The Christmas Offensive: Desert Board Completed, Operation Badr Forces, and Special Rules

Well after a furious round of dry-brushing last night I'm happy to report that the desert board is complete!  Same technique as the European board which means my Tamiya "flat earth" copycat basecoat, followed by a Vallejo copycat "dark sand" dry brush.  I probably could have gotten away with mixing a white and pale sand for highlighting, but I'm quite pleased with how the whole thing turned out and frankly, I have gifts to wrap, jets to paint, and infantry to base!

A company of SU-100 tank destroyers advances to contact in the Sinai!

some loosely scattered areas of foliage show that this desert is alive

The bases match the board perfectly!

Infantry Advance!

And over to the forces for the battle!

EGYPTIAN 2nd Tank Army, 15th Armored Brigade
The crack Egyptian 15th Armored Brigade is aiming to break through the Israeli screen and seize the Tassa junction.

Spearheading the attack are 2 full battalions of T-55 tanks, 62 in total, and a company of mechanized infantry mounted in 10 BTR152s.  The armor has organize anti aircraft artillery in the form of ZSU-57-2 self propelled AA guns.

For the infantry, that's 10 total squads of 2 fireteams each, along with their supporting weapons including HMGs, SAGGER ATGMs, Recoilless Rifles, and mortars.  From Army HQs, they'll have an attached battery (company) of SU-100 tank destroyers, and a reconaissance company of PT-76 light tanks.

  They will have a flight of jet fighter-bombers in support.  Likely SU-7s, but represented by Mig-17s on the table.  The Egyptians will also have multiple rocket launchers in support, and cannon artillery as well in the form of a battery of 4x 122mm howitzers.

Full Egyptian force minus the APCs.

Crikey that's alot of tanks!

ISRAELI 162nd "Steel" Armored Division
The Israelis are commanded by a capable, tough hero of their previous 2 major wars, Avraham Adan.  He is commanding the northern sector in the Sinai.  Elements of the 162nd Division are in position to hold the Tassa Junction and prevent the Egyptian 2nd and 3rd Tank Armies from linking up.

The Israelis have a scratch force of 28 tanks in the form of a full company of M-48 Magach-3 "Patton" tanks and I-Sherman tanks to resist the Egyptian forces.  They also have an understrength mechanized infantry company (2 x platoons mounted in M113 and M3 HTs respectively) in reserve, a flight of IAF A-4 "Skyhawks", and 155mm artillery behind the lines.

isherman and magach-3 companies along with the transport mounts.  The infantry need finished!

Special Rules:
Israeli
To reflect complacency and poor initial task organization, the Israelis will not be authorized to start with any of their infantry on the table.  Per the FOAN rules, the Israeli team may start rolling for their infantry on turn 3.  So all of the Israeli infantry will start off-table in order to show the over-reliance on tanks during the 1973 war and the rapid commitment of tanks without proper infantry support.  If the Israeli players have other armored assets in reserve, they must roll to commit those first. 

Egyptian
To reflect Egyptian hesitancy regarding the October 14th attacks away from their SAM umbrella, Egyptian forces may not dash towards Israeli forces under any circumstances - they must use tactical movement if moving towards the enemy.