Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: Hudson on September 12, 2018, 07:34:42 PM
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Does anyone game this? Any inspiration out there?
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Years ago I read Edgerton's 'Fall of the Ashanti Empire' and pondered how to wargame the Wolseley expedition of 1873-74. Its such a one-sided conflict, breech-loading rifles against muskets ...
The British lost more men to disease than in combat, so maybe it is better suited to campaign play than single engagements.
As for suitable figures for the Ashanti, I'd be curious to learn.
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As for suitable figures for the Ashanti, I'd be curious to learn.
Irregular do a single code in 15mm. That's not quite as bad as it sounds, as with Irregular each code usually has several variants. Can't speak for that particular figure, though, as I've never seen it. I guess you'd have to find some sort of proxy for personalities and such, though.
I think skirmishing would be the way to go. In a pitched battle the Ashanti have little chance, but skirmishing and ambushing in the bush might be a bit more fun, with nervous Tommies not knowing from which bit of jungle the next shot is coming from. In the 1900 war the British had even more of a technical advantage, but still were surprised and ambushed. There was something of a massacre and the survivors had to fortify and await a relief column. You might be able to pick some fun out of the bones of that.
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Oh, I forgot. Castaway Arts do a 28mm range, including Hausas and some West Indians in their natty Zouave-esque uniforms, which is something you don't see every day.
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I have done a few 28mm 1st Ashanti games (using Triumph and Tragedy with new traits for the Ashanti). Very colourful, fun games but as with most Colonial era gaming fairly limited on scenario formats. You have Ambush, Rescue, Search and Escort theme games but finding a balance between forces is difficult if you want to reflect the actual performance of the tribal musketeers.
My Ashanti are converted WF plastic Zulus and a few Perry Mahdists, all with muskets added from the WF WSS infantry boxes and tissue paper Akan robes. Works very well. My British are Perry, OG and Studio figures which I use for 1st Afghan and Baluchistan Campaigns as well so get more table time from the same models.
None of it correct enough for the true pedants but works for me.
There is some information around the web on the Ashanti (Ashantee/Asante/Asantewa) forces:
eg:
http://www.wikiwand.com/en/African_military_systems_(1800–1900)#/The_Ashanti_military_system (http://www.wikiwand.com/en/African_military_systems_(1800–1900)#/The_Ashanti_military_system)
https://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/the-yaa-asantewaa-war-of-independence.htm (https://www.missedinhistory.com/podcasts/the-yaa-asantewaa-war-of-independence.htm)
And a google image search on "Ashanti Warrior" brings up a lot of useful pictures.
I think it is an interesting campaign but it does not seem to be very popular. I want to switch my skirmish gaming to 15mm so I offered all my 28mm Ashanti stuff for sale a few months ago and got no interest on here.
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I have a decent collection of Ashanti figures (Castaway Arts), but I have not developed any scenarios with them...yet. I think the best way would be using the typical colonial way for most African opponents - make sure they vastly outnumber the British (or French). This makes more of a game of it, as well as setting realistic objectives.
One major thing to consider for the Ashanti. Since the Ashanti were armed with muskets (basically entirely), though their effect was poor due to bad powder and ammo, consider them having half the range (or about). Now that said, since the engagements took place in thick jungle areas (mostly), this helps reduce the effectiveness of the modern rifles used by the British. Can the British fire blindly into the cover of the jungle at unseen Ashanti (as they did, using volleys) - yes. But, it's very hard to hit what you cannot see, so there should be another die roll to "confirm" any hits on the original rolls (example, roll 1D6 again, and if you get another 6, then it's an actual hit), provided, that is, there was a unit within range of the British. Only count those confirmed hits against morale, not any original hits. This helps to cut down the British firepower.
Just some quick thoughts (my few farthings worth!). ;)
Bob
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Lancashire Games have a new range out in 18mm. Extensive but a bit cartoony. I was very interested but they look huge compared to my existing figures.
i wrote a variant for Principles of War for a 4 foot square table where the entire table counted as woods with some paths and clearings. Regular player spent a lot of time moving slowly watching all the dummy bases whizz around the board and trying desperately to spot them. Didn't play many games but it worked well and felt right.
John
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Maybe have a random roll before battles to see how many Brits cant participate due to disease/plus perhaps some type of minus to leadership/morale?
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Perfect genre for TSATF, especially Broms Darkest Africa rule supplement (10 figures and a leader for unit)
What a great genre to game. I painted up a horde of Lancashire 15mm Ashantis. Unfortunately, they are 20-25mm tall :-[
Castaway Arts in 28mm is a great way to go
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Thanks for all the replies. I did look at the Castaway ones and they are nice. I may take the plunge.
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I believe Gringos 40 are currently sculpting the Ashanti Amazon’s !! There’s a thread on this somewhere with pics of the Amazon greens !!
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Those lasses weren't Ashanti (from what we call Ghana today), they were from Dahomey (modern-day Benin). Same-ish neck of the woods, though.
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Indeed Plynkes you are correct !! They were Dahomey sculpts that I saw and not the Ashanti !!! Soz for the mistake !!!
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'Death in the Dark Continent' has lists for the Ashanti, and some good scenarios (and is indeed a generally good set of rules)
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Hello, I read The Ashanti Ring by Leigh Maxwell many years ago and found the section on the 1874 Ashanti campaignveey informative. I wargamed a couple of skirmishes with Soldiers Companion, officer led natives v Ashanti.
https://www.abebooks.com/9780436274473/Ashanti-Ring-Sir-Garnet-Wolseleys-0436274477/plp
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P.s. there is a richly illustrated article on the 1873-74 Third Anglo-Ashanti War in the latest issue of Wargames Illustrated (372 - Oct 2018), eight pages in length, inc figure tips.