Sharp Practice: Escort Mission to Dalpartha!

Apologies for the lack of blog updates, hopefully this after action report of a recent Sharp Practice game with Phil and Andy last month is of interest...

Back to India in 1857 and the Mutiny, we decided to play the Escort Mission scenario from the rulebook with Phil taking command of the Sikhs, escorting a camel train to the garrison at Dalpartha, with Andy and I leading the brave freedom fighters in their attempts to liberate India!

Freed from the shackles of British oppression, the sepoys advance toward the main road to Dalpartha, their eyes set on capturing the enemy camel train.

Their flank guarded by a group of Bengal Infantry skirmishers.

Dekho! The mutineers spot the enemy - the traitorous Sikhs who still take the salt of the ferengi!

Hairat! Also ferengi cavalry, the dreaded lancers!

The Sikhs push their skirmishers forward but come under fire from the sepoys in the jungle.

Meanwhile the camels prove to be as calcitrant as normal, especially when Phil rolls a natural double and they refuse to move forward!

Hamlah! The mutinous sowars of the Bengal Light Cavalry spot an opportunity to catch the ferengi lancers in the flank - but their charge comes up short! Lant!

Tally ho! The Lancers seize the opportunity, swing round and smash into the sowars!

Wiping half out and wounding their leader!

Meanwhile the sepoys push down the road, screened more skirmishers...

Whilst on the flank, the Sikhs attempt to winkle the enemy skirmishers out of the jungle by firing a volley.

The Indians bring up a unit of rocketmen, unfortunately their only shot lands in No Mans Land between the two forces.

In the centre the Sikhs engage the enemy skirmishers and the sepoy column...

The sepoys moving onto the main road and advancing towards the Sikhs...

Deen! Deen! The Bengali sepoys charge in on the unloaded Sikh line! Surely victory was assured?

Ek fogi ki tarah qasm khao!!! Despite losing the first combat, the Sikhs being Stubborn hold firm and in the second round of Fisticuffs break the sepoy column which disintegrates handing victory to the lackeys of the East India Company! Curses...

Fun game which swung one way then the other, I'd like to blame Andy for our defeat but in truth my dice rolling was abysmal!

Sharp Practice: The Dojjibotti Run

India 1857, the Devil’s Wind sweeps the land as the Sepoys are revolting. Across Central India various native princes and princesses have to decide whether to throw their lot in with the mutineers or remain loyal to the East India Company. One of these minor fiefdoms is the city state of Rhumblibehli - unfortunately for the Rani, the delightful Djellibebi, whilst she decided to remain loyal, her subjects did not and with badmashes looting and burning her palace, she has fled, looking to reach the British mission at nearby Dojjibotti and safety...

Yesterday was Winter Wonder Lard VI at Bristol Independent Gaming and I put on an Indian Mutiny Sharp Practice game, a direct sequel to last year's The Relief of Dojjibotti, adding in a loyal Native Prince(ess)s force for one player and a load more cavalry for the Mutineers. We played the scenario twice at the event.

Game One:

Geoff Mesher, Peter Mellett, Paul Baldwin and Paul (Pingu) Pengilly played the first game.

The South Gloucestershire Horse were pushed aggressively forward having spotted some Pandy skirmishers on a hill outside the nearby village of Whindibotti...

Whilst the North Somersetshire Light Infantry commanded by Captain Turner-Round marched out of the Dojjibotti mission towards the junction of the Dojjibotti-Rhumblibehli roads...

To the north the first forces loyal to Rani Djellibebi appeared, a unit of lance armed Native Irregular Scouting Cavalry commanded by Zamindar Vishal Singh Rathore.

The South Glosters suddenly found that beyond the mutineer skirmishers there were many more enemy, including two large groups of Mutineer cavalry...

And a mass of sepoys marching down the road from Whindibotti towards Dojjibotti!

The residents of Whindibotti cheering them on!

Two groups of mutinous Sowars led by Risaldar Kaur charged the South Gloucestershire horse, breaking them...

But not without cost - fortunately a random event saw the appearance of a Fakir who removed Shock from the mutineer cavalry unit.

Spotting an opportunity to catch the mutineer cavalry, Zamindar Vishal Singh Rathore charged his Native Lancers into them causing many casualties and the surviving sowers to break!

Whilst that happened, the second unit of Bengal Light Cavalry mutineers, commanded by Daffadar Kumble, road down a group of North Somersetshire skirmishers led by Lieutenant Moore-Bacon. Only the officer and one man survived the charge, fleeing back to the Dojjibotti mission.

Meanwhile to the north on the Rhumblibehli road, forces of the Rani appeared including a rocket troop led by Kumar Suryavanshi - immediately opening fire "towards" the enemy!

Rockets are not the most accurate of weapons but are a lot of fun! The rocket immediately veered to the right before turning back towards the enemy and crashing to earth with a big bang beyond the jungle. Each unit it crossed took 1D6 Shock including a unit of friendly Loyal Sepoys commanded by Captain Ffoukes-Etop!

The rocket narrowly avoided a group of mutineers commanded by Havildar Major Ashwin...

Who, upon exiting the cover of the jungle, formed a firing line and began to trade volleys with the North Somersethire Lights...

The Loyal Native Lancers tried to catch Ashwin's sepoys in the flank, but their charge came up short.

As the exchanges of volleys continued, a fortuitous Chapter End occurred - and for the British that was a disaster!

The survivors of the broken Cavalry and skirmishers immediately routed, taking Lieutenant de Poncenay-Bout with them. Three Bad Thing happens rolls ensued and two sixes rolled did not help! With their Force Morale collapsing to 1, the British conceded defeat...

Game Two:

The afternoon saw Tom Egan, Ben Wallis, Colin Farrant and Jerry Jenkins try the Dojjibotti Run...

This time saw the Rani Djellibebi's force appear early on with Captain Ffoukes-Etop and his Loyal Sepoys, Lieutenant Goodmount with some Gurkha skirmishers and Nawab Umrigar leading three groups of palace Matchlockmen march down the Rhumblibehli road...

Near the Dojjibotti-Rhumblibehli junction the North Somersets made quick work of a column of mutinous Sepoys!

However things did not go all the want to the Anglo-Rhumblibehli alliance as Lieutenant de Poncenay-Bout and his South Gloucestershire horse had made the unwise assumption the enemy was only to the west and they were charged down by Risaldar Kaur and her Bengal Light Sowar mutineers who appeared from the north!

De Poncenay-Bout was knocked to the ground and the remaining four South Gloucestershire troops broke.

Meanwhile in Whindibotti Subedar Tendulkar led his troops out to engage Djellibebi and her Rhumblibehli force.

Joined by another big group commanded by Jemedar Dravid, supported by skirmishers led by Jemedar Ganguly...

Lieutenant Goodmount pushed his Gurkha skirmishers forward to engage the Pandies...

Supported by Captain Ffoukes-Etop's Loyal Sepoys and Nawab Umrigar's Matchlockmen (though both of these had taken shock when Kumar Suryavanshi had fired a rocket towards Whindibotti!).

Dravid marched his Sepoys towards the Rhumblibehli troops...

Whilst Tendulkar formed line with his, facing the threat of cavalry to his front.

Back on the Dojjibotti road disaster almost over took the British as Risaldar Kaur's cavalry rode down Lieutenant Moore-Bacon's skirmishers...

Bit exhibiting the pluck that won Britain an Empire, Captain Moore-Bacon turned the North Somersets to face the Pandy cavalry and gave them a resounding volley - remarkably despite the casualties they took, the mutineer Native Horse did not break - but they were no longer were a viable threat to the British line.

Outside Whindibotti the Native Lancers charged the Sepoy line but were beaten back despite being two quallty levels higher! Off camera Lieutenant Goodmount's Gurkhas shockingly were similarly forced back after they charged a group of Mutineer skirmishers!

At this point we had to end the game as time ran out. 

Whilst the British held the Dojjibotti road, the Rani Djellibebi was in a precarious situation with both her better units (the Gurkhas and Lancers essentially hors de combat) and just the Loyal Sepoys and extremely dubious Matchlockmen left to protect her from the mutineer hordes - so a draw seemed the right result.

Both games had proven a lot of fun with some good twists and turns and everyone said they enjoyed themselves which was nice. Overall, whilst I did not get the opportunity to see what was happening elsewhere at Winter Wonder Lard VI, I only heard positive things being said, so it seems good time was had by all.

Sharp Practice: Relieving Dojjibotti!

So 1st February saw the big day arrive - Winter Wonder Lard V! 'The Relief of Dojjibotti' had been tested and seemed to work ok, fingers crossed that it would be "alright on the night"...

Following the trial game a couple of small tweaks were made, the most noticeable being setting the Mission up at an angle to make dealing with any potential assaults on the walls easier to handle.

Game One:

Andy Crow, Bill Jenny and Chris Clark played the first game, Andy and Bill taking command of the Indians...

Chris, rather appropriately sporting his monocle, the British (what ho? pip, pip eh?)

Bill, taking the role of Subedar Tendulkar launched his forces forward towards the mission...

Whilst Andy as Jemedar Ganguly sent a group of Light Cavalry out along the Indian left flank, soon discovering firangee skirmishers...

And then a column of the North Somersetshire marching to relieve the mission!

Where the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Sergeant Knocker of the Bengal Horse Artillery manned the ramparts.

On the flank the South Gloucestershire horse spot some pandies.

A detached group of which face down the cavalry, whilst Ganguly's skirmishers start poking around in the jungle...

Major Turner-Round (played by Chris) deployed the North Somersets into line - and then for some reason about faced to turn their backs on the on coming enemy!

The goat-herders decided that the top sahib had been out in the sun too long!

Not content with having his column facing away from the enemy, Chris also did the same with his skirmishers! The Indian cavalry not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth charged!

And wiped the British skirmishers out!

Having learnt a lesson here, Major Turner-Round turned the main force around...

Took aim,..

And fired a volley into a column of sepoys advancing on the mission!

They don't like it up 'em! The spot column disintegrated and fled back towards the village!

Meanwhile another report column marched closer to the mission...

And despite withering fire from the Piffers, charged the walls!

One group reaching an unguarded section, and began to scale the walls!

Fortunately Captain Olde-Duffer was able to get a group of Sikhs round in time to beat the pandies back!

However the British Force Morale was really low by this point and Jemedar Ganguly spotted an opportunity to seize the British deployment point and win the battle! Unfortunately as his cavalry charged down the road towards it past a patch of jungle, on a random roll, a group of monkeys therein threw feces at the sepoys spooking the horses and causing them to flee with excess shock!

The the mission still holding out and the Indians unlikely to further impact the British Force Morale victory was awarded to the British.

Game Two:

Matthew Tressider, James Jennings, Pete Mellet and Nathan Goodyear played the second game...

The mutineers poured out the village charging towards the mission, Tendulkar keeping Ganguly and his skirmishers well within command range!

The Bengal Horse Artillery at the Dojjibotti mission hammered the attacking Pandy columns...

But still they advanced!

The fire from the Mission was unrelenting...

And soon the relief force arrived nearby to add its weight of fire to proceedings.

Wait till you see the whites of their eyes chaps...

FIRE!!!

Despite the weight of fire, the sepoys managed to charge in to fisticuffs!

But the sharp Sheffield forged bayonets of the North Somersets made bloody work of the rebels and sent they reeling back...

Handing victory to the forces of the Crown - huzzah!

Two good games which both sets of players seemed to enjoyed - it was interesting to see the different approaches, the players in game one embracing the role-playing aspects of their characters with Ganguly ignoring orders from Tendulkar when out of command range and looking for the treasure, whilst in game two the players played a more straight forward wargame with the Indians concentrating on trying to take the mission, ignoring the treasure hidden in the jungle.