Taiping Town Test

After the recent success of the gamezebo last month, we thought we'd have another go. As you'll note from one of the photos I've now got a printed proof of "Taiping Era", so I took this opportunity to test the town fighting rules, which needed a thorough workout, and would inevitably require reference to the rule set on numerous occasions.


What I wanted to try was typical EVA attack on a Taiping held walled village.


I even made some card buildings for the occasion.


Richard and Chris had the Ward/Burgevine era EVA, with four battalions and a similar number of batteries.

Being cocky, they rode up and deployed their guns really close (I'd given them a time limit to capture the town, to ensure the game didn't bog down), not knowing I had protected the gate with some jingals.


With the aid of some mah jong tiles they were able to see over the walls and open fire.


This gave Richard some pause for thought.


The rest of the EVA moved up.


I lined the walls with musketeers.


The front gate soon took a severe hit.


My jingals also took some damage, and dropped back out of sight.


Soon the gate and its supporting wall was rubble.


The EVA didn't attack yet, and decided to bring down even more of the walls.


I was now joined by Phil, and whilst they were dithering, he launched a sally, to try and capture one of their batteries.


He made contact, and a vicious melee ensued...


...driving him back to the walls.


The walls were crumbling along the whole front.


As the EVA stormed through the rubble at bayonet point, Phil's Wang brought up some spearmen and a jingal to throw them back.


It was tense, as the Taipings were driven back, step by step.


Elsewhere we were ready for the onslaught, too.


I was able to spring a trap on the assaulting troops, catching them in front and flank.


The EVA was bringing up their guns. This move wouldn't help them.


We were being driven back in the centre, however.


But we had got the upper hand on the left, pushing the EVA back.


We got ourselves squared up to deliver another two for one on the troops advancing down the main road.


Phil's men had given up the ghost, however, and were fleeing over the rear wall...


...just as we managed to break an EVA unit by the gate, overrunning the guns as well. We'd cut off some EVA units in the town, but at some cost. As the lunch bell beckoned, it was time to call it a day, and the EVA were forced to withdrawn in the gathering gloom.

The system works well enough for this type of game, although it isn't a dedicated set of city fight rules. I was a bit chaotic with the rules (gosh, it was HOT!! when we played), and I let Commanders do too much. I also applied the retire after combat rule incorrectly. You drop back a square, not the equivalent of one unit of measurement, which meant things should have been even more fluid.

It kept the four of us entertained for three hours, with a fair amount of tension, so I count it as a success.

Now, on to correct the proof properly.


Comments

  1. Great battle report. I like the scenario too. Very EVA worthy. Good luck with the publication.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I felt I couldn't honestly publish if I couldn't do this game.

      Delete
  2. Yes, so many battles in that war were involving sieges or stormings, town rules would be key.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought so, although I confess I have not included rules for long sieges and the mining of walls.

      Delete
  3. That certainly held my attention. Things seem to going well.

    Good that the rules can cope with this type of scenario.

    A Bellona bridge too I think if memory serves.

    My Falcon EVA turned out to be Tai Ping musketeers. Hence I'm thinking of pestering Ian to make some. Don't know if he will bite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Bellona bridge and river. Alas that bridge is close to 50 years old, I think, and has been squashed once too often.

      I don't know how interesting the scenario is, until the wall comes down, then its a bit of a meat grinder, but it was tense.

      My EVA are repurposed sikhs. I filed down some of the beards, then got bored with that. With my painting you can't tell.

      I'd like a firing Taiping musket pose, as well, although I've just ordered a load of others from Ian.

      Delete
  4. There is a fine description in 'Flashman and the Dragon' of a successful Taiping storming of an Imperial-held city. Realistic... or otherwise?

    This looked like a fine scenario for city fighting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What...that one where Flashy meets Ward and Burgevine...dammit, been rumbled....

      Delete
  5. Great report. The gravel is really effective for showing damaged walls.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An instance where improvisation gave a great result. That pot of aquarium gravel I bought years ago has many uses.

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. It is 45cm by 60cm (18" x 24"). Or 3 squares by 4.

      Delete
  7. Can you advise as to the size of the perimeter wall of the village ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's about 25mm. If you look at the pictures you can see 15mm figures standing behind it. One set of walls - those with the brown bases - were made from cork tiles, cut into strips and have a fire step. They're based on thin marine ply. The others with the green bases are made from 25mm strip wood, and are based on mounting board.

      Delete
    2. Sorry I meant overall size of village perimeter wall length and width

      Delete
    3. The wall runs along the edges of the squares, and each section is 6"/15cm long, on a base that's 20mm wide, if memory serves. In total it's 210cm all the way round.

      Delete
  8. I like your card buildings. Can you share the source please? I would love to make something similar. I may even take up rules and give them a try too. Although its not an era of Chinese history I have tried gaming before. Carl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found them on line as scans. They're postcards you can cut out. I resized in a drawing programme. My saved file says they're by monkey-design.com.tw. The designs are called "Confucian Temple" and "Buddha Light Temple". Goodness knows what search criteria I used to find them!

      Delete
  9. Thank you Graham / Trebian.
    Carl

    ReplyDelete
  10. Trebian, just a google search with your card title worked; and others there too at
    https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/316448311301407408/
    Carl

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment