Blood and Dust: The Mullah’s Rebellion"
I "invested" in some Wargames Atlantic British WW1 Infantry, and am really happy that they can serve in the more "colonial" style campaigns of the early 20th century. A Wolseley helmet, service cap or an Anzac style hat are among the options I can use.
As an enemy force I have a collection of Mahdist types over in Cyprus that will fit the bill for the Somaliland campaigns that raged from 1899 into the 1920s.
Just wondering where I can get a few Model T Fords to pursue the Mullah in!
Map Setting: British Protectorate in the Horn of Africa (fictionalized Somaliland), 1911
Opponents:
British Company: Lightly equipped colonial infantry, some askari auxiliaries, possibly a gun or two.
Enemy Forces: Followers of the so-called Mad Mullah, and mysterious foreign advisors providing shadowy support (possibly Ottoman, German, or rogue agents).
⚔️ Factions
1. British Expeditionary Force ("The Somaliland Field Force")
Composition:
Indian Army units (Sikh or Punjabi Companies)
African auxiliaries (askaris from the KAR)
Camel Corps or Mounted Infantry
Royal Engineers (fortifications, demolitions)
Commanding Officer:
Maj. Clarence Stickwyck, a practical and portly veteran.
Adj. Captain Valentine Clean,
Sgt Maj Rigid
Objectives:
Hold key towns
Intercept Dervish raids
Destroy Hassan’s strongholds
Capture or kill the Mullah
2. The Dervish
Composition:
Cavalry raiders
Fanatical infantry
War drums and banners
Hidden advisors
Leader:
Mohammed Abdullah Hassan—charismatic, poetic, and merciless. Believed by his followers to be divinely guided.
Shadowy Advisors:
Three veiled figures whispering in Hassan’s ear—perhaps Sufi mystics, or Ottoman paymasters.
Objectives:
Destroy British morale
Rally tribes to the cause
Kidnap or assassinate key British
🎮 CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE: 3 Linked Games
Control of regions gives strategic bonuses (supplies, intel, reinforcements). The British begin holding the coast and a few inland outposts; the Dervishes control interior villages and hidden bases.
The campaign progresses in Turns: Each turn represents 1–2 weeks of real time. On each turn:
Both sides plan movement and actions.
Skirmishes and battles are resolved.
Events or story hooks are introduced.
🔰 Game One: "The Burning Well"
Type: Meeting engagement
Setting: Oasis near the edge of the British-controlled zone.
Scenario Summary:
A patrol from B Company is sent to investigate reports of tribes rallying under the Mad Mullah. Upon arriving at the Al-Kadur Oasis, they find it already seized—and burning. Scouts report signs of recent military training and foreign weaponry. The British must engage and assess the threat.
Objectives:
British: Rescue any captives, secure the well or determine its status, gather intel.
Dervishes: Delay the British, destroy any sensitive equipment, and escape with advisors.
Special Rules:
Hidden movement for Dervish scouts.
Chance encounter with foreign (German? Ottoman?) "observers."
Randomized arrival of reinforcements.
Outcome Impacts:
British victory: Capture a “dossier” revealing outside support. Gain intel (map bonus) for Game Two.
Dervish victory: The Mullah's backers grow bolder; +1 elite unit in Game Two.
⚔️ Game Two: "Ambush at Wadi Redwan"
Type: Ambush / Asymmetrical Engagement
Setting: Narrow gorge on a supply route to a forward outpost.
Scenario Summary:
The British prepare to move on a suspected rebel encampment. As they push through the Wadi Redwan, the Mullah’s forces spring a trap, using new tactics and equipment—likely from outside sponsors.
Objectives:
British: Escort supply convoy safely through the pass (exit X units off far side).
Dervishes: Destroy supplies, inflict casualties, or capture prisoners.
Special Rules:
Hidden mines, booby traps.
"Shadowy" foreign operatives may be directing fire or coordinating ambushes (snipers or saboteurs).
Terrain is tight; artillery is limited or reduced effectiveness.
Outcome Impacts:
British victory: Advance continues, morale high, minor reinforcements in Game Three.
Dervish victory: British delay gives Mullah time to fortify; Game Three becomes a fortified assault with increased resistance.
🏰 Game Three: "The Citadel of Dust"
Type: Assault on fortified position
Setting: The ruined fortress of Jabal Kafrah deep in the desert.
Scenario Summary:
The final stronghold of the Mullah. Intelligence reveals a foreign agent coordinating regional unrest from within the fortress. The British must break the stronghold and end the rebellion—or see the region descend into chaos.
Objectives:
British: Capture or kill the Mullah, neutralize foreign agent, take the fortress.
Dervishes: Hold the fort until nightfall (escape for key leaders), or inflict enough casualties to break the British morale.
Special Rules:
Fortified positions with hidden caches or traps.
Possible nighttime escape of foreign agent (secret counter).
Morale checks influenced by previous games' outcomes.
Twist Option:
If the Mullah escapes, campaign doesn't end—he becomes a guerrilla leader, giving you a reason for Season 2 of the campaign.
🎲 More Scenario Ideas
Ambush at the Wadi
A British supply column is ambushed en route to a remote fort.
Raid on Berbera
Dervishes infiltrate the coastal town during a local festival.
The Lost Patrol
A small British patrol has gone missing near a haunted ruin. A rescue force must brave enemy-held territory.
Last Stand at Fort Harrow
The Mullah’s forces besiege a crumbling desert fort. Can the garrison hold out until relief arrives?
The Moon of the Jackal
The Dervishes attempt a midnight attack on a British Outpost. The British officer commanding here is plagued by dreams and madness, a curse or his too frequent drinking of Absinthe
🧭 Logistics & Mechanics Ideas
Use campaign supply rules—British depend on convoys, the Dervishes on local support.
Morale tracking for both sides (including influence from religious fervor or strange occurrences).
"Intel Points" can be spent to reveal hidden enemy movement, get tribal scouts, or call in gunboat support.
🗂️ Campaign Assets
Character sheets for officers (including traits and stress/fear tracking)
Battle scenario sheets (setup, terrain, victory conditions)
Event cards (e.g., "Scorching Heat: Movement halved", "Tribal Revolt)
🔚 Campaign Endgame Options
The campaign ends after X turns or when:
The British capture the Mullah (major victory)
The Mullah unifies the region (Dervish major victory)
A stalemate occurs, and both sides agree to a truce (minor victory/loss)
