Zulu Evening

 Today, we had a Colonial skirmish game using my rules as Phillip had not tried it!

We had a simple scenario with a Zulu force attacking a company of British near a supply base.

Phillip - and the Zulus!

The Supply base.

Lawrence, our commander, stayed in front of the base in reserve.

I deployed on a hill in front of him in the centre.

Phillip was detailed to hold the left wing.

Phil, resplendent in his Patrol Jacket, held the Right.

He was the first to spot the approaching left horn of the Zulu force.

Despite the long range, the Zulus took quite heavy casualties!

Phillip soon spotted the approaching right 'horn'.

Only a few Zulus fell, as the wood provided some protection.

Phillip kept firing...

...his men's aim was improving!

In the centre, the chest and loins moved forward with a small screen.

Phil on our right had stopped a Zulu unit, and he was engaging a second which passed through their halted comrades.

Phillip was still trying to stop the first unit - it was helpful that they were slowed by the wood!!!

Phillip held his ground like a true Englishman! (he is N. Irish!)

A Zulu musketeer wounded on of Phil's men.

As the Zulus opposite Phillip left the wood, we hoped Phillip would be able to stop the tenacious front unit.

Moving with their heads lowered like they were walking into hard rain, the Zulus continued to advance!

Lawrence moved into a position on my right.

A few Zulus fell.

Phillip had finally stopped the lead unit attacking him!

As the centre crossed the hill, they were shot to pieces...

I had joined in with Lawrence's unit and we combined our fire!

Phil lost a man to a Zulu sniper!

Phillip, too, had a man lost to Zulu fire.

Yay!

In the centre, another volley...

...routed the front unit!

Phil, too had routed a unit.

Lawrence and I were still firing hard.

A second unit was shredded.

At this point I had to leave my hill and fall back as some Zulus were coming round my left flank through the woods.

The Zulu centre was massing to attack, would their numbers prevail?

Lawrence lost a man to Zulu fire.

He was holding against the whole Zulu centre as I had fallen back!

The lead unit of the centre, which had outflanked me, now came under fire...

...My men had turned and given them a volley!

The Zulu in the centre were slowed by Lawrence's men.

At this point we decided that with Phil having finished off the left horn, Phillip had stopped the Right horn, and the centre stalled, the Zulus should retreat before they were encircled!

It was an easier victory than we expected, mainly because the terrain had made co-ordination between the Zulu units difficult, and my randomised deployment of the Zulus had left them with weaker wings than usual!

Good game though!