Next War: Korea with No US Involvement

 Next War Korea

This play through of Next War: Korea is part 2 of my attempt to play some of the next war games without US intervention. The US has a massive impact on any game, even without sending in land forces, due to its air and sea power, so what happens when that is taken away. In this scenario the US has withdrawn from Korea and the DRPK sees its chance to reunite Korea. Distracted by its own troubles China only offers very limited support. Japan provides air/naval support and the commonwealth limited support to Korea.

I planned to write a more narrative style account, such as I did with Next War: Poland. However this play-through proved to be a brutal war of attrition with few breakthroughs or maneuvers. As such, I will just provide a brief description.

I used the special rules for refugees, and the realism rules for North Korea (which weaken their massive army significantly.) and some others

Early Game

The North pushed over the borders and slowly pushed the south back. The losses were about 2-1 in favour of the South, but that is fine for the North because they have a much larger army. When an area looked difficult to defend the south would withdraw 1 or 2 hexes to another defensible position.

Northern SOF were able to damage some southern airbases but the southern air force was able to win the air war after about 4 turns, however much of it was damaged so it could only provide limited support. Northern missile strikes almost all failed/were shot down.

Mid game

As the southern reinforcements started to arrive the north threw in its most elite units and chemical weapons to try and breakthrough bridges or difficult areas. The losses were now at a rate of about 3 to one. On the East coast the Northern attack failed completely and the middle was running out of steam, but 2 hexes of Seoul had been taken. The elite commonwealth SoF started to target northern supply systems and depots having destroyed the air defence system.

Late Game

The Northern push ran out of supply and then front line units. The south pushed up through the middle around the flank of the Northern push on Seoul and started to roll them up. By turn 15 almost all the Northern units had been destroyed, but the South losses had been massive. The south won by about 90 victory points.

 

He are some images as the game progressed.

 

Next war: Korea

 

This is a solo play through of the board game Next war: Korea by GMT games

This will be the tactical surprise scenario, with every faction at full intervention level from the start.

The optional rules used were:

Chinese air restrictions (only 1 ground support by aircraft instead of up to 2)

refugees (reduced movement during the early stages of the war)

US readiness (US forces have lower cohesion due to lack of preparation)

Last gasp (DPRK logistics break down as the war goes on)

The plan of the DPRK, China and Russia is to drive hard and fast on Seoul as well as mitigating the air threat.

The Allies plan is to hold Seoul while buying time for air power to win the day.

Before hostilities both sides have a small chance to rush forces to the border, which both do, the DRPK more so than the allies, who are still yet to muster their full strength.

Turn 1

In the first aggressive actions of the war, DRPK special forces raid several air bases as well as trying to take out the US THAAD system. The attacks on the air bases are very successful, inflicting significant damage as well as losses amongst squadrons based at them and the destruction of air transport resources. However, 40% of the DRPK special forces are used for these attacks are lost.

The failure to destroy the THAAD is significant, as the following storm of missiles fired from the north is an abject failure, with even those getting through mostly missing their targets. In the end only 1 airfield is damaged.

Over the skies of South Korea masses of aircraft meet in combat. The are significant losses on both sides, but for now the DPRK retains the advantage through weight of numbers.

Airstrikes from both sides achieve little, but the DPRK does loose a number of strike assets in the attempt. The South's only wild weasel anti-SAM unit is lost in its first attempt to attack the North's air defences.

The North uses all of it's air transport assets in an attempt to get units behind the front line. Some are forced to abort and some are shot down, but 3 battalions reach their destinations and occupy 3 key bridges behind the front lines in the centre or Korea. They have little hope of survival, but without help, the now cut off ROK front line forces have almost no chance.

The DPRK attacks pushes the front line in all areas, with the centre weakening the most. Losses are heavy for both sides, especially against the less well equipped ROK border forces.

Turn 2

The air battle takes a quick turn against the DPRK as their air force takes terrible damage, and air superiority passes quickly to the allies.

US special forces try to point DPRK HQs for air strikes but several teams are lost. The DPRK SoFs finally get the THAAD, but it is too little to late.

US air power does help, but the DPRKS air defences are still quite effective, and strikes so close to the border are dangerous. An entire squadron of B2s is lost to SAMs.

The DRPK push in the centre is effective, with several ROK divisions surrounded and destroyed. The blocking airmobile forces at the bridges are destroyed by allied reinforcements, but it is no help to those on the front line.

US front line forces take heavy losses as the DPRK gets its first toe hold south of the Imjin river on the way to Seoul.

The first southern city, Uijeongbu, is occupied.

On the eastern flank the US 3^rd marine task force is wiped out as it tries to hold back the vast forces of the north, who advance despite heavy losses.

Turn 3

Special forces fail to achieve much for either side. But now china and Russia have fully arrived.

The combined forces of the DPRK, PRC and Russian Federation move to challenge the allies in the air and in the sea of Japan (East Sea)

In the sea, a strike of many Chinese land based missiles gets through the screens and sinks the carrier USS Ronald Regan, which goes down along with its air wings. The other ships also destroy 1 South Korean task force. The Allied reply from land and sea is devastating, wiping out 2 Chinese task forces, 1 Russian and 1 DPRK, leaving just a crippled Russian task force and a damaged North Korean one, which withdraw back to their ports. China has claimed a carrier, but possibly lost the battle for the East Sea.

The mass attack in an attempt to retake the skies is worse than a disaster, the combined air power of Russia and China, as well as the remnants of the DPRK are shot out of the sky by planes from the ROK, Japan, USAF, USMC and the commonwealth.

The Chinese paradrop which was to follow with an almost war winning attack by dropping into the unguarded rear of Seoul is a disaster, with the entire force intercepted and forced back, taking heavy losses in the process.

The DPRK forces in land continue to push the on the road to Seoul as well as making gains in the centre and on the East coast.

Losses are massive, but the North can afford more than the South.

Turn 4

The DPRK is 4 points away from an automatic victory roll

Heavy Chinese land reinforcements have nearly reached Seoul but the DPRK's logistics are breaking down and supplies running out.

Allied special forces target the newly arrived Chinese forces as the cross the Imjin. Northern special forces continue to target airfields but are only doing minor damage. Which is easily repaired and losses to air mobile assets are being replaced by reinforcements.

In the air the skies are swept clean of any remaining hostiles by the Allies. The following set of airstrikes by heavy bombers from Guam, medium bombers from Japan and air bases in Korea and ground support from other aircraft is devastating, almost every force across the Imjin is hit in some way.

On the ground, the East coast ROK forces are wiped out and the DPRK and Russian naval infantry begin a rush south, however they are slowed by the lack of supplies from the North.

In the centre to, most ROK resistance is finished off and Northern forces make their way South.

Around Seoul the DPRK forces push the defenders back into the city, but are over stretched and take massive losses doing so. Chinese forces exploit the gap and capture a northern part of Seoul, but a swift counter forces them out again.

The counter by some recently arrived US marines breaks the Russian naval infantry who were pushing the advance to the east. The slow DPRK forces are to far behind to give any support.

Turn 5

The initiative is swinging as the northern advance falters.

Russian special forces destroy 2 airbases and inflict damage on the aircraft stationed there.

Allied special forces target important units for air strikes.

Russia and China make a final push on air and sea using the last of their reinforcements. On the sea the combined force of a Chinese carrier group and another action group, as well as the Russian group and DPRK remnants along with land based missile help destroy 1 surface action group from Japan, ROK and the US. However the return fire wipes out everything, including the Chinese carrier. The Naval war has been decided.

In the air the Allies continue to dominate and the new Chinese and Russian reinforcements are soon scatted over the mountains of Korea. The air war is also over.

The Allied air power then begins a brutal bombing campaign targeting key front line units.

On land the US marines and southern reinforcements start to roll back up the east coast, liberating cites and ports previously captured by the north. The battle for Seoul continues in the west and in the center the DPRK forces face little resistance, but are too thinly spread to achieve much.

Turn 6

Allies take the initiative

With no competition in the skies and the northern air defences almost out of action and crippling bombing campaign begins. The focus is the forces north of Seoul and the damage is huge.

On all fronts the Allies begin the counter attack, taking losses, but inflicting massive losses on the weakened northern forces.

Turn 7

The remnants of the Chinese air force try to at least contest the skies and are able to keep a couple of planes in the air.

US air power is unable to keep up the intensity of the bombing which achieves only disappointing results this turn.

Chinese reinforcements arrive in the centre, but north of Seoul the Allies clear the planes up to the Imjin river.

Turn 8

There is a large storm this turn. It has little affect on American air power which continues to cause damage, but it does slow the advance of the Chinese moving down from the north.

The Allies push across the Imjin and over the boarder into the north.

Turn 9

The newly arrived Chinese army is mostly bombed into oblivion and the remnants swept away by ROK forces. The US forces push into the north, taking Keisong and a number of towns and installations. The only remaining DPRK forces are red guard units holed up for a last stand in Pyonyang.

The War is effectively over.