Onto the Zulu lands.

Get off my land.

Dice roll 1:6  Scenario D, tailored for solo play

It's a sea of rolling grasslands.  The Zulu are out there, gone to ground.  Captain Peacock and his company are out on the flank and must hold the line against a probing and boldly thrusting enemy column.  Your customer Mr Lucas.

The Queen's Own 

Presenting the Officers of the 1st Company, Queen's Own.  After the last game they seem like old friends. 

Drew Peacock, Captain, Queen's Own Minifigs.  Steady 6+, with a fine bristling moustache.

Lt Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries,  5+  Inspirational.  May reroll activations.

2nd Lt Dick Lucas, a Hapless fellow, 7+

Colour Sergeant Ernest Grainger Unlucky 6+,  casualty on 2 or 3. 

Lt "Molly" Slocum R.A, a brutal fellow.  -2 on morale.

Commissary Officer Cuthbert Rumbold A bald head but no other distinguishing features (a serendipitous dice roll that one)  His driver is he long suffering Private Harman who has become convinced that the Zulu will "do fer 'im."

3 x platoons of 12 Regulars

1 x 9 pdr screw gun with 4 crew

Commissary wagon and crew

ShakaKhan Zulu

3 groups Fierce Tribal Warriors

3 groups Veteran Tribal warriors

All Zulu are commanded by the solo system of Mr Babbage.

The Scenario

The Zulu set up touching one table edge, whilst the  Queens Own are opposite but one move in.  Each of the four table squares has a marker, with a central marker making this look like the dots on a dice roll of 5.  A lot of soft cover from tall grass has been deployed on table.  (I'm using coloured felt to represent this)  In the grass the Zulu count as gone to ground, but the Zulu must contact each of the five markers to win the game.

The Queen's Own have extra ammunition carried on the Commissary wagon, and may send runners back.  Rumbold will only issue to one runner at a time, but once the lucky fellow gets back to his platoon they may deliver a double volley during their next fire turn. 

If Captain Peacock leaves his unit he can order Rumbold to pull his finger out and service two men at once.  Your customer Mr Grainger!

The Game

The Queens Own in company Square, supported by a 9pdr screw and a Departmental Stores Commissary Resupply Wagon.
That is a lot of Zulu opposite us.

And Mr Rumbold has loaded up his wagon with game markers. He came prepared.  Pte Harman looks less comfortable sitting on that wagon.

Humphries goes close order and survives a fierce charge.

It's a massacre

Lucas is attacked on the flank 

Lucas loses men.  He fails a personal morale roll and legs it.  A coward?  In the Queen's Own?

Lucas makes it back to Mr Rumbold's wagon.   Rumbold appears to be straining against trapped wind.

Colour Sergeant Grainger steadies his men,  taking Lucas Place.

Rumbold issuing ammunition, but at this point the battle fizzles out.  The Zulu fade away, gone to ground.  The Queens Own hold the field but at the cost of ten men, most of them in Lucas platoon.

An enjoyable game.  From here however things become more difficult as the Queens Own advance further into Shakakhan's territory.  What will happen to Lucas?  Will Rumbold ever recover from the shock of all of that ammunition being issued, or get rid of that trapped wind?  Will Mr Humphries take things firmly in hand?

Your customer Captain Peacock.

Zulus vs the Queen's Own

Its 1879 and Major Willy Stroker, VC, of the Queens Own Minifigs, and his best chum Captain Drew Peacock have been detached for Operations in Natal.  Old Stroker was deemed "not suitable" for Colonel Durnford's column, and snubbed by Lord Clemsford, they don't get on after an infamous haircutting incident. 

The half battalion of the Queens Own are ordered to march on a northern Zulu outpost over the Antelope River via the Mission of Reverend Quincy.  They are then to follow up over the Simba River at Dork's Drift, past the Pride Kopje and onto the plains of Mandala.

The Zulu chief Shaka Khan has six Impis to deploy against the oncoming British.  His outpost at Mandala protects the Zulu kingdom from an attack from this direction

My dice roll was 3-3.  Seek and destroy.

Having crossed the Antelope River RSM Thrust comes down with a bad case of Natal Itch.  He takes command of the supply depot at the Mission outpost.  The first Zulu Kraal is near the outpost and the Queens Own attack is lead by Captain Peacock's Company, with Lieuteant Humphries, Second Lieuteant Lucas and Colour Sergeant Grainger.  A Commissary wagon with additional ammunition and stores will follow under the command of Commissary Officer Cuthbert Rumbold. 

Major Stroker commands the reserve and will only join the attack if Peacock messes it up. The Queens Own face Shaka Babbage and the MWWBK solo system.

Characters

Colonel Herbert Grace (Aboard ship off the coast with his ladies)

Major Willy Stroker

1st Coy Captain Drew Peacock

2nd Coy Captain Hugh Jeers

3rd Coy Captain Myles Schlong

4th Coy Captain Oliver Pink-Gin

5th Coy Captain Arthur Poundamince

RSM Richard Thrust

Adjutant Josiah Wedgewood Plinth

Queens Own

3 x 12 Regulars

1 x Gun with four crew.

2 x General service wagon.

Zulu

Shaka Khan

3 x Fierce Tribal foot

3 x Veteran Tribal foot

Mr Babbage 

What

1-2   no enemy

3      a single band of chargers at long range

4      a single band of chargers at short range

5      two bands of chargers at long range

6      a band of chargers at maximum charge range

Where

1-3  to your front

4      to the left

5      to the left

6      to the rear

Action

1      Slink away

2      Cautious

3-4  Advance!  With caution

5      Charge.  Double move advance

6      Charge!  Double move plus 6

What are they up to?

1-2   Bye by baby

3-4   Back off table 

5      Repositioned at full strength

6     Back for more, long range to front.

The Game

Stand to! Stand to!  The Queen's Own advance on table.

The vultures eye view

Zulu to the front

And the cannon whittles them down.  Pinned

Peacock in the centre goes for the Kraal.  Humphries to his right gives support, but Lucas on the left hangs back.

Humphries volleys off two Zulu attacks

Even Lucas gives some support.

Peacock must hold on for three turns, but they come at him from all sides.

Peacock clings on

The end game.

At less than half strength Peacock couldn't hold much longer, but this is his third turn in the Kraal and he waves his moustaches at the Zulu claiming victory. 
" I say Shaka, old boy, what on earth is that redcoat fellow doing?"
"Damn him, he's taunting us!"
"Your customer Miss Brahms."

Lieutenant Humphries, mentioned in despatches.

N.K Egyptians defend Thebes

Time my New Kingdom Egyptians were brought to the table for a few games. They are still being  completed but I can bring some points into play.  Once again the Libyans are raiding Thebes.  With the Hyksos still holding the Delta this will be a desert game against Lionel the Libyan and 20 points of his newly based 3/2/1 tribesmen.

The Egyptians

Light Maryannu Chariots with added chariot runners @5

Light Maryannu Chariots @4

1 group Sherden Guard @6

1 group spearman @5 including General Inpueb (Royal bastard born on a Tuesday) the new Pharoah's uncle.

1 group archers @4

The Libyans

1 group Fierce foot @4 including Big Chief of chiefs Lionel the Libyan

3 groups bowmen @4

2 groups skirmishers @2

The Game

The Libyans screen their Fierce foot using skirmishers

The Libyan General charioted up

And the view from over the table as the Pharoah's general deploys the regulars..

Egyptian chariots close the gap

The Maryannu bowmen only manage two sixes, but against these poorly protected Libyans that is a casualty.  Leather cloaks and penis sheaths against modern technology.

And on a -1 the skirmishers manage to retreat battered.

The Sherden guard do their thing and charge the Libyan's chariots, who countercharge.

Four hits vs ten

The Libyans retreat battered 

Pharoah's general and his chariot runners take on the Libyan bow.

Two hits vs eight

The Libyans are having a bad day.

The Libyan attempt to rally is a disaster.

Time for some Philistine action.

The Sherden guard remorselessly hunt down the Libyan chief.  He looks a little Hittite to me.

The heavy chariot of the Egyptian general hammers the fierce foot.  The armour difference is critical

On a minus six that just doesn't cut it as a Courage test.

End game

And the Egyptians open Ali's slave market for used Libyans. 

Ugarit uncovered

20 points of Uriah the Hittites Caananites vs the Mycenean Menace of Dr P.

The Caananites fielded heavy and light chariots, spearmen and a unit of Shassu Fierce foot.

The Sea Peoples used heavy chariots one with guest chariot runners, Fierce foot and bows.

Refugees from the Trojan war this lot.

Getting going.

The Caananitrs use their chariots to counter the enemy's.

A single unit of Ugarit's finest spearmen hold the flanl.  They see off the bows and Fierce foot.

The Shassu are thrown back battered.

But they see off the enemy Sherden

A Sea Peoples general reluctant to move.

Attrition on the chariots, and those chariot runners are a decisive factor in protecting their charges

But finally my general, Uriah the Ugarite, is routed.  His absence means failed Courage tests across the Ugarit host.

Ugarit's last chariot units both fail and retires battered.

About time to drive homewards.  Ugarit retires from the field to hide behind our walls.

The end point.  A bloody encounter all round  but a great looking battle.