Suggestions for Sudan rules?

[Keith T]

I am looking for a set of rules to fight battles in the Sudan, the mad Madhi era.

 I do have black powder rules and their supplement for the Sudan but wonder if you chaps know of a better set?

cheers
Keith

[SteveBurt]

Death in the Dark Continent is excellent.
If you want a more skirmishy feel, The Men Who Would be Kings is fine.

[LCpl McDoom]

Best multi-player game in small scale (6mm) I ever did, we used 'Science Vs Pluck' rules, by Howard Whitehouse. If you and your gaming chums like the idea of a slight bit of 'role-play' as Officers in Her Majesty's army, this is worth acquiring. There's also a lot of good information for this setting too.

Then there's TMWWBK for my quick-play 28mm (or useful for any other scales too) games, handy for a few players wanting to fight Field Forces and Tribal 'Rayyas' & 'Rubs'. Easy format to pick up, even with some friends who are not regular gamers. Field Forces may only be a half-dozen units too, so easy to assemble a suitable collection.

[ragbones]

“A Good Dusting,” by David Bickley and, “The Men Who Would Be King,” by Daniel Mersey.

[redzed]

Always liked The Sword and the Flame

[levied troop]

I’d endorse Science vs Pluck, we managed to do it in 28mm and it’s a lovely set of rules - umpire-directed Mahdists against British players and you can get a whole campaign played in a day.

[Volleyfire!]

We used A Good Dusting to start with, but they are quite old school, and a bit too simplified for our tastes, fine if you want a fast game though.
We tend to use BP with the Sudan supplement, although I do have Sands of the Sudan which again are a bit old school I guess being based upon Peter Gilder's rules. We haven't got round to trying them yet, my fellow Sudan enthusiast read them through and wasn't overly won over by them, although there are some ideas worth borrowing.
 I also have TMWWBK rules but we don't do much in the way of skirmishes for the Sudan so these haven't been tried either. We tried using a set based upon SAGA rules boards which was featured in WSS magazine many moons ago, but the Mahdists always won no matter what troops the British used or which tactics they tried so we dropped those.

[Keith T]

Thanks for some great ideas, I do have BP and its Sudan supplement but always looking for new rules or a fresh take on old rules.[ I also have TMWWBK which are fun skirmish rules  but not great for bigger games].

[AKULA]

Pony Wars....use the mahdists as Indians.

 

[JBaumal]

Keith T, why not try The Sword And The Flame. It's been a colonial rules mainstay for decades. The rules are celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year!



https://sgtguinness.blogspot.com/2017/02/sudan-1881-gunboat-77-to-tge-rescue.html

Rules available from the author's website: http://www.sergeants3.com/

[Traveler Man]

Sands of the Sudan are a great set for the 1884-85 period. They also work well for solo gaming.

[Armchair2000]

Peter Pig’s excellent Patrols in the Sudan is well worth a look.

Written for 15mm but easy to convert to 28s – Very clever rules with the Mahdist player able to move terrain round the board – with Mahdist units potentially moving directly between un-scouted terrain pieces.
Not for big battles – but excellent for marching columns through the desert

Different and fun.

[HerbyF]

I would also suggest The Sword & the Flame. I have been having a lot of fun playing these rules since it first came out. the basic rules were written for the British in the Sudan.

[thequestingvole]

I’d recommend TMWWBK for quick play skirmish.

TSATF for more in depth skirmish games.

For large scale actions, Science versus Pluck has not been bettered.

[redzed]

Also if you're doing Colonials let's not forget the greatest website ever.....

Major General Tremorden Rederring's Colonial-era Wargames Page