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Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013


GMT Games posted:

Vietnam, 1964. The most wrenching US engagement of the Cold War would be far more than GI versus Charlie. The conflict had set tribesman against nationalist, Buddhist against Catholic, mandarin against villager, and of course Northerner against Southerner—even among the communists. As revolutionary change burned through that ancient civilization, Washington would apply its armament and its operations research. To get out, the US counterinsurgency would have to motor deeper and deeper in. In the end, culture and will would overcome technology and math and signal the end of the primacy of industrial might in modern warfare.

Volume IV in GMT’s COIN Series dives headlong into the momentous and complex battle for South Vietnam. A unique multi-faction treatment of the Vietnam War, Fire in the Lake will take 1 to 4 players on US heliborne sweeps of the jungle and Communist infiltration of the South, and into inter-allied conferences, Saigon politics, interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, air defense of Northern infrastructure, graduated escalation, and media war.

I'm looking for four brave souls to give this a go. I'll be using the excellent VASSAL module to run the game. We'll be playing the Full Scenario with Period events, because why the heck not.

Rulebook
Playbook
Play Aids

If you'd like to give this a go, please post your faction preference in bold. While familiarity with FITL is not necessary, experience with COIN games is highly recommended, as this game can be fairly complicated in its various interactions. I'd also be interested in seeing some in-character commentary on the various events of the game, journalists or what have you, similar to what was done for the Twilight Struggle and Cuba Libre games, so please post if you'd like to do that. I'd like to update at least once a day, except on weekends. Good Luck!



Players:

StashAugustine as NVA
ThisIsNoZaku as VC
Tevery Best as USA
Tekopo as ARVN

Taran_Wanderer fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Mar 25, 2015

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StashAugustine
Mar 24, 2013

Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyIATgssVJw

NVA is my preference.

e: changed video to better suit faction

StashAugustine fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Mar 24, 2015

Athaboros
Mar 11, 2007

Hundreds and Thousands!



I am absolutely interested in FitL (I mentioned in IRC that I own the game but haven't had a chance to get it on the table yet), but since I haven't played it for real yet I will wait and let more experienced players step up first, so I don't gum up the works. If for whatever reason no one else comes along, though, I will happily play! Looking forward to seeing a COIN game in action.

turn it up TURN ME ON
Mar 19, 2012

In the Grim Darkness of the Future, there is only war.

...and delicious ice cream.
I don't want to play, but I would like to be a faceless peon suffering from the horrors of war.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
I kinda wanna play too, but I've never played COIN before, only watched. With that in mind, if I somehow do get in, US would probably be the most thematically appropriate.

Tevery Best
Oct 11, 2013

Hewlo Furriend
Sure, I'll play. Anyone but ARVN.

Tekopo
Oct 24, 2008

When you see it, you'll shit yourself.


Wouldn't mind taking ARVN.

ThisIsNoZaku
Apr 22, 2013

Pew Pew Pew!
Yes, please. I'll be the VC.

nomadotto
Oct 25, 2010

Body of a Penguin
Soul of a Hero
Mind of a Lazy, Easily Distracted, Waste of Space

Dibs on Walter Cronkite. I'm a huge fan of COIN games, so I'm interested to see how this plays out.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013
Then our players will be:

StashAugustine as NVA
ThisIsNoZaku as VC
Tevery Best as USA
Tekopo as ARVN

Athaboros and Davin Valkri are first on the list in case anyone drops or I make another game. Let me know if there's anything wrong with the map. Good Luck, gentlemen!

Current:

On Christmas Eve 1964, the VC deployed a car bomb that killed 2 and injured 60 at the Brinks Hotel. The attack demonstrated that VC terror could reach into the capital when desired.

Pending:




VC may execute Ops only, Ops and Special, Event, or Pass

Taran_Wanderer fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Mar 27, 2015

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Cool, Fire in the Lake. I've always liked COIN but haven't played much other than a couple games of A Distant Plain. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread and maybe posting as some angry student protester/antiwar journalist/filthy commie propagandist later.

StashAugustine
Mar 24, 2013

Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

Wow, I only just looked at the player aids and they're really nice. Are there versions for the other COIN games?

Tekopo
Oct 24, 2008

When you see it, you'll shit yourself.


StashAugustine posted:

Wow, I only just looked at the player aids and they're really nice. Are there versions for the other COIN games?
Yep, all COIN games starting from AA had 4 copies of all player aids, one for each faction.

StashAugustine
Mar 24, 2013

Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

No, the ones linked in the OP that look fan-made. There's some strategy advice and descriptions of prop rounds and stuff.

BrainBot
Aug 18, 2012

StashAugustine posted:

No, the ones linked in the OP that look fan-made. There's some strategy advice and descriptions of prop rounds and stuff.

Those ones are fan made although the included ones aren't half bad either.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013

StashAugustine posted:

Wow, I only just looked at the player aids and they're really nice. Are there versions for the other COIN games?

The same guy made one for A Distant Plain. I also just noticed that the play aid on GMT's website is not up-to-date. This should be the latest version.

ThisIsNoZaku
Apr 22, 2013

Pew Pew Pew!
According to the rules, Van Minh is not considered a card and thus would not be flipped by the unshaded side of Brinks Hotel. Is this correct?

StashAugustine
Mar 24, 2013

Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

ThisIsNoZaku posted:

According to the rules, Van Minh is not considered a card and thus would not be flipped by the unshaded side of Brinks Hotel. Is this correct?

FITL Playbook posted:

Tips. Unshaded text has no effect on “Duong Van Minh” or “Failed
Attempt”; a flipped RVN leader card still counts as a card in the RVN
leader box, such as for Pivotal Event pre-conditions.

ThisIsNoZaku
Apr 22, 2013

Pew Pew Pew!
Ok then.

VC will perform Ops with no special activity.

Pay 4 to Rally and place 3 guerrillas in Quang Tri- Thua Thien, 3 in Quang Tin- Quang Ngai, 3 in Binh Dinh and 3 in Tay Ninh.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013
VC pays four to Rally in Quang Tri- Thua Thien, Quang Tin- Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, and Tay Ninh.

Three Guerrillas are placed in each of Quang Tri- Thua Thien, Quang Tin- Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, and Tay Ninh.



USA may execute LimOp or Pass.

Taran_Wanderer fucked around with this message at 14:50 on Mar 27, 2015

Tevery Best
Oct 11, 2013

Hewlo Furriend
LimOp: Train to build 1 Irregular in Da Nang, then Pacify it two levels.

EDIT: changed my mind, Tekopo is right.

Tevery Best fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Mar 26, 2015

Tekopo
Oct 24, 2008

When you see it, you'll shit yourself.


Letting the commies get first pick on the next card?

Tevery Best
Oct 11, 2013

Hewlo Furriend
Hmm, on second thought, you're right. Just pacify some cities so that all those VC guerrillas can't just walk in. US passes.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013
USA Passes. ARVN receives three resources.

ARVN may execute LimOp or Pass.

Tekopo
Oct 24, 2008

When you see it, you'll shit yourself.


LimOp: Rally in Can Tho, 2 police, 4 troops, gain +5 aid.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013
ARVN pays 3 to Train in Can Tho.

Four Troops and two Police are placed in Can Tho.

ARVN receives +5 Aid due to Duong Van Minh.

Current Card:

Senator Fulbright represented Arkansas from 1945-1975. The Senator was one of the sponsors of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution but later became a major critic of the US war effort.

Pending Card:




Monsoon rules in effect.

USA may execute Ops only, Ops and Special, Event, or Pass.

Taran_Wanderer fucked around with this message at 14:50 on Mar 27, 2015

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Already?! Wow, the deck wants a "restless" South Vietnam government, I guess. How many of those coup cards are in the deck again?

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013

Davin Valkri posted:

Already?! Wow, the deck wants a "restless" South Vietnam government, I guess. How many of those coup cards are in the deck again?

Six! Four of these guys and two Failed Coups. The length until the next Coup card should make things interesting. Apparently, this guy outed the first guy after three months, so its fairly appropriate!

ThisIsNoZaku
Apr 22, 2013

Pew Pew Pew!
drat it, cards. :argh:

I skipped my special activity so ARVN couldn't get oodles of aid off the event combined with lots of training actions, but I guess that's moot now and because I wasn't able to Tax I'm poor as poo poo!

Tekopo
Oct 24, 2008

When you see it, you'll shit yourself.


You think I'm happy?

Tevery Best
Oct 11, 2013

Hewlo Furriend
Train in Da Nang and Pleiku-Dahac. Place 1 Irregular in Da Nang and Pacify it 2 levels, then place 3 ARVN Troops and 1 Police in Pleiku-Dahac.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013
USA Trains in Da Nang and Pleiku-Dahac.

One Irregular is placed in Da Nang. Three ARVN Troops and one Police are placed in Pleiku-Dahac.
Da Nang is Pacified two levels.

9 ARVN resources are spent in total.



NVA may LimOp or Pass.

Taran_Wanderer fucked around with this message at 14:51 on Mar 27, 2015

StashAugustine
Mar 24, 2013

Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

2 guerillas-base in North Vietnam, improve trail.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013
NVA Trains in North Vietnam. Two Guerrillas are replaced with a Base, then the Trail is improved by one.

Three NVA resources are spent in total.

Current Card:


Pending Card:


Coup Round

Nguyen Khanh becomes RVN Leader.

Victory?: No Faction fulfills its victory condition.

Resources: ARVN gains 20 resources in Aid and 15 resources in Economy.
VC gains seven resources from bases on map.
NVA gains three resources from bases in Laos and Cambodia, and four resources from The Trail.



Support: USA may Pacify up to two levels in up to four spaces with US Troops, Police and COIN Control.

StashAugustine
Mar 24, 2013

Do not trust in hope- it will betray you! Only faith and hatred sustain.

Wow, totally forgot NV bases don't count for resources :downs:

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

StashAugustine posted:

Wow, totally forgot NV bases don't count for resources :downs:

Look on the bright side. That's one VP that the Americans won't be attacking anytime soon.

Tevery Best
Oct 11, 2013

Hewlo Furriend
Kontum, Saigon and Pleiku to Active Support.

Taran_Wanderer
Nov 4, 2013
USA Pacifies one level in Saigon, two levels in Kontum, and two levels in Pleiku-Darlac.

15 ARVN resources are spent.



ARVN may Pacify up to two levels in one space or Pass.

Tekopo
Oct 24, 2008

When you see it, you'll shit yourself.


Increase Can Tho by one.

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Tevery Best
Oct 11, 2013

Hewlo Furriend
Why not Hue? Can Tho has support already.

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