The Ford at Willow Crossing - 2nd Sino-Japanese War

Aiming to keep the painting to playing ratio going for August - An excuse to get the new Japanese on the table.

September 1937. Across northern China, the Imperial Japanese Army advances relentlessly inland following the outbreak of full-scale war after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Towns and villages along the frontier have fallen in rapid succession as better trained and better equipped Japanese forces push deeper into Chinese territory.

Along a secondary route running through rolling farmland and wooded valleys lies a shallow river known locally as the Willow River. Though narrow, recent rains have swollen its banks, making crossings difficult except at a handful of established fords.

One such crossing, known as Willow Ford, sits astride a grass land track leading toward the market town of Xingyuan. If the Japanese secure the ford, mechanised elements and artillery can continue their advance unimpeded. If the crossing can be denied, even briefly, precious hours may be bought for Chinese forces withdrawing further south.

A small platoon from the Chinese National Revolutionary Army has been ordered to hold the crossing at all costs.

The Situation

Lieutenant Zhang Wei, a young officer with little combat experience, commands a platoon of barely thirty men. Many are exhausted from days of retreat and skirmishing. Ammunition is limited, communications are poor, and reinforcement is unlikely.

The platoon has spent the night preparing crude defensive positions around the northern bank of the ford. Shallow trenches overlook the crossing while sandbags and felled trees provide makeshift cover. A single light machine gun covers the main approach.

At dawn, lookouts report movement on the opposite side of the valley.

The Japanese are coming.

Chinese Objectives

The defenders know they cannot win a prolonged battle. Their mission is simple:

• Prevent Japanese forces from crossing the ford.
• Delay the advance long enough for engineers several miles south to prepare demolitions on a larger bridge.
• Preserve enough of the platoon to conduct an orderly withdrawal when ordered.

For Lieutenant Zhang, success is measured not in territory held, but in time bought.

Japanese Objectives

Elements of an advancing Japanese infantry company have reached the Willow River ahead of schedule.

Their orders are:

• Seize the ford intact.
• Clear all resistance north of the river.
• Continue the advance before nightfall.

Japanese commanders believe the crossing is defended only by scattered retreating troops and expect resistance to collapse quickly.

The mist clings to the water as dawn breaks over Willow Ford.

Private Chen grips his rifle so tightly his knuckles ache. Shapes move among the shrubs. At first they seem like shadows. Then sunlight catches steel helmets. A whistle echoes across the valley and the Japanese come on in droves.

Lieutenant Zhang rises from the undergrowth - "Hold your fire."

The soldiers wait the Japanese advance guard cross the ridge line, rifles crack. The battle for Willow Ford has begun.

Using Xenos Rampant I made the Japanese subject to wild charge and it was not long before the main force rushed the Chinese positions. Morale was key to battle as the Japanese pressed on and the Chinese with poorer morale were beaten back.

If that was not enough the Japanese commander found his target and called in artillery support to pepper the Chinese lines driving the defenders back across the ford.

The Chinese force outnumbered and outgunned falls back and despite determined resistance and local knowledge is unable to hold the line. Another will for the Japanese.

Scenario borrowed from this little gem, designed for Chain of Command and the Japanese - Russo conflict of 1939 it transfers well to the Sino-Japanese Front, the maps could be clearer but great orbits for both sides including Mongolian units.

Back to the brushes and a whole load of Japanese to get through before the bank holiday is out...

The Temple of the Golden Guacamole.

It's as hot in the UK as South America so what better than a game set in the Jungles of the new world as Spanish conquistadors attempt to raid a sacred Aztec temple while determined local warriors stand in their way.

The self-proclaimed explorer Don Fernando de la Siesta, having heard rumours of a temple holding piles of gold, leads an expedition inland (But is hindered by being forced to roll to see which side of the river they land.)

Unfortunately for him, the temple is protected by the fierce warriors of High Priest Tlacotzin "The Slightly Irritated", who have no intention of letting a group of heavily armoured strangers walk off with their sacred treasures.

As dawn breaks, the conquistadors march through the jungle towards the Temple of the Golden Guacamole, while drums echo across the valley rallying warriors to block there advance (Also rolled for random entry).

As is the way for random rolls, the Spanish are heavily weighted on the left flank, whilst the bulk of the Aztec Warriors appear on the right.

Breaking the curse of newly painted figures, Spanish horsemen ride down a unit of unbloodied warriors, they were looking for captives such as their way, while the Conquistadors were happy to hack them down in droves... 

The invaders were not having all their own way, despite the bang and flash of gunpower scaring some warriors away, a number of Spaniards were captured, being dragged out of the shield wall for sacrifice later.

The Aztec warriors rushed to defend the temple as the native left flank collapsed, fearful of dogs and horses.

The temple fell to the invaders as the Aztec warriors were routed from the table, having been ridden down, attacked by dogs or shot at by fire sticks. The gold was secure... but 5 men were missing.. feels like a rescue is in order.

A fun encounter and nice to get the extra Aztecs on the table.

Although I do sense I will need a number of extra warriors to hold the Spanish at bay, thanks to David over at I Live with Cats: Quetzalcoatl Rampant who created the first draft of modifications to the Lion Rampant rules.

02 Hundred Hours - Might as well taken a bell with me :-)

Wyre Forest Club Day and 02 Hundred

My default gaming experience is normally larger and louder O2 Hundred requires a different mind set. Instead of thinking about how many enemy figures I can kill, its more about can I slip past a sentry, plant charges and get out before the alarm sounds.

The answer was a clear no :-)

Lovely looking table from Mike at the club, our mission simple sneak in slip past the guards, plant charges on the Armoured Car, the Bunker (Top Left), flushing out the commander and kill or capture him - Simple.

Some of the guards have a fixed patrol route others wander around listening for noise or other things to investigate.

From the outset things went wrong, at the bottom of the table as the first squad entered the table, one man and his dog wandered to close so had to be dispatched, wasting valuable time.

Hemmed in by other random guards, the SAS Sergeant was separated from the rest of the squad was forced to kill another wandering guard, raising the alarm threat.

Meanwhile at the other end of the table my fellow commando faired not better, the explosive expert was caught in the open creeping towards the bunker entrance, a burst of MP40 fire and he was down. The SAS Captain returned fire killing a number of the defenders, but the bell was now ringing.... and he to was killed having failed to clamber over the stone wall.

With the squad down to half their number, the remaining squad members fled around the farm house as the German garrison spilled out, in a minor victory a small arms dump was destroyed which only served to attract more guards. The last squad member dived into the outhouse and chicken coop only to be hunted down and killed in a flurry of feathers.

Meanwhile the German commander wandered into the open and despite the SAS team in the bottom field getting a bead on him with a sniper missed on 5 occasions, the officer unaware of the bullets whistling over his head simply walked out of range.

With half the attackers killed or captured and the other squad still languishing in the muddy fields time to leave the table.

A very cinematic game, with some great moments or failures, troops caught in the undergrowth when they should have laid low, multiple grenades that missed their target at the arms dump, bumping in to bunker guards who appeared in the doorway at the wrong time. To top it all an explosives man fumbling a charge on the Puma and blowing himself up :-(

Based on the shambolic mission, I worry the remaining squad members might find themselves in a POW camp rather than a back in blighty.

Breakthrough at the Yangcheng Line – Autumn 1937 Sino-Japanese War

In the aftermath of the Shanghai fighting, the Imperial Japanese Army presses its advantage inland, seeking to exploit shaken Chinese defenses and maintain momentum. 
Another outing for the Sino-Japanese War and the next game using Xenos Rampant.

At dawn, under a low grey sky, Japanese reconnaissance elements identified a weakly held section of the Yangcheng defensive line, Spearheading the attack, a mixed armoured column of light tanks and infantry looked to punch through the frontier defenses with speed and aggression. Chinese forward positions, thinly held and lacking anti‑tank weapons, looked to do what they could to stem the advance.

The Japanese push toward Yangcheng Garrison, a key strongpoint anchoring the region’s defence. Their objective is clear: seize the junction, cut supply routes, and collapse Chinese resistance across the sector. The Japanese move up to the barb wire blocking the road to Yangcheng looking to draw the Chinese into a firefight as infantry spotted an opening in the wire through a pine wood.

Inside the garrison, Chinese forces—comprised of regular army troops reinforced by militia and remnants of frontline units—prepare to make a stand. There only Light AT Gun was man handled into position.
With the main defense weapon committed a Japanese armoured column breaks right and rushes the for the wire in the open ground.

In the centre of the the table the wire road block is breached and Infantry poor through the wood, the Chinese militia are thrown back.

Similarly on the right flank the Japanese armour makes a breach in the line. A solitary Chinese armoured car makes a run for cover to shore up the left flank.

The armour rushed forwards the Chinese infantry fell backwards unable to damage the Invaders armoured thrust. Chinese morale falters and units fell back into the centre of the village.

The Japanese push on.

A comprehensive victory for the attacker, the village Y junction is secure, infantry flood the village and even had the nerve of assaulting the SDKFZ 222 and set it alight by throwing grenades into it.

Another fun outing for Xenos Rampant giving a good result in an evening which captures the challenge for the Chinese of trying to defend against a well trained, well armed, aggressive attacker. The Japanese did not have it all there own way, but the Chinese need a few more options, queue another order :-)

Tobruk 1941 - Bolt Action

Wyre Forest Club Day and the Battle for Toburk.

April 1941. The British fortress of Tobruk stands alone on the Libyan coast, held by the battle‑hardened Australian 9th Division, supported by British artillery and a handful of tanks.

Rommel’s newly arrived Afrika Korps, fighting alongside the Italian Ariete and Brescia Divisions, launches its first probing assaults. Dust storms, poor maps, and fierce resistance turn the attack into a brutal, confused struggle across wadis, wire, and minefields.

A 6 player game with 3 Allied Players & 3 Axis Attackers - Forces listed below for those who are interested.

Player A – Australian Infantry Company

• 3× Veteran infantry sections,  1× Vickers MG, 1× 2‑inch mortar

Player B – Australian Infantry Company

• 3× Veteran infantry sections, 1× Boys AT rifle, 1× Vickers MG, 1× Forward Observer (artillery)

Player C – Australian Support & Reserves

• 2× Infantry sections, 1× 3‑inch mortar, 1× AT gun (2‑pdr), 1× Carrier section (2 carriers)

Pooled Troops - British Armour & Artillery

• 1× Matilda II, 1× Cruiser Mk IV, 1× 25‑pdr artillery, 1× Bren carrier with engineers

Axis Attackers (3 Players)

Player E – German Afrika Korps (Assault Group)

• 2× Veteran infantry squads, 1× Panzer III, 1× Panzer II, 1× MMG, 1× Light mortar

Player F – German Afrika Korps (Mobile Group)

• 2× Mechanised infantry squads (trucks), 1× Panzer II, 1× 81mm mortar, 1× Sniper

Player G – Italian Ariete Division

• 3× Regular infantry squads, 1× L6/40 light tank, 1× Breda MG team, 1× Medium mortar

Italian Brescia Division

• 3× Infantry squads, 1× 47mm AT gun, 1× Autoblinda AB41 armoured car, 1× Engineer squad (demolitions)

Axis Objectives

• Primary: Capture at least two Allied strongpoints (bunkers, trenches, or artillery pits).

• Secondary: Exit one unit off the Allied table edge (representing a breakthrough).

• Bonus: Destroy the Matilda II.

Allied Objectives

• Primary: Prevent Axis forces from capturing two strongpoints.

• Secondary: Destroy at least one Axis armoured vehicle.

• Bonus: Keep the perimeter line intact for 10 turns.

On the day a score draw,  the Axis forces were lucky destroying the Matilda in the opening exchange having massed their armour on the right flank, a strong advance from the Italians in the centre was held up by Mortar and Bren fire. 

The Australians continued to funnel troops into the forward damaged bunker, the Italians got close but were unable to break in to it. The German Armour reached the lip of the trench line, but the clock ran down.

A fun game with everyone engaged from the first turn. Thanks to Steve the War Photographer for the excellent shots of the game.

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.