagas, as they're all that the Carrion Serpents can really throw at the Death Knells.
The battle is tight-knit, resolved over a night or so. Repairs are not possible, so the already thin forces need really be conserved if a commander intends to see the dawn come. Concentrating on the desperate fight of a few men is a good idea, although it wouldn't bear repetition in later campaigns.
The new rules are on cliffsides, which are hard to climb, retreating and hull-down positions. The hull-down rules are a simplified version of the full set, which is featured in the first tac pack and the (dated) Tactical Ground Support supplement. Because the game essentially deals with tanks on legs, the hull-down rules really should have been in the basic rules. A Gear pilot would be nuts not to position himself in a way which minimizes the silhouette, only leaving sensors and weapons in sight. While staying put is usually suicide in Silhouette tactical (the game's engine), hull-down makes it possible to hold your ground and receive an attack.
The scenarios
While there is variation in the scenarios, I can't help but feel that something is lacking. Compared to the scenarios in the first tactical pack (Battle of Two Towers), some of these feel forced. The basic setup with very small forces does work, however, and intensity goes a long way towards repairing the problems with the scenarios. There are quite a few escape scenarios, which does fit the southern unit's difficult situation well. All together, the scenarios leave the impression that the quota of eleven scenarios had to be filled, but there just wasn't that much ammunition in the writers. Luckily, there are some really good ideas in here, too.
Block and run
In the first scenario, southern reconnaissance force is trying to escape from the northern force it found at sunset. The escaping force must cripple some of the attackers to keep them from chasing. With one unit getting away being enough for victory, it's a tough one for the attacker. Both sides have fast Gears on the field (Cheetahs and Dartjägers), which in my opinion takes the fun out of escape scenarios - too much calculating to make sure you're not giving the chased too much rope.
Lost boys
The second scenario finds lots of southern infantry resupplying behind enemy lines. Rain falls down and night has enveloped the area. They've taken a small badlands town and radioed for escort to see them back to their own. However, northern forces captured the transmission and arrive first to take back the town and wipe out the unprotected infantry. The southern player may decide to hold on to the town he's holed up in, instead of risking the hike down the road, which makes for some intense tactics. Of course, there are also civilians running about, which the northies don't want to hurt. They will risk them, however, to get to the southies.
Ambush the cavalry
The second scenario's eagerly expected southern escorts are ambushed by northern elite infantry in a series of narrow canyons. It's only an hour or so from the previous confrontation, so the fight takes place in the middle of the night. Adding to the Carrion Serpents' cavalry's anguish are the northerners' well-prepared positions, allowing them to start from the high ground and lure their prey into roadblocks made from boulders. It is a desperate running fight for the southern player, Nagas or not. The northern player mostly needs to choose his locations very well and set the blockades right, sit tight and roll high. It's a nice basic setup, anyway - I'd enjoy playing either side.
Titan slayers
Realizing that the Nagas are what's keeping the Carrion Serpents' hope alive, the Death Knells devise a plan to kill the Striders. Drawing them out by feints, the northern force destroys the Nagas' rearguard and engages them. Protected only by light infantry, the Strider pilots make a run for it in a night-time forest backdrop. The scenario might develop into hide and seek, as the forests provide plenty of cover for the clumsy warmachines. Playing with mostly Nagas ought to be interesting, although I think it'll take a few tries to get the basic tactic right. The woodlands terrain and a combination of Striders and infantry only renders many of the usual approaches invalid.
Last stand
In the fifth scenario, a series of defeats has pushed the Carrion Serpents into a dead end. They must fight with what they got and eradicate or drive off the attackers, who're moving in for the kill at a leisurely pace, as the southerners can't escape the canyon they're in. It's a fitting ending to a tragic campaign for the South - or a dramatically satisfactory turning point. This doesn't alleviate the problem that the scenario is somewhat dull, even though it takes place in a sandstorm, at dawn. Certainly it loses the dramatic impact it has if it needs to be played several times (in case south wins, but north pushes back).
Swift vengeance
The sixth scenario follows up on the second scenario, Lost Boys, with southern forces arriving to avenge the deaths of their infantry comrades. The northern units responsible have holed up in the badlands town which was the scene of the previous fight. The Death Knells in the town would've moved aside if it wasn't for the civilians. They can't leave them at the mercy of the furious Carrion Serpents. Preparing to receive or meet the southern attackers, the northies are determined to not let any civilians die and indeed will not risk civilians during the fight. This is odd, since in Lost Boys, the northern force was taking the town, no matter the risk to the civilians. A nice touch is that the civilians remain in their homes until someone takes a shot at them, at which point they panic and start running around. Of course, if the Death Knells move away from the town proper, the civilians won't be risked.
In and out
In this speed challenge, northern forces attempt to wipe out the bulk of the southern forces. The Death Knells figure that now that the Carrion Serpents have found their main force, they're going to attack it en masse. To get out of this spot, the Death Knells decide to intercept the Serpents' main force en route. They lure the escorts away and charge at the heavy hitters. The attack window is small, and in game terms, the Death Knells have to destroy 75% of the Carrion Serpents' force in six turns. The Carrion Serpents are said to suffer from southern arrogance, which is why they won't take evasive actions. Um, what? In this one scene where evading would be paramount to survival, they "won't". This is crude balancing, and another solution really should've been thought up. Another problem is the wording "destroy. Killing weapons or movement should be enough, logically - but there are no further guidelines. The scenario could be fun, but is effectively let down by lack of believability.
Take it to them
Carrion Serpents have gained a few victories and are looking for a way out. Probing deep, they find a possible weak spot in the Death Knells' flank. Waiting until the northies stop to regroup and check their maps at a patrol waypoint, the southern force charges the surprised northern troops. The Death Knells may not move during the first turn, but after that it's a straight-up fight in the northern night. The elite infantry that's along does spice things up a bit, but this is too straightforward to be a published scenario. Some complication would be welcome.
Chopping off the serpent's head
In this scenario the Death Knells attempt to turn the tide of the battle they appear to be losing, by taking out the Carrion Serpents' pride and only punch - the Naga Striders. Having noticed the incoming hostiles, the Nagas and their escorts lie in wait, with the option of starting the game in hull-down positions (as befits armor units). It's still night. It is possible that no more Nagas remain at this point, in which case southern player defends his most valuable cadre of Gears. This would lack all the dramatic punch of the basic setup, though. The Serpents are trying to dispatch the enemy with their Nagas intact, and the Knells are trying to kill as many as they can, but without losing more than half of their numbers (well, Threat Value). A basic scenario made entertaining by the twist of Strider-hunting.
All or nothing
Intercepting a message, the Carrion Serpents learn that the rest of the Death Knells' company is coming in. They must make their escape now or be bled to death. In a sandstorm at night, the rest of the Serpents rush the Death Knells' final line. This escape scenario is made interesting by the blocker's resolve, which is represented by the additional command points they get. Also, the would-be fugitive must cripple the opposition to ensure a getaway - otherwise, the Death Knells would surely follow their prey to redeem themselves in the eyes of their company.
Storm the castle
In the book's last scenario, the Carrion Serpents try to wreck the Death Knells' command post, thus causing enough disarray to grant them an escape window. However, the Knells' infantry patrols spot southern strike force, and race is on to get to the command post. The Serpents have four turns to smash the five hexes of the command post, after which the Death Knells' reinforcements arrive. The scenario ends there. Inside a sandstorm during night is a dramatic enough setting for this strike. Something of a gimmick scenario, the strict timelimit forces the players to calculate ahead quite a bit to ensure that they don't make one mistake during the first few turns which cost them the whole fight. Still, interesting enough - looking forward to it.
All in all
All together, a nice supplement. I see no reason why Heavy Gear tactical players wouldn't want to pick this up. It lacks that bright edge, but can't be judged sloppy or indifferently produced. In my books, a Substance rating of three (average) is befitting for a solid product, which doesn't particularly shine in its content, but does its job well.
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