Ran three games based on "The Man Who Would Be King" at this year's Little Wars convention using Osprey's new The Men Who Would Be Kings system.
Figures were mostly 1/72 HAT, Red Box & ESCIs, with the odd Ral Partha thrown in. Movement trays were originally created for Sword & The Flame units, so they're substantially larger than needed for most TMWWBK units.
(first time poster, I apologize in advance if the photos don't come through)
In the first scenario, Peachy, Danny and Billy Fish led the Kafiristanis of Er-Heb against the Bashkai, pretty much a refight of the first battle in the 1975 movie. Here's a look at the practice setup in my basement. It features the gates of Bashkai above a large plain, with some rocky terrain on the flanks.
The game gets underway at Little Wars. Peachy & Danny's Kafiristani's attack across the open plain and on the right flank as the Bashkai army pours out of the city gates to meet them. Just like in the movie. I gave everyone a free At The Double move on the first turn to speed things up. P&D had 2 units of Irregular infantry, the only rifle equipped units in the game. They were deployed on the flanks, a strategy the would later come back to haunt them.
If Peachy & Danny could get an unpinned unit next to the gate, all Bashkai units took a -1 discipline modifier. Conversely, if Danny gets killed (they all think he's a god, remember?) the Kafiristanis take a -1. Danny had to be killed outright; he couldn't be hit on a snake-eyes casualty roll.
On the Bashkai right, the two armies battle over the rocky enclosure. Since most of the 21 units in the game were tribal infantry, this was a key piece of cover. Billy's rifle unit can be seen loitering in the rear near the dice box. They managed to get off some long range shots and began whittling down some Bashkai infantry. If they would have moved up a little more, their fire might have been devastating…
Meanwhile, in the center, three Bashkai units attempt to move up on the Kafiristani line. Peachy's rifle unit can be seen on the far flank. Danny's ferocious tribal cavalry holds the other end of the line.
Peachy's rifle shoots up the lead unit resulting in a pin. It's then destroyed by a combined assault of Kafiristani tribal infantry and cavalry. Witnessing the destruction, the second Bashkai unit fails its pin test, is assaulted an routs. Leaving only the third infantry unit to face a charge by Danny's horse. And that, gentlemen, is how we get things done in the Peach & Danny Army!
In the end, only four figures and a lot of casualty markers are all that's left. However Danny's unit was hit several times over the next few turns, resulting in 70 percent attrition. Fortunately his Leadership Value of 4 kept him in the fight. So far, looks like things are pretty much going the way they did in the movie…
[IMG_1925.jpg](https://postimg.org/image/7rhbna9b1/)
Danny decides to make a run at the gate in an attempt to rout the rest of the Bashkai …
The Bashkai send a full cavalry unit up to stop him.
Meanwhile, back on the Bashkai left, a second cavalry unit has snuck around the rocky hill, close enough to suddenly charge Peachy's rifles on the far flank, resulting in 6 hits! And a pin! Uh-oh. Peachy's unit managed to only get a couple shots off during the game, as most of its potential targets ended up masked by friendly infantry.
Over on the right, the Bashkai have captured the rocky enclosure, while Billy's rifles take pot shots at them at 1:3 disadvantage due to cover & range.
Danny made a last minute bid to save Peachy's routing unit, but ended up getting charged by the Bashkai white cavalry. Danny's body is the one on the right. I don't remember this happening in the movie …
In the end, we had a grand battle and a good time was had by most. Matt's white cavalry carried the day for Bashkai, with help from Eric's splintered camel unit. The Kafiristanis' big mistake was deploying their rifles waaaaay back on the flanks. Since the Kafiristanis were outnumbered 12-9, they really needed the firepower to help even the odds.
It remains to be seen whether Kipling will write this one up.
is back from Council of Five Nations.
