Sunday, 23 August 2026

Initial Campaign Deployments

I asked ChatGPT to deploy the Boer forces on the campaign map and it has dispersed the Commandos as follows:


I hadn't considered that the Boers would begin so widely dispersed but this is probably quite realistic given that they must live off the land. The only odd thing is that the Long Tom has mysteriously deployed to the edge of the Klein Winterhoek mountains (13). I'm going to take it that the gun is really situated at Grootlaagte.

Initial Orders
All the Boer Commandos have reconnaissance orders and will remain in their respective areas until further orders are received. The Boers at Uitvlugt (12) are ordered to push out patrols along the railway line towards Steenkampsdrift as this is obviously the most likely route for any British advance.

The British initial orders have already been dealt with via the War Office instructions to General Wetherby so next post we'll be on to the first turn.

6 comments:

  1. Are the Boers going to be able to use rail movement? It's been years since I read "The Great Anglo-Boer War" by Byron Farwell.

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    1. Bob, I hadn't thought about Boer rail movement but it makes sense as they are fighting on home turf and could be handy for moving Long Tom!

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  2. A very interesting deployment map Ian! It seems to highlight how important the railway line will be in the coming days! I've never thought about the Boers utilizing rail lines either, that has always been a British plan! The possibilities are endless at this point, I can't wait to see how things play out!

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    1. Thanks Brad, I think you're right this will be all about the railway line!

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  3. This is shaping rather nicely - never imagined I would us AI much bit this has definitely got me thinking.

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    1. Matt, the AI is taking a lot of the donkey work out of running the campaign and I really like messing around with the maps too. I will however still be rolling my own dice!

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