Desert Disaster!

 GHQ Irregular Paul paid his first visit for a game after our complex summer hiatus. We had settled on a Sudan War game using Black Powder 2 as the rules driver once again. Paul would command the British Desert Column and could call on his cavalry force after three turns, arriving simply by passing an order test, and his infantry reinforcements from the zariba surrounded camp after six turns. The Desert Column consisted of four infantry regiments and the Heavy Camel Corps, supported by a Screw gun. I took command of the Mahdist force, fielding a wing of Nile Arabs and Bagarra Horse with a captured Egyptian Krupp gun and crew, while the centre and right of my force consisted of the Fuzzy-Wuzzys, more correctly Beja warriors on foot and on camel. These were supported by a captured Gardener gun with reduced capacity due to adjusting the necessary dice required to fire, to jam and to repair. As ever, a photomontage to give a sense of the action ~

The Bagarra Horse and Nile Arabs assault the Imperial infantry's leading regiments forcing them into a square.

They beat off the horse easily while on the left the Staffordshire regiment forms line to meet the onslaught of the Beja hordes.

The Beja warriors fall in droves before the British volleys which seems to cause the supporting Rhubs to falter in their advance.

The Heavy Camel Corps defeats the remaining Bagarra Horse preserving the Imperial flank from disaster as the Nile Arabs beat the Royal Surreys and break the square!

The stout hearts of the Black Watch are not dismayed by the Surreys fate and their brisk volleys drive off the Arabs!

Losses mount and discipline fails all along the Beja lines. Commanders just cannot get their men through the hail of fire from the British infantry!

The Heavy Camel Corps has destroyed the Mahdist left flank while the infantry have shattered the Beja on the other flank. The British cavalry arrive just as the victory is secured! It was all Too Much for the Mahdi as he slinks away defeated by British pluck!

As ever Black Powder gave a good game where fortunes ebbed and flowed bringing tension and uncertainty to the fore. For those interested in such things the figures are mostly from the Perry Miniatures Sudan War range with a few baggage camels from Castaway Arts and Essex Miniatures. The wadhi is made by The Last Valley and the Palm Trees are from S&A I recall.