CROWNING THE HILLS: PORTABLE WARGAME COLONIAL BATREP

 

Another Colonial fracas in that perennially troubled locale, Dismal Province, Afghanistan, circa 1880. 

In this post, dear readers, we are happy to report on some recent gaming activity 'round here. A few of we happy pensioners gathered for another round of daytime gaming and luncheon on a Tuesday in my War Room. Given that the majority of the games in our club are multi-player, I wanted to take my Portable Wargame 2nd Afghan War variant up one level and test run it with multiple players. Previously, I had only tested it in a 1 vs 1 game.  For regular (ie, long suffering) readers of this blog, it might be of interest to know that I have updated the PW Variant player reference and unit characteristics sheets that I posted earlier. So if you have the older ones, you may want to look over the new, shiny ones (previews and pdf for downloads can be had on the PW content page at the above link: scroll down the page a bit to get to them). So much for administrative details. On to the game. As usual, in this post you may clix pix for BIG PIX).

The Field of Mars.  For those who may not be familiar with it, the Portable Wargame is a miniatures-on-a grid system. I use offset 6 inch squares, a pattern which replicates a hex system. My terrain, however, is made for non-gridded games. Mixing the two still works on a grid, understanding that an entire grid is defined by the terrain piece. You have to get used to reading the table in terms of the underlying grids and not exclusively by the contours of the terrain pieces, particularly when pieces straddle several grids (mainly the case with hills).  The above shows the layout defined by the grids. This battlefield represents a break in a line of high ground which stretches East and West (top to bottom) and opens into open ground spreading to the North (top), with a line of barrier hills stretching across this key terrain.  A stream runs across the gap, with a ford mid-way along its length. 

The boundary between the grids at the ford is considered open terrain (and will be key). The road has no effect on game play. 

Maj C. Langley Smoot and Capt Raymond Dubious are leading elements of the Dismal Province Military District Force to clear and secure key high ground ahead of the passage of a convoy through this area.  

This type of mission was common, and was known as "Crowning the Hills."  The imperials enter on turn 1 from the south, paying for the entry grid. The complete scenario can be found here. The Imperial objective is to have units on any three hills at the end of an Afghan activation (note: they don't need to have exclusive control, just units surviving on three different hills at the same time). As a twist, there is an immediate victory condition as well. If the Imperials can get 2 units on any 2 hill grids (irrespective of where: could be on the same hill, could be on different ones) with no Afghan units adjacent at the end of any Afghan activation, they win. 

Above Left: Maj Smoot takes the left column, consisting of Gun #1, Battery A, Royal Artillery, Troop 1 of the 19th Bengal Lancers, 2 Companies of the 45th Bengal Infantry, 1 Company of the 2nd (Sirmoor) Gurkhas, and 1 Company of the 59th (East Lancashire) Regiment.  Above Right: Capt Raymond Dubious leads the right hand column, with Troop 1 of the 10th (Prince of Wales) Hussars, 2 Companies of the 15th Bengal Infantry, 2 Companies of the 34th Bengal Infantry, and 1 Company of the 92nd (Gordon) Highlanders (the "Ladies from Hell" being the only Elite unit on the table).

Hill Chief Ali Hassan Bin Sober and his ally (for the day) Chief Omar the Black (ie, the Mad Mullah), have other ideas, however.

Afghan pickets posted along the frontier have alerted the chieftans, who have called up the local lads who are hurrying to the scene to get in on a good fight...and to block the progress of Smoot and Company. Their aim (in game terms) is to keep the Imperials from achieving their objective. As an extra twist, the Afghans also have an automatic victory condition. If there are no Imperial units north of the stream at the conclusion of any Afghan activation after turn 2, then the Afghans win.  In these instant conditions, each side has both an automatic defeat and victory mechanism.  The game also had a 10 turn limit. All of these combined provided a range of options for players to pursue, so there was no way to simply focus on a piece of turf to the exclusion of other considerations. This also prompted very active play on both sides. 

Above Left: Hassan Bin Sober heads up the clan on the left, with 1 band of tribal horse, 1 band of jezzail firearm infantry, and 2 bands of swordsmen (melee infantry).  Above Right: Omar the Black leads the right clan, with 1 band of mixed firearm infantry, 2 bands of swordsmen (melee infantry), and 1 band of the dreaded Ghazis.  Leaders aside, each figure represents a strength point. 

The Imperials begin with the initiative (first move) on turn 1. After that, it is based on a die roll. The ball opens with both sides entering and moving towards each other... 

Above Left: Major Smoot marches up the gut, riding with the Gurkhas while the East Lancs (with Colours) move up the road to the ford.  Above Right: 1 Company of the 45th and the Bengal Lancers swing to the extreme left end of the line in a wide flanking move...

...meanwhile, Captain Raymond Dubious (on the right) sends the 10th Hussars on a wide flanking march to the right end of the line, where they are countered by the Afghan tribal horse. The infantry of the right column takes up position along the stream and begins to exchange fire with the Afghans on the hills. 

Hassan Bin Sober comes up with his jezzails, reinforced by the Afghan Bannerman (the British Colours and the Afghan Banner added one SP to the units they were assigned to--player choice). In the distance, Omar the Black can be seen coming forward with his mixed firearm unit (just beyond the Ghazis)... 

...The battle develops. The Ghazis came up and first chased the 59th--who would wind up taking quite a beating this day--back across the ford, and then mixed it up with the Gurkhas at the bend in the stream (the Ghazis would be wiped out, eventually).  After the tribal horse (out of picture to the right) had been dealt with by shooting from the infantry, the 10th Hussars  countermarched from the right wing and can be seen trotting across the rear towards the ford. The Imperial infantry of the right and the Afghan firearm infantry on the high ground continue to snipe at each other.

 

...Above Left: a blurry action shot of the furious fighting as the 1st Company of the Rattray Sikhs fends off an assault by a band of Afghan tribesmen. Above Right: the Royal Artillery lobs shells downrange (the Sport of Kings)...

...With the Ghazis gone, the 10th Hussars and the Gordons move across the stream to push into the center of the battlefield. They are met by headlong counterattacking Afghan melee infantry. This scrum would go on for several turns, with the Hussars dismounting and then both they and the Gordons forming close order to defend themselves. Eventually, they would withdraw back across the stream, leaving behind blooded and reduced swordsmen. Very cinematic...

...Above Right: Maj Smoot would then lead the Gurhkas to take a grid on the hill to the Afghan right. Above Left: Meanwhile, out on the extreme left end of the line, the Bengal Lancers would dismount to complete their flanking move, and they and 1 Company of the 45th Bengal Infantry would fight their way across the hill and nearly achieve automatic victory by having 2 Imperial units on hill grids with no Afghans adjacent...

...nearly that is, but for a mixed firearm band, reduced to 1 figure, who retired and stood defiantly adjacent, preventing instant disaster for the Afghans--with time running out for the Imperials. Nevertheless, the Imperials had 2 out of 3 requirements for achieving a regular victory, with units occupying 2 different hills...

...and with night falling, the 10th Hussars then charged over the ford, with Captain Raymond Dubious leading, and won a melee, advanced after combat, and were in position to do a follow on charge on the hill. The game would come down to this last attack on the last combat round of the last turn of the game.  If the Hussars could force the Afghans back, then they would  advance and be the 3rd unit on the 3rd hill, spelling victory for the Imperials...

...it was a 50% chance--and under the gaze of Hill Chief Ali Hassan Bin Sober, the Afghans, although flanked, turned back the Hussars.  Decision in favor of the Afghans: a near run thing, indeed!

Above Left: Thwarted at the last, but still game, Imperials: Ralph (white shirt) who played the part of Captain Raymond Dubious and Earl (standing) who fulfilled the duties of Major C Langley Smoot. Above Right: the triumphant Pathans: George (dark blue shirt), who played the part of Omar the Black, and Mike C, who donned the turban of Ali Hassan Bin Sober this day. 

Always a bonus to see the classic old Ral Parthas in action. Thanks to the players for a grand afternoon of gaming!

Excelsior!