Engagement at Pender’s Kraal

Last week’s scheduled game here in GHQ, an Anglo-Zulu War game, was cancelled at the last minute when we were quarantined with the ‘Winter Vomiying Bug’, well Sue was anyway. All is now put to rights, so it was ‘game on’ just one week later. As ever the Imperial Force was lead by that giant of British Imperial talent, Lord Rawnsley, while the Zulus as ever were lead by the gallant, if incompetent, Chief Bykelezi m’Tubii ~

Lord Rawnsley

Chief Bykelezi m’Tubii

Continuing our now established routine of using Black Powder 2 wherever possible for our games the game was scheduled to last 10 Turns when, if no obvious victor emerged, night would have been deemed to have fallen and the Zulus to have slipped away. Shall we see how it went then?

As Lord Rawnsley's column enters the table they are surprised

by the Zulus! Not the best of starts you'd think...

The left flank of mounted troops of varying quality are facing

a charge by the Impi and fire from a group of skirmishers.

The Mounted Infantry charge the skirmishers, who try to

evade, unsuccessfully, and they are ridden down...

To add insult to injury the Impi fail to defeat the mounted

Natal Native contingent! This is not how it was supposed to

happen...

Although Shaken, the natives hold their ground and are

relieved to see the Somersetshire Light Infantry coming to their

aid.

Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the disaster on his right,

Chief Bykelezi orders the Impis forward to attack Pender's

Kraal before the supplies can be moved off.

The 80th, the Staffordshire Volunteers, Stand To. "Zulus,Sir,

thaasands of 'em!"

With their fighting spirit well up the Natives rash into the first

Impi. Madness you'd think? Well, the dice gods chose that very

moment to shuffle off...Oh Dear!

Another Shaken Impi fails to Rally! Oh Dear! Oh Dear!

And they are charged by the Mounted Infantry! This is all

coming unstook and no mistake!

Having seen off their second Impi, the Natives ride down a

second group of Zulu skirmishers.

And its all over in Turn 7 with all of the pride of Chief Bykelezi

either Shaken, Routed, or Destroyed. And hardly an Imperial

Brown Trouser moment in sight....

Well, as you can see from that, a resounding win for the forces of Lord Rawnsley! The Zulus plan was sound, but it all unravelled thanks to those fickle Dice Gods, again... Oh well, there is always a next time.