redcoats and dervishes

8/12/2019 Redcoats and Dervishes

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Additional rulesPages 19 to 22

Gunboats 19

River boats 20

Bashi-Bazouks 21

Bazingers 21

Egyptian Gendarmerie 21

DefinitionsPages 23 to 24

Adjacent squares 23

Cover 23Difficult terrain 23

Direct line-of-sight 23

Flanks of a unit 23

Front of a unit 23

Rear of a unit 23

Nearest enemy unit 24

Vertical and horizontal obstacles 24

ScenariosPages 25 to 27

Night march to the canal 25

Marching across the Sudan 26

Form Square! 27

NotesPage 28

IntroductionPage 2

DedicationPage 3

Preparation for battlePages 4 to 8

The primary rule of wargaming 4

The spirit of the wargame 4

The precedence rule 4

Playing equipment 4The battlefield 4

Anglo-Egyptian units 4

Dervish units 4

Transport and Leaders 4

Typical armies 5

Unit tactical formations 5

Restrictions 7

Heroic Leadership cards 8

The rulesPages 9 to 18

Before battle begins 9

Turn sequence 9

Hand-to-hand combat 10

Action points 11

Movement 11

Charging 14

Firing 15

Disorganisation 17

Break off battle 17

Dismounted Anglo-Egyptian camelry 18

Leaders in combat 18

Redcoats and DervishesContentsPage 1

Contents


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They should use a gridded battlefield, markedin squares, to remove the need to measuremovement distances and weapon ranges.

They should enable a battle, with one player

per side, to be fought to a conclusion in aboutan hour.

They should enable a reasonable-sized battle,using approximately 50 to 80 figures in total,to be fought in a relatively small area (3 foot x2 foot/ 90 cm x 60cm).

They were to be used with 15mm scalefigures.

They should emphasise the importance andinfluence of individual leaders on thebattlefield.

They should enable the story of the battle tounfold in front of the players.

These rules began life as an adaptation of IanDrurys very successful REDCOATS AND REBELSrules for re-fighting the battles of the 1745Jacobite Rebellion. It took only a small amount ofalteration to adapt his rules to make themsuitable for re-fighting colonial battles from theEgyptian and Sudanese Campaigns of the 1880sand 1890s, and it was quite feasible to re-fight ashort campaign with several battles during thecourse of an afternoon or evening.

During the course of play-testing the drafts of therules, several changes were incorporated. Thesereflected the desire to refine the processes andprocedures used in the original drafts as well asallowing the players to identify with theindividual leaders on the battlefield. The latterwas achieved by the introduction of HeroicLeadership cards (previously used in an earlierset of colonial wargames rules entitled HEROESOF VICTORIAS EMPIRE [HoVE]), which allowindividual Leaders to have an impact on thecourse of the battle. By using their Heroic

Leadership cards, players can improve thefighting efficiency or morale of any unit that theLeader is with.

My thanks go to the following individuals (namedin alphabetical order) who have play-tested theserules and who have given advice and usefulcriticism:

John Armatys, George Cordery,Jonathan Cordery, Ian Drury, GrahamEvans, Tim Gow, Tony Hawkins, ChrisKemp, Ian Russell Lowell, Tom Mouat,Martin Rapier, Chris Russell, and Phil

Steele.

The involvement of Great Britain in the affairs ofEgypt and the Sudan during the nineteenthcentury has long fascinated colonial wargamers.The sheer size of both countries and the larger-

than-life characters involved seem to attractalmost as many adherents amongst thoseinterested in Great Britains colonial adventuresas does the Zulu War.

What began with a desire to ensure that Egypthad a compliant and friendly ruler who would payhis countrys debts and do as he was told led toGreat Britain's invasion and occupation of Egypt.With Egypt came the Sudan, and with the Sudancame what seemed like insurmountableproblems. The country was in the grip of anIslamic religious revival and rebellion against thehated Turks led by the Mahdi (The ExpectedOne). His army had already defeated regularEgyptian troops, and his power was growingdaily.

In addition the country was inhospitable andseemed ungovernable, and under pressure fromGreat Britain, Egypt appointed General CharlesChinese Gordon to organise a withdrawal ofEgyptian troops and civilians from the Sudan. Thesiege of Khartoum and the subsequent death ofGeneral Gordon were widely reported by the new-fangled War Correspondents of the Victorianpress, and their despatches caught and fired the

imagination of the general public.

General Kitcheners campaign to recapture theSudan was a masterpiece of Victorian militaryorganisation and exploited the technologicaladvantages enjoyed by European nations. Arailway was built across the desert so thatsupplies to the advancing troops could bemaintained regardless of the season and thestate of the River Nile. Steel gunboats were builtin sections in British shipyards, taken apart,transported to the River Nile, reassembled, andthen used to transport and give fire support to

Kitcheners Anglo-Egyptian army. The newlyinvented Maxim machine gun was used todevastating effect during the campaign,culminating in the decimation of the Dervisharmy at the Battle of Omdurman.

These rules were written so that colonialwargamers could refight the battles of theEgyptian and Sudanese campaigns. They werealso developed with the following objectives inmind:

They should be fun.

They should be easy to use and learn.

Redcoats and DervishesIntroductionPage 2

Introduction


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Frederick Burnaby was born in Bedford on 3rdMarch 1842. He was educated at BedfordGrammar School, Harrow, and in Germany. In1859 he joined the Royal Horse Guards. Duringthe summer of 1874 he was a correspondent ofTHE TIMES during the Carlist War, but before thewar had ended he travelled to Africa and joinedGeneral Gordons first expedition to the Sudan.On his return to England in March 1875 he beganto plan a journey on horseback to Khiva throughRussian Asia. He undertook this expeditionduring the winter of 1875 to 1876, and on his

return wrote his book entitled A RIDE TO KHIVA,that made him famous.

Burnaby soon tired of humdrum life in England,and embarked on a further adventurous journeyon horseback, this time through Asia Minor.During his ride from Scutari to Erzerum he wasable to visit the Turkish-Russian border, and onhis return he wrote a book entitled HORSEBACKTHROUGH ASIA MINOR about what he had seen.This was good preparation for his nextadventure, which took him to Turkey during theRusso-Turkish War of 1877. Although he was

acting as a travelling agent for the Stafford HouseCommittee, this did not stop him from helpinghis friend Valentine Baker, who was in commandof a Turkish Army, during the Battle ofTashkessan.

Redcoats and DervishesDedicationPage 3

Dedication

These ru les ar e dedicated to a t r ue hero of Victor ia s Em pir e

Colonel Fr eder ick Gustavu s Bur naby (18 42 to 18 85 )

On his return to England Burnaby tried to enterpolitics, and in 1880 he stood unsuccessfully as aTory candidate for a Birmingham constituency.Seeking further excitement Burnaby took upballooning, and in 1882 he crossed the Channelto Normandy in a balloon, thus becoming thefirst balloonist to cross the Channel solo. Thiswas not, however, a substitute for the sort ofaction that Burnaby craved, and although he hadbecome a Colonel in 1881, he was not allowed totake part in the Egyptian campaign of 1882.

In 1884 he took extended leave from hisregiment and went to Suakim, where he becamean intelligence officer under the command of hisold friend General Valentine Baker. During histime at Suakim he was wounded at the Battle of ElTeb. When Lord Wolseley raised his expedition torescue General Gordon from Khartoum, Burnabyjoined it, and during the Battle of Abu Klea on17thJanuary 1885, a spear thrust killed him whilsthe was fighting hand-to-hand with a group ofMahdists.


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The battlefield

The battlefield is a gridded board, markedwith 75mm x 75mm squares.

It should be at least 12 squares x 8 squares (i.e. 3 foot x 2 foot/90cm x 60cm).

Each square represents about 200 yards x 200yards.

Anglo-Egyptian units

Infantry battalions and dismounted camelry

regiments

4 figures on individual 15mm square basesrepresent the 600 to 800 men of an infantrybattalion.

Cavalry and camelry regiments

4 figures on individual 15mm wide basesrepresent the 400 to 600 men of a cavalry orcamelry regiment.

Artillery and machine gun batteries

1 or 2 gunner figures on individual 15 mm

square bases and a gun represent the 4 to 6cannon or machine guns and the men of anartillery or machine gun battery. Egyptianbatteries only have 1 gunner as this reflectstheir lack of trained gunners.

Dervish units

Infantry r ubs

4 figures on individual 15mm square basesrepresent the 600 to 800 men of an infantryr ub.

Cavalry and camelry r ubs4 figures on individual 15mm wide basesrepresent the 400 to 600 men of a cavalry orcamelry r ub.

Artillery and machine gun batteries

1 gunner figure on an individual 15 mmsquare base and a gun represent the 4 to 6cannon or machine guns and the men of anartillery or machine gun battery.

Transport and Leaders

Transport

A wagon or pack animal represents all or partof an armys baggage train.

The primary rule of wargaming

Nothing can be done contrary or what could orwould be done in actual war.

Fred T. Jane

The spirit of the wargame

Wargames are played, for the most part, withoutthe supervision of an umpire. The game relies onthe integrity of the individual players to showconsideration for other players and to abide bythe rules. All players should conduct themselves

in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesyand sportsmanship at all times, irrespective ofhow competitive they may be. This is the spirit ofthe wargame.

Adapted from THE RULES OF GOLF R&A Rules Limited

The precedence rule

To assist players to understand these rules, andto help to avoid needless discussions about whata rule or rules mean, the order of each paragraphwithin each section of these rules determines

either the order in which things must happen orthe relative importance of a paragraph to theother paragraphs, with the earlier paragraphtaking precedence over later paragraphs.

Playing equipment

The following equipment is needed to fight abattle using these rules:

Two suitable organised armies.

A battlefield and terrain.

A scenario. A small-sized standard pack of playing cards

with 52 playing cards divided into 2 colours(red and black) and 4 suits (Hearts, Clubs,Diamonds, and Spades).

A set of Heroic Leadership cards.

A selection of D6s, D8s, and D12s.

A dice shaker.

A small flat box to roll the dice into.

As many disorganisation markers as there are

units taking part in the battle.

Redcoats and DervishesPreparation for battlePage 4

Preparation for battle

This sect ion contain s basic infor m at ion t hat players wi l l need to

know an d unders tand before they beg in to f igh t a bat t le.


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Leaders

Individual figures on individual 20mm widebases represent the players al ter ego on thebattlefield.

Typical armies

The following suggestions for typical Anglo-Egyptian and Dervish armies are suitable for

one off face-to-face battles fought by twoplayers.

A typical Anglo-Egyptian army (of brigadestrength) will consist of:

Three or four infantry battalions (usually amixture of Anglo-Egyptian battalions).

A cavalry (either British or Egyptian) orcamelry regiment (either British orEgyptian). [Optional]

An artillery and/ or a machine gun battery(either British and/or Egyptian).

A baggage train.

A single Leader to command the army.

A typical Dervish army will consist of:

Six to eight infantry r ubs(of which no morethan half will be armed with firearms).

Two to four cavalry and/or camelry r ubs(ofwhich no more than half will be armed withfirearms).

An artillery or a machine gun battery.[Optional]

A baggage train. [Optional]

A single Leader to command the army.

Unit tactical formations

Both sides should use the appropriate tacticalformations as this will both enhance the lookof the battle and will allow players tomaximise the advantages to be gained fromusing the correct tactical formations during abattle.

Diagrams of appropriate Anglo-Egyptian andDervish tactical formations are shown on thispage and the following page.

Anglo-Egyptian unit tactical formations

Anglo-Egyptian units will normally use one ofthe following tactical formations:

Line (Infantry, cavalry, and camelry).

March Column (Infantry and dismountedcamelry).

Column (Infantry, cavalry, and camelry).

Square (Infantry and dismounted camelry). Deployed (Artillery and machine guns).

Limbered (Artillery and machine guns).


Anglo-Egyptian unit tactical formations

Infantry in Line Infantry in Column

Infantry in MarchColumn

Infantry in Square

Infantry in Squarewith Leader inside

Cavalry or camelryin Line

Cavalry or camelryin Column

Deployed artillery ormachine gun

Limbered artillery ormachine gun


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Dervish unit tactical formations

Dervish units will normally use one of thefollowing tactical formations:

En mass (Infantry, cavalry, and camelry).

Deployed (Artillery and machine guns).

Limbered (Artillery and machine guns).


Dervish unit tactical formations

Infantry en m asse Cavalry or camelryen m asse

Deployed artillery ormachine gun

Limbered artillery ormachine gun

The following charts show the effects of usingdifferent tactical formations during a battle.

The effect of unit tactical formation onmovement and firing

Unit TacticalFormation

Movement Firing

Line No effectAll bases canfire

March

Column

Unit gains 2a d d i t i o n a l

action pointsof movement

1 base can

fire

Column

Unit gains 1a d d i t i o n a laction point ofmovement

2 bases canfire

SquareUnit loses 1action point ofmovement

1 base canfire

En m asse No effectAll bases canfire

DeployedUnit loses 1action point ofmovement

All basescount double

Limbered No effect Cannot fire

TransportUnit loses 1action point ofmovement

Cannot fire

The effect of unit tactical formation oncharging


Charging

Line May charge

March Column May not charge

Column May charge

Square May not charge

En m asse May charge

Deployed May not charge

Limbered May not charge

Transport May not charge


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Infantry battalion and dismounted camelryregiment Squares

Anglo-Egyptian infantry battalions and

dismounted camelry regiments may formSquare.

Anglo-Egyptian infantry battalions anddismounted camelry regiments in Squaremove at a reduced speed.

Anglo-Egyptian infantry battalions anddismounted camelry regiments in Squaremay only count 1 figure as able to fire inany single direction.

Anglo-Egyptian infantry battalions anddismounted camelry regiments in Squaremay count all their figures as facing theenemy if they are charged.

A British Leader who is sharing a squarewith an Anglo-Egyptian infantry battalion ordismounted camelry regiment that hasformed Square may be placed inside theSquare.

Brigade Squares

Anglo-Egyptian brigades can form Square.

Anglo-Egyptian brigades in Square move atthe same speed as an individual Anglo-

Egyptian unit in Square. Anglo-Egyptian brigades in Square may only

count the figures of a unit forming a face ofthe Square as able to fire in any single

An examp le of a Br iga de Squar e

This br igade Squar e has been form ed by four

in fant ry bat ta l ions. An ar t i l ler y bat tery and a

machine gun battery have been placed on

opposi te corners of the Squar e, and th e centr e

of the Squar e is occupied by a m ount ed cavalr y

reg iment and a Leader .

I f the top f ace of th e Squar e is char ged, the

in fan t r y ba t ta l i on and ar t i l ler y ba t ter y fo rm ing

th at f ace wi l l be count ed as facing t he enemy .

I f the r ig ht f ace of th e Squar e is char ged, the

in fant r y bat ta l ion , but not the ar t i l lery bat tery ,

wi l l be counted as facing the enem y.

I f ei ther the ar t i l lery ba t tery or m ach ine gun

bat tery are forced back or dest royed dur ing

hand -to-hand com bat, t he Squar e is st i l l fu l ly

formed. I t wi l l only cease to be ful ly formed

when one or m ore of the in fant r y bat ta l ions has

been f orced back or destr oyed.



Charged/Hand-to-hand

combat tofront

Charged/Hand-to-hand

combat toflank or rear

Line All bases canfight

1 base canfight a flank

attack; Nobases canfight a rearattack

MarchColumn

1 base canfight

No bases canfight

Column2 bases canfight

2 bases canfight

SquareAll bases canfight

All bases canfight

En m asse

All bases canfight

2 bases canfight

DeployedAll bases canfight

All bases canfight

LimberedNo bases canfight

No bases canfight

Transport Cannot fight Cannot fight

The effect of unit tactical formation on beingcharged and hand-to-hand combat

direction.

Anglo-Egyptian brigades in Square may onlycount the figures of a unit forming a face ofthe Square as facing the enemy if they arecharged.

A unit forming the face of a fully formedbrigade square cannot be attacked in theflank or rear. However if the Square is notfully formed (i.e. one or more of its facesare no longer extant), the unit can beattacked in the flank or rear.

Restrictions

A Leader can share a square with a friendlyunit or units.

An artillery or machine gun battery can share asquare with a friendly infantry, cavalry, orcamelry unit. If enemy forces charge into thesquare, the gunners are placed behind thefriendly unit. Their presence in the squaremust be taken into account when the success

(or otherwise) of the charge is being assessed,and they may take part in any subsequenthand-to-hand combat.


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Two opposing units can occupy the samesquare whilst they are involved in hand-to-hand combat. In all other circumstances theymust occupy different squares.

A unit or Leader may move through a squareoccupied by a friendly unit at an additionalmovement cost providing that the friendly unitis not disorganised and the square into whichthey are moving does not contain an enemy

unit. Therefore it is not possible to chargethrough a friendly unit.

Heroic Leadership cards

Players use, via their Leader, the HeroicLeadership cards to influence events on thebattlefield by improving the fightingeffectiveness or morale of a unit with whichthey are sharing a square. The improvementonly lasts for the turn during which the HeroicLeadership card is has been played, and onceused the Heroic Leadership card is discarded.

Discarded Heroic Leadership cards are placedface up in a separate pile, and when all theundealt Heroic Leadership cards have beenused, the pile of discarded cards is shuffledand reused.

There are five types of Heroic Leadership cardin the pack of 54 Heroic Leadership cards.They are:

Dashed Hard Luck! T h i s H e r o i cLeadership card doesnot allow you to

improve the fightingeffectiveness ormorale of a unit.Better luck next time!

12 cards

Enhanced firepower! The unit may fireagain at no additionalcost in movementpoints.

12 cards

Faster movement! The unit may addanother 2 movement

p o i n t s t o i t smovement.12 cards

Hand-to-hand fighting! The unit may add 2 toits dice score.

9 cards

Recover! The unit recoversfrom disorganisation.

9 cards

Each player starts the battle with 3 HeroicLeadership cards, and can acquire and usecards during the course of a battle.

No player may hold more than 3 HeroicLeadership cards at the same time.


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Redcoats and DervishesThe rulesPage 9

Before battle begins

Several things must be done before battlecommences. These are:

The terrain and scenario are set up.

The armies are prepared for battle, anddeployed in their starting positions.

The standard pack of playing cards is shuffledand placed face down where all the playerscan see it.

The pack of Heroic Leadership cards isshuffled, and 3 cards are dealt to each player.Players may look at their own HeroicLeadership cards, but may not show them toother players. Any player who shows what ison their Heroic Leadership cards to any otherplayer or players at any time during the battleimmediately loses all the Heroic Leadershipcards they hold and may not acquire furtherHeroic Leadership cards during the battle.

The rules

This sect ion conta ins the r ules used to r ef ight bat t les between t he Anglo-Egypt ian a nd

Dervish ar m ies. It also contain s explanat ory n otes and exam ples of the ma in gam e

mechanisms.

I f a Leader is in t he sam e squar e as a fr iendly

uni t , that Leader m ay use an Heroic Leadership

card to improve the f ight ing ef fect iveness or

m ora le of that un i t and on ly that un i t w hen i t is

act ivated.

Th is impr ovem ent on ly las ts for t he turn du r ing

which the Heroic Leadership card has been

used, and once used th e Heroic Leader ship car d

is discar ded.

Th is m ay appear to be a dracon ian pun ishm ent

for a m inor in f ra c t ion of the ru les, but as the

r ole of th e Her oic Leader ship car ds is centr al tothe design phi losophy of these rules, such

cheat ing, even i f i t is unintent ional , cannot be

al lowed und er any circum stances. In any case,

no Victor ian w ould ever act in so ung ent leman ly

a m anner as to even consider cheat in g, unless,

of course, his nam e is Flashm an!

I f a Leader is in t he sam e squar e as a fr iendly

un i t , or in a squar e ad jacent t o a f r iend ly un i t ,

p layers may dea l 1 p lay ing card to the Leader

and t h is wi l l then app ly to the f r iend ly un i ts .

These uni ts may not have separate playing

cards dea l t to t hem. A Leader m ay, there fore ,

deter m ine what happens to any f r iend ly un i ts

that they shar e a squar e wi th and co-ord inate

the act ions of any t hat ar e in ad jacent squares.

Turn sequence

1. A playing card is dealt, face up, to each unitor Leader except:

Opposing units or Leaders that ended

the last turn in the same square as aresult of a charge or hand-to-handcombat during the previous turn.

Impetuous cavalry and camelry units.

Those units that are disorganised.

2. The undealt playing cards are placed facedown where all the players can see them.

3. Any Leader who has been dealt a King,Queen, or Jack is also dealt an HeroicLeadership card (subject to the rule that noplayer may hold more than 3 HeroicLeadership cards at the same time).

4. Hand-to-hand combats are fought.

5. If it is the first turn of the battle, anycavalry or camelry unit that has been dealta red card becomes impetuous and mustcharge the nearest enemy unit. Any cavalryor camelry unit that becomes impetuousrolls two D12s per turn to determine thenumber of action points they have toexpend upon movement until they comeinto contact with that enemy unit, afterwhich they cease to be impetuous.

6. Impetuous cavalry and camelry move.

7. The unit or Leader with the lowest numberplaying card is activated first (N.B. An Acecounts as 1) and throws an appropriate

dice to determine how many action pointsthey have. The unit, units, or Leader maythen move and/or fire. Once this has beencompleted the unit, units, or Leader maynot be activated again during this turn. Inthe event of two or more units or Leadersbeing dealt the same number playing card,the order of precedence used is Hearts,Clubs, Diamonds, and then Spades.

I f a Leader is co-ord inat ing t he act ions of tw o or

m ore uni ts and th ose uni t s ar e act ivated, the

Leader decides th e or der in which each of the

co-ord inat ed uni t s wi l l m ove and/ or f i r e. Eachun i t m ust comple te a l l i ts m ovem ent and/ or

f i r ing before the next un i t can m ove and/ or

f i re.


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8. The unit or Leader with the next lowestnumber playing card is then activated andfollows the same procedure as laid down inStep 7. This continues until all the eligibleunits or Leaders have had the opportunityto move and/ or fire.

9. Units that are disorganised may attempt torecover.

10. The number of units that remaindisorganised is checked to see if the breakoff battle limit has been reached.

11. Once the turn sequence has beencompleted, all the playing cards areshuffled ready for the next turn.

Hand-to-hand combat

Hand-to-hand combat takes place when, as aresult of a charge, two opposing units begin aturn in the same square.

The outcome of a hand-to-hand combat isdetermined by both sides throwing a dice:

Anglo-Egyptian units throw a D6.

Dervish units throw a D8.

The dice scores are modif ied bycircumstances.


Hand- to -han d combat exam ple 1

A Derv ish cava l ry rub charged an Egypt ian

in fant ry bat t a l ion dur ing the las t turn , and as aresu l t t hey are in h and- to-hand comba t at the

beg inn ing of th is tur n .

The Dervish uni t is in en masse tact ical

fo rm at ion and t he Egypt ian un i t is in L ine, and

both un i ts are in f ront - to - f ron t contact . The

Egypt ian u n i t h as a l ready lost 1 f igur e, but has

a f r iend ly un i t o f Sudanese in fant ry in an

ad jacent rear square .

The Dervish uni t t hr ows a 6, and t he Egypt ian

un i t thr ows a 5. The m odi f ied scores are :

Dervish uni t : 6 + 4 = 10 (The D8 score plus 1

for each f igu r e able to f ight) . Egypt ian u ni t : 5 + 3 +1 = 9 (The D6 scor e

p lus 1 for each f igur e ab le to f igh t p lus 1 for

the ad jacent f r iend ly un i t to the r ear ).

The Dervish uni t has won the hand-to-hand

combat and the di f ference betw een t he scores is

1. Therefore the Egypt ian uni t imm ediately fal ls

back 1 squar e to i ts r ear . I f th is is not possible

because the fr iendly uni t is blocking i ts pat h,

the Egypt ian uni t loses a fur ther f igur e.

Had th e scores been r ever sed, th e Egypt ian u ni t

wou ld have won the hand -to-hand com bat an d

the Derv ish un i t would have had to fa l l back 1square to i ts rear .

Add 1: To the dice score for every figureable to take part in the hand-to-hand combat (N.B. This may in-clude any artillery or machine guncrews or Leaders that are sharingthe square with a friendly unit).

Add 1: To the dice score for every friendlyunit in an adjacent rear square.

Deduct 2: From the dice score if the unit isdisorganised.

Hand-to-hand combat modifiers

1: The losing unit immediately fallsback 1 square to its rear.

2: The losing unit immediately fallsback 2 squares to its rear.

3: The losing unit immediately fallsback 2 squares to its rear andbecomes disorganised.

4: The losing unit immediately fallsback 3 squares to its rear andbecomes disorganised.

5 or higher: The losing unit immediately fallsback 3 squares to its rear, loses1 of its figures, and becomesdisorganised.

Hand-to-hand combat outcomes

The number of figures able to take part inhand-to-hand combat depends upon the unitstactical formation.

The side with the highest modified dice scorewins the hand-to-hand combat.

In the event of neither side winning the hand-to-hand combat because the two sides dicemodified dice scores are equal, the hand-to-hand combat will continue during the nextturn.

The difference between the two sidesmodified dice scores determines the outcomeof the hand-to-hand combat.

If the difference between the modified dicescores is 3 or higher and the losing unit isalready disorganised, it also loses 1 of its

figures. A unit that falls back remains facing the

enemy unit that has forced it to fall back.

A unit that is unable to fall back as far as itshould because its path is blocked by otherunits (either friendly or enemy) loses 1 of itsfigures in addition to any other losses it mayhave already suffered as a result of losing thehand-to-hand combat.


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Hand -to -han d com bat examp le 2

A Br i t ish in fan t r y bat t a l ion , accom panied by a

Leader , char ged a Derv ish in fant r y r ub in t he

f lank du r ing t he las t tur n , and as a resu l t they

are in han d-to-hand combat at th e beg inn ing of

th i s tu rn .

The Br i t ish u n i t is in Colum n t act ica l for m at ion

and t he Der vish uni t is in en masse, and th e

Br i t ish un i t is in f r ont - to -f lank contact w i th t he

Derv ish un i t . The Derv ish un i t has a f r iend lyun i t o f camel ry and one of ar t i l lery in ad jacent

r ear squ ar es. The Br it i sh Leader decides to use

a Hand-to-hand f ight ing! Heroic Leadership

card t o impr ove th e f igh t ing ef f ect iveness of th e

Br i t ish uni t w hich he is accom pany ing.

The Br i t ish un i t th rows a 1 , and th e Derv ish

uni t th r ows a 4. The m odif ied scores ar e:

Br i t ish un i t : 1 + 2 + 2 = 5 (The D6 scor e p lus

1 for each f igur e ab le to f igh t p lus 2 for t he

Heroic Leader ship car d).

Dervish uni t : 4 + 2 +2 = 8 (The D8 score plus

1 for each f igur e ab le to f igh t p lus 1 for eachof the ad jacent f r iend ly un i t s to the rear ) .

The Dervish uni t has won the hand-to-hand

combat and the di f f erence between t he scores is

3 . There fore the Br i t ish un i t imm edia te ly fa l ls

back 2 squares to i ts rear and becomes

disorganised.

Had t he scores been r ever sed, th e Br i t ish un i t

wou ld have won the hand -to-hand combat and

the Derv ish un i t would have had to fa l l back 2

squar es to i ts rear and become disor ganised. If

th is had not been possible because of the

f r iend ly un i t s b lock ing i ts path , t he Der v ish un i twould h ave lost a f igur e.


Ac t ion po in t s exam ple 1

A Sudan ese infant r y bat ta l ion is act ivated. A D6

is thr own, and the score is 2. It m ay use both

th ese act ion point s to f i re once at an enem y unito r t o move. I t may not do both .


A deployed Dervish art i l lery bat tery is

act ivat ed. A D8 is thr own, and t he score is 5. I t

m ay u se th ese act ion point s to:

Fir e twice at a n enem y unit (at a cost of 4

act ion points) and use the r emain ing act ion

po in t t o m ove.

Fir e once at an enemy u nit (at a cost of 2

act ion po in ts) and use any remain ing 3

act ion point s to move. Move.


A Br i t ish in fant ry br igade in Square ,

accom panied an d co-ordin ated by a Leader, is

act ivat ed. A D6 is thr own, and t he score is 3. I t

m ay use these act ion point s for al l the uni t s in

the br igade to :

Fire once at enemy units (at a cost of 2

act ion points) and use the r emain ing act ion

po in t t o m ove.

Move.The un i ts form ing the br igade m ust a l l do the

same thing as their act ions are being co-

ordinated by a Leader. Had the Leader not

accompan ied th e br igade, or had t he p layer not

m ade the decision to use the opt ion of d eal ing a

single playin g card t o the Leader so that th e

act ions of the ent i re br igade could be co-

ord inated, each un i t w i th in t he br igade would

have been act iva ted at d i f fe rent t imes dur ing

the tu rn .

Action points

When a unit or Leader is activated during aturn, a dice is thrown to determine thenumber of action points they have to expend.The type of dice varies:

Anglo-Egyptian units (other than cavalryand mounted camelry) throw a D6.

Anglo-Egyptian cavalry and mounted

camelry units throw a D12. Dervish units (other than cavalry and

camelry) throw a D8.

Dervish cavalry and camelry units throw aD12.

Leaders moving on their own throw a D12.

Action points can be expended uponmovement (including charging an enemy unit)and/or firing at an enemy unit.

It costs 2 action points for a unit to fire once

during a turn. Units may only fire once during a turn unless a

Heroic Leadership card has been used toenhance the units firepower for that turn.

Players should declare what they intend to doafter they have thrown the dice and before anymovement and/or firing takes place.

Unused action points may not be held overuntil the next turn.

Movement

Action points are expended upon movementat the tariff shown on the chart on thefollowing page.

Units may only move in the direction they arefacing.

Diagonal movement may only take place ifboth of the squares on either side of thediagonal are unoccupied.

A units movement is affected by its tacticalformation.


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Action pointsexpended

Action

3 To move one square diagonally

2To move one squar eorthogonally

2 To cross an obstacle

2To move through a friendlyunit

2 To fire once

2 To change formation

2 To mount or dismount

2 To limber or unlimber

1 To turn

1To move into, in, or out ofsteep terrain

1To move into, in, or out ofdifficult terrain

Action point movement tariff


Movement

Line No effect

MarchColumn

Unit gains 2 additional actionpoints of movement

Column Unit gains 1 additional actionpoint of movement

SquareUnit loses 1 action point ofmovement

En m asse No effect

DeployedUnit loses 1 action point ofmovement

Limbered No effect

TransportUnit loses 1 action point ofmovement

The effect of unit tactical formations onmovement

An exam p le o f o r t hogona l movemen t

The in fant ry un i t w i l l expend 2 act ion po in ts to

m ove or thogona l ly f r om one squar e to another .

An exam p le of d i ag ona l m ovem en t


m ove d iagona l ly f r om one square to another .

Movem en t examp le 1

A Br i t ish d ismounted camel ry reg iment is

advancing in March Column. I ts act ion dice

score was 4, and i t w i l l not f i r e at an enem y

uni t dur ing th is tur n . It there fore has 6 act ion

points to expend on m ovem ent (4 + 2 = 6 [The

D6 score plus 2 for being in Mar ch Colum n]) .

An exam p le of m ovem en t


m ake this m ove. 1 act ion point w i l l be expended

to tur n and 3 act ion po in ts wi l l be expended to

m ove d iagona l ly f r om one square to another .


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I t m ay, for exam ple:

Move 3 squares or t hogona l ly (2 + 2 + 2 [2

act ion points for each squar e of or t hogonal

movement] ) .

Move 2 squar es diagona l ly (3 + 3 [3 act ion

points for each square of diagonal

movement) ] .

Move 1 squar e ort hogonal ly, tu r n 45 , and

move 1 square d iagona l ly (2 + 1 + 3 [2

act ion po in ts for a square of or thogona l

movement , 1 act ion po in t to turn , and 3

act ion po in ts for a square of d iagona l

movement) .

Turn, move 1 square or thogona l ly , and

change form at ion (1 + 2 + 2 [1 a ct ion po in t

to turn , 2 act ion po in ts for a square of

or th ogona l movement , and 2 act ion po in ts to

change for m at ion).


A deployed Der vish art i l lery bat tery w ishes to

f i r e once at t he enemy an d th en l imber u p. Itsact ion dice score was 4. I t has suf f ic ient act ion

po in ts to do th is (2 + 2 = 4 [2 act ion po in ts to

f i r e and 2 act ion po in ts to l im ber ] ).


A Der vish cavalr y r ub is advancing en ma sse.

I ts act ion dice score was 7, and i t w i l l not f i r e at

an enem y uni t dur ing th is tur n . It th ere fore has

7 act ion p oints to expend on m ovem ent.


Move 3 squar es ort hogonal ly and t ur n 90 (2

+ 2+ 2 +1 [2 act ion po in ts for each squar e of

or th ogona l m ovem ent and 1 act ion po in t to

turn ] ) .

Move 1 squar e diagonal ly, tur n 4 5, move

in to d i f f i cu l t ter ra in , and move 1 square

or th ogona l ly (3 + 1 + 1 + 2 [3 act ion po in ts

for a square of d iagona l movement , 1 act ion

po in t to tur n , 1 act ion po in t t o move in to

d i f f i cu l t ter r a in , and 2 act ion po in ts for a

square of or th ogona l m ovem ent ) .

Move 1 square or thogona l ly in d i f f i cu l t

t er r a in and th r ough a f r i endly un i t (2 + 1 + 2

[2 act ion po in ts for a squar e of or thogona l

movement , 1 act ion po in t for moving in

d i f f i cu l t ter r a in , and 2 act ion po in ts to m ove

thr ough a f r iend ly un i t ] ) .

Move 1 square d iagona l ly thr ough d i f f i cu l t

te r r a in and tu r n 45 (3 + 1 + 1 [3 act ion

po in ts for a squar e of d iagona l m ovem ent , 1

act ion po in t for m oving in d i f f i cu l t ter r a in ,

and 1 act ion po in t t o tur n ] ).


An Egypt ian in f ant r y bat t a l ion is advanc ing in

Colum n in di f f icul t t err a in. I ts act ion dice score

was 2 and i t w i l l not f i re at any enem y uni tsdur ing th is tur n . It th erefore has 3 act ion po in ts

to expend on m ovem ent (2 + 1 = 3 [The D6

score plus 1 f or b eing in Colum n]) .

I t ma y:

Move 1 squar e or thogona l ly (2 + 1 [2 act ion

po in ts for a square of or th ogona l movem ent

and 1 act ion po in t for 1 act ion po in t for

m oving in d i f f i cu l t t er r a in ] ).

Turn 90 (1 + 1 [1 act ion po in t for tur n ing

and 1 act ion po in t for moving in d i f f i cu l t

te r ra in (N.B. Turn ing is movement and

ther efore incur s a cost) ] ).


A Derv ish in fant ry rub, accompanied by a

Leader, is advan cing en m asse thr ough steep

ter r ain. I ts act ion dice score was 4 and i t wi l l

no t f i re at any enemy uni ts dur ing t h is tur n .

The Dervish Leader decides to use a Faster

m ovem ent! Her oic Leadership card t o impr ove

the f ight ing ef fect iveness of the Dervish uni t

wh ich he is accompa nying . It ther efore has 6

act ion po in ts to expend on m ovem ent (4 + 2 = 6

[The D8 score plus 2 f or t he Her oic Leader ship

card]) .

I t m ay, for examp le:

Move 2 squar es or t hogona l ly (2 + 2 + 1 + 1 =

6 [2 act ion points for each square of

or th ogona l movem ent p lus 1 act ion po in t for

each squar e of m ovem ent in steep terr ain]) .

Move 1 squar e ort hogonal ly an d tu r n 90 (2

+ 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 [2 act ion po in ts for a square

of or th ogona l movem ent , 1 act ion po in t for

m oving in steep ter r a in , 1 act ion po in t f or

tu r n ing , and 1 ac t ion po in t fo r m oving in

steep terr ain (N.B. Turn ing is movement an d

th erefore in cur s a cost) ]) .


A Sudan ese infa ntr y bat t a l ion is advan cing in

Line in di f f icul t terr a in. I ts act ion dice score was

1 and i t cannot f i r e at any enem y uni ts dur ing

th is tur n . I t there fore has 1 act ion po in ts to

expend on m ovem ent.

I t is unable to m ove as i t has insuf f ic ient a ct ion

po in ts to even tur n in d i f f i cu l t ter r a in .


A Br i t ish in fant ry bat ta l ion is advanc ing in

Squar e. I ts act ion dice score was 3 and i t wi l lno t f i r e at any enem y uni ts dur ing t h is tur n . It

therefore has 2 act ion points to expend on

m ovem ent (3 - 1 = 2 [The D6 score less 1 for

being in Squa r e]).


Move 1 squar e ort hogonal ly [2 act ion point s

for a square of or thogona l m ovem ent ] .

Change form at ion [2 act ion po in ts to change

format ion ] .

Turn [1 act ion poin t for tu rn ing] .


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Add 1: To the charged units dice scorefor every figure able to face acharge (N.B. This may includeany artillery or machine guncrews or Leaders that aresharing the square with a

friendly unit).

Add 1: To the charged units dice scorefor every friendly unit in anadjacent rear square.

Deduct 1: From the charging units dicescore if the unit has crossed anyvertical or horizontal obstaclesduring their charge.

Charging modifiers

Add 1: To the charging units dicescore for every figure able totake part in a charge.

Add 1: To the charging units dicescore if the charged unit isdisorganised.

-3 or lower: The charging unit immediatelyfalls back 3 squares to its rear,loses 1 of its figures, andbecomes disorganised.

-2: The charging unit immediatelyfalls back 2 squares to its rear,and becomes disorganised.

-1: The charging unit immediatelyfalls back 2 squares to its rear.

0: The charging unit halts in a

square adjacent to thatoccupied by the charged unit.

+1: The charging unit enters thecharged units square.

Charging outcomes

+2: The charging unit enters thecharged units square and thecharged unit becomesdisorganised.

+3 or higher: The charging unit enters thecharged units square and thecharged unit immediately falls

back 2 squares to its rear,loses 1 of its figures, andbecomes disorganised.

Charging

A charge is a move that, if completed, brings aunit into a square occupied by an enemy unit.

A unit may only charge an enemy unit if thecharging unit is in one of the following tacticalformations:

Line.

Column.

En m asse.

Anglo-Egyptian infantry and dismountedcamelry regiments may only charge an enemyunit:

If the enemy unit is disorganised or

If they are charging into the enemy unitsflank or rear.

Anglo-Egyptian cavalry and mounted camelrymay charge any enemy unit.

Dervish infantry, cavalry, and camelry maycharge any enemy unit.

Cavalry and camelry may not cross any verticalor horizontal obstacles during their charge.

Artillery and machine gun batteries may notcharge.

Charging units must follow the shortest andmost direct route towards the enemy.

The outcome of a charge is determined byboth sides throwing a dice:



The dice scores are modif ied bycircumstances.

The number of figures able to face a chargedepends upon the charged units tacticalformation.

The charged units modified dice score issubtracted from the charging units modifieddice score and the difference determines theoutcome of the charge.

If the difference between the modified dicescores is +2 or higher and the charged unit isalready disorganised, it also loses 1 of itsfigures.

A unit that falls back remains facing theenemy unit that has forced it to fall back.

A unit that is unable to fall back as far as itshould because its path is blocked by other

units (either friendly or enemy) loses 1 of itsfigures in addition to any other losses it mayhave already suffered as a result of the charge.

A charging unit that causes a charged unit tofall back as a result of the charge mayimmediately pursue its opponent.

The pursuing unit moves into the closestsquare adjacent to that occupied by thepursued unit.


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Char g i ng examp le 1

A Der v ish cava l ry r ub is char g ing in to the f lank

of an Egypt ian in f ant r y r eg im ent t hat is in L ine

and is already disorgan ised.

The Derv ish un i t thr ows a 6, and the Egypt ian


Dervish un i t : 6 + 4 + 1 = 11 (The D8 score

p lus 1 for each f igure ab le to take par t in th e

char ge plus 1 because th e Egypt ian u ni t is

alr eady disor ganised).

Egypt ian un i t : 1 + 1 = 2 (The D6 score plus 1

for each f ig ur e able to face the charg e).

The di f ference between the charging uni t s

modif ied dice score and the charged uni t s

m odif ied dice score is +9, wit h th e r esul t t hat

the Dervish uni t enters the Egypt ian uni t s

square and t he Egypt ian un i t imm edia te ly fa l ls

back 2 squa r es to i ts rear , loses 2 of i t s f igur es

( i t is already disorganised so i t loses an

addi t ional f igur e), and r emain s disorgan ised.

The Der vish uni t decides to pu r sue, and m oves

int o the closest squar e adjacent to t he defeated

Egypt ian uni t .

Char g i ng examp le 2

A Br i t ish cavalry r egiment in Line is char ging

in to the f r ont of a d isor gan ised Derv ish in fan t r y

r ub which has thr ee in fant r y rubs in ad jacent

r ear squar es.

The Br i t ish un i t t hr ows a 4, and th e Derv ish


Br i t ish uni t : 4 + 4 +1 = 9 (The D6 scor e plus

1 for each f igur e ab le to take par t in th e

char ge plus 1 because the Der vish uni t isalr eady disorg anised).

Derv ish un i t : 3 + 4 + 3 = 10 (The D8 score


charge plus 1 for each of the adjacent

f r iend ly un i ts to the rear ).



m odif ied dice score is 1, w ith t he resul t t hat

the Br i t ish un i t immedia te ly fa l ls back 2

squar es to i ts rear .

Exam ple o f weapon r ang es be ing m easur ed

o r t hogona l l y

Target un i t A is at a ra nge of 3 squares (2 + 1 )

f rom un i t 1 and ta rge t un i t B is a t a r ange of 5

squares (4 + 1) f rom uni t 2 .

1 2

A

B

Firing No unit can fire at an enemy unit that is not in

its direct line-of-sight.

Units have an arc of fire of 90 to their front(45 either side of the direction in which theunit is facing).

It costs 2 action points for a unit to fire onceduring a turn.

Units may only fire once during a turn unless aHeroic Leadership card has been used toenhance the units firepower for that turn.

All weapon ranges are measured orthogonally.

Examp le o f an in f an t r y un i t s a r c of f i r e

Exam ple o f weapon r ang es be ing m easur ed

o r t h ogona l l y

Target un i t A is at a ra nge of 2 squares (1 + 1 )

f rom un i t 1 and ta rge t un i t B is a t a r ange of 4

squares (2 + 2) f rom uni t 2 .

1 2

B

A


16/28


Red card: The cover has no effect

Black card: The cover prevents the hit fromaffecting the target unit.

The effects of cover

Weapon typeRange (insquares)

Egyptian and Sudanese firearms 2

Dervish firearms 1

Anglo-Egyptian artillery 6Dervish artillery 4

Weapon ranges

British firearms 3

Anglo-Egyptian machine guns 3

Dervish machine guns 2

Examp le o f an a r t i l l er y un i t s a r c o f f i r e

Firearms

Units armed with firearms throw a dice todetermine the effect of their fire. The typeof dice depends upon the type of unit:


Dervish infantry r ubsthrow a D8.

Dervish cavalry and camelry r ubs throwa D12.

The number of figures able to fire dependsupon the units tactical formation.

If a units dice score is equal to or less thanthe number of figures able to fire, thetarget unit is hit and becomesdisorganised.

If the target unit is already disorganised, itloses 1 of its figures each time it is hit.

The effect of unit tactical formation on firing


Firing

Line All bases can fire

March Column 1 base can fire

Column 2 bases can fire

Square 1 base can fire

En m asse All bases can fire

Fi r ing example 1

A fu l l -s t rength Br i t ish d ismounted camel ry

reg iment in L ine is f i r ing at a Der v ish cava l ry

ru b. The Derv ish un i t is wi th in ra nge (3 squar es

m easured or th ogona l ly ) and wi th in th e Br i t ish

un i t s arc of f i re .

The Br i t ish uni t throws a 4. Because this is

equa l to or less than the num ber of f igur es ab le

to f i re , the Derv ish un i t has been h i t andbecomes disor gan ised.

Fi r ing example 2

A Derv ish in fant ry rub that has a l ready

suf fered the loss of 1 f igure is f i r ing at an

Egypt ian inf ant r y bat t a l ion. The Egypt ian uni t is

wi th in r ange (1 squar e measur ed or thogona l ly )

and wi th in the Derv ish un i t s arc of f i re .

The Der vish uni t thr ows a 6 . Because this is

m ore than the num ber of f igur es ab le to f i r e,

the Dervish un i t s f i re has no effect .

Artillery and machine guns

Artillery and machine gun batteries throwa dice to determine the effect of their fire.The type of dice depends upon the type ofunit:

Anglo-Egyptian artillery and machine gunbatteries throw a D6.

Dervish artillery and machine gun

batteries throw a D8.

If a batterys dice score is equal to or lessthan twice the number of figures crewingthe batterys gun, the target unit is hit andbecomes disorganised.

If the target unit is already disorganised, itloses 1 of its figures each time it is hit.

The effects of cover

Cover may reduce the effect of fire on aunit.

Cover is any terrain feature or vertical orhorizontal obstacle that hides or obscures atarget from view (including built-up areas,areas of cultivated land with tall cropsgrowing on it, forests, grassland coveredwith tall grass, rocks, scrub, thick and/ortall undergrowth, walls, and woods).

If a target unit is in cover when it is hit, thetop card from the pack of undealt playingcards is turned over.


17/28


Disorganisation modifiers

Deduct 1: For every friendly unit in anadjacent square.

Deduct 2: For every Leader in the samesquare or in an adjacent square.

D iso rga n i sa t i on exam p le 1

A fu l l -s t rength Derv ish in fant r y r ub, which has

two in fan t r y r ubs in ad jacent r ear squares, has

becom e disorga nised.

The Der vish uni t t hr ows a 7. The m odif ied score

is 5 (7 1 1 [Th e D8 scor e less 1 f or each of

the adj acent fr iendly uni t s to the rear ) . Becauseth is is m ore than th e number of f igu r es le f t in

the uni t , th e Dervish uni t r emain s disorgan ised.

D iso rga n i sa t i on exam p le 2

A Br i t ish cava l ry reg iment that has a l ready

suf fered the loss of 1 f igure, but which is

accompanied by a Leader, has become

disorganised.

The Br i t ish un i t t hr ows a 6. The Br i t ish Leader

decides to u se a Recover! Heroic Leadership

card to im pr ove the mor a le of th e Br i t ish un i t

which he is accompanying. The Br i t ish uni t

r ecover s fr om disorga nisat ion even thoug h i tsm odif ied scor e (6 2 [Th e D6 score less 2 f or

the pr esence of a Leader in the sam e squar e)

was mor e than t he number of f igur es lef t in t he

un i t .

Disorganisation

When a unit becomes disorganised, adisorganisation marker is placed immediatelybehind it. This disorganisation marker remainswith the unit until it recovers from its

disorganisation. If a unit becomes disorganised before it has

been activated during the current turn, itsplaying card is removed and it cannot move orfire.

If a disorganised unit suffers a further hit, itimmediately loses 1 of its figures.

A unit that becomes disorganised may attemptto recover from disorganisation during thecurrent turn.

Units that have become disorganised throw a

dice to determine whether they can recoverfrom their disorganisation. The type of dicedepends upon the type of unit:



Dice scores are modified by circumstance.

A unit will recover from disorganisation if itsdice score is equal to or less than the numberof figures left in the unit.

Break off battle

If, at the end of a turn, one side has half ormore of its units disorganised or lost, it mustbegin to break off from the battle.

All units that not disorganised must move

away from the enemy during the next turn. All disorganised units must remain where they

are until they are destroyed or have recoveredfrom disorganisation.

Even if sufficient units recover fromdisorganisation, once one side has half ormore of its units disorganised at the end of aturn, battle must be broken off.

Fi r i ng exam p le 3

A Derv ish ar t i l le ry bat tery is f i r ing at a

disorgan ised Sudan ese infa ntr y bat t a l ion that is

in cover. The Sudanese uni t is with in r ange (4

squares measur ed or thogona l ly ) and w i th in t he

Der v ish un i t s ar c of f i r e.

The Der vish uni t thr ows a 2. Because this is

equa l to or less than twice the number of

f igu r es crewing t he gun, th e Sudan ese uni t h as

been hi t and m ay ha ve to lose a f igur e becausei t is already disor ganised.

The top card f r om t he pack of p lay ing car ds is

tu r ned over . The car d is the 4 of Heart s (a red

car d) . This means that the cover h as had no

effect , an d t he Sudan ese uni t loses a f igur e.

Had th e top card been a black car d, the cover

would have prevented the h i t f r om af fect ing t he

Sudanese uni t , and i t would not have lost a

f igure. I t would, however, have remained

disorganised.

Fi r i ng exam p le 4

A Br i t ish mach ine gun bat tery , accompanied by

a Leader , is f i r ing at a Derv ish in fant r y r ub.

The Dervish uni t is with in range (3 squares

m easured or thogona l ly ) and wi th in the Br i t ish

un i t s arc of f i r e.

The Br i t ish uni t throws a 5. Because this is

m ore than twice the num ber of f igur es crewing

th e gun, th e Br i t ish uni t s f i re has no effect .

The Br it i sh Leader decides to u se an Enh an ced

Fir epower ! Heroic Leader ship card to im pr ove

the f ight ing ef fect iveness of the Br i t ish uni t

wh ich he is accom panyin g. It ther efore th r ows

anot her dice.

This t im e the scor e is 3. Because this is equa l to

or less than t wice the number of f igur es

crewing th e gun, the Derv ish u n i t h as been h i t

and becom es disor ganised.


18/28


Br eak o f f ba t t l e exam p le

At th e end of a tur n th e Der v ish s ide has 6 of i ts

11 u ni ts disor ganised. I t mu st, therefore, begin

to break of f f r om th e bat t le dur ing t he next

tu rn .

Dur ing the cour se of the next tu rn 2 of th e

disorganised uni ts are able to recover from

disorgan isat ion, and th e Dervish side now only

has 8 of i ts 11 uni ts disorganised. However

because i t h as a l ready gone thr ough th e breakof f bat t le threshold, the Dervish side must

cont inue to wi thdr aw f r om th e bat t le .

Dismoun ted Ang lo -Egyp t ian camel r y exam ple

1

A m ounted Egypt ian cam elr y un i t is in Line and

d ism ounts . It w i l l remain in L ine and wi l l , unt i l

i t remounts , f igh t as i f i t were an in fant ry

bat ta l ion .

Dismoun ted Ang lo -Egyp t ian camel r y exam ple

2

A dismounted Br i t ish cam el ry reg iment is in

Square. I t remounts and forms Line. This is

r egar ded as two changes of f orm at ion .

Leader s in comba t examp le

A Derv ish in fant r y ru b that is accompanied by a

Leader has come under f i re f rom a Br i t ish

ar t i l lery ba t tery an d has suf f er ed a h i t .

The top card f r om t he pack of p lay ing car ds isturned over. The card is the Queen of

Diam onds. This means that t he Leader h as not

King, Queen, or Jackof Spades:

Leader is killed, and thefigure is immediatelyremoved.

King, Queen, or Jackof Clubs:

Leader is wounded, andthe figure is immediatelyremoved.

Leaders in combat

Any other black card: Leader is wounded, butcontinues to fight.

Heart or Diamond: Leader is unwounded.

Dismounted Anglo-Egyptian camelry

British and Egyptian camelry may dismount.

The act of dismounting or remounting isregarded as a change of formation

Whilst dismounted, British and Egyptiancamelry move and fight as if they wereinfantry.

Leaders in combat

If a Leader is with a unit that is under fire orinvolved in hand-to-hand combat, the top cardfrom the pack of undealt playing cards isturned over.

been h i t and a f igure f r om t he Derv ish un i t is

removed.

Had t he top car d been t he Queen of Clubs, the

Leader would have been wounded, and the

Leader f igure would have been immediately

removed. No f igure f r om t he Derv ish un i t w ould

have been r emoved, as th e hi t would have had

i ts ef fect upon the Leader .


19/28

Redcoats and DervishesAdditional rulesPage 19

Gunboats

Gunboats performed useful service throughoutthe various campaigns in the Sudan. Because theNile was of such vital importance to both theAnglo-Egyptians and the Dervishes as a source ofwater, food, and transport, gunboats couldprovide fire support to troops on the banks ofthe river as well as acting as a mobile reserve andtransport fleet.

For compatibility with the rest of the rules,models of the gunboats should be able to fit into

the size of square used on the battlefield. It istherefore recommended that a smaller scalemodel be used

Gunboats may only be used in squares thathave designated as part of the River Nile or asimilar body of water.

Gunboats are treated as individual unitsduring the turn sequence.

Gunboats may not take part in hand-to-handcombat.

Gunboats may not charge other units.

Gunboats throw a D8 to determine thenumber of action points they have to expend.

Gunboats only expend action points in orderto move.

Gunboats may only turn 45 for each actionpoint expended on turning.

Gunboats gain an additional 2 action points ofmovement if moving downstream.

Gunboats lose 1 action point of movement ifmoving upstream.

Gunboats may fire once per turn at no cost.

Gunboats are deemed to be armed with abattery of artillery crewed by 2 figures and abattery of machine guns crewed by twofigures.

A gunboats gun armament has an arc of fireof 270 (135 either side of the bow).

A gunboats machine gun armament has anarc of fire of 270 (135 either side of thestern).

Additional rules

This sect ion contain s r ules th at can be used to add extr a f lavour ( in the form of new

weapons and tr oops types) to th e ref ight s of bat t les between t he Anglo-Egypt ian an d

Dervish ar m ies. It also contains explanat ory n otes and examples.

Gunboa t a r ma men t a r c s o f f i r e

Main gun armament ( top) and Machine gun

arm am ent (bot tom)

When hit, gunboats do not becomedisorganised but do lose 1 flotation point.This may only be recovered if a Leader is onboard the gunboat and decides to use a

Recover! Heroic Leadership card. When a gunboat has lost all its flotation points

it sinks.

Gunboats are deemed to have 6 flotationpoints.

Anglo-Egyptian gunboats may carry an infantrybattalion or a dismounted camelry regiment oran artillery or machine gun battery or atransport unit.

Dervish gunboats may carry an infantry r uboran artillery or machine gun battery or a

transport unit.

When gunboats are carrying a unit (with orwithout a Leader) they may not fire.


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When gunboats are carrying a Leader (but nota unit) they may fire.

Units being carried by gunboats may not firewhilst they are aboard.

Any unit that is aboard a gunboat when it issunk are lost.

When loading or unloading a unit the gunboatmust be stationary for the complete turn and

alongside the rivers bank or a landing stage.

The unit being loaded or unloaded expendsaction points on movement as if it werechanging formation.

Gunb oat example 1

A Br i t ish gu nboat is m oving down r iver . A D8 is

thrown, and the score is 4. The gunboat

therefore has 6 act ion points to expend on

m ovem ent (6 + 2 [The D8 score p lus 2 for

m oving down r iver ] ) .


Move 1 squar e diagona l ly, tur n 45 , and

m ove 1 squar e or t hogona l ly (3 + 1 + 2 [3

act ion po in ts for a square of d iagona l

m ovem ent , 1 act ion po in t to t ur n 4 5, and 2

act ion po in ts for a square of or thogona l

movement] ) .

Move 2 squar es diagona l ly (3 + 3 [3 act ion

points for each square of diagonal

movement] ) .

Move 3 squares or t hogona l ly (2 + 2 + 2 [2

act ion points for each squar e of or t hogonal

movement] ) .

Gunb oat example 2

A Br i t ish gunboat f i r es at a Derv ish ar t i l ler y

bat tery on the banks of the River Ni le. The

Derv ish un i t is wi th in range (3 squares

measured or thogona l ly ) and abeam of the

Br i t ish gun boat . I t is there fore wi th in t he Br i t ish

gunboat s arcs of f i re for both i ts gun and

m ach ine gun arm amen t .

The Br i t ish gunboat t hr ows a D6 for i ts gun

armamen t and a D6 fo r i t s mach ine gun

armamen t .

The gunboa t s gun armamen t th rows a 4 .Because this is equal to or less than tw ice the

not iona l num ber of f igur es cr ewing t he gun, the

Dervish uni t has been hi t and becomes

disorganised.

The gunboat s mach ine gun arm am ent thr ows a

1. Because this is equal t o or less than tw ice the

not iona l num ber of f igur es crewing th e gun, the

Dervish uni t has been hi t again and loses 1

f igure .

Gunb oat example 3

A Derv ish gun boat f i r es at a Br i t ish gunboat on

the River Ni le. The Br i t ish gunboat is with inr ange (3 squar es m easur ed ort hogonal ly) and

ahead of th e Der vish gunboat . It is therefor e

wi th in the Derv ish gunboat s arc of f i re for i t s

gun arm amen t .

The Der v ish gunb oat thr ows a D8 for i ts gun

armamen t .

The gunboa t s gun armamen t th rows a 2 .

Because th is is equal t o or less th an t wi ce th e

not iona l num ber of f igur es crewing the gun, the

Br i t ish un i t ha s been hi t and loses a f lota t ion

point .

River boats

All forms of river boat (including steam and sailpowered) played important roles in thecampaigns in Egypt and the Sudan. The couldtransport both food and troops to almostanywhere on the River Nile, and could be a vitalelement in the success or failure of a campaign.

For compatibility with the rest of the rules,models of the river boats should be able to fitinto the size of square used on the battlefield. Itis therefore recommended that a smaller scale

model be used

River boats may only be used in squares thathave designated as part of the River Nile or asimilar body of water.

River boats are treated as individual unitsduring the turn sequence.

River boats may not take part in hand-to-handcombat.

River boats may not charge other units.

River boats throw a D8 to determine the

number of action points they have to expend. River boats only expend action points in order

to move.

River boats may only turn 45 for each actionpoint expended on turning.

River boats gain an additional 2 action pointsof movement if moving downstream.

River boats lose 1 action point of movement ifmoving upstream.

When hit, river boats do not become

disorganised but do lose 1 flotation point.This may only be recovered if a Leader is onboard the river boat and decides to use aRecover! Heroic Leadership card.

When a river boat has lost all its flotationpoints it sinks.

Metal river boats are deemed to have 4flotation points.

Wooden river boats are deemed to have 2flotation points.

River boats may carry a unit of infantry or

cavalry or camelry or artillery or machine gunsor transport.

Units being carried by river boats may not firewhilst they are aboard.


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Any unit that is aboard a river boat when it issunk are lost.

When loading or unloading a unit the riverboat must be stationary for the complete turnand alongside the rivers bank or a landingstage.

The unit being loaded or unloaded expendsaction points on movement as if it were

changing formation.

River boa t exam ple 1

A wooden r iver boat car r y ing a Derv ish in fant r y

r ub has a l r eady lost 1 f lo ta t ion po in t . I t is h i t

again and loses another f lotat ion point . The

r iver boat s inks, and the Derv ish un i t ar e los t .

River boa t exam ple 2

A r iver boat car r y ing a un i t o f t r oops moves

alongside a landing stag e. The uni t t hat is being

car r ied m ay not un load unt i l the next turn .

Dur ing the next tur n s tur n sequence the un i t

be ing car r ied is dea l t a p lay ing card so that i tcan be act ivated and thus be unloaded. The

r iver boat is not dea l t a p lay ing card as i t m ay

not move dur ing the turn and cannot ,

th erefore, be act ivated.

Bashi -Bazou ks exam ple

Dur ing the f i rs t tur n of a bat t le a un i t o f Bash i -

Bazouks is deal t a r ed car d. Althoug h i t is a

cavalry un i t i t does not becom e im petuous and

wi l l not charge the nearest enemy u ni t .

When i t is act iva ted, the un i t thr ows a D12 to

determ ine the number of act ion po in ts i t has to

expend. The score is 2, but because Bashi-

Bazouks always reduce al l their act ion point

d ice thr ows by 2 t hey have no act ion po in ts to

expend dur ing th is tur n .

Bashi-Bazouks

Bashi-Bazouks were irregular cavalry used by theEgyptians and, to a lesser extent, by the British.They were armed with whatever weapons tookeach individuals fancy. They were notorious fortheir indiscipline and cruelty as well as their

desire for plunder. However, in the absence ofregular light cavalry they were often the best (oronly) mounted troops available to the Egyptiansin the Sudan.

Bashi-Bazouks cannot become impetuous.

Bashi-Bazouks are treated as if they areDervish cavalry armed with Dervish firearms.

Bashi-Bazouks always reduce all their actionpoint dice throws by 2.

Bashi-Bazouks are always deemed to bedisorganised when being charged or taking

part in hand-to-hand combat.

Bashi-Bazouks are ineligible for any dice scoremodifications when being charged.

As a r esul t of t heir in act iv i ty , the Bashi-Bazouks

are charged by a Derv ish cava l ry r ub. The un i t

of Bashi-Bazouks th r ows a 2, an d t he Der vish

un i t thr ows a 5. The m odi f ied scores are :

Bashi-Bazou ks: 2 (The D12 scor e as th ey ar e

inel ig ib le for any dice score modif icat ions

wh en being char ged).


p lus 1 for each f igure ab le to take par t in t he

char ge plus 1 because the Bashi-Bazouk s ar ealways deemed to be disorganised when

being cha r ged).



m odif ied dice score is +8, wit h th e r esul t t hat

the Dervish uni t enters the squar e occupied by

the Bashi-Bazouks and the Bashi-Bazouks

imm edia te ly fa l l back 2 squar es to i ts rear ,

loses 2 of i ts f igur es (i t is alr eady deem ed to be

disorgan ised so i t loses an addi t ional f igur e),

and becomes disorg anised.

The Der vish uni t decides to pu r sue, and m ovesinto t he closest squar e adjacent t o the defeated

Bashi-Bazouks.

Bazingers

Bazingers were irregular infantry armed withfirearms. They were often slaves or ex-slaves, andwere used by slavers to capture and guard slaves.Some were recruited by the Anglo-Egyptian forcesto serve as irregular infantry. They often provedvery loyal to the British officers selected to leadthem.

Bazingers are treated as if they are Dervishinfantry armed with Dervish firearms.

Egyptian Gendarmerie

The Egyptian Gendarmerie was formed from whatremained of the old Egyptian Army and newlyrecruited (or more accurately press-ganged)peasants and gaolbirds. They were so unreliablethat they made the Bashi-Bazouks look good!When charged by Dervishes they wouldsometimes throw down their weapons and pleadfor mercy which they never got.

Egyptian Gendarmerie is treated as if they areDervish infantry armed with Dervish firearms.

Egyptian Gendarmerie always reduces all theiraction point dice throws by 3.

Egyptian Gendarmerie is always deemed to bedisorganised when being charged or takingpart in hand-to-hand combat.

Egyptian Gendarmerie is ineligible for any dicescore modifications when being charged.


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Egypt ian Gendar m er ie exam ple 1

When it is act ivat ed, th e Egypt ian Gendar m er ie

bat ta l ion thr ows a D8 to determ ine the numb er

of a ct ion point s i t has to expend. The score is 4,

but because Egypt ian Gendarmer ie always

r educe a l l the i r a ct ion po in t d ice thr ows by 3

they have 1 act ion po in t t o expend du r ing th is

tu rn .


An Egypt ian Gendar m er ie bat t a l ion is f i r ing at a

Derv ish cava l ry r ub. The Derv ish un i t is wi th in

range (1 square measured orthogonal ly) and

wi th in the Egypt ian un i t s ar c of f i r e.

The Egypt ian u ni t thr ows an 8 . Because this is

m ore than the num ber of f igur es ab le to f i re ,

th e Egypt ian un i t s f i re has no effect .


An Egypt ian Gendar m er ie bat ta l ion is char ged

by a Dervish cavalry rub. The Egypt ian uni t

th r ows an 8, and the Der v ish un i t t hr ows a 7.

The m odif ied scor es ar e:

Egypt ian u ni t : 8 (The D8 score as they ar e

inel ig ib le for any dice score modif icat ions

wh en being char ged).



charge plus 1 because the Egypt ian

Gendarmer ie are always deemed to be

disorgan ised w hen being char ged).



m odif ied dice scor e is +5, wit h th e r esul t t hat

th e Dervish uni t enters the squar e occupied bythe Egypt ian un i t and the Egypt ian un i t

imm edia te ly fa l ls back 2 squares to i ts rear ,

loses 2 of i ts f igu r es ( i t is already deem ed to be

disorgan ised so i t loses an addi t ional f ig ur e),

and becom es disorg anised.

The Der vish uni t decides to pu r sue, and m oves

int o the closest squa r e adjacent t o the defeated

Egypt ian uni t .


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CoverCover is any natural or man-made terrain featurethat can hid or obscure a target from view.

Difficult terrain

Difficult terrain is any terrain that will impede aunit or Leaders movement. These include:

Built-up areas.

Areas of cultivated land with tall cropsgrowing on it.

Forests.

Grassland covered with tall grass.

Rocks.

Scrub.

Thick and/or tall undergrowth.

Woods.

Direct line-of-sight

Direct line-of-sight is a straight line from thecentre of one square to the centre of another

that is not obscured by cover or a vertical orhorizontal obstacle.

Redcoats and DervishesDefinitionsPage 23

Definitions

This sect ion conta ins def in i t ions of som e of the term s used in these r ules.

Adjacent squares

Any square that touches the side or corner ofanother square is defined as being adjacent to it.

Adj acen t squar es

Al l the squar es touching the sides or corners of

th e shaded squar e ar e deemed to be adjacent to

i t .

Dir ect l ine-of -s ight

The l ine-of-s ight b etween Unit 1 a nd Unit s A and

B is obscured by the hil l . The line-of-sight

between Unit 1 and Unit C is not obscur ed by

the hi l l . Ther efore th ere is a dir ect l in e-of-sight

between Units 1 an d C.

A B C

1

Flanks of a unit

The flanks of a unit are defined as being thosesquares within an arc of 45 to either side of aline drawn at a the right angle to the direction inwhich the unit is facing.

Front of a unit

The front of a unit is defined as being thosesquares within an arc of 45 to either side of thedirection in which the unit is facing.

Rear of a unit

The rear of a unit is defined as being thosesquares within an arc of 45 to either side of thedirection opposite to that in which the unit isfacing.


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Redcoats and DervishesDefinitionsPage 24

Fron t , r ea r , and f l ank s fo r a un i t t ha t i s

o r i en t a t ed or t hogona l l y

This shows the squares that form the f ront ,

rear , and f lanks of a un i t that is or ien ta ted

or thogona l ly .

Fron t , r ea r , and f l ank s fo r a un i t t ha t i so r i en t a t ed d iagona l l y

This shows the squares that form the f ront ,

rear , and f lanks of a un i t that is or ien ta ted

diagonal ly.

Nearest enemy unit

The nearest enemy unit is defined as being theenemy unit which, when the distance to it iscounted orthogonally, is closest. In the event that

more than one enemy unit is the same distanceaway, the nearest enemy unit is defined as beingthat which could be reached by the most directorthogonal route.

Nearest enemy un i t

The orthogonal distance between Unit 1 and

Units A and B is the same. Unit A is adju dged to

be the near est enem y uni t to Uni t 1 as the route

between the tw o is m ore ort hogonal ly dir ect .

A

B

1

Vertical and horizontal obstacles

A vertical or horizontal obstacle is any vertical orhorizontal obstruction that requires a degree ofphysical effort to cross. These include:

Dried-up water courses.

Fences.

Gullies.

Fordable rivers.

Streams.

Trenches.

Walls.


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Night march to the canal

British forces

6 infantry battalions.

1 cavalry regiment.

1 artillery battery.

1 machine gun battery.

1 Leader.

Egyptian forces

4 infantry battalions (2 ofwhich are deemed to beEgyptian Gendarmerie).

1 cavalry regiment (Bashi-Bazouks).

1 artillery battery.

1 Leader.

Scenario specific rules

The British must enterfrom the side indicated onthe map.

The Egyptians are dug inbehind an earth rampart.

The Egyptian units maynot be dealt playing cardsuntil they realise they areabout to be attacked.

A joker is added to thepack of playing cards.When this is dealt to aBritish unit, the Egyptiansrealise that they are about

to be attacked and can bedealt playing cards.

If the Joker is not dealtbefore the first British unitreaches the earthrampart, the Egyptiansrealise they are underattack and can be dealtplaying cards during thenext turn sequence.

Redcoats and DervishesScenariosPage 25

Scenarios

This sect ion contain s some scenar ios based upon a ctual bat t les fough t du r ing th e 18 80 s

and 1 89 0s in Egypt and t he Suda n. Each scenar io has a map of t he batt lef ield, an Or der of

Bat t le for each side, and a ny scenar io speci f ic r ules.

Key to symb ols used

on the scena r i o

map s

Difficultterrain

Village

British troops enter here

Earth rampart


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Marching across the Sudan

Anglo-Egyptian forces

4 infantry battalions (2 ofwhich are deemed to beEgyptian Gendarmerie).

1 cavalry regiment (Bashi-Bazouks).

1 Egyptian artillery

battery.

1 Egyptian machine gunbattery.

1 Leader.

Dervish forces

4 infantry rubs armedwith firearms.

8 infantry rubs armedwith spears and swords.

2 cavalry or camelry rubs

armed with spears andswords.

4 cavalry or camelry rubsarmed with spears andswords.

1 Leader.


The Anglo-Egyptian forcesmust enter from the sideindicated on the map.

The Dervish forces mayset themselves upanywhere on the map.

T he Ang lo-Eg ypt i anartillery and machine gunbatteries only havesufficient ammunition tofire 4 times during thebattle.

If the infantry battalionsthat are deemed to beEgyptian Gendarmerie are

charged and forced to fallback, there is a chancethat they will throw downtheir weapons and try toplead for mercy. If thishappens, throw a D6. Ifthe score is 1, 2, or 3 thebattalion will fall back. Ifthe score is 4, 5, or 6 thebattalion will throw downits arms and plead formercy which they willnot get. The battalion islost and removed fromthe battlefield.

SteepTerrain

SteepTerrain

WaterHole

Anglo-Egyptian troops enter here


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Form Square!

Anglo-Egyptian forces

4 Br i t i sh in f ant rybattalions.

1 Egyptian cavalryregiment.

1 British artillery battery.

1 British machine gunbattery.

1 Leader.

Dervish forces

4 infantry rubs armedwith firearms.

8 infantry rubs armedwith spears and swords.



1 Leader.


The Briti sh infantry,artillery, and machine gununits must enter thebattlefield as a BrigadeSquare at the locationindicated on the map.

The Dervish forces mayset themselves upanywhere below the lineindicated on the map.

The British must attemptto occupy the village.

Anglo-Egyptian troops enter here


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Notes

Despite the length of this booklet, these aresimple, fast-play colonial wargames rules, andmost people are able to understand and use themain game mechanisms within a few turns. The

bulk of the pages are taken up with explanationsand examples that show how the rules work.Once you have fought a couple of battles you willsoon rely upon the playsheet to give you most ofthe information that you need during a game.

The three scenarios are all based on battles thattook place during the 1880s. They have beenchosen as they will allow novice players to gainexperience with the rules in different tacticalsituations.

Night march to the canal is based uponGeneral Wolseleys attack on Tel-el-Kebir on

11th September 1882. Marching across the Sudan is based upon the

events that led to the destruction of HicksPashas expedition to Kordofan in October1883.

Form Square! is based upon the Battle of ElTeb on 29th February 1884.

I would suggest that you play the scenarios andthen read an account of each battle. This will giveyou the opportunity to see if you did better (orworse) than the original commanders.

For players who prefer larger scale figures Iwould suggest doubling the size of the individualbases and the squares on the gridded battlefield.This makes each square 150mm x 150mm andthe battlefield 6 foot x 4 foot/ 180cm x 120cm.

For players who like to see more figures on theirbattlefields I would suggest either:

Using groups of smaller scale figures (6mm or10mm scale) on the standard 15mm sizedbases or

Doubling the size of bases and squares, and

mounting groups of figures on each base.Whatever you choose to do, I hope that you enjoyre-fighting battles with these rules. If you areever in doubt about something that happensduring a battle and it is not covered in the rules,used Fred Janes primary rule of wargaming; andif there is ever a dispute between players, alwaystry to remember the spirit of the wargame.

Bob Cordery

redcoats and dervishes

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