Sino-Japanese War - Xenos Rampant - Scenario Delta - Ceasefire.

Welcome to June and finally an opportunity to give the Chinese and Japanese a run out, still plenty more on the paint table, but enough now to get a game together.

Flicking through the Xenos Rampant Scenario's - Cease fire felt like the perfect game to kick off the string of battles, 6 numbered markers with both sides not wanting to be the one to fire first. - Once the balloon goes up Victory Points for being closest to the markers at the end of the game +5 Victory Points if your Opponent fired first. 

In the tense outskirts of a remote Manchurian village, both Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) forces and Chinese National Revolutionary Army (NRA) units are conducting live-fire exercises. 

The situation is already volatile—patrols overlap, nerves are frayed, and neither side trusts the other’s intentions. 

Played across the table both sides manoeuvrer looking to get close enough to grab the makers but conscious that being in the open is not good for one's health if the firing starts. 

Within XR I pulled down the Chinese morale and increase the Japanese they are also very tasty in hand  to hand with sharp blades, the down side they all have wild charge so keeping them on mission might be a problem.

So a battle of quality vs quantity, the IJA cross the paddy field and both sides skirt round the compound separated by a high wall.

Something had to give the IJA Tankette grabbed the terrain marker, facing off against a against a Soviet made BA10. The NRA Morale broke first and they firer a round at the little Japanese tank - war had started.

So much time had been wasted getting into position it was now a frantic rush to grab the markers and push back the enemy. The Chinese broken cover from the wood rushing past a Japanese armoured car who was pouring fire into the compound.

At the river crossing the Japanese morale kept a section in play but it was slowly whittled down by twice their number.

In the centre of the table the Medium Tank pushed forwards grabbing the central marker as their supporting infantry pinned the defending Chinese in the field.

The BA 10 having taken care of the Tankette grabbed the left hand marker with the Japanese too few in number to cover all 6 markers with any concentration of force.

Night fell and the Chinese had bagged a surprising victory.

Chinese - 5 Markers in their possession 15 Points.

Japanese - 1 Marker in their possession and they did not break the cease fire 8 Points.

Great fun for the first outing, a couple of tweaks are needed to the units and point values, but it had a really good feel to it and a great scenario which matched perfectly the opening of the war itself.

Now for the next batch of Chinese troops and I suspect more Japanese.