Anglo-Zulu War The Men Who Would Be Kings Game

 

Zulus and British deployed

Zulus advance

British form close order

Last Wednesday night I went over to Rick's place and we played an Anglo-Zulu War game of The Men Who Would Be Kings. Rick and Gary commanded the British and I was the Zulu commander. The scenario was To the Last Bullet (p.48), which is based on the retreat of forty 80th Foot, under the command of Serjeant Booth, from a Zulu ambush at Intombe River. This proved to a very one sided game and a tough scenario for the Zulu attackers. I had four units of umarried Tribal Infantry who were fierce and two units of married Tribal Infantry who were veterans. The British had three units of Regular Infantry and only two of these did any actual fighting!

The British volley fire proved brutally efficient and only one Zulu unit made it into combat, they were beaten off with ease and then blown away in the next turn. Failed attempts to rally saw most of the pinned Zulu units rout. More terrain and better dice may have helped the Zulus but their best chance seemed to be to try and get behind the front firing arc of the close order British infantry. Still it was fun to get out and use Rick's Zulus and British.

Back Zulu unit rallies from pinning, the rest advance

Attack at the double!

Brits fight off the attack, Zulu unit retreats pinned 

Zulus are pounded by volley fire

Attack fails, most Zulu units rout

Peninsular War Rebels and Patriots Game - Hold the Bridge

French attackers on the left, British defenders on the right

Most of the French advance

95th Rifles enter the woods and the KGL cross the river

Riflemen evade the attacking French, KGL on the bridge form Close Order

KGL in the woods suffer casualties but are undaunted

As I mentioned in my last post, yesterday I played a solo late Peninsular War game of Rebels and Patriots. In the scenario the French attack a bridge and the outnumbered British trying to hold it for six turns. This was a standard 24 point game with the companies as described before. It turned out to be a pretty tough scenario for the French against the upgraded British units who were all Veterans, Aggressive and Good Shooters or Sharp Shooters in the case of the 95th Rifles. The French managed to attack in the woods and on the bridge but were beaten back and suffered heavy casualties. They were disordered and their attack foundered. It was a fun game and good to get my French and British Napoleonics out on the table.

French attack the KGL

KGL force them to retreat and follow up leaving them disordered

Volley fire by the KGL on the bridge leaves the French retreating and disordered

Final turn and the valiant French attack has foundered

British Attack on a Mahdist Village - Sudan War The Men Who Would Be KIngs Game

The Mahdist village in the centre of the table

Mahdist forces gather on the edge of the village

Egyptian infantry advance towards the village

British Camel Corps advance

British infantry advance

Here are some photos of a Sudan War The Men Who Would Be Kings game we played about two years ago at the club. The figures are all from Rick's Sudan War collection. The scenario was a British attack on a Mahdist village. The Mahdists advanced impetuously out of the village to meet the British forces. They managed to destroy the British Camel Corps but suffered heavy casualties. In the end the British were in a position to capture the village, with the remaining Mahdists pinned or too weakened to resist.

Mahdist reinforcements arrive

The British forces and their objective, the village

Mahdists advance impetuously

 Gatling gun and Naval Brigade crew get in the action

Mahdist tribesmen charge the Camel Corps

Mahdists suffer heavy casualties