Mini-Game (Postcard Game) "Battle of Mukden"

This is English rules of "Battle of Mukden", a free postcard game presented by Command Magazine Japan Edition (CMJ) in 2011. Original webpage is here.

[1.0] INTRODUCTION

This is a two-player game featuring the theme of the Battle of Mukden which was the crucial point of the land battle of the Russo-Japanese War. One takes charge of the Imperial Japanese Army, another one the Imperial Russian Army.

[2.0] COMPONENTS

Units are illustrated soldiers on the left side of the postcard back side (the map side). Please cut off them along a solid line, fold them along a dotted line and stick a base to complete them. There are five pieces on each side.

In addition, please prepare two 6-sided dice and writing instrument.

[3.0] SETTING UP THE GAME

Players decide who takes charge of which army and put units to the hexagonal grid (called "hex") printed a unit name ("1st Army" etc.) in the map. Only the Japanese 3rd Army is kept outside the map.

Both players record fighting power of each unit on a memo paper. The Japanese player secretly divides a total of 27 fighting power among the 1st to the 4th Army and the Yalu River Army. The Russian player secretly divides a total of 20 fighting power among the 1st to the 3rd Army, the General Reserve Right and the G. R. Left. The players must allocate at least three fighting power to each unit. This memo is turned down from the opponent until the game ends.

[4.0] VICTORY CONDITIONS

The game is finished when a fixed time passes (see 7.0) or the Russian player declares "withdrawal" (see 9.0). In the former case, if there is a Japanese unit on Mukden or a railroad north than Mukden, it is the Japanese victory; otherwise the Russian victory. In the latter case, if the double of the fighting power total of the Russian units which withdrew exceeds the fighting power total of the Japanese units surviving, it is the Russian victory; otherwise the Japanese victory.

In addition, the game is immediately finished in the Russian victory when the Russian unit enters the Japanese supply source (◑) hex.

[5.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY

The Japanese player performs the following procedures firstly, the Russian player performs secondly:
1. Choose one friendly unit, and move it.
2. Attack an enemy with the unit.

[6.0] MOVEMENT

If the friendly chosen unit is adjacent to an enemy unit, the unit may not move (attacking is allowed).

During the movement, the unit may not enter the same hex as other unit. If the unit enters a hex adjacent to an enemy unit, the unit ends the movement.

The unit which entered a hex having the icon of the mountain (mountain hex) stops there. In addition, the unit which begins the movement from the mountain hex may move only 1 hex. The unit which crossed the river stops movement there.

If there is not the limitation mentioned above, all units may move 1-2 hex.

[7.0] COMBAT

The player attacks one enemy unit with adjacent unit which is chosen in the turn. Attacking is compulsory, but the Russian unit inside a fortress does not have an obligation to attack the Japanese unit adjacent over a fortress line. In addition, the Russian unit in Mukden does not have an obligation to attack.

Attention: units which are not chosen in the turn do not have an obligation to attack even if they are adjacent to an enemy unit.

The combat is resolved by the following procedures:
1. The attacker (a side performing the turn) announces the fighting power.
2. The defender (a side not performing the turn) announces the fighting power.
3. Compare the fighting power difference.
4. Both sides roll a die and judge combat result.

Both sides may announce the fighting power of the friendly unit lower than it actually is, but they must call it at least "1".

If a Japanese unit attacks over a fortress or attacks Mukden, the called fighting power is halved (round up). If a unit attacks over a river, the called fighting power is lost 1. If a unit attacks a mountain hex, the called fighting power is lost 1. All these modifications are applied. In addition, the modification of fortress/Mukden is calculated lastly.

Subtract the defender's fighting power from the attacker's fighting power. If it is a plus, the attacker's die roll is added the difference; if it is a minus, the defender's die roll. However, the modification of the die roll is up to 2, even if the difference of the fighting powers is higher than it.

Both players roll a die, add the modification to the die roll and confirm the difference of them both:
0 or ±1...Both sides lose 1 fighting power.
±2...Fewer side loses 1 fighting power.
±3 or more...Fewer side loses 2 fighting power.

Record decrease of the fighting power. The unit that originally allocated fighting power became "0" is removed from the map.

The attacker may choose retreat 1 hex firstly, the defender secondly. If the attacker retreated, the defender may not retreat, but the damage of the defender becomes 0. Retreating may reduce the damage 1. Retreat to the hex which is not adjacent to an enemy unit. If there is not the hex to which the unit may retreat, the unit may not choose to retreat. In addition, the side that was not damaged may not choose to retreat. If the defender's unit is removed or retreats, the attacker's unit may advance to the hex in which the defender's unit was.

Time Passage: If the die roll that the attacker or the defender rolled was "6", time passes 1. If both sides rolled "6", time passes 2. If time passes 10, the game is finished. Please note down the time elapsed.

[8.0] JAPANESE 3RD ARMY'S DETOUR MANEUVER

If the Japanese player chose the 3rd Army, the Japanese player chooses putting it on hex A or the continuation of the wait out of the map. If the unit is put on hex A, the further movement is not allowed, but the attack is allowed. If the Japanese player chose a wait out of the map and chooses the 3rd Army again, the Japanese player may choose to put it on hex A or B, or the wait out of the map. If the Japanese player chose moreover the wait out of the map and chooses the 3rd Army, the Japanese player puts it on hex A, B or C.

[9.0] RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL

Only the Russian player may move friendly units from 3 hexes of the north map edge to off-map. Going out of the map by retreat is allowed. The unit which goes out of the map may not return to the map. If it seems that enough units escape to off-map, the Russian player may declare "withdrawal" to terminate the game (see 4.0).




Last-modified: Sun 01-Jul-2018 04:06:20 PM +0900 JST