Colonial Cav - British 10th Hussars

Charge lads!

Another entry for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge - some more members of the 10th Hussars - armed with sabres this time.

Sabres drawn, ready to defend the honour of the Empire

The Hussars fought in many of the major engagements in the Sudan, including the battle of El Teb, among others.  The British Cavalry had a rough time of it in the Sudan, often being roughly handled by the combination of unflinching Madhists and broken ground. 

I love the parade spikes and blue pants

The cavalry would also have been involved in countless skirmishes and ambushes along the way between the various battles as they scouted/screened for the infantry columns on the march.  Together with volunteer foot sloggers serving with composite mounted infantry units, the Hussars screened far and wide to keep track of the Madhist troop movements.

The 10th came over from India to participate in the campaign and still had rather fancy elements of their uniforms, including blue pants and parade spikes on their helmets.  It's a very sharp look as far as I'm concerned.  They will look very nice riding to oblivion on the table.

Ready for a glorious, oblivion-inducing charge on the table...

The Sudan painting will continue as the end of the challenge nears...hope to get a couple more submissions in prior to the deadline.

More Painting Challenge - 28mm Camel Corps Troops

The Camel Corps presents arms

The end is in sight for the third annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge.  I entered this year with ambitions of a high finish, perhaps top five, but as the end approaches and I get crushed under by the true painting machines of the hobby world I will be fortunate if I even finish in the top 15. 

Right now I am clinging to 11th spot, and this submission played a part in that.  These are dismounted camel corps figures from the Perry Twins' outstanding 28mm Sudan range.

Officer, NCO and musician in the front ranks

So far all of my Sudan painting, and the occasional games we have played, have all been set in the very early stages of the British fighting in the Sudan, featuring troops from General Graham's force based out of Suakin. These troops engaged in some intense scraps with the Madhist rebels, and almost came to disaster at Tamai when one of the brigade squares wobbled. 

But real "lead" in the story of the British war in the Sudan is the attempt to relieve General Charles Gordon in Khartoum.  Sent originally to oversee an evacuation of the capital, Gordon ended up leading a desperate defense of the city while the Madhi's hordes surrounded it.  I can't tell if Gordon ended up trapped there, or never really intended to leave due to pride, religious conviction or excessive confidence. As he rallied the defenders public pressure grew on Prime Minister Gladstone to send a relief force and save him.  Gladstone stiff-armed as long as could.

The camel corps had insane special "sword bayonets" issued for the expedition

The PM dithered, but ultimately a relief force was dispatched under General Wolseley.  Wolseley opted for a slow-moving plan to head up the Nile river, but also assembled a "flying column" that would try to cut the distance by crossing the desert direct from Korti.  This would be the Desert Column, and it's core would be the Camel Corps.

Love the bandoleers on these figures

Reading about the Camel Corps is very confusing - at least for me.  When I first heard of this formation I was shocked to think that the British army had maintained a corps of camel-riding troops in their own army.  But of course I was wrong - the Camel Corps was in fact composed of volunteers from all of the top infantry and cavalry units in the British Army.  They would fight bravely at Abu Klea and Abu Kru.  The commander, General Stewart, would die from wounds suffered in action. And it would all be for nought, as Khartoum would fall before help reached the city.

Red stripes on the puggarees of these fellows to represent the guards

The blizzard of detachments that blended into the camel corps still makes for very confusing reading, but near as I can tell there was a Guards Camel Regiment, A Heavy (and also at Light) Camel Regiment(s), and a Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment.  And when you consider the Mounted Infantry were already volunteers riding horses, who presumably instead volunteered to ride camels, it gets even more bloody confusing for me.

Another view of the guards

But regardless of confusion, the look of these figures cannot be beat.  Neck curtains, stained pith helmets, puggarrees, puttees, ammo bandoleers, goggles and cuckoo sword bayonets - all in a race across the crushing heat of the desert, in the face of fanatical rebel hordes, to save one of the of the Victorian era's great heroes. The epitome of imperial infantry!  These troops embody the look and feel of the Sudan campaigns.

Guard from the Heliograph Team

I hope to sometime run an Abu Klea game using the Black Powder rules.  I figure I will need about three units of these camel corps fellows for that, so this submission for Curt's challenge represents a start on that.  It includes 24 figures representing the Light Camel Regiment, and six more as a kind of down payment on the Guards Camel Regiment.

Another view of the guard

For the Guards I painted some red on the puggaree on the helmet - apparently one of the Guards detachments (Life Guards, I think) used this to distinguish themselves. 

These men also had initials for their "home" unit on their arms - I tried to make something of a representation for that on some of the figures, but it is beyond my skill - they just look like they have a shoulder wound.  Whatever - I will leave it for now - I can always paint over it later.  But you can see little red squiggles on some of the figures.

While I was working on these fellows I also came across the guard figure for the heliograph team.  Don't know why I had not painted him before, but here he is.

I have placed an order with the Perrys for more dismounted camel corps troops to round out the Abu Klea forces.  Hopefully we can try an Abu Klea game sometime in the fall!

Battle Report - Sudan 28mm using Black Powder

Madhist battle line takes shape - very ominous

Last week the conscripts assembled at Dallas' place to play a Colonial game using the "Black Powder" rules.  I had tried Black Powder for the first time during my recent visit to Regina and was really impressed with the rules. I was hoping for a second successful run through with the group at our home base back in Winnipeg. 

The emir's standard

The scenario was a slight "what-if" type encounter, imagining a bold Madhist emir launching a probing attack against General Graham's force assembling at the port of Suakin in 1884. Irritated and keen to get into action, Graham sends a smaller force into a preliminary battle.

Camelry takes the lead - the beast are in a bad mood...

The table was 6' x 4'.  With the trusty Geo Hex terrain as a base, the setting included the ruins of a small trading station once run by the Egyptian administration in Sudan.  The British had to break the Madhists.  The Madhists had the same goal.  The break points were similar - first side to have half their units broken would lose.

The British had a battalion from the Cameron Highlanders (or the Gordons, depending on your interpretation of my brushwork on the kilts), a battalion from the Yorks & Lancs, a detachment of naval troops, a gatling gun and some lads from the 10th Hussars.

The Madhists had three big warbands of warriors with spears, a unit of cavalry with spears and carbines, a unit of camel scouts with carbines and two groups of skirmishers with captured Remington breech loaders.  They also had a captured Krupp gun crewed by Egyptian "volunteers".

Madhist skirmishers with rifles - likely captured from the Egyptians which had been previously "defeated"

This was only my second game of Black Powder, and the first game with the group here in Winnipeg, so I'm pretty sure I messed up a couple of rules.  But overall it was a great game.  Dallas, Frederick and Dave V. played the British side while Mike F, Kevin H. and Perry played the Madhists.

Another view of the Madhist attack

Black Powder moves very fast.  Because command success can vary, some units can cover quite a bit of distance if you give a bold order and roll well (or with luck - whatever :). The Madhists roared forward into the approaching British lines.  The Brits responded with crashing volleys from their Martini-Henrys and counter charges from the 10th Hussars.

Madhist religious leader at the forefront of the cavalry.  The "WTF?" token was used to indicate disorder.

The Hussars caused some dramatic damage on the Madhists on the British left, but ultimately they took a lot of punishment broke after a couple of turns. On the British right the Highlanders withstood charge after charge, breaking a couple of Madhist warbands but they were ultimately overwhelmed by the combination of cavalry and irritating Madhist skirmishers!

Madhist Krupp gun, with overseer and Egyptian "volunteers"

As the Madhist units wore away, the British tried to stick grimly to their battle lines, hoping to settle the matter with musketry.  But Mike F in particular was hot rolling the morale saves.  The finish was very close - with the Hussars and Highlanders gone, the British were one unit away from breaking.  On the other hand, so were the Madhists!  Who would claim glory in the Sudan?

The 10th Hussars ride to glory - and a break point

As with all such systems, there was heartbreak in the command rolls for both sides.  The Madhists could not quite finish the job, but they came close. Command rolls played a part.  The British firing line won in the end, but just barely.  It was very, very close, a great game by both sides.

Dallas brought out the movement trays for "War of the Ring" and they worked well for the British.  I look forward to getting my own sabot-trays for these figures and playing more Black Powder in the future.

I really enjoy Black Powder.  The rules are very quick, simple and very flexible.  They certainly have a lot of similarities to Warmaster, but they are adjusted very nicely to get this style of game. The guys seemed pretty engaged with them.  As I said above, it was only my second run through so I probably screwed up a few calls but overall I think we had the spirit of the game.

As you can see from the pictures, photos of the British are lacking - I am hoping Dallas will upload some he took when he has a moment.  In the meantime, you can get a look at a similar game from Regina here.
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Thanks for posting the report, Greg! I've uploaded the pics I took of the game with some captions...

The Mahdist battle line

Mahdist cameleers

Some of the frothing Madhists

British line formed up with Hussars on the left, Yorks and Lancs in the middle and Highlanders at right

Yorks and Lancs, fitting well in the GW WotR movement tray

Disrupted Mahdist mob

Hussars hit the Mahdist right flank

Mahdist mob about to evaporate; Hussars charge through into camelry at top left...

Hussars slam into the Mahdist camelry, outcome is not so good for the horsemen

Camels roll over the blown Hussars and move to threaten the flank of the Yorks and Lancs...

Camels slam into the infantry - a nice co-ordinated charge by the Mahdists

Mahdists win the combat but the British withdraw in good reasonable order

Highlanders are under pressure on the other flank

Mahdist horsemen charge in...

"Epic fail" for a failed order by the Mahdist boss...

...matched by a British blunder!

Ultimately, British pluck carried the day - huzzah!!

More Colonial Sudan - Madhist Armoured Emir and Cavalry

Death to the colonial oppressors! 

Another colonial Sudan entry for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. This is a group of Madhist cavalry led by an armoured emir and his standard bearer. The figures are all from the Perry Brothers' amazing Colonial Sudan collection.

Armoured emir, with cloth barding

Another view of the barding and the chain mail

Cool armour - not sure it stops a round from a Martini-Henry...

The emir and the standard bearer are riding horses clad in a cloth barding that is quite unique - you can still see contemporary examples of it online from festivals/celebrations in various parts of Africa today.  I tried to copy the example from the Perry Brothers' product listing on their site (the paint job on that site is obviously much, much nicer).

Standard bearer riding high - banner allegedly says something about serving god, but it may say "up with Queen Victoria's skirt!" for all I know...

The banner is from The Virtual Armchair General.  It's not the nicest banner I have ever worked with, but it is still OK and the service from them is top notch.  I recommend them to you for any gaming needs you might have.

Baggara tribesmen

Rider with a "liberated" Remington rifle

The other riders are armed with a mix of spears and Remington breech-loader rifles, likely captured from one of the multiple Egyptian expeditions crushed by the Madhi's troops as his rebellion took hold of the Sudan.

I experimented with a new macro lense for a couple of these pictures 

I almost went cross-eyed painting the cloth barding on the emir and the standard bearer, but I was pleased with the result.  The Madhists will now have a nice, scary looking leadership focal point the next time we get the Sudan figs out on the table!