Alternative Map

Will the below map is taken from the 1901 book The Siege of Peking being a diary of Rev Roland Allen. It is a direct scan from the book.



Hope this helps.

Peking 1900 - draft table plan

Here's the first first layout of the table for the game, based on a 6' x 10' table


Looking at another map of the Legation quarter in the Osprey Boxer rebellion book, the French legation may need to be further to the right, joining the road.

Terrain Build

Will bought down some test walling for the compounds last Thursday.



We have now worked out the size of the compound for all the Legations, so Will is going to start building them.

I have also done some work on the rules and event cards. Unfortunately I haven't got a day off for 2 weeks now so this will slow things down.

Colonial Flags

I managed to find some authentic flags for the period:

Austro Hungarian:


British:


French:


German:


Italian:


Japanese:


Russian:


United States:

There were only 45 stars in 1900

Some other flags of interest.
Russian Navy:



Italian Navy:


German Navy:

After a few days off I have been busy.

All the Austrians are painted and based thats 5 officers and 30 men. Also on the painting table are 48 British, just need varnishing and basing. More figures are on order to get the correct amount.

43 Germans also on painting table to go with the 1 officer and 8 men I already have. Onto the Austrian Hungarians, already painted are 1 officer and 8 Hungarians. I have undercoated 4 officers and 22 men.

I have out an order in for some more Russians as I am short of a few for these, I have sufficient for the other Nationalities French and Japanese. I know Rich is supplying Japanese but for completeness I am painting these up to.

I have the Nordenfeldt gun painted, so have ordered Maxim Gun, Colt MG and a field gun for the Italians. Also ordered are a number of sandbags from Ironclad Miniatures.

Its all going very well, and I have more time to take off so am really into the swing of painting again, the good weather helps.

More Boxers

Alan Owen has sent some pictures of the Boxers he is painting for the Gauntlet game:






I have got a dew days off work now so will get stuck into painting some more colonials.

Crossing the Lippe, August 1985

A group of Lancashire and Yorkshire-based SOTCW members today put on a Cold War Commander game at the Hammerhead show in Newark. The venue's a bit gloomy but hopeflly these pics will give an idea of how it went.

Here's Rob Connolly setting up the Soviet forces.

The white lines are ridge lines; they block line of sight in a more realistic way than the small hills usually seen on wargames tables.
The scenario involved a Soviet Motor Rifle Regiment (less one MR battalion but reinforced by an East German T-55 battalion) advancing from the north (left of table in this shot) and attempting to establish a bridgehead on the southern bank of the Lippe.

We diced randomly for air superiority each turn. A Luftwaffe F-104G showed when the NATO side had air superiority.

One of my new Su-15 Flagons indicated Warsaw Pact air superiority.

Phil Gray particularly asked for this shot - Soviet Air Force menaces Stuart Adams's Chieftain squadron.

Here we see the Warsaw Pact forces approaching the river. They continue to take heavy casualties among the Motor Rifle Battalions, many infantry dying whilst still mounted in their BTR-70s. The T-55s and T-62s are unable to do much to the enemy Chieftains.

T-62s attempt to cross a hastily laid bridge in the teeth of heavy fire from the Carl Gustavs of British infantry lurking in the woods.

In the west, The T-55s move up to cross the railway bridge. They were to get across only to roll double sixes on their next command roll. The resulting command blunder led to them withdrawing back across the bridge never to return!
Not long after this shot was taken the Soviet force reached its break point and failed its next command roll. The British had held the River line!

Thanks to Rob Connolly, Stuart Adams, and Phil Gray for playing. It was good to meet up with some other members (Hi, Rob!) and some potential members.