Oil War: Iran Strikes - Decision Games · Oil War: A2 MW 2 | AFTER ACTION REPORT | Nov–DeC 2012 35th Special Forces Brigade is elimi - nated. The town falls to the Iranians. The

by E.R. Bickford

Production: Lise’ Patterson

© 2012 Decision Games

Bakersfield, CA.

Oil War: Iran Strikes

AAR of Modern War 2Oil War: Iran Strikes

This game postulates Iran launching a conventional war offensive across the Persian Gulf region in the next few years. As the attacker, the Iranians set out to gain control of key areas of her neighbors, before the US can do much about it. Victory is determined by Iranian control of capital cities. They include Irbil in the Kurdish Autonomous Region, Baghdad, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Manama and Doha. Initially the Iranians need four VP to win, but that may change (up

or down) due to player actions and random events. The Iranians have an advantage during the opening turns, as their movement and combat capabilities are at their peak, but they wane as the operation grinds on.

Turn One

Iranian Player Turn

The Iranian player is “First Player.” He opens with his Mutual Movement Phase, which allows all his high-level military organizations – the Basij militia, the regular army (“Artesh”), and the Revolutionary Guard Corps (RGC) – to move and fight. At this stage, those units have their maximum movement allowance of six movement points (MP).

The Artesh and RGC make a push into Iraq and prepare to attack Basra. An attack is set up against the Iraqis in the town of Al-Amara. A large contingent of Basij march to the banks of the Tigris near Baghdad. Another attack is planned against the capital itself. The town to the north, Baqubah, is also attacked. The Basij also make a move on the Kurdish regional capital of Irbil. There is a US (actually a “private security”) base there.

The next phase is the Basij Combat Phase. They may not combine with the Artesh or RGC in combat, and hence they have their own combat phase. The first attack is against Irbil. The combat result is BB (bloodbath). The Kurdish (elite mountain infantry) units are eliminated and the base is reduced. That leaves three Basij divisions destroyed as well. The city of Irbil holds. That’s all the combat for the Basij.

Next, the Artesh, RGC and Iraqi Insurgents have their combat phase. The Artesh launches an attack against the Iraqi town of Baqubah. It’s only defended by the militia of the Iraqi loyalists there. That attack results in another BB. The Iraqi militia is convert-ed to the insurgent side, and the Artesh

MW 2 | AFTER ACTION REPORT | Nov–DeC 2012 A1

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A2 MW 2 | AFTER ACTION REPORT | Nov–DeC 2012

35th Special Forces Brigade is elimi-nated. The town falls to the Iranians.

The Iranians already have control of the northern part of Baghdad. That’s due to an insurgency within that portion of the city and its subsequent easy occupation by advancing Artesh and RGC units. An attack is launched against the southern sector of Baghdad. The 50th Division of the Iraqi Loyalist forces is eliminated and the militia is converted to the insurgency side. That adds another VP for the Iranians, for a total of two VP.

Another area of fighting is the town of As-Suwayrah, which is just south of Baghdad. The Iranian forces are victorious and that town capitulates. The Iranians also attack El-Amara and come off victorious there as well. As a result, the Iraqi 18th Infantry Division is destroyed. The Iraqi 14th Mechanized


Iran Strikes

Division is attacked outside Basra, and it’s destroyed in that fighting.

Finally the RGC attempts an attack into Kuwait. The Coalition has a favorable column shift for that attack (due to the defenders’ border fortifica-tions), but the Iranians in turn have artillery that negate that advantage. The Iranian attack is repulsed, and the RGC is forced to retreat.

US/Coalition Player Turn

Coalition forces move and fight before US forces, representing the lack of command-control integration between those militaries. The Iraqis send their 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions into Irbil. Those units enter the base that was reduced by the prior attacks. The Iraqi Quick Reaction Force (QRF) attacks the insurgents in the town of Fallujah. That rebellion is put down, and Iraqi

Loyalists regain control of the town. The Iraqi 10th Infantry attacks the insur-gents in Nasirijah, but that attack stalls.

The US conducts its air attacks. The area behind Baghdad is targeted, and the RGC 30th Tank Division is wiped out. The US doesn’t have many units in play as of yet. There is a Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT) deployed in Kuwait City, but that unit is merely kept in place. The Marines remain at sea in the Persian Gulf.

Random Event Phase

The first event is: United States Reinforcement Effort Falters. The upshot is there will be no US reinforcements this turn. That can’t be good. The three Basij units that were eliminated are recycled onto the Turn Record Track. They’re recycled to represent the mass mobilization

of the Basij, and thus will return to action in one to three turns. The Iranians also release some reserves into play. Next the Saudis receive their complement of reinforcements. There will be no more Saudi reinforce-ments for the rest of the campaign.

Next we go to turn two. The Iranians have two VP while still needing four to win.

Turn Two

Iranian Player Turn

The Iranians continue to press into Iraq and attempt to outflank Basra to the west. Meanwhile the RGC again turns its attention on Kuwait, where it launches a series of attacks along the border. Those attacks go well, and three Kuwaiti units are wiped out.

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The Iraqis launch their counterat-tack at Fallujah. The Iranian forces retreat toward Baghdad and the insurgents are suppressed. The marker flips to its Loyalist side. (That flipping of static militia units shows which general faction has gained ascendancy in a town or city.)

The US Player decides to launch an air strike outside Baghdad, in the area between the city and Fallujah. That mission is successful, with three Iranian units destroyed (one of them a valuable artillery brigade.) The Americans are still thin on the ground, though; so there’s neither movement nor combat undertaken by any US ground force.

Event Phase

The next event is: US Air Power Maximum Effort. That will increase the likelihood of a successful air mission on the next turn.

Reinforcements

There are no Basij units to reorganize this time. The Iranians release an engineer unit from their strategic reserves. The US receives the 8th Medium Brigade Combat Team (MBCT) at the base in Irbil.

Turn Three

Iranian Player Turn

Iranian forces penetrate into Kuwait and look to conduct an advance across the country now that the border defense has been ruptured. There’s some mop up action needed near the area where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers merge. Another round of fighting is set up near Fallujah to protect the western flank of Baghdad.

US Air Power Phase

The US player has the capability of interrupting the Iranian player turn and inserting one of his own phases. As the Iranians are concentrating for an attack, it looks like a good idea to conduct an air strike. That mission targets the Iranians inside Kuwait as that nation’s capital is coming under

The RGC and the Artesh also manage to hit an Iraqi commando unit near the town of Hillah. That unit is pushed south along the highway there. Another attack is launched outside Baghdad, where the Iraqi 9th Division is destroyed. The Iraqi Loyalists are also driven back out of Fallujah.

The Basij launches another attack against the base in Irbil. The result is

Defender Retreat, which is converted to Attack Stalled due to the base.

Coalition Player Turn

The Saudis begins moving toward the border with Kuwait in order to try to stem the Iranian advance. Meanwhile a small counterattack is arranged to the west of Baghdad. In the north the Iraqis hunker down in the base in Irbil.


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threat. The US has the benefit of the Maximum Air Power event, and again knocks out three Iranian units.

Iranian Combat Phase

Despite the US air attack, the Iranians still have their way in their ground assault and destroy several units along the Persian Gulf coast. The Kuwaiti border defenses are fully penetrated to the west, and Kuwait City is feeling the pressure.

Along the west bank of the Tigris, the Basij attack the Iraqi 10th Motorized Division. That unit is eliminated by the overwhelming numbers of the Basij. (Technically the Basij have their combat phase before the other Iranian forces, but for this summary report narrative I’m not strictly following that order.)

The Iranians initiate another battle in the town of Hillah, which is defended by the Iraqi 17th Commando. That causes that unit to retreat south. The Loyalists in the town are sup-pressed, and the insurgents come out of the underground. The Artesh 81st Tank also occupies the town.

The Basij attack the town of Diwaniyah, and they suppress the Iraqi Loyalists there. Afterward the 16th Infantry garrisons the town. The RGC 5th Mechanized Division man-ages to recapture Fallujah after heavy fighting. Next the town of Samara is overrun by Artesh mechanized units.

Another major engagement is fought at Irbil. The RGC attacks the city, which is now being defended by both US and Iraqi troops. The result again is Defender Retreat, which is again con-verted to Attack Stalled due to the base.


The Saudis move toward Kuwait, but they set up their defensive line within their own border. Iraqi 8th Commando moves to Ramadi. There are Coalition no attacks.

US Movement & Combat Phases

The Americans are still largely on the defensive as they build up forces in the region. The 8th MBCT has hunkered down in Irbil, while 12th HBCT remains in Kuwait City, where they anticipate seeing some action soon.

Event Phase

The 12th Imam Appears in Qom is the event, and he begins preaching universal Jihad and the second coming of the Prophet Mohammed. The effect is the Iranians have their movement

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is attacked by Basij forces. The Iraqi unit is overwhelmed and destroyed. The Iranians move into Karbala and suppress the Loyalists there. There’s another attack against the Iraqis to the west of Baghdad, but it stalls. The RGC opens another attack on the base in Irbil. That results in another Attack Stalled.


The Iraqis near Baghdad launch a counterattack against the Artesh units that are cutting it off from the north.

bumped up by one point on the next turn as well as a favorable combat shift for all battles in that turn.

Reinforcements

The Basij 9th Division reenters in the Iranian town of Mehran. Then the Iranian Naval Defense Command attempts an amphibious landing in Bahrain. That operation is a complete failure, due to interception at sea, and the unit is destroyed. The US receives the 2nd Light Brigade Combat Team (LBCT) in Saudi Arabia. The turn ends with Iran still holding just two VP while needing a total of four to win.

Turn Four

Iranian Player Turn

The Iranian player continues to focus on Kuwait. A large number of forces press in through the narrow border between Iraq and Kuwait. Further contact is made near Baghdad.

The US intervenes again with an Air Power Phase. An air strike is aimed at the Iranian position in Kuwait, as forces have massed there for another

round of attacks. This time the 19th and 64th Infantry Divisions are disabled.

Next the Iranian attacks go in. The 2nd Tank strikes the Kuwaitis in the town Jahrah. The artillery unit is forced to retreat as the RGC advances. In nearby fighting the Iranians destroy the Kuwaiti 25th Brigade. The Saudi 8th Mechanized Brigade is holding the flank, but is easily dispatched by a determined Iranian formation.

There’s also further combat in Iraq. Near Hillah, Iraqi 17th Commando


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That effort is successful, despite the increased Iranian morale this turn. The Artesh 28th Mechanized Division and 22nd Artillery Brigade are destroyed.

Next the US units move. The 2nd LBCTmoves along the highway through Saudi Arabia toward Kuwait. The US ground deployment into the region has been slow. The Marines continue to be held back in the Persian Gulf.

Event Phase

The new event is Major Sandstorm.That weather favors the Iranians. The marker is deployed near the US 2nd LBCT making its way through Saudi Arabia.

Reinforcements

Two Basij divisions are returned to play, and they’re deployed in Iran near the

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Kurdish border. The Iranian Airborne Special Reserve makes a surprising and successful landing near Riyadh. The US player also receives reinforcements in the form of a Combat Enhancement Package (CEP). It’s assigned to the 8th MBCT in Irbil. The CEP will give a vari-able bonus to the US unit in combat.

Turn Five

Iranian Player Turn

The Iranians continue to advance on Kuwait City. Several units march into the Jahrah. The Americans call in a series of air strikes and manage to knock out two powerful units belonging to the RGC. The 2nd Tank Division is incapacitated along with the 25th Special Assignment Division.

The Iranians still proceed with their attack. The Artesh attacks the Saudis, and as a result the Saudi 12th Tank

Brigade is destroyed. Next the Saudi Omar Bin Kattab Brigade is pushed back. On the fl ank the Saudi 4th Tankis hit and it also disintegrates.

In the north the Basij attacks the base in Irbil. In addition to the base’s combat advantages, the Americans there now have a CEP. The Basij attack therefore bogs down and their 3rd

Division is eliminated. Other Iranian forces follow up with another attack on the same location, but it also stalls.

There’s more fi ghting near Fallujah, in which the Iranians prevail and several Iraqi units are destroyed, including all the remaining QRF forces. The area near Baghdad is fairly secure for the Iranian.

In Saudi Arabia the Iranian Airborne Special Reserve launches what turns out to be an ill-fated attack

on Riyadh. That results in the loss of that elite Iranian unit.


Coalition forces are largely impotent at this time. The Kuwaiti Army is non-existent. The Saudis are still attempting to defend the fl ank of Kuwait City, but also have an eye toward preventing an incursion into their own territory. US forces remain in their current positions. The army brigade traversing Saudi Arabia is stuck in a severe sandstorm and therefore can’t move this turn. The Marines remain in reserve in the Persian Gulf.

Event Phase

The weather continues to affl ict the Coalition player’s maneuver. The Iranian player places the sandstorm marker near the US Army unit in Saudi Arabia.


Iran StrikesReinforcement Phase

One Basij division is placed on the Turn Record Track to enter on Turn 6. The Iranians maintain their strategic reserve as is. The US receives the 14th Marine Brigade afl oat in the Persian Gulf along with 13th Marine Brigade.

Turn Six Iranian Player Turn

The Iranians are beginning to run out of steam. Their current movement rate is only four MP, and it will continue to drop. The focus of operations is on the conquest of Kuwait and the overrunning of the KAR in the north.

Potent US air power sorties in Kuwait, and as a result the RGC loses more units: 15th Mechanized Division and 1st Tehran Infantry are knocked out. Nonetheless, the attack against the Saudis resumes. There are terrible loss-es in that operation: the Saudi Omar Bin Kattab Brigade and 11th Mechanized are eliminated. The Kuwaiti artillery is also destroyed. The Iranian 10th and 11th Infantry Divisions are likewise

destroyed along with the Artesh 30th Division. Just to the west of Kuwait City the Saudi 14th Tank Brigade and the Artillery Command are also wrecked.

In fi ghting near Fallujah, an Iraqi commando unit forces its way north, while another Kurdish unit is destroyed by an Iranian attack.

The area around Baghdad is cleared of all Iraqi Loyalist resistance. The attacks on Irbil stall again.


The Coalition player looks over the situation and sees the Kuwaiti Army is out of the battle. The Saudis have also

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suffered heavy losses, but still retain a force suffi cient force to defend their country. There are some US forces in Saudi Arabia, but they’re being hindered by the sandstorm. Kuwait City and Irbil both have signifi cant US ground forces protecting them. The Coalition doesn’t make any major maneuvers and neither do US forces.

Event Phase

The event is: US Reinforcements Falter. So there are again no reinforcements for the US ground force in the region.

Reinforcement Phase

The Basij receive one reinforcement in Iran. It will assist in the attack on Irbil. The RGC releases some reserves.

Turn Seven

Iranian Player Turn

The Iranian commander continues his attack on Kuwait. US air power comes into play again, and the Iranian 41st Infantry Division is immobilized along with the Artesh 11th Artillery Brigade.

That will weaken the forthcoming effort in Kuwait. A successful attack is conducted against the Saudi position in Ahmadi. The Saudi 20th Mechanized Brigade is neutralized.

Iranian forces attack the Iraqi 8th Commando Division near Lake Tharthar. Both sides incur losses, and the Iraqi commandos are destroyed. The Artesh 58th Brigade is also lost. Another fruitless attack is carried out against Irbil.


The Coalition still has victory in hand, but there’s concern about the situation in Kuwait. Still the Saudis continue to focus on maintaining their defensive position. US Marine units continue to stand offshore in the Gulf.

Event Phase

The event is: Russia, China and the European Union call of the United States to accept Mediation. The Coalition player has a decision to make. If he accepts mediation, he can’t attack or use air power during

the next turn. If he declines to accept mediation, the Iranian VP needed to win will decrease from four to three. Since the Iranians already have two VP for controlling Baghdad, he agrees to the effort at mediation. It will ultimately fail, of course.

Reinforcement Phase

The US receives the 5th MBCT in Saudi Arabia. There are no other reinforce-ments. The Iranian holds two elite units, their marines and air mobile units, in their strategic reserve.

Turn Eight

Iranian Player Turn

Iranian forces make a failed attack against Kuwait City. In the north the Iranians launch an attack against Kirkuk. It’s a success, and the town falls to the RGC. The Kurdish unit there is eliminated along with the Iraqi 12th Infantry Division. Another round of fi ghting in Irbil produces no results.


Iran StrikesCoalition Player Turn

The commander of the Coalition forces feels like things are getting under control. Kuwait City has a strong American presence. Saudi Arabia is somewhat covered by their own army and the Iranian forces are attenuated.

Event Phase

The weather doesn’t cooperate with the Coalition again. Major Sandstorms sweep through Saudi Arabia and hinder the movement of American forces there.

Reinforcement Phase

The Americans get another CEP, which is assigned to the newly arrived troops in Saudi Arabia. There are no other reinforcements.

Turn Nine

Iranian Player

The fi rst attack is focused on the northern city of Irbil. This time the Iranians have some success, managing to destroy the Iraqi 2nd and 3rd Motorized Infantry Divisions. The base is also destroyed, but the US 8th MBCT survives after suffering losses.

Further attacks in Saudi Arabia also push back that nation’s forces, but overall the attack in the south is failing to produce signifi cant results.


Coalition forces mostly remain in their defensive positions. US 5th MBCT advances to the town of Hufuf. The other unit in Saudi Arabia remains stalled by sandstorms. The Americans conduct an air strike against the RGC outside Irbil. That takes out the Iranian 1st Tank Division.

Event Phase

The event is: Maximum US Reinforcement Effort.

Turn Ten

The Iranians attack again in the north against Irbil. The fi rst round is conducted by the Basij. That effort causes both sides to lose a step as casualties. Then the RGC follows up with its attack, and both sides suffer another round of losses. For all that the Americans still have one strength step in Irbil. The Iranians realize they’ve lost and decide to throw in the towel.

It certainly didn’t help that both of the Iranian elite units’ missions failed so totally and quickly. Even

so, the Iranians hold both hexes of Baghdad for two VP.

The Americans refrained from bomb-ing cities, and that kept the Iranian victory requirement at four VP. The American theater command base in Bahrain was never threatened.

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Iran Strikes

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Oil War: Iran Strikes - Decision Games · Oil War: A2 MW 2 | AFTER ACTION REPORT | Nov–DeC 2012 35th Special Forces Brigade is elimi - nated. The town falls to the Iranians. The