"Never trust anyone on the Frontier" an ...epic NWF Campaign

[Umra Khan]

27th september 1890 Rawalpindi

In Pindi in the H.Q. of General Bindon Blood there is a meeting with the General's staff.




BiBi says:
Sirs that "choppy soldiers" of Davidson and his acolytes ask me to send new troops for their battles...
I'm tired of sending new troops to those crazy people!
Colonel sends a troop request letter to my good friend Ruff to send some units ( under strenght, as they need only 12 men for some strange and stupid rule they used down in the south ) to Bannu by train.

Now my friends  we can go back to more interesting things... who will win the Manipur Polo Championship this year?

[giorgio]

Battle of Hurmaz: the start
Kaar pa kawalo kegi.
(You cannot do anything by doing nothing).

Dawn is rising and the first rays of the days enlighten a scenario of peace and joy. Not to endure so much anyway…
While Humraz outskirts are starting to emerge within the fog in the East, in the forefront you can see a well known family: Taras and his sons are completing the last jirga before attacking.


They studied on it all the night and the result was a “sophisticated” one:
“It is time to implement the plan: straightforward attack, seizing Humraz and from there we’ll reach Mir Ali Mirali to confirm our possession on it, before Afridi from North and Mullah Powinda from west may contest it!”
“Old idiot dumb” Wali Khan thought “I’m not supposed to become Ferenghees’guns fodder”
Tsaloor zamin tsaloor toopakhon, that is: four sons four rifles! Taras Khan and his four sons will lead the attack with five good tribal units. The problem is the quality of the leaders, starting from the complete idiocy of the fierce Taras Khan:




In the same moment in the Raj trenches the situation is not much better: good troops but inadequate officers, starting from “gunny” Murfield , whose nerves could play strange jokes to the apparent stiff aplomb:


The sun is raising and the Waziris are marching towards the entrenched Anglez, ready for a full out attack, also if not the sons are so willing to taste Raj’s lead. Will Taras’idiocy prevail or he will succeed to lead hs family to glory and booty?


The day could be decisive for British ability to defend Mir Ali Mirali and provide a strategic further thread on Bannu itself


Gunny’s face whitens while detecting the dusty clouds which anticipate the tribesmen arrival and starts giving nervously instructions to his artillerymen. Will his nerves allow him not routing, while his brain fights with their order to run away as quickly as possible to survive the day…?

[CPT Shanks]

Reprint of the Peshawar Tribune special edition August 20, 1890. Its old news, but then again on the frontier what news isn't?

[Mad Guru]

On rare occasions such as this, one finds oneself forced by extraordinary circumstance to aid and abet one's foe.

A difficult pillbox cap to swallow, and yet... perhaps a glancing blow struck for humanity?

We shall leave such ponderous thoughts for others to ponder... as ours is not to reason why, ours is but to copy-&-paste or cast the die.

(6-sided and/or 20-sided as per TSATF regulations)

[Umra Khan]

Wooooooowwwww what a number od the Pesha tribune....stunning !
new Editor ? 

[Mad Guru]

Following up the pukka "Pesh Trib" post by my frenemy (and soon-to-be co-GM) CAPT SHANKS, I am hereby publicizing the upcoming refight of the recent battle of Shakhot Pass -- AKA: "The Bloody Elephant's Paw" -- to be held on Saturday, March 19th at the first-ever DESERT WARS convention, sponsored by HMGS-PSW (Historical Miniatures Gaming Society-Pacific South-West) at Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Arizona, USA.  The full convention is scheduled to run Saturday March 19th and Sunday March 20th.

In case we're lucky enough for anyone here to want to join us, here's a LINK to a post I put up on the LAF convention page with more details:

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=135753.0

...And in case you're in too much of a rush to stop there along the way, here's a direct LINK to the convention page:

https://tabletop.events/conventions/hmgs-psw-desert-wars-2022

Come join us and you might even get a t-shirt featuring the Gandharan "FASTING BUDDHA" (one of a trio of Kushan Empire relics located in the valley where the battle takes place) and the two great pillars of Colonial Miniature Wargaming: "The Sword And The Flame"* & "The Men Who Would Be Kings"**

*Good pillar.

**Evil pillar.

***My co-GM might beg to differ with the above classifications... but all righteous and pious gamers know better than to subscribe to his imperfect understanding of the texts.

T-shirt artwork & design by CAPT SHANKS & his very talented nephew.

[CPT Shanks]

Nice Mad Guru, nice.  But a man cannot serve two masters.  TSATF has been supplanted by the streamlined TMWWBK.

[giorgio]

Captain these words are like honey dripping from the comb directly on Mulehead's beard. May the Mighty Ruler bless you with good dice and brilliant leaders traits the day of the granny of all battles...

[giorgio]

Battle of Hurmaz 
Kaar pa kawalo kegi.
(You cannot do anything by doing nothing).
For the prologue see following link: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=131610.525
 
The day could be decisive for British ability to defend Mir Ali Mirali and provide a strategic further thread on Bannu itself
 
Gunny’s face whitens while detecting the dusty clouds which anticipate the tribesmen arrival and starts giving nervously instructions to his artillerymen. Will his nerves allow him not routing, while his brain fights with their order to run away as quickly as possible to survive the day…?
 
At the start Taras and 3 sons of his jump like tigers, only Wali Khan remains in the background. Gunny with trembling lips cries an unintelligible order that his subedar translate in “fire” and Abdul Ghaffar gets his first KIA and is pinned, but quickly rallies. Taras’ tribesmen are well covered by rocky terrain, not so for Wali Khan who runs in advance but is pinned by Gunny and Sikhs fire and then suddenly routs jeopardizing his father’s project.
 
The Waziri remained units try to close: Sikhs fire pins alternatively Abdul Ghaffar and Habibullah, Taras is stopped by Baluchis’fire and only Muhammad Alì can close on the latter storming the defensive sargar, but Rosston succeed in rallying and answer with a devasting fire which pins the waziris, which then retreat.
 
Taras khan attack the baluchis which defeated retreat again
 
and then Taras last survivors turn on the artillerymen butchering, without receiving any kia, all Kohat but Gunny who retreats without losing his control. He was absolutely useless without firing , but not a paranoic deserter,  as he was described by his “friends” in  Bannu clubs.
 
At this point the ever winning Taras’tribesmen are hit by Sikhs’devasting fire and also the ancient Khan lies dead within his last warriors.
 
The other sons, all pinned and in retreat, without the morale booster provided by their father, retreated to discuss “friendly” with Wali Khan his behaviour, that jeopardized the victory and eventually caused their father’s life.
Gunny can send a message that now the situation is safe, and Fullerton can think to prepare a solid answer to Abu Zar’s Afridis, northwards.
Lester’s Sikhs decided the day, Rosston was badly mauled but was ultimately saved by Waziris’ retreat.
The battle statistics show 8 Baluchi and 3 artillerymen KIA vs Taras Khan and other 41 tribesmen.
For Gunny it is true the old Pashto proverb: Kaar pa kawalo kegi (You cannot do anything by doing nothing). Fullerton will boost his own merit writing to Davenport that Lester winning behaviour was dictated by strictly applying his detailed orders…
But in the mean time many miles Eastwards, on the road connecting Bannu and Mir Ali Mirali, Major Vousden is in secret discussion with Political officer colonel John Nicholson.
 
And Nicholson continues riding towards Mir Ali Mirali with an important gift for Fully: reinforcements, just arrived from Peshawar, will arrive soon through Bannu to refuel the depleted forces and restart the fights towards Spinwam.
 
Now Fullerton can focus on Abu Zar, a new unit of Bombay Grenadiers is almost painted and will be completed…not a minute too early! …and a 15th Ludhiana Sikh unit is WIP too…and last but not least a Gordon Highlanders unit is going to arrive to join Fully and his guides cavalry. Captain Charles Frederick Watson Hughes of the 15th Ludhiana has been portrayed giving last instructions to his Gordon unit. Though days are coming for unaware Abu Zar’s Afridis and Mullah Powinda’s rebels!

[Mad Guru]

A fine frontier seesaw conflagration, oh, Evil One!  So many reinforcements pending arrival... what a pity all that lead will be pushed under the sway of the False Text.

[CPT Shanks]

A decisive victory for the Raj delivered by the True Rules, TMWWBK. The loss of Taras Khan will leave a resounding echo through the Waziristan. Will it finally break their will or just incite a deeper blood feud with the hated ferhenghi?

[Mad Guru]

Hahahah -- CAPT SHANKS, hopefully it won't break the back of the rebellion before we travel 400 miles apiece and meet upon the level to fight a battle upon the square at DESERT WARS in Mesa, Arizona!

[giorgio]

DESERT WARS in Mesa, Arizona! Where TMWWBK will be crowned best colonial rule ever!!!

[Umra Khan]

Desert Wars  Mesa Arizona...the tomb of the TMWWBK and their heretical followers !

[Mad Guru]

Desert Wars  Mesa Arizona...the tomb of the TMWWBK and their heretical followers !

--PREACH, BROTHER UMRA!!!!!!