Issue #35 Spring/Summer 2013 NWF: Pathan Rear Guard
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Issue #35 Spring/Summer 2013 NWF: Pathan Rear Guard I had been slowly work- ing on my second unit of Bengal Lancers for the Northwest Frontier and finally finished them this spring. I can usually finish a 28mm mounted unit in under two weeks by work- ing an hour or so a day on them, but this unit took about three months! Not sure if it was that I already had one finished or the daunting task of getting the turbans and other colors right! Anyway, finishing them gave me the perfect came separated from the three infantry units that excuse to offer to do a remainder of the force and started in a village on the TSATF scenario for the is in danger of being cut opposite end of the table. group! off. The main Pathan force The British/Indian force is traversing some moun- consisted of two British Because of prior com- tain paths higher up (not on infantry units, two Indian mitments we were only the board) while the rear infantry units, two units of going to have four players, guard takes up position at Bengal Lancers, and a bat- so I settled on something the entrance to a mountain tery of screw guns. The that would fit on a 4 x 8 pass. The problem for the British force entered at the and gave everyone a few Pathans is that a tribe has side of the board on turn 1, units. With the event cards been cut off although because of the and the reinforcements at the oppo- terrain and bad movement that ended up arriving, site end of rolls, the entire force did we could easily have fit the table and not get on the board until in another two players. needs to re- turn 3. The scenario was set join the rear The victory conditions in 1898 on the Northwest guard. were based upon what I Frontier. A Pathan force The Pa- call ‘negative objectives” had been defeated in thans started and in my experience it battle the previous day with two rifle helps to balance out games and was retreating back armed infantry units and like TSATF where wild to their mountain hideouts, one mounted unit guarding swings of fortune regularly pursued by the victorious the entrance to the moun- occur. When the game is British and their Indian tain pass. The remainder ended for whatever reason, allies. During the night of the rear guard comprised the Pathan (cont. on p3) part of the rear guard be- Inside this issue: Special points of interest: Peninsula Meeting Engagement 4 TSATF Northwest Frontier battle report. Look Back at Metagaming 6 Reviews of Hungarian Nightmare and Battle of the Tanks/Bloody April Reviews 14 Bloody April. WASATCH FRONT HISTORICAL GAMING SOCIETY SOCIETY GAMING HISTORICAL FRONT WASATCH Fire & Fury-Corinth 16 Battle reports for Guns of Gettysburg, IAB- SM3, Fire & Fury ACW, and Age of Rea- IABSM3 Early Russian Front 18 son. Age of Reason Battle Report 20 Editorial on the strange business side of the hobby Warning Order Guns of Gettysburg Playtest 22 NWF: Pathan Rear Guard (cont.) on the Pathans near getting an event which saw another Pa- the pass. The next than mounted unit arrive. turn an event card The British and Indians were now was drawn that put putting pressure on the Pathans near the one of them out of mountain pass and it looked as if it was ammo! The pack going to be an early night. However, mules were then sent another event card came up and it gave scurrying through the Pathans three fresh infantry units. the traffic jam near Now the fight was really on as one of the board edge to them emerged right next to the artillery bring up extra am- unit. They failed in their first attempt to mo. The Bengal charge, which then allowed a British in- Lancers trotted out fantry unit to get positioned to at least in front of the force meet them halfway up the hill. In the while the British and ensuing melee one of the guns had its Indian infantry got crew wiped out and the British infantry themselves sorted unit had heavy casualties, but the position out in preparation for held. the advance. (cont. from p2) side would roll 1D100 to Near the village the Pathans were Another event card came up (on a roll determine if the rear guard action was trying to get at least two units to move of 5 or a 6 on 1D6 at the start of each successful or not. Each Pathan that made down the road and join up with the rest of turn) and this time it was bad for the Pa- it off the road at the entrance to the the rear guard. One Pathan unit took up thans. Poisoned wells or some type of mountain pass would score one percent- position in a walled field and started a European plague made several units sick, age point, so if the starting Pathan force firefight with one of the Indian infantry which affected their shooting and melee! lost no casualties during the game, they units that lasted for several turns. The The Bengal Lancers charged the Pathans would automatically win by achieving Indians finally charged and took the posi- near the rocks and were countercharged 110%. However, they had to subtract one tion, but not before losing at least half of by the mounted Pathans. A massive me- percentage point for each British or Indi- their number. The remaining Indian unit lee broke out followed by exchanges of an soldier who made it off the road and then moved up in support near the center rifle fire between the Indians and the two percentage points for each Bengal to cut off any Pathan attack in that direc- Pathans moving out from the village. Lancer would got off the board edge. tion. They also were hoping to cut the The melee ended with the Bengal Lancers road and prevent any Pathans from join- The game began when the British victorious, but down to less than half ing the rest of the rear guard. This was screw gun battery ascended the hill next their strength. After six turns things were now turning into a desperate fight that to the board edge, unlimbered, and fired not looking good for the Pathans, despite continued to escalate. (cont. on p 10) This is the situation as of Turn 5. The Bengal Lancers have engaged a unit of Pathan cavalry while the second squadron prepares to charge the Pathans in the rocks to their front. The British and Indi- an infantry have moved up to en- gage the Pathans, who seem to get increasing numbers of rein- forcements! The artillery battery comes under attack by fresh Pa- than units while a supporting unit of British infantry desperately tries to move up to support them. At this point the casualties for the British were fairly light, but that would change in the next few turns as there would be a large number of melees across the Page 3 WARNING ORDER Peninsula Meeting Engagement Age of Eagles Battle Report As with most gamers you seem to French in terms of fewer have those gaming nights where due to obstacles to maneuver people not showing up, last minute around. changes about where to host the game, Both sides rolled well etc., that a scenario and forces get thrown on the first turn and went together. Everyone has fun for a few right at each other, with the hours, but it wasn’t really serious as you big French brigades just seemed to be passing the time. These snaking along the roads, kinds of games rarely work out due to a trying to get into an area wide variety of reasons, but every so where they could deploy. often one game really comes through. The British right away saw Which is what precisely happened that there would be trouble here. Mark had set up a Peninsula sce- in the center, so moved nario for AOE that was pretty basic. some extra artillery into Essentially, there were equal forces on that area. Unfortunately, both sides in a meeting engagement type that would leave the small- of scenario. Now Mark had put some er British brigades alone on the flanks were repulsed, placing everyone right effort into this by doing the labels and against the much larger French ones. back where they started. forces, but he had no idea how many The action got started on the far Brit- people would be playing or where we The real crisis for the British came in ish left flank where some British brigades were playing until almost the last mo- the center on turn three. A French bri- ran into a French brigade trying to work ment. gade charged right in, plowing through a itself around the flank. I always thought British brigade and crashing into a Portu- As stated above, this would be a that Age of Eagles does a good job of guese brigade that was deployed behind meeting engagement scenario pitting the portraying the British army of the period them in support, shattering them as well. British against the French in 1810. The by having their stands a bit larger and The British rallied, but were struck again French only had two divisions of two with more firepower. A very simple, but by the same French brigade and disinte- brigades each, but they were huge bri- effective way to show that they covered grated.