The
run up to Christmas so what better way to spread harmony than to pit
multiple players against one another in a race to save face and claim
their stake in the Chinese Market.
Sunday night saw the Wyvern Wargamers put on a 5 man participation game set at the height of the Boxer Rebellion.
Seymour
was on his way back from his attempt to relieve Peking, with the rail
line destroyed he is forced to turn back to the coast, the Boxers had
never really threatened his command but the amount of wounded and lack
of provisions was making the march very arduous.
"During
the night in a thunder storm Seymour lost contact
with the Boxer forces. His column is approaching a swollen river his scouts indicate that there are three possible crossing points.
It's unclear which route the bulk of the Boxer forces took perhaps even crossing at all three
points. If he is to protect is wounded, flanks and rear he must ensure
he maintains in contact with the withdrawing Boxer elements "
The game is played out using Mud & Blood from the Too Fat Lardies, the Big man and Support desk is divided into 3 piles, players decide which pile to allocate to which cross point, the Chinese Imperial Army and Boxers allocate to defend and the Allies to attack.
Whilst the devious umpire rolls to see which crossing will be played out on table....
Crossing two is picked, the Boxers are allowed to deploy as blinds and hidden within the terrain, they await the crossing of the allies, we added in an additional rally card for the Boxers and made them aggressive, due to their lack of firepower and the need to close.
The Chinese Army moved in from the edge of the table also on blinds.
Fortunately Crossing two for both sides contained several strong units which moved the encounter on at pace.
Both sides had chosen well, the Boxers had selected several armed bands and their only Artillery section, whilst the Allies had selected the cream of the Allies forces with US Marines and British Regulars, together with a detachment of mounted lancers....
Boxer Artillery deploy for action, these have not been out of the box for a few years and that gloss finish really needs dulling down.
A number of turns pass the Allies edge closer to the hinterland, having cleared the river, with limited casualties from the Chinese fire, but they had yet to encounter the Boxer masses, as time wore on they new reinforcements would be arriving from the other crossings.
The Imperial Army show their hand and Artillery and Kansu Braves reveal themselves from the millet.
Boxer pour from the village and the surrounding terrain, bolstered by reinforcements from the 3rd River Crossing, things look bad for Charlton and his boys...
The Boxers close and force the Marines back.
Meanwhile reinforcements from the 1st Crossing point enter into the outskirts of the near by town, catching the Imperial Army cold, brisk firefight takes place and the Imperial Army is ejected from the town, thanks to a valiant charge by the Royal Marines supported by French Sailors.
The Imperial Army turn their guns and pour fire into the Allied defenders as more Chinese regulars enter the table to bolster the Chinese defence.
Mean while south the Column is bolstered by Russian and Austrian Sailors who try again to force the river crossing, inflicting heavy casualties on the Boxer defenders, but they have too much ground to make up if they are to link up with the French in the town.
As the evening draws to a close the Allies have a foot hold in Northern bank of the river, but Chinese Regulars and Boxers are thinning the Allies with several big men wounded or carried from the field.
As is the case with many encounters if only we had another couple of moves.....
The following forces were initially available split between three crossing points.
The first crossing point was 1D6 turns away, whilst the second 2D6 turns away to give both sides the chance of bolstering their forces.
Detachments included.
French Sailors.
