Zulu Background and Notes
by Bob Giglio
Zulu Background and Set-upIt is the 1st of March, 1879, and you are part of the smaller Impi (about 7,000 strong) that had been sent south when the main Impi had left Ulundi on the 17th (and eventually destroyed the British at Isandhlwana, and attacked Rorke's Drift on this same day!). You had unsuccessfully tried to stop the advance of the British forces at the iNyezane River. Subsequently the British marched to Eshowe (a disused Norwegiau1 mission station), and have turned it into a well fortified fort. Most of the impi has returned to their home kraals. Over the past month or so the popular local Chief induna of the area, Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande, Ki:ng Cetshwayo's brother (who personally led the attack on Rorke's Drift), has continually kept the fort under siege, although various mounted troops of white men have ridden out each day (some as far as seventeen miles!) to harass your forces, and to scout the surrounding area. Dabulamanzi's kraal is only seven miles away, and is rather large, being about 62 huts in size. Currently the local forces of the area have been called together by Prince Dabulamanzi for an attack on the white's fort at Eshowe. Presently, only 600 Zulu warriors of the uDukuza Corps (uDukuza and Iqua ibuthos) are at the kraal, but about 3500 more warriors are also expected this morning (3000 Zulus and about 1000 irregulars of the amaBhutu & amaNtuli's). Due to the severe defeat the Zulu impi had put on the British at Isandhlwana (22 January 1879), the Zulu units will now have a lot more rifles then at iNyezane. It is about 5 a.m., and the warriors are waking, while some ibubi boys are already starting to herd a few stray cattle that got away from the kraal during the night. The rest of the impi will soon be arriving to gather into a fighting force to deal with the whites. The terrain around Dabulamanzi's kraal mainly has areas of thick brush and long(at least waist height) wet mealie grass. The ravine is actually a large (5' deep) donga that also has a small stream running through it. At the bottom of eNtumeni Hill the stream runs through a heavy cluster of rocks, and turns into a bush-filled donga beyond this as it stretches out onto the plain. There is also an areas of rocky outcroppings, mainly on eNtumeni Hill. Notes:
Total Historical Zulu ForcesArmy Commander [+2] - Chief induna, Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande
Total #Warriors/Figs = 4400 / 880 Notes: 1) Overall Zulu forces lead by Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande. 2) Each Zulu ibutho (regiment) has a Chief induna, Senior induna (2nd in command). Each War Band (company) within a regiment has 1 induna and 2 junior induna's (NCO's). 3) A war band has +1 morale modifier (superior officer present with unit) if Chief induna is attached. Note that if Prince Dabulamanzi attaches to a war band it gets a +2 modifier. 4) When a war band losses its induna, it takes a morale check at - 1 modifier (no officer present), and when the regiment loses its Chief induna then all War Bands must take a morale checkwith the same -1 modifier, but this modifier ONLY remains until next Zulu initiative turn, as a new leader will step forwards from one of the induna's of a war band to assume the duties as the new Chief induna. 5) Shield Color Notes: Black = unmarried; White or Red = married. Zulu Regiment/Player 1 Army Commander - Chief induna, Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande uDukuza - uDukuza start with Dabulamanzi in his umuzi Note: Both war bands have breechloading rifles; 4 dice if in open order, else 2 dice. iQwa- start in eSiqwakeni (kraal) Note: 1 war band has smoothbore muskets; 2 dice if in open order, else 1 die umHlanga - Arrive randomly in 1D6+ 1 turns Note: 1 war band has smoothbore muskets; 2 dice if in open order, else 1 die Zulu Regiment/Player 2 Ibutho Commander - Chief induna Zimema
urnXhapo - Starts in eSiqwakeni (kraal) Note: 2 war bands have smoothbore muskets; 2 dice if in open order, else 1 die Bulawayo Corps Nsugamgeni - Arrives randomly in 1D6 turns Note: 1 war band has smoothbore muskets; 2 dice if in open order, else 1 die Zulu Regiment/Player 3 uDlambedhlu Corps Ngulubi - Starts in the umuzi (homestead) on NW hill Note: 2 war bands have smoothbore muskets; 2 dice in open order, else 1 die amaNtuli - Unattached Zulu Irregulars - Arrives randomly in 1D6 turns Note: 1 war band has smoothbore muskets; 2 dice if in open order, else I die Zulu Regiment/Player 4 amaBhutu - Unattached Ibutho - Starts in eSiqwakeni kraal Note: 1 war band has smoothbore muskets; 2 dice if in open order, else 1 die uMzinyati - Unattached Ibutho - Arrives randomly in 1D6+1 turns Note: 1 war band has breechloading rifles; 2 dice if in open order, else 1 die. Scenario
GM Background and Notes British Background and Notes Zulu Background and Notes Scenario Map Raid Addendums and Clarifications (in issue 98) Back to The Heliograph #94 Table of Contents © Copyright 1996 by Richard Brooks. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. |