"The Wind and the Lion in 54mm" Topic

The 1975 film The Wind and the Lion is very popular among my wargaming friends, so I thought I would host a game based on the final battle. I used Fistful of Lead Bigger Battles rules. The game started with 63 mounted Berbers charging the fortified village. In the film, set in 1904, the Moroccan Bashir is supported by Germans in spiked helmets. They are holding the Raisuli, a Berber brigand, played by Sean Connery, prisoner. Just to complicate things, a detachment of US Marines, along with Mrs. Pedecaris, who had been the prisoner of the Raisuli but is now in love with him, have freed the Raisuli and are fighting the Bashir's bodyguard and the Germans. It's all complete nonsense, historically.

Two of the four players had never seen the film, but, without coaching, the game developed a narrative that was close to that of the film. In the end, The Berber horsemen, loyal to the Raisuli were able to triumph over the Germans and the Bashir's bodyguard.

Another great table, Nick!

-- Ah, Mrs. Perdicaris! The Baraka has not deserted me!

Cut me down quick before it does.

I continue to hope some day to participate in one of your games.

Excellent.

GREAT looking game!

Looks and sounds like a great fun game !

Great looking table and scenario, thanks for sharing.

Gorgeous!

Ha! That's awesome! Nice job Nick!

I love 54mm gaming… Beautiful table, terrain, and figures. Thank you, for sharing. Cheers!

A great movie and a great looking game. I have been shocked lately to find several of my war gaming buddies who are not familiar with that movie.

I'm sold! You had me when you said "In 54mm" LOL

That's super Nick. Looks like a game for Enfilade 2025 to me.

Thanks for all the kind words! I find Fistful of Lead Bigger Battles a little screwy. You roll on a wound chart for every hit and high is bad. If you roll poorly (high enough) you can actually take more kills than you have hits. I may try the scenario again with TSATF.

KSmyth, thanks!If I can get someone to transport my toys the 700+ miles to Tacoma next year, I will definitely run it at Enfilade.

NIck, my beloved Maiwand brother of many years… yours was a big and glorious game indeed by the looks of it, and yet… how can I ever forgive you using the term, "complete nonsense," in connection with -- of all things under the sun that never set (on a certain Empire) -- "THE WIND AND THE LION"?!?!?!

Historically, I would not take issue if you had claimed… MOSTLY nonsense. Okay, there's an argument for that -- but Pedicaris WAS a U.S. citizen kidnapped by the Raisuli, the fact he happened to be a Greek immigrant businessman as opposed to a beautiful Yankee blonde female with two young children is mere detail -- and the real Pedicaris did have a step-son who was kidnapped along with him, so what if he was approximately 50 at the time, surely that doesn't change the emotional essence of the parent/child relationship?! And Teddy Roosevelt DID send U.S. warships -- with at least a few Marines onboard -- to Tangiers in response, along with the famous message: "PEDICARIS ALIVE OR RAISULI DEAD."

No pressure, but maybe if you bring your 54mm "The Wind And The Lion" extravaganza down to Orange County for Mini-Wars on the weekend of September 27th to 29th, I will find it in my heart to forgive you your trespass!

Mad Guru, it looks like there is only one way I can redeem myself.

Vell, if you do, Nick, I'll finally get to meet you :)

More fuel to the fire of a SoCal sojourn for you this coming Fall, Nick!