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Saturday 30 October 2021

Tel El Kebiresque Battle

This weekend it's the turn of the colonial forces to get a game. Another Portable Wargame scenario that Bob has posted (see HERE) is the Battle of Tel El Kebir. This looked like a nice game for my Imagination forces. In the real battle there is a canal defining one side of the battlefield; in this game there is a large river (not shown). 

The new king of Uqbalistan has made another incursion into Albionian Uqbal. The last time he did this, his force suffered defeat (see HERE). Will he be more successful this time? 

The Uqbali force sent into Albionian territory was small. Its Commanding Officer, an experienced soldier, knew he was going to face a strong retaliation from the enemy so ordered his men to build earthwork defences at the first settlement they found, and await the inevitable onslaught.

General Carbuncle Wolsley-Hornet (Albionian Commanding Officer) has recently arrived from Indra with some of his own personnel guard. Taking immediate command of a force of Albionia's large military presence, that includes elite infantry from the Hibernian and Caledonian regiments, the General has marched through the night. Arriving in column just before dawn, the Albionians form ranks and move towards the Uqbali defences.

(Game mechanic - The Uqbal side was to throw a dice each turn for the first 3 turns to determine whether or not the oncoming enemy were spotted as it was still dark - a 6 was required on turn 1, 5 or 6 on turn 2 and 4,5 or 6 on turn 3.)

Turn 1

Turn 4 and the defenders finally realise they are under attack

Wolsley-Hornet encourages his men to get stuck in with a bayonet

Turn 9 and the defenders reach Exhaustion point

The Uqbali guns are over-run

The end is near but the defenders bravely fight on 

The Uqbali General surrenders to save what's left of his men

Outnumbered and out classed, the defence was in doubt from the start (and the attackers didn't even have the machine gun called for in the Order of Battle), though the earthworks helped the Uqbali Army keep fighting until Turn 14 when it seemed only kind to stop.

17 comments:

  1. Oh dear! Poor dice are not a good response to a larger enemy forces!

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    1. My dice performed with their usual infantile attitude, rolling 1s and 2s out of spite!

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  2. Great to see your troops back in action, Sir!

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  3. An interesting assault on a defensive terrain, looks very nice!

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    1. Thanks Phil. I hope you and the other Riflemen are all well.

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  4. An interesting game, even if the dice were fickle.

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    1. Thanks Peter - of course if the dice had swung the other way it could have been a massacre for the attackers; fortunes of war etc

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  5. A bloody day for the defenders indeed, another fun looking game sir... at least for the attackers

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  7. What a marvellous, classic looking game. Your figures are perfect for it.
    Regards James

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  8. Your armies and terrain look very nice. I have read a bit about the battle of Tel El-Kebir, but never had the chance to play it as a wargame. Cheers, Karl

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