JAI HO SINGH'S RIDE
MAP SHOWING ROUTE OF JAI HO SINGH'S RIDE
FROM CHARASIAB TO DARGAI...
(courtesy of Google Sahib)
JAI HO SINGH’S RIDEby Reginald Winkie(with apologies to Henry Wodsworth Longfellow)LISTEN, my children, as to you I sing
Of the three day ride of Jai Ho Singh,
On the fifth of August in eighteen-nine-oh:
Hardly a man is still on the go
Who remembers that event occurring.
He said to his sister, Maryam,
“If the Iron Amir has conveyed
Breechloaders to the Yusufzais, as you say
Then I must ride to the sahibs and spread the alarm,
Before the Tribesmen strike with those modern arms!”
Then he climbed on his horse and said farewell
To his beloved Habibi, with whom he did dwell.
His comrade-in-arms wished him Godspeed,
He hoped & prayed Jai Ho would succeed,
And return home alive, a living monument to Khalsa pride.
For three days on rode Jai Ho Singh,
While Jezails and Sniders took shots at him,
A wound he sustained, yet he stayed on his game--
Then from one jagged cliff a Ghazi charged,
Attempting from his saddle Jai Ho to dislodge,
“Allah Akbar!” the Ghazi cried as he raised his Tulwar over his head,
But Jai Ho thrust his saber up and his own eyes saw red,
And before the Tulwar could strike, that Ghazi fell dead.
Jai Ho Singh rode on, under cliff and over hill,
Still bleeding from the Jezail bullet wound, until--
A kindly Mussulmaan took pity on him,
And gave Singh thirst-quenching water to regain his trim,
And on August the 8th, at long last,
Jai Ho Singh reached the Malakand Pass!
Then thanks to that same uniform which drew so many foes,
The picquets of 9th Gurkhas waved for him onwards to go,
To the Dargai Cantonments of Peshawar Field Force,
Where with little ado he made his report,
Concerning news from the Iron Amir's court,
Of trading rifles for a prisoner he could use to extort,
To which Brigadier Stewart Ruff-Husband did retort:
“Jemadar Jai Ho Singh, 2nd Punjab Cavalry, Piffers, Retired…
I salute you—truly you are the Khalsa’s pride!”
A report that shall echo on into time!
For borne on the hot-wind of the Past,
From the dawn of the Raj, until the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
Sepoys and sowars, both active and retire-eed,
Shall accomplish their mission, on foot or by steed,
No matter the odds, no matter how slim,
They will get the job done--like Jai Ho Singh.
(NOTE: I did not get the idea to "write"/bastardize the above poem until after the game detailed below had been played through to its conclusion. The game itself was played straight-up and I did not manipulate the process in an effort to create any particular result.)* * * * * *SPECIAL RULES FOR THIS SOLO GAME:
Jai Ho Singh has to cross 3 tables (each 10' long) worth of ground before reaching the North end of Malakand Pass.
Flip 3 cards per table for POTENTIAL EVENTS with following results:
RED card = no interference, Jai Ho Singh RIDES ON
BLACK card = some form of enemy presence/interference/action
LOW # BLACK CARD (2-6) = low threat (1-3 shooters)
HIGH # card (7-10) = moderate threat (1-6 shooters)
FACE card = severe threat (2-12 tribesmen or Ghazis or tribal cavalry, depending on further die roll)
Black low threat = die roll-off, one black die vs. 2 red dice, if Black wins, triggers an AMBUSH
Black moderate threat = die roll-off, black die vs. red die, if Black wins, triggers an AMBUSH
Black high threat = die roll-off, two black dice vs. 1 red die, if Black wins, triggers an AMBUSH
BLACK JOKER = ADDITIONAL EXTREME THREAT (avalanche or quicksand or blunder into Afghan Regular Army unit or Mullah’s caravan, depending on further die roll)
RED JOKER = SOME SURPRISE HELP/RELIEF (lost patrol of British or Indian troops, horse farm with sympathetic Native owner who provides fresh horse, sympathetic Native Healer who helps tend a wound, depending on further die roll)
AMBUSH = roll D6 (2 D6 for severe threat) for number of tribal ambushers (all shooters unless rolling 2xD6 for "severe threat", then 50/50 shooters/sword-&-shield)
NOTE: You will see from the above that I tried to counter-balance the scenario rules somewhat in Jai Ho Singh’s favor as he was a SINGLE 28mm FIGURE crossing 30' of hostile terrain, with multiple chances of suffering wounds and/or death. In the end I don't think I over-did this, as even with some advantages he still came close to death and his survival depended less on the # of "Threats" than on how the various threats that did emerge did in action against him and how he did in response.CROSSING TABLE #1 - first 3 "Event Card" flips:
Card #1...
Card #2...
BLACK card = die roll-off to see if Jai Ho Singh can manage to evade/avoid the Tribal threat.
At this early phase (Table #1) he gets 2 D6 to Tribal 1 D6...
Card #3...
Card #4...
BLACK THREAT card. This is the last card on Table #1,
so Jai Ho still gets advantage of 2 x D6 vs. 1 x D6 in the roll-off
to see if he can manage to avoid/evade the emerging threat...
Nope.
So roll for # of Tribal Ambushers/Shooters...
ROLL 1 x D20 FIRE DIE FOR EACH AMBUSHER,
TSATF "Pathan Rifles" firing at a single figure
counting as a CLASS II "Open Order" target HITS ON 1-4:
ONE HIT!
CASUALTY CARD IS FLIPPED:
NON-HEART # CARD = WIA
USING SPECIAL RULES FOR THIS EXTRA LOW-LEVEL SKIRMISH GAME
LOW # CARD = LIGHT WOUND.
Jai Ho Singh can sustain 2 Light Wounds or 1 Serious Wound before reducing his movement and fighting abilities so...
JAI HO RIDES ONTO TABLE #2 (of 3)...
RED EVENT CARD = NO THREAT...
BLACK EVENT CARD = ROLL THEM BONES
TO SEE IF JAI HO CAN EVADE/AVOID THE ENEMY...
Now that he's reached TABLE #2 it's a straight D6 vs. D6 roll-off without advantage to either side...
TRIBAL DIE BEATS ANGLO-INDIAN DIE, SO...
ROLL 1D6 FOR # OF TRIBAL AMBUSHERS/SHOOTERS...
2 TRIBAL SHOOTERS
(Do I detect a pattern here?)
ROLL D20 FOR EACH SHOOTER, HITTING ON 1-4...
BOTH SHOTS MISS THIS TIME.
JAI HO AGAIN CHOOSES NOT TO SPEND TIME SHOOTING BACK;
HE JUST COUNTS HIS BLESSINGS & RIDES ON...
MORE EVENT CARDS ARE FLIPPED...
UH-OH -- A BLACK FACE-CARD = SEVERE THREAT!
STILL, WE DO THE BLACK/RED D6 ROLL-OFF TO DETERMINE
"ADVANTAGE"...
RED DIE WINS!
SO INSTEAD OF ROLLING 2 x D6 FOR # OF GHAZI ATTACKERS
WE WILL ROLL ONLY 1 x D6...
JAI HO LUCKS OUT AGAIN -- PERHAPS THE MOST FORTUITOUS
OF ALL HIS LUCKY ROOLS: HE WILL FACE ONLY 1 GHAZI.
STILL, THAT COULD VERY WELL BE DEADLY...
THE GHAZI LEAPS UP OUT OF HIDING
& ROLLS HIS 4 x D6 CHARGE MOVE DICE...
(1 pip = 1" allotted movement)
Oooo. Just 9". Not so great for the Fanatical Faithful.
On his galloping horse Jai Ho may be able
to evade this charge with his own 5 x D6 of
CHARGE MOVEMENT DICE, but he's in
ROUGH TERRAIN, so he'll LOSE his HIGH DIE.
If he attempts to evade it could go either way...
he might get away clean, or...
get caught from behind & suffer a -2 modifier for
"CHARGED IN REAR."
Jai Ho opts to COUNTER-CHARGE,
Which makes his die roll mostly a technicality
He rolls his 5 x D6 CHARGE MOVE DICE...
DROPS THE HIGH DIE FOR ROUGH TERRAIN PENALTY, LEAVING 11"...
AND MEETS THE GHAZI ON THE ROCKY SLOPE...
The Ghazi's MODIFIERS:
+1 Charging,
+1 Higher Elevation
+1 Native vs. Cav in Rough Terrain
TOTAL: +3
Jai Ho Singh's MODIFIERS:
+2 Mtd. Leader
+2 Regular Cavalry
TOTAL: +4
Taken together this results in a +1 MODIFIER for Jai Ho Singh.
TIME FOR THE FIRST ROUND MELEE DIE ROLL-OFF...
TO BE CONTINUED!!!