Randi and the Saucy Mare

Auguste, Duc a L'Orange squares up for a fight

Oh Captain Whitmore Sir,

Terrible events have occurred here on the Carnatic Coast.  There has been a battle, a proper full sized fight, and this time it was not the half trained Militia of the Bhuna that we faced, but the French trained regiments of the Typhoo Sultan himself.

Mr Grahame, now a Most worthy Captain, called it a "classic encounter," but for the Sepoys it was a most unfortunate happenstance.  The Bhuna may well be the local Nawab, but compared to the Sultan he has only small rupees as we say here in Fort George.   We had reached as far as Chinta on the Arcot Road, almost within sight of the walls of Madras itself.  Major Williams, the Thundering Pig, began to scream and shout about deployment, and we formed our lines with the village on our left, believing that he had gone mad, yet again.

But no, here they appeared, the green turbans of a Regiment of the Typhoo Sultan, led by his tame Frenchman, the Orange Duck.

Major Williams rode his horse to the front of our line.  He began to sing, intending to inspire us, but not in the proper English, but in a language he calls Walsh, a barbarous nonsense.  His horse is a mare called Daisy, a sad eyed animal cursed with a nervous bowel, and internal wind.  She proceeded to create a great spectacle of urine, dung and wind, much to the amusement of the Sepoys, and our British Officers.

The Major dismounted and slapped his horse on the rump, a mistake since she let loose a last burst of horse pee over him, and then she ran off towards the approaching Sultanate troops.  The Major began shouting that he wanted the saucy mare back, and that he would wipe off this “horsepiss” using the Typhoo’s battle flag.  We advanced to the fight...

2^nd Madras

Major “Shut-up” Williams

Captain Gunnar Grahame

Subedar Major Haidar Sikh

5 Companies /Groups of Regular Line

1 Flank Company /Group of Skirmishers

1 Water carrier (Gunga Din!)

1 Musician

1 Physic (Chandra Bogennoor,  most qualified Doctor)

The Sultanate

Colonel Auguste Bols, Duc a l’Orange

Lord Ram Bham the Tiger Hunter of Typhoo

Subedar Ravi Shankar

3 groups of Regular Line

2 Groups Native Skirmishers

2 Groups of Native cavalry

1 Holy Man The Yogi of Extreme Holiness

1 Scout Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard.  (in homage to Kipling, and as played by Errol Flynn in this game!)

 Both sides entered the table at opposite ends of the road dicing to see which of their three entry points they use.   The 2^nd Madras use point 3, the Sultan’s troops point 2.

FORCE SUPPORT

Both sides select 4 points of support

Neither side can select entrenchments or any other static defences

The Battle lines of the Sultan

 OBJECTIVE

To win a victory one side must force his opponent to withdraw from the table, either voluntarily or

due to a reduction in Force Morale, whilst keeping his own force’s own Force Morale at 3 or

greater. If neither side achieves this, both will withdraw, leaving the ground unconquered.

MINOR CHARACTERS

Two civilian Minor Characters are present on table. They have no objective but are simply conducting their everyday business.

1.  The richest man in Chinta is Donesh Trump, of Dutch Indian heritage, a cad, bounder and cowardly wind bag, who is trying to find a famous  Courtesan rumoured to be staying in the village.  He is carrying a small fortune in rupees.

2.  The Courtesan Jani of Bhalti is also present in Chinta, guarded by a group of well armed mercenaries.

The Jani of Bhalti, with her guards