Action in the Sudan - Capt. Kylor's Rescue Mission

 The British Army Captain walked into Lord Kevin's tent and snapped to attention.  "SIR!" he said with a smart salute.

Without looking up from his reports Lord Kevin acknowledged the young Officer, "Captain Kylor, we need you to take a detachment of men and head back to that Oasis we had the scuffle in yesterday.  It seems that in all the excitement that Reporter fellow, Rutherford, got himself captured by those Fuzzy Wuzzy chaps.  He is with the enemy who slipped away from our clean up operation and they have taken up shelter in the Oasis.  We need them routed out once and for all and Rutherford freed.  I believe Colonel Mike can lend you his command, he is attending to more pressing matters.  I will allow you to take the Black Watch along too.  Those Scotsmen will keep your troubles to a minimum.  Dismissed."

"YES, SIR!  You can count on me, SIR!" the Captain replied, again saluting.  Turning on his heel he grinned and quickly left the tent......

 

My Grandson Kylor came over the day after the battle at the Oasis of Yabba Dabba Doo.  Seeing the miniatures still out (I hadn't put them away yet) he was anxious to give them a try.  I asked for a few minutes and reset the board, taking about half of the units off and setting up what would become Capt. Kylor's Rescue Mission.

 

As the Oasis came into view Capt. Kylor called his column to a halt.  In the lead rode the 10th Hussars.  Directly behind the Captain marched the men of the Black Watch.  Behind them two units of Basha Bazouks, unreliable at best they hopefully will present a good showing in this mission.  Behind them followed two columns of Egyptian Infantry.

 

This is what I had set up for my Grandson to command.  At this point I gave him the basics of Blackpowder, all the basic info a 10 year old would understand.  I then explained to Kylor what he was facing.  I think I impressed him using my laser pointer to point things out......

 

Awaiting the British were (L-R) a unit of Camel Riders, a Warband of Fuzzy Wuzzies, an Artillery piece, a Warband of Ansar and a unit of Riflemen.  Rutherford the captured reporter can be seen standing near the camels behind the artillery piece.

I explained to my Grandson that what I would do is concentrate on getting his column into a battle formation.  I explained the importance of getting his units into firing lines and that while my strength lie in close combat, his strength was in range combat and holding me at arms length.  I also told him he had to read his own charts......

Kylor went first and listened to my advise.  Through the miracle of youngsters throwing dice he was able to get multiple units to take 3 actions.  His Egyptian units were able to change into a firing line and double move.  One of his Basha Bazouk units decided to triple move without changing formation.  His Cavalry and Black Watch units advanced cautiously while the last Basha Bazouk unit failed to activate.

 

As you can see in the picture above I was able to move my Camel Riders, Riflemen and double moving my Fuzzy Wuzzy Warband before failing my Command rolls.  I had confidence in the Warband's ability to absorb a Cavalry attack so I moved them out there to entice Kylor.  Seeing me move my Warband up Kylor's eyes kinda glazed over and he began to froth at the mouth...reaching for his dice.....

Kylor took my (ill-conceived) bait.  With great glee he sent his 10th Hussars crashing into my blood-thirsty Warband.  The Cavalry had taken a hit from my Artillery fire the previous turn, but were not disordered.  I rolled first getting 5 hits on the Cavalry unit.  I didn't realize that the Cavalry got 9 DICE IN COMBAT!!!!  Kylor gave as good as he got and I lost the combat.  I rolled magnificently on my Break Test and the Warband only pulled back 1 move. 

Since the Hussars had taken so many hits they were Shaken and needed to take a Break Test.  Kylor completely muffed his Break Test and the brave men of the 10th withdrew from the game....  Cries of "Not fair!" we met by my grin.....😝

Undeterred by the loss of his Cavalry, Captain Kylor urges his men forward...

My Ansar Warband advanced and came up short of charging the Black Watch.  The Black Watch on their own iniative charged into the mob of the Madhi's faithful.  The Black Watch took some hits but held their ground.  The Ansar ran away.

It was at this point that Kylor, the avid "Fortnite" player said to me, "Is there some Med Kits or Shield pots or something that I can use to removed some of those hits?"  Laughing at the way he put the questions I replied, "Now that you mention it...."

"Forward men, forward!  Let's show them what you're made of..."  Kylor moved his fire lines into excellent position.  I continued to have the bad Command Dice luck from the previous night.

My Skirmishing rifles dueled with his Egyptian forces.  The straggling Basha Bazouks move up while (at the top of the picture) their Comrades in Arms hold off my Camel Riders until......

The Camel Riders could take no more and ran off.  That was 2 (of 3 to break) units lost.  I was in desperate straights.  I charged the wounded  but not yet out of the fight Fuzzy Wuzzy Warband at the Basha Bazouks...if I could hit them they would be easy pickings.....

 

 

Heeding my instructions on how to remove hits from a unit, the shaken Black Watch was rallied to fighting order again and set their sights on my Artillery unit that was causing Capt. Kylor's men some grief......

Unfortunately for me the Bashi Bazouks held it together and delivered a volley of fire that cause my Warband to Break and run.....

While at the same time as the Black Watch charged, the Artillery crew joined in the flight of the Fuzzy Wuzzies...

Final score:  The British lost 1 unit and rescued the Journalist.

                     The Madhi forces lost 3 units and left the field.

But I think we both won...............

Action in the Sudan - Battle of Yabba Dabba Doo

      Kevin, Mike and I got together to do some Blackpowder gaming in the Sudan.  The Anglo-Egyptians were set up outside of the Oasis of Yabba Dabba Doo.  The forces of the Madhi were attacking at dawn, coming on in the usual fashion, charging with blood curdling cries of faith and battle.  

     What the Anglo-Egyptian forces didn't know (that would be Kevin and Mike) is that during the night a unit of Skirmishers and a small Fuzzy Wuzzy Warband had infiltrated the Oasis and were hidden in the buildings.  When the time was right, the Madhi (me) would spring the trap........

As dawn breaks, sleepy eyes begin to open in the British encampment.

The British camp consists of: 2 British Rifle units, The Black Watch, 2 Egyptian Regulars Units, a Naval Infantry unit and a Gardner gun.

2 units of Bashi Bazouks preferred their own company to that of the British camp.  The 10th Hussars are riding their horses back after allowing them to water and graze before the days duties.

And then just as the first rays of sunlight began to turn the morning sky crimson over the hills poured the forces of the Madhi!

4 units of the dread "Fuzzy Wuzzys", a unit of Ansar, 2 units of Riflemen, a unit of Cavalry and a unit of Camel Riders.  Not yet cresting the hill was a captured artillery piece that was being manhandled into position. 

Followers of the Madhi come screaming down the dunes crying out for the blood in the Infidel!!

 

The British forces (under Lord Kevin) were taken completely by surprise!  On the first turn only the Egyptian units (led by Mike Pasha) formed up and presented an awaiting defense.  Only one of the two Basha Bakouk units moved to help meet the attack.  True to form I charged the Madhi attackers into the teeth of the awaiting Defenders....

This picture is from a few turns in.  As you can see Lord Kevin has the British forming firing lines.  Mike Pasha's luck had run out though as one unit of Basha Bazouks and his Hussars refused to move.  And see those two Madhi units in the lower left corner of the picture.  They refused to move practically the entire game.  They were in a perfect position to come crashing into the Egyptian units but they failed activation after activation.  On the second to the last turn they moved once, on the last turn they moved once.......they were never a combat factor the entire game...only a threat......

The game was hard fought.  Both my opponents and myself were hampered by failed Command Rolls.  And my charges were consistently brought to a standstill by the dread Disorder combat result on Range Fire rolls.

Case in point, my Warband in the foreground charged and came up half an inch short of making contact.  They then got blasted by the British Rifle fire and disordered.  They returned fire with their 1 Spears ranged fire roll and disordered the British unit.  This went back and for for a number of turns, both sides either taking hits and saving, or rolling high enough on the Break Tests that they held their ground.  Rifle fire and Spear throwing seemed to be the preferred method of combat, neither side able to close!!

 Look to the upper left of the picture below.  See the 2 Fuzzy Wuzzy units in the upper left corner?  Those are the two that camped out on that hill; the whole game!  NEVER made a Command Roll check when it counted...and nothing but Egyptian Infantry before them!!!!

My Camel Riders in this picture...Disordered and cut to pieces by rifle fire.  My Rifle Skirmishers in the middle took many hits from the British unit to their front, but they saved when it counted.  The Warband behind them eventually got into contact with the British Rifle unit and was Disordered by Closing fire and then (with horrible dice rolling on my part) were destroyed in Hand to Hand....  A high point for me though was my Artillery unit.  It pounded away at the British, hitting time and time again with some very lucky die rolling.  As a matter of fact, the British Naval unit in the picture was destroyed by combined fire from the Artillery and the Skirmishers in the picture foreground.....

A panoramic view of the beginning of the end of the game.....

Once the British Cavalry had been committed I finally sprung my trap.  My Skirmishers and a small Warband came rushing out of the building at the Oasis.  Kevin very calmly swung the Black Watch and the Gardner Gun around to meet them.  The British Cavalry wheeled to the left and prepared to charge but then THEY were hit by Disordering fire (HOW DO YOU GUYS LIKE IT, EH?!!)  The Cavalry turned out not to be needed though for the rifle fire from the Scotsmen and Gardner gun was enough to all but wipe out the Warband.  After two more turn, during which my 2 Warbands on the hill made a whole 2 moves, we invoked the 10:30 rule.  The final score was 4 (5 to lose) dead Madhi units and 2 (4 to lose) British units.  Both sides had units that were ready to crumble, but in the interest of fair play we called it a near run, but British victory.

A hard fought game that was fun for all.  Lots of head hanging, eye rolling and good natured but ungentlemanly spoken words.  Sadly, this was our last game with these figures for they are going back to the friend I bought them from.  We don't really use them enough and he offered to take them back for what I paid him for them......

The last game I thought...till my Grandson came over the next day and wanted to play something.  These minis were still on the table (I was going to put them away later) so I rearranged a little, left about half out and set them up for "Capt. Kylor's Rescue Mission"...

But that is a story for another post...... 😉