DBA Boxer Reb.2 - 'Relief at Lofa Station'

Game 2 of our Boxer Rebellion campaign. Admiral Seymour has left a small garrison at Lofa Station. However the train journey is cut short. After some minor scuffles the way to Peking is blocked. Instead the Expedition sets off on foot to Peking & a detachment is sent to Lofa Station, after reports that a Boxer attack is imminent on the tiny garrison left holding it.

Game objectives, the Allied player (Jack) must try & ‘rescue’ the two elements stranded in Lofa Station, destroy the two Boxer Cannons deployed against them, destroy the two Boxer camps & capture the River Ford. The Boxer player should try to thwart the Allies without loosing too much of the Boxer Army.

Again the Boxers would have a much higher breakpoint than normal. Most of the Boxers would be deployed on the table. However some would be ‘hidden’ waiting to ambush ‘The Foreign Devils!’

Battlefield Overview

Lofa Station, British Naval detachment hold up in the buildings.

Straight down the Road! Would it be that simple?
One of the Boxer cannons is ready to give the Allies a warm welcome

Boxer Cannon up close

Good Pips for Jack & his Allied troops advance

BOOM! The Boxer attack begins. The Red Lanterns advance...
But rapid firepower sends some of the Crazy Chinese Ladies fleeing from the battle!!


Well spotted! Royal Marines Jagers spy the waiting Boxers!


Another Big Boom & this time it’s the Royal Marines legging it…


The stout Russians advance into the Cannon fire, but recoil back.


BANG! CRASH! WALLOP! The meagre building can only take so much,
down it comes & the British Sailors have to fall back.

Jack is persistent, on go the Russians till they reach Rifle range
& have a shoot out with the Boxer Cannon.


Back go the Boxers!


Boxers Sniping pushes back the Germans


Battlefield Overview, poor PiPs & it’s a struggle to move for both sides.


mmmmmmmmm BOOM!! Another building is blasted away!


The Germans respond with ferocious Rifle fire &
the Boxer Jagers recoil into the deep forest never to be seen again!!!


The Boxer Cannon is still firing & causing trouble.

Reinforcements, here come the French & American Marines!! HooRAR!

The Germans & Russians dig deep

SHA! SHA! SHA! In go the Boxers, they may be trouble ahead…..


GGrrrrrr!! Down go the Germans, but the Russians stand firm.

The Punjab Frontier force race to the rescue & plug the gap.
Meanwhile the Russians have ‘bayonet charged’ the Boxer Cannon.

(TETRIS theme playing).....

LA LAAAA LALALA LALA LAAA!! Go Russia!!

At Lofa Station, in go the Boxers!

Some Boxers fall to British Rifle fire.

HA!!! It’s time to commit more hidden Boxers!!

It’s Sikh versus Boxer……

…..NO, it’s close but the Sikhs win!!!!

The Allies are slowly forcing their way to Lofa Station.

God PiPs for Jack & the Navy Boys at Lofa Station go on the attack.

One Sikh detachment versus 4 Boxer Fanatics……

Boxers are cut down by precise Rifle fire.

RaHoo! The Sikh’s are masters of close quarter fighting too.
AAaaaargh… The Boxer force are slowly being cut down.

SHA! SHA! SHA! The Boxers cut down some of the Navy boys at Lofa Station


Jack sends the Sikh’s to Lofa & he uses the combined Marines to mop up.

But with ruthless efficiency he turns the Sikh's &
takes out the last Boxer attacker.


Oh dear! With that the Boxer General orders a retreat….


So close… The Boxers manage to hold the Ford, a Camp & retain a Cannon.
A hasty defence of the river is set up.


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Although the casualties are high for the Boxers, that was very close. A couple of the hand to hand combats could of gone the Boxers way and….well it may have been a very different result. We’ll put that one down as a Marginal victory to the Allies. But I’m proud of the Boxer Mob, they’ve nearly pulled of a surprise win. That was a better game, much closer & a bit of tension crept in on some of those combats.

‘The Boxer General nods in satisfaction, he knows that the next encounter with the Foreign Devils will include the Boxers & the Imperial Chinese Army!! HA HA HAAA…” .

DBA Boxer Reb.1 - 'Skirmish on the Rails'

'Skirmish on the Rails', first in a series of battles based on the Boxer Rebellion. Taken straight from the smashing 'Colonial Campaigns Boxer Rebellion' by Mark Fastoso. So good in fact, that next week at the Vapnartak 2009 show at York,

http://www.yorkwargames.org/vapnartak.htm

I'll be buying the rest in the series!

So! Here we go, It's China June 1900, the Boxer Rebellion is in full swing, the Foreign Legations in Peking are under siege. A multi national relief force under Admiral Seymour sets off on a few trains for Peking. After a few calm days, as they near Langfang Station, the railway tracks have been ripped up. A repair party with escort is sent to repair the damage. However Boxers shadowing the train have other ideas & an ambush is set.

Right, conversion into our 'world' of DBA. The Allied Army is set-up either side of a train (pinched from Jacks 'N' gauge set). One force consisting of Marines, Sailors & a Repair Crew are tasked with advancing up the railway. The train will wait & then advance 100 paces per turn up the track. A the front of the train is a machine gun, ready for some Boxer 'mowing'. The rest of the Army consists of US, Russian, German & French troops. The Train must be protected at all times! If a Boxer element comes within touching distance, then 'KaaBOOOM', gone is the train.

Boxer Forces consist of 6 groups of 4 elements. Three groups will be set-up on the table, the others will remain hidden until 'activated'. Jack being the Boxers, sketched a simple map & placed the three hidden groups ready for ambush.

Victory for the Allies, would be to get the Rail Repair crew to the scene of the rail damage & keep the Boxers from getting the Train. For the Boxers, reach the Train or inflict casualties (4) on the Allies. Casualties for the Boxers would high, so the Army break point would be set higher, 12 elements. Very high, but we have seen the power of Rifles in our Sudan games, I know how this one will probably go. Allied Jagers & Light Horse would have the ability to 'Spot' hidden units if within 500 paces, for this game & later ones. Any other special rules, we'll make up as we encounter special situations!

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Initial set-up, the Allies would advance up the railway.

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The Allies set for action. Admiral Seymour would command from his Rail coach....

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BOXERS shadowing the Train....

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More BOXERS on the northern end of the field.

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The Repair Party set off.

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Nice view of the field, Boxers emerge from the left centre.....

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Jacks first ambush! BOXERS emerge from the woods at the left of the Train.

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British Marines & Sailors stand ready, the others quick march onwards.

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Overhead view at this point in the battle.

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Superb firepower from the British Sailors.

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French & US Marines get ready for the Boxer attack.

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More casualties for the Boxers!

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Could Jack's troops close the gap?

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Rifles ring out, down go two Boxer elements.

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On the Allies turn, another Boxer casualty.

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The Skirmish in full flight!

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The US Marines get in some target practice...

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In the centre Jack's Boxers are a lot more fortunate.

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After a drawn combat, help from the Naval Detachment is needed.

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More Boxers emerge from the woods, will the Repair Party make it?

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HA! Success for the Boxers, the Royal Marines are overrun.

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Jolly Good, more British firepower....

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It's time for German efficiency.... The Seebattalion are ready to engage.

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The Repair Party is nearly there!!!

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German Rifles ring out, down go more Boxers!!!!

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The last set of Boxers, too late to effect the outcome though.

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The Repair Party arrives & the Boxers fade away.

Victory to the Allies.

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Hardly a surprise, but a good start to the Boxer Campaign. Rifle power is awesome, can't wait to see Rifles versus Rifles though. Well skip the next game from the Book & return with an Allied Assault on the Boxers in the 'Relief of Lofa Station'...... stay tuned!