Hal was kind enough to publish the original battle (relief effort) for Taipeng Mission in Issue 117. In this particular re-play, and I will strive to keep the redundancy to a minimum, the forces involved and the terrain fought over were the same. The slight modifications being the composition of the Taipeng "garrison" and the plan of attack for the Western powers. Instead of French Marines and Italian Sailors manning the make shift walls of the Mission grounds, US Marines, along with a Gatling gun, would share this unenviable assignment with the French. The Italian platoon would bring up the rear of the Japanese advance. In the report in Issue 117, it was suggested that instead of a broad advance, the Allied force might have done better to strike against one particular point of the Leiho River defenses and thereby, secure a rescue / relief of those men trapped in the Mission. The plan looked good on paper, but even with this rules adaptation, it did not meet with success. In fact, just as with the first gaming of Taipeng Mission, the relief effort of the Allies was hampered by inconsistent movement and an especially annoying piece of Boxer artillery in the main redoubt at Huan Su. The Japanese infantry were in the process of deploying from road column into line; the British and Russians were still trying to get both infantry platoons fully on board and push toward Kengtow while the Germans lagged far behind. The Boxers, with the exception of the one piece of ordnance as noted, seemed content to sit and watch the Western forces struggle through their maneuver die rolls. As with the previous narrative, it was a completely different picture north of the Leiho. The French and US Marines very soon found themselves assailed by hordes of Boxers. Surprisingly, the Leathernecks did not shoot as well in this re-fight: even their Gatling gun seemed ineffective against the mass of irregulars. Very quickly too, they found themselves running low on ammunition. This would be a second concern as the Boxers were soon up and over the make shift barricade and walls. Outnumbered, the Marines fought bravely put were pushed back to the very walls of the Mission itself. The French did manage to repel the Boxers-in some heavy fighting around the cemetery, but again, numbers and the lack of ammunition forced these men back to the Mission. Equally surprising, the officers and NCOs of both platoons survived these initial attacks. However, with the US platoon at half-strength, the French platoon fast approaching that point and both units in quite a state of disorder, it would simply be a matter of time. The Boxers had three units on or over the walls, a "fresh" unit in immediate reserve and two units of the Imperial army -- supported by a cannon -- coming up to join the attack. It was at this point that I decided to call a halt to proceedings. The garrison would be wiped out in one or two more turns. The British cavalry, even if moving a full speed providing their maneuver rolls were that good - would only reach the redoubt of Kengtow and have to fight their way over and through three Boxer units. There was no way that any Allied unit would reach the Mission in time. COMMENTS On reflection, the revision of unit "size" (meaning number of physical stands) to be moved helped to speed up the game. The momentum gained here however, seemed to be countered by the adaptation of the roll for maneuver tables used in FIRE AND FURY". It was rather frustrating, but perhaps realistic, to have just one of the British or Russian infantry platoons "obey" orders and advance while the other platoon seemed to dither about in the rear area. In terms of combat, the procedures seemed to flow a little more smoothly. It's evident that I'm a proponent of disorder and of the impact this result (sometimes oft repeated) has on fighting units. It's also very apparent that I'm a "believer" in the use of the modifier table. Perhaps a little more ardent than I should be. This was evident, especially in the action around the Mission itself, when the Boxers and Tigermen units would pass all charge tests with flying colors. Fire from the Gatling gun and a platoon of veteran US Marines seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the charging irregulars. Maybe I need to increase the numbers for passing such tests? The reader may be pleased to know that I have confirmed the answer to at least one question raised by this re-fight of the Relief of Taipeng Mission. Irrespective of rules used, the scenario is an exercise in frustration for any player commanding the multi-national relief effort. There is simply no way to get across the river, let alone in enough time to rescue the trapped platoons at the Mission. I had originally considered testing these "new" rules with a different scenario. For example, one idea concerned a Boxer Rebellion adaptation of the AWI battle of Saratoga. I thought it might prove interesting to have the Boxers occupy the British positions and pit the Western forces (in the role of the Americans) against them. Another idea for play testing considered an edge of board to edge of board march by a company of French Foreign Legion. At various points and times, all unknown until the Bedouins appeared, attacks would be made against the French. However, as the idea for a rules adaptation originated with the original contest for Taipeng Mission, I thought that a truer test of the adaptation would be a re-fight of the same scenario. Overall, I think the concept behind these rules is a good one. But the personal search for a middle ground somewhere between the skirmish-level action and the brigade-level action continues. Again, I must mention my indebtedness to the creators of FIRE AND FURY and The Sword and The Flame. They have done the real work here, I'm simply a solo-wargamer who developed an interest in this particular period and decided to "take a hammer" to systems that were not at all broken. And again, I would like to extend a note of thanks to Hal, for allowing me this forum to relate my wargaming interests and adventures. Comments, questions and constructive criticism are welcome. Adapting Fire And Fury to the Boxer Rebellion Rules Back to MWAN #119 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2002 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com