Then we brought the lances down--
then the trumpets blew--
When we went to Kandahar,ridin'two an'two.
Ridin'--ridin'--ridin' two an'two!
Ta-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-a!
All the way to Kandahar,
Ridin' two an' two.

--Excerpt from "The Light that Failed" by Rudyard Kipling

Let's face it, whether we admit it or not, we all as gamers have a soft spot for Colonial gaming. If it's not the actual gaming itself, then it's the various diversions that attach themselves to the period and draws us in. Impossible, you say?! How about the movie "Zulu," "Khartoum," "Charge of the Light Brigade" or "The Wind and the Lion" -- all perennial favorites at any gaming convention. Anyone who games is sure to have a least one of these titles numbered amongst their collection of movies our wives or girlfriend refuse to sit through for the 50th time! Who amongst us doesn't own a pith helmet or fez or other related forms of odd yet strangely enticing exotic headgear? Does iced gin and lemon or a brandy and soda appeal to you more than a Labatt's Blue, while playing a rousing game of croquette on the front lawn? It all points to only one conclusion: Colonial gaming is in your blood.

Two images of "55 days"...the first is from the wargame, the second is from the movie.

Welcome to what I hope will be a regular column on Colonial gaming. This was direct response to what I saw as a plot by Ancient gamers to seize control of The Herald and force the rest of us into togas and leather thongs. Hmm...we might have something there! I view the Colonial period as that time in history where the Napoleonic Wars end and World War II begins. We could stretch back before the Seven Years War and forward to the Modern African Wars, but let's let others have their fun as well. The Colonial period has so much to offer those looking for fun and enjoyment in gaming. It is hoped through this diatribe others may pick up the rifle or spear and try out what I think is the most colorful period in military history in terms of uniforms, variety and technological advancements.

It was over 20 years ago that I first became interested in the Colonial period. Ral Partha had come out with its range of 25mm figures for the Zulu War and a neat little set of rules called "The Sword and the Flame" was being sold along side of it in our local gaming store in the Greater Toronto, Canada, area. Figures and rules all in one place! Who could resist? Now add to the mix a copy of the movie "Zulu" and I was hooked! Not only did I have a reason to buy more figures, but it went along with a really cool movie! It didn't matter that the uniforms were slightly wrong or that the screenplay was slightly off in its facts. It was a great combination of passions to get me to commit more of my meager resources to an already out of control beast that was actively consuming all my college drinking money at an alarming rate! My pockets grew lighter directly in proportion to the ever increasing sag of my dorm room shelves festooned with gleaming bayonets and shiny spear points. Thankfully, it never interfered with the college dating scene and I was never forced to choose between my girlfriend(s) and another man made of lead!

As time marched on, as it has a tendency to do, and through the twists and turns of fate I found myself living in Northwest Ohio. At first, it was difficult to adjust to a land where hockey was no longer the sole topic of conversation at local bars. Indeed, the simple act of eating breakfast was turned on end. How could one sit at the table and eat cold cereal without being able to read the ingredients in both official languages, English and French? Not to mention the fact that now I had to undo years of carefully contrived propaganda set down by the Canadian government extolling the virtues of the Metric System! If I could no longer spell colour with a "u," then how could I be expected to find colonial gamers this far from civilization? The solution was simple. If you don't like what's growing in your garden, then plant something new! But who could I spring my dastardly plot upon?

The answer presented itself in the form of Tommy King, a long time friend and purveyor of vices and various distractions. A robust fellow, Tommy is known to enjoy the finer things in life including the princely sport of riding mower polo. He was even known to have chased a Guinness with a shot of Old Crow much to the amazement of the gathered crowds. Little did I know that he was a closet Colonial gamer just waiting to come out! It was all so simple to draw him into the world of rampant colonialism and not so laisez faire systems of government. Give him his first British Redcoat unit and watch what happens. And so it was that on his birthday, a package arrived in his possession that was to pull him back from the realm of fantasy gaming and cast a new light onto his world: Colonial Gaming. The seduction was complete!

Fast forward now to the winter of 2000/2001, and a kernel that had been planted in my head by close friend, Tommy King, who shall appear in future articles on a regular basis, was beginning to grow and expand. At first, this kernel was nothing more than idle talk around the Friday night gaming table about what to do next in terms of interest. We had just about every version of the British Colonial period covered and all the opponents that Her Majesty's forces would ever face. We wanted something different and new, but were stumped for the solution. The answer came just as quickly as a turn plays in a game using Tractics. We were saved from our quandary by a knock on the front door. Dinner was here! The delivery guy had just pocketed his tip from our delivered Chinese food when Tommy King said "Boxer Rebellion!" And so was born probably the biggest gaming project I had ever undertaken in all of my gaming adventures, an 8'x12' version of "55 Days at Peking" in 25mm!

In the next article, I'll talk about the construction techniques and gaming philosophy relating to this project.