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.
Background & Clash
As the Empire masses troops in Malaya for the invasion of Singapore, the Crown prepare to launch Operation Matador, a daring counterstrike into Malaya, to identify key vulnerabilities and weaken the invasion force. Ahead of their attack, and despite the presence of Doksuri fighters flying patrol in the region, the Crown send ace pilot Hilda Jonson, to gather key intelligence about the disposition of the invasion force from the air.
Unfortunately, the only available aircraft for this mission
is an aging biplane used for training and after several photographic passes,
Johnson is engaged by Empire fighters and forced to make an emergency landing
deep in Malaya. Johnson sets down with
photographic plates intact. The General
Roberts dispatched Colonel Falkner to lead a lightning raid with a Crown rapid
response force, to recover Jonson and her pictures, as the Empire scramble to
do the same.
Clash: Find the Lady
Objectives: Johson has initially evaded capture and is
hiding in one of three locations that form the initial Objectives; with her
biplane, at the Celestial Temple, or at the village of Changloon.
Game size: 1,495 Points (Skirmish)
Special Rules: The Crown may not take Artillery (as these are not part of the Rapid Response Force).
Forces
Colonel Falkner leads the Crown Rapid Response force in a
daring rescue mission, selecting his fastest-moving units to accomplish the
mission. Two units of Sharp Rifles have
moved ahead, scouting the terrain, while infantry mounted in (and on) Stirling
and Tristan transports move swiftly through treacherous jungle roads. The remaining force, consisting of Horse
Guards and Dragoons are intended to skirmish with the Empire forces while
Johnson is extracted, covered by a unit of Drake Field Guns. Air support is provided by a squadron of
Defiance fighters, scrambled from a recently arrived Crown carrier.
Having received reports of the approaching Crown forces,
Strike-Leader Jinbao decides to put more forces into the search, without
waiting for formal approval from high command, deploying units from the
vanguard of the invasion force in the region.
This includes units of automata shock troops and Bulnabang Flying
Infantry, supported by Jinbao's own personal guard of Green Banner
infantry. Artillery and rocket troops
who had been preparing to commence the invasion bombardment are also tasked to
support the mission while a squadron of Doksuri fighters scour the jungle from
above, searching for enemy vehicles.
Deployment
Colonel Falkner decides to gamble on the likelihood of Johnson seeking refuge in the Celestial Temple and deploys the bulk of the Crown troops on one flank, opposite this objective, to cover the extraction. This includes his own Rifle Company in their Stirling Armoured Transports, a reinforced unit of Black Watch Assault Dragoons, Spitfires, Tristan Assault Transports containing Engineer Sappers and a unit of Drake Field Guns, which move forward onto the hill overlooking the road.
On the other flank, ready to
investigate Johnson’s plane, are a single unit of Sharp Rifles, a unit of Horse
Guards and the Galahad Main Battle Tanks supported by the other Striling
mounted command platoon. Between the two
flanks a second unit of Sharp Rifles and Heavy Dragoons prepare to cover the
Crown advance.
Strike-Leader Jinbao takes a more balanced approach, spreading his forces out to ensure Johnson can’t slip away. This includes sending his prized Fangun medium tanks through the thick jungle toward Johnson’s aircraft, supported by Bulnabang flying infantry, and a Green Banner Rocket team. Meanwhile, the Tongshi Lion Automata and Tanshe Artillery Chariots are positioned ready to race up the road.
In the centre Jinbao deploys the automata; and Jiānhùrén Terracotta Warriors who have advanced ahead of the large mass of Green Banner Guards and a Flame team.
A strong firing position is set up covering the road, opposite the bulk of the crown forces with the San Lei heavy Artillery in a commanding position atop a hill and the Fengbao Heavy Launchers and more Green Banner Rockets in cover behind the hill. The artillery is protected by a unit of Ruishi Lion Automata who scan the skies for Crown aircraft. A second fast-moving unit of Bulnabang Flying Infantry and Jet Bikes are positioned on the opposite flank, to investigate the Celestial Temple.
Battle Report
The action begins with the Crown’s Sharp Rifles opening fire on the advancing Empire troops, sewing confusion as they snipe officers at long range. Then, a unit of Horse Guards, who have advanced forward under the cover of darkness, gallop forward and reach Johnson’s aircraft and search the area, but find no trace of the pilot or her photographic plates. Concentrated indirect fire from Empire artillery and rockets begins to land amongst the Crown troops on the road, striking several Stirling transports packed with troops, causing one to explode.
Meanwhile, the Bulnabang Flying Infantry swoop forward and search the Celestial Temple, but the Monks haven’t seen Johnson. This is noted by the crew of the Drake Field Guns atop the nearby hill who have been observing through field-glasses. The guns then proceed to shell the Bulnabang causing several casualties before the unit is wiped out entirely by a surprise attack by the Crown’s Spitfire Flying Infantry.
Both sides now realise that the pilot must be sheltering in Changloon village! This is confirmed by a flyover of Doksuri fighters who spot the Johnson amid the rice paddies, as they strafe the Tristan Assault Transports rumbling toward the village. As they streak past, the Doksuri then come under fire themselves from a unit of Heavy Dragoons protecting the Crown forces and one of the planes suffers heavy damage.
With this revelation, Strike-Leader Jinbao orders the Terracotta Automata into the village. The programming of the automata is not complex enough to enable them to capture Johnson alive, instead they take up a position guarding the entrance to the village, preventing the Crown forces from reaching her. Colonel Falkner now finds many of his forces in a less-than-ideal position. The rifle platoons and Horse Guards are ill-equipped to force their way past the line of terracotta warriors, so task is assigned to the Engineer Sappers, despite knowing that it’s likely that they will suffer heavy casualties in the attempt. Falkner orders a general advance, sending the Stirling Armoured Transports and Black Assault Dragoons up the shell-cratered road while the Galahad tanks bombard the terracotta warriors ahead of the assault by the Engineer Sappers.
Relief arrives for the Crown in the form of a unit of Horse
Guard who have flanked the enemy and now appear behind the Empire’s greatest
concentration of artillery. The Horse
Guards waste no time in riding down a large unit of Green Banner Rockets, but
before they can deal any further damage, Jinbao orders his personal guards to
wheel and then open fire on them. The
devastating barrage of carbine fire cuts down all the brave riders, ending
their foray behind enemy lines.
Buoyed by this success, Jinbao now orders the Doksuri fighters to make another attack run, to strafe the Crown transports still making their way up the muddy road. As the fighters begin their attack, the Heavy Dragoons who have been waiting for them, open fire and shoot one of the sleek planes from the sky. In a last heroic effort, the doomed pilot manages to crash their stricken aircraft into a large concentration of Crown vehicles, destroying a Tristan Assault Transport laden with Engineer Sappers and a Stirling transport carrying rifles. The ensuing fireball also claims several of the nearby Black Watch Assault Dragoons.
Enraged by this unexpected Crown carnage, Falkner now orders an all-out-assault and personally leads the way, disembarking from his transport along with his remaining soldiers and taking up a position near the village and unleashing an accurate volley into the nearby unit of Green Banner Guards. This fire is matched with accurate shooting from Sharp rifles, which drives back the Empire troops in disarray, despite their superior numbers. However, Colonel Falkner’s brave stand is short lived, as the Empire artillery lands amongst the rifle platoon and Flanker perishes with the rest of the platoon amidst a choking fog of poison gas.
The sole remaining Tristan Armoured Transport disgorges the
surviving Engineer Sappers into the mud of the rice paddy, but this doesn’t
impede the ferocity of their assault and the remaining terracotta warriors are
destroyed by a mix of sticky bombs and satchel charges. With much of the village now cleared, the
Crown’s Spitfire flying infantry now swoop into the village and attack the
Tanshe Artillery Chariots, gunning down the vehicle crew and preventing them
from speeding away with Johnson.
However, before the Spitfires can jet-away with Johnson, they’re
ambushed by the surviving members of the Green Banner Flame Team. The torrent of fire ignites the fuel in their
jetpacks and the brave Rocketeers are wiped out.
The carnage in Changloon village has been extreme and smoke pours into the sky from burning huts, but Strike-Leader Jinbao has the upper hand. The large Empire Green Banner Guard infantry formations are reforming and slowly advancing, despite the constant harassing fire from the Sharp Rifles. The Empire Artillery position remains unchallenged and continues to pour fire into the enemy. The Tangshe Lion Auomata now bound into the village and form another mechanical wall, preventing the Crown forces from achieving their objective, while the second unit of Bulnabang Flying Infantry hunt down a unit of well concealed Sharp Files, destroying them with gas grenades, before jumping into the village to try and recapture Johnson.
The Crown makes one last desperate attempt, with the last surviving unit of Horse Guard riding into Changloon village, covered by fire from low-flying Defiance Fighters. In the confusion, Johnson manages to grab a riderless robotic steed and makes her own way to freedom, riding into the jungle away from the fighting. As the Crown withdraws in disarray, Johnson’s priceless photographic plates are recovered by the Empire forces; Strike-Leader Jinbao is victorious and the timeline for invasion remains unchanged. Operation Matador now represents the Crown’s last, best, hope to forestall the Jade Typhoon.
Summary:
Turn One Victory Points: 0-0,
Turn Two Victory Points: 4 (Crown) 7 (Empire)
Turn Three Victory Points: 20 (Crown) 31 (Empire)
Outcome: Empire Victory. Once the location of the
‘Lady’ Objective was revealed, neither side were able to move her.
