The Refight The players were Les Beilby-Tipping, Mike Blake, Ted Herbert, Beth Lofting, Pete Reynolds, Wayne Millard and Alan Winsbury. In terms of game mechanics this was generally agreed to be one of the best games ever put on by the group. It had clear objectives, decisive umpiring and an exciting conclusion that kept onlookers absorbed (apart from one bystander who fell asleep for half-an-hour in a comfortable chair on the left flank). The figures were great, the poster boards and handouts superb and the terrain magnificent. The scenario was set in the flat area of ground near the Drift rather than the steep slopes further north [see the map]. Nevertheless it was full of obstacles - elephant grass, rocky outcrops and dense bush. Particularly hazardous, even for expert riders, was a steep donga on the left flank. The first man to die was Signalman First Class W H Aynsley who was caught by a party of Zulus emerging on the extreme right flank. He had no chance. Attempting to grab the stirrups of a passing horseman, his land-legs let him down and he sprawled in front of the advancing Zulus. His end was mercifully quick. Lieutenant Wally Erskine was another early casualty, at the rear of the fleeing figures, and several other fugitives fell as more and more Zulus closed in from the right flank and the rear, not in their characteristic buffalo horn formation but in small groups, deadly because of their sheer mobility (one normal dice plus 3 compared with two normal dice for cavalry). Twisting and darting to avoid the enemy, one fugitive ran into a rock and fell concussed. Others were outnumbered in melees and soon overcome, the factors favouring assegai and large shield against cavalry weapons. In compensation, there was a fairly liberal interpretation of the rules for the fugitives, for example no penalty for turning round on foot or swerving on horseback. As the action progressed, both Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill and Lieutenant Neville Coghill were unhorsed. Sergeant Costello of the Royal Artillery caught a spare horse and rode up to the unfortunate pair, only to pay the penalty by being unhorsed himself. Seizing another bridle, he mounted and galloped off, his good turn for the day done. Coghill also managed to grab a horse and ride off. The unfortunate Melvill was left on his own. He was last seen waving his empty pistol as he was overwhelmed by Zulus. Smith-Dorrien, riding past, grabbed the colour where it had fallen and when he suffered a serious leg wound from an assegai, it was in turn taken up by Coghill. A pattern soon emerged of a funnel of riders headed by Major Stuart-Smith charging towards the donga on the left flank. Those in the vanguard met disaster. Trooper Hayes of the Natal Mounted Police, Lieutenant Curling, Sergeant Costello, Major Stuart-Smith (all of the Royal Artillery) and Captain Edward "Lucky" Essex of the Natal Native Contingent met their deaths in the donga on the left flank, some falling from their horses attempting to cross the donga and others being pulled down by Zulus. However, these casualties diverted Zulu attention from other riders in the centre of the funnel, who were able to cross to the middle of the table without much opposition. As the game neared its conclusion, the Zulus closed a gap in the centre of their line and four men fell in a single move. After this, no one in the centre had a hope. Fortunately for those who had already got through, their firing at a group of Zulus barring the way to the river inflicted enough casualties to cause the Zulus to take a morale test - which it failed and left the field. This occasioned a spontaneous shout of relief from the players of the fugitives concerned! Of the 22 figures frantically trying to escape the Zulus at the beginning of the game, only eight reached the Buffalo river and safety. Miraculously, no one was swept away in crossing the river. The single foot figure to survive was Lieutenant Harry Davies of the Edendale Troop, who had performed like a marathon runner. The remaining seven survivors arrived on six horses, Lieutenant William Cochrane and Captain Stafford doubling up. First home was the Honourable Standish William Prendergast-Vereker, who had led the rout in fine Flashman fashion for most of the game, followed by Private Samuel Wassall of the Mounted Infantry, Superintendent James Brickhill and Captain Alan Gardner. Last home was Coghill, gamely clutching the Queen's Colour, which was therefor saved, unlike the real event when it was lost. The other 14 men perished on the field and suffered the fate of being ritually disembowelled by the Zulus. Only two red coats survived, reflecting Cetshwayo's order to concentrate on the warriors in red. Coghill, the hero who rescued the standard and Melvill, the only figure to make a stand against the Zulus, were doubtless posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for supreme gallantry in the face of the enemy. Only one player failed to get any figures home! Recommended Reading Ian Knight, Zulu, Windrow & Green, Every Osprey Men at Arms and Elite on the subject Robert Giddings, Imperial Echoes, Leo Cooper Howard Whitehouse, Battle in Africa, Field Books DCF Moodie, Moodie's Zulu War, N&S. FAQS Who Are Skirmish Wargamers? We are a group of enthusiasts from all over the world [England, Scotland, Wales, Australia and the USA anyway!] who enjoy playing skirmish games, usually in 54mm scale. We fight games from Saracen & Crusader to WW II, but concentrate on the Old West, covering the widest possible interpretation of it, ie from Aztecs & Conquistadors to the Mexican Revolution. What Are The Figures We Use? This is without doubt the question we get asked most. The answer is, in the main, that they are toy soldiers! They come from toy shops and are then modified, converted, given new weapons and repainted. Some are virtually scratch built, whilst others are more or less straight out of the box. The figures we used for the Fugitive's Drift game came from many sources. We used 54mm [1/32nd] scale 'toy' figures (plastic and metal) from all periods and in most cases they involved a large amount of Milliput or Greenstuff! Should you be mad enough to want to try wargaming in this larger fun scale, the figures available from: Zulu's from Langley miniatures, Three Bridges Road, Crawley, West Sussex. UK; Call to Arms Zulu's and British Infantry, also IMEX and Dragon conversions from F&S Scale Models, Droylsden Road, Audenshaw, Manchester, UK; Drumbeat Miniatures' British Infantry from Falcon Figures, 34 The Causeway, Chippenham, Wilts, SN14 3DB, UK;Cliff Sanderson British & Zulus from Skytrex Marksmen conversions from Marksmen, 7Goldsmith Avenue, London W3 6HR, U; Timpo, Britains, Airfix, Atlantic and other toy makes conversions of what are now quite difficult to find figures. No doubt there are plenty of suppliers in the US too, but the only one we know of is the Toy Soldier Company, 100 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10024, which carries a vast range of plastic and metal figures in all periods, including Colonial. Although we usually use 54mm scale figures so that they make an impact at shows - and because we love the scale and the figures, any scale can be used, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 28mm. Indeed the latter scale is ideal and the tremendous range of figures from The Foundry [especially the Gunfighters, Mexicans and ACW ranges] are just the job to get started in Skirmish Wargaming. What Rules Do We Use? We use our own rules, originally developed some 20 years ago, but up-dated and improved over the years. They began as the Western Gunfight Rules, selling at just 50p a copy, and then became The Old West Rules, and are now The Code of the West Rules. They aren't currently available commercially, but The Foundry's The Rules With No Name make an excellent substitute until they are. Our figure/ground scale is one figure to one character and one inch to one yard. Each turn taking very approximately 1 to 2 seconds of represented time. What Is Skirmish Wargaming? Which moves us on to one of the great aspects of skirmish as opposed to the more traditional large scale battle. The whole thing is at a lower level in terms of numbers and this has two important advantages. First, it means that the game can be based around personal endeavour rather than the impersonal swirl of large armies - it's all about swagger, braggadocio and individual heroism. And second, it means that it can all be done with a handful of figures and therefore a modest outlay. There's a lot of scope to bring out the quirks and foibles of human nature, and for there to be a real human touch to the game. Success against the odds always seems that much more heroic at the individual level than at the regimental or brigade level. And failure seems to be felt all the more keenly too! The 2nd of the advantages means that the cost of venturing into another period or theatre of conflict can be kept low, at least until you know whether you want to take it further. It can be treated every bit as seriously as games with big battalions, but is far more likely to achieve that crucial outcome - enjoyment. Somehow a game at an individual level seems to bring out the best in the players, and nowhere more so than in the spirit in which they lose. Do We Have A Newsletter? Yep, for many years we have produced a Newsletter, Reports From The Skirmish Line, with news of events, new figures, etc to keep us connected and up to date with what the group is up to. We have also just launched [only the first issue has been done so far] a quarterly Journal, The Annals Of Pima County, which has longer historical articles, game reports and illustrations. Interested? Whilst US readers may think that because the group is based in England, its of no interest, but we do have US members, and the newsletter and journal keep us all in touch. If you are interested, contact Mike Blake at: email: botch.blake@virgin.netor Snailmail at The Moorings, Middle Lane, Whatstandwell, MATLOCK, Derbyshire, DE4 5EG, UK More Fugitive's Drift Aftermath of Isandlhwana: Introduction and Historical Situation Aftermath of Isandlhwana: Character and Special Rules Aftermath of Isandlhwana: The Refight Game Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #77 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com