An Experiment in Little.....
The last few months have been crazy and disjointed; family stuff, paid work has been mad, bugs (not the BIG one) and projects around the house have eaten my time (plus I drifted back into some computer gaming once I'd wrangled the PC back into shape.. Oh dear... THAT has to be knocked on the head.) so that I have got little table-gaming or painting done..
The Story:
General Trofimov has been tasked with a "Butcher N' Bolt" mission to punish the naughty folk of the Urgham Valley in "This Ain't Tukestan".
He has four units of infantry and three cavalry units with artillery and mitrailleuse support.
His job is to burn the three villages, then set off back to base. Local resistance is supposed to be light (the villages have no formal garrisons - even though two have fortified watchtowers) so this should be an in-out job.
He is "on a timer" though, and must exit/have all his units within 6" of the friendly side of the board before the end of the twentieth move (i.e. before dusk).
Shimples.....
However....
On arrival his scouts inform him that as well as a small force locals mustering on the heights above one of the villages being at scene, the "Hordes" of two local Emirs are hanging about in the valley....
Their intentions are unknown. They could simply be there simply to watch - and to make sure HIS intentions don't extend to going beyond the valley into their domains. They could be there to run interference - though neither of them actually claims this valley as their own. They may just be there on the off-chanced - to act opportunistically if he runs into difficulties.....
I will "play" Trofimov.
Running about and Fighting Rules.
Movement/shooting/morale rules are House Rules loosely based on Sharpe Practice 2, but any moving/shooting/morale rules could have been used.
Each Leader has a Command Radius. Friendly Leaders outside "My" command radius will (or won't) comply with written orders which can only be changed by messenger.
SP "Formation" rules will be used, but with a gap of up to four inches permitted between units.
Activation/Tokens.
Activation is by Token per Leader (Initially tokens for Tofimov and a Leader for each cavalry unit, a Local Tribal Force and the two Emirs are in the Token Mix).
Russian units detached as independent commands will have their own Tokens placed in the mix when they detach.
Also in the initial mix is the "Tiffin" Token, three Command Tokens for the locals and four for the Russians.
The Locals.
There is a small unit of local tribal folk on the heights. Each time they are activated they will, before doing anything else, make a test.
This is a simple 1x6D dice throw, modified by the following;
In hard cover +2
In soft cover +1
For each 2 Shock markers -1
For each friendly unit within 6" +1
Enemy within charge reach and outnumbered, withdrawing or routing +2
The
Unknown.
In addition to the above there is an "Unknown"
Token in the mix. If this is drawn a 1x6D dice is thrown. On a throw of
"6" a Russian unit has come under unexpected fire from
cover. I dice for each Russian unit within range of cover (rocks,
village, vegetation), the lowest scorer being the one receiving fire
(in the case of draws I continue throwing for the drawers until I get
a "loser").
A card is then drawn from a standard
pack of playing cards. The number on the card indicates the number of
hostile "stands of three figures" opening fire. A colour
card means artillery fire from one gun.
I then look at the possible sources of fire in range of the target on the table, and dice to see where the fire has come from. This "source of fire" unit is placed, shoots at once, then gets ITS own token added to the token mix.
The Emirs.
The Emirs are an unknown quantity. Each time one of their tokens is drawn the Emir in question tests with a dice throw on the table below. Each Emir has a 1x6D dice-created Starting Morale (unknown to me until their first Activation)
Throw one Red Dice (plus) and one Black Dice (minus). Add the Emir's Starting Morale. Modify as below, and proceed according to the result.
Every withdrawing* enemy unit within 300yds +3 (* this means ANY movement towards the "Enemy Friendly" side of the table - even if voluntary or heading towards and enemy objective)
Every enemy unit seen routed +4
Every enemy unit seen pushed back in melee +1
Enemy flank turned towards Tester +2
Enemy rear turned towards Tester +3
Tester under fire from artillery or millatreuse throw dice: 1-2 = +2 3-6 = -2
Each building destroyed in sight throw dice: 1-3 = +2 4-6 = -2
Each mosque seen destroyed +6
Each smoke plume from burned building seen 1-3 = +2 4-6 = -2
Outnumbered enemy infantry within charge range +1
Outnumbered enemy cavalry within charge range +2
Have already engaged in successful action +4
Each two shock markers -1
Detached Friendly Units
Each detached friendly unit will be sent of with orders with which they will comply. In theory.. But detached units commanders have minds of their own.
The reality is that Unit Commanders outside "My"
command radius will themselves react to circumstances (coming under
fire, seeing enemy for the first time, coming across targets of
opportunity etc. etc.) and have to make on the spot decisions.
Most
of these will be represented by ad hoc decision tables/throws, since
I cannot predict all circumstances for all branches of the service or
possible conditions. These occasions will be described in the
narrative.
The Table.
Very simple map below. High ground is marked in the yellower/sandy colour.
Three targets (the villages). IF the Emirs enter the fray the Nomad Encampment offers an extra, optional target
The crags and rocks are impassable to cavalry and artillery (unless local artillery prompted and placed by Events).
The slopes are impassable to artillery limbers unless moving up a track.
Crags and rocks and the palm groves class as cover. There are various field boundaries scattered about that also provide cover.
Russians enter from the lower right board edge. This is also their exit point.
Next post will be the battle itself.
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