Comfort Gaming (Part 2).

Unfortunately for the Pathans this card was drawn just before the Afghan regulars fled before the British charge - this meant that all future moral tests would be -3 , Oh dear !.

The Afghan regulars flee - never to be seen again !.

The overall situation , which is not looking good for the Pathans . In the top left a Tribal band flees from the Lancers , bottom left they are halted by the Lancers skirmish line . Two bands hold the village and have caused heavy casualties on the nearest Rajphuts unit forcing it to retire carrying off its wounded.

The pinned Pathans are caught by the returning Lancers and scattered !.

The other company of Rajphuts charge the village and -

The Tribesmen flee !

With most of the army fleeing the Afghans retire , here we see the commanders blaming each other . The British hampered by their wounded were unable to follow up . A cracking game - unfortunate for the Afghans drawing the chance card at the wrong time , but once more TSATF  delivers !.

Comfort Gaming (Part One).

Whenever I hit the 'Wargaming Doldrums' and are at a loss what to game next or lack enthusiasm -  I  fall back onto my old favourite The Sword And The Flame , 30 plus years old I find they still deliver !.In fact the would probably be my 'Desert Island rules set' .

My campaign of choice is usually the North West Frontier , here the Bengal Lancers move down the valley to intercept the Pathans.

The British Commander Col. Crawley (known as 'Creepy' to his men) .

The Wily Pathans lie in wait.

The object of the British force - a Russian military advisor , here seen have a disagreement with the Afghan leader.

The Afghan regulars open fire on the British force.

Capt. Broadbent leads the Rajphuts forward to get to grips with them !.

The Lancers advance , one Squadron dismounts to give covering fire.

The game is intterupted as the telegraph line is attacked by Hodge , note this photo is blurred as I lunge forward to rescue the telegraph pole from the jaws of the marauding cat.

The Lancers charge just falls short . The game is still in the balance and a further report will appear soon. The figures are a mixture of Foundry and Old Glory . 

The Sword and the Flame in North Africa (Finale).

 

The Arab cavalry charge the French right flank unit - and die in vast numbers !

 

 

The Tirailleurs drive the Arabs from the village - their officer is wounded at the moment of  triumph .

 

 

The French set up their artillery .

 

 

The Arab cavalry is driven off .

 

 

The artillery range in on the Arab flanking force !

 

 

To compound their misery the Arabs draw a chance card and halt having thrown a '4' .

 

 

The Arab infantry rally after being driven out of the village and charge to retake it .

 

 

After a fierce melee they rout !

 

 

Another unit charges into the village and is mown down by disciplined volley's - the French at this point in the game threw exceptionally well !

 

 

With most of the Arab forces in retreat one of the cavalry units lost its leader and went berserk ! charging the French battery .

 

 

The lone surviving Arab managed to wipe out the Artillery crew and wound the CinC  (throwing +2 on dice) .

 

 

This hero then charged at a infantry unit and was cut down by their volley . A interesting game - the poor Arabs had some bad luck - their reinforcements did not arrive , the had little ammo and the French could not roll a dice wrong !. This has inspired me to get back into wargaming the Foreign Legion again , I must  point people to the following website- brilliant !-

 

 

 

http://www.warflag.com/shadow/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sword and the Flame in North Africa.

 

Its several years since I visited the Sahara - in miniature of course ! so I got out my copy of TSATF  and set up a game for something a bit different.

 

 

It is a dawn raid on a Arab village by a French column comprising of 3 companies of Senegalese Tirailleurs and a Mountain Gun -facing them 2 Arab foot units and 3 mounted units (generated by a dice throw).

 

 

The French force advances in the early dawn .

 

 

They are ready for the attack !.

 

 

Help is on the way !

 

 

The Tirailleurs come under fire from the village .

 

 

The Mountain Gun moves up in support .

 

 

The French open fire !.

 

 

An event card is drawn - the fight hots up ! Too be continued ......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Faithful (TSATF Game Part3)

The Borsetshires move into skirmish order to make less of a target to the Afghans in the rocks . Lt Featherstone is wounded (centre of line) and Col. Hill takes charge . ( note the Afghan regular cavalry preparing to charge to their right)

On the start of the next move a random chance card was drawn .

The Afghan tribal unit charges the Gatling gun but is driven back - this makes the above card VERY  bad news for the Afghans .

The tribal unit attempting to get on the rear of the British moves slowly ( only 4" on 3 X D6 for movement) and the 14th Punjab have time to turn around and fire a volley at them . The Afghan unit pinned by the Gatling gun fails its rally test and cannot move (thanks to the chance card). The Afghan regular cavalry charge the British infantry , but the Borsetshires stand and drive them off with very accurate fire.

Another volley breaks the Afghans resolve and they flee from the Punjab's . At this point things started to go rapidly down hill for the Afghan force as they failed to make their morale checks .

The Tribesmen opposite the Gatling break and flee .

Before the Afghan cavalry can rally Col. Randall Hill leads the Borsetshires in a charge against the Afghan unit in the broken ground - who scatter ! . This glorious moment is immortalised in a painting still on view in their regimental museum in Borchester.

With this Afghan resolve faded and they retreated leaving the British holding the battlefield . Another great TSATF game , a close run thing at times but the Chance card turning up at that moment turned the game the British way . Once more TSATF  delivers !.

Old Faithful (TSATF Game Part 2)

The Borsetshires move forward swiftly - Imperial units move on a red card being drawn , the next card was a red joker this meant they could move again !.

Apologies for this incredibly bad photo - nerves were getting the better of me , the end of the second move - Ali Khat's cavalry prepare to charge the Gatling gun.

A tribal band starts to make a flanking move through rough ground - natives do not get minuses in bad going.

Ali Khat dressed in full armour leads the charge . He believes it to be magical - which it may be as he has been wounded often but never killed in any games.

The British pass their morale check and open fire as the Afghans charge in - 4 casualties are scored and the ace of diamonds is amongst them - wounding the highest level officer present , so Ali is wounded but survives again .

In the resulting melee the Afghans rolled very badly (probably seeing their leader shot down) and lost the fight - The R.A. officer and the forces second in command Capt. 'Bob' Roberts dispatching two each . However a Afghan tribal unit is approaching.

The situation after move 3 , the Borsetshires have started volley fire against the Afghans in the rough ground to their front . The 14th Punjab have moved up but their right flank is about to be threatened by tribesmen sneaking up in the rough ground. Too be continued........