Against the Odds: Storm over Taierzhuang

By 1938, the Second Sino-Japanese war was not going well for the Chinese. Since July 7, 1937, the Japanese had conquered huge swathes of Northern and Eastern China and were steadily pushing deeper. With the Japanese conquest of Shanghai, Beijing, and Nanjing in 1937, Nationalist leader Jiang Jie Shi (Chang Kai Shek) moved his headquarters to Wu Han. The Japanese saw an opportunity to capture the important rail junction of Xuzhou and thereby endanger Wu Han, which could force a Chinese capitulation. The Nationalist Chinese generals, however, also saw the Japanese move as an opportunity to lure their enemy's forces into a cul-de-sac where they could be encircled by the numerically-superior Chinese forces.

The town of Taierzhuang was chosen as the site for this trap as it was an important rail terminus on the way to Xuzhou. Li Tsung Jen, the Nationalist Chinese general in charge of the 5th War Area (with around 100,000 men in 9 divisions), was given the task of defending Xuzhou. He and his command were familiar with the area and terrain that would channel the attacking Japanese into attacking Taierzhuang.

The game is played in 13 turns, each of which represents a day. The game uses an area movement/impulse action system made famous by Storm Over Arnhem, but heavily modified by a tactical chit system which is the heart of the game. The game also contains random events and various optional rules to give a diverse range of variations to both sides' play.

Storm Over Taierzhuang and issue #25 of ATO

Map - One full color 22"x34" mapsheet
Counters - 240 full color 1/2" die-cut pieces
Rules length - 8 pages
Charts and tables - 4 pages
Complexity - Low
Solitaire suitability - Low
Playing time - Up to 6 hours