Ambush in the Panjwayai

Played a semi-solo game of  Contact Front this past weekend. I set up the table, photographed it, and sent a picture with mission objectives to the Mad Padre. He then picked his Support Options and gave me his plan which I then executed.

He needed to hold a jirga at A, set up an OP on building B and establish a check point at C plus sweep for insurgent activity in the village. I hid 3 weapons caches in the grape huts for him to find, guarding the one closest to his table edge with an IED.

His plan called for infiltrating a 3 man team into the grape hut on the right of the table predawn (wish I'd put that IED somewhere else now). Then they would establish the OP on objective Bravo while the rest of the platoon arrived, set up a cordon and held the jirga.

Not entirely kosher by the rules, but Canadian infantry do hold with aggressive patrolling to deny the battle space to the enemy. So I allowed it, but gave the Taliban an extra move.

Morning market at Objective Bravo

Morning gossip at the well

Commuter traffic

Taliban infiltrating through pot fields 

Taliban crossing ditch about to bump Canadian patrol

Canadian patrol moving  to objective Bravo 

Rest of platoon arriving 

Firefight! Dropping a 40mike on Timmy wins the firefight

Establishing a cordon. Note fighters on rooftop. 

Firing on the jirga. Much of the Taliban force wasn't in position (bad command rolls) but had to open the fight before they got challenged and detained. In hindsight I think I should have randomized the casualty allocation rather than assign to the closest. Also keep forgetting that small teams get to refill a failed save. 

Confronting Taliban LMG team.  He opened fire rather than be searched and detained. Canadian team all seriously wounded. 

Sniper! 

Attack on the checkpoint 

Gunship giving support fires 

The Canadians have 4 KIA and 6 wounded being moved to a Casevac by LAV. But the Taliban have pretty much shot their bolt.

So  the Canadians get 5 VPs for finding one weapons cache, 10 VPs for the OP. 4x KIA is -16, so net -1 VP. Although holding the jirga after the shooting stops is arguable which would be 15 more VPs.
Taliban get 10 VPs for killing enemies. They didn't manage to dominate the market place or exit a patrol off the far table edge.

I'm tempted to play again, with another platoon coming on to recover the wreck and search for more weapons but dismounted and try more support options than the platoon LAVs.