Wyvern Wargamers - All Dayer 2014

Saturday saw the annual all dayer over at Wyvern Wargamers, a day reserved for those games you want to put on, but 3 hours on a Sunday evening is just never enough.....

We were privileged to have two of the mainstays of the hobby in attendence, taking a day off from running games and demonstrating their products to actually play a game....

Rich Clarke of Too Fat Lardies fame commanded the British Para's in a large Normandy Game using his Chain of Command Rules.

Paul from Kallistra brought his Hexon Terrain and WW1 figure collection for a massive WW1 encounter using his own Raging Empire rules.

Meanwhile fellow Wyverner Phil hosted a string of linked battles in the Sudan using Black Powder.
I played a Brigade Commander in Colonial Army as we marched out into the desert to crush El Mahdi who had risen up against the Egyptian government and the forces of the Queen.

The plan for the day was a series of linked scenario's with the results of each battles impacting on the forces available in the next.

My Brigade consisted of.

-King's Royal Rifle Corps
-28th Bengal infantry
-Screw gun
-10th Hussars

Two further brigades were commanded by Ian and John - Time for a jolly good dusting....

Game 1 - Ambush
The plan was simple advance down the centre of the table fending off any of the nasty locals and reach the far end, easy a quick stroll in the desert before stopping for tiffin.

The Soldiers of the Queen set off into the desert.

King's Royal Rifle Corps and the 8th Bengal infantry, wheel right as arabs appear from the high ground, take aim fire......

Dervish to our left and right, nothing for it but to stand firm and pour fire into the advancing hordes.

 

The 10th Hussars tired of being shot at by native marksmen charge off to flush them out.

What are you doing here?

A blunder by the British forces encounters a party of civilians, camped in the dunes, the mounted infantry rush to rescue them only to be routed from the table....

Game 1 draws to a close with the Mahdists withdrawing behind the dunes.

Game 2 - Take the high ground.
Take the village and the high groud, securing both the well and the spring so our troops could push on into the desert, what could possibly go wrong...?

The spring in the ravine on the left, the well in the vllage, not a soul in sight.

Hoping to catch the Madhist's out, we push on past the village and headed straight for the spring, I was determined to make sure I was the hero of the hour, (This was one of several crafty sub plots woven in to each game for each of the British players)

 

Skirmishers and Artillery are spotted on the ridge line.

On our right flank more Dervish appear, gulp.... time to dress the ranks.....

Damn it, another blunder my brigade they forget their orders and rush the natives on the hill, fortunately on this occasion fortune does favour the brave as the Dervish are driven off.

We form up on the ridge line, whilst the Egyptian and Naval Bridages advance up the table to join my command.

The disadvantage of reaching the ridge line so soon is you are never quite sure what's on the other side, I pretty soon found out.... hundreds of flaming blokes with sharp swords and pointy spears, my Brits and Indians are pushed back, they break and flee back over the ridge, leaving the Hussars to plug the gap.

Game Two draws to a close with the Naval Brigade reaching the ridge line and fending off the remaining Madhists.

Game 3 - Hold the Line. 
With the ridge secure time to press on to the village, we re-ordered the brigades, after my poor show in losing some of the best troops in game two, I took the artillery park and cavalry leaving the fighting to Ian and John.

Side show Bob my reduced command.

The trick to winning this one had to be to seize the village quickly and force the Dervish to come to us. All we needed was some good command rolls.

Not the best of starts only the naval brigade was able to move and rushed towards the out skirts of the village.

Hordes of natives rushed forwards catching the Rifles in the open.

The Rifles stood their ground, slowly falling back as the Dervish pressed hard.

Royal Marines dig deep, wave after wave of Dervish are beaten back.

The cavalry are unleashed, by now the rifles, artillery and rockets had done their bloody work.

The Madhists are shaken and riddled with shock as they throw themselves at the British lines.

Meanwhile on the right flank the last of the Devish charge into the Egyptian defenders, despite a stoic defence they are forced back into the village, before being forced to flee as arab cavalry bear down on them.

The British hold on securing the village.


A cracking days gaming.... Cheers Phil.