Chain Reaction 2023

The review of these rules actually started while searching about information some other rules. I've played and reviewed several free easy to play wargame rules that can be found on internet on this blog, and when I've been doing all this wargame reviews and battle reports some comments that they are fine but commercial rules like 'Bolt Action' and 'Chain of Command' are better. So I've been looking for ways to play these games on a budget. Last year I managed to play Bolt Action practically for free, and recently I was browsing to see what information I could find about 'Chain of Command'.

The rules

I'm not sure if I typed the wrong phrase, or if Google just searched for similar phrases, but I got several hits on 'Chain Reaction'. I checked it out and found that Chain Reaction (2023 edition) by 2Hour Wargames is a wargame rules you can download for free from THW's website. Since it's within the scope of this blog regarding 'Budget Wargaming' I decided to give them a try.

The scenario

Chain Reaction is a man-to-man combat rules based upon characters rather than several, larger units. Therefore I just couldn't play this game with the same scenario as I've used for the previous game reviews (for comparison). Your character can recruit a smaller warband, so I needed to 'think smaller' to find a suitable and convincing scenario for this game. To find some inspiration I asked ChatGPT if it could create a scenario for a skirmish with about only 5 miniatures each side during the Congo Crisis. The ChatGPT's suggestion was surprisingly matching one of the tasks for the Army Military Police, and something I was familiar with, so I based this scenario upon the ChatGPT's suggestion:

So again I've placed this skirmish to the United Nations largest mission in both scale and operational scope during the Congo Crisis 1960-65, when UN troops 'peacekeeping' was more offensive 'peace enforcement' with force.

Situation:
To secure the main supply route (MSR) between the UN-bases in Kamina and Albertville, The United Nations temporary deploy several traffic control  posts (TCP) at critical points along the MSR a head of convoys and other priority transports, to avoid and handle 'disruptions'. This service are conducted by the Military Police, and each TCP are usually manned by a single Military Police patrol with few members.

Place:
A head of several planned supply convoys from Kamina to Albertville at the 7th of May 1961, several TCPs are established by UN Military Police along the route. One of these Military Police patrols are securing the junction between Manono and Kitotolo located in the self proclaimed state of Katanga.

Forces:

This is actually one of the interesing features of these rules. Your character is 'the star' and you can recruit up to 4 other band-members or members for your unit. -And you can choose to leave the most inexperienced of them behind back in the camp, as they might endanger your mission or your ability to solve it. So I needed to roll dice and determine my TCP/unit for this mission. Obviously there has recently been a rotation of UN personell and 2 new corporals only had 'Rep' of 3, so one of them was left behind for 'staion-duty'.

• UN:
• 1 MP Patrol/ Traffic Control Post of:
• 1st. Sgt. Hicks (the star, and the main character) with SMG (Rep 5)
• Sgt. Wayne with pistol (Rep 4)
• Cpl. Dreyer with M1 Garand (Rep 4)
• Cpl. Cord with SMG (Rep 3)

• Katangese
• This is one of the pros for this game. You don't automatically create your opposing enemy-force at the beginning of the game, as these rules takes advantage of 'fog of war' and your enemies will appear only when visible. So I'd need to do more dice-rolling to determine who, how many and how they are armed when or if my MP-patrol encounters any enemy units. So this section will eventually follow in the following battle-report when creating enemy units on the go. Now I can finally use some of those 'Fog of War tokens' I made a long time ago.
  
• Dice rolled showed to deploy 2 possible enemy force (PEF)/units on the table. What they actually are will be resolved later.

Mission:

• Katangese: To interrupt the UN presence and possible capture some of that UN equipment or weapons. I think they'd really like that Jeep too.
• UN: To hold and secure the junction so the UN convoy don't get lost on the wrong way and ends up in areas controlled by Katangese forces.

AAR

Time:    45 minutes

Turns:   6

Result:  Partially a Katangese victory as they managed to disrupt the UN mission, but they did not manage to capture any UN equipment of importance.

When arriving to the junction Sgt. Wayne suggest that they take a closer look at the courtyard across the junction, as if it's safe it can eventually be used as a hold-and-turn area for those UN convoys passing later if it's needed to hold some of the convoys back, place to do maintenance on them or if needed turn them:

1. Sgt Hicks agrees. As they have plenty of time before the first convoy are expected, they decides to have a closer look at the courtyard. The buildings looks empty:

-But are they really empty?

Cpl. Cord shouts: "I think I saw someone in the window to the right". The group of MPs comes to a halt and they makes ready. But even if their really studying that building they can't see anything that reveals that there are actually someone there. Sgt. Wayne tells Cpl. Cord that he's probably a little jumpy as he is new to this area and the mission.

The dice rolling reveals that Sgt. Wayne is right and there was no one there:

They decides to take a closer look at the building just to be sure that there is no one there:

But at the same time a second PEF (possible enemy force) rounds the corner of that second building:

Now further dice must be rolled to se what, how many and how they are armed this PEF represents:

It turns out that this PEF is actually a local detachment of the Katangese Gendarmerie out on patrol. It has 5 members and are lead by "Crazy Gali"; A corporal who has as high Rep as a Star (!). They are pretty well armed as well with automatic M1 rifles and one private with a SMG.

When they spots the UN MPs thy don't hestate and opens fire immediately and gets "the first shot": 

Being taken by surprise and fired upon by higher target rated weapons the firepower is overwhelming, so this did not go well for the lighter armed UN MPs, and Sgt. Wayne and Cpl. Cord are down. 1.Sgt Hicks immediately responds and returns fire, but with no great success: 

1.Sgt Hicks picks up Sgt. Wayne and orders Cpl. Dreyer to pick up Cpl. Cord and retreat to the Jeep and leave the fight:

Too bad Sgt. Wayne and Cpl. Cord didn't make it after all, and the Katangese patrol picked up the pursue:

1.Sgt Hicks and Cpl. Dreyer made a run for the jeep, but Dreyer got hit:

Outnumbered and outgunned 1.Sgt. Hicks had no other options to decide to leve the fight:

If he hurried he could still have time to warn the UN Headquarters and the coming Convoys so no one of them drove into this possible ambush. This was now a job for the infantry to clear this area for Katangese armed units.

Pros

• You can play this game using army men, toy soldiers or any figures available. You can even play it with any kind of tokens.
• This game has mechanics for SOLO-playing, which suits me well as I usually games alone.
• This game have rules for concealed movements, and you don't know what those opposing forces are before you actually can see them.
• These rules covers a lot of different genres and periods, and you can probably use the for any skirmish for any period based on historical or fantasy.

Cons

• The rules suggest some kind of grided battleground to deploy your PEFs, but that is not actually needed as you can do an 'imaginary grid' for this.
• This is a game for small skirmishes, so if actual squad level or platoon or higher level games are your thing, I don't think these rules would be ultimate. While writing this review it's come to my knowledge that earlier versions of Chain Reaction may be better for squad level games? Can anyone familiar with these rules confirm or debunk that?
• The variety of weapons often found on squad level are very limited in these rules. There are no 'heavy weapons'.
• There are no rules for vehicles.
• It would be even faster to play if the firing ranges and movement ranges were added to the quick reference sheet (at the end of the rules).

Conclusion

The rules are 21 pages, and just within my patience to read as I actually prefer very short rules. So even though I'm still looking for a way to play 'Chain of Command' on a budget though, that might be a bit of a stretch regarding my patience to read a whole book to play a game.

I think these rules probably would work great for an 'Old West game' too with small bands searching and fighting other small gangs and all characters are armed with same target rated weapons, so perhaps I should try these rules out with my Cowboys in another game?