The Return of the Mad Baron - Back of Beyond      Hosted by Jim Dunnam        The Photo Album

Back of Beyond - CENTRAL ASIA - 1920

Rules: Red Actions! by The Perfect Captain
3 Red Players - 413 Points total
4 Chinese Players - 445 Points total
2 White (Mad Baron) Players - 253 Points total


In the wake of the Russian Revolution, the east is in chaos. While Bolshevik forces attempt to stabilize and extend Red holdings into Central Asia, out of Chinese Turkestan, Chinese Warlord Yang Tsenghsin, makes a bid to extend his holdings in a bold move north.

Meanwhile Baron Roman Ungern Sternberg, also known as the Mad Baron, hasmanaged to recruit a small group of Chinese deserters and defeated Whites fleeing to the east. The Mad Baron dreams of an independent pan-Mongol state, a Central Asian empire to rival Ginghis Khan's and which would be the first step towards a worldwide empire. Most recently, the Baron has pulledo f a series of brilliant raids, the last resulting in the capture of one ofT senghsin's armored vehicles.
 

At the start of our scenario, Chinese forces have established a base camp at an old abandoned estate of the local Khan. From this compound, the Chinese are thought to be readying to launch operations against the Trans-Siberian Railway.


INITIAL BRIEFINGS

Bolshevik Secret Briefing - You have been assigned a sufficient force to conduct a pre-emptive strike on the Chinese advance base. You must destroy the Chinese base and all opposition.

Chinese Secret Briefing - You were sent out to establish a base camp for operations against Bolsheviks to the north. You selected an abandoned Khan country estate and compound and supplies have been arriving since you arrived three days ago. Yesterday morning you discovered hidden under the floorboards of the main house Alexsei and Anastasia Romanov, then children of Tsar Nicholas II, who had been reported to be dead. You immediately dispatched a messenger to Warlord Yang Tsenghsin, who you know will reward you for finding the children and keeping them safe until he arrives. The children will provide an incredible bargaining tool for your leader.

 

Mad Baron Secret Briefing - Your last raid was a tremendous success, and the capture of an armored vehicle is rallying troops to the Baron's side. Unfortunately, you did not capture any extra gasoline. You have been informed that a petrol depot has been established at a Chinese advance base. You must capture sufficient fuel and make your get away. No telling when your new tank will run out of gas.

THE GAME

The battlefield is approximately 10'x 6', running north to south on the longest axis. Along the center of the board running north to south is a dirt highway. Intersecting the middle of the board, and running east to west is an impassible river, bridged by the dirt highway (players are informed at various times in the game that they can search for a ford, a die roll of 6 necessary to find one). Just north of the bridge is the Khan's compound, which consists of several building and a high wall enclosure. There is only one gate into the compound, and those seeking entrance otherwise must use scaling ladders (carried only by Storm or Specialist capable Red forces). The compound affords hard cover to all inside, although units within can fire out and be fired upon. Just south of the bridge is a fuel depot.
 

The Chinese initial forces setup up 1/2 on each side of the river, with the compound being guarded by Assault companies, a machinegun and other support infantry. Across the, three Chinese infantry units garrison the fuel depot, while further west the more Chinese infantry and Chinese cavalry set up a defensive position around the Chinese artillery. (At this point, Chinese victory conditions are 1) Primary - maintain the advance base and supplies and 2) Secondary - keep safe the Romanov children).
 

The Red forces enter across the north edge of the battlefield, led by an Austin-Putilov AC and a Schneider tank. Immediately the Chinese machinegun and artillery engage the vehicles, resulting in immobilizing the armored car.

Meanwhile, the Mad Baron enters the map from the southeast, making for the fuel depot so as to provide gas for his captured FT-17 tank (the tank runs out of fuel on a dr5-6). Within a short period of time, the Baron routs the Chinese away from the fuel depot and the Baron begins the long task of making off with the fuel.

To the north, the Chinese 75mm gun manages to destroy the immobilized Red Armored car, although this does little to slow the methodical advance of the Red hordes.

Unnoticed to the south, a supply caravan enters the map. Whose? No one knows. 

In the process of securing the fuel depot, the Mad Baron interrogates a Chinese prisoner and learns of unbelievable news. The prisoner relates that when the Chinese occupied the Khan's abandoned estate, they discovered in hiding Alexsui and Anastasia Romanov. The Baron knows that he must free the children, who had been reported dead. With them to rally further White forces, the Mad Baron will be unstoppable. (At this point the Baron's victory conditions are 1) Primary - capture the children and exit them from the board and 2) Secondary - remove the remainder of the fuel for the board).

The Baron immediately sends out a runner under a white flag to the Chinese with a message that reads as follows:

"To: Chinese Cmdr
From: Holy Mad Baron
Re: Possible Deal

Request escort of one unit to compound to recover human Russian asset. With assist escort by killing Reds. Will provide tank support, mortar and machinegun and additional support."

To the north, the Reds begin assault on the Khan's compound, assisted when the Schneider blows a hole in the compound wall. Chinese forces cross the bridge from the south in an attempt to reinforce the compound.


While some units are repulsed, a Cheka unit succeeds in breaching the wall, both through the blown gap and over on ladders.

Entering the compound a defector informs the Reds that when the Chinese occupied the Khan's abandoned estate, they discovered in hiding Alexsei and Anastasia Romanov, the Tsar's children, who had been reported dead. The Red player knows that he must get those children, dead or alive. (At this point the Red's victory conditions are 1) Primary - capture the children and exit them from the board and 2) Secondary - destroy the Chinese advance base).

 

The Mad Baron receives a message that the Chinese will "move the cargo to you" in exchange for fire support. The Baron immediately trains his mortar on the Schneider tank, immobilizing it in one shot.


At this point, it is clear that the Chinese position within the compound is not tenable, and efforts are made to immediately evacuate the Romanov children. Red cavalry attempt to intercept the fleeing children.

 

The Reds see the children and appear powerless to stop them, so they starting shelling the evacuees from their artillery positions.

The Chinese guards take hit after hit, but continue the safe evacuation of the children.

Suddenly from the south arrives Warlord Yang Tsenghsin with an escort of an Austin-Garford Armored Truck, Dare to Die troops, Cavalry and German bodyguards. The Baron sends off a quick message to the Warlord stating "We are currently working with the Chinese to kill the Red Russians. We roll like gods, let us continue filling Reds. Please respond with intentions."

Warlord Tsenghsin, not one to forget the Baron's theft of his FT-17 tank, responds with machinegun fire on the Baron's units from the Garford vehicle, and immediately dispatches a note to his Chinese subordinates to the north, "If you value your heads, quit cooperating with that fiend Baron and hold the compound."

Sensing that his time is running out, the Baron advances to the Chinese forces escorting the children across the bridge and demands possession of the Romanovs. The Chinese, by this time sensing the anger of the newly arrived Warlord, refuse. The Baron charges routing the Chinese, largely due to the fact that the Red artillery fire already weakened them. 

The children in hand, the Baron about-faces and heads for home. The Reds, realizing that all may be lost send a messenger under white flag to parlay with the Chinese, stating, "The Peoples' forces have no particular argument with your peasant forces. We only wish to recover the Peoples' property, the Imperialist symbols, the Imperial family. Let us end our conflict and fight our common foe."

The Chinese respond with machinegun fire on the Red messengers. As dusk arrives, the Baron heads to the east. The Reds make one last attempt to stop them with long range artillery fire, which fire is too little, too late.

 FINAL VICTORY

The Baron wins the game. He succeeds in getting close enough to snatch the children and make is off map, while also depleting the fuel depot of about 2/3 of its contents. Interestingly, the Baron's last charge would not have garnered him the children but for the Terror the Chinese escorts had received from Red artillery fire. So in a sense, the Reds make it possible for the Baron's charge to succeed. Warlord Yang Tsenghsin arrived about 2 turns too late to hamper the Baron's exit to the southeast.

Russian Civil War Miniatures Photos - Jim Dunnam's 25 MM Chinese, Red and White Russians

Waco/Dallas Mini Convention Photos - (The Game Closet - Waco, Texas)

PIG WARS 

Photos from a Pig Wars game (Viking warriors, Viking Maidens, Saxon Warriors, Norman Knights, Peasants and farm animals).