This would be another one of our games with a difference. The Allied objective is to make it to the other side of the table & safety. The Chinese objective was to stop them. So simply legging across the table? No, of course not. The Allied 'withdrawl' must be an 'efficient & well thought out affair' with typical a Victorian attitude...
The Allied Army starts out holding the northern village, this they must hold for the first 6 turns then move onto the bridge, turns 7-12 & then onto the southern village, turns 13-16, finally exiting every unit off the map. The Allied player receives Victory points for holding these objectives. The Chinese player(s) would just have to prevent this, by taking an objective from the Allies OR destroy some Allied units. Obviously no points for an objective after the alloted Victory point time expires. We'll take it there's lots of Allied wounded & refugees making the way down the road, hence the orderley withdrawl. The visible Allied units being the combatants.
Jack would be the devious Chinese Imperial Armies, bloodthirsty Amy the Boxers & yours truly, the heroic Allies. The Chinese Imperials consisted of Cavalry, Mongol Light Horse, Kansu Braves Rifles, Tigermen Psiloi, Pike & an Artillery element - about 13 bases. The Boxers... Well Amy started with a few & EVERY turn was allowed an extra 1-6 reinforcements - no limit either! Talk about motivation to get moving across the board! The Major Powers had 11 elements including Artillery & an Machine Gun. German Light Horse & US Cavalry would hold the Road, they would be the boundary of the REST of the Allied Army. To qualify for the Victory points, one Allied element had to be at that location, this ruled out the US Cavalry for the majority of the game as they held the Exit point.
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The initial set-up & planned movement.
_______________________________The Northern Village
_______________________________The German Seebattalion would face the brunt of the Boxer attacks.
_______________________________The goal of the Major Powers Army.
_______________________________Dandy Chinese style Bridge.
_______________________________Oh Oh... Here comes the nasty Imperial Army.
_______________________________The German East Asia Brigade Light Horse, dashes ahead & relieves the French Marines.
_______________________________BOOM! Imperial Chinese Cannons take pot shots at the Royal Marines.
_______________________________Rat-atat-tat... The HMG takes out some Boxers.
_______________________________Chinamen everywhere!!
_______________________________Advance elements of the Imperial Army head for the wheatfields.
_______________________________Jacks Imperials stay out of range of the British Guns...
_______________________________The French Marines dash to hold the perimeter.
_______________________________Good PiPs & the Allies can get the Artillery across the River.
_______________________________Sneaky Amy puts the Boxer Jagers on the flank, they would take pot shots at the Germans.
_______________________________The Germans earn their pay.
_______________________________Jack threatens the flank with the Imperial Cavalry, but would he charge?
_______________________________The Chinese Imperials cross the river & head for the South Village.
_______________________________Boxers everywhere chanting away....... But PiPs eleude Amy.
_______________________________The Royal Marines are sent to reinforce the flank.
_______________________________With more units crossing the River, the German Light Horse are free to help ze French.
_______________________________First objective held, it's time to move on.....
_______________________________Those Germans better start moving... PiPs would be a nightmare for all Generals!!!!
_______________________________More Boxers fall to German firepower, now to withdraw.
_______________________________The British Artillery gets ready to cover the withdrawl.
_______________________________Nice overview of the Northern Village.
_______________________________Sacre Bleu! The French Marines get a shock from the Kansu Braves.....
_______________________________Admiral Seymour orders the Navy Lads, 'Give em a volley!'.....
_______________________________The German SeeBattalion is finally moving, now to get across the River.
_______________________________The HMG is across the River, a decent perimeter is set up.
_______________________________The Germans are scrapping all the way to the Bridge.
_______________________________The Kansu Braves are knocked back due to Allied firepower.
_______________________________Overview at his point, nearly halfway. Jack & Amy are screaming for decent PiP rolls!!!!!
_______________________________Some of the German are on the Bridge, the British would form the rearguard....Of Course!!!
_______________________________Nice view from the south looking north, action everywhere.
_______________________________Boxers charge into the British, Jack falters & just advances, he doesn't charge in.... A mistake?
_______________________________Rock Hard! The Royal Marines fight off the Boxer Hordes.
_______________________________It's going well for the Allies.......
_______________________________......but just when you least expect it. A lone Boxer element charges in & hacks the Germans to bits..... SHA! SHA! SHA! - The horrors are 'whooping' out loud.
_______________________________The British Naval Detachment manages to fight off the Boxers.
_______________________________Chinese Imperials race towards the Southern Village.
_______________________________'Come on guys!' The view from the US Cavalry on the Road Exit.
_______________________________'HA!' The French & Germans manage to gang up on the Kansu Braves....
_______________________________......but Brave by name Brave by nature & fight off the Foreign Devils.
_______________________________The Allies are moving through the village, the Chinese are so close......
_______________________________The Boxers advance through the Northern Village.
_______________________________The French Marines are in a mighty scrap, would Jack charge in the Tigermen?
_______________________________The Boxer Cannon gets into action.
_______________________________Now the Kansu Braves give the French a pounding!
_______________________________'GET THAT MACHINE GUN SET UP!!'
_______________________________Finally the Light Horse get back into position
_______________________________The Germans occupy a Village building & their firepower sends the Tigermen fleeing....
_______________________________The Enemy is at the Gates!!!
_______________________________The Boxer Jagers head for the River.
_______________________________The Germans turn their fire on the Kansu Braves.
_______________________________It's a tough scrap for the French, The Artillery takes an eternity moving.....
_______________________________Admiral Seymour takes charge of the French & Finally the Kansu Braves go down!
_______________________________Time for a Cavalry charge! Huzzah!!!!
_______________________________Typical!!!! Back they go.....
_______________________________Combined firepower sends the Kansu Braves back....
_______________________________Super PiPs!!!! Let's get moving....
_______________________________Part of the French Marines withdraw.
_______________________________RaHoooooo!!! Allied Units exit the board. The US Cavalry can now move.
Jack comments cynically 'Should the Colours be leaving the battle???'
_______________________________The Horrors can't believe it! Shocking PiPS.......
_______________________________The Royal Marines are the Rearguard!!!!!
_______________________________Hordes of Screaming Chinamen!!!!!!!
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_______________________________Nearly there!!!!
_______________________________The East Asia Brigade bring up the rear.....
_______________________________HEROIC Allied Soldiers.... (I ignore the taunts of Jack & Amy to stand and fight)
_______________________________The Chinese Hordes finally cross the River.......
_______________________________The Allied force escapes.... But it was close, very close.
_______________________________Last view looking North.
_______________________________Superb! What a laugh, Jack & Amy are grumbling, but that was very close. I think both French Marine elements were on their last recoil. Shocking PiPs for the Boxers helped the Allied withdrawl. The Allied withdraw covered the necessary turns for Victory.
The game went better than we thought, we did agree that maybe a couple of extra Generals (PiP rolls!) would have made the game quicker - with a possible different result??? Who knows... Next Time - The last Boxer Game, a stand up fight between the Chinese & the Allies.
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