T.B.M. Tom Wilde - Nov 3, 2003 9:38 pm (#5263 Total: 5267) 
Society of Tanzanian Armchair Generals: Dirty Little Wars 'R' Us 

STAGs in Somalia, Pt. 2

My fellow STAGs and I (the other members are a dozen eleven-to-fourteen
year old students at the school where I teach) are playing Schutze
Games' Somalia. 

One student described it as 'the funnest [sic] game we've ever played'.
(He's one of the warlords, plundering UN famine relief convoys on their
way to Baidoa where he is The Man). The map is divided into regions
(with four for Mogadishu: two downtown plus the airport and docks). Some
regions are desert, others mountain, some just good old rough African
bush of which we have plenty around our Society HQ. 

The UN mission starts off trying to send relief to famine-stricken areas
while the bandits try to stop them, stealing supplies (which helps
recruit new gangs) and hitting the UN military (for political gains).
The UN can also try to recruit local militia to establish government
control, as well as introducing aid projects (which may raise local
support) and building new bases. 

After about six months the UN can ask the US to intervene which
generally means lots of shiny hardware to spank the bandits with (as
long as they don't confine you to base first with a successful raid on
your units), including helicopters which can fly units across the
country with less chance of being ambushed. (Note: less chance, not *no*
chance...) 

So far the UN have managed to get a few convoys through but the bandits
have now formed three large forces thanks to terrorising areas and
extorting supplies from their own people. A fourth is holed up in
mountainous Somaliland to the north, where the UN have tried to flush
them out. This attempt failed to find the gang they were after (too well
hidden in the mountains) but two bandit ambushes were foiled en route.
However, the bandits are still ahead in the political war and have
another two months before the US is likely to step in. The UN have now
built a second base at the docks and the addition of a few militia units
would give them control of at least some of the country. 

I taught the main features of this game to the group in about ten
minutes and we are having a blast. It's Educational, too.