Boxer Rebellion Game 01 March 2009 (Pics heavy)

[Helen]

Hi Folks,

Today my friends an I had a Boxer Rebellion game around the Siege of the Legations.

Based around 55 Minutes at Peking (Wargames Illustrated No 27) and using the Sword in the Flames rule set, there were eight players representing different countries and all told three Chinese and Boxer players. Drew acted as umpire for the game, which was a good thing.  If you have played with this rule set you know how much fun you can have.

Each player received their own briefing with their command, starting point,objective, additional information and Victory conditions.

My command was the Austrians, in which I'd four officers, 12 marines plus a maxim (should be a Skoda M93) with three crew. You start with an initial allocation for both small arms and heavy weapon ammo. I'd one of each. Ammo is expended whether you fire one rifle or all in a phase.

Skoda M93 Photo:

http://forum.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/title/RUM-Mitrailleuse-M1893/t/12245

History (origin)

http://www.sunblest.net/gun/Skoda.htm

The object of each legation is to win the game by earning enough points to do so an at the same time appear to assist other nations with support.

To start the game rolling all nations have a conference and vote for a leader for that turn. This leader is the boss and he or she allocates resources and manpower where needed. Now of course a country can refuse to carry out that directive an in doing so loses victory points. Also, each country receives six cards which have a variety of functions that are needed to survive as a matter of course. For example, if you have a fire started at your legation, you need a water card an a coolie card for the coolies to extinguished the fire if you are lucky on the dice. If you don't have a coolie card then you must use your own troops. Failure to extinguished the fire means that the fire strengthens and is more difficult as a result. If the fire increases in strength then your legation burns and you must depart and lose victory points.

You need a food card to maintain your combat values or they are reduced. You need to have ammo cards or barter with other countries to increase your stockpile of ammo before the hordes of Chinese or Boxers hits your legations or when events are critical and hopefully someone will asssit you.

So now you get the idea of appeasing others and hopefully surviving long enough to maybe win.

The Chinese wins if they either take the British legation that has the sweet water and also the hospital next door which all  the wounded are deposited and operated on by two doctors. One American an one Russian. Oh, you need a medical card and a coolie card to get your wounded to the hospital. No coolie card means you must use your own men which means less defence for your legation.
If the Chinese and Boxers do take over the legation then you must try and take it back quickly as you need to have water. Failure means doom for all.

The Chinese and Boxers also win by wiping out all the foreigners in the legations. Chinese Imperial and Boxers are very deadly in hand to hand even when you are defending over the walls or from inside a building. Usually they win all draws in combat. The tigermen are the deadliest as they are impervious to wounds an only die if the umpire draws a hearts card.

Okay I've prattled on for too long. The Chinese and Boxers won at the end of the day with the taking of the British Legations. No one lost their own barring the British but mine, the Italians and the French would have lost theirs in the next turn or two.

Overall, not having played this scenario I really enjoyed it and so did the rest of the guys. You can really set the scene with arguments with who gets what etc..

The other lady played the Germans and did a great job.

It's late and I need to go to bed, however please enjoy some photos.

[Ray Rivers]

 

What a wonderful looking game!

If I ever have to relocate again in my life... I'll be headed for Australia.

[Geudens]

Very nice, Helen!  I didn't know you were into colonials as well!

Rudi

[Plynkes]

Glad you got to be the Austrian Navy, Helen. I figured you'd pick them if given the choice.

[postal]

very nice helen I love seeing stuff on the boxer rebellion,I only saw a one pic of my fellow marines but I think I spotted dan daily.It look like one hell of a game I enjoy all the pics .

[Helen]

Hi Guys,

Thankyou to everyone for your lovely comments. If I'd more memory for my camera I'd have taken more photos. So I'd to delete some to capture the right feel as and when the situation changed (I might add for the worst). Note to self, purchase more memory!

Rudi, I love colonials and there are a couple of areas of interest that I very much want to do at some stage if at all possible. Now that I can paint to an acceptable standard I might try the Empress Miniatures Zulu range towards the end of the year. Boxer Rebellion is my other favourite and that really needs to be very good quality figures.

My friends have enough of the core armies for me to collect some units just to add variety.

I painted up the Redoubt International gun and crew for Drew an on the last turn for the day the US Ambassador picked out of the hat (event card for that turn)the International gun with three rounds of ammo (the British, French and US had to surrender one figure to man the gun). This gun could then be placed where needed most. Each time the gun is fired you throw a D20 an on a 20 the barrel explodes. I'd like to highlight this event as the Internation gun fired three rounds of ammo on the tigermen in the Britsh Legation an inflicted a number of casualties, however it was not enough even with the brave defenders (Japanese, British, Russians,US) to stop the wave of opium driven craze tigermen in inflicting total ruin on the defenders.

Dylan, the Austrians beat off two attacks an on the third the Japanese ran away leaving some defenceless areas where they came in. Luckily, I had some support from the Germans for two areas of the defences and they didn't run. Oh, I'd one Austrian with the Italian legation (one other was killed there), the 3 man machine gun on the second story of the Japanese legation providing fire support to the French and Japanese defences an one Austrian supporting the charge to take back the British legation.

Postal, The US legation was still holding out against the Chinese Imperials as they had just beaten back a charge. The US colt machine gun was in the French Legations second story providing fire support to the Austrian Legation. They just manage to inflict some casualties on the Tigermen.

Helen

[twrchtrwyth]

Great looking game.

[Bullshott]

Great looking game. Reminds me of the '55 Minutes at Peking' game that did the rounds of the UK conventions many years ago.

What I love about this period is that it allows you to collect small forces from all the 'European' powers that mattered (i.e. including the US and Japan), so that after you have finished playing with Boxers you have the excuse to come up with scenarios to pit your different European foeces against each other. Hmmm ...maybe thats how I ended up doing VSF

[meninobesta]

the games looks great!

Helen: I really enjoyed reading the hint you gave about the rules you've used to create the relations between the european powers players. I've been googling a little bit about the "The Sword and the flame" ruleset but unfortunatelly it's something of an old game, do you know where I can find this book (specially in europe).

I got the feeling that the players needed to "help" each other to stay alive and had to make some arrangements of convenience in order to get their objectives done, This looks like extra fun for the game and though choices to be made! really loved the idea 

[DFlynSqrl]

Great looking game there.  Looks like fun.

[Hitman]

I must admit, I don't know anything about this era or war, but you look like you had a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing!!

[Helen]

the games looks great!

Helen: I really enjoyed reading the hint you gave about the rules you've used to create the relations between the european powers players. I've been googling a little bit about the "The Sword and the flame" ruleset but unfortunatelly it's something of an old game, do you know where I can find this book (specially in europe).

I got the feeling that the players needed to "help" each other to stay alive and had to make some arrangements of convenience in order to get their objectives done, This looks like extra fun for the game and though choices to be made! really loved the idea 

Hi Pedro,

Thankyou very much for your lovely comments.

Firstly, I'm not sure where in Europe you can buy the Sword in the Flame Rules from. I've Gerry at castaways Arts here in Australia who is the bearer of the rules and supplements. If you can't seem to locate a source in Europe please PM me an I'll see what can be arranged. You will also need the supplement that covers the International forces, Chinese and Boxers. This supplement also covers other areas too.

Secondly, you will need to get Wargames Illustrated No 27 which holds the scenario with all the extras like; Resource Cards, Special Event, Command Event cards and Special Events Cards etc. It has the allied briefings an other important information.

Player briefings an Objectives are for the following:
American, Russian, British, French, Japanese, Armed Civilians, Italians an Austro-Hungarians.

The scenario used was adjusted to meet the requirements of the umpire and so too for the strengths of the forces. In some cases these were actually increased to fit in with the rules.

The scenario also comes with a diagram of the legations and surroundings if you are interested in making this model yourself, but also good for briefings with the other legations when it comes time to haggle.

I hope this helps you.

Chow,

Helen

[leadfool]

This looks great.  Thanks for sharing.   This gives me an idea of what to do with all the odd lot colonials I have been painting.  But since I don't have an Chinese painted, I could put the legation in Africa, or maybe on Venus, wait I think I am in the wrong forum section.

[artshiraz]

Ah Helen

those pictures look like you all had fun. It sure is a very interesting period and while looking at those pictures I suddenly heard the movie theme from "55 Days" in my head ** It sure helps if you have the movie at home and if it is a favorite as well (though I'm no fan of Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner).

.. about the "The Sword and the flame" ruleset but unfortunatelly it's something of an old game, do you know where I can find this book (specially in europe).

@meninobesta  Hey my friend. You might head over to Sergeants 3, the official Site of the Brom Family (Larry Brom is the Author of the rules). You pay through Paypal without a problem. I got my rules from there just a couple of months ago and I too live in Europe ;-)
As for WI 27, you get that one on the CD2 available from the Wargamesillustrated.net Website

@all You might all have alook at those rules. TSATF is a fun set.

[meninobesta]

Thanks so much for the help! 

I think I'll try to get first the Wargames Illustrated, and see If I can figure the mechanism out! if not then I'll try to get the rules system!