Mahdi Here? Go Away With You! - A Men Who Would Be Kings Rules AAR

This fortnight we visited the Dark Continent and a period of enlightenment as Her Most Glorious Majesty Queen Victoria's army attempted to bring civilisation to the locals (?!?)...yup time for another the Men Who Would Be Kings rules game!

Dave and George commanded the Mahdi force and (poor) Maurice the Egyptian Army.

The Scenario

We choose Scenario G; It's Awfully Quiet Out There!

The Attackers

Mahdi

Oman Dirka '7' Yellow-Bellied

1 x Mahdi Tribal Foot – Fierce

4 x Mahdi Tribal Foot

2x Mahdi Irregular Foot – Poor Shots & Limited Ammo/Fierce

1 x Field Gun – Poorly Drilled & Limited Ammo

The Defenders

Egyptian

Colonel LongJohns '5' Shirker

1 x Regular Infantry – Unenthusiastic

1 x Egyptian Irregular Infantry

2 x  Egyptian Irregular Infantry Poor Shots

1 x Egyptian Machine Gun - Poorly Drilled

Please note from our previous experience we now play The Men who Would Be Kings with the below House Rules;

1. All Pinned Units retire half a move when initially Pinned and act as Gone to Ground while Pinned (note ALL Units GTG and for the whole duration of being Pinned).

2. If a Unit with multiple Pins fails to Rally reduce the Total Number of Pins by 1 for each failed Rally attempt (Units will always retain ONE Pin until Rallied).

The Game

The Mahdists had a cunning plan, whilst their firing units the Irregular Foot and Field Gun entered the table top for one side to pin the defenders down with a hail of shot all their Tribal Units entered from the other with the deadly intent of just rushing forward. The Defenders plan was to hold on at all costs.

Turn 1 and the onrush started whilst two Egyptian Units deployed at the rear of the Column the British formed up into close order on a slight rise by the road and the Gatling Gun opened fire felling the first of the attackers.

Turns 2 to 4 saw the Mahdi plan unfold their fire knocked out half the Gatling crew and a couple of Egyptian infantry whilst their Tribal Foot closed in some stumbling on the rocky open ground (i.e. failing their activations!). During this time the poor fire power of the Egyptians showed as they scored only a few hits whilst their British Brethren in Close Order cut a swathe into the charging Mahdi who much to their Colonel LongJohn's dismay passed their Pin Tests!

Turns 5- 10 with the range closed the Natives proved their worth in hand to hand combat. The defenders did score some small successes including the decimated British Unit who were forced from the high ground counter attacking successfully pushing the Mahdi back and not only retaking the rise but almost eliminating their foes! Elsewhere though it was a blood bath with three defending Units destroyed. 

Night fell ending with the British holding (just) their position and the Mahdists retiring into the desolate scrub from whence they appeared. A third of the attackers became casualties and two thirds of the defenders fell, it was a true blood bath and the sands truly turned red!

Both sides claimed victory but looking at the victory conditions it was a decisive victory to the Mahdi!

Some Pictures

The Egyptian Column notices movement in the distance the troops are called to arms!

A close up of the Column, this is the Egyptian figures first game!

The Mahdi Riflemen quickly approached and started a steady and deadly fire...well not really deadly but they did cause enough casualties to make the Tribal Warriors task a bit easier!

The defenders deploy!

An overview of the battlefield as the Mahdi encircle their foes!

Oman Dirka leads his right wing as they charge the Egyptians!

The Mahdi right wing looking ominous advances!

The first hand to hand clash, Tribal Warriors overwhelm the remnants of the Gatling Gun Crew...

The Mahdi plan continues to unfold, the Riflemen and Gunners target the rear of the Egyptian Column...

The Mahdi rejoice as the defeat the British Infidels on the high ground!

The British Regulars are pushed off the high ground taking heavy losses...

...and then recapture it in turn inflicting heavy loses on the Mahdi...

The rear of the Egyptian Column is wiped out, what was three Egyptian Units is now a sea of 'death markers'...

With an aura of invincibility the remnants of the British Unit hold firm beating back their attackers...

Natives roaming the battlefield seeking to finish off the defenders...

The surviving defenders, one intact Egyptian Unit  personally led by Colonel LongJohns and in the background the two remaining figures of the British Unit standing firm on 'the high ground'...

The overall battlefield after the action concluded, not the most exciting terrain but functional...

The Result and Fallout

So a Mahdist victory and an ominous debut for my Egyptian figures!

Madhi VPs 9

British VPs 3 (including a 1 bonus for holding the high ground in the centre of the table!)

A great game but from the start it looked that it would be a hard one for the British (Defenders) I wonder how many time these TMWWBKs Scenarios were tested. We like these Rules but after each game discuss the Pin Rules and after this play there will be a positive modifier of one for Units taking Pin and Rally Tests in physical Cover (so not just GTG). As usual the game played fast, was fun and despite the odds the Defenders clung on disparately! I plan to replay this scenario with the same forces using the Triumph and Tragedy Rules Colonial Rules one day and see how they compare.

Catch you all soon!