Black Powder: Battle at Wahat Zarqa. 1885.

The first game of the year took place in Sudan during the Mahdi Rebellion. It was also an opportunity to finally field all of my miniatures from my collection for this conflict. I must admit, I’m very pleased with the results. We played using the Black Powder rules, and there's nothing quite like starting the year with my favourite gaming system.

SCENARIO: Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING: Bartek Żynda

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

BRITISH:

Initial Forces:

Independent Brigade (David)

Brigade Commander (9)

1 x Heavy Camel Infantry

2 x Line Infantry

1 x Jurnalist

1 x Caravan with a treasure

Reinforcements:

Indian Brigade (Andy)

Brigade Commander (9)

4 x Line Infantry

1 x Gatling Gun

1 x Royal Navy Skirmishers

1 x Bengal Lancers

British Brigade (Tim)

CinC (9)

Brigade Commander (9)

4 x Line Infantry

1 x Gardner Gun

1 x Light Gun

2 x Royal Navy Skirmishers

1 x Hussars with Lances

Cavalry Brigade (Peter)

Brigade Commander (9)

1 x Hussars

MAHDISTS:

Initial Forces:

Forward Detachment (Bartek)

Brigade Commander (8)

1 x Ansar with rifles

Reinforcements:

1st Infantry Brigade (Alasdair)

Brigade Commander (8)

1 x Ansar with rifles

4 x Ansar with spears

2nd Infantry Brigade (Michael)

Brigade Commander (8)

1 x Ansar with rifles

4 x Ansar with spears

3rd Infantry Brigade (Jimmy)

Brigade Commander (8)

1 x Ansar with rifles

4 x Ansar with spears

Cavalry Brigade (Mike)

CinC (8)

Brigade Commander (8)

2 x Cavalry with Carbines

1 x Cavalry with Spears

2. The Game.

During our game, a British journalist covering an archaeological expedition deep in Sudan accompanied a shipment of artefacts intended for the British Museum. This expedition was besieged by unknown Mahdi rebel forces. British troops were assigned to protect the expedition, but they were unaware of the enemy's strength, which led the team to take refuge in an oasis in the desert. They remained there for an extended period, and news of their situation ceased to reach the British public. As a result, the British command decided to send a force to locate the expedition and ensure its safe return. Meanwhile, a significant insurgent group in the area believed that this isolated British expedition would make an easy target. Both the British forces and the insurgents began searching for the expedition.

Each side had its forces set up on the main table, while the rest moved to the auxiliary table, where the search was taking place. Each side had its own deck of cards to track the movement of its brigades. Each commander needed to outline their search route first. Then, similar to the rules of Black Powder, they could move their units after passing a command check. If they failed the check, their units could not advance; in the case of a blunder, the brigade would not be activated in the following turn. Cavalry units moved two spaces, while infantry units moved one space. The Mahdists were the first to find the oasis. Mike discovered it first, followed by Alasdair and Jimmy on the third turn, Michael and Andy on the fourth, Peter on the fifth, and Tim on the sixth.

Mike positioned his troops around the oasis, placing himself between it and the anticipated arrival of the main British forces. Meanwhile, my brigade attempted to attack the enemy for the first time but was forced to retreat under intense British rifle fire. They never fully recovered from this initial shock and played no further role in the battle. When Tim arrived, he decimated them with his rifle fire. This development allowed me to focus on umpiring the game.

Behind Mike, the main Mahdist forces began to arrive. Things started with some issues. Alasdair was able to advance despite rolling Blunder, but Jimmy failed his command check, which delayed his entry. As a result, Alasdair entered the fray first, later receiving support from Michael.

The initial attack was unsuccessful, and as time passed, the first British troops began to arrive on the battlefield. Andy was the first to appear; he quickly established a square formation and started firing at the Mahdists. Peter also joined the fighting, but after some initial success, his unit was routed. Meanwhile, Alasdair and Michael launched a renewed assault on the oasis, achieving notable success this time. Alasdair managed to rout the Camel Corps unit and hijacked their caravan, while Michael captured the journalist.

The Mahdists successfully achieved both objectives of the game. Alasdair completed his task and led the caravan off the table, while Michael failed to kill the journalist. Just as he was about to make the kill, his unit was attacked by David's infantry. Mike then launched an attack on David from behind, while also being targeted by Andy's  Bengal Lancers. This resulted in a stalemate. Although the Mahdists initially prevailed and the British lost their Bengal Lancers, Tim's arrival changed the entire situation.

The entry of the new British forces onto the battlefield was not without significant challenges. Tim's arrival was delayed due to a blunder, and as a result, Andy had to withdraw his entire brigade, also because of a blunder. Seizing the opportunity, Jimmy decided to launch an attack and chase after Andy as fast as he could. Unfortunately for him, this was where the Mahdists' luck ran out. Andy returned to the battlefield and greeted Jimmy with rifle fire, severely diminishing his troops. Meanwhile, Tim charged the oasis with his cavalry, managing to rout the Mahdist forces and rescue the captured journalist. This success was made possible by a mistake from one of the Mahdist commanders, who chose to launch a solitary attack on David's last unit instead of supporting his comrades in battle.

After this, the Mahdist forces retreated, leading the caravan into the unknown. The British forces, having suffered heavy losses—particularly among their cavalry—were unable to pursue them. Both sides achieved one game objective: the Mahdists captured the caravan, while the British secured the journalist. As a result, the game ended in a draw. I, however, was able to enjoy my entire collection displayed on the table, which I hope brought you some cheer as well.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1102295478594449

FLICKR: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720331384315

28mm Mahdist reinforcements.

The next project is provisionally finished until I think of something else. It includes Mahdists and some extras. Almost all the miniatures used are from Perry Miniatures, and the bases are primarily from Warbases.

While painting Mahdists in previous periods, I ended up with two incomplete units: one equipped with spears and the other with firearms. To create full-sized units of 20 figures each, I purchased an additional box of plastic Ansar from the Perry Brothers. This allowed me to complete the missing bases. From the set, I was also able to assemble an additional Ansar. Now, my collection consists of four Ansars with rifles and 12 Ansars with spears. Additionally, I included a foot commander, bringing the total to five leaders plus Mahdi.

Of course, this isn't the end of the additions. I've also incorporated three bases of cavalry armed with rifles. This allows me to deploy two units of Mahdi cavalry: one equipped with rifles and the other with javelins, with each unit consisting of 12 figures or 4 units with 6 figures.

Last thing in this post, I want to share my project involving a caravan. I once bought three camels at a Claymore show with the intention of painting as a caravan for myself. I’m not sure where these miniatures originated, but if anyone knows, please let me know. The challenge I faced was finding suitable human figures to accompany the camels. Fortunately, I later discovered a Facebook post showcasing miniatures that would be perfect for this purpose. It seems that the best solutions can sometimes be found right under our noses!

I found that Perry Miniatures offers sets from Napoleon's Conquest of Egypt, which feature figures that fit the design beautifully, especially since clothing in that part of the world hasn’t changed much over time. Additionally, the porters carrying the chest can serve as an extra objective in games. For this project, I used some unused GM Boardgames bases I had left over from my ships for Togo.

British for Sudan.

I finally completed painting the British Empire's forces involved in the conflicts in Northeast Africa during the late 19th century. This time, I mainly focused on the cavalry but also included the infantry and commanders. All the miniatures are from Perry Miniatures, and the bases are from Warbases.

The original plan was to have one cavalry unit and one dragoon unit, while rebasing the existing cavalry units to the new format, which consists of nine figures per unit, grouped as three figures per base. However, when Caronade came along, I ended up buying a few more figures and then placed an order directly with the Perry brothers. As a result, the project expanded beyond my initial plans. I suppose that's typical!

We'll begin the show with the cavalry. First up is the Bengal Cavalry unit armed with lances. 

The second unit was made up of lance-wielding hussars. I painted three new figures and replaced the lances on the others. During the rebasing process, I also corrected some painting elements, resulting in an entirely new unit of lancers. Additionally, the unit received a new command base. Unfortunately, the officer figure was missing from the set I purchased at one of the shows. I’m not sure if it was lost somewhere in my room or removed from the set during the event. Fortunately, I had an extra hussar figure with a sabre, which I used as the officer.

The third cavalry unit is a rebased Hussar unit equipped with sabres. I made some corrections to the paint used.

The next unit is the aforementioned dragoons, known as the Heavy Camel Brigade. I created a camel-mounted unit, a dismounted version, and an additional group of soldiers guarding the kneeling camels.

We smoothly transitioned to focusing on the infantry. The first unit is the 2nd Infantry Battalion from Bengal. I had two officer figures leftover from my previous painting project, so I decided to purchase an entire unit. This will allow me to create a complete Indian brigade.

I had some leftovers from previous painting projects, including an incomplete infantry battalion. This time, I decided to add a base with commanders, which allowed me to create the 10th Infantry Battalion for my collection. I still have four figures left, so I plan to build one or possibly two more battalions. I'm also considering forming a Scottish brigade!

As my collection expands, I require more commanders to lead these forces. I have added three new commanders to my team.

To conclude this presentation, some additional elements. Journalists. I made myself two bases. They will be an excellent addition to the future games.

Regarding the British Empire forces, I'm taking a long break for now. There will be new figures in this area, including the previously mentioned Scottish Brigade. I've also purchased a few more Mahdist figures, which may make an appearance soon as a diversion between larger projects. For the time being, I’m shifting my focus from land to the sea. Results will be coming soon.