Diablo Jon does Darkest Africa - now with my first Swahili buildings

[Diablo Jon]

Another unit for my British Lakes company this time native soldiers mostly recruited from the Tonga living along lake Nyasa. Lugard says that his native troops where armed with one third breach loaders (most likely to be Sniders), one third muzzle loading rifles and one third un-armed ( probably armed with traditional spears).

Appearance wise a cloth skirt and turban like head gear seems to have been the order of the day mostly in dirty white but the lake Tonga apparently favoured brightly coloured cloth when they could get it (especially checked cloth from India). Western clothes also seemed to have slowly made there way into the inventory of lakes company employees.

This group represent the breach loader armed soldiers. These weapons where a step up on their Slaver opponents but Lugard doesn’t seem to impressed with his soldiers. “Each day a rough drill was carried out, mainly with a view to teaching these raw savages how to hold and point a gun – aiming was of course beyond them” Inspiring stuff.

[Mike1879]

Very nice indeed. Lovely project this well done!!!

[Atheling]

Really nice work

 I love those 'old' Copplestone sculpts 

[Diablo Jon]

Thanks guys. Yes the old Foundry Darkest Africa range is still an absolute joy to paint even after all these years.

[Diablo Jon]

I was playing around with my newly painted miniatures on my table and ended up taking a few photos.  I thought they looked kind of cool and I’d share them. So here are a few pictures of my British Lakes company soldiers marching to attack Kopa Kopa’s stockade 15th June 1888.

[Mike1879]

Superb!!!

[flatpack]

Flippin’ Heck, it must hurt carrying a flag that size around.
A beautiful set up mate, well done.

[Diablo Jon]

Flippin’ Heck, it must hurt carrying a flag that size around.
A beautiful set up mate, well done.

It gets worse not only is it a hefty flag... someone on TMP pointed out I'd stuck the flag on upside down 

[FlyXwire]

Well maybe it's a portent to a new world about to be turned upside down....(and so "stay tuned".....I know I will be). 

Super stuff DJ!

[FifteensAway]

Inspiring.  Hope I can accomplish something nearly as grand one day for my East Africa adventures.

[syrinx0]

It gets worse not only is it a hefty flag... someone on TMP pointed out I'd stuck the flag on upside down 

There was a sudden breeze....

[Diablo Jon]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Looking at my painted collection I decided I had enough stuff painted to get a solo game of The “Men who would be Kings” (TMWWBK), if I used the skirmish kings optional rule which basically halves the number of models per unit, going. So I went through my collection and organised two 24AP armies and then set about coming up with a bit of background for a game.

“In 1881 the British African Lakes Company was trying to establish itself around lake Nyasa among the main issues they faced was the hostility of the Portuguese who felt the Shire river and Lake Nyasa where part of their sphere of influence. This hostility manifested itself mainly in the seizing of goods and heavy taxation of company property coming from the coast of Portuguese East Africa.  The African Lakes company board came up with a scheme to by-pass the Portuguese by creating a caravan route to the northern end of lake Nyasa from more friendly ports on the Swahili coast.

For this endeavour the company hired one Captain Phillip Lander. Although Captain Phil Lander had had a distinguished career in HMs armed forces, as well as being a crack rifle shot and personally very brave, he had two character flaws that made him a bad choice for such an endeavour. Captain Lander had a love of strong liquor and an absolute contempt of anyone who wasn’t a European. These two flaws combined to finish his military career after he almost beat a sepoy to death in a drunken rage while stationed in India.

To accompany Captain Lander the company insisted on a company accountant, one Mr Biff Wellington, would accompany the expedition to help negotiate treaties with friendly tribes along the way to create the caravan route.  A local Swahili headman Safiri of Kilwa was hired to employee Porters and act as a guide. Finally Captain Lander insisted on the hiring of RSM (retired) Stan Dupp to train and lead his native Askari.

The expedition hired around 200 local Swahili 50 of the best where given Snider rifles and trained by RSM Dupp as Askari. The remaining 150 where used as porters, given muzzle loading rifles, and some basic training.

The expedition set off in high spirits but tensions between Captain Lander and Mr Wellington quickly become strained. Captain Lander sense of European superiority didn’t allow him to negotiate with tribes the expedition encountered. He quickly gave up offering hongos and started negotiating at the point of a gun. After several bloody encounters tribes along the expeditions route either fled or attacked the caravan as it entered their territory.

After three months the expedition, who where now close to the North end of Lake Nyasa, was down to a handful of men and no supplies. Lack of water was causing the expedition serious issues when scouts reported a nearby watering hole. Desperate for water the expedition unwittingly entered Ngoni territory….”


So for the game I had a small expedition of four units of irregular foot vs seven units of tribal infantry. As this was my first game of TMWWBK I left the Ngoni as basic tribal infantry, with no leaders, so all units had leadership of 8 for the game. The explorers I set up as follows

Captain Phil Lander (leadership 6 with Brutal -2 unit discipline) and 5 askaris (irregular infantry upgraded to well armed, veteran, Sharpshooters)




RSM (retired) Stan Dupp (Leadership 5 Jolly Good Chap) and 5 Askari (irregular infantry upgraded to well armed, veteran, Sharpshooters)



Mr Biff Wellington (Leadership 7, Inexperienced) and 5 armed porters (irregular infantry)



Safiri of Kilwa (Leadership 6, A Damn Fine Fellow) and 5 armed porters (irregular infantry)



Being my first game I didn’t want a scenario that was to complicated so the expedition wins if they can reach and defend the waterhole they lose if no units reach the waterhole by the game ends (die of thirst) or if they all get wiped out by Angry Ngoni. the table was set up like this. the expedition starting in the bottom left corner the water hole is near the top right.



In part 2 and 3 I’ll run through how the game panned out.

[leadfool]

amazing table and great figures.  WOW

[Diablo Jon]

amazing table and great figures.  WOW

Thanks I appreciate the feedback

[Diablo Jon]

OK Part 2 of my AAR

“Alright lads at the double follow me!” RSM Stan Dupp gave his orders in a calm manner that couldn’t help but inspire confidence. Arms trailed Dupp and his Askari skirted a stand of Acacia trees and thorn bushes and ran into a patch of long grass. The attack came without warning. A thrown spear was the first sign followed by a group of angry spear wielding natives. Dupp watched as one of his Askari, Jafari, was speared in the chest and then he was forced to dodge a spear thrust himself. “Fall back form a firing line!” shouted Dupp.

Turn 1 – The expedition units all attempted to Double Move. Captain Lander and Mr Wellington where successful. Safiri of Kilwa and his porters refused to move however. RSM Stan Dupp’s command successfully double moved but this movement triggered the appearance of a native unit within charge range who promptly charged Dupp and his command and speared a couple of them to death for no reply. Dupp’s command fell back.



Turn 2 – The majority of the expedition continued to try and double move towards the watering hole. Captain Lander, Mr Wellington and Safiri all got their units moving and provoked a rash of native appearances most in charge range. RSM Dupp and his command opened fire on their Ngoni attackers causing a casualty and pinning them down. In the native turn two Ngoni units decided discretion was the better part of valour and slinked off and the other units unpinned and advanced.





Turn 3 – RSM Dupp and his command continued to pour fire in to the Ngoni in front of them gunning down two more though they failed to pin them this time. Captain Lander joined in by ordering his command to open fire on a second unit of Ngoni that was threatening their front causing three casualties and pinning them. Mr Wellington double moved, while Safiri double move triggered two new units of natives to appear at long rifle range. The natives turn was mixed the unit in front of RSM Dupp went to ground the others un-pinned, slinked off and attempted to charge Safiri.





Safiri of Kilwa fumbled to reload his double barrelled gun. Angry Ngoni seemed to be everywhere, his throat was dry and sore, and he was desperate to feel cool water on his lips. A shout from one of his men made him look up a group of Ngoni where charging, through the long grass, right at them.  “Shoot them!” screamed Safiri. Everything seemed to slow down Safiri watched his men point their guns at the Ngoni some firing from the hip others turning their heads as they took aim. Then there were the bangs, flashes and smoke that always accompanied a volley of muzzle loaded guns going off. As the smoke started to clear Safiri could see the Ngoni had disappeared leaving several dead behind. Safiri tried to swallow but his throat was to dry.

Turn 4 – With plenty of Angry Ngoni to aim at the expedition stopped moving and blazed away with their rifles. Captain Lander and Safiri opened fire on the same unit causing three casualties but failing to pin their target. Mr Wellington directed his porters in a hot fire that caused two casualties and pinned their opponents, While RSM Dupp and his men blazed away but failed to score any hits. the natives weren’t to impressed by all the hot lead flying around and went to ground, slinked off or failed to un pin themselves.





Turn 5 – With the way temporally cleared of natives the expedition units, mostly, started heading for the watering hole. Captain Lander and his Askari poured fire into the last native unit causing two more casualties. Mr Wellington’s potters so impressed with last turns firing took a turn off to stand around and celebrate rather than moving. Safiri and CSM Dupp both got their lads to double move which triggered the appearance of two more native units. the natives in front of captain Landers boys had had enough of being shot up by Sniders and routed. One unit of Natives slinked off while a third group advanced towards the enemy the final group was able to mount a devastating charge of Safiri’s men spearing three of them to death and pining the survivors.





Turn 6 – Mr Wellington and Captain Lander opened up a devastating volley of fire at the Natives attack Safiri’s men causing no less than seven casualties when the smoke cleared the natives had been completely wiped out. CSM Dupp pushed his men hard and managed a double move of 12″ bringing them much closer to the rest of the expeditions other units.  Mean while Safiri pulled himself together and rallied his command just in time to be charged by another group of Ngoni who butchered the rest of his porters and pinned him again. The last group of Ngoni charged CSM Dupp’s command and speared the rest of his lads to death Stan Dupp was made of sterner stuff than Safiri however and wasn’t pinned.

Part three coming soon!