Module Suitability Review - Airlords of the Ozarks

Image taken from Twilight 2000 Wiki, IP is GDW/FFE

Airlords of the Ozarks to me, reflected a change in the "bad guys" in Twilight: 2000 from the traditional Soviets to something far more sinister, and familiar, New America. New America is born of the darkest fears about the Neo-Nazi movement from the 1980s. The ideas were borne of the seeming rise of the neo-Nazi movement, as well as the fears real, and imagined of the Christian Right. That said. New America, whatever your views, is to me, presented an "anti-Morrow Project" to pit against your players (and might have been a bit of a parody of said game, but that is my own position).

But on to the adventure. It's got a lot. The "recon" mission has sort of a creeping horror element to it, as you realize the true nature of the "Airlords" and what they have at their disposal (three dirigibles and a mess of ultralights). Air superiority in Twilight: 2000 against unprepared towns in the Ozarks is nothing short of devastating, as our heroes might find out.

The rot of New America goes as far as the state house in Little Rock in a side plot, and the mission to destroy New America's airfleet can resemble Guns of Navarone if done right. And there is the small issue of New America having some crude CALCMs at it's disposal...(Nice job MilGov). Yeah, you gotta destroy those too.

But that said, how does it do for miniatures scenario fodder?

Skirmish Games

For skirmish games Airlords of the Ozarks does very well on a skirmish scenario basis. There is a ton of fodder really, everything from ambushing New American patrols, to scouting out New American-held towns.

Some really neat ideas I have though are:

• A raid to capture the leadership of the Jonesboro marauder band for interrogation, they would be a font of information on the nature of the "Airlords".
• Raid on an New American LC (Long Contract) Labor Camp (re: Concentration Camp) to recover valuable prisoners as well as to perhaps rile up the prisoners in a general uprising.
• A raid to capture a New American prisoner for interrogation.

Larger Scale Games

Airlords is some awesome fodder in my opinion for some larger scale games, especially for the climax of the adventure. Some of the more obvious ideas include:

• A partisan raid stiffened by some American soldiers returned from Europe on the lair of the dirigibles, it would be especially exciting if there was one loaded with ALCMs ready to launch at MilGov and CivGov HQs. (relax, they aren't nuclear armed, but 1000kgs of HE won't tickle if aimed right). 
• A fight between a captured dirigible and one held by the New Americans (what rules you would use for this, I have no idea).
• Milgov sends the 197th Mech Brigade in from Memphis to crush the New American cell in the Ozarks, one town at a time (This would make an interesting micro armor game, and the New Americans, sans airships, aren't going to have a lot of anti-tank weapons to deal with the ironmongery the 197th can bring to bear).

In short, the scenario has a lot to offer, and the figures for New Americans are easy, just take a mix of Americans in uniforms from Vietnam to 90s era (ala my article on the subject)  and paint a blue armband with a white star in the middle. It should be a darker blue than the Somali flag, to be honest, and as for Ozarks terrain, there is some mention of it in my terrain article on what you can do for some ideas there. (You might have to scroll down). Vehicles for the New Americans would be a mix of pickup trucks and "technicals" for the most part.

Well, it's our 30th Post!! Thanks to everyone for their continued support and comments here. Your feedback makes this worthwhile! I apologize for the wait for this article, a cold laid me up for a few days. Our next entry will be Gateway to the Spanish Main, Post-apocalyptic pirates and kidnapped children to rescue, arr!