Jade Typhoon, Game Four - Typhoon Strikes

Jade Typhoon is an unofficial narrative campaign documenting the events of the conflict between the Empire and the Crown preceding the attack on Singapore city. Read about the background, key people and events of the Jade Typhoon campaign in the overview.

In the last instalment… the Empire launched Operation Southern Beacon, a stealth strike against a Crown storehouse masked by a widely dispersed gas that causes short-term confusion and paranoia in the defenders.  General Roberts and the Singapore Crown Reserve intercepted and engaged the Empire forces outside the storehouse.  In the bitter fighting that followed, the Royal Thai Guard of General Chakri finally captured the storehouse, but the cost to the Empire was high, and the mighty landship Singha which was destroyed by General Roberts, as his forces retreated.

Background and Clash

Clash: Supply Drop & Find the Lady

Objectives: Four objectives for Supply Drop, each represent a critical supply depot.  Three objectives for Find the Lady, each represent a potential location for Lord and Lady Willoughby; with their broken-down car, in the town of Bukit Timah or at the Crown roadblock across the Singapore River bridge.

Game size: 4,250 Points

In the aftermath of the battle, there’s widespread chaos and confusion.  Some Crown forces abandon their positions on the coast and fall back to the city, others hold their positions and fight-on, forming pockets of resistance. Empire forces cross the Johor Strait in strength, joining with General Chakri’s initial spearhead and begin driving toward the city.  General Roberts desperately tries to rally the Crown forces at the final defensive line, near the town of Bukit Timah.

Following the fall of the main Crown storehouse, the defenders of Singapore desperately gather what supplies remain from local depots.  If the Empire can seize these supplies, they not only deny the defenders of Singapore critical ammunition and fuel but also replenish their own forces, maintaining offensive momentum.  Meanwhile, Lord and Lady Willoughby, Peers of the Realm and trusted councilors to the Queen, are out inspecting Crown troops and bolstering their morale, when their car becomes stuck in shell crater outside the town of Bukit Timah.  Trapped in the conflict zone they desperately seek rescue by Crown forces, sending a message for help.  But this is detected by Empire forces, who realise there may be immense value if they can capture the couple first.

Battlefield

The battle rages around the town of Bukit Timah, which lies on the main road to Singapore city.  The road crosses the Singapore River via a large bridge near the town, while passage is also possible by nearby fords.  Running along the riverbank is a line of fortifications – these bunkers form the last inland defensive line before the outskirts of the city.  The surrounding area is a mixture of thick jungle, small villages and rice paddies.

Forces

The Crown force comprises three Battlegroups.  The backbone of this force is the Sovereign Landship Invincible commanded by General Roberts with a reinforced Rifle Platoon aboard and Monarch Landship Indomitable, supported by a reinforced squadron of Galahad Main Tanks and six reinforced units of Dragoons (an equal mix of Assault, Engineer and Heavy Dragoons).  Artillery support is provided by full batteries of Mordred and Bors Heavy Artillery, with further direct-fire support from two reinforced units of Drake Field Guns a full unit of Glamis Mobile Guns and a squadron of Defiance Fighters.

The Crown Linebreaker Auxiliary Battlegroup are light forces, primarily tasked with securing objectives swiftly ahead of reinforcement.  They are commanded by Major Templeton, a personal friend of the Willoughbys.  These Crown forces include two reinforced squadrons of Spitfires, three reinforced units of Horse Guard Cavalry a reinforced unit of Royal Engineer Sappers in Tristan Assault Transports and a full Rifle Company mounted in a unit of Striling Armoured transports.

The Empire assault is also broken into three Battlegroups and led by two massive landships.  General Chakri commands the overall Empire assault from the bridge of the Laoshan Landship Dingyuan, while Commander Feng who was seriously injured by Crown shelling during an earlier battle, returns to action in command of the Wui Tai Landship Zhenyuan. Feng’s injuries are so severe that it has been necessary to modify the Zhenyuan’s command throne to accommodate the required life-support apparatus and vocal amplifiers – this dangling collection of tubes and wires have led him to be referred to as the Black Spider.

The Empire assault Battlegroups also include an armoured spearhead in the form of three reinforced tanks squadrons, two Fangun Medium Tanks and one Yan Shou Flame tanks.  The tanks are backed by four reinforced automata units, two Jianhuren Teracotta Automata, one Tongshi Lion Auotmata and one Ruishsi Lion Automata. The Ruishi and a unit of Bao Flak launchers are tasked with providing air cover for the extensive Empire artillery group, which includes a full battery of Fengbao Heavy Launchers, two reinforced San Lai Heavy Artillery, two reinforced Green Banner Rocket Teams and a unit of Green Banner Jezails. A full company of Green Banner Guards also adds a significant number of troops to the offensive.

The Swooping Crane Auxiliary Battlegroup led by Strike-Leader Jungbao is intended to maximise enemy confusion and seize objectives swiftly.  This force includes a number of reinforced units, including two Bulnabang Flying Infantry, two Green Banner Flame Teams, two Tanshe Artillery Chariots and two Jindoyun Steambikes.

Deployment

On the Singapore River flank, the Crown deploy the Landship Invincible, two units of Dragoons (Engineer and Assault), a unit of Horse Guards and a unit of Sharp Rifles who use a nearby bamboo thicket for cover.  Opposing them are the Empire Zhenyuan landship, a unit of Terracotta Warriors, Green Banner Rockets, Steambikes and a San Lai Heavy Artillery battery.

On the other flank, the road has been heavily shelled, creating a large area of cratered ground where the Willoughbys car has become stuck.  Here the Crown deploy their Landship Indomitable, Assault Dragoons, the Raj Rifle Company, Sharp Rifles, Drakes and the Glamis Mobile Guns.  Opposing them are the Empire Landship Dingyuan, a squadron of Fangun Medium Tanks, Bulnabang Flying Infantry and Tanshe Artillery Chariots, supported by Green Banner Jezzail team and a San Lai Heavy Artillery battery.  The remaining forces of both sides are deployed centrally, with large numbers of Crown Dragoons facing off against an initial wave of Empire automata screening rank, upon rank, of marching infantry.

Battle Report

There’s chaos on both sides as the opposing Generals take stock of enemy deployment and begin the process of consolidation and manoeuvre.  Most units are initially out-of-range and begin moving forward to close the distance to the enemy.  The Empire (whose artillery has shorter range than the Crown big-guns) are forced to push their artillery forward to get within range of Bukit Timah town, while the Crown can take their time to range-in on the area just past the jungle before the township where they expect the Empire troops to emerge.

The Crown Horse Guard gallop forward and rapidly secures supplies closest to their lines and the Empire do likewise, using the speed of their agile Bulnabang Flying Infantry.  

However, spotters aboard the Indomitable Landship observe these movements, and decide to deny one cache of critical supplies to the Empire.  The Monarch fires a devastating salvo from its main gun that immolates an entire unit of Bulnabang, leaving only an enormous smoking crater where they had been standing.

Despite the battlelines now forming up, units on both sides have managed to work themselves behind enemy lines.  A unit of Crown Horse Guard emerge behind Empire lines and seeing that the Empire Artillery is guarded by Flame Teams, they charge a softer target, crashing into a unit of Bao Flak Launchers, providing air cover for the artillery.  Most of the trikes are destroyed in the fighting, but they stubbornly refuse to break.  The threat of enemy cavalry operating behind his lines is unacceptable to General Chakri, who orders their destruction at all costs.  The Horse Guard prove remarkably hard to stop and no less than four Empire units (including the huge Green Banner Guards company) reposition and concentrate fire on them, before the last of the brave riders are finally shot down by San Lai artillery firing armour piercing rounds at short range. 

Meanwhile, behind Crown lines, a unit of Empire Jindoyun Steambikes causes chaos.  A unit of Spitfires, assigned to protect the Bors Heavy Artillery manage to intercept the Steambikes, dropping down behind them and spraying them with pistol fire.  This combined with support fire from a unit of Drake Field guns removes the threat for the loss of two field guns.

In the centre of the battlefield, Major Templeton is desperate to locate the Willoughbys. A tip off from a local leads him to send a unit of Spitfires into Bukit Timah town, where the couple are swiftly located.  Unfortunately, before they can escort the couple to safety, the big guns of the Empire Landships open up, annihilating the Spitfires.

Observing events from the bridge of the Zhenyuan Landship, General Chakri determines the location of the prize and orders forward the terracotta warriors and Tongshi Lion Automata, who advance toward the town.  They too come under heavy fire from advancing Galahad tanks, but the remaining automata relentlessly advance despite the losses.  There is also heavy fighting on the riverbank Empire Jindoyun Steambikes take up position to try and block the bridge.  They are charged by a unit of Crown Horse Guard cavalry and annihilated, but the riders don’t enjoy their victory for long, as they are destroyed by gouts of flame from approaching Lion automata.

Realising the ongoing threat of the Crown’s Mordred Heavy Artillery, General Chakri orders an airstrike on the Crown Artillery.  Expert Doksuri pilots streak between Crown air defences, then bank sharply to launch a devastating attack, destroying 3 of the guns.  Observing the airstrike from the bridge of the Invincible, General Roberts is furious that the Doksuri managed to avoid the Crown’s Defiance Fighters assigned to interception duties and communicates his displeasure to the wing-commander in no uncertain terms.

Bulnabang flying infantry now enter Bukhit Timah town and begin searching for the Willoughbys.  They are careful to shelter in nearby buildings to avoid the heavy fire that both sides are pouring into the town.   Terracotta Warriors patrol the streets outside to prevent them from escaping.   Seeing that the level of opposition that the Crown are up against, Major Templeton orders forward the Dragoons.  First, a unit of Royal Engineer Dragoons clash with the Empire automata, pulling the clay-clad machines apart with their powerful lifting claws.  While they succeed in clearing a path forward, the Engineer Dragoons take heavy casualties in turn from the advancing Empire Landships.

Then a unit of Black Watch Assault Dragoons force their way into the town, but they too take fire, struck by the advancing Empire tanks who destroy many of their number.  Crown morale holds but given the fierce fighting taking place in the streets, the Willoughbys remain in their hiding place for now.  The Black Watch Dragoons call for fire support and a devastating barrage from the Crown Bors Heavy Artillery annihilates the remaining Bulnabang that are hiding in the town.

The Empire launch another airstrike on the Crown artillery line, again relying on their expert flying and advanced turbines to pull a bank-turn allowing them to avoid the Crown Heavy Dragoons providing anti-aircraft cover.  This time, however, the Crown are ready and the Doksrui are intercepted by a squadron of Defiance Fighters.  In the ensuing dogfight, all three Doksuri are shot down, definitively removing the future threat of Empire air strikes.

Now, free of threat from flanking troops and aircraft, General Roberts orders the Crown to surge troops into Bukit Timah to secure the town and allow for the retrieval of the Willoughbys.  The Royal Engineer Sappers lead the way, but their numbers are reduced when one of their Tristans is destroyed by accurate fire from the Dingyuan Landship.  The main guns of the mighty Empire behemoth also account for the last of the Crown’s Black Watch Assault Dragoons.  The surviving Engineer Sappers shelter in a large building in the town along with a Major Templeton’s Rifle Command Platoon.  The large Crown Rifle Company also makes its way toward the town, but progress is slow after their transports are picked off one-by-one by accurate fire from the San Lai Heavy Artillery and Green Banner Jezzails.

General Chakri responds by ordering the Yan Shou Flame tanks and Green Banner Flame teams to clear all buildings of enemy soldiers, and the Engineer Sappers and Crown Rifles are consumed by lethal jets of flame. With the buildings cleared, the Empire troops forward to contest the town and take the fight to the Crown.  But much like their enemies, the Empire troops also suffer heavy losses as they advance into the range of Crown guns.  Concentrated fire from the Indomitable Landship, Galahad tanks and Mordred Heavy Artillery eliminates the initial screening wave of automata, destroying all the remaining terracotta warriors and Tongshi Lion automata.  Then accurate fire from the Drake Field Guns and Bors Heavy Artillery strikes the ranks of Green Banner Infantry who march behind them inflicting heavy casualties.  The streets of the town become a killing zone for both sides.

Despite the carnage on all sides, Major Templeton acts decisively, personally entering the town in a Stirling Armoured Transport escorted by a unit of Spitfire Flying Infantry.  The Spitfires are rapidly shot down and annihilated, then Templeton’s Striling Armoured Transports come under fire, with one vehicle destroyed along with the soldiers onboard.  But the surviving members of the Command Rifle Platoon dismount in the town and Templeton locates and secures the Willoughbys.  Knowing that the heavy guns of the approaching Empire landships will doom an attempt to escape in the remaining Stirling, Templeton and the Willoughbys make a break for the safety of the Crown lines on foot, but pays a heavy price for such bravery. The Yan Shou Flame Tanks surge forward and incinerate Templeton and the other soldiers.

Seeing that the Willoughbys are now beyond the reach of the slow-moving Empire infantry, General Roberts now decides to try and weaken the Empire’s assault on Singapore and signals all Crown troops to fire on the Laoshan Landship Dingyuan to disrupt the enemy command and control.  The mighty landship is rocked by hit after hit, as both the Invincible and Indomitable open up with their main armaments, joined a short time later by the Galahads, Modred Heavy Artillery, Drake Field Guns and Heavy Dragoons.  The Dingyuan puts up a valiant defence, managing to annihilate the Crown Rifle company covering the Willoughbys flight, but eventually the sheer volume of fire proves too much, and the mighty Empire landship is destroyed, with General Chakri refusing to evacuate and perishing the ensuing firestorm.

Without their commander, Empire fire becomes increasingly sporadic but individual units still pick off the surviving Crown troops inflicting heavy losses as the Crown being to withdraw.  The final moment of the battle comes as a unit of Black Watch Heavy Dragoons secure the Willoughbys and ready them for their evacuation back to Singapore city. The Jade Typhoon breaks and the Crown are victorious, but the Battle for Singapore is only just beginning…

Summary:

Turn One Victory Points: 43 (Crown) 20 (Empire)

Turn Two Victory Points: 45 (Crown) 51 (Empire)

Turn Three Victory Points: 67 (Crown) 61 (Empire)

Turn Four Victory Points: 83 (Crown) 73 (Empire)

Turn Five Victory Points: 116 (Crown) 96 (Empire)

Outcome: Crown Victory.  

This was an amazingly fun multiplayer game, run over two days at the Call to Arms wargaming convention in Wellington, New Zealand.  This game was very close and while the Crown managed to maintain a slight Victory Point lead in all the turns (except the second), it never felt like their victory was assured.  All players were very impressed with how the Armoured Clash game system scaled-up to accommodate such a large number of models on the battlefield, with the load on players not feeling significantly different than for a game of half the points-size.

For the Empire, the MVP units were the Wutai Landship and the Yan Shou Flame tanks, who between them were responsible for claiming many units of hardy Dragoon and clearing the town of Crown troops.  On the Crown side, the stand-out units included the Horse Guard Cavalry who sewed havoc, both claiming objectives and distracting enough Empire units that the Empire had no remaining units in position to try and secure the Willoughbys in the final turn of the game and so had to try and deny this to the Crown instead.  The Defiance Fighters were also amazing, wiping out opposing aircraft and then, with air superiority assured, striking enemy formations to clean up small formations and add to the victory point total.

Spotlight: Tanshe Artillery Chariots

The Tanshe Artillery Chariots are an improbable mix of tuk-tuk trike and mortar, complete with little back-wheels to help the vehicle manage recoil as it kicks-up skyward, are both extremely characterful, and a fantastic all-rounder unit.  They are reasonably easy to assemble from the sprue and because the Tanshe shares a common chassis with the Bao Flak Launchers, you have a choice about which cavalry unit to make when fitting the final end of the weapon barrel.  Those seeking high levels of detail should also consider painting the vehicle gunner separately before fitting them into place, although there is no such option for the driver, meaning some careful brushwork is needed.  

Mixing indirect fire with scythed wheels and Cavalry status, the Tanshe can operate comfortably in either an offensive, or defensive role which is its special sauce, and the reason I think that one unit is almost always a good inclusion in an Empire force. Moving at a zippy Speed 8”, the Tanshe has Defence 3 and Damage Limit 1, meaning one model is removed for every 3 hits inflicted.

The Tanshe’s mortar can fire at both Heavy and Light units 4”/24” with both attacks being INDIRECT, meaning you can use a friendly unit to establish line-of-sight for a weakened attack outside short range if you want to protect your Tanshe from return fire.  Against Light targets it fires a solid 4/8/12 (for basic/Reinforced/Full Size units) while against Heavy targets a slightly less effective 3/6/9.  To add some extra spice, the Tanshe has an Impact attack of 3(6)/5(8)/8(11) with the SHOCK special rule, meaning you use the parenthesis value against Light units.

This makes the Tanshe a good mid-table option in the early turns, hanging back and using cover to snipe enemy Light troops as they advance, then (if necessary) plunging forward to Charge enemy troops, scything them down to clear Objectives and claim them for the Empire in later turns.  In this role they excel, but there are a couple of other ways that you might prefer to employ the Tanshe.  First, they are relatively fast and able to claim Objectives which puts them among a small group of Empire units that can make an early Objective grab – especially in the Cargo Drop Clash.  In this capacity they have more survivability than some others, for example the Jindoyun Steambikes.

Second, the Tanshe’s mix of speed and versatility of attack also make them a reasonable flank-guard to protect the Empire Artillery and Field Guns against unwanted incursions by Light units.  In this role, they can pull off a devastating countercharge, or attack with withering fire, and still have enough speed and range to contribute to fighting in subsequent turns, if no flanking threat emerges (or if one is rapidly defeated).

But despite these benefits, the Tanshe is also fairly fragile, especially if you plan to use it beyond the range of Empire Commanders.  The Tanshe has a poor Discipline of 5 and Break Limit of 1 it may be able to take an Objective swiftly, but holding onto it is another matter.  This means you want to consider when you activate them, potentially leaving them until late in the turn to reduce the chance that they are forced back, of their hard-won Objective by enemy fire. 

In terms of cost, a unit of Tanshe Artillery Chariots will set you back 70/120/180 points and yield a hefty 2/4/6 Victory Points when destroyed.  In both cases, the Tanshe buys you versatility and the ability to swiftly respond to the enemy, which is a real asset in a faction which is generally slower and more difficult to redeploy than many others.   Overall, the Tanshe is a fantastically useful unit to support the slow marching Empire troops with indirect fire, especially as it also has the potential to mount a swift attack on an Objective, scything down surprised enemies.

Jade Typhoon, Game Three - Operation Southern Beacon

Jade Typhoon is an unofficial narrative campaign documenting the events of the conflict between the Empire and the Crown preceding the attack on Singapore city. Read about the background, key people and events of the Jade Typhoon campaign in the overview.

In the last instalment… The Crown launched Operation Matador, a desperate attempt to forestall the Empire invasion of the island of Singapore, by destroying the boats that had been gathered for the amphibious assault.  The success of the Crown’s Operation Matador throws Empire invasion plans for Singapore into disarray.  Lacking the boats necessary for a massed amphibious landing across the Straits of Johor, General Chakri (known as the Golden Crab) is forced to delay the intended date of attack

Background and Clash

Clash: Lord of the Manor

Objectives: The primary objective for both forces is the Crown storehouse in their base near Tengah.  Secondary objectives include the two hills (North and South), overlooking the base.

Game size: 2,500 Points

General Roberts, commanding Crown forces in Singapore, uses this reprieve to bolster the coastal defences of the island, deploying the bulk of troops into defensive positions to oppose any Empire landing attempt.  With more reinforcements arriving in Singapore harbour every day, including a sizable contingent from the Indian Raj, it’s clear that the Empire will need to take decisive action if they are to succeed.  General Chakri’s plan, Operation Southern Beacon, has two parts (or pincers):

Master Rammalak has been experimenting with new toxins to support the military campaign.  Empire Alchemists have made a breakthrough in terms of a new type of gas that can be dispersed over a wide area – this cloying gas, named The Creeping Nightmare, resembles a thick natural fog, but also includes a mild toxin, causing short-term confusion and paranoia to those exposed to it.  Rammalak proposes to use Kyoto Fast Frigates, with specially fitted gas tanks and generators, to make a stealth run into the Straits of Johor at night to disperse The Creeping Nightmare over a wide area of coast.  In addition to masking Empire movements, this will cause sufficient confusion amongst the Crown defenders to allow Chakri to make a precision strike with a small spearhead force led by a mighty Laoshan landship.

The second part of General Chakri’s plan is not to attack the strong coastal defences, but instead to strike at the heart of the Crown siege preparations.  Empire intelligence has revealed that, while the defence of Singapore is being directed from a bunker inside the city, the Crown has established an inland base including a storehouse containing major stockpiles of food, ammunition, and other key supplies.  The Crown chose this location to protect the base from naval bombardment and allow short supply lines for their coastal defences.  General Chakiri plans to strike directly at this base to seize or destroy the stockpile, and sever the supply lines to the coastal defenders, forcing them to pull back and allowing the bulk of Empire forces to cross the straits in force, via hastily built pontoon bridges.

The initial phase of the Empire attack goes as planned with The Creeping Nightmare causing Crown troops along the coast to think they are under attack. Under the effects of the gas, Crown units fire wildly into the fog, expending their ammunition and call for urgent reinforcement.  Meanwhile General Chakiri, aboard the mighty Laoshan Landship Singha leads a force comprising elite units from the Thai Royal Guards. This force crosses the strait at Sarimbun Beach, with the automata vanguard emerging from the water soundlessly and attacking panicked defenders who have abandoned their prepared positions.  Soon the road is open to the Crown base near Tengah.

General Roberts, meanwhile, has been celebrating the success of Operation Matador in Singapore city with a lavish ball held on the main deck of the Sovereign Landship Invincible.  As confused reports pour in from Crown coastal bastions, it seems that the anticipated Empire invasion has begun along a wide front.  Unable to distinguish the precise location of the enemy from the slew of garbled messages, Roberts orders the Landship along with the troops of the Singapore Response Force, which make up the islands remaining military reserve, toward the Crown base near Tengah to take stock of the situation. This unwittingly putting his forces on collision course with those of General Chakri.

Deployment

General Chakri is dismayed to find a significant Crown force approaching the base.  It’ll be critical for the Empire to use their larger numbers to seize control of the supply base, so Chakri dismounts from the Laoshan Landship Singha to take personal command of the assault. This leaves Master Rammalak in command of the Singha, with orders to clear the road of Crown forces.  Chakri knows the speed of Crown units will likely mean they reach the storehouse first and so plans to use the Jianhuren Terracotta Warriors as shock troops leading the assault, with Green Banner Flame teams following behind shielded by the Landship gas cloud.  These troops will clear the way for the Thai Royal Guards (trained and equipped by the Green Banner Guard) to move in and occupy the base.

To support the main assault, Chakri positions the San Lai heavy artillery on the northern hill, overlooking the base, with Fengbao Heavy Launchers using the hill as cover to lob their gas indirectly and his two rocket teams providing further support.  The flanks of the Empire force are anchored by tanks (Fangun Medium Tanks on one side and Yan Shou Flame Tanks on the other) each supported by a unit of Bulnabang Flying infantry.

General Roberts is equally shocked to find a sizeable Empire force so far behind the Crown defensive lines.  Roberts immediately sees the threat to the supplies in the storehouse and orders Crown infantry to rapidly deploy and garrison the base, with the Engineer Sappers leading the way in their Tristan Assault Transports.  A second wave will comprise the recently arrived Raj Rifles in Stirling Transports.  Roberts sets his own Sovereign Landship Invincible to block the road to Singapore with the Rifle Platoon aboard to provide a final wave to occupy and hold the base, if necessary.  The Invincible is supported by two units of Dragoons, with the Royal Engineer Dragoons leading the way down the road to counter any Empire automata and a unit of Black Watch Assault Dragoons shadowing them in the jungle, to combat Empire infantry.

The Crown advance is supported by a backline of guns and artillery.  Galahad Medium Tanks occupy the southern hill overlooking the base and a unit of Bors Heavy Artillery shelter behind the hill.  The Mordred Heavy Artillery and Sharp Rifles are positioned nearby, with a wide field of fire, while units of Drake Field Guns, Spitfires and Heavy Dragoons remain in reserve, in case of a surprise flank attack from the Empire.

Battle Report

General Roberts realises that the Empire Fengbao Heavy Launchers can flood the Crown base with poison gas, making it nearly impossible for the Crown troops to occupy the buildings, so a priority airstrike is ordered.  A trio of Defiance Fighters swoop in and launch a devastating attack that destroys the entire Fengbao battery before they can get their guns set.  Next, the Royal Engineer Sappers move forward and dismount from their Tristan transports, moving to occupy the warehouse and secure the main Objective.  Concentrated Empire fire strikes several Stirling transports, knocking out two vehicles before the troops can dismount.  The rest move forward and the surviving Raj Rifles dismount and take up a position in the headquarters building opposite the storehouse, covering the evacuation of the staff who are hurriedly destroying their secret papers.

The Empire now begin a punishing barrage, targeting the jungle base and many of the Sappers in the storehouse are killed as shells and rockets strike the building.   But despite taking casualties the building protects them from the worst of the fire, and they continue to hold out.  Now the Empire infantry start marching forward, with the Jianhuren Terracotta Warriors in the vanguard and the Green Banner Flame Teams using the gas shroud offered by the Laoshan Landship Singha for cover.  As they near the base, several automata are destroyed by fire from the Invincible and Galahad tanks, but this does not slow them, and they reach the base and slowly begin climbing over the perimeter wall.

On the main road the mighty landships approach each other, both firing as they advance.  The Invincible scores several hits on the Singha but the reinforced armour of both machines means that damage is minimal. Meanwhile, the Crown Mordred Heavy Artillery enter a long-range gun-battle with the Empire San Lai Heavy Artillery.  The Crown fire is more accurate, and the entire San Lai battery is destroyed in short order.  Before the gunners can celebrate, Empire Doksuri fighters streak in and several Mordred Guns are destroyed in their strafing run, narrowly avoiding the anti-aircraft fire of the Heavy Dragoons through a dramatic banking manoeuvre.

The Engineer Sappers in the warehouse now direct accurate artillery fire from the Bors battery, and the Empire infantry line is hard-hit as devastating shrapnel erupts amidst their tightly packed ranks.  General Chakri realises that silencing the Crown artillery needs to be a priority for his infantry is to survive long enough to reach the base.  A unit of Tongshi Lion Automata who have been silently prowling around the Crown force, now emerge beside the Bors artillery ready to pounce.

Only the noble sacrifice of the nearby unit of Spitfires, who jump into the breach and are torn apart by the robot lions, saves the Bors from being utterly destroyed. The nearby Heavy Dragoons are forced to abandon their watch for enemy aircraft and fire on the lions instead, destroying several of them, but this change in focus allows the Doksuri to make another attack-run, this time targeting the Bors.  The Crown’s Defiance Fighters are scrambled to intercept the Empire aircraft, and a brief dogfight erupts above the Crown lines, which results in one Doksuri shot down and the second damaged – but the Doksuri fire is accurate and two of the Bors Heavy Artillery are destroyed.

Behind the Empire lines, two units of Crown Horse Guard suddenly gallop out of the jungle attacking the unsuspecting enemy troops.  The first unit crash into the Royal Guard and with General Chakri personally under threat from the attack, they fight furiously, driving off the Crown cavalry and suffering only minimal losses in return.  The second unit of Horse Guard have more success, cutting down the Bao Flak Launchers who have been busily scanning the skies to defend against another attack run by Crown aircraft.  The previous destruction of the Empire artillery has left the northern hill exposed and there’s now a danger that the Horse Guards will capitalise on this to seize this secondary objective, so General Chakri orders the Fangun Medium Tanks and Tanshe Artillery Chariots to engage the Crown cavalry.  After a devastating salvo, both units of Horse Guards are finally destroyed.

At the Crown base the first unit of Terracotta Warriors attack the Sappers in the warehouse, but they are blasted to pieces by explosive booby traps before they can inflict any casualties.  Now the Green Banner Flame Teams have moved into range and shoot jets of fire through the damaged windows and doors, eliminating the last of the Engineer Sappers.  General Gordon is unwilling to allow the warehouse to fall into enemy hands and orders the Raj Rifles into the building under covering fire from the Bors artillery, which inflicts heavy casualties amongst the Empire Flame Teams. 

As they take up their positions in the warehouse, the brave troops of the Indian Raj are subject to devastating Empire rocket fire which penetrates the shattered roof of the building, inflicting heavy casualties.  A second unit of Terracotta Warriors now approach.  Accurate fire from the remaining Mordred Heavy Artillery and Galahad tanks reduce their numbers, but does not slow their advance.  

On the main road outside the base, the Landship Singha is attacked by the Engineer Dragoons, who tear away chunks of heavy armour with their power-claws.  In return, Singha’s enormous roller crushes several of the dragoons, but they continue to fight and inflict further damage to the enormous vehicle, slowly reducing it’s combat effectiveness.  The Crown landship Invincible pours more fire into the Singha and smoke begins to pour through holes punched through the hull, blending with the fumes emitted from its gas generators, creating a dark pall over the battlefield.  Crown Assault Dragoons attack Empire infantry and one platoon of Guards is forced back by their murderous fire.  In response the Yan Shou Flame Tanks attack the Dragoons, turning several of their number into walking torches.

The Crown also fight a desperate rearguard action against Empire forces to protect their precious artillery.  The Drake Field Guns lay down heavy fire against the Tongshi Lion Automata, but the lion automata ignore their loses and destroy the Drakes in short order.  Meanwhile, Bulnabang Flying Infantry emerge from the jungle and preparing to launch an attack on the Mordred Heavy Artillery, but Colonel Khan, commander of the Indian Raj contingent, has personally taken command of the units protecting the artillery, and his command platoon , supported by fire from the Sharp Rifles gun down the Bulnabang before they can inflict any damage.

The fight for the Crown storehouse now intensifies, with both sides desperate to garrison it.  General Chakri orders the Yan Shou Flame Tanks to clear the structure, and the tanks emerge from the jungle, firing sheets of flame that annihilates the remaining Raj Rifles.  Before the Empire can capitalise, General Gordon orders his last reserve, the Rifle Platoon from the Invincible forward to occupy the building.  It’s a grim scene, with the remains of the two previous Crown units still burning within, and no sooner have the Rifles taken up their position, they are attacked by the surviving members of the Green Banner Flame teams.  Then, the second unit of Terracotta Warriors force their way inside and launch a devastating assault. The attack is relentless and the automata inflict heavy casualties and driving the Crown infantry out of the building where the survivors are cut down by the advancing Empire forces.

With the jungle base now finally cleared of Crown forces, the second unit of Bunabang flying infantry sweep forward and claim the storehouse and its critical supplies for the Empire!  General Gordon, aboard the Invincible realises that with all three of the Crown infantry waves destroyed, there are no more troops left to contest the base.  Accordingly, all remaining Crown forces are ordered to concentrate fire on the Laoshan Landship Singha.  The scale of destruction is immense.  Fire from the Invincible, Galahads and Mordred’s inflict massive destruction aboard the Singha and when the Engineer Dragoons renew their assault tearing apart the massive wheels, the mighty landship lurches forward and collapses on its side, now little more than a smouldering hulk.

Massive black clouds belch and bellow across the battlefield, cloaking the Crown withdrawal.  Meanwhile, the Empire consolidate their hold on the jungle base and its supplies.  Across Singapore island the scene is chaotic; some Crown forces to pull-back from their coastal positions afraid of being cut off and surrounded, others run out of ammunition and retreat inland, while yet others fight on, unaware of the wider situation.  The Empire forces exploit the confusion and cross onto Singapore island using temporary bridges where the Crown forces have retreated.  Now a titanic clash looms, as the Empire forces seek to capitalise on Crown confusion and launch a final, furious, assault to force the surrender of Singapore City.

Summary:

Turn One Victory Points: 11 (Crown) 0 (Empire)

Turn Two Victory Points: 24 (Crown) 15 (Empire)

Turn Three Victory Points: 37 (Crown) 35 (Empire)

Outcome: Draw.  While the Crown had a slight advantage in Victory Points at the end of Turn 3, there was no prospect of the Crown capturing the Major Objective in subsequent turns, so the players agreed (given time was short) that a draw was a fair result, reflecting the Crown outscoring the Empire in the first 3 turns, but the Empire likely prevailing in the long run.

Faction Focus: Crown

The Crown are, in a word, reliable. By default, they field a range of heavily armoured units with good long-range firepower supported by a mix of less durable, highly specialised, infantry and cavalry.  These are high-quality troops, with good Discipline across the board and a points cost to match.  As traditionalists, slow to evolve to new technologies (like aircraft), the Crown currently have a significant blind-spot in terms of the breadth of their anti-aerial options, but the few they do offer are good at what they do.  Crown Faction Battlegroup Special Abilities are also key to Crown success, giving their units significant benefits in terms of claiming and holding onto Objectives, if supported by your card-play.

You should play the Crown if… you like the rumble of heavy tanks, including plenty of heavy armour to shrug off hits, and high-velocity guns with armour piercing rounds to dish out punishment in return.  The Crown are also highly mobile, with many armoured personnel carrier options allowing for rapid the deployment of the ubiquitous, stalwart Crown Rifles or specialised Engineer Sappers.  They also have one of the best flanking units in the game, in the form of Horse Gard cavalry who can reliably appear in the enemy backline and inflict considerable mayhem.

The Crown also offer a lot of support for their troops, through a range of heavy artillery, field artillery, and fortifications.  These emplaced guns can inflict a lot of damage, but like all forces who boast an immobile backline, Crown Generals who want to deploy significant artillery support, will also need to consider assigning protection for these big guns, lest they become easy prey for flanking enemies, or aerial sorties.  Crown players are also likely to have clear priorities for both their low and high value cards to support faction and unit special abilities, which will likely trump the specified effect of a given card, making this phase of the game fairly straightforward.

In terms of modelling and painting, the Crown sculpts include a glorious mix of overstated ornamental filagree and thick plates of riveted armour, reinforcing the idea that the very presence of Crown armour projects colonial might in many parts of the Dystopian World.  Their infantry, clad in something like the ‘1879 Pattern Infantry uniform’ complete with pith helmets are wonderful, and you can also choose to fill you infantry ranks with the turban-wearing rifles from the Indian Raj.  For additional flavour you can take the Sharp Rifles, complete with slouch hats, or Scots with Glengarry caps.

The Dragoon models are also both a joy (in terms of their look and design) and a potential frustration (in terms of being extremely fiddly models to assemble).  Each Dragoon has 8 individual pieces (10 for the Engineer Dragoons) not counting the base and getting them to fit together properly can be a test of patience.  One tip is to paint the pilot and their ‘cage’ before assembly, as it’s tricky to get paint to all the different angles once they are built into the Dragoon walker.  Also pay close attention to the legs, as you will need a correctly paired set if you want the model to be walking forward.   Similarly, the Mordered Heavy artillery may require a little manipulation as they are assembled (before the glue dries) to fit properly into place.

Each Crown unit has a function worth considering, depending on what you may face in terms of your opponent’s force and Clash scenario, but when building your army, don’t leave home without:

• Dragoons - these are the workhorses of the Crown faction, able to take some hits and still deliver on the mission and as such, are likely to be pivotal to claiming, or defending, Objectives.  There are 3 flavours (Engineer, Heavy and Assault) and each can have an important role to perform in your force, depending on what you’re up against and what you’re taking.
• Defiance Fighters - in addition to being great all-rounders that are equally good against Light and Heavy targets, these aircraft also offer the Crown a much-needed interceptor with a strong Anit-Aerial attack, to protect from enemy air strikes.  Their versatility makes them a great inclusion in almost any list.
• Tanks – especially the Galahad Medium Tank and Challenger Superheavy Tank.  These tough customers are top performers in their respective weight categories, especially when used in conjunction with the LINEBREAKERS Special Command to capture an Objective.  Their presence forces your opponent either to target them with a very considerable amount of firepower to get their Victory points, or largely ignore them, allowing them relative freedom to blast-away at will.
• Rifle Platoons - because so many of the Crown troops are elite, and therefore comparatively few in number, you need some troops who can grab and hold Objectives under fire.  The humble Rifle Platoon, especially when deployed at Reinforced size or larger is better placed to take the hits for their points cost than other Crown infantry and are solid when shooting at Light targets.  Once you factor in the LIONHEARTED Special Command, these troops are likely to perform admirably under fire, so long as you have low-value cards to help them hold their nerve.

While these units should be used with care:

• Fortifications. The Crown currently has two options for fortifications (the Corfe and Roxburgh) which offer the option of a static, armoured, position with solid firepower - but also yield significant Victory points when Annihilated.  These can be deployed aggressively, including potentially next to Objectives, using the FORWARD special rule. The risk here is that these units have no Melee value, no SPONSONS, and the STATIC special rule – which combines to make them extremely vulnerable to close combat (a Full-Size unit will be Annihilated if one model is destroyed), making them a priority target for your opponent!
• Royal Engineer Sappers. This is an extremely versatile unit, which can act as a Spotter, improving your Bors Heavy Artillery or Monarch Landship attacks, storm and occupy buildings, or effectively demolish heavy targets through the use of improvised explosives.  A reinforced unit of Sappers fits perfectly into a basic-size unit of Tristan Assault Transports and will likely make excellent use of the built-in ASSAULT RAMPS. But, Sappers are not cheap, are few in number and not protected in any way making them extremely vulnerable, especially if they are going toe-to-toe with Heavy shock troops like Automata.
• Royal Engineer Artificers. Even more expensive than the Sappers, these specialist Engineers have a few additional tricks in their sporrans.  This includes the CONSTRUCTION TEAM special rule, which seems to have most value for your Rifles and Drake Field Guns, allowing them to be Emplaced and treated as heavy targets as well as providing a Melee boost if they are charged.  The Artificers also have the ability to Repair Artillery and Fortifications.  While undoubtedly useful in a force built around artillery, fortifications and field guns or for a Cataclysm level game, the Artificers may be a difficult inclusion to justify under other circumstances.

On the battlefield, the Crown have some neat options and tactics that play to their strengths:

• Rolling Barrage – The Drake is a great unit that can punch well above its weight, especially at close range.  If you have a mind to really lean-into this, then the Support Auxiliary Battle Group allows you to take Drakes as a Mainstay unit and also offer the Gun Luggers Special Command – which if successfully issued allows your Drakes to use the STALKERS Special Rule to close to optimal range and then immediately go ‘On Lookout’ ready to blast enemies that move into their pre-sighted field-of-fire.  To fully capitalise on this strategy, pair Drakes with a Rifle Platoon and support both these units with the Royal Engineer Artificers, enabling them to dig-in on (or near) and Objective via Emplacement.  Once in-place, your opponent will likely need to commit significant resources to shift them.
• Tank Escorts.  The LINEBREAKER Special Rule makes pushing your armoured units forward a viable way of grabbing an Objective. But if you’re expecting your opponent to aggressively come after them with Heavy units in Melee (for example a relentless automata assault, or being trampled and tossed by an enormous robotic crab), you may want to consider an additional level of protection.  An escort may be the solution.  The Royal Engineer Dragoons can provide some invaluable support (or deterrence) with their devastating WRECKERS melee attack.  As an added bonus, they can also repair your tanks from their battle damage and link-up their activation using the SUPPORT Special Rule so long as they stay close. 
• Queen of the Castle.  The Sovereign Landship is an iconic Crown unit and can prove a very tough nut to crack.  If you have a mind to lean into this, you can use its STRONGPOINT Special Rule, paired with a Crown Rifle Platoon to definitively claim an Objective.  To fortify your castle further, upgrade the battlement defenders to a full unit of Sharp Rifles to add a 32” shooting attack, with the PRECISION Special Rule.  Further upgrades might include a unit of Royal Engineer Dragoons to keep automata out of your moat and repair any battle-damage. Thus reinforced, an opponent will need to expend significant resources to lay-siege to your castle!
• Heavyweight brawlers.  The Crown offer several options for units that can rain destruction down on Heavy targets at range, putting them in a strong option to smash enemy behemoths. First and foremost, the Merlin Railgun is optimised for this task, potentially inflicting multiple points of damage on an enemy Behemoth with each activation, or knocking out an enemy tank. Mordred Heavy Artillery is also good in this role, albeit slightly less optimised for a killer punch.  If you have the points available and want something tougher, then the Roxburgh Firebase can both dish-out and take a lot of punishment, but it is extremely vulnerable to flankers.  The ultimate option, to wrap your big guns in an armoured shell, complete with SPONSONS and willingness to run-over anything that gets in its way, is the Conqueror Superheavy Tank – or if you can afford the premium points option, a Monarch Landship can really immolate any target, but the weight of its enormous shells mean this will only fire half of the time.

Overall, you can choose to deploy the Crown as a relatively compact force (especially if you lean into Superheavy tanks) with less painting needed than some other factions. The Crown mix of speed, and relatively elite units, means they're competitive in virtually any Clash scenario, but they must also carefully manage their staying-power in games where their enemies are more numerous, or which add a lot of Objective victory points in later turns, as their comparatively expensive and smaller-size units may struggle to go full-distance.  Because the Crown units also tend to be more specialised in the enemies they are designed to engage, Crown generals must choose and deploy their units thoughtfully to have the greatest impact in the fight.