- Scale
25mm
- Rules
Chain Reaction from Two Hour Wargames using their VSF variant Larger Than Life – Earth and Beyond. CR is readily available at the THW website and at select retailers worldwide. The variant is available on the THW Yahoo Group.
- Length
Either as per the Chain Reaction rules of the passage of 10 face cards or until one side is driven from the field.
- Players
From 2 to 6 players, and they may either play against each other or on the same side.
- Forces
Note that only some officers will have their Rep listed, while the rank and file can be generated via
the army lists found in the Larger Than Life – Earth and Beyond variant.
British
- Major Jonathan "Bloody" Barnes
- Rep 5 – Pistol and sword
1st Company
- Capt. Allan Lewis
- Rep 5 - Pistol and sword
- 1st platoon of one Lt. and 9 soldiers
- 2nd platoon of one Sgt. and 9 soldiers
2nd Company
- Capt. William "Billie Boy" Sparrow
- Rep 4 - Pistol and sword
- 1st platoon of one Lt. and 9 soldiers
- 2nd platoon of one Sgt. and 9 soldiers
3rd Company *
- Capt. Carlton Dobbs Lewis
- Rep 5 - Pistol and sword
- 1st platoon of one Lt. and 9 soldiers
- 2nd platoon of one Sgt. and 9 soldiers
*Note that there was some confusion as to whether or not the 3rd company actually was present at the battle. If playing with three British players, then the 3rd company should be included.
- Captain Franklin Hillerman
- Rep 4 - Carbine and lance
3rd Lancers
- Lt. C J Edmonds
- Rep 5 - Carbine and lance
- 10 Troopers with carbine and lance
- A Company of Royal Armored Cavalry
- 1 Tankette
- Captain Lowell Dillbach
- Rep 4 – Pistol and sword
- 2 crewmen
Total combatants of 64 foot, 12 mounted, and 1 tankette with 3 crew
MARTIANS
- Prince Sahoot, Grand Tahk of Cyndoor
- Rep 4 – Pistol and sword with body armor
Royal tah-Kalk
- Tahk Hootan
- Rep 4 – Pistol and sword with body armor
- 2 et-Tahks and 18 Etaan all with rifle and body armor
Green* tah-Kalk
- Tahk Saman
- Rep 4 – Pistol and sword
- 2 et-Tahks and 18 Etaan, all with smoothbore muskets and blade
Blue tah-Kalk
- Tahk Klamuk
- Rep 4 – Pistol and sword
- 2 et-Tahks and 18 Etaan, all with smoothbore muskets and blade
Yellow tah-Kalk
- Tahk Bomech
- Rep 3 – Pistol and sword
- 2 et-Tahks and 18 Etaan, all with smoothbore muskets and blade
* Note that the color designation for each tah-Kalk was in British accounts to differentiate the units of the
Martian forces.
Cannon available during the battle
- 4 smoothbore guns and 1 rocket unit
1 Martian battle flyer (2nd rate)
- eh-Tahk Booon
- Rep 4 - Pistol and sword
- 1 seh-Tahk (1st Mate)
- Rep 5 and 18 crew
Total combatants of 85 foot, 3 smoothbore cannon with 12 cannoneers, 1 rocket with crew of 3, and 1 battle flyer with crew of 20.
- Situation
With the discovery of the inner world of Mars by the fabled explorer Sarah Farnsworth (1) all the European nations on the Red Planet rushed to send expeditions deep into the "crack" (2) to stake claim to the perceived riches to be found within. First and foremost was an expedition by the British led by Major Jonathan Barnes who just happened to be the ranking officer closest to the "crack." Major Barnes received orders to establish an outpost in the newly found area, going about "raising the flag" in as many areas as possible.
Although assembled in some haste, the Major was fortunate to have a combined force at his disposal. He would soon find out that all the arms would play a major role in the battle soon to come.
First contact with the inhabitants of the inner world proved to be deadly, as the expedition ran into organized resistance almost immediately upon entry. (3)
The resistance took the form of a fighting force from the city of Cyndoor (4) [now known as New London]. This bloody engagement resulted in a victory for the British but at a high cost. This scenario recreates this battle, called the 1st Battle of Cyndoor (5).
Notes
(1) Sarah Farnsworth was the eldest daughter of Lord Farnsworth and accompanied her father on many of his
expeditions including his forays to the Red Planet. It was during one of her adventures carrying out her father’s work
that she discovered the entrance to the Inner World.
(2) The entry into the Inner World - often referred to as Sarah's Crack, in honor of it's discoverer - was found quite by accident and sheer luck. It allows passage from the dry surface of Mars to a small, lush, and quite wet world.
Historians theorize that as the surface of the planet dried up all the moisture was absorbed inward and resulted in this highly fertile and vegetated area. As for what accounts for the cycle of light that simulates both day and night, no one can explain. Or as Lady Sarah used to say, "it is what it is."
(3) After traversing the mountainous terrain leading down to the Inner World, Barnes' force was set upon by a small force of ambushers. As best as can be recalled, this was on the 16th and the subsequent actual battle took place
farther inland and on the 19th.
(4) Cyndoor was the Martian name for the principal city in the area of the entrance to the crack and now consists of the ghettos of New London.
(5) The actual battle on June 19th, 1897, took place to the west of what is now known as New London. Major Barnes had received reports of enemy activity as early as on the 17th (see page 236, My Life and Times Inside the Red Planet by General (Retired) Sir Jonathan Barnes). Actual fighting took place on the 18th in the form of skirmishing, with the main battle itself commencing on the morning of the 19th.
Objective: The Martians want to drive the British from the field, while the British want to hold their
ground at all costs.
- Set-Up
The area over which the battle was fought was relatively flat, with two-tier hills and woods of varied thickness. The hills are marked in brown tones, the woods in green. The two-tone woods is thicker and counts half speed for movement.
The British set up first on the wooded edge of the board and up to 12" out. The infantry is placed first, then the Martians are allowed to set up. After the Martians have finished setting up, the British are allowed to place their cavalry and tankette.
The Martians are allowed to set on the opposite edge, with the following restrictions:
- At least half of the Martians must be placed between the two hills to block any British up the valley towards Cyndoor.
- The Royal tah-Kalk must be placed between the two hills as outlined above.
- Cannon and rockets must be placed within 6" of infantry at the start, and once placed cannot be moved during the game.
- The battle flyer will enter the board after the battle starts, and on the first face card drawn. It arrives
from the area designated by the arrow pointing to Cyndoor.
- Special Rules
The battle flyer cannot fire at targets on the ground with its cannon unless they are at a height of 6" or less. Although in reality they could discharge their weapons, the chance of hitting a target would be minimal. The cannon on board the flyers were designed for flyer-to-flyer fighting, not as ground support.
- Recommended Figures
As previously discussed, there are many lines that can be used - including Old Glory, Black Tree Design, RAFM, and others. I chose Parroom Station and Minifigs and Houston's (where listed) for my own use.
Here are the figures used:
British
Major Barnes (BRTO-1)
Lt. (BRTO–2 or BRTO–3)
Sergeant (BRT-1)
Soldier (BRT-1 or BRT-4)
Lancer Officer (Minifigs BCC 2)
Lancer (Minifigs BCC 1)
Tankette officer (ANBO-1)
Tankette crew (ANB –6 to 10)
Tankette (I have a scratch-built vehicle, but Reviresco has many armored cars to choose from, such as:
- Talbot Armored Car Kit 1/72nd Scale
- 1920 Royal Air Force version - Rolls Royce Armored Car Kit 1/72nd Scale
- 1915 British Naval Air Service - Rolls Royce Armored Car Kit 1/72nd Scale
Martians
Prince (CDL-2)
Tahk (CDL-1)
et-Tahk (CDL-10)
Etaan (CDMU-1 and CDMU-2)
Cannon (WC-18 from Houston's Guns that Float and Fly, available from the London War Room)
Crew (CDMS-1)
Rocket (CDMS-2)
Crew (CDMS-2)
Flyer (CC1- Cloud Cutter produced by the London War Room and 3 WC-19 Light Alien gun on naval carriage, also available form the London War Room. As an alternative, flyers can be scratch-built and the weapons purchased separately.)
Flyer eh-Tahk (CDL-10)
Flyer seh-Tahk (CDL-9)
Crew (CDFU1 and 2)
