Skirmish Scenarios

[Rhodes]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good source for colonial skirmish scenarios.  I am particularly interested in the Sudan and the NWF, but any inspiration would be great.  I have a decent sized reference library, but I find it difficult to get from historical record to a usable gaming scenario.  Reasons and set up for small unit actions in the Sudan continue to evade me, and I'd like something more than just lining up my available figures across the table from each other and slugging it out.
Any comments or recommendations are appreciated.
Thanks, Chris

[Patrice]

Do you know "The Defence of Duffer's Drift" it is a very strange little book written by a general who served in the Boer War.
Free download at the bottom of this page:
http://www.colonialwargaming.co.uk/Rules_Models/Rules/Rules.htm

[Luthaaren Von Tegale]

An ambush scenario would work with small numbers of figures, or how about a british patrol sent out to fill a water cart from a nearby well/oasis and set upon by natives?
The "Four Feathers" film had a chase sequence through alleyways and over roofs after a mahdist sniper had hit the patrol in a town.
You could also look outside the specific areas you mention and transpose scenarios to NWF or Sudan from other periods.

hope that helps a bit

vT

[Hobbit]

Small Wars by Colonel C.E. Callwell is brimming with ideas. For the NW Frontier also try The Story of the Malakand Field Force by Winston Churchill.

A simple set up for any colonial skirmish game is a fighting withdrawal. Imperial player has a relatively small body of men, this can be made up of one or more units and may or may not have heavy weapons and/or civilians and/or baggage to escort. The enemy has a party in pursuit and receives reinforcements at random intervals that arrive on random table edges - the reinforcements need to be quite regular and quite substantial to encourage the Imperial player to move and not just hold their ground. The Imperial player has to exit the opposite table edge or reach some other agreed point of safety within a time limit.

I've played this with lots of players and it can be great fun, especially when one Imperial player cuts and runs abondoning otheres to their fate!

[charla51]

I remember seeing a London Illustrated illustration of a patrol of mounted infantry on camels, out of Suakim, under attack from camel-mounted Fuzzies.

On the otherhand: Starting with the historical premise of the railway which was begun out of Suakim into the desert, you could have a number of scenarios based around it: attack on the railhead; attack on supplies moving up to the railhead; Fuzzy attacks on the rail lines; flanking patrols to protect the railway. The only specialist terrain you'd need would be a couple of feet of model rail track.

[Rhodes]

Thank you for your responses.
Chris

[Saragarhi]

I can't offer any help with the Sudan, but for the NWF I would recommend picking one campaign or era and reading as many first person accounts of actions as possible. When I get around to painting the figures I plan on recreating some of the actions of the Malakand Field Force so have bought copies of:

A frontier campaign by Viscount Fincastle V.C. and P.C. Eliott-Lockhart,
With Kelly to Chitral by William George Laurence Beynon
Chitral The story of a minor siege by Sir George Robertson KCS
These should all be available online in PDF form, and are all available as modern reprints for reasonable prices.

I've yet to read them all but a few ideas that I have so far:
1) Imperial cavalry action to clear and secure a Pathan held ford, with some forested terrain in the valley. Perhaps with guns in support of the cavalry from the hillside they enter on. Perhaps split this with a scouting patrol ambushed at the ford and having to hold out a few turns before the main column arrives.
2) A night time raid on the imperial camp. With little cover for the imperial forces and the darkness and surrounding rocky terrain making it difficult to return fire effectively against the Pathans who attack randomly from all sides.
3) Clearing a village of Pathan forces.
4) Imperials in a fort which is then attacked by the Pathan force. Perhaps with some adjacent houses/walled fields and gardens to make the terrain more interesting and maybe with a few imperial soldiers and officers isolated in the buildings having to fight their way back to the fort.
5) Besieged Imperial forces venturing out from their fortified position to secure food supplies from the surrounding buildings.

Hope that gives you some ideas and It will be interesting to see what other suggestions appear on this thread!

Cheers,
Andy

[Will Bailie]

Sergeants 3 has scenario packs for The Sword and the Flame.  They can easily be modified for any skirmish rules set:
http://sergeants3.com/18.html

[H.M.Stanley]

Agree with the last 2 x posts. S&tF is great fun and i'd recommend "Soldier Sahibs" for background reading on the NWF/India

[Liliburlero]

We also have scenario collections that are period-specific:

http://www.sergeants3.com/8.html

Perfect if you only play one period.........