Phase 2, Chapter 2 (P2C2) Battle Plan Event

"Getting Defensive"

"A plan is just a list of things that aren't going to happen." - Something we used to say in the Army.

Introduction

Being defensive is something we're all good at personally, but might not be so good at tactically. Traditionally Dark Brotherhood "battle plans" (Operations Orders in the real-world) ask us to attack, attack, attack. To change things up a bit, we're going to ask you to defend, defend, defend.

You will not have the full-measure of your House and Clan forces. You will not have the advantage of superior numbers. You will not have fleets of warships to vaporize your enemy. You will not even have sufficient basic provisions to see you through your mission. Yet, you will find a way. Yet, you WILL succeed. Failure is not an option.

"War. Everyone wants to go. No one wants to stay." - The real-life Raken.

What follows is a cursory introduction to an Operations Order. After you're familiar with a few things, you will be given a real-world example of intelligence you might get in order for you to write an Operations Order so that your element may successfully conduct the mission assigned to it.

In real-life an Operations Order consists of five paragraphs:

Situation – This is the lay of the land.
Mission – Could be anything from delivering soccer balls to putting steel on target.
Execution – This is how we deliver our soccer balls or put rounds in people's faces.
Service & Support – The boring logistics behind every cool mission.
Command & Signal – This is our leadership and how we control our element through communications, etc.

These five paragraphs dictate everything from who the bad guys are to how much water is needed to sustain your element. In our mercy, you are not required to write a five-paragraph Operations Order. If you want to try it, go for it. All that is required is you not deviate from the instructions below. Just present your plan in a coherent manner and you should be fine.

But for the sake of the three veteran warfighters who will be reading your OPORDs, we'll be using our nomenclature and methodology to issue the orders from which you will generate your plan. Hence the above brief description of what an OPORD is and does. What you'll need to know and do will come in the form of a Warning Order (WARNO) from us, your higher headquarters element, aka the Dark Council.

You will receive a Situation and Mission tailored to your operational theater. The rest is up to you.

Good luck.

Kalsunor – Arcona, Tarentum, Plagueis

SECRET

WARNO 1

OPERATION: RANDOM KNIFE

References: Kalsunor Intelligence Brief 1 (KIB1).

1. SITUATION

Gravitic Interdiction Devices (GID's) have denied friendly Main Effort (ME) assault elements transit into Kalsunor system. Reconnaissance (RECCE) forces (Raken Pro Tip: Your forces) inserted aboard Objective TUKATA (QX2 Platform) prior to GID threat are temporarily cut-off from reinforcements. Environment is non-permissive. Zero-G/Zero-Oxygen environments expected.

A. Enemy Forces

Battalion (BN) strength. Light infantry and small-arms probable. Enemy entrenched on-board QX2 Platform. Adjacent space denied by light patrol craft.

2. MISSION

Defend OBJ TUKATA until Relief-in-Place (RIP) in order to facilitate follow-on forces for planetary assault. The QX2 Platform in orbit planet Kalsunor deemed PRIORITY installation. Platform must be held intact from enemy forces until RIP occurs by ME. Time of RIP unknown.

ACKNOWLEDGE

Raken
General, Armed Forces of the Iron Throne

Korriz – Scholae Palatinae, Naga Sadow

SECRET

WARNO 1

OPERATION: ARDENT GLADE

References: Korriz Intelligence Brief 1 (KIB1).

1. SITUATION

Gravitic Interdiction Devices (GID's) have denied friendly Main Effort (ME) assault elements transit into Korriz system. Reconnaissance (RECCE) forces (Raken Pro Tip: Your forces) inserted onto Objective (OBJ) MYNOCK (Tritos Nal's workshop) prior to GID threat are temporarily cut-off from reinforcements. Environment is non-permissive.

A. Enemy Forces

Battalion (BN) strength. Elite light infantry and small-arms probable. Enemy assault on OBJ MYNOCK imminent. Adjacent space denied by light patrol craft.

2. MISSION

Defend OBJ MYNOCK until Relief-in-Place (RIP) in order to facilitate follow-on forces for planetary assault. OBJ MYNOCK deemed PRIORITY installation. Site must be held intact from enemy forces until RIP occurs by ME. Time of RIP unknown.

ACKNOWLEDGE

Raken
General, Armed Forces of the Iron Throne

Jaguada – Odan-Urr, Taldryan

SECRET

WARNO 1

OPERATION: FAST ORANGE

References: Jaguada Intelligence Brief 1 (JIB1).

1. SITUATION

Gravitic Interdiction Devices (GID's) have denied friendly Main Effort (ME) assault elements transit into Jaguada system. Reconnaissance (RECCE) forces (Raken Pro Tip: Your forces) inserted onto Objective (OBJ) RANCOR (Darth Gravid's ruined fortress) prior to GID threat are temporarily cut-off from reinforcements. Environment is non-permissive.

A. Enemy Forces

300-400 Kaleesh guerialla fighters. Light infantry and small-arms probable. Enemy is operating freely throughout surrounding terrain. Adjacent space denied by light patrol craft.

2. MISSION

Defend OBJ RANCOR until Relief-in-Place (RIP) in order to facilitate follow-on forces for planetary assault. OBJ RANCOR deemed PRIORITY installation. Site must be held intact from enemy forces until RIP occurs by ME. Time of RIP unknown.

ACKNOWLEDGE

Raken
General, Armed Forces of the Iron Throne

Event Rules

• Read all instructions carefully.

• Failure to follow instructions will result in disqualification.

• This is a defensive action.

• Keep faith with the fictional prompt from your Intelligence Briefs and any official fiction. (aka the supporting planetary documentation/fiction from the VOICE.)

• Friendly forces (Raken Pro Tip: Your troops, the RECCE element mentioned in the OPORD) MUST consist of no more than COMPANY strength (165 men total) and be drawn from the INFANTRY tab on your latest (Phase 1, Chapter 2) DJB ARMED FORCES MTOE. All leaders were given this document prior to event start. No other forces from any tab on your MTOE may be used. Your unit roster is authorized and does not count against the 165-man limit from your MTOE.

• Battle plan authors are free to compose their COMPANY strength friendly force from any units on their INFANTRY tab as long as the 165-man cap (aka Company strength) is not exceeded. (Note: This is where tactical selection of forces to be used for the mission will come into play and just might make or break you. Example: Do not bring all medics.)

• Company strength RECCE element will be clearly enumerated somewhere on your plan so judges may check it against your MTOE Infantry tab for accuracy. (Raken Pro Tip: Do not bring something you do not have to the fight.) Your unit roster is authorized and does not count against the 165-man limit from your MTOE.

• Entries will be judged on practicality of plan, likelihood of success, tactical knowledge and acuity of a defensive action, appropriate deployment and use of forces, adherence to official Clan/House MTOE Infantry tab forces, creativity, entertainment, grammar.

• 3 - 5 authors for this event are authorized. No more. No less. General Forces and Special Forces members may field as many teams as they like or are able as long as the team includes 3 - 5 members.

• Entries will consist of a minimum of 3000 words.

• Entries will be in .doc, .pdf, .ppt, or .odt/.odf formats.

• Graphic aids are authorized.

• Websites are authorized but must still include a standard written plan in accordance with all rules stated for event.

• Entries will be scored by FIST Valhavoc (Former US Army Officer, Veteran Warfighter), VOICE Pravus (Current Field-Grade US Army Officer, Veteran Warfighter), DGM Raken (Former SOCOM Operator, Veteran Warfighter).

Notes

• Your latest DJB ARMED FORCES MTOE will be used for this exercise. This document was last updated at the end of Phase 1, Chapter 2. Despite all units earning Fleet Points since, none after that point in the Crusade were spent as all elected to bank until Crusade's end. Therefore, that version of the document is what we will base this exercise on. No other version is authorized and no banked points may be used now.

• If you have any questions, contact all three judges (Raken, Pravus/Sarin, and Valhavoc) and we will get an answer to you ASAP.

Thanks and have fun.

*Edit: Added following rules clarification to Drive document:

"Your unit roster is authorized and does not count against the 165-man limit from your MTOE."

It was implied in my head, but I should have included it anyway.

Thanks, all. Have fun.