The Fate of the Raja's Treasury

The most recent game with Phil here in GHQ featured a return to The Indian Mutiny. The scenario sees the rebels' close ally, the Raja of Rhanzlistan, seeking to safely remove his treasure from the path of the vengeful Imperial force lead by General Havelock-Robinson. While he waits anxiously for his Mutineer allies he has mustered what forces he can to delay the approaching enemy ~

The Raja's Household Guards, cavalry, infantry and war elephants, form the immediate guard of his person and treasury.

They are supplemented by batteries of artillery, some local and some from his household, and his personal rocket troop.

The Treasury, the immediate objective of Havelock-Robinson's force, is a hive of activity as wagons are loaded with as much treasure as they can bear.

The Raja has called out his Bhurpa allies to supplement his force, or rather act as canon fodder perhaps!

And finally the local riff-raff of the Badmash, who can at least stop a bullet!

Havelock-Robinson launches his assault by unleashing his Hussars on the deploying Rocket Men. They hastily loose off their rockets, sadly unsuccessfully, and are ridden down!

As thecGrest Gun of Bhyklabad opens fire the whole of the Bhurpa-Badmash wing surge forward to block the ferengi's approach.

Highlanders and Gurkhas join Havelock-Robinson's attack, supported by the Rocket battery manned by the crew of HMS Pinafore. Their fire is no more effective than the enemy's!

As Havelock-Robinson coordinates his attack the H.E.I.C.'s foot artillery comes into action under fire from the Raja's big guns located on the hills ringing his position.

The Raja's Household Guard infantry advance to block the path of the developing assault, supported closely by the War Elephants.

The North Staffords advance with steely determination in column formation, foreskin a volley for the bayonet!

The ensuing melee is devastating for the Guards whose losses are heavy. A morale check sees them flee on a throw of snakes' eyes!

Further disaster strikes the Raja's cause when the supporting artillery similarly abandons its guns and flees the action. To compound it the War Elephants are thrown back too!

The Treasury is a scene of wild panic as the recoiling War Elephants effectively block the wagons' route of escape!

Mounted Bhurpa warriors crash into the deployed artillery in a wild charge. Closing Fire sees them Shaken and loosing the ensuing melee!

The Lancers charge a body of Mutineer cavalry. There can only be one outcome...

...the Mutineers are scattered to the four winds! Their raw courage no match for the disciplined charge of the Lancers!

The victorious Lancers throw caution to the wind, lower their lances and charge into the Badmash. There can surely only be one outcome...

...No! The Badmash defeat the Lancers in the melee and they break  their morale shattered by the unexpected defeat!

The War Elephants have rallied and move forward to block the North Staffords once more. Tellingly they have little support and find enemy artillery deploying to their exposed flank.

Buoyed by their victory over the Lancers the Badmash charge on into the Gordon Highlanders. Colonel Calder calmly forms his men into line and gives the enemy a sharp volley! Casualties are rising for the Badmash.

Once more the War Elephants are driven back by the North Staffords, though the threat of the artillery to their right flank is removed by a wild charge from the Bhurpa Warriors. Still no sign of the Mutineers, no urgently awaited by the Raja!

The War Elephants again regroup and rumble forward giving the North Staffords time to form line and open fire on their advance.

The Gordon Highlanders make short shrift of the Badmash, whose morale collapses causing them to flee. In their turn the supporting band are also checked and find little appetite for closing and join the rout!

The 33rd make short work of the wild Bhurpa Warriors,  resulting their charge with withering fire and seeing them flee in rout. Still no sign of the promised Mutineer relief force!

Suddenly the Raja realises that his army is Broken and that his Mutineer allies have failed to arrive and have let him down. He takes a final rueful look at that portion of his treasure he must leave for Havelock-Robinson before joining with the carts as they rumble away!

Such was the margin of  his victory that local publicans soon cashed in on the General's fame by renaming their drinking establishments in his honour. This one seen only recently 'Oop North!

The Queen's Justice

After the recent weeks employed on refurbishing older figures and painting those newly acquired, I felt we might give the Heart of Darkness collection a run out on the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ. Back in the day when our original collections hit the table we would have used Chris Peers' Death in a Dark Continent rules. But as in many other areas our hobby has moved on and so we are giving our Frankenrules, first seen a couple of months ago in a game with Paul, a second run out. Phil as our rules junkie in residence will no doubt have something to say about the experiment in due course...

On to the game then! In the opening scenario it seems King Bykalaizii m'Tuubi has been somewhat abusing his position as the dominant influence on neighbouring native tribes, fermenting unrest and interfering with the local commerce of the British SCEA Company! 'Robinson of the River' has determined the errant monarch shall feel the force of the Queen's justice!

To that end he has gathered his force, lead by the fearsome Askaris of the Queen's Own SCEA Rifles and the famed Sikhs of the Jalfrezi Rifles, fresh from triumphs on the NW Frontier in Rhanzlistan. Accompanied by two mountain guns this formidable array of Imperial might should soon put old Bykalaizii in his place!

The peaceful and tranquil abode of King Bykalaizii m'Tuubi and the P'Doki, totally unaware of what the wrath of Robinson of the River is about to unleash on them.

Activation and movement rates are borrowed from Bolt Action. Each side has 12 elements in the game, so 12 dice, with a Red End of Turn dice added for jeopardy. In addition at the start of each turn until every unit is on the table the arrival point of the Natives is determined by a three sided dice, each number corresponding with three tiles on the tabletop battlefield. 

All units in this run through are designated as Regular units as defined by Black Powder Mk2. Most Colonial units are of 6 figures, some native units are up to 12 figures and could be Large in future games? The Jalfrezi Rifles are charges here by a unit of P'Doki warriors. We add Closing Fire casualties into the total when determining the outcome of Hand-to-hand fighting. [Having used Hail Ceasar Clash and Sustained in the first trial of the Frankenrules we used the Black Powder rules' version today.] The P'Doki came off worst in this instance...

The second unit of the Jalfrezi Rifles catches the Pygmies in the open with a devastating volley! Phil suggested rather tongue in cheek that perhaps they should be a Small Target!

The Sikhs bring their mountain gun into action to further inconvenience the Pygmies! They become Shaken with excess casualties and fall back Disordered on failing their Morale roll.

The P'Doki attack is supported not just by the Pygmies but also the famous Lion Guard. The violence of the attack sees the Sikhs Shaken by losses and they must take a Morale test.

Unsurprisingly they fail and Rout. Our House Rule will allow two chances to Rally when their Order Dice is drawn.

While the Jalfrezi Rifles are engaged on his left flank Robinson has thrown three units of irregular Askari forward towards the King's Kraal. The leading element is surprised by P'Doki warriors who burst from cover. Although their Closing Fire is desoltary they are made of steam stuff and beat the Warriors in Hand-to-hand combat.

The Jalfrezi Rifles and their supporting Mountain Gun have blunted the attacks from the P'Doki Warriors and their Pygmy allies. This flank has seen several Turns of heavy fighting with fortunes ebbing and flowing.

While much attention has focused so far on the Left flank of Robinson's forces he has taken advantage of the scattering of Bykalaizii m'Tuubi's main forces by the random entry dice to advance largely unapposed on the King's Kraal. 

More P'Doki Warriors appear on the flank ofvthiscadvance rushing forward to engage our hero and his entourage. They ate greeting by a volley which Disorders them and leaves them Shaken! Oh, its those damned 'dice gods' again...

Morale check duly failed of course! The Warriors flee in Rout ~ remember the two Rally chances though!

Two units of the Queen's Own SCEA Rifles drive off more P'Doki Warriors opening the way to the King's Kraal and possible victory!

Finding the King's Kraal largely undefended, the irregular Askari waste no time in putting the huts to the flame! By now Bykalaizii's army is Broken. The remnants skulk away back into the forests to regroup and heal their wounds. The King's Kraal will be rebuilt and Bykalaizii m'Tuubi will wreak his vengeance on Robinson of the River!

A thoroughly entertaining game for both players. The game threw up one or two ideas which we incorporated as we went along. The red End of Turn dice introduced degrees of jeopardy in early turns, but then seemed to hide at the bottom of the dice bag! Some modifications were trialed to the Firing and the Hand-to-hand stats for Robinson's group and for the Europeans leading the Irregular Askari which we felt reflected rather better their attributes. Certainly handling the Natives after the early interrupted Turns (red dice effect) proved challenging and allowed Phil's more disciplined units to steal a march on Bykalaizii! We will reflect on the game experience over the next couple of weeks and perhaps try another run through.

Added Firepower

While browsing the Wargames Foundry stand at Partizan last month I came across this Askari gun & crew pack featuring a mountain gun and four crew. I must have had this set before at some point, because the crouching figure is already amongst my remaining figures from the original collection based along with some small statuettes. The bugler comes from the Askari Characters pack I also got at Partizan. He will muster into the ranks of the Queen's Own SCEA Rifles in due course.

Phil and I are planning a trial game next Tuesday across the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ. Hopefully he will bring his collection along too, once he's swept the cobwebs off it, to swell the numbers. We'll be using our 'Frankenrules' I first tried out with Paul earlier in the year. They combine Bolt Action Order Dice and Movement rates with Black Powder Firing and Hail Caesar Hand-to-Hand combat. We used the Stamina checks from Black Powder, along with Disorder and Shaken for Morale status. Paul and I thought they worked really well for a first try so I think that I might add in some Special Abilities for the second run through. More on all this I'd hope towards the end of next week after Tuesday's game. 

Revolutionary Action in GHQ!

Back in the groove after our early summer recess Phil and I met up across the tabletop battlefield here in GHQ once more. We had agreed on a Wars of the French Revolution game using Black Powder Mk2 rules as is our usual go to now. As we are a bit rusty after a three week hiatus I set up a simple encounter battle between an Allied force of British, Hanoverian and Emigré units and the Revolutionary French hordes! The game length is set at 12 Turns as is our usual limit. Now, enough introduction, down into the action via the expected annotated photomontage ~

A view along the French lines as their army enters the table: Light Cavalry in the foreground; infantry Demi-Brigades in the centre and far right; Heavy Cavalry behind the right flank in the distance.

The leading French Demi-Brigades step off in Ordre Mixte, combining the fire power of the line with the shock impact of the column.

The French HQ makes its plans for a comprehensive defeat of the Allies before them. {Tent by Grand Manor, figures by Perry Miniatures and Boot Hill.}

French Heavy Artillery stands ready to soften up the Allied lines facing the French army as it deploys for the attack!

Looking along the Allied line: Heavy Cavalry in the foreground; two Brigades of British Infantry; a Hanoverian Brigade of Line and Light Infantry; a Light Cavalry Brigade of Emigré units on the army's far left wing.

Emigré Light Cavalry occupy the far left of the Allied line, hopefully a deterant to the French right which looks very strong as it deploys.

The Grand Old Duke of York urges the Hanoverian Infantry Brigade forward, without much success it must be said in the early game turns! {Figures from Trent Miniatures, Wargames Foundry, Castings Room Miniatures, Front Rank.}

The leading French Demi-Brigade advances, screened by a cloud of skirmishers and closely supported by Dragoons and Heavy Cavalry. {Figures by Trent Miniatures, Eureka Miniatures, Wargames Foundry and Casting Room Miniatures.}

The Heavy Cavalry and Dragoons in close support of the French infantry played a leading role in disrupting the Allied left wing as it struggled to engage the French infantry assault.

On the French left the Light Cavalry Brigade, supported by two batteries of Horse Artillery, advances with élan creating the long ridge dominating the Allied right wing where the Heavy Cavalry has proved sluggish in deployment.

First blood though to the Life Guards who smash into over enthusiastic Hussars and Rout them in short order!

Hanoverian Light Infantry braces itself for the inevitable French attack, throwing forward a screen of skirmishers to harass the French advance. As French Dragoons try to work around the Allied flank they are met by a reckless charge of the Hompesch Mounted Rifles!

Buoyed by their early success against the French Hussars the Life Guards sweep forward to attack the second line of the Lights. Victory here would seriously compromise the French left, but their casualties are already mounting after two rounds of melee.

Back on the Allied left wing the first crisis is passed. A combination of steady fire and the cold steel of the bayonet sees one column of the French Demi-Brigade thrown back in rout! The over confident Dragoons are also forced to retreat. The Allies have a breathing space on this flank but need supports.

The French renew the attack on the Allied left. The Hanoverian Light Infantry are Shaken by the violence of the assault but their morale is high and they fight on dogedly. Not so the Mounted Rifles who are routed by the supporting line of French Dragoons!

Despite dispatching the second line of Hussars the Life Guards are blown and a determined charge by the French Chasseurs sees them routed in short order. The advancing British infantry sensibly forms square for defence against the new threat.

Back on the Allied left the heroic Hanoverian Light Infantry defeat the remaining parts of the Demi-Brigade after a gruelling and drawn out melee. {They passed numerous Morale Checks despite losses!}

Meanwhile on the Allied right the situation changes yet again. Despite shaky morale the British Heavy Cavalry, the Kings Dragoon Guards and Scots Greys, see off the Chasseurs in short order. French élan it seems is no match for British grit!

In the centre of the line the British squares support one another to decisively repel attacks from both French Heavy Cavalry and infantry Demi-Brigades! 

Suddenly the morale of the French army collapses as losses see three of its six brigades Broken. Phil is forced to concede defeat and order the remnants of his army to retire. The Allies are victorious but too exhausted to follow up their victory; the French escape to fight another day!