The League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers presents..The Manchurian Candidate

[Ignatieff]

Three more shots of the game....

The Red wave rolls forward.  Red artillery drops an inch perfect smoke screen in front of the heavy coal bunkers held by dismounted White officer cavalry.  This however forced the Reds into a murderous frontal assault with bomb and bayonet.  As the heavy cover (+2) was held by some of the toughest White troops, the Reds would have to kill them all before taking the position...In the background, Von Stauffenberg's Red Cross convoy hurries through the carnage, pulled by that famous locomotive, 'The Mad Bob Express'.



Meanwhile far to the north, the Reds had managed to bring on their ageing paddle steamer, the Baikal, here manned by Red sailors in captured Royal Navy summer kit (note to self, must buy more red and white figures....).  They of course didnt know that the White ship couldnt move at this time, and couldnt fire its heavy guns, so approached the action cautiously.  



A shot from about Move 12.  Smirnoff's men fought like the hardcore whites they were, dieing where they stood rather than surrender.  Even when the Reds played their 'Rosa Luxembourg Revenge card', and turned Smirnoff's Kazakh irregular cavalry causing mayhem in his rear lines, Smirnoff fought on, like the old wounded Lion he is.  This shot shows him with the very last of his men (and yes, those are British infantry playing dismounted Whites) and his sole remaining support vehicle, fending off wave after wave of Red attacks.  Just prior to this picture being taken, Smirnoff himself threw a double six and emptied two mutinous Kazakh saddles with his pair of pearl handled broom handled Mausers.  The stuff of legend!  Smirnoff suffered multiple wounds during this action, and was eventually forced to be carried from the field to the mound of Temujin, where he and The Beast looted the mound and shared the spoils, which The Beast smuggled off board!  The redoubt is the cracking new piece by 'Architects of War', distributed by Warlord Games, and once again painted in expert and double quick time by Rodge 'Smirnoff' Williams.

[Ignatieff]

The final brief, that of Von Stauffenbergs...

The Manchurian Candidate            Von Stauffenberg’s  Brief

Your brief
Graf Von Stauffenberg is a man of honour, fairness and hatred of all things Bolshevik.  Since the cancer of revolution has spread over old Mother Russia he has taken it upon himself to defend and protect those who still believe in the goodness of the Old Order.
His mission this time is an unusual one: taking freed German and Austrian POW’s by Red Cross train to the safety of allied held Vladivostok.
Having obtained the necessary passes and passports from the Bolsheviks he is now in the home run.  However there are two problems – he is steaming through a war zone and secondly he fears for the loyalty of his charges: there is a worrying amount of Socialist talk amongst the men.

Your objectives:
1.   Get your men through and off the table safely
2.   Deliver the package to Smirnoff (see below)
3.   Give the Reds a bloody nose if you possibly can without compromising objective 1

Forces
Graf Von Stauffenberg: +2 morale general
10 Brandenburg Grenadiers: T2 M2, with bombs, stubborn. 2LMG’s
10 Brandenburg Storm Troopers: T2 M2 ferocious, with bombs. 2 LMG’s
10 Brandenburg riflemen: T3 M3, with bombs.  1 LMG

1 HMG  T3 M3

1 x Field Gun: T3 M3

1 x Flamethrower, T2 M2

3 x 10 German/Austrian POW’s.  Some wounded.  Morale unknown. Unarmed.

You are currently 10 miles south of the main battlefield.  You hear gunfire and head north................

Special Rules
1.   Divisional Activation Roll: At the start of the game, Von Stauffenberg must throw for his Grand Tactical Rating (n.b. this is in addition to his personal +2 rating).  This can range between 0 or +3.  Throw 2 x D6: 2-3 = 0; 4-7 = +1; 8-10= +2; 11-12= +3.  He then adds this to his Divisional Activation Roll, which is made the first time one of his unit cards is drawn from the pack each move. If the Von S’s personal card is first out, he adds an additional +1 to his dice throw. His division is activated on a 3-6 on 1D6, plus whatever modifiers he has, e.g. Von S has a Grand Tactical Rating of +1 and his card is first out that move (another +1).  His division therefore ‘activates’ automatically that move.  An ‘activated’ Division moves and fires as normal.  If however his division fails to activate they may not move, but can fire.  Mounted troops can also counter-charge if attacked.  If Von S is attached to a unit he and it can move as normal, regardless of the throw for the rest of the division.
2.   Divisional and Army Morale: Von Stauffenberg’s Brigade must check morale when casualties (measured in on-board units lost) reach 50%. A throw of 3-6 on 1D6 ensures they fight on.  On reaching 60%, a throw of 4-6 is required to stay on the field.  On reaching 70% a throw of 5-6 is required, as it is for every 10% lost after that. +1 is added to any throw if the majority of the Brigade is in cover.
3.   Bolshevik hatred: Von Stauffenberg and his men have been through many campaigns against the Red Horde.  Most of these have been successful.     However during that time they have developed a deep loathing and hatred of all things Red.  Therefore in the first round of any melee they always add +1 to any dice throw.
4.   Spare Parts: Your old friend Smirnoff has asked that you bring some key spare parts for the coming game.  It looks like firing pins and an starting handle.  You must get them to him as soon as possible

[Ignatieff]

Last shots for the moment.  The Good Doctor has ordered more chemicals and its developing more prints as we speak.....

Here we see that once proud Bolshevik hero, Uncle Yuri Gagarin, shot down - again, this time by a Tibetan Fokker DVII.  Having reached ace status in double quick time, Yuri's record since then has been one of slow decline, as his powers have gradually waned.  He did however successfully escape from behind enemy lines, all the more impressive as he landed in amongst the terrifying (and smelly) Asiatic Cavalry Division of Der Baron!  In the background, Von Stauffenbergs train steams eastwards, with all on board keeping their heads down.  Remarkably neither side fired a shot at it during the game, helped in part by Von S doing likewise. Just behind the train, Der Baron has launched a uncharacteristic half hearted assault, led by poor quality Chinese infantry and Chahar Mongol cavalry.  His best troops held his right flank, fearful of a surprise Red assault from the sea, that in the end never materialised.



A shot from late in the game.  The third train to come on, an unmarked and apprently unmanned train characterised by a hideous smell of dead and decaying flesh...........In the background, the successful Red assault grinds on.  You can see a Red Mk V tank crushing the The Great Redoubt, with the Heavy Machine Heroes having recently fell after a heroic defence, whilst dug in Red artillery on the high ground to the left mops up the few remaining White forces this side of the river.

More, much more as soon as the developed plates arrive!

Thanks for reading so far!!!!

[Hammers]

Christmas has come early. 

[Patrice]

Aaargh, a smell of dead ? Is it an undead train coming ?    Is it the Flying Dutchman Midnight Express ?   

Wonderful.

[redzed]

inspiring

[BaronVonJ]

Gots to find my copy of T&T.
-J

[Ignatieff]

Gots to find my copy of T&T.
-J

Not our house rules then?

[coggon]

Steve,

What version of house rules are you on now-the more I read of your exploits, the more tempted I am.

Allan

[Ignatieff]

Steve,

What version of house rules are you on now-the more I read of your exploits, the more tempted I am.

Allan

5.4.2.1...or something like that, and they're free!

We are just updating the spreadsheets following this game (due in the next few days), which is all you need to know to be honest.  There is a rule set book, which I will update from my Alpine lair over the Christmas holidays......

[Bugsda]

Excellent so far, well worth the wait 

[BaronVonJ]

Ignatieff, what's the difference? Did I shell out money for the bound rules when I could have got them free? Where to find, please?

[Ignatieff]

Ignatieff, what's the difference? Did I shell out money for the bound rules when I could have got them free? Where to find, please?

T & T are fine rules, so no you didnt shell out unecessarily, however we've never used them, having 'evolved' in our own little eccosystem.  Send me you email on a PM and I'll send you what weve got.  Not better than T&T, just different....

[Wirelizard]

Your Chief of Intelligence, Mustafa Ali Bi

I am stealing borrowing this name for future reference. 

Your games always make me green with envy!

[Ignatieff]

Doctor Blackwood has stopped drinking the chemicals and has used them to produce the rest of the pictures  !


This one shows the Reds still battering their heads of the coal bunker complex, but at the same time flanking the rest of the position...what they didnt realise at this point that the Cossacks dismounted in the railways station (on the right) had rigged the ammo dump to blow, and blow it did!  10 dead reds and a couple of disabled vehicles!  Note the Chinese Internationalists crossing the tracks...


Red Armour waiting for the off


Red Armour lumbers forward.  Uniquely in nearly ten years in this period, neither tank broke down and trundled and crushed their way to the heart of the White lines.  Von Stauffenberg's Red Cross train hurtles by in the background