Search the Community

This is the first in a series of scenarios designed to familiarize new Steel Beasts players with basic Offense and Defense tasks executed by a Tank Platoon. This series uses US Army Doctrine as a basis, and aims to present the Tank Platoon's role when operating as part of an Armor Company. This series also focuses on introducing concepts within the game to the player, while maintaining a low level of difficulty to reduce frustration during the learning process. Movement to contact is an offensive task designed to develop the situation and to establish or regain contact. It creates favorable conditions for subsequent tactical actions. The platoon leader conducts a movement to contact when the enemy situation is vague or not specific enough to conduct an attack. Forces executing this task seek to make contact using the smallest friendly force possible. A movement to contact may result in a meeting engagement, which is a combat action occurring when a moving force engages an enemy at an unexpected time and place. Once making contact with an enemy force, the leader has five options: attack, defend, bypass, delay, or withdraw. (ATP 3-20.15, Tank Platoon) This scenario has been designed to allow the practice of the following eight (8x) concepts: i. Conduct maneuver as a platoon. ii. Conduct a movement to contact as part of a tank company. iii. Conduct an attack by fire to destroy an inferior force. iv. Employ mortars to destroy an inferior force. v. React to enemy rotary wing assets as a platoon. vi. Conduct a reload as a platoon. vii. Break contact with a superior enemy force. viii. Conduct a hasty attack as part of a tank company. This scenario is rated by the author as very easy, and will likely take approximately thirty (30x) minutes to complete. This scenario heavily favors friendly forces to facilitate a learning environment where tactical mistakes do not mean instant death. AVEPS have been included as a method for identifying tactical errors made by the player(s) by sorting through events during the AAR. Special thanks to ben, Apocalypse, and Rooks and Kings for testing and providing feedback.

This is the second in a series of scenarios designed to familiarize new Steel Beasts players with basic Offense and Defense tasks executed by a Tank Platoon. This series uses US Army Doctrine as a basis, and aims to present the Tank Platoon's role when operating as part of an Armor Company. This series also focuses on introducing concepts within the game to the player, while maintaining a low level of difficulty to reduce frustration during the learning process. An attack is an offensive task that destroys or defeats enemy forces, seizes and secures terrain, or both. An attack differs from a movement to contact because enemy main body dispositions are at least partially known, allowing the leader to achieve greater synchronization. Attacks incorporate coordinated movement supported by direct and indirect fires. They may be hasty or deliberate, depending upon the time available for assessing the situation, planning, and preparing. The leader may decide to conduct an attack using only fires. (ATP 3-20.15, Tank Platoon) This scenario has been designed to allow the practice of the following eight (8x) concepts: i. Conduct a forward passage of lines with a unit in contact. ii. Control direct fire through the use of fire control settings. iii. Conduct movement and maneuver through restricted terrain. iv. Employment of smoke to deny enemy observation and fields of fire. v. Conducting an attack by fire. vi. Conducting an attack to seize an objective. vii. Attacking infantry in fortifications. viii. Anticipating and defeating an enemy counter-attack. This scenario is rated by the author as very easy, and will likely take approximately thirty-five (35x) minutes to complete. This scenario heavily favors friendly forces to facilitate a learning environment where tactical mistakes do not mean instant death. AVEPS have been included as a method for identifying tactical errors made by the player(s) by sorting through events during the AAR. Special thanks to ben, and Apocalypse for testing and providing feedback.

A decisive engagement is when a unit is fully committed and cannot maneuver or extricate itself. The action must be fought to a conclusion and won or lost with the forces at hand. This scenario is set at the National Training Center and features a late 1990s US armor company team conducting a hasty defense against a Krasnovian tank battalion executing a spoiling attack. The equipment and ammunition used by both sides would have been seen as 'cutting edge' at the time. This scenario is designed to present a challenge to experienced players. This scenario aims to be run as a tactical decision game that can be completed from planning to the AAR within 40 minutes. The recommended timeline for this format is below: Planning - 10 minutes. Execution - Approximately 20 minutes. AAR - 10 minutes. Feedback on this scenario may be sent to the author at steelbeasts.com (Mirzayev) or via Discord (revenant_mz). Special thanks to Nike-Ajax, ben, and Apocalypse for testing and feedback.