The League of Ignatieff Imitators presents-"Lawyer, Guns and Money"

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While we all wait for Ignatieff to post his latest account of the League's adventures, here's a report on an Ignatieff/League inspired game:

"Lawyer, Guns, and Money"
 
192?  Somewhere on the Black Sea is a small British treaty port of Batumi (Picked it up in the Crimean war settlement I suppose-some say it involved a side deal between Harry Flashman and a certain "Count" Ignatieff). Formerly a hotbed of intrigue, espionage and illicit trade in women, pharmaceuticals, and armaments, it has been cleaned up in the last few months by the arrival of an incorruptible British major, C. Stribling Snodgrass III.  He is backed by his trusted son-in-law, Lt Rodney "Binky" Smythe-Smythe and the rifles of what smattering of the Indian army he could muster. Quickly declaring himself "the new sheriff in town" he cleaned things up quickly and efficiently.  All the illegal traders are gone, and all that remains is one Chinese import-export firm and some dodgy looking Arabs who may still be involved in something illegal..  In fact, Batumi has been an isle of calm in the rough seas of all the unpleasantness of the Russian Revolution.
 
But now Batumi is faced with forces beyond our comprehension…..

Just another quiet day in Batumi for the British garrison.  The crumbling wall represents the line between "British Interests" and the "Native Quarter"





BRITISH BRIEFING
 You are Major C. Stribling Snodgrass III and you've made this a very comfy job, given all the global turmoil in 192?  Things have been very peaceful of late in Batuni.  Crime is nearly non-existent.  But lately you have noticed that the Chinese firm seems to have taken on extra security in the last few days in the form of some well-dressed Americans sporting Tommy Guns.  As the Yankees have minded their own business, you have had no cause to bring in them, nor the new longshoremen that the Chinese have hired.  Strange though that the Chinese would hire men with such disgusting "Noo-Yawk" accents. In fact, it’s been a bit too quiet for some time now.  A little action would be welcome.
 
Your mission is as follows:
 
1) Continue to disrupt the flow of illegal arms by maintaining your control of the port.
2) Bandit though he may be, the Mad Baron is still, in the judgment of the Viceroy in India, the best bulwark against the Whites.  Make sure he lives and his force remains viable.
3) 18 months ago, F. Lee Bailey, noted attorney and spy was sent to Tashkent to ascertain what was going on there.  After no word for a year, intelligence started coming in.  The last coded message (smuggled via camel caravan and given to you personally by a grinning tribesman demanding payment) indicated that things had gotten too hot for Bailey and that he was attempting to cross the border and make his way to you.  As you remember him fondly from your days together at Eton, you will keep an eye out for him in whatever guise he has employed.
4) Make sure you have a dazzling story for that reporter you expecting from the Times next week.  The Foreign Office does read the papers, and you want to look good.

 
 Britain is at war with no one at this time, but (well, maybe some tribe in Africa, honestly, who can keep up with ALL the news these days?), as always in this region, HMG's policy is "finger on the trigger, safety catch off"


 
AMERICAN BRIEFING
 
Aboard the USS "Omerta", Lt. Johnny "The Knife" Canarsie of the USMC glances nervously at the port.  He hopes that they have not received the wireless message from the US Embassy in Delhi that he and his ship have been reported as "missing". And hopefully no one has connected the dots and noticed the missing crate, nor the missing Chinese Nationals.  For aboard the Omerta, Lt. Mariucci has a purloined FT-17, as well as two Chinese that have been trained to operate it.  His mission is to deliver it to the port, collect from the Chinese, and then turn the money around and purchase the poppy crop that the local Basmachi will be bringing in.  Success in this mission means that he can leave the service of Uncle Sam and rejoin the family business of Uncle Vito, who was kind enough to provide an advance guard in the form of "security" forces and longshoremen for the Chinese. Uncle Vito has promised not only to ensure an early honorable discharge from the service of Uncle Sam, but he promised to buy the kid his own US Senator too.  
 
Mission as follows:
 
1) Trade tank for warlord cash.
2) Trade cash for poppy crop, and make your escape via the Omerta.
3) Create a convincing cover story for any collateral damage that may occur as Uncle Vito will need something to print in the newspapers that he owns.
4) Uncle Vito considers the Chinese a promising long term ally.  Do all you can to assist them in their endeavors.
5) Even you know Communism is bad for business.  Feel free to show the Reds how "the family" deals with bad businessmen.

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CHINESE BRIEFING
 
Meanwhile, Li-Ho-Fook has scrounged together a force at the behest of his warlord and has set off to make the purchase of the FT-17.  The warlord is quite certain that having and FT-17 will serve as proper deterrence to those saber rattling Reds across the river that have been coveting his province as well as the White "Baron" who seems to be taking up residence in Mongolia.  Though he is quite nervous about all cash he is carrying, he is anxious to serve his warlord. His mission is a follows:
 
1) Dump that load of cash on the Americans and get the tank ASAP.
2) Your warlord has made apparent to you his hatred of the Russians, be they self-proclaimed White or Red.  No matter what they call themselves, they are still vodka swilling coveters of your province.  Feel free to kill as many as you can.
3) Your warlord is anxious for export opportunities to the United States.  Assist the Honorable Mr. Canarsie in his endeavors.

One-Arm Sutton sets up the mortar crew in what he hopes will be a good spot.




Red Russian briefing:
Tomas Stolyenovich (or "Tommie the Commie" as he is known in British intelligence services) is hungry for glory.  Formerly an altar boy at the Church of St. John the Confused in the port of Batummi, he is uniquely positioned to take this port before it becomes a thorn in the side of the advancing Bolshevik tide. Officially he is on a scouting mission whose ultimate goal is find the Imperialist British Spy F. Lee Bailey, who is rumored to have fled Tashkent just ahead of the Cheka.  But he has managed to gather enough troops to make this "patrol" into a full-fledged "expedition", including a detachment of Cheka that will do unspeakable things to Bailey when the find him.  And they will.
 
Mission as follows:
 
1) Find the spy Bailey so that he can be returned to Moscow for a trial.  Or shoot him dead if he resists.
2) Persuade the British that you need access to the city, be it through subterfuge (We are just looking for our lost dog, honest guv!") or full blown international incident involving any and all means of gunfire, bayonets  or puppet allies, etc and secure the port facilities as they will be need to resupply the Red Army when they arrive to congratulate you.
3) The noted White Bandit Lunatic, The Mad Baron, is rumored to be in the area on his honeymoon.  He (or his body) would look nice in a cage next to Bailey on the return trip to Moscow.  Wiping out he and his band would gain you further status in the eyes of Comrade Lenin.
4) You have an ally in Enver Pasha, though you question his commitment to the cause.  Ascertain his viability as an ally, but feel free to use him if you wish.  Perhaps he has use in goal #2 above. ("Honest guv, we're only invading your town cause we are on a peace keeping mission-need help with those Muslims do ya?")

Red Rita urges the Siberian rifles forward


 

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TURKISH BRIEFING
 
Enver Pasha has taken the Russian guns and money, but not their ideology. Accompanied by a small band of Turks, he is attempting to rally the Muslim tribes of Central Asia to his banner.  First thing on the list-the Church of St. John the Confused in the port of Batumi is rumored to hold the famous "Arthur Koran", which contains proof that the legendary King Arthur converted to Islam while being held captive during the Crusades.  You hope to use this to assert your rightful claim as ruler of the United Kingdom!   By doing so you will do what others before you, including you friend the Kaiser, have failed to do-Ignite Jihad against the western world and evict the non-believers from your land.
 
Mission as follows:
 
1) Obtain the "Arthur Koran".  By doing so, all tribesmen on the table are subject you and your orders.
2) Sooner or later, you need to let those Reds know that you have no use for them.  Feel free to stab them dramatically in the back at the opportune moment.
3) Provide security for the Emir of Bhakaristan on his "pilgrimage"

Enver's cavalry

Enver's Cavalry



 Bhakarsistan Briefing:
 
You are the Emir of Bhakarsistan, and you have found a new bidder for this season's poppy crop.  The Americans are willing to pay an outrageous price for it.  Who are you to question the will of Allah?  For some reason that scoundrel Enver Pasha is accompanying you.  While you are sure that the "Arthur Koran" is just some tale made up by some harem girl to amuse a sultan many years ago, the Turk does bring experienced soldiers that provide vital extra security for your precious crop as you are long way from home.
 
1) Sell poppy crop to highest bidder.  For now, that would seem to be the American devils.
2) Maintain cordial relations with Enver Pasha.

The Emir(lone figure in the middle of the picture) exorts his troops


 
 The Baron’s Briefing:

 About a month ago one of your shamans told you that you must marry a Mongolian woman, and soon.  Being as Genghis Khan reincarnated, The Mongolian God of War, conqueror of Urga, liberator of the Bogd Khan etc etc, you wouldn't settle for just any Mongolian woman.  You went out and found yourself a princess.  And what a 'princess" she has turned out to be.  Two weeks into the marriage, and she is already nagging you to take her to see the Black Sea and playing the "You never take many anywhere" card.  Perhaps this is an opportunity, or maybe this is what the gods had in mind when they revealed to the shamans the need for your marriage. Regardless you see this as a chance to smoke out those cowardly Red bastards, as well as pay a visit to your British friends.  And the shamans have been muttering about some huge business deal that is going down in the area of Batumi.  Perhaps this is chance to line your coffers?

1)   Escort the princess to the shores of the Black Sea.
2)   As always, kill any of the Red defilers of Mother Russia that you may encounter.
3)   Loot Loot Loot-the signs and portents indicate that money, drugs and arms are in motion.  Acquire all that you can.
4)   Its getting crowded in Mongolia-China seems to be the next logical step.  Feel free to turn the wheel of karma on any Chinese that you may encounter, and feel free to make up a story to cover their deaths.
 
The Baron's Forces

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The Baron kicks off the fighting by riding over and through some poor Chinese farmers so that he can attack the Chinese cavalry



And the ensuing melee sweeps into the Chinese column, with Red joing in the fray



Meanwhile, the USS "Omerta" slides into the dock  (Apologies for the bad picture, our prior photographer had to go into work on a Saturday, something about a server going down-wew hope to have him back for subsequent games)




About that time, the Emir launches his surprise attack, and the aforementioned "dodgy Arabs" emerge from a building and open fire on the Ghurkas






The British respond with a direct hit from the mountain gun

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In the meantime, the Baron's assualt on the Chinese and Reds continues.  He sent the Tibetans into the farm and ordered the cadets up the hill to take out a sniper and then the mortar:



And the his cavalry continued to hammer the Chinese column:



The cadets  make it up the hill and eliminate the sniper:





Only to be counterattacked by the Dare to Die fanatics



Followedby a human wave of peasants and students.  Hopelessly outnumbered, the cadets surendered and were slaughtered per the "Table of Terror"



Meanwhile, the Tibetans solidified their hold on the farm



And the British campaign of "urban renewal" continued

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The Baron also tried to sneak an ambulance full of Japanese towards the Reds, but a hail of Bhakarsistani jezzail fire put a quick end to that



There were no survivors.

Back in the port, Johnnie Canarsie and his now self proclaimed "agricultural mission" load up their "tractor" and attempt to get through customs:



They also managed to bribe the cropduster and got here to attempt to drop a message to the Chinese at the other end of the table.  The Baron's crew put an abrupt end to her flight, but she managed to bail out.  


Here we see Pasha Pasha, Turkish 2IC, attempting to get her to surrender:




She refused, was later captured by Red Rita and the Siberian Rifles, and then met an early demise when the Baron shelled the Siberians. (Note the coffins in the lower right corner-whoever opened them had to roll to see if they contained victims of the Spanish influenza-Pasha Pash did, but managed to escape the flu)

About this time, Tommie the Commie was finally able to get the "Really Red" Baron onto the table



And get his Red Sailors landed outside the "Native Quarter"

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All the while, the Turks had been cautiously advancing through the hills in an effort to link up with the Red sailors



And set up their machine guns to cover their advance

 

Enver Pasha (red fez) and the Bharhsistanis cook up a wild plot involving a drugged prisoner and truckload of explosive



Back on the other end of the table, the Tibetans find that their matchlocks are VERY ineffective vs. the Red air power



And the Turkish suicide bomber attack hits the outskirts of Batumi



And the Sikhs check the ID's of the Americans.  As thier papers were obviously faked, the Americans were gunned down

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The high point of the Turko-Red-Bhakarsistani attack-one Red sailor makes it to the stairs.  The suicide truck can be seen burning in the background, another victim of the British artillery:



Near the end, the Americans decided that they were tired of the wait in customs and decided to pull the cover off their "tractor" and escalate to "full blown international crisis" and open fire on the British.



Meanwhile, the Turks continued to search for Bailey, this time catching Sam the Butcher in their net



GAMEMASTERS NOTES
 
1) F. Lee Bailey is (duh!) in disguise as a member of the Cheka.   He will bolt for British lines as the appropriate time.
2) The "Arthur Koran" really IS a tale made up by some harem girl to placate a Sultan.  Seems she was saving herself for Harry Flashman that night

[Ignatieff]

Brilliant!  Great story, great characterisation (Der Baron with a nagging wife is genius) and a fabulous game. Hats off!  Huzzah!!!

[H.M.Stanley]

Fabulous. Just fabulous .. 

[Totleben]

Epic setting. 

[area23]

Woohoo! Nice!

[John Grant]

We really need a lot more terrain if we are to emulate this fantastic adventure.

Really rather splendid!

John

[OSHIROmodels]

We really need a lot more terrain if we are to emulate this fantastic adventure.

You know where to come John 

(Let me know about the wheel 'spokes' as well)

cheers

James

[H.M.Stanley]

You know where to come John 

(Let me know about the wheel 'spokes' as well)

cheers

James

[pricks ears up!!]