Hollywood NAM

Chain of Command Force Lists based on the Movie Platoon

Huey Helicopters, M16s, Napalm, Booby Traps and 60s Soundtracks.
A lot of Wargamers interest in the Vietnam War has come from the Big Screen.

The following Force lists are for those gamers that love Hollywoods version of the Vietnam War and are based on the Movie PLATOON.

Firstly what makes a stereotypical Hollywood Vietnam War Movie

M16s
The primary weapon of the Hollywood Grunt is the M16 regardless of the period in the War.

AK47s
All VC carry AK47s.  US soldiers also pick these up to fire whenever they get the chance.

M60s
All M60s are crewed by 1 man only.
Usually the muscle man who speaks only in tough guy one liners.

Hueys
Helicopters and plenty of them.
Helicopters can be taken as a Support Option and are activated the same as a Vehicle however they can be placed anywhere on the table when they move.
Armed with 2 side mounted M60s 

Snake and Nape
Snakeye bombs and Napalm Canisters.
Aircraft attack runs are activated by playing a Chain of Command Dice to target any unit  in line of sight of a friendly unit.

Select target point then roll 2d6 to see if the target point deviates.
2     Deviate 4D6 inches
3     Deviate 3D6 inches
4     Deviate 2D6 inches
5     Deviate 1D6 inches
6+   On target

Then roll on Mortar direction table to determine direction the target point shifts

They have an impact area of 48" x 24" hitting any unit under impact area with 6 dice doubling any shock inflicted.

Sounds of the 60s
The Rolling Stones and Creedance.
Radio Vietnam is where it is at - http://listento.radiovietnam.net/

 
Booby Traps
Punji Pits everywhere.
VC player can interrupt an enemy unit moving by using a Chain of Command dice to activate a Booby Trap.
Enemy player rolls a dice to attempt to detect the booby trap.
Successful detection is based on movement rate enemy was moving.

If moving 3D6 booby trap is not detected.
If moving 2D6 booby trap is detected on a roll of 5+
If moving 1D6 booby trap is detected on a roll of 3+

Regardless of movement rate units movement ends  as soon as they are interrupted.
Attack is 4d6 treating target as in the open.  Any shock is doubled.

Zips in the Wire
Viet Cong in Black Pajamas.  Endless waves.
Whenever a VC squad breaks a replacement squad is automatically gained deploying as normal.

Charlie in the Trees
VC Snipers hidden in the treetops.

Palm Trees
Expanses of Palm Trees

Meeeddiiiiiccc!!!!!!!!!
A Doc who always reflects on the pointlessness of War.
The medic can attempt to patch up any casualties inflicted on a unit he is attached to in a round of fire.  Roll one D6 for any kill.  On a 6 the casualty is ignored and replaced by a point of shock.

All other rules per previous Chain of Command articles.

TOE and Characters from the Movie.

NB: No Force Ratings are given as this is Hollywood.  Take what you want.

 

Bravo Company, 25th Infantry division 1967
Regulars
Command Dice: 5


Rifle Platoon HQ
Captain Harris (Dale Dye) Ranking Senior Leader - M16 (Optional)

Lieutenant Wolfe (Mark Moses), Inferior Senior Leader with M16 (Only has 2 command initiatives)
Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) Senior Leader with M16 & M72 LAW (Ignores first wound suffered)
Doc Gomez (Paul Sanchez), Medical Orderly

Rifle Squad
Sergeant Elias Grodin (Willem Dafoe), Senior Leader with M16

Fireteam 1
Junior (Reggie Johnson) with M16
Gator Lerner (Johnny Depp) with M16
Crawford (Chris Pedersen) with M16
King (Keith David), M60 Belt Fed LMG

Fireteam 2
Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) with M16 & M72 LAW
Flash (Basile Achara) with M16
Big Harold (Forest Whitaker) with M16
Rhah (Francesco Quinn) with M16
Sandy (J. Adam Glover), Pistol .45 cal, M-79

Rifle Squad
Sergeant Red O'Neil (John C. McGinley) Inferior Junior Leader with M16 (Only has 1 command initiative)

Fireteam 1
Ebenhoch (Mark Ebenhoch) with M16
Rodriguez (Chris Castillejo) with M16
Huffmeister (Robert Galotti) with M16
Tex (David Neidorf),  M60 Belt Fed LMG

Fireteam 2
Francis (Corey Glover) with M16
Ace (Terry McIlvain) with M16
Bunny (Kevin Dillon), Shotgun

Rifle Squad
Sergeant Warren (Tony Todd), Junior Leader with M16

Fireteam 1
Gardner (Bob Orwig) with M16
Tony Hoyt (Ivan Kane) with M16
Fu Sheng (Steve Barredo) with M16
Morehouse (Kevin Eshelman), M60 Belt Fed LMG

Fireteam 2
Sal (Richard Edson) with M16
Manny Washington (Corkey Ford) with M16
Parker (Peter Hicks) with M16
Tubbs (Andrew B. Clark), Pistol .45 cal, M-79


Support
(Figure in brackets denotes max allowed)

Entrenchments for 1 team (6)
Forward observer with 81mm Mortars (1)
Huey Helicopter (1)

VC/NVA

Green
Command Dice:5

Platoon Head Quarters
1 x 2nd Lieutenant, Senior leader with Pistol
1 x Senior Sergeant, Junior leader with AK

Squads one to three
1 x Sergeant, Junior Leader with AK
1 x RPG-7
7 x Riflemen armed with AKs

Support
(Figure in brackets denotes max allowed)
Forward observer with 60mm Mortars (1)
Snipers (3)

Marvelous Marvin

ARVN force for Chain of Command NAM.

IV Corps
IV Corps was the southernmost of the four major military and administrative units of South Vietnam in the 1960s and early 1970s. Its headquarters were located at Can Tho in the Mekong Delta. Also known as Military Region 4 (MR 4), IV Corps was the fourth allied tactical combat zone. It consisted of the following provinces: Chau Doc, Kien Phong, Kien Tuong, Hau Nghia, Kien Giang, An Giang, Vinh Long, Dinh Tuong, Long An, Chuong Thien, Phong Dinh, Vinh Binh, Kien Hoa, Go Cong, An Xuyen, Bac Lieu, and Ba Xuyen. The 7th and 9th ARVN Divisions (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) played major roles in IV Corps military activities. The United States Ninth Infantry Division operated extensively throughout IV Corps, attacking Vietcong units in their strongholds in the Plain of Reeds, the 
U Minh Forest, and the Seven Mountains areas.

Courtesy www.vietnamwar.net

The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
"The South Vietnamese armed forces are criticized for being mediocre troops with untrustworthy leaders. That may have been so in some cases but I believe that most of the South Vietnamese soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines were good troops, led by competent officers who put up a damn fine fight --
until the only friends they had walked out on them".

Courtesy www.vnafmamn.com

This list covers a standard ARVN infantry platoon.

NB: There is not a great deal of information around concerning the ARVN forces.
The following is based on what I have been able to find.


ARVN Rifle Platoon

NEW DETAILS EXPLAINED

Team Leaders
Team Leaders command a specific team whether that be a fire team or a support weapons team. They may also be a vehicle commander.
These are present to represent forces with strong JNCO leadership, giving them more flexibility in using the command dice they have.

• Team Leaders are activated on a 2.
• They have 1 initiative point. 
• A team leader can only influence his own team and he must be within unit integrity of them. 
• They only test for leader casualty if their own team suffers a casualty. 
• If their team suffers as many casualties as men in the unit then they are automatically hit. 
• Team leaders that are hit are immediately killed (they do not roll on the leader casualty result).  
• A team leader killed causes a roll on the Bad Think Happens table under Junior Leader wounded.

60mm Light Mortar Barrage

• This barrage covers a 12 inch square area.

M-79 Blooper

• Activated same as rifle grenade.
• Close range 7-36. Effective range 36"+.
• Fires with 2 dice.  
• Roll for hits as though target is in the open unless target has overhead cover.

3.5" Bazooka

• May only be used when an individual man is commanded by a Leader using a Command Initiative.
• Can target armour, infantry or bunkers.
• AP:11 HE:2 Min 4", range bands of 12" (from 0)
• Limited Ammo - 3

LAW

• May only be used when an individual man is commanded by a Leader using a Command Initiative.
• Can target armour, infantry or bunkers.
• AP: 8. HE: 3         
• Range 4-24", Range bands of 12" (from 0)

57 mm Recoilless Rifle

• AP:3  HE:3

90mm Recoilless Rifle

• AP: 14 HE: 4
• Can only be used when the ARVN are defenders and can take entrenchments. (Base Defense)

106mm Recoilless Rifle

• AP: 16  HE: 5
• Can only be used when the ARVN are defenders and can take entrenchments. (Base Defense)

M113

• Armour: 2, 50cal M2HB MG Flexible on cupola mount, Fast, Capacity: 13

M113 with M74 twin-MG turret

• Armour: 2, turret mounting twin .30 cal machine guns, Two 7.62mm M60 light machine guns pintle mounted with gun shields.  Fast.
• Twin machine guns count as mounted MMG firing at 1.5 times effect.

M113 ACAV

• Armour: 2, Hatch armor and gun shield for mounted 50cal M2HB machine gun, Two 7.62mm M60 light machine guns pintle mounted with gun shields.

M41 Walker Bulldog

• Armour:3 AP:4 HE:5, Co-Ax MG, Fast.

ARVN RIFLE PLATOON 1965 - 1971

NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Offensive Support
Once per game a player may use a Chain of Command Dice to call in offensive support.  This represents artillery, Gunship or Air support being called in.
Offensive Support is designed to disrupt the enemy during an attack or to break up an enemies reserves.
Offensive Support will not kill any of your enemy, but it can reflect the disorder it causes in his ranks by disrupting his ability to deploy reserves onto the table.
A Chain of Command dice may be played at the end of a turn in order to have the following effect during the next turn only:
Units and Leaders must roll to deploy onto the table as though no Senior Leader is present with their force. Section 4.3, Deploying onto the Table. This lasts only for the following turn of the game, after that it has no continuing effect.

NB: This is effectively an in game barrage.  It presents an excellent opportunity to deploy your other toys on the table as we mark this by placing an Attack Helicopter or Aircraft near opponents table edge.  


PLATOON FORCE RATING:
Regulars Before 1968: -3
Regulars From 1968: +0 
Command Dice: 5
 
Green Before 1968:  -7
Green After 1968: -5 
Command Dice: 4 + 1 additional different coloured dice counting any 5 or 6 rolled only and ignoring any 1-4 rolled.

Before 1968
Rifle Platoon HQ
1 x 2nd Lieutenant, Senior Leader with SMG
1 x Platoon Sergeant, Junior Leader with SMG

Rifle Squad x 3
1 x Sergeant, Junior Leader with SMG

BAR Team
1 x BAR with 2 crew
1 x Rifleman with M1 or M2

Rifle Team
1 x Corporal, Team Leader with M1 or M2
3 x Rifleman with M1 or M2



From 1968
Rifle Platoon HQ
1 x 2nd Lieutenant, Senior Leader with M16
1 x Platoon Sergeant, Junior Leader with M16

Rifle Squad x 3
1 x Sergeant, Junior Leader with M16

Fire Team 1
1 x Grenadier, M-79
2 x Rifleman with M16

Fire Team 2
1 x Corporal, Team Leader with M16
3 x Rifleman with M16

ARVN SUPPORT LIST
Figures in brackets denote max allowed

List 1
Medical Orderly (1)
Engineer Mine Clearance Team, 4 men (2)
Engineer Wire Cutting Team, 4 men (2)
Engineer Demolition Team, 4 men (2)
Minefield (3)
OC (Adjutant) (1)
Barbed Wire (2)
Jeep, no crew
Entrenchments for one Team
LAW (From 1969) (6)

List 2
Roadblock (1)
Pre-Game Barrage (1)
CoC dice (1)
3.5" Rocket Launcher with 3 crew (1)

List 3
Sniper Team
57 mm Recoilless Rifle team, 5 men (1)
M1919A6 MMG with 4 crew (Before 1968) (2)
M-60 MMG with 3 crew (From1968) (2)
Pioneer Flamethrower Team, 4 men (1)*
Forward Observer and 60mm Mortar Section (1)

List 4
Engineer Section (2 teams) with Junior Leader (1)
Forward Observer and 81mm mortar section (1)

List 5
ARVN Regular Squad with Junior Leader (1)
M113

List 7
M41 Walker Bulldog with Junior Leader

List 8
90mm Recoilless Rifle with 3 crew, base defense*
M113 with M74 twin-MG turret,  Driver two crew for m60s and Junior leader.
M113 ACAV with Driver two crew for m60s and Junior leader.

List 9
106mm M40 Recoilless Rifle Team with 4 crew, base defense*


The following can only be selected in scenarios where the enemy may take entrenchments or static defences and the ARVN are the attackers.
*Pioneer Flamethrower Team, 4 men*

Base Defence
Can only be used when the ARVN are defenders and can take entrenchments.
*90mm Recoilless Rifle with 3 crew 
*106mm M40 Recoilless Rifle Team with 4 crew