Zulus - 1 May 2014

A Thursday night for a second go at the Zulu siege skirmish game with new appropriate scenery (2 mission station buildings, a dry stone cattle kraal and sandbag defences) and a reversal of sides - Deej and Kieron as the Brits and Andy and Stu as Zulus.

A plethora of Zulu cards coming up early resulted in large forces surrounding the mission station and managing to rush the defenders without the chance for them to fire many volleys.  Both buildings were overrun with the Redcoats managing to recapture the hospital once before having to fall back.  Mid-way through the game it looked like it was all up for the British but a run of Red cards allowed them to stabilise the position.  The relief column arrived reasonably quickly in the second run through the pack allowing the British to claim victory.

A good game but again quite an abrupt end.  Next time we'll try it with all 4 Aces having to come up in the second pack run through for a victory to be declared, allowing hopefully for more tension to build up.

The moment before the relief column arrived - the handful of survivors have pulled back to the inner courtyard as the Zulus charge in

Zulu Wars Skirmish Game - 19 March 2014

Adrian's excellent write-up and photos of this game are on his Rival Colonial Miniatures blog but I thought I'd add my photos here too.  A fun game with Adrian's lovely figures and edge-of-the-seat game mechanics.  Replay please!

Black Powder - Zulu Wars, 22 October 2012

An extra half-term bonus figures game in the form of Black Powder Zulu Wars at Adrian's.  The scenario saw a British column advancing to liberate a Boer homestead overrun by Mblini's impis and deal a punitive blow to any of his warriors they came across.  The column consisted of two brigades, the first commanded by Orhan of 3 companies of the 24th Foot and a Boer commando in skirmish order.  The second, led by Kieron, was made up of 2 more companies of redcoats, a Royal Navy landing party, a skirmish unit of Natal Native levies and a Gatling gun and crew.

The British column advances, with Boer skirmishers out in front

The Brits, spotting Zulu skirmishers in the homestead, gave the order to advance and engage the enemy, with the rear company on the left flank forming up to screen the flank of the column.

The advance company of redcoats backed up by Natal Native levies as seen from the homestead.

With the British committed on their right flank, the Zulu commander (Jonathan) unleashed his impis against the British left, with the traditional clashing of assegais on shields.  Moving from off-table, the 'Right Horn' of the Zulu 'Buffalo' - 3 impis and a skirmish unit helped by a good command role - crashed into the midst of the column and massacred the Gatling gun crew (albeit at heavy cost having suffered pass-through fire from a company of the 24th), with one impi charging on past the wagon train hoping to cut off the lead British units.

As one impi charges across the road, the Gatling gun and crew is wiped out

Having undergone the shock of ambush, the British officers dressed their lines and massed volley fire saw two impis cut to pieces (with YouTube helpfully providing appropriate sound effects from the film...).

Volley fire from the thin red line about to give what for to two impis

But this turned out to be a false (zulu) dawn for the British column.  Mblini's elite warriors (the 'Head of the Buffalo') joined the fight from the left flank whilst the 'Right Horn' sallied out from the hills behind the homestead - and experienced the only command blunder of the game, sallying too far to their own right thus denying them the chance to run down the Natal levies.  In the centre the fight was hanging in the balance, the British volleys not quite managing to keep the warriors at bay, and the first British company going down under the stabbing spears.

Having despatched the first British company, an impi (left) turns to surround another British unit

With their backs against the wagons and the Zulus pressing on, the redcoats sought to keep the distance from their adversaries, but the weight of numbers was against them.

The British companies are assailed from all sides

The final British stand was made in the rough and hilly ground, the three remaining companies of the 24th and the Naval Brigade standing shoulder to shoulder but without any barricades to hold off the enemy.  As the distance closed to hand to hand it was all over for Her Majesty's forces.

The trap is closed

The game played through very smoothly and quickly - we were all done in 2.5 hours.  We realised we had made two main mistakes with the rules, one in the Brits' favour and one in the Zulus'.  For the Brits I permitted the infantry companies to use skirmish formation despite it not being specifically an attribute of these troops.  This allowed enhanced firing dice and mobility which made a key difference early in the game. But against the Brits we forgot for a few turns that natural 6's on shooting dice cause disorder, and we also forgot the inhibiting factor of disorder/being shaken when it comes to charging home - so the Zulus got off a bit more lightly in the early turns than by rights they should have done.  So perhaps these aspects more or less balanced out.  We also didn't really remember the special abilities of the redcoats or elite impis either, but there you go.

Overall it was a great game, which felt very plausible and was heightened no end by the film soundrack with Michael Caine and Stanley Baker crying out 'First rank, fire! Second rank, fire!" etc etc.  Definitely worth me continuing to paint up units for this period - perhaps for another outing at Xmas.

Zulus! 31 August 2011

After having painted up 180 Zulus, 30 Natal Natives and 60 British plus a couple of wagons it was time for a game of Black Powder before everyone got too busy again after summer hols. James and Orhan took the roles of the brave British garrison at the mission station at Myers' Drift. Opposing them was the massed Mblini clan under the princely leadership of Andy ('Hyena of the Pongolo'), David and Kieron.

The Zulus had lain up for a day, hidden in ambush in the hills and mealie fields around the mission station, awaiting the arrival of the supply wagons and the doughty Naval Brigade. Their plan was to attack the wagon train, drawing out the Redcoats into a close quarter ambush.

The attack from both sides of the road had the Sailors and Native contingent fleeing (after a British command blunder) although Andy's attacking impi stalled on the hillside after the rapidly moving British relief column set up a firing line and kept them suppressed with enfilade fire.

As the wagons and porters headed for the camp, the Natal Natives, Boers and Sailors were pummeled by Andy and David's warriors. The 24th Foot started to form up to repulse the attacking Zulus, only for Kieron to unleash his main force - the elite Impis of the Royal army from the mealie field into the rear of the thin red line. Luckily for James, his supporting company was able to join the melee, hitting the first band of Zulus in their rear - only for the second Impi to crash into combat.

The British held for a time (their Stubborn and Steady ratings being key) but eventually the first company crumbled and the impi charged on, heading for the wagons. At this point the power of the British firing line came into its full effect - the Gatling gun on the hillside opened up with enfilade fire at the same time as the third company of infantry. The impi melted away. The final turn saw Orhan preparing to retire his remaining Redcoats as David sprang his own mealie-field ambush - necessarily prematurely in terms of the game, but it was getting late.

The umpire declared the game at honours even. The vital supplies looked like mostly being rescued, but at a high cost in dead British soldiers and sailors.

This was probably the largest 28mm game we've played with Rivals' figures - and the first to use casualty figures, which, for this period at least, seemed to work.