Historical Background 1.0 Set up 2.0 Sequence of Play 3.0 Actions
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This game was fi rst published in Boardgame Magazine. A Game by Wei Cheng Cheng. Graphics: Daniel Herbera and Olivier Revenu. Translation: Lawrence Ho Historical Background Map 800 th Heroes The Battle of Shanghai broke out on August 13 , The map depicts ten Areas (from A to J). • all units are rotated back (the edge with 1937. After defending in Zhabei, Shanghai, for two The red circles show the Japanese set-up the maximum Action Points should be fac- months, the Chinese Kuomintang 88th Division under areas, the blue circles show the Chinese set- ing the owning player). the 72nd Army decided to leave one of its over-strength up areas. The white circle show the British • Place Japanes reinforcements due to ar- battalion behind to cover its withdrawal. On 26th Octo- American concession area. Area A is the rive on next turn in area A or B ber, Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan from 524th Regi- Headquarter of the Japanese Army and • Advance the Turn marker to next turn ment of the 262nd Brigade, under the mandate of his Area G is the headquarter of the Chinese (one turn is one day) Division Commander Sun Yuanliang, personally led Army. If Area E, F, G are attacked by other 400 soldiers to defend the Sihang Warehouse. Sihang areas, the defense strength of the Chinese 3.0 Actions Warehouse (or the Warehouse of the four banks, also Combat Units (only) are increased by +1 or • The player can choose to activate from 1 known as the Chinese Mint-Godown) was a six-story +2. If the combat units are attacked within to 3 friendly units in one area to spend one concrete building warehouse built by four Chinese the same areas, the defensive bonus is ig- Action Point. Banks in Shanghai at the north-western edge of New nored. • By spending 1 Action point, the activated Lese Bridge, just north of Suzhou River. The Kuomint- unit can moving to an adjacent area OR at- ang army was deployed in the Bunker west of the ware- Counters tacking an ennemy unit in the same or ad- house, Bank of Communications on the left and North Red background counters are Japanese jacent area Tibet Road on the right. October 27th, the Japanese 3rd units, blue background counters are Chi- • The activated units must perform the Division, approached the Sihang Warehouse but was nese units. same action (same move or attacking same forced to quicklyretreat. The defenders of the 1st Battal- The front side represents the full strength unit). ion was waiting for them... The Japanese attack in the unit, the back side represents the reduced • After performing the action, the counter afternoon successfully dislodged the Chinese 3rd com- strength unit. is rotated clockwise 90 degree to reduce the pany from their position but they were fi nally pushed The dots around the counters represent available Action point allowance by one. back by the Grenades of the Chinese defenders. the Action Points of the units Should there be no Action Points left (i.e. Although the Japanese sent their bombers to sup- the side pointing to the owning player has port the attack on October 28th, they did not bomb 1.0 Set up no dot), then that combat unit can’t be ac- the Chinese defenders in Sihang Warehouse for fear of Place the turn marker on the fi rst box of tivated again in that turn. targeting the Gas Company in the concession area. And the Turn Record Trackl. Set up the units Exception: see 4.0 the four Japanese infantry guns, deployed in the North- (Chinese fi rst) without any number on its west, could not penetrate the three meter thick walls. upper right corner in their respective set up 3.1 Movement On October 29th, the Japanese sent five tankettes area (Blue areas for Chinese, Red areas for • The player can choose friendly units (up to reach and blockade the main road north of Sihang Japanese). Maximum number of combat to 3 units) in an area to spend one Action Warehouse, but the Chinese defenders repelled the at- units per area is four. Point to move to an adjacent area. tack with grenades and MG fi res. Two tankettes were The edge with the maximum Action • Stacking limit (i.e. the sum of Chinese destroyed at the gates of the warehouse. Points should be facing the owning player plus Japanese units in an area) is 4 units In the evening, Yang Huimin, a young girl scout, and must be repected at any time. swam across the river to deliver a Chinese National 2.0 Sequence of Play • Diagonal movement is not allowed (ex- fl ag. The exploit raised high the morale of the Chinese • Each player rolls a die. The player with ample: from C to D or from B to E). defenders. the highest result get the initiative. • To enter an area occupied by Chinese On October 30th, the Japanese attackers were begin- • The players act alternatively. They can Units, the number of Japanese Units in this ning to concentrate their heavy weapons to fi re at the choose to perform an action or pass. Then area at the end of the move must be equal or Warehouse, but the lack of high ground prevented the other player takes his turn. This repeats greater than the number of Chinese Units. them to suppress the Chinese defenses (the warehouse until the Turn ends when either both play- (Exception: This limitation does not apply was the highest building there). ers have used all the Action Points of all to tanks). On 31th October, Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan was their units or both players have choose to This limitation does not apply to Chinese ordered to attempt a breakout to reach the British- pass consecutively. units. American concession. The remnants of the Chinese st Defensive Reduced Turn of defenders retreated on 1 November, marking the end strength unit arrival of the heroic six days defense. Chinese losses were less than 70, around 300 Japanese attackers were killed in the action. The Chinese called the Defenders of the warehouse “the Eight Hundred Heroes”. Action point Special Combat capability bonus • Only Infantry and Machine Gun units • Machinegun: Machinegun can enter Area G (the warehouse). Both units can the dice once when sides can only enter Area I (the bridge) at attacking if they don’t hit with Turn 6. the fi rst roll. • Mortars: Mortars unit en- 3.2 Attack ters the game in Turn 2 as Japa- • The player can choose friendly units (up nese reinforcement. It can be to 3 units of the same type) in an area to used to attack all the enemies in an adjacent spend one Action Point to attack an enemy area. It can not attack in his own area. unit in the same or adjacent area. • Tanks: Tanks enter the • Diagonal Attack is not possible game in Turn 3 as Japanese • The attacking player chooses an enemy reinforcement. An attack by unit to be attacked and then roll two dice a tank will modify the Attack and add any relevant modiefers Strength by +1, +3 if two tanks units are • If the result is equal or greater than the attacking. A moving Japanese Tank unit targeted unit’s defensive strength, the attack is not subject to the restrictions that the is succesful: Japanese Units moving into area occu- - the targeted unit must spend 1 action pied by any Chinese units must be equal point to retreat to an adjacent area which or greater than the number of Chinese is closer to its headquarter (area A for the Units in that area. Tanks can spend two Japanese, G for the Chinese). Action points in the same activation to - If there is any ennemy unit in this area, move and fi re or fi re and move. or the targeted unit is already in his head- On their fi rst turn, tanks can use only 2 quarter area, or there is already 4 units in Action points this area, the targeted unit can not retreat • Artillery: Artillery unit en- and have to take a step loss (the player fl ip ters the game in Turn 4 as Japa- the unit on its reduced side). If the unit is al- nese reinforcement. An artillery ready on its reduced side, it is eliminated. attack will modify the Attack Strength by • If the result is lower than the targeted +2. It can be used to attack all the enemies unit’s defensive strength, the attack has no in an adjacent area or an area two areas effect. away. It can not attack in his own area. • The combat modifi ers are: +1 for each attacking unit after the fi rst one. 5.0 Special counters +3 if two tanks units are attacking. • Grenade: Can be used twice - X depending of the defensive value of in a Turn. It can be used to at- the area if the targeted unit is a Chinese unit tack all the enemies in an area and if the attack is launched from an adja- occupied by a Chinese unit. cent area. • Chinese National Flag: Chi- nese Player can use the Chinese 4.0 Special capabilities National Flag once per turn starting from 30th October (Turn 4) . Using • Lieutenant Colonel Xie the Chinese National Flag count as conduct- Jinyuan: he can use his Action ing an action and will recover one Action points for one unit of the same Point for all the surviving Chinese Units. or adjacent area to conduct an action.