NAM ‘68

PATROL ECHO-TWO-ONE,
SEARCH AND DESTROY,
SOMEWHERE IN THE MEKONG DELTA

NAM ‘68
RULES INTRODUCTION
AND EXTENDED EXAMPLE OF PLAY
This article is to introduce new players to the rules The Referee and Creating a Scenario
of Nam ’68 and add some ‘designer’s notes’ on the The referee’s primary job is to create the scenario
ideas behind the game. Nam ’68 is not a standard that the US player will face. He will then control
2-player wargame. It does not use any system of the VC forces for that scenario. Scenario creation
points values and there are no army lists to pick is done as preparation before the game. So, just as
forces from. It does not attempt to be a balanced for a game, here we’ll run through the sequence
‘fair-fight’ game. Some games can be very uneven required to create a scenario. This is all covered in
(just like real battles). Nam ’68 is a ‘narrative detail in the rulebook.
wargame’, it relies upon one player as the referee
creating the game and the other player (or players), 1. Threat Level: Each scenario has a threat level,
taking control of an American platoon to play-out from Low (code named Lima) to Medium (Mike)
the referee’s scenario. to High (Hotel). The higher the threat the level,
the more and better VC forces you’re likely to face
Nam ‘68 can be played as one-off games, but and tougher the missions get. In return though,
includes a campaign system ‘Tour of Duty’, which the higher the threat level, the more US forces
links scenario together to play through over available and the better their support is. The threat
12-months of a single platoon’s tour in-country. level is randomly generated, chosen or is set by the
campaign.
NAM ‘68
Game’s Scope
Nam ’68 is skirmish game. It deals with actions In our scenario the referee randomly generates
of, at maximum, a platoon of men, or sub-units the location. It is wetlands, so lots of streams,
of that platoon in smaller games. The basic rivers, marshes, etc. Welcome to the Mekong Delta,
‘unit’ of the game is an individual man. Each prepare to get soaked!
man can act independently and there are no
unit coherence rules, etc. Units, usually fire These four steps can be expressed as the mission
teams, deploy together, but then each man can code. So, Hotel (High threat level). Two (2 squad
act on his own, so some might be suppressing game). 5 (Mission 5). 3 (Location 3, wetlands). It is
the enemy with M16 fire, whilst others move, code Hotel-Two-Five-Three.
launch a 40mm HE grenade, or are are pinned
down themselves, or need medical aid, etc. It 5. Civilians. The location dictates if any, and how
is not game of battles, but firefights. Vehicles many, civilians are in the area of our firefight.
do feature, but in small numbers, one or two Civilians can have a role to play in the game
helicopters or M113s or maybe even a tank. and are run by the referee. Including civilians is
There is fire support from mortars, artillery, optional and so can be ignored if the referee so
helicopter rocket pods, etc, but again, not in wishes.
every game and not in great numbers, a single
rocket pod strike in game might be it. The In a Hotel threat-level game, in wetlands, there are
rules cover the detailed actions of a man on the no civilians about. They have already cleared out.
ground with his M16. The player is roughly in This means it’s a free-fire zone, any model on the
command as a Lieutenant or Platoon Sergeant. tabletop can be considered VC and can be shot at
and will count towards the final body count.
The game will usually involve from 10 or 12
models (smallest) up to 40-50 models (largest), 6. Search Points. These are locations of interest that
and game time should run from a couple of the US player can search during the game. They
hours for a small firefight up to 4-5 hours for the might be something, VC stores, weapons, etc., or
largest games. nothing. The US player won’t know until he sends
somebody to take a look.

In our example scenario, the threat level is The Search and Destroy Mission designates 2
randomly generated and set at High – Hotel, so Search Points to be placed on this tabletop.
expect a stiff fight from Charlie today.
7. Sub-Plot. This is a special event or unexpected
2. Game Size. Games can be played in one of three twist to the scenario. They are again optional and
sizes, set by the number of US squads involved. It can be ignored. Sub-plots are randomly generated
can be a 1-squad, 2-squad or full 3-squad size game and can throw-up such things as extra VC
(so small, medium or large). This can be randomly reinforcements, extreme weather, night fights or
generated or picked, depending on time available make extra US fire support available, etc.
to play, models, etc.
The referee rolls on the sub-plot table and
The referee here picks a 2-squad game, so medium generates one for the scenario. He rolls and the
size. result is that the US platoon has an attached FOO
on this mission. An extra man, with a radio directly
3. Mission. This is randomly generated and dialled in to the fire support. He’ll be handy.
depends on the threat level. Tougher missions
come with the higher threat level, easier, routine 8. VC Forces. Finally the referee generates the VC
security patrols come with low threat levels. forces that will be lurking on the tabletop. This is
done using a standard deck of playing cards. The
Our Hotel threat level mission is randomly number of cards used is set by cross referencing
generated. It is Mission 5, ‘Search and Destroy’. the threat level and game size. Each suit is a
different type of VC force, from Local Guerrillas
4. Location. This basically sets what the terrain – armed civilians (Hearts), to VC Regional Force
will be like and can be randomly generated or just (Clubs), to VC National Force (Spades) and traps,
chosen, based on player’s terrain collection, etc. ruses and special stuff (Diamonds). Jokers are
The location can such things as around a village, in also used. The deck has suits removed depending
deep jungles, wetlands or open jungle scrub, etc. on the threat level. In Hotel threat level there are
 NAM ‘68

no Hearts included, so no Local Guerrillas will

be encountered, only trained and equipped VC
combat forces.

In our Hotel threat level, medium sized game, 8

playing cards are drawn from the deck (after all
Hearts are removed), from which the referee can
then choose to keep 4 cards.

8 cards are drawn. They are: 5, 7 and King of Clubs

(Regional Force VC). 8 of Spades (National Force
VC). 3, 7 and Jack of Diamonds (Traps, Defences
and Ruses) and Red Joker (a special unit – a spotter
team for an off-table 60mm mortar).

The referee choses 4 to keep: • King of Clubs: Regional Force VC. A 3-man
medium machine gun team with .30 cal MG.
• 8 of Spades. 8 Main Force VC fighters armed Morale Value 9.
with AK-47s and a hand grenade. 1 has a RPG-7
launcher. 1 is a commander. Morale Value 24. • 5 of Clubs. Regional Force VC. 3 men armed
with various SMGs and 1 sniper with a scoped
• Jack of Diamonds. A sniper with scoped bolt- bolt-action rifle. Morale Value 12.
action rifle in a hidden bunker. Morale Value 3.
16 VC in all, with a total Morale Value is 48.

The US Force request, so 4 requests for fire support in all. The

The US player picks his force without knowing any FOO might be busy.
of the above, except he can have 2-squads from
his platoon and its a high threat level, so he takes US Force – Patrol Echo-Two-One
his platoon’s 2nd and 3rd squads, with 1st squad Platoon HQ
left behind (off-table), covering their exit route if 1. 1st Lt Keats with M16 and M1911A1 pistol.
needed. 2nd squad is 2 fire teams, both of 4 men, 2. Platoon Sgt Kennedy with M16 and WP grenade
of which one man has a M79 grenade launcher. 3. Spec4 Streep, RTO, with M16 and radio
3rd squad is currently down to just 1 fire team of 4. Spec4 Basso, Medic, with M16 and medkit
5 men, again with a M79 and one man also has a 5. 1st Lt Curran, FOO, with M16 and radio
shotgun instead of an M16. Squad and fire team
leaders carry white phosphorous grenades as well 2nd Squad
as everybody having hand grenades Fire Team 3
6. Sgt Washburn, squad leader, with M16 and WP
In a Hotel threat level scenario of this size, the US grenade
player can also have 4 platoon support teams. He’ll 7. Spec4 Haen with M16
take the Platoon HQ (LT, RTO, platoon sergeant
and combat medic, with the extra attached FOO
for this game), two 2-man M60 machine gun teams
and a 2-man M20 bazooka team.

That is 24 soaked men in all. The US force’s total

Morale Value is 62. The patrol is given the call-sign
Echo-Two-One.

As well as platoon support teams, the US player

also has off-table fire support. This is in ‘requests’
for fire missions from various weapons like
mortars, artillery, helicopter strafing or rocket
attacks, etc. In a 2-squad game at Hotel threat level,
the US player has 3 fire support ‘requests’, and
the Search and Destroy mission gives a bonus +1
NAM ‘68
15. Private Pope with M16 (new recruit)

M20 Team
16. Spec4 McNeil with M20 bazooka and M1911A1
pistol
17. Private Weir with M16 and extra bazooka
ammo

3rd Squad
Fire Team 5
18. Sergeant Swados, squad leader, with M16 and
WP grenade
19. Private Madden with M16
20. Private Lunn with a shotgun
21. Private Hobbs with M79 grenade launcher and
M1911A1 pistol
8. Private Scardino with M79 grenade launcher and 22. Private Simmonds with M16 (new recruit)
M1911A1 pistol
9. Private Beard with M16 MG Team 2
23. Private Pfeiffer with M60 and M1911A1 pistol
MG Team 1 24. Private Jacobs with M16 and extra M60 ammo
10. Private Anderson with M60 and M1911A1
pistol It is now up to the referee to set-up a ‘wetlands’
11. Private Berg with M16 and extra M60 ammo tabletop terrain and brief the US player. His two
squads are on a Search and Destroy mission
Fire Team 4 through the Mekong wetlands, with two search
12. Corporal Hansen, fire team leader, with M16 points to investigate (both fisherman’s huts).
and WP grenade Anybody they encounter here is VC, as it’s a free
13. Private Santos with M79 grenade launcher and fire zone, so they can start racking-up the body
M1911A1 pistol count. Search those huts. Destroy the VC…
14. Private Kaplan with M16
 NAM ‘68

THE AFTER ACTION REPORT OF PATROL ECHO-TWO-ONE

‘HOTEL-TWO-FIVE-THREE… ECHO-TWO-ONE…CONTACT… over!’
This is the game, as it played out over several Force Deployment
turns, describing the action and now the basics of The Search and Destroy mission sets-out the
the rules work. deployment zones. One US fire team and a support
team must be ‘on point’, in the centre of the table.
The tabletop is set up as a 6’ x 4’, using all the This is chosen as fire team 5 (3rd squad’s 5 men)
rivers and streams available, a few paddy fields, aided by one of the 2-man M60 teams.
with some dense bush around the water’s banks
and two small fisherman’s huts. The two huts are Behind them, in immediate support, is fire team 4
the two search points which the US player can and with them are a single support team, chosen
investigate by getting a man inside them and using as the M20 bazooka team (with no doubt much
a ‘Search’ order. griping from McNeil about why he’s lugging this
heavy bitch through the swamps!).
Here is the tabletop, photographed from aerial
reconnaissance. Soon to arrive from off-table will be fire team 3,
the other M60 team and the Platoon HQ. The HQ’s
Platoon Sergeant Kennedy is independent of his
unit and can be deployed anywhere he wishes,
so he’s placed leading fire team 4 at the moment
(telling McNeil to shut his trap and he ain’t
walking point!).

The VC forces do not deploy, they arrive by

revealing their cards, one per turn and then the
models being placed on the tabletop in their
deployment zone. They can arrive via hidden
tunnels if they have any (none in this scenario
though). The VC take the first turn and must reveal
one force card at the start of it.

Game Play
Turn 1 Search, Medic!, Command (for commanders only),
First, the referee choses to reveal the King of Clubs Request Support Fire, etc. Here the VC have way
card and place their 3-man MMG team in bushes in more Orders than needed at the moment, with just
their deployment zone. It’s going to open fire and a 3-man team to command. Orders will get tighter
trigger the firefight. as more troops arrive on the tabletop.

Next, the VC must generate their Orders. Nam Even though it is the VC’s turn, the US player
’68 uses a system of Orders, with each order also gets to do something. He draws a single
issued to an individual model. All models can act counter and keeps it secret. This is the number of
independently and attempt whatever Order they ‘Hazards’ he has for the VC turn (Hazards the VC
are given (unless they are pinned). Models do not will face). A Hazard is an action a player can take
have to remain with their fire teams or squads, but in the opponent’s turn and includes such things
it helps if they do. Models close enough to their as ‘Return Fire’, ‘Ammo Checks’ and ‘Resolve
unit leader can follow his lead and do as he does, Checks’, as well as detonating any booby-traps, for
without it costing extra Orders. the VC. The US player draws a 4 and so can inflict
4 Hazards on the VC in their turn.
There are two types of Order: Basic and Advanced.
The forces gets 2D6 Basic orders. The VC roll 8. Here is how those Orders and Hazards get expended.
There are only two basic orders, these are: make
a Cautious Move (5”) or use Suppressing Fire. VC TURN 1
The VC also get to draw 2 counters for Advanced VC Advanced Order 1. Covering Fire
orders. They draw a 4 and a 3, so 7 Advanced One of the MG team’s riflemen goes on Covering
orders. There are many Advanced orders, Fire and so can interrupt the US player next turn to
including Sprint, Targeted Fire, Covering Fire, shoot.
NAM ‘68

VC Basic Order 1. Suppressing Fire 16 17

The .30 cal MG gunners opens up with

15
13

12

Suppressing Fire at the US troops at the creek’s

14
2

bank. All machine guns can chose to concentrate

fire or spray it around into a Beaten Zone’ and try
24

23

to pin more than one man. This he does, and after

21
19
22
20 18

rolling to suppress and US cover saves, 1 man is

pinned down, Jacobs, the assistant M60 gunner. He
is marked as pinned and can’t do much until he is
rallied.

US Hazard 1. Return Fire

Having been shot at but not hit or pinned, Pfeiffer,
the M60 gunner will use a Hazard to Return Fire.
All Return Fire is always Suppressing Fire and
Pfeiffer on ’60 opens up to try and pin the VC MG
gunner, using concentrated fire rather than the US TURN 1
beaten zone. The VC gunner passes his cover save US player rolls 2D6 for Basic Orders and gets 9.
for the bushes he’s hiding in and isn’t pinned. He then draws 2 counters for Advanced Orders
and gets a total of 4. The VC draw a counter for
VC Advanced Order 2. Ammo Check Hazards and secretly get a 3. Time to spend them.
The VC uses an Advanced Order to request an
Ammo Check by the US M60 gunner. Pfeiffer used US Basic Order 1. Suppressing Fire
full-auto fire so his ammo check is tough, at 4+, but Pfeiffer on the M60 continues to trying silence
he’s also a recruit so has -1 to this (better troops that .30 cal up ahead. His Suppressing Fire rolls
waste less ammo). He needs a 5+, rolls a 6 and is a 6, and the gunner’s cover save for the bushes is
OK for ammo at the moment, but is likely to need a rolled 1, failing. He’s pinned, but as an extra, if
his number two, Jacobs, soon… and he’s busy the Suppressing Fire is a 6 and the cover save a 1,
hiding in at the creek’s edge. then the target is also ‘hit by fire’. All those bullets
flying around have actually hit the man. He rolls
VC Advanced Order 3. Covering Fire for a wound and it’s a 1. A mere knick, for no extra
The last VC also goes onto Covering Fire with his damage. The VC gunner is bleeding but not too
bolt action rifle, in case any US troops want to badly, so he can carry on. Lucky guy. He’s still
break cover in their turn. pinned though.

End of their first turn, all 3 VC have had their one VC Hazard 1. Ammo Check
allowed Order. The VC player again request the M60 gunner make
an Ammo Check. He rolls again and fails this time.
• The final part of any turn is to Rally, which The belts are going down fast. The M60 gunner is
removes pinned markers, but the VC don’t have marked as ‘low on ammo’ and can no longer fire
any pinned troops, so no need to Rally yet. as if on full-auto. Pfeiffer must use less rounds,
that’ll effect his ability to suppress stuff. If he fails
a second Ammo Check, he’s out and can’t fire
the M60 at all. He needs his number 2 to aid him,
yelling ’Ammo Jacobs! Ammo! Where the hell are
you?’.

US Basic Order 2. Suppressing Fire

Private Madden opens up with his M16, again on
full-auto (assault rifles can chose their firing action
to make Ammo Checks easier). He laces the bushes
ahead, needs a 3+ to pin and rolls a 2. Nothing,
he’s shooting at the wrong bush.

– Interrupt: VC Covering Fire

Using the set Covering Fire, a VC rifleman takes
a Suppressing Fire shot at the M60 gunner too. It
Hut 1, the first search point, beyond is the creek
 NAM ‘68

fails. Bolt action (single shot) weapons are not great

at Suppressing Fire.

VC Hazard 2. Return Fire

The VC rifleman Madden targeted wasn’t effected
so can Return Fire. He does so with his rifle, again
using Suppressing Fire and rolls the required 5.
That pins Madden as he fails his cover save at the
creek’s edge. He is pinned by the ‘too accurate for
comfort’ rifle fire.

US Basic Action 1. Cautious Move

Sergeant Swados splashes across the creek to join
his men.

US Basic Action 2. Cautious Move. Fire Team 5 under fire at the creek’s edge.
The rookie Private Simmonds does the same, about
to pop his cherry on his first action. determined by a weapon’s action, but the faster it
shoots, the harder the check is. Experienced troops
US Advanced Action 3. Sprint modify this, as does having an unpinned ammo
To get to the front, the team’s grenadier, Hobbs, bearers with you (Jacobs is a case in point here,
sprints across the creek. being pinned he can’t help Pfeiffer’s M60’s Ammo
Checks).
– Interrupt: VC Hazard 3. Resolve Check
Before Sprinting, the VC player request Hobbs • All US troops have had an Order, so its time to
makes a Resolve Check, to see if he’s willing to Rally. At the creek’s bank, with Jacobs and Madden
take the risk of getting up and running with all the pinned down, the US player decides he will Rally.
bullets flying. Hobbs is a veteran, with a Resolve To do so, he takes the first morale counter of the
of 3+. He rolls a 4 and so moves. He sprints up game and for each morale counter taken, up to 3
2D6+4” (you can roll random or take a flat 10”), pinned men can take a Resolve check to unpin.
and covers 11” to get up with the others and ready Jacobs passes and is unpinned, Madden fails and
his M79. remains heads down… that VC had him in his
sights, so he ain’t putting his head up again yet.
US Basic Order 3. Cautious Move The morale counter drawn is a special, ‘Hit by
Platoon Sergeant Kennedy, leading Fire Team 4 Fire’. The US player can secretly hold on to this
to the left rear, starts to move up to support the and use it when he wants, later in the game. It
under-fire guys on point, with a cautious move. means an enemy targeted by Suppressing Fire will
actually be hit by it.
US Basic Order 4. Cautious Move (NCO action)
Following their NCO’s lead, for 1 Order any/all
of fire team 4 can take the same Basic Order. They
all cautiously move to, moving along the bank of
the river channel and through the first paddy field.
4 men move but it costs just 1 Order as a NCO
action.

– Interrupt: VC Covering Fire

The second VC rifleman uses his Covering Fire to
target fire team 4, but misses.

US Advanced Order 4. Ammo Check

The US request the rifleman make an Ammo
Check. Bolt action rifles are good at this (they don’t
use that much ammo), and so needs a 2+. The VC
passes and can continue to fire as normal. Hut 2 and the suspicious sampan, another Search Point.

Like Suppressing Fire, an Ammo Check is

NAM ‘68

Suppressing Fire
A Basic Action, suppressing fire is the most
common form of shooting and very quick to
resolve. The dice roll required is determined by
the weapons ‘action’. So fully automatic is far
more effective than ‘single action’, with ‘semi-
auto’ in the middle. HE is also very effective at
pinning, with grenades, etc. A pinned enemy
can’t do very much, and unpinning cost morale
counters, which build-up towards a force’s total
morale value (their break point).

Suppressing Fire is the only type of fire that can

be used if a Return Fire Hazard is invoked.

A target is entirely safe from Suppressing fire VC Sniper takes aim, and is immediately hit by the return fire.
though. If the attack rolls a 6 and the cover save He rolls a 2, fails and is hit by the sniper’s round.
a 1 (always a fail), the the target is also ‘hit by Rolling for the wound it’s a 1, another knick! The
fire’ and wounded. bullet does no serious damage, although Lunn’s
pinned, hitting the dirt as the sneaky sniper almost
VC TURN 2 got him!
The VC command roll gives them 5 Basic Orders
and the counter draw 6 Advanced Orders. The US VC Advanced Orders 2, 3 and 4. Sprint
draw a special counter for Hazards. These can’t be All three of SMG guys runs for the trees.
used as Hazards and count as 0, so no Hazards for
the VC this turn (but they don’t know this). VC Basic Orders 1 and 2 . Suppressing Fire
With the .30 cal gunner pinned, both the rifleman
To start with, the VC must reveal another force must stand in. They fire their old Mosin-Nagant
card. They turn over the 5 of Clubs and reveal a rifles and one pins Jacobs again. He still can’t help
3-man SMG squad and a single sniper. These are Pfeiffer on the ’60, and he’s on his last belt!
placed in their deployment zone.
• That is all the VC actions done. Next, Rallying.
VC Advanced Order 1. Targeted Fire The VC players takes a first morale counter (a 2)
The newly placed sniper has lined up Lunn (in Fire and rolls to Rally the pinned .30 cal gunner. He
Team 5 with the shotgun). For Targeted Fire, first rolls a 1 and fails and remained pinned, maybe he’s
the sniper must spot his target. He does. Then he bleeding more than he thought from the earlier
rolls to-hit, aid by his scope. He hits! Lunn needs flesh wound.
a cover save for the bushes he’s in, which is 5+.
US TURN 2
8 Basic Orders are rolled and the Advanced Orders
draw is a 2 and special counter, which is a 0, so 2
Advanced Orders in all. The VC draw 3 Hazards in
return.

The first US reinforcements arrive. It’s 3rd fire

team, under Sgt Washburn and the second M60
team, moving up across the rearward creek and
into the jungle on the rear right.

US Basic Order 1. Cautious Move

Sgt Washburn moves up.

US Basic Order 2. Cautious Move (NCO Action)

The rest of his team follow suit and do likewise for
The VC SMG team deploys and sprints for the trees. 1 Basic Order.
 NAM ‘68

US Basic Orders 3 and 4. Cautious Move 9 8 7

The M60 team move up with Washburn’s men,

11 6 16 17
10

keeping low as the jungle ahead is crackling to gun

fire.
15
13

14 12
24 2

US Advanced Order 1. Run and Gun

23
21
19

With the fisherman’s hut just ahead a search

point, Sergeant Swados is going to push on for
20

18

it. He make a Cautious Move and can then use 22

Suppressing Fire as well. He blazes away with

his M16 as he moves forward, pins the sniper and
uses the ‘Hit by Fire’ special counter the US player
holds from earlier. The sniper is hit and goes down,
Serious Wounded. Great work, Sergeant!. For the
wounded man the VC must take a morale counter.
They draw a 5 (VC total now 5).
player takes a morale counter, a 3 (US total now 3).
US Basic Order 5. Suppressing Fire Madden and Lunn pass their Resolve test and are
Hobbs levels his M79 and sends a 40mm HE shell unpinned. Jacobs fails his and, despite Pfeiffer’s
into the bushes, where he thinks that .30 cal is. HE cries for more ammo, his number 2 ain’t moving at
is good for suppression. He pins down one of the the moment.
riflemen as the blooper’s grenade goes off nearby.
VC Hazard 1 - Ammo Check VC TURN 3
The VC request an Ammo Check on the M79. It’s a 7 Basic Orders are rolled and 6 Advanced Orders
single shot weapon so passes on a 2+. Hobbs rolls, draw. The US players will have 3 Hazards.
a 1 – drat!. He’s marked as low on ammo for the
grenade launcher. He can still use it, just if he fails The next VC force card must be revealed. It’s the
again, he’ll be out of ammo. sniper in his hidden bunker/hideout. This bunker
gives the sniper a tough 2+ cover save. He’ll be
US Advanced Order 2. Sprint hard to shift. The bunker is placed centrally at the
Private Simmonds will follow Swados and runs for rear, with good lines of sight across the paddy
the hut. fields.

– Interrupt: VC Hazard 2. Resolve Test VC Advanced Order 1. Covering Fire

The VC ask to check his Resolve first. Simmonds The sniper in his bunker waits on Covering Fire,
rolls a 6, and although only a rookie, passes. He aiming and scanning.
sprints 14” to the hut door and is inside. The rookie
can move! VC Advanced Order 2. Run and Gun
An SMG-armed VC runs up through the trees
US Basic Order 6. Cautious Move and, once in the bushes, uses Suppressing Fire at
Platoon Sergeant Kennedy continues to bring up Sergeant Swados, who is pinned as the PPsH opens
fire team 4 along the river bank. up.

US Basic Order 7. Cautious Move (NCO Acton) VC Advanced Order 3. Run and Gun
The rest of the team follow on for 1 Order. Same again, another SMG-armed VC moves up
through the trees and opens up on Lunn, behind
US Basic Order 8. Suppressing Fire the hut. Lunn is not pinned.
Pfeiffer on the M60, only risking short bursts from
his last belt. He tries to pin a VC rifleman and fails. US Hazard 1. Return Fire
Lunn returns the fire with his shotgun’s buckshot.
VC Hazard 3. Ammo Check The VC’s cover save prevents him from being
Has Pfeiffer used the last of his ammo belt? He pinned as Lunn peppers the undergrowth with the
takes the Ammo Check, now for the lower rate of Remington.
fire, and passes – phew! He has a few rounds left
yet. VC Advanced Orders 4. Sprint
The third SMG-armed VC needs to Sprint to catch
• All Orders used, on to Rallying and the US the others in their close range firefight.
NAM ‘68

Targeted Fire
This is aiming and trying to hit the target. The
first step is to spot the enemy (not required for
Suppressing Fire) and for enemies hidden in
jungle bushes, this can be tough. It gets easier if
they are shooting. Targeted fire can then roll to-
hit, and if the target’s cover save does stop the
rounds, they are wounded.

In this game wounds are either a lucky knick

(nothing, but pinned by a minor flesh wound).
Light Wound, down, bleeding, but not in mortal
danger. Serious Wound, down, bleeding and
badly hurt, which could be fatal. Dead, a clean
kill, or so bad the victim will expire in the next
few minutes, beyond any medical aid. The Fire Team 4 move-up, led by the Platoon Sergeant.
wound table uses a D8. nothing else he adds +3 to the Basic Orders total
for this turn. The US players now has 6.
For the US player wounds cost a lot of morale
counters. 1 for a Light Wound, 2 for a Serious US Basic Order 1. Cautious Move
Wound and 3 for a Kill. This is reduce to 1 for Sgt Washburn keeps advancing through the jungle.
a Light or Serious Wound for the VC, and 2 for
the Kill. They tend to take heavier losses to US US Basic Order 2. Cautious Move (NCO Action)
firepower but also suffer less morale loss. The The rest of his fire team do likewise for 1 Order.
US platoon won’t fight for long if they are losing
lots of men, they pullback. This is an imbalance US Advanced Order 2. Courage under Fire
in the system (to re-balance the US’ massive This allows a single model to attempt to unpin, by
firepower advantage), part of the asymmetry of taking a morale counter. The counter drawn is a 3
the game (as in the war). (US total now 6). Jacob’s, seeing his gunner needs
him, tries to unpin and fails the Resolve test again!
Nope, he’s staying down.
– Interrupt: US Hazard 2. Resolve Test
Is he willing to close in with the heavily armed US,
US Basic Order 3. Cautious Move
just ahead? He rolls and fails a Resolve test and
Platoon Sergeant Kennedy on the river channel’s
thinks twice about it. The VC is marked as pinned,
banks crawls up, trying to see where those VC are.
hesitating at the back.
US Basic Order 4. Cautious Move (NCO Action)
With the entire .30 cal MMG team pinned down
And the rest of the fire team 4 follow him.
and their sniper hit and bleeding, that’s all the VC
models having had an Order. Time to Rally.
– Interrupt VC Covering Fire
The VC sniper in his bunker takes aim at one of
The VC draw a morale counter and get a 4 (VC
the team’s riflemen, Kaplan, as he jumps over the
total now 9). They roll three times and rally all
paddy field bund. The sniper rolls to spot, sees
three of the MMG team. It’s back and ready to fire
Kaplan in his scope, rolls to-hit, and hits. Kaplan’s
again.
cover save is failed and he’s wounded. The wound
roll is a ‘Serious Wound’. Bang! Kaplan is down
US TURN 3
bleeding and in bad way, shot through the neck.
A mere 3 Basic Orders are rolled. 6 Advanced
The Serious Wound costs the US player 2 morale
Orders are drawn. The VC have 3 Hazards.
counters, he draws a 3 and 4, so 7 in all (US total
now 13). ‘Medic up front!’ is the cry.
The final US squad arrives, the Platoon HQ, in the
centre at the rear. Lt Keats, his RTO Streep, Medic
US Advanced Order 3. Sprint
Basso and the FOO, Lt Curran.
McNeil, with the M20 bazooka, has been lurking at
the back and now, with the little bunker to target,
US Advanced Order 1. Commanding
he comes running up splashing through the paddy
Lt Keats has the ‘Commander’ special rule and so
fields.
can use the special ‘Commanding’ Order. By doing
 NAM ‘68
– Interrupt: VC Hazard 1. Resolve Test
Morale Counters
McNeil is required to test to see if he’s willing to
The game includes a sheet of counters that are
go, and passes. He sprints up through the water
used. Each force has its total Morale Value (MV)
12”, hauling the bazooka.
and the counters, valued 1 to 6, are taken for
losses, rallying, etc. When the counter’s total
US Advanced Order 4. Sprint
equal a force’s MV total, they withdraw and
Weir, the bazooka number two, will run after
game is over.
McNeil.
The counters also include some special counters,
– Interrupt: VC Hazard 3. Resolve Check
such as ‘Hit by Fire’, ‘Jam’, ‘Heroic Action’,
On Weir, who fails, and having just seen Kaplan
‘Hesitate’, ‘Gory Death’, and for the VC only
hit, ain’t risking it. Weir is pinned where he is.
‘Hit and Run’. The US can also be affected by
the ‘Losing Cause’ counter.
US Advanced Order 5. Sprint
Basso, the combat medic, hears the cry and set’s off
at speed. He runs 10” towards Kaplan and directly ‘Heroic Action’, which they can use at their leisure
into that sniper’s line of fire… brave guy. The VC, later. The 3 attempts to unpin all fail though. Not
now out of hazards, can’t stop him. good!

US Basic Order 5. Cautious Move

3
5
1
17

Lt Curran, the FOO, works forwards and gets his

binoculars out and his radio on. 11
10
9
6
8 7

US Basic Order 6. Suppressing Fire

16
24
15

23 13

Madden with his M16 targets the .30 cal gunner

21
19
14 12
2

and blazes away. The gunner is pinned again. 20

Keeping that .30 cal quiet again. 18

22

US Advanced Order 6. Search

Simmonds, in hut 1, makes a quick search and
rolls on the Search table. He finds something,
food, maybe stashed weapons or ammo. For his
find, the VC must take 2 morale counters. They
draw a 1 and a 1 (how lucky, there aren’t many 1s
in the pot), (VC total now 11). Whatever it was, it
obviously wasn’t that important. … OK, that is the first 3 turns of the skirmish and
you should be getting a picture of how the basics
All Orders and Hazards used, it is on to Rally. The works. There is a lot of two-and-fro in the turn,
US draws a morale counter and its another special hazards make things interesting and keeping both
players involved. With Suppressing Fire more
common that Targeted Fire, casualties are low.
Targeted fire is tough and risky. That can change
though. For those interested in how it all turns out,
the rest of the game is covered on another PDF
article.

The sniper’s 1-man bunker is deployed.