Episode Two: "Clear the Pass!" A Mr. Babbage Adventure

 

Melton Prior: "Dr. Watson. I thought you send the 20th Punjabis were part of this columns?

Dr. (Captain) Watson: "They are."

Melton Prior: "Then what unit is that?"

Dr. (Captain) Watson: "Why that is the The Queen's Own Guides, Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force. Oh. I see what you mean."

Yep. I've got the wrong unit on the battlefield.

The Queen's Own Guides, Infantry, Punjab Frontier Force.

Now entering the field of battle (and should have been there from the beginning), The 20th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) ( Punjab) Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry.

Now that I got that sorted out, on with Turn 2!

The Gordon's move (finally).

"Laddie! Get you're @#*&%#$ drum pointing in the right direction!"

"Yes Corporal."

More Tribal shooters appear to block the movement of the skirted devils.

With a resounding blast of the bugle, the 10th Bengal Lancers get to show the Tribal Infantry (which has a pin marker) what a real charge looks like.

"AAAIIIEEE AND OUCH", scream the tribesmen as they do their performance art as a pin cushion"

And that's all she wrote. But Mr. Babbage has a way of bringing Tribesmen back.

The 20th Punjabis (the REAL 20th Punjabis) fire at the tribesmen on the high ground in the rocks but to no effect.

The 1st Madras Pioneers continue their march with their tools of the trade.

Yikes! Tribesmen have worked their way behind the Pioneers.

Yikes! A huge force of Tribal hack and slash guys supported by Tribal shooters are behind them!

"Fire!"

"Okay. Next time we shoot at the Highlanders, use bullets, not just powder."

Meanwhile on the other side of the battlefield, the 20th Punjabis are charged.

The 20th Punjabis have to give ground, but are not pinned, after a brutal melee.

More bad news to come as the 1st Madras Pioneers come under fire from the Tribesmen firmly established on the high ground to their right. Captain Hugh "Hughie" Templeton Cottontale Broswell - Smythe, Royal Engineers, takes a bullet in the wrong spot that stops all of his bodily functions, to include breathing and the heart pumping blood. Well, his Leadership trait was weakling as if he was a strong, British officer he would have just sucked it up.

"Hee hee hee. We've got the high ground."

The situation at the end of Turn 2 which was not good for the Indian Army.

"Form Close Order!" yells the Subader Major - "And fix bayonets."

(Karma. I discussing the Leadership Trait "Musketry" for the 20th Punjabis and wrote that I doubt that they will need to go to Close Order. In hindsight, the majority of my games of TMWWBKs have featured the Indian Army of the British Raj against the Russian Imperial Army. Two modern forces that would cut to ribbons with fire any unit in Close Order . . .)

The Gordons continue to move toward the Tribal Shooters on the high ground.

"Uh boss. They are getting closer - and you know what large weapons they have!"

As the lancers move to support their brethren in the rear, the Madras Pioneers fire at the enemy on the high ground. 

Score one for the Pioneers! In addition to a casualty, the unit gets pinned (whew!).

The Situation at the end of the Indian Army's turn.

Dang they rallied. That didn't take long.

Sepoys of the 20th! There will be no retreat!

The 20th takes casualties but inflict more on the Tribesmen forcing them to retreat and pinning them.

Meanwhile, the shooters behind the Pioneers decide to shoot.

And another comrade falls. (No actual miniatures were harmed in the playing of this game.)

"Fire with bullets this time!"

Uh oh. Unexpected casualties but they are not pinned.

With a pause in the action, and the smell of pizza in the air, Melton Prior makes a sketch of the battlefield.

Next Time: Turn 4! (Really Colonel Obvious?) More thrills - More chills - and more Hollywood action!

Episode One: "Clear the Pass!" A Mr. Babbage Adventure

Mr. Amir Saiad Akbar Babbage is on the rampage again in the Tribal lands of the Northwest Frontier. Using The Men Who Would be Kings the forces of the British Raj will force the pass that he and his Tribal forces are blocking. 

Time to move out. Looking at the forces of the British Raj the 20th Punjabis are on the left flank, the 10th Bengal Lancers are in front of the 1st Madras Pioneers and the Gordons are on the right flank.

The 20th Punjabs?

10th Bengal Lancers to the front followed by the 1st Madras Pioneers.

If you paint kilts, they are going to be on the tabletop!

"Lancers! Advance!"

The 10th Bengal Lancers move out to screen the infantry.

Intelligence is correct. The pass is being blocked as Tribal Infantry and Tribal shooters react to the cavalry's movement.

"Death to the infidel - and where's the loot?" 

The Subedar Major of the 20th Punjabis gives the order, even though the enemy is in hard terrain, to fire.

   

First blood goes to the 20th Punjabis!

"Sappers - let's improve some roads."

"I say. Quite. Well the bloody blazes did they come from?"

"Do you hear anything Sergeant Major?"

"No Sir."

"Okay. We will just hang out here."

Mr. Amir Saiad Akbar Babbage's Tribal Forces 1st Turn:

What will Amir Babbage do?

Let's charge the cavalry and catch them off guard!

"Charge after my cousin fires into their flank"

One lancer falls and then . . . 

The lancers have to fight without the enemy that is suddenly upon them.

The lancers take two more casualties but are successful in driving off the tribesmen.

"Run away - and we are pinned.!"

"Why are they running away. It's time for us to slink away and never come back!"

"I say, Mr. Amir Saiad Akbar Babbage doesn't seem to be up to the might of the British Raj."

"One never knows with that chap Babbage."

Next Time: Babbage strikes back!

Prelude: "Clear the Pass!" A Mr. Babbage Adventure

 My nemesis on the Northwest Frontier is the Pashtun Warlord, Mr. Amir Saiad Akbar Babbage using The Men Who Would be Kings. He has rallied the tribes and is blocking a critical trail for lines of communication and logistics for the forces of the British Raj. 

The forces of the British Raj are in the midst of the NW Frontier uprising of 1897 -98 and the game will be focused on clearing and getting through the vital pass. Here are the forces that will be taking on Mr. Babbage:

The 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. If you take the time to paint kilts, you can be darn sure they are going to be used as much as humanly possible. Since The Men Who Would be Kings has a "Hollywood" flair, here is how I have adjusted my Highlanders to act like, well Highlanders, in a large cinematic production:

Starting with the Basic 6 points for Regular Infantry I made them Elite for +1 point which modifies their discipline to +2 and I made them Fierce for +1 point for a total of 8 Points. Now for leadership.

Now to roll on the Leadership table . . . a Leadership Value of 6+ which is okay and a Leadership Trait of Brave! With the Brave Leadership Trait the Gordon's will be able to remove one Pin marker for free before activating the unit. So far so good. Now for the rest of the Infantry.

The 20th Punjabs. Another Regular Infantry unit but with obsolete rifles (Martini-Henry's) which reduces their point value from 6 to 5. In our last encounter with Mr. Babbage, a small detachment of the 20th Punjabs fought to the last man delaying the enemy and allowing to escape some very valuable ammunition donkeys. Now for Leadership.

Another 6+ for the Leadership Value and will you look at this! The Leadership Trait is Musketry Buff which gives him a Leadership Value of 5+ when giving orders to Fire or Volley Fire. Well I doubt we will use Volley Fire against the Tribals and of course Fire is a free action . . .

The 1st Madras Pioneers. Along to help clear the path and improve roads and trails. They are also Regular Infantry unit but with obsolete rifles (Martini-Henry's) which reduces their point value from 6 to 5. Now for Leadership.

Oh *Bleep. Double Bleep*. The Leadership Value is 7+ and the heroic leader is a Weakling - he (and the unit) get no die from this British gentlemen for Fighting.

The 10th Bengal Lancers. Of course we have to have some dashing cavalry. They are a Regular Cavalry unit at 6 points, -1 points for Obsolete Carbines (Martini-Henry) and +2 points for Lancers for a total of 7 points.

Great Leadership Value at 5+ but this gentleman is Unlucky as will be a leader casualty with a double "1" or a "1" and a "2". Probably his beautiful cummerbund makes him stand out to the enemy. 

And now for the Tribal Forces under Pashtun Warlord, Mr. Amir Saiad Akbar Babbage:

To simplify Leadership I rolled once for the Tribal Infantry and once for the Tribal Shooters (Irregular Infantry). As you can see, their Leadership is pretty darn good. When fighting against Mr. Babbage, Leadership is used for Pinning and Rallying; all other actions are controlled by the Mr. Babbage tables and a die roll.

"Hrumphh. It's quiet out there, too quiet.