Beer and Pretzels Skirmish

(BAPS)

Author: John R. "Buck" Surdu BAPS Cover
Publisher: Jodie Press
Date Published: 1982
Period: WWI to the present
Scale: Skirmish
Status: Available from Jodie Press and Old Glory.
Notes:

Contents

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Background Information:

The BAPS booklet is 75 spiral-bound pages with a card-stock cover and two, letter-sized chart cards, one for infantry actions and one for vehicles and artillery.

In designing BAPS, I designed and threw away at least two complete rules systems. The result is something I am proud of -- except the title. Some day I will come up with a title that implies both infantry and armored skirmishes.

Period covered:

The rules were designed for WWI to the present; however, they work equally well for any "smokeless powder" era, including the Spanish Civil War, Mexican Punitive Expedition, Spanish-American War, and Philippine Insurrection. The primary focus is WWII, and most of the order of battle information, vehicle data charts, and scenarios are aimed at this period.

Scale information:

Figure 1 figure = 1 man, 1 vehicle = 1 vehicle
Ground 1 inch = 4 meters
Time 1 turn = 30 seconds
Recommended command Each player controls 1 squad or two vehicles. As players get more familiar with the mechanics, they can usually handle more units; however, the fewer units a player controls, the faster the game moves.
Recommended figure scale 20mm/1:72. 15mm and 25mm figures would work equally well without modification. I have developed a special chart for 54mm figures. With 54mm figures, the ground and time scales are different (i.e., 1 inch = 2 meters and 1 turn = 15 seconds, respectively).

Scope of the Rules:

BAPS was designed for each player to control a squad of infantry or a section of vehicles (usually two). After gaining some experience, players find that they can control much more than this without bogging down the game. One player in Panama has been able to teach his five-year-old son to play BAPS.

BAPS works best when only one side has tanks and the other side has a sufficient number of anti-tank weapons. (I run a Poland 1939 game with lots of tanks on the table, but this is an exception. To do this, the scenario must be carefully crafted.) BAPS is not suited for swirling tank-on-tank actions. These are better fought with tactical rules, not skirmish rules. At the ground scale of BAPS, I also find that early-war scenarios are best. The whole board is point-blank range to a Panther.

There are three versions of BAPS "on the street." Version 1.0 (blue cover) was the first version sold at conventions. Version 1.1 (also a blue cover) has a number of typos that have been fixed. Version 1.2 (light green cover) put light and very light mortars on the chart card, adjusted the soldiers' defense factors, added the generic scenarios, and included the order of battle information for the major WWII powers.

Composition of BAPS:

What Makes BAPS Unique:

BAPS is simple. All the necessary charts fit on two chart cards -- one of which is not needed if there are no vehicles in the game.

The command and control system was designed first. This system does not assume that soldiers are automatons who only act when told to do so by their leaders. Nor does it assume that soldiers are completely autonomous and will always do exactly what the leader wants them to do.

The unit fire system (the product of a late-night epiphany) facilitates quick resolution of fire. This system also accurately reflects the area-effect of machine guns in a system that is consistent with other small arms.

Carefully developed turn sequence which allows realistic building-clearing procedures for urban games and realistic rural fights as well.

A unique method of reflecting the superiority of multi-solider vehicle turrets over single-soldier turrets.

Turn Sequence:

Scenarios Submitted by BAPS Players

Pacific Theater of Operations, WWII

This scenario was submitted by Jim Berhalter of Orlando, FL, USA. This zip includes some fun optional rules, some rules for amphibious assaults, and five scenarios (including maps and photographs). Download zipped files.

Outpacing the Blitzkrieg, France, 1940

This scenario was submitted by Dr. Norbert Brunhuber of New Jersey. This scenario uses the Bridgehead on the Narew map in the BAPS rule book. Download Adobe pdf files. To read the scenario you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Red Star, Red Sun

This scenario is a Soviet-Japanese border skirmish eight miles Southwest of Nomonhan, Manchukuo, 5 July 1939, submitted by Kurt Schlegel, Aberdeen, MD, USA. Kurt said that this scenario is based on an Advanced Squad Leader (Avalon Hill Game Company) scenario.

Background: In May of 1939 a dispute broke out over the boundary between the Soviet satellite Mongolia and the Japanese puppet state Manchukua (Manchuria). The area in contention, a sandy, desert-like region with numerous dunes, lay between the Halha River (a.k.a. Khalkin Gol) and the tiny village of Nomonhan to its East. Several inconclusive skirmished brought Japanese, then Russian, troops into the fighting as both sides escalated the conflict. After a Soviet/Mongolian combined-arms force virtually annihilated a Japanese reconnaissance unit east of the Halha, the heavily reinforced 23d Infantry Division mounted a full-scale offensive in early July to punish and evict the communist intruders. Participating in the attack was the first-rate, but untested 2d Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, which was to provide flank protection. On 3 and 4 July the 2/28th, its young soldiers confident of victory, pushed forward against scattered opposition. But the next day the advance was slowed by the appearance of Soviet armor reinforcements and heavy defensive artillery. By noon the battalion was pinned down and orders came in to dig in and hold until night fall. Even as the orders were being received, the Russians counterattacked.

Map for River Crossing Scenario

Opposing Forces:

Japanese (Crack):

Soviet (Veteran):

Special Rules:

  1. Dust and haze are prevalent on the battlefield, and any fire over 20" increases the defenders cover by one level.
  2. The Japanese starting forces are all dug-in. These positions provide very heavy cover against indirect fire and medium cover against direct fire. The positions should be marked in some way on the table after they are discovered by the Russians.
  3. Japanese who are suppressed may still move toward the enemy, but they still suffer the adverse effects when firing or in hand-to-hand combat.
  4. If a Japanese soldier receives a random order to sprint or move away from the enemy, change it to sprint toward enemy.
  5. If a good morale, dug-in Japanese soldier receives a random order to rush or sprint toward the enemy, change it to no action unless he could enter into hand-to-hand as a result of the move.
  6. The Soviet MMG is mounted on wheels and moves at half speed, but it does not need to be set up before firing to be considered a medium machine gun.

Variants:

  1. Make the lower rated of the two Soviet platoon leaders a commissar. If a soviet solider within 20" of the commissar receives a random order to sprint away from the enemy, change to order of the commissar to hasty fire and allow him to give another order to another soldier within 12 inches of himself. These orders must be to fire at the fleeing soldier.
  2. Do not give the Japanese any Molotovs. Instead, once a BT-7 enters play, allow either Japanese platoon leader to designate a suicide tank hunter team. To be designated as such, the soldier must be within one inch of the platoon leader, and the platoon leader issues him a special order. Once designated, the suicide tank hunter rushes toward the nearest tank each turn. Since it does not take as long to blow yourself up as it does to jump onto the tank, the soldier conducts the attack at the end of the movement phase, before any other fire. If the tank tries to run over the Japanese soldier, the overrun and the suicide attack take place simultaneously. To conduct the attack, the Japanese player should roll 1d20:
    Once designated a suicide tank hunter, the soldier is no longer part of the fire team he came from. His death has no effect on the morale of his old unit. This variant is ahistorical for this time period, but it is more fun than a bunch of wimpy Molotovs!
  3. Instead of armor support as reinforcements, give the Soviets a creeping barrage. The barrage is medium artillery and the sheaf is 36-inches long (see the Artillery optional rule). Each turn the barrage will move 0-10" (2d6-2). Roll for movement at the end of each movement phase and resolve fire at the end of each fire phase (remember the cover for being dug in very heavy). Line of sight is completely blocked through the sheaf and smoke is created out to the burst radius. The Soviet player may place the sheaf anywhere he wishes paralleled to his entry side (remember the sheaf will move on the first turn). Take away any Molotov Cocktails or suicide tank hunters and give the AT gun 4d6 rounds of HE.

Game Master Notes: The Japanese may set up more than 20 inches from the Soviet entry area and are hidden until they perform some action or the enemy comes within 20 inches. Each Japanese fire team randomly on turn 2. Roll 1d6 for each fire team, and they enter on the corresponding edge (see map). The Soviets cannot discern between depressions an brush until they come within 20 inches of it.

The Soviet objective is to take six of the seven hills and knock out the AT gun or kill more than 50% of the Japanese without suffering 50% KIA themselves.

The scenario is supposed to last 32 turns, but often this takes more time than is allotted. If there is a time limit, allow the first Sovient tank to enter 1/4 of the way through the game and the other half way through the game.

Aftermath: The Soviet infantry advanced with determination, making use of the undulating terrain and supported by gunfire from the BT-7's. They closed with the Japanese, who clung tenaciously to their positions, and bitter hand-to-hand combat ensured in the swirling dust. Meanwhile the Russian tanks surged forward to add their weight to the issue, but several were knocked out by the attached 37mm rapid-fire guns. Japanese aircraft then flew over and dropped bombs on the tanks, prompting some of the armor attacking the 7th company's flank to pull back. The Soviet infantry in the area also withdrew, but the main assault on the 5th company continued. Soviet reinforcements then appeared, putting the 5th company in danger of being overrun. Finally the 5th company was ordered to fall back, its move covered by the battalion's heavy weapons. Fortunately for the Japanese, the Soviet pursuit was not aggressive. Even so, the retreat of the 5th company caused the rest of the battalion to withdraw, and by nightfall the Japanese were back where they had started two days earlier.

The Road to Messina

In this scenario Americans assault an Italian occupied hill outside of Cesaro, Sicily, 8 August 1943, submitted by Kurt Schlegel, Aberdeen, MD, USA. Again, Kurt has based this scenario on an Advanced Squad Leader scenario. After having been in bivouac south of Palermo for several days, the men of the U.S. 9th Infantry Division were chaffing for action. Their chance came when Bradley ordered the division to enter the line and take part in the offensive designed to overwhelm the final Italian defenses west of Messina. Just before dawn on 7 August the 47th Infantry Regiment move toward, attacking astride the Troina-Randazzo road with elements of the 9th Mechanized Reconnaissance Troop leading the way. Despite some annoying mortar fire, Company K managed to occupy the regimental objective by nightfall. Colonel Smythe, now regimental commander, ordered the 2d Battalion to pass through this position that night and, at dawn, to seize the next group of hills and, if possible, the village of Cesaro itself. At first light the battalion stepped off. Pushing through the scrub and low hill northwest of Cesaro, Company A quickly reached the lateral road that linked the village with the costal highway. Unopposed to this point, scouts from "Able" ran back with news that Italian troops had taken up positions on a commanding rise just east of the roadway.

Map for The Road to Messina

Opposing Forces:

Italians (green):

Americans (green):

Special Rules:

  1. Both sides are inexperienced; however, to compensate that the Americans wee more willing to fight, add +1 to all U.S. leader ratings.
  2. The Italians have 6 3"x6" areas of anti-personnel mine fields which must be deployed before the game begins.
  3. Though the Italians are hidden, the Americans should receive a scouting report of where the Italian minefields are. The Americans should be told of any minefields that are not on the hill (see map).
  4. The field phone may not be moved, and if it is captured by the Americans it is considered destroyed. The off-board mortar may directly fire at the third level of the hill.

Game Master Notes:

Aftermath: The Italian troops were in fact Carabinieri (military police) who were busily entrenching on the slopes and preparing to interdict the coastal highway. Upon sighting the Americans, the fiery Italian officers led their not-quite-so-fiery men down from the heights to engage the Americans. It was a disastrous tactical error. The superior firepower of the Americans broke the enemy charge within minutes. Despite two American squads blundering into a minefield and the loss of the company jeep and mascot (a mongrel bull terrier popular for its habit of biting prisoners), the American casualties were few. As American squads hunted down the enemy mortar spotters who had been causing the most trouble, the 19th Engineer Regiment moved up to clear the heavily-mined road. In the mean time other companies pursued the Italians, took Cesaro ahead of schedule and, that afternoon, linked up with the British 78th Infantry Division advancing on Messina from the south.

Jungle Raid

This is a BAPS Scenario for 10 to 12 Players set in German East Africa in WWI. This scenario was submitted by Jamie Davis, Rising Sun, MD, USA. This scenario is intended to reflect the frequent raids against British Stations on their border with German East Africa, near Lake Victoria and Mount Kilamanjaro. These raids occurred early in the war and were merely harassing moves made by the commanders of the Field Kommpanies in the area. The British were totally unprepared for fighting a war against well prepared colonial troops, mostly natives whom the British officers considered inferior and not worth worrying about. They were to be proven wrong, again and again, over the course of the war in German East Africa. The German officers had a great deal of respect for the abilities of their askari or native troops. They fought and trained alongside them, and together endured the hardships of a prolonged guerrilla war later in the conflict. At this time, though, the Germans were still operating from bases within their own colonial borders. Often from the plantations of the officers in command. The important thing to remember is that at the outbreak of the war, the German commander, Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, took his responsibilities seriously and put the forces in the Colony immediately in training for war with its neighbors, (against the wishes of his Governor) and the British did not. Thus the Germans fielded units with well trained and loyal troops while the British used poor quality colonial units and ill-trained militia recruited from the local plantation owners.

Map for Jungel Raid Scenario

Opposing Forces:

British (green):

German (veteran):

Set Up:

The British set up first with their first squad setting up in the Village with the MG and crew. You will need map of the village area for the commander of the garrison. Using the map, the British garrison commander will note the placement of his squad in buildings on the map. He may place no more than one fire team in the storehouse, the rest must be scattered in the huts (up to 4 per hut). The MG may be set up anywhere within the walled perimeter but not in a bldg. He may also place up to two sentries anywhere within the village either together or separate. The British sentries are the only figures visible in the village at the beginning of the game.

Once the British garrison commander has notated his position and hidden his figures in the village, the Germans will begin their set-up. There must be a German commander chosen and he will have a decision to make. Of his 5 squads, he may opt to place up to two squads in ambush to wait for the expected British reinforcements from the north. They may set up anywhere south of the river and not within 8 inches of the perimeter of the village. The balance of the German forces may set up any where within 4 inches of the perimeter of the village but not within 8 inches of any sentry.

The remaining British units will arrive as follows on subsequent turns. On the first turn following gunfire, roll d4. If result is less than or equal to squad leader's leader rating, they may enter north board edge next turn. If greater than leader rating, will enter on the turn after that.

Game Master Notes:

  1. There is a game trail in the southeast corner of the map. The German players are aware of this path and may utilize it at normal movement rates (No half movement penalty). They merely need to be single file and in the vicinity of it on the gaming table. It should not be laid out for all to see. The British do not know of its existence and will only find it and stay on it (in single file) if they maintain sighting distance of a German unit on the path at the beginning of each turn. (4d4 inches)
  2. If asked, you may inform the German leader that he can fire into the village square from the ridge point to the southeast of the village. This can be a very effective MG position! But, they must ask if this is possible.
  3. This game begins at first light. Roll to see if the sentries spot the Germans (if they have a clear line of sight). 4d4 to get number if inches sighting distance for first turn only. If there is a German figure within this range then the sentries will see them and on subsequent turns all that are in clear terrain. Thereafter, only roll for sighting in the woods as per BAPS rules. I have done this to signify that the Germans know where the British sentries are and are taking advantage of available terrain and cover to close on the village. Once the tired sentries are alerted, as the sun has started to rise, normal sighting rules apply.
  4. On the position marked "X" on the map (north of river in hill top), is an ambush of on MMG w/ crew (2) and a rifleman. This is not to be placed in position until they fire. This ambush is run by you and is a play balancing factor. They are to engage the reinforcing British troops but when threatened are to melt away into the bush if possible. (If they are out of sighting distance at end of movement phase then they are able to escape.) They may not return to the game as they are merely present to slow the relief column and provide the other British players w/ some action before they engage the main force. Use your discretion.

Victory Conditions:

German: The Germans need supplies and their goal is to hold off the relief column long enough to remove supplies from the storehouse. I have used native porter figures for this and I have around a dozen. They must safely enter the storehouse, spend a turn inside and then exit at a move rate of 1-6" per turn. if the Germans succeed in exiting the southern end of the table with these supplies then the raid has succeeded. Treat the porters as a unit and make morale checks as if green and leader rating of "0" if there are any losses. If they are shaken they will head for nearest cover and stop until rallied, if they go into bad morale, they will drop bags (use pennies or such as a marker) and rout from edge (sprint move). Any officer may rally a porter and soldiers may pick up markers (supplies dropped) and act as porters under same movement restrictions. They do not need orders to move except when rallied and to return to pick up dropped burden. Also, the German players must sustain fewer than 25 % casualties for this raid to be worthwhile.

British: The British command has deployed forces along their frontiers to stop these annoying raids but have had little success. This time they are close enough to do something. Stop the Germans from having yet another successful raid under their belts and give the Generals something to smile about for a change. The Germans must exit with all supplies and have fewer than 25% casualties to win.

This scenario should be bloody. The British knew that they vastly outnumbered their enemies and could afford a higher casualty rate than the Germans. This is reflected in the victory conditions. The Germans had around 8,000 men at their disposal at the beginning of the war and knew they could not count on any sizable number of reinforcements. On the other hand, the British consistently brought in new battalions to reinforce their forces and had over 200,000 men involved in the area at the end of the war. The Germans must be shrewd guerrilla fighter and not try to win a stand up fight. They have advantages ( i.e. the game trail, the ability to set up ambush squads.) They should be able to use them to their advantage.

Bone of Contention

In this scenario French Partisans battle Germans over an abandoned Panther Tank, Rouen, France, 31 August 1944, submitted by Eric Schlegel, Aberdeen, MD, USA. Eric said that this scenario is essentially a modified Advanced Squad Leader (Avalon Hill Game Company) scenario. Following the breakout from the Falaise pocket, the Germans were in full retreat across the Seine and vehicles, including numerous Tiger tanks, were abandoned as they ran out of gas. LT Fey of SS Panzer Detachment 102 was ordered to recross the river with a mixed bag of dismounted tankers and mechanics and destroy the tanks before they could fall into enemy hands.

In the mean time, French resistance fighters of the BCRA Maquis de Rouen had begun to rise up and were prowling the streets in search of German stragglers. One group discovered an abandoned Panther tank and was experimenting with the machine guns and the gear box when LT Fey and his men arrived.

The Germans scrounged some abandoned panzerfausts from the river bank and prepared to assault the tank. While the mechanics laid down a covering fire, the panzer crews maneuvered for positions from which to fire the panzerfausts. Moving through backyards and narrow alleys they were able to approach close to the tank and easily dispatch it.

The German troops needed to recross the river once again, but they had missed their boat and were forced to frantically search for alternate transport. They followed the river into the countryside until they were able to commandeer a row boat and cross to safety.

Map for Bone of Contention

Opposing forces:

Germans:

The German objective is to destroy the tank and retreat out of the playing area on the same side from which they entered.

Partisans:

The Partisan objective is to prevent the Germans from destroying the tank.

Game Master Notes:

  1. The buildings may be stone or wood, whole or rubbled, depending on the availability of building models in your club. They should be placed to create several street entrances to the square and lost of narrow alleys. Place the Panther tank as shown on the map. The trees in the park should be considered individual trees rather than a wooded area.
  2. The partisans may set up 4 fire teams, the group leader, and the MMG in the square within 12 inches of the tank. Up to half (rounded up) of the figures may set up hidden in buildings and up to 3 of the other figures may occupy the tank. The rest must be placed in the square, but may take cover in alleys or behind trees, walls, hedges, etc. The other 4 fire teams enter on the turn indicated by the roll of 1d6 (roll once for each fire team).
  3. The Germans enter through the alleys as indicated on the map and may remain hidden until they fire or are spotted by the partisans. The GM should roll 1d6 for each partisan looking in the direction of the Germans. Figures in cover are spotted on a roll of 6 and those crossing an alley on a 5 or 6. Those remaining in the open after movement are automatically spotted. If the line of sight is traced through the park, the figure is considered to be in cover for spotting purposes.
  4. Panzerfausts produce a back blast, so any fire team attempting to fire one from a building or other enclosed area must pass a morale check. If passed the team suffers a half-strength, 0"-range flame thrower attack. Failing the morale check cancels the shot.
  5. Fire traced through >4" of park will add the light cover bonus to any other cover the target receives.
  6. Figures occupying the tank may attempt to operate its systems. It is out of gas, but the partisans may attempt to fire the bow and coaxial MG's and main gun, rotate the turret, etc. For each fire attempt the GM should roll 1d6. On a 1 the weapons is jammed beyond repair or out of ammo and on a 6, the weapon is fired normally and may be fired in future turns without the die roll. The tank should contain 2d4 round of main gun ammo, but the GM should not inform the partisans what type of round they are firing (high explosive or armor piercing) until the results are determined. There should be 50% chance of each type.
  7. Due to the fact that the partisans are limited in their ammo supply and most of their weapons are captured, the chance of having a weapon jam our out of ammo should be increased by 2 (on 1d6), and a natural 1 indicates the weapon is unusable for the rest of the game. This rule modifies the 1d6 roll after a 1 is rolled on 1d20 during firing.
  8. Using the opportunity fire optional rule is recommended.

Victory Conditions:

To win, the Germans must destroy the tank (an engine or ammo compartment hit will do the trick), kill more partisans than they lose, and retreat the remaining force off the table.

The partisans win if the tank is not destroyed or they tank is destroyed and twice as many Germans as partisans are killed.

All other results are a draw.

Variant:

If partisan figures are not available, Red Army troops may be substituted and the scenario is moved to the Eastern Front. If partisans are in short supply, Americans can be substituted for the reinforcing partisan teams.

Armored Formation TO&Es

Andy Haag of Maryland sent me this MS Word 7.0 file containing some German and Finnish armored formations.

54mm BAPS Charts

Rob Dean, in Maryland, likes to play with large figures (40mm and 54mm) He has been working on an Arnhem city fight in 54mm, and he asked me to make him a 54mm BAPS chart. For anyone else interested, you can download the chart in Adobe Acrobat portable document format (pdf). You can download a FREE Acrobat Reader.

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