Sudan: Scenario: No Relief from the Midday Sun

Having finished a bit early for the year and having received my "Xmas Present" to myself in the post from Newline Designs (20mm Hadendowa, Yorks and Lancs, and some dismounted camel corp to provide dismounted cavalry options), I thought I'd write up a scenario for when they are all painted... hopefully sometime in January... hahahahaha...

... well given all existing Hadendowa will be re-based and touched up... it might take a bit longer...

Anyhow, given the success of the Battle of Hashin scenario, fought twice now, here's one which uses the Brigade Square rules.

Note all measurements are made in metric... because its the 21st Century and base 10 is king - who the hell uses fractions any more... but its easy to remember that 12 inches = ~30cms.

An A4 PDF of the scenario can be found here.

No Relief from the Midday Sun

In the north of Sudan, a brigade has been caught out in the open, on its way to relieve Gordon at Khartoum.

For two days at least, dust on the horizon, coupled with glimpses of Ansar in the distance, has convinced the brigade commander that an attack is likely.

Fearing the worse, they have formed their brigade into a square and set the cavalry off to reconnoiter.

Table

As it might be a bit of a stretch for some to build a table of this size (232cms x 232cms), just note that the scenario is set for the Ansar to be just in range of Breech-Loading Rifles when they come on the table - hence the terrain -  and for them to have to make at least two full moves to get into contact.

If you're stretched for space just imagine the distance from an edge of the table to the face of a British square unit is 1 meter away (~39 inches), and make the Ansar have to move accordingly.

Set Up

• Measurements are for 20-28mm standard basing
• Brigade Square rules
• British square must be set up in the centre of the board with each battlion face at least 1 meter away from the edge of the board and it cannot move (it will not risk the chance of gaps opening up in the brigade square)
• Ansar place Terrain
• 4 Manditory terrian pieces min 30cms in length, 4 optional terrain pieces of any size, Roll 1d6, placed on 4-6
• At least one part of a terrain piece must touch the Ansar deployment zone and be no closer than 60cms to the British square
• British calavry units may be placed anywhere on the table, outside of the Ansar deployment zone
• Ansar attacking a side of a square may attack only the facing British unit or the facing unit and one adjacent artillery piece
• Only Sml Ansar Skirmish units may indivdually attack  a square artillery piece in hand to hand
• British facing units not in combat themselves and who are adjacent to an artillery piece attacked by Ansar Skirmish units may add 1 hand to hand attack to the combat
• Sml British Skirmish Inf units may move through the square's facing units and artillery at will

Forces

British: 5x Std Inf, 1 x Sml Inf, 1x Std Cav, 1x Sml Cav, 1x 9 Pdr, 2x Gattling, 1x Gardner

Ansar: 9x Std Inf, 4x Sml Inf, 3x Std Camel, 2x Sml Camel

Ratio approx. 1:1.5, British:Ansar

Force Notes

• Ansar Std Inf are Fanatic Warband
• British Std Inf are Steady
• Ansar Skirmish Inf carry breech-loading rifles, all else carry spears
• Camels and all Sml Inf units are Skirmishers
• Sml British Cav unit may dismount, becoming a Sml Skirmish Inf unit
• All Cav units are Marauders
• Ansar max four commands per side, including Army Commander
• British max three commands per side, including Army Commander
• Add other special rules as desired but balanced between forces

Unless otherwise specified, units are assumed as listed in Blood on the Nile supplement.

Victory

First side to loose 5 units, Shaken or outright - small units and artillery count as half a unit.