The Wan-King Rebellion. Winston's Train

 Major Winston Ray and the Armoured Train.

The Station at No Pah King, with a barricade across the tracks.  Local Boxer leader Chin Tu Fat has laid his ambush well.

The tracks are barricaded

The civilians awaiting rescue

And the local Boxer groups lying in wait.  Once again interpretive dance seems to be the main Boxer feature.

The nun, the priest, the butterfly collector and "Gran."

And its a local Durham train!

Winston leads a skirmish party out to clear the barricade

But Boxers swarm the tracks

They are driven back, with heavy casualties on both sides.

All aboard

And the withdrawal.  A successful mission, but the cost was high.

The Wan-King Rebellion begins

Its all kicking off in the province of Wan King.  The Imperial governor, Hoo Flung Dung, is supporting a groundswell movement named the Righteous Brothers of Ass Kicking, a Boxer/martial arts sect.  The British Envoy, Sir Sidney James, has called for reinforcements and fortified the Legation in the capital Aah Chou...

I've always been interested in Colonials as a wargames period, so much so that I have a large collection of "up the Nile British" and Dervish for the Sudan campaigns.  Looking to expand this recently I invested in a box of Orion 1/72 plastic Boxer Rebellion Chinese to revisit my Men Who Would Be Kings experience.  

The Boxers come with a half dozen Imperial troops in the box (where else really) and enough figures to make two groups of 16 fanatics, plus some spares to scratch build some Jingal crews, Tigermen or boxer shooters.  Only around half of what I need but it's a start.

Some Men Who Would be Kings Army lists:

Boxers: Tribal Infantry @ 3 pts.
Boxer shooters: Irregular Infantry, Poor Shots @ 3 pts.
Tigermen: Tribal Infantry, Fierce and Elite @ 6 pts. or Fierce and Veteran @ 5 pts.
Imperial Regulars: Irregular Infantry, Well-Armed @ 5 pts.
Jingal Teams: Poor Crewed Weapon (ranged as Machinegun, but only 2 dice/crewman) @ 4 pts.

A sample 24-point Field Force: 
1 x Tigermen: Tribal Infantry, Fierce and Veteran @ 5 pts.
4 x Boxers: Tribal Infantry @ 12 pts.
1 x Boxer shooters: Irregular Infantry, Poor Shots @ 3 pts.
1 x Jingal Team: Poor Crewed Weapon @ 4 pts. 

(Around 50 figures)
Or
4 x Boxers: Tribal Infantry @ 12 pts.
1 x Imperial Regulars: Irregular Infantry, Well-Armed @ 5 pts.
1 x Imperial Cavalry: Irregular Cavalry @ 3 pts
1 x Imperial Artillery: Poor Crewed Weapon @ 4 pts.

For the Legation and Western forces, field troops would obviously be regulars, but the ad hoc units defending the LegationLegation,  such as the Carving Knife Brigade would be Irregular Infantry, Veteran and Well-Armed @ 6 pts. or just Irregular Infantry, Well-Armed @ 5 pts. 

Some Games Ideas.
A race for the honour of being the relieving force for the Legation. (Historically the Russians didn't cooperate well and attempted to get to Peking first... with both the Americans and the Japanese reacting in competition)
Russian and German troops were prone to massacres and war crimes. 
The US had two regiments of black cavalrymen in this war.
The British suffered from rivalry between the Army, Navy and Indian army forces.

Scenario Games
Seymour's Urgent Column. 

Winston Ray, and the Armoured Train
The Multi-national race to Tai Ni Poo

55 days with Charlton Heston

The Market of Wai Yu Mun Ching
The handy relief of the Legation
The Taku Forts, again.

Gunboat on the Yanksee
Ducking out of Peking.
The last train to Yangtsun 
The climactic thrusts in Tientsin

Terrain

A village, city walls, paddy fields, woods, hills.

Multi player 
3 Imperial players alternating with/as
3 Babbaged up Natives.
One Multi player gets the Imperial Army
Two Boxers, the Tigerman, and the Jingal boys.
Imperials can use former British Sudan forces as foreigners, or keep them British.
I can field the Rajputs, the paddle seamer, armoured train and the Queens Own Minifigs.

Notes
The Emperor Qin Chii
The Boxers themselves were a coalition of other martial arts groups such as the Plum Flower Boxers (Meihuaquan), the Red Boxers (Hongquan), the Spirit Boxers (Shenquan)

Some Quick Skirmish rules
2 phases
Move d10
Shoot point blank 3" short 10" long up to 24" not Pistols 
D6 action check 1 run 6 attack

Basing

I'm using a 4/3/2/1 system with the 16 figure Tribal Infantry having a 4, 4, 3, 2, 2, 1 configuration.

My 20mm figures are a mixture of old Airix, newer Orion and some recycled Newline Dervish.

The First Game, Sir Seymour's Urgent Column

The Queens' Own Minifigs under Colonel Sir Seymour Butts, have advanced along the rail line from the port at Shangking towards the Capital Ah-Choo.  The Governor has however ordered General Kao Chi to intercept the enemy battalion with his own regular forces, and a levy of "Boxers."

My game started with the Queens' Own deploying a company into skirmish order and advancing as a screen.  They soon ran into a bit of bother.

Ambushers from the Imperial Army, lurking in the Woods, kill two of my Skirmishers.

The battalion forms into a firing line.  Sir Seymour's horse is clearly feeling the strain.

The Imperial Army, lead by an Officer who specialises in the art of mime.

A Boxer uses interpretive dance to tell Sir Seymour to go home!

The Queens Own are thrashed in hand to hand.  Captain Inbred Fitch Forstesque falls to the enemy.

Colonel Butts orders the withdrawal.  The Queens Own  extricate themselves and March back to the port.  

A second attempt to penetrate through to the Legation will be made tomorrow, by Major Winston Ray and his Armoured Train.

The Station at No Pah King, with a barricade across the tracks.  Local Boxer leader Chin Tu Fat has laid his ambush well.

Ernie Borgnine's Bulge

The 2nd Infantry Division have pulled back towards the twin towns.  With 12th SS and it's attached units  close behind in pursuit a rearguard must be mounted.  Newly promoted Sergeant Ernie Borgnine and the remains of his squad must hold for a day.   They have found a good solid position at a farm on the edge of Krinkelt-Rocherath, and have consolidated. 

Ernie's surviving boys.

Setup

2nd Division's squad sets up in the farm buildings on the Western side of the table.  Two scouts may be deployed as sentries, out to 18" from the western table edge entry point.  

The 990th Pz Grenadiers are heading down the farm track towards the town.  they have been tasked to secured the ruins of the farm to their front.  Further north a Panzerjager company is advancing in a support role.  The Grenadiers have 2 Hannomag  half tracks, and are using these to cover the advance.

A snowstorm is imminent, limiting visibility to 18".   It will begin if more than three ones are rolled in any action dice roll

The game

A US sentry dashes back to Audie's position.

Pte Peck however, as the second sentry, seems to be fast asleep

Bogart on the bazooka, near miss on the left hand Hannomag.

Rosberg uses the MG42 to spray Audie's position, no hits. 

Bogart shoots again and the Hannomag explodes.

Private Peck meanwhile, wakes up surrounded by Panzer Grenadiers.  Captured.

A rifle hit on the Hannomag makes the crew nervous, their MG42 fire is ineffective.

Ernie risks a look.  Crosby has already gone into nervous

The snowstorm hits.  Visibility reduced to 18 inches.

Bogart rushes forward and snaps off a shot with his bazooka, rattling the Germans

The Grenadiers use the snow storm to rush forwards.

Ernie pops back up readying the bazooka again.  The Hannomag has found reverse gear!

And Boris attempts a grenade throw, using his impressive forehand.  Just short.

The Germans assault 

One of the Marx boys puts a grenade among them

It comes down to an attrition shootout.  The Germans lose three men down, the Americans one.  Its a withdrawal marker for the Grenadiers.

The Felwebel withdraws his men.

Ernie celebrates by smoking a lucky strike.

Weighting the flight stands

Warlord Games Blood Red Skies has some issues. I won't gripe about the too tiny Misubushi Zeroes or that some of the follow up seems lacking.  What really annoys me are the flight stands!

It's a great idea, the player need not deal with height levels for an aircraft since the stand itself pitches between advantaged, normal and disadvantaged.  Normal flight has the aircraft level, advantaged pitches it into a climb, and disadvantage into a dive.  Its quite clever.

Metal planes, heavy beasts!

When the resin or the plastic aircraft are used on these stands there is only a slight instability.  Put a metal plane on a flight stand and there is an immediate problem.  It might stay level, just about, but diving or climbing it simply falls over.

Warlord recognise this and supply an enlarged plastic base that adds a lot of stability.  In terms of game play however it is a non starter for me.  Far too big!

They also sell weights for the base of the stands.  Incidentally thus shows that they are aware of the problem.   I bought a set of these at £8.50 for six weights. Add in the postage and that is just way too much, even for a high roller, but then again I have a lot of planes and wanted to see how the weights work.

An F86 Sabre on a Warlord weighted base, with an unweighted one beside it.  The pilot status disc will hide the view of the weight through the plastic.

I came up with my own solution that really works, even for those Vought Corsairs, steel washers from the local Wilco.  £2.50 for a bag of mixed little steel DIY stuff.  Thing is I sometimes use these for bases anyway.

Being careful not to get glue on the hinge for the flight stand (I do not wish to discuss my first effort where I did this and where the stand is now only fit for my rescue helicopter) I glue in a couple of washers.  The weight holds the metal aircraft on a smaller stand.

The result speaks for itself.  Stable aircraft give me more confidence when playing the game.  Just as well since my jets are now ready for the Korean War, and I'm all set to begin operations.

The MIG 15s and Sabres on weighted stands.

The Britons

There seems to be a shortage of barbarians on Table E if last weeks game is anything to go by.  Since I was going to build a Briton core force for use against my Caesarian Romans in Cyprus, I'm now planning to push that forward and get a force ready to face my Early Imperials here in Durham.  They will also be able to pose as Gallic fashion influenced Germans for our Germania games.

I'm going for the basic Southern Briton Infantry warband force.  It has a few Cavalry and slingers to give variety, but basically I'll only need a box of Warlord Celtic Warriors (40 men but only 20 shields for some weird reason) and a few ebay sprues to add on.

A box of Warlord Celtic Warriors, 40 figures (20 shields but I have lots of spares) courtesy of the North East Model centre, gives me the two groups of Warriors and the levy.  It also provides eight armoured figures.

In an eBay purchase I added three stories of Victrix armoured Gallic warriors, twelve figures, who when added to the other armoured eight, will provide the two groups of Noble Warriors.

Back in Cyprus I have two groups of Gallic Cavalry, but they are armoured nobles, so I may go for Warlord cavalry but I'm leaving that decision until these foot are painted.  Given of course that our campaign Game is set in Germania these Britons will pretend to be hairy Germans

For add on options I will throw in some chariots to mount the nobles, at three points this seems a good deal.  I'm also considering a small group of fanatics lead by a level one nut job, just to distract, and possibly a dyke, although twelve points seems steep.

A work in progress then.

Coastal Forces, Pride of Seaburn.

 Around the Outer Gabbard

The Pride of Seaburn!

Mission Card Two

Around the Outer Gabbard

Good Morning Lieutenant

The mission is a patrol out to the swept channel to the south of the Cork Sand, and Inner Gabbard, beyond to the Outer Gabbard, proceeding onward to Lowestoft and HMS Mantis.  If any enemy are encountered follow your standing orders.

1.  No encounter

2.  Downed pilot drifting

3.  Weather change

4.  RAF Rescue Launch

5.  Single S-boat

6.  German Submarine with rudder damage, and German aircraft.

A simple scenario linker for grouping coastal forces games.  A chart of Patrol areas linked to Six mission briefing cards.  Keeping it simple seems like a good idea. 

My back of a postcard rules, so far... Work in Progress.
1 inch = 5 knots Weapons roll multiple d6 spotting within 12".  Vessels moving half speed heard, and bearing detected at 36" Vessels firing or planing at full speed with a plume are visible.	Two sixes are a critical hit, roll 2d6 2.  Life belts,  3.  Raft 3.  Command,  4.  Waterline hull,  5.   A weapons point 6.   Rudder,  7.   Props,  8.   Engines 9.   Wireless Transmitter 10. Aldis lamp 11. Command 12. Fuel fire
To Hit dice      5 or 6. Machine gun  1d6 HMG              2d6 20mm             3d6 4cm/2pdr        4d6 Over 12"        6 needed for hit. Within 3"       4,5,6 hits
Damage dice 1  Through the woodwork 2  Into the upper hull 3  Sheer off 4  Sheer off 5. Hit 6. Hit	Captain`s Character 6  Inspirational Hero 6 Crew points 5  Bold Brass Balls 5 Crew points 4  Solid and Dependable 3  Sound Chap. 3 Crew Points 2  Wobbly and Losing it 2 crew points. 1  Pretty Piss Poor.  1 Crew Point.

HM Armed Trawler Pride of Seaburn

My Captain is Lt Johnny Stiff-Rodde, a sound chap.  As crew he has a skilled Coxswain, P/O William Allcock (+1) and an exceptional Gunner (+1) Leading Seaman Wankum.

The Patrol

Pride of Seaham is conducting a patrol out to the Broad Fourteens.  Primarily an AS mission the boat is also under orders to look out for downed aircrew 

1.  The Swept Channel

The vessel enters the swept channel and rolls 1.  No encounter.

2.  The Cork Sand 

Pride steams around the southern edge of the Sand.  

An on-board event, Able Seaman Norman Wisdom injured in slapstick fall from the 2pdr mount.

A single S-boat.  One of my scratch builds.

Pride drops a 2pdr across the enemy

But it's a poor hit.

My MTB escort closes up on the Trawler but they are too far back.

But the Germans put a fish into the side of Pride before running.  It's the second minesweeper I've lost!