The Grand Trunk!

Two face to face games in two days! Could the human body stand the excitement? Jon's first visit to GHQ since all this coronavirus malarkey kicked off in mid March was celebrated by an Indian Mutiny game pitting Lord Walton's Imperial Relief Force against the wiley Raja of Bhyklabad, a mutinous dog of a rebel if ever there was one ~

The action takes place astride the Grand Trunk Road leading to Bhyklabad where the British are besieged by hordes of bloodthirsty mutineers!

The rebellious Raja of Bhyklabad has drawn up his motley force astride the road where it winds between two low hills. Lord Walton's force must force a passage and escort their baggage train off the table before more Mutineers can arrive to slow their progress.

The rules in use are Black Powder 2. The Mutineers are in place astride the road awaiting the inevitable attack ~

No more waffle, let the pictures tell the story of the ensuing conflict ~

Imperial infantry advance against the hill tribesmen holding the high ground on the Mutineer left. The Great Gun of Bhyklabad is primed and loaded to deal out death and destruction.

The main part of Lord Walton's Imperial Relief Force advances directly on the Mutineer right and centre.

The Imperial Relief Force infantry calmly deploy into line under fire and begin to trade death with the hill tribesmen. The crew of the Great Gun of Bhyklabad are Disordered and their fire is ineffective.

To relieve the pressure on the hill tribesmen their mounted brethren impetuously charge the Disordered infantry. A brave but foolhardy action which sees them streaming to the rear in Rout.

Fresh hill tribesmen pour into the attack and in ferocious hand to hand combat defeat their Imperial opponents. Only a throw of double six can save them! Jon duly obliges! Cue gnashing of teeth on my side of the table!!!

In the centre hordes of Badmash are rushing forward like fanatics. It must end badly I fear. The Raja's Household Guards are sterling themselves for the coming carnage.

Back on the left more hill tribesmen stream to the rear while others reorganise to enter the fray afresh.

The Raja of Bhyklabad leads his elephants in a headlong charge against Neil's Bluecaps in support of the Badmash's impetuous attack on the guns. It does not go well and the charge is repulsed with many casualties.

In Turn 9 it's obviously all over for the Mutineer force, with units either fleeing in rout or retiring in the face of the inexorable advance of Lord Walton and the Imperial Relief Force.
A fine game we both agreed. Some poor Command Rolls hampered Jon at various stages and his attack was slow to develop in the centre as a result. This should have helped the Mutineer cause with reinforcements expected from Turn 3; cue my usual abysmal dice throwing. In fact they only began to arrive from Turn 6 when it was really too late to stem the tide. There were some memorable moments like Jon's Double Six to save an infantry rout and my Rajas Guard sending the Highlanders flying with one devastating volley.
It's a great hobby made even better when shared with like minded friends. Long may we all continue despite all this ongoing malarkey!