The Stalbanian-Khakistan War: The final battle

The Khakistanis – who deployed four infantry units, a cavalry unit, and an artillery unit – occupied a position that had a hill on their right flank, and the Stalbanians – whose force comprised three infantry units, an artillery unit, a machinegun unit, and supply unit – advanced towards them.

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Battle Turn 1

Both sides threw a D6 die to see how many units they could activate this turn. The Stalbanians – who were the attackers during the first turn – threw 5 and the Khakistanis threw 3.

The Stalbanian artillery fired at the Khakistani infantry on the hill, hitting them and causing them to lose 1 SP.

The Stalbanian machine gun unit fired at the Khakistani cavalry unit, hitting them once and causing the loss of 1 SP.

The Stalbanian infantry in the centre advanced and engaged the Khakistani artillery in Close Combat, but this was inconclusive.

The Stalbanian supply unit moved from its original position into the centre, thus insuring the this column was protected from potential Khakistani threats.

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In response, the Khakistani cavalry charged the Stalbanian machine gun unit, and inflicted the loss of 1 SP on it.

The Khakistani infantry on their left flank advanced at attacked the Stalbanian infantry in the flank, but this attack inflicted no casualties.

The leading Khakistani infantry on their right flank advanced and attacked the Stalbanian artillery in Close Combat, causing it to withdraw ... but at the cost of losing 1 SP. As this unit had alreay suffered the loss of 1 SP, it was destroyed.

In the centre, the Close Combat between the Khakistani artillery and the Stalbanian infantry continued, and both sides lost 1 SP. As the Khakistani General was with the Khakistani artillery unit, there was a chance that he would be killed ... but he survived uninjured!

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Battle Turn 2

Both sides threw a D6 die to see how many units they could activate this turn. The Stalbanians threw 4 and the Khakistanis threw 2.

The Stalbanians brought their artillery unit back onto the battlefield into the centre column. Because it had moved, it could not fire this turn.

The Stalbanian infantry unit on their left flank advanced and attacked the Khakistani infantry unit on the hill, and during the fighting both sides lost 1 SP.

The Stalbanian General moved over to support the newly-returned artillery unit, and the supply unit retraced its steps and returned to the right flank.

On the Stalbanian right flank, the fighting between the Stalbanian machine gun unit and the Khakistani cavalry continued. Both sides inflicted further loses on the other, and both units were destroyed.

In the centre, the continued Close Combat between the Stalbanian infantry and the Khakistani artillery continued but was inconclusive.

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The Khakistani infantry on the hill continued to fight the Stalbanian infantry. Unfortunately the Stalbanians prevailed and inflicted a further loss of 1 SP on the Khakistani unit, which was destroyed.

The Stalbanians followed up their victory, and had reached the Khakistani baseline. Unless they could intervene, the battle was lost.

Unfortunately, the fighting in the centre prevented this, especially after the destruction of the Khakistani artillery which was in Close Combat with the Stalbanian infantry (it lost a further 1 SP and was destroyed) and the death of the Khakistani General who was accompanying the artillery.

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At this point the remaining Khakistani infantry withdrew, leaving the victorious Stalbanians in command of the battlefield.

As a result of this victory the Stalbanians had won this short but bloody war and secured their independence. During the fighting they lost a total of 13 SPs whilst the Khakistanis had lost 18 SPs.

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Lessons learned

1. The 3 x 3 concepts works and although it is by no means perfect, it makes it possible to fight a short campaign involving several battles in a matter of hours. (It took me far longer to make notes, take the photographs, and write up my battle report than it did to fight the battles.)
2. The Snakes & Ladders Campaign System is ideal for this sort of mini-campaign and produces unpredictable results. I am sure that if I was to refight this campaign again, the number of battles fought and the side that initiated each battle would be different.
3. The battles are much more satisfactory if there are six units plus a General per side.
4. The possibility of having Shooting Combat between opposing units in adjacent grid areas and Close Combat between opposing units in the same grid area needs to be looked at.

Am I going to persist in developing the fast play 3 x 3 PORTABLE WARGAME (or FP3x3PW to give it its abbreviated name)?

To right I am! I can see lots of potential in this concept, and as I am at a point in my life when the space and time I have available to wargame is limited, the fact that I have fought three battles in a matter of days without having to clear a space on my worktable is a big, big plus in my book.