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| The Suffolks move forward to relieve the Gordons who have been reduced to the point where they must retire. |
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| Lord Methuen can't quite believe what he is seeing, how can these Boer farmhands be holding up the soldiers of the Queen? |
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| Finally some luck for the British as the Commandant of the right-flank Commando is hit forcing a 'flee' test - drat, the Boers pass the test. |
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| Time for some different tactics - the Suffolks lie down as soon as they get to medium range and return fire supported by the maxim. |
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| It works - after a poor morale roll (of 2) the Boer right-flank Commando decide they've had enough. |
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| Methuen orders the 5th Lancers forward in the vain hope that the Boer army will retreat. |
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| What's left of the Suffolks look on as the enemy to their front retire. |
I called a halt to the game after turn 10 as the British had lost over half of their force and had little chance of any real success. It was some consolation that one Boer Commando had been forced to retire but I had to concede that it was a British defeat.
I like the way the rules played out, but it did seem that things were quite heavily stacked against the British, so I have made a few further tweaks and additions in the interest of balance. In fact, I am so enthused that I have placed an order for one more British unit from Raventhorpe Miniatures.
Hi IAN- splendid report and jolly well photoed...surprised to see the British Force defeated by the Boer. Great work on painting up the figures too. Have you looked at playing 'Laings Neck' scenario - I did this many years ago using 1/72nd Esci Zulu War British and Conversions for the Boers from ACW Confederates...we played the game at Ingleburn Army Camp back in the 1980's. Best Wishes. KEV.
ReplyDeleteHi Kev, glad you like the battle report. All my British are in khaki so the First Boer War battles are out unless I paint some redcoats!
DeleteWell, the Gordons were in khaki at Majuba.......
DeleteWell, it looks good! Given that a bayonet assault support by artillery won Talana Hill (at great cost) it was worth a shot, again and again.....
ReplyDeleteNo worries Ross I will no doubt try it again and again!
DeleteExcellent report from the front.
ReplyDeleteThe result may upset a few civilians when reading The Times at breakfast but the sun will rise again on The British Empire!
Matt these are my feelings exactly - pip pip old bean!
DeleteNice game and lovely figures - playing solo makes me wonder about some sort of hidden placement for Boers. Perhaps a series of potential positions for each Kommando only one of which is real. The Boers would be allowed to fire from any position up until the time that they are 'located/revealed'... Hmmm, how to handle artillery fire on the position when it hasn't yet been revealed - perhaps suppression makers against the targeted position so the fire form that position is suppressed - when the Boers are located the suppression markers on their true position are removed as casualties the markers on false positions are removed. Next question - what does it take to locate a Boer unit... a balloon would be useful!
ReplyDeleteI'm already finding that it is pretty hard to beat the Boers even without hidden units. The rules do make it hard to hit Boer units who have not yet fired or moved as a way of allowing for concealment. A balloon, now you've got me thinking...
DeleteIt sounds like the rules recreate what the Boet War was like, which isn't much fun for the British ...I suspect that us why it isn't high on the list of wars the British hold dear to their hearts, my recollection of growing up is it was barely mentioned, but it must have been the largest British field army ever until WWI, unless the Napoleonic army was larger, but I would doubt it. A huge effort and enormous cost to defeat a few thousand farmers...not much to hold as a heroic memory really!
ReplyDeleteI believe that you are right that it was the largest mobilisation until WW1. It seemed to have a huge effect on the public coming at the end of the Victorian era. If you look at many local war memorials you can see that they were originally constructed to honour the dead of the Boer War and then later adapted for the Great War and yet the casualty rates were tiny when compared to that slaughter.
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