Boocoo Fire Mission (2022)

Boocoo Fire Mission is the result of 3 years of research and playtesting, drawing from first-hand accounts of the war to create a wargame seasoned with plenty of historical flavor. A simple and effective hidden movement system allows players to really sweat as they try to work out if it's safe to cross that open field in front of them. Plans don't usually survive contact with the enemy, and a number of mishap tables help to create a narrative experience that goes beyond your average "move and shoot" wargame.

Boocoo Fire Mission is aimed at 6mm or 15mm miniatures, and can be played on a 4' x 4' or 6' x 4' table.

This game is company scaled, and the smallest maneuver unit is the squad, with players generally controlling 2 - 4 platoons, each with a number of squads and an HQ. Players will direct their forces on the ground, as well as coordinating support such as air strikes, artillery, and taking advantage of special assets such as VC spider holes or booby traps, or the NVA's stubborn resistance and uncanny ability to recover casualties, preventing US a body count...

Rules are provided for infantry, from the lowest quality ARVN troops, to the most elite ANZAC SAS and US Recon squads, and their various weapon attachments such as RPGs, LMGs, Recoilless rifles, and mortars, as well as helicopters such as the UH-1, AH-1 Cobra, OH-6 Loach and CH-47 Chinook. Vehicles such as the M113, M48 Patton, M551 Sheridan, various marine "amtracs", the M42 Duster, and M50 Ontos are also covered.

Boocoo Fire Mission is has a descending level of detail, with infantry as the most detailed unit in the game, followed by helicopters, and finally vehicles. Infantry can hide, dig in, crawl to avoid opportunity fire, and conduct suppression. Helicopters have detailed damage tables to provide for many interesting results from fire, and can drop off and pick up infantry on the table. Vehicles can disembark their crew, leaving sentries behind to man a single weapon, and can also transport infantry.

Army lists are provided for ANZACs, ARVN, US army, Armored Cavalry, Mechanized companies, and US marines. VC and NVA are of course included, and some factions are split into different time periods depending on if their equipment evolved over the course of the war. Boocoo Fire Mission covers the entire Vietnam War, from early ARVN vs VC skirmishes in the early 1960s, through to 1975. Specific city fight lists are also included for both the Allied and Communist forces, to allow players to play battles such as those in Hue or Saigon.

The game provides printable markers, and a printer-friendly version of the rules is also provided. Note that the markers are only in the full-color version of the rules.