Part two:- Wily Tribesmen The second with the "Lonely Gamers" was a larger 1000 point game, this also heralded the arrival of two other lonely Gamers, Victor and Brian. Nathan than set up the table, and briefed us on the game scenario. I commanded the Mahdists with my able sub commander Victor, our goal was to stop the British Relief column, and capture and destroy the supply column, Greg's and Brians goal was to relieve the besieged garrison. As I had selected Wily tribesmen as my army selection we could have hidden troops in the shrubbery in our deployment zones. Each army also had to keep a reserve off the table, plus a flank march so this made things interesting. As I had seen in the previous game the speed that Madhists moved, I set up the two wings at each edge of the table, the British mirrored my deployment my left and stayed in column on the right. Our goal was to capture the supply column so we decided to attack and pin the British left flank and send the rest through the middle to capture and destroy the supply column. Mahdist Left
Turn One
The Mahdist’s won initiative and immediately headed off on the right flank, using push moves moving 18 inches in their first turn they also sprung two hidden units on the right flank, the British right stayed in column and seemed to be trying a flanking move on the left setting up their guns to cover the infantry
Turn Two
The British win the Initiative and continued movement, the Mahdist Infantry sets up for the assault on the British left flank, the British right advances down the flank, the guns manage to make some mahdists check thier movemnt, causing a rethink to the mahdist push in the centre and left, and the turing point of the game.... the Mahdist cavalry arrive in the rear of the british guns!
Turn Three
The Mahdist need and win the initiative charging the guns and the supply convoy some light infantry try to defend it and are beaten so they fall back the Mahdist cavalry start looting the supply coloumn, the British reform to meet and then repulse the Mahdist assault on the right, on the left however one British column is caught in the flank and retreats off the table!
Turn Four
The British win initiative (lucky rolling) and the British cavalry arrive to win the day (so they think) the Mahdists have now started the second turn of looting the supply wagons, the Mahdist left falters and starts retreating, the right also fails to charge home, failing push charge rolls.
Turn Five
The Mahdists win initiative and try a all out assault on all fronts, the left and right falter after some cunning moves and excellent firing by the British regulars, the British cavalry cuts down the first Mahdists then over runs onto the flank of a second unit (damn thier eyes), the Egyptian Infantry charge the Mahdist cavalry looting the supply train but fall back in disorder and are all cut down by the other mahdist cavalry unit, the Egpytian infantry also fall back in the centre and Mahdist infantry are now in the rear of the British Regular troops
Turn Six
The British win initiative and charge the cavalry into the rear of the mahdist infantry cutting them all down they fail to overrun to the baggage, allowing the Mahdist cavalry to complete the plundering and win the day for the mardists.
What a great victory for the Mahdists, looking forward to gaming some more Colonial games with the Lonely Gamers in the future!
I found Andrews rules very fast play, the ability for units to move very fast as long as they are in command actually makes commanders useful in a game, Initiative is all important failure to win can be devestating as both of us found out, the Mahdists probaly done the best they could with what they had, Gregs rolls saved the day for his British regulars on his left, as they were outnumbered by three to one. I failed to capitalize on my left when the british infantry were in coloumn a all out assault on them by four units would of convincingly won the day instead of a minor victory for the Mahdists.
Cheers Matt
