ESU Data: Valyran System and Grendel

 Valyran System

The ESU has had little presence in the Valyran System and their knowledge of it is quite limited.

>Orbit 1: Asteroid belt close to the star, has been surveyed and found to have scattered minerals in the rocks. So far no large scale mining operations have been set up but small independent prospector operations are scattered about.

>Orbit 2: V1 is a Medium Rock Planet with a scorched surface, it has almost constant earthquakes and volcanic eruptions with a highly sulphuric atmosphere.

>Orbit 3: V2 is the Main World called Grendel, is hospitable to humans with a slightly lighter gravity than earth, NAC settled here around 30 years ago. One city is present with a number of scattered farming and mining operations.

The colony is self sufficient and has a station in Orbit that acts as a relay for Orbit to Planet craft and doubles as a Navy Resupply depot.

>Orbit 4: V3 Planetoid, very little data

>Orbit 5: V4 Medium Rock Planet, has a thin toxic atmosphere. There are some traces that life once existed here but is now extinct.

>Orbit 6: V5 Small Ice Planet, has a hard frozen surface with a number of geysers dotting the surface.

>Orbit 7: Asteroid belt, this has a number of mining platforms operating in the area.

>Orbit 8: V6 Large Ice planet, it's surface is frozen solid with a trace atmosphere, the ice layer is Km's thick but it's theorised that an ocean lies below.

Drop Zone

30-12-2176 (3rd Solar War)

>ESU Back Story

Grendel

It took the Naval Infantry nineteen hours to secure the Orbital Transfer Station and round up the Survivors in one of the storage bays.

Once the station was secure and no longer needed the threat of the Ganguts guns, the Battledreadnought joined the Molotov and Ropucha in Orbit over Grendel.

It was during thus time ESU follow up forces jumped in, Another Assault Transport (Korolev) carrying rienforcements and partially converted into a hospital ship, the Berezina, a Supplyship carrying munitions and repair teams. Both these vessels being escorted by a trio of Corvettes, the Passat, Volna and Tayfun. The five vessels burned in system with speed.

Rear Admiral Sologubov transferred over to the Ropucha to meet with Lieutenant Colonel Volkov, they were to prepare for the Drop Operation dirtside as troops of the 59th Battallion geared up ready for the coming Assault.

As the first Rogov-Class Assault boats were luanched six hours later, the follow up forces arrived. The three Corvettes took up positions around Grendel where they could quickly intercept any craft trying to escape.

The Transport joined its sister ship, the Ropucha, in Orbit while the Berezina docked with the Station.

>NAC Back story

Grendel

Colonel Mills had his Company commanders gathered around, they had lost contact with space forces hours ago and off-planet communications were being jammed. The fleet had relayed info dirtside during the battle and an Assault Transport was present, ground Assault would be coming.

He had briefed  his Company Commanders on his plan, they would try a fighting retreat, causing damage to the enermy in the hopes of weakening them enough for a final counter attack. The two variables that concerned him were, 1- Unknown enermy strength and, 2- How long would they be on their own until rienforcements arrived.

>Extra ESU Forces

>VKK Passat Nanuchka II Class Corvette.
Captain Zinovy Chupin

>VKK Volna Nanuchka II Class Corvette.
Captain Kolya Buyarev

>VKK Tayfun Nanuchka II Class Corvette.
Captain Lukyan Nikishin

>VKK Korolev Assault Ship.
Captain Osip Kolchin

>VKK Berezina Supply Ship.
Captain Ilya Lykov

>Landing Forces

155th Marine Infantry Brigade 'Mozyr'

59th Battallion

Ropucha Force

>Battallion Command

8 man Command team (Colonel Anitoly Volkov)

8 man security team

>1st, 2nd & 3rd Companies

-Company Command

8 Man Company Command (Captain)

-Mortar Squad

6 Men with 3 mortars

-3xPlatoons (Power Armour Attached)

Korolev Force (in orbit)

-Company

8 Man Command Team

-3x Platoons (No Power Armour)

>Colonial Forces

45 Commando

>Battallion Command
8 man Command team (colonel Philip Mills) (Phalanx/C)
8 man security team (Phalanx APC)

>1st, 2nd, 3rd Companies (No Power Armour)
-1st and 2nd on foot
-3rd mounted in trucks

>Attached

2 Snipers

2nd Reconnaisance battallion

>Recon Platoon (in Wolf 310 LWB's)

-1st Squad

-Officer

-2 Scouts

-EW Operator

-2nd Squad

-Sergeant

-2 Scouts

-Sniper

-3rd Squad

-Sergeant

-2 Scouts

-Scout (SAW)

-4th Squad

-Sergeant

-2 Scouts

-Scout (GMS/L)

>Armoured Recon

4 FV 181 Sabre Recon tanks

29 Commando Royal Artillery

-2nd Battery (Attached Trucks)

4 L226 Light Howitzers (4 Crew each)

RAF Regiment 51st Squadron

>Air Defense Company

-Command Section

8 Man Command Team (Captain)

-M193 "Vamp" Gun Systems

4 Static gun systems (Each has 4 crew)

-"Stiletto" Short Range Missile System

4 Luanchers (Each has 4 Crew)

-MIM-37 'Ares' Long Range Missile System

Control Vehicle (Phalanx/C)

Radar Unit with truck

2 Missile Units with trucks

24 Commando, Royal Engineers
8 man squad

Royal Navy
6 Corpsmen

Medical is handled by the civilian hospital

>Landing Zones

Due to surrounding mountains, ESU Forces can only attack into Residential South and East by ground.

-Starport: Has bunkers on the perimeter

-Military Base: Has bunkers on the perimeter, and the howitzer battery

A Platoon (element) can move about the city by moving from area to area, only one Platoon can occupy an area.

A Platoon can be designated a support Platoon where they are not placed on the map.

Each turn a Platoon chooses one action.

>Move: Move one location

>Hold: Stay where they are, can replenish casualties from support platoon

>Ambush: Can start game hidden

>In Reserve: If in the same sector, can be called in as rienforcements from inbound box 1, or if motorised/Mechanised can be called in from Inbound box 3.

>NAC Assets

-Engineers: Can place minefields (1 per 4 engineers) on a hold action

-Howitzers: Can be set up in two ways per campaign turn 

>General Call: Inbound box 2

>Priority Mission: Inbound box 1

-Anti Aircraft systems: these can affect attacking aircraft as follows.

>AA Gun/s: Minimal ADE

>SR Missiles: Low ADE

>LR Missiles: Moderate ADE, plus covers neighbouring Zones.

>ESU Assets

-Fighters: Each flight of 2 craft is assigned to either.

>General Call: Inbound box 2

>Priority Mission: Inbound box 1

-Powered Armour: Can Hot-Drop

>Orbital Assets

Any ship in Orbit with a functional Beam battery can provide support.

Inbound box 3

ESU Drop Plan

>Company Command: Attacking Residential East

>1st Company (Residential South)

-1st Platoon: Attacking

-2nd Platoon: In Reserve

-3rd Platoon: Support Platoon

-Company Command: In Reserve

-Company Mortars: Proving off table support.

-Company Power Armour: Hotdrop on FTL comms

>2nd Company (Residential East)

-1st Platoon: Attacking

-2nd Platoon: In Reserve

-3rd Platoon: Support Platoon

-Company Command: Attacking

-Company Mortars: Proving off table support.

-Company Power Armour: Hotdrop on Power Plant

>3rd Company (In Reserve)

>2 Yaks: Priority support to 1st Company

>2 Yaks: Priority support to 2nd Company

>2 Yaks: In Reserve

>VKK Mototov: Providing Orbital support via Battallion Command

NAC Defense

>Military Base

-Battallion Command

-Howitzer Battery (General Call)

-Ares SAM Battery

-One Stiletto System

-4 Corpsmen

-3rd Company (on call)

-Recon platoon

>Starport

-One Vamp system

-One Stiletto System

>Powerplant

-Engineers (have set up minefirlds)

-One Vamp system

>Residential South

-1st Company (Comp Command and 1st Platoon on lines, 2nd Platoon supporting, 3rd Platoon in reserve)

-Corpsman

-One Vamp system

-One Stiletto system

-Sniper

-2 Recon tanks

>Residential East

-2nd Company (Comp Command and 1st Platoon on lines, 2nd Platoon supporting, 3rd Platoon in reserve)

-Corpsman

-One Vamp system

-One Stiletto system

-Sniper

-2 Recon tanks

Invasion

 28-12-2176 (3rd Solar War)

NAC Back story
The RNS Medway fleet tender had been supplying outposts and patrol groups along the border, they had stopped off at OTS-225 to replenish their stores and grant the crew some shore leave.
The Garland, a Heavy Frigate, was also docked with OTS-225, the ship had been having some issues with its life support for the last week and was getting it checked out.
The Druid sat far out as a picket ship while the Heavy Cruiser, Hawkins, sat in Orbit.

They had spent three days docked and were getting ready to depart, the Garlands life support had been fixed, the Medways crew was all back on board. The last shuttle had just dropped off the last of the crew to the Hawkins.

It took a further two hours to undock, clear the station and establish formation.

On the bridge of the Druid, Scan-Tech Freeman had been monitoring some objects drifting in system. He had initially thought they were asteroids but he just had a gut feeling they were not right.
Suddenly his board lit up, all six 'asteroids' started emitting EM signals and Thermal spikes.
"Contact" he called
Captain Henderson was at his side within seconds,
"What have we got?"
"Six contacts just came to life here sir"
He indicated the location on his screen.
Captain Henderson paused for few brief seconds as he calculated the situation.
"They've been on Silent Running, Red Alert!, Helm, put us on a return course to the Hawkins, Comms, open me a line to Captain Barker"
The bridge was a flurry if activity.
"Keep me updated on those contacts, I bet my life those are ESU vessels"
Freeman scanned the contacts, as their readings stabilised the computor could run more accurate data on them . . . 99.7% match, ESU vessel signatures.

NAC Forces

In Orbit
>RNS Hawkins Vandenburg/T class Heavy Cruiser
Senior Captain James Barker

>RNS Garland Tacoma Heavy Frigate
Captain Stephen Harwich

>RNS Druid Minerva/A Frigate
Captain Alexander Henderson

>RNS Medway Support Vessel
Captain John Parry

>Orbital Transfer Station OTS-225
Commander Lee Hastings

ESU Back Story
Admiral Sologubov was eager to get the operation started, he had come up with this idea. The NAC world of Grendal was out of the front lines for the war and had a minor Resupply depot.
If ESU Forces could capture it, they would open up a new front in the war and redirect NAC Forces from the front, it would also offer ESU Forces a staging point to attack NAC Forces and territory.

Two things had him concerned, his flight of Interceptors had been reassigned to a carrier that had lost craft, and had been replaced by the older YaK-67 Fighters.
And upon departing he had been informed by Colonel Volkov that the 59th battallion had suffered a large amount casualties in their last campaign, many of the replacements had just finished training.
Intelligence from operatives on world said the NAC had no air power, but NAC Marines were resourceful, he also hoped they would not be too much for the 59th.

They had jumped in at the extreme edge of the system to prevent NAC Forces from detecting any jump spikes, and had been drifting insystem on silent running for the past three weeks.

The weeks of waiting were now over, everyone's worries and fears disappeared as they now had a purpose, a job to do.
The ships powered up and battle was joined.

ESU Forces

Attack Force
>VKK Gangut Rostov Class Battledreadnought
Rear Admiral Aleksei Sologubov
Captain Yegor Volpin

>VKK Molotov Beijing/B Class Escort Cruiser
Captain Sergei Nosatov

>VKK Ognevoy Volga Class Super Destroyer
Captain Yuri Motsak

>VKK Strogiy Warsaw Class Destroyer
Captain Fyodor Ambrosov

>VKK Kerch Warsaw Class Destroyer
Commander Igor Dybenko

>VKK Ropucha Assault Ship (Carries 400 Troops) (4 Class 5 landers)
Senior Captain Viktor Lobov

Carrying the 59th battallion

Turn 1

The ESU attack Flotilla comes speeding in as the NAC ships start leaving the station, the Molotov makes an excellent long range shot against the Garland, the Gangut adds its own long-range shots knocking out the Heavy Frigates targeting array.

The NAC damage control teams show their worth as they quickly get the targeting Sensors back online.

Turn 2

As the two sides close in, the NAC vessels concentrate fire on the Battledreadnought, while ESU ships focus on the Heavy Cruiser.

The Gangut suffers some hull damage while the Hawkins has its armour stripped off.

Turn 3

The Gangut splits it's fire, damaging the Hawkins Hull, and with the combined fire from the Kerch they vent one of the Medways holds to space.

The Molotov opens up all guns on the closing Heavy Frigate, the NAC vessel is totally destroyed.

Turn 4

NAC Vessels go Full Thrust, deciding to save what they can. The Molotov continues escorting the Assaultship towards the planet as its guns turn on the station.

The ESU Destroyers start making maximum deceleration in order to start pursuing the NAC vessels, the Kerch manages to destroy the Druid.

The Gangut closes on the station pounding it with its beam batteries.

Turn 5

The NAC vessels burn off towards the jump point, the ESU Destroyers still decelerating.

With the ESU Battledreadnought overlooking them, they had suffered Heavy damage and their only beam battery knocked out, OTS-225 surrendered.

Aftermath

NAC

-Hawkins: Minor Damage

-Garland: Destroyed

-Druid: Destroyed

-Medway: Moderate Damage

-OTS-225: Heavy Damage, Captured

The Hawkins and Medway escaped the system with ESU Destroyers in close pursuit, they jumped out to the Closest starbase. Both ships required repairs and they needed to report on the Situation.

ESU

-Gangut: Light Damage

-Molotov: Undamaged

-Ognevoy: Undamaged

-Strogiy: Undamaged

-Kerch: Undamaged

-Ropucha: Undamaged

The Ognevoy, Strogiy and Kerch persued the NAC vessels to the jump point but were unable to close enough to destroy them, they took up position on the system edge to watch for any counter attack.

The Ganguts Naval Infantry boarded the station, they met no resistance and took command of the station, the Gangut eventually joined the Molotov and Ropucha in Orbit.

GZG-Verse

 GZG-Verse

The Following is a list of games and campaigns based in the Ground Zero Games Universe.

Stargrunt 2/Dirtside

The rules for Stargrunt 2 and Dirtside can be found in the Rules section from Ground Zero Games website, and are free.

Full Thrust

The rules for Full Thrust can be found in the Rules section from Ground Zero Games

 website, and are free.

Campaigns

This is a list of campaigns we have played or are playing.

>Grendel Invasion

Grendel Invasion

 Grendel Invasion

Date: 2136, 3rd Solar War

In an effort to gain an advantage in the war, the ESU has chosen to open a new front in the NAC owned system of Valyran and to take the world of Grendel.

>ESU Data: Valyran System and Grendel

>Game 1 (Full Thrust): Convoy Attack

>Game 2 (Full Thrust): Invasion

>Situation Update 1: Drop Zone

>Game 3 (?):

>

Convoy Attack

 28-10-2176 (3rd Solar War)

NAC Back story
Captain Pittman was in command of the RNS Serpent, A Furious Class escort Cruiser and they had spent the last three weeks escorting two Heavy freighters and a Tanker to Grendel.
The tanker, high tide, and Freighter, Scarlet Ring, docked with the orbital station to start loading, while the Downtown established Orbit and its cargo was shuttled up.

The Serpent allowed small groups of personnel 24 hours shore leave but stayed alert in the planets vicinity.
It took six days to load the merchant ships. On the fourth day two Destroyers, Mystic and Oracle, arrived. They were on a three month Patrol and stopped off to replenish supplies.

The merchant vessels undocked and broke Orbit with RNS Serpent. The Destroyers decided to join them to the jump point.

Captain Pittman was in his office going over the ships status reports when his XO, Philip Deards, called him to the bridge.
"What is it Phil" he said
"We detected four jump spikes about a minute ago, something has jumped in, scan-techs are trying to ID now"
"Put us on Yellow One and get us in a position between the contacts and the Convoy. I want Mystic to stay close to the Convoy and Oracle to form up with us until we confirm what those contacts are"

Within Eight minutes everyone was ready at Yellow One Alert positions, Captain Pittman hailed the unknown ships asking them to identify themselves but no reply came. But it did seem to get their attention as they started heading towards them at increased speed.

"Sensors, report"
". . . Getting better confirmation Sir, Military ships, One Cruiser, Three Escorts . . . ESU drive signatures confirmed"
"Red Alert, we have hostiles, they know we are here, scan those ships and get me some intelligence on them"
The crew scrambled to battle stations, he could hear the throb of the reactor increase as systems came to life, weapons powered up and the screens went active.

"Scan confirming three Destroyer class vessels and a Heavy Cruiser"
Damn, the ESU had the advantage in displacement, he opened the channel to the freighters,
"Merchants, make full speed to the jump point, we will delay them here"

NAC Convoy

>RNS Serpent Furious Class Escort Cruiser.
Captain Trevor Pittman

>RNS Mystic Ticonderoga Class Destroyer
Captain Barry Smythe

>RNS Oracle Ticonderoga Class Destroyer
Captain Catherine Chilcocks

>MSS High Tide Heavy Tanker
Captain Henry Adams

>MSS Scarlet Ring Heavy Freighter
Captain William Newport

>MSS Downtown Heavy Freighter
Captain Christopher Hudson

ESU Back Story
His head felt fuzzy as he came back to 'Reality', the urge to Vomit was strong but fortunately he didn't.
He slowly became more aware of the bridge around him and could see others coming back round, he had lost count of the number of Jumps he had done and it never got any better.

"Status" he croaked.
The bridge crew went into autopilot as their training kicked in.
"Reactor back online . . . systems nominal"
Well, the ship came through OK.
"What's the status of the Destroyers?"
"All within 60'000km"
As jumps go, that was a good result, multiple ships jumping usually ended up with some drastically off course, He would commend the navigation teams.

"Captain, we are being hailed"
A second later six contacts lit up on the sensor screen, three merchants, two Escorts and a Cruiser.

He opened a comms channel to his group,
"All ships, red Alert, we have our first target"

ESU Raiding Force

>VKK Stalingrad Gorshkov Class Heavy Cruiser
Captain Lev Kamkin

>VKK Strogiy Warsaw Class Destroyer
Captain Fyodor Ambrosov

>VKK Azov Warsaw Class Destroyer
Captain Ivan Kuzmin

>VKK Kerch Warsaw Class Destroyer
Commander Igor Dybenko

The battle

>Turn 1

The ESU ships close in, the Serpent and Stalingrad exchange fire, the Stalingrad takes some bad hits which is added to by the Oracle.

The Stalingrad launches all it's Salvos racks, the volley targeted at the Serpent are all shot down, but the Scarlet Ring is hammered.

The Destroyers on both sides take pot shots which does little.

>Turn 2

Both fleets close in as the Merchants go flank speed to try and reach the jump point.

The Strogiy finishes off the Scarlet ring, the Mystic and Oracle both target the Azov, the ESU ship takes Heavy damage and the bridge is smashed leaving command in disarray.

The Serpent and Stalingrad continue trading shots with the Stalingrad taking Heavy damage and also taking a Beam to the bridge killing the command crew.

>Turn 3

The Azov and Stalingrad drift past the still accelerating Convoy, the Oracle and Serpent take some long range shots which do little.

The Mystic damages the Kerch but the Kerch and Strogiy return fire tearing the ship to pieces.

>Turn 4

The Kerch and Strogiy go full power and accelerate away from the area.

>Aftermath

NAC

-Serpent: Minor Damage

-Oracle: Undamaged

-Mystic: Destroyed

-Scarlet Ring: Destroyed

-Downtown: Undamaged

-High Tide: Undamaged

In the aftermath of the attack, NAC fleet presense increased dramatically, fearing a follow up attack. But as no immediate attack came, the NAC ships diminished in the area.

ESU

-Stalingrad: Heavy Damage, Captain lost

-Azov: Heavy Damage, Captain lost

-Strogiy: Armour Damage only

-Kerch: Light Damage

The Stalingrad and Azov managed to eventually jump back the base where they would spend months in Drydock being repaired. The Kerch and Strogiy were quickly repaired and sent back to active duty.

 

"Convoy Strike"

Mission 2

The Germans are pushing more troops and supplies to the front, they are obviously building up for an offensive. Strike sorties are being sent out to hunt down any German rienforcements heading to the front.

Mission: Close Support: Interdiction

Points Value: 150pts

Cloud Cover Altitude: None

Special Rules: None

Soviet Forces (150pts)

-MiG-3 (Load 1)

-x2 MiG-3 (Load 2)

-x2 IL-2m (Load 1)

Luftwaffe Forces (150pts)

-Fw190A

-x4 Bf109F

CONVOY (100pts)

-Panzer IV Tank

-x2 sd.kfz 222 Armoured Cars

-x5 Sdfk 251 Halftracks

-x4 Opel Blitz Trucks

Set up

The Game

The German Convoy was making steady progress along the road, their Fighter cover lingering overhead in a V formation.

The peace was broken when Soviet planes were spotted on an intercept course.

The German planes moved to intercept and the initial formation cross was brutal, one of the IL-2's took some hits from a BF109 but in return shoots his Attacker down. One MiG-3 was lost to a BF109 while another MiG let loose some rockets that reduced an Armoured car to a steel bonfire.

The other IL-2 takes hits from a BF109 as it blows the second Armoured Car to bits with a rocket salvo, a MiG passes low and drops a bomb, but does little other than crater the road side.

Both sides bank round to come back for another pass, a tailing BF109 makes some hits on an IL-2 but receives hits from its tail Gunner.

A MiG strafes the Convoy, taking apart a truck.

The BF109 tailing the IL-2 continues its attack but is taken down by the tail Gunner. A second BF109 swoops in and finishes off the Soviet plane.

The FW190 Speeds into the battle and tears apart a MiG but is damaged the second IL-2's tail Gunner, but he carries on his attack into the Russian plane and takes it down.

The Last MiG-3 starts accelerating away from the area but is caught by the Fw190 and shot down.

Aftermath

Soviets

Managed to shoot down two Bf109s with both pilots killed. They also damaged a second BF109 and the Fw190.

Their Convoy attack was not great, only managing to take out a Supply truck and two Armoured Cars.

They are awaiting a replacement for three MiG-3's and Two IL-2's

Luftwaffe

They took down all three MiG-3 planes, two pilots were killed while the third bailed and made his way back to friendly forces. They also shot down both IL-2 planes, crews to both planes bailed, one crew managed to reach friendly forces while the other was picked up by German forces.

They are awaiting Two Bf109's, another BF109 is being repaired and the Fw190 is also being repaired.

Victory

The winners of the engagement are the Germans (93VP, Soviets scored 82VP)

Soviets -1 Ground Superiority.