Skirmish battle

At the skirmish show we were asked to put on a Sudan game. Everything was left up to Tim. He supplied the figures and the terrain and using the "Men who would be Kings rules by Osprey. I happened to notice they were used by some other clubs as well.

The battle we fought was a combination of two historic battles. With British against the Egyptians. In History Britain won both battles so could the beefed up Egyptians do any better this time?

Graham and Peter had the Egyptians while Gar and myself had the British. (Well at least 1/2 my troops were Indians from the Indian Division!

All photos were taken from my seat so a very limited point of photo view!

 

The Indian Division close to (my best troops)
 headed down the rail track to try to catch the train.
My Other division was to tackle the redoubts.
Gary was to take the redoubts on the far side of the table.

As Graham moved most of his troops up from the town.
I used  the trees as cover and brought fire on the closest redoubt.
Meanwhile as I looked around the show Another club member took control of my forces.
The result was a wild unsupported charge by my cavalry.
I can't say I would have done very much different as the cavalry did wipe out a unit of Egyptian infantry.
It is the kind of rashness  that left them exposed and pinned down under  the Egyptian Infantry riles.
Needless to say they all died in 3 or so turns.

Unable to pull the cavalry back I advanced with all the infantry.
Despite losses I did take a major redoubt and did force the
Egyptians back into a no mans land.
Gary was likewise doing the same and although he lost some marines
I had lost cavalry so was not in any position to feel smug.

He game ended as a slight British Victory.
We had taken 4 of the 6 Redoubts so we were equal on victory points with the Egyptians.
We had failed to take the train and the Egyptians still held 2 redoubts but were not in a fit stare to carry on.
If time and effort and energy had continued, but the show was packing up,
I have no doubt te British would have had a decisive victory. But time was up and we achieved what we achieved in the time.

Conclusion: Hard to finish a game at a show unless it is a skirmish game. But I suspect "Her majesty" would have approved as no awful reports of a British massacre reached "the times!" To make this a very competitive game though the Egyptians should have been given more Omph or at least more reinforcements. But 20/20 hindsight is a marvellous thing.