"Mounted Patrol towards Hlobane AAR" Topic

We played today an AZW skirmish with a collection and kit I've been working on for years, but finally got onto the tabletop here for the 1st time. The scenario had mounted contingents of Imperial and colonial troops supported by a few units of Wood's Irregulars venturing into northern Zululand and an area populated by the renegade Swazi Prince Mbilini, and his allies the abaQulusi Zulu.

Their mission was to perform reconnaissance, burn kraals, crops, seize cattle, and kill any Zulu encountered.

Hidden in the grasslands around Mbilini's settlements the prince had placed his warriors in hopes of ambushing this enemy patrol, and destroy it if it pressed too deeply towards his main village. Coming from the south were abaQulusi regiments hoping to hit the enemy in the flank, if the warriors could arrive in time!

The battle area, with part of Mbilini's settlement at the far eastern end of the board -

On the approach, the Colonial horsemen went about their business, here riding to overtake a retreating herd -

The following horsemen then setting fire to the abandoned kraal -

The two encroaching columns now joined up in a general advance towards the east, and began to flush out Mbilini's hidden positions -

At this point in time, the abaQulusi arrived from the south, and from their trot broke into a rapid charge, hitting the dismounted horsemen closest to their advance first. The light horse were overwhelmed, and the British Mounted infantry and Irregulars came on in an attempt to save their comrades, but also becaming pinned downed as the Zulu relentlessly closed in -

Commanders Buller and Russell were able to break from the field on their fast steeds, being the only survivors.

(postscript – currently [and much needed] now on my painting table, a couple of reinforcing units of Imperial Line Infantry – the British will no doubt be back in greater force next time!)

GORGEOUS table !!

You should be very proud.

Interesting that the Zulus on foot can assault the enemy cavalry in your rules.

Wow, that's a beautiful game cloth! And the Zulu homesteads are terrific; I like the lift-off hut revealing a burning version. Very well done.

Although I didn't play in this one (I was at the next table catching torpedoes in a Cruel Seas game), it was a both a wonderful presentation and well received by it's players. Another Superb game by FlyXwire!

My congratulations on such a great looking game.

Thank you Guys!

As Fitz knows, part of my usual introduction to players…..hoping you like the look of the table, because I'm not sure if the game will play worth a damn! :)))

This one will get some more tweaking too – more British units, and the entry area along the southern board edge for the arriving Zulu units will be narrowed back eastward (requiring these units to cover more terrain on-board, rather than enabling them to "lurch" onto the table and immediately gain flanking attacks against the forward-skirmishing horsemen).

The 'rolling up' of the British from their flank was plausible under the circumstances, but that didn't help to make for a fun or competitive scenario. The commander of the Lt. Horse was gracious under the circumstances too, but really didn't need to own the results, as the Zulu counterattack basically became a pre-programmed ambush.

As others have said, great looking game.

That said, both Buller and Russell will be in for a hard time once they get back to British lines. It just doesn't do to leave the troops under your command to their fate.

I miss the MM day more often than not, which is one of the more severe bummers each month. Game looks GREAT!

VC, I'm imagining the local authorities won't be able to paper over this one either, or stall the after action reports. A Full Board of Inquiry certainly seems inevitable.

(in the meantime the Home Office has told me I need to get my reinforcements painted asap)

And thanks Andy – we'll hope to see you one of these Saturdays!?

FoyXWire, another beautiful game sir! The visual aspect is very important to most gamers. It sounds like a fun scenario nonetheless. I rather do appreciate lopsided games at times as a challenge.

What rules do you use? Pardon me if I've missed or forgotten.

Carry on up the veldt.

Cheers'
JB

JB, thank you again!

These rules I've been tweaking on for half a dozen years now. They started out as a Heart of Africa set, then modified them for Ost Afrika WWI, and recently I've made them more adaptable to most 19th-cen. colonial wars (requiring only that the unit rosters change from one colonial action to another).