This is a new section of SCIENCE VS PLUCK, but adopts well to other games. "...our Colone1 was on his knee firing buckahot from a double breech-loader during the battle. He has got the V.C. already' and I expect to see his name prominently over this affair. Corporal Frederick Bennent, R.E. at Tofrek. Characters may engage in persona1 combat when their figure is present with a atand that becomes involved in melee. There are two ways of doing this: (1) Umpire simply tells the player what is happening' and asks for his response. Dice for results of combat. Continue action unti1 character is victorious, deceased, or gallantly rescued. (2) Umpire portrays the action with model figures, possibly of a larger scale than those normally used. I prefer 54 replicas of old fashioned Britains toys of pre-WWI vintage for this phase, playing on an unused corner of the board. PROCEDURE: The character engages D6 enemies, who obligingly attack one-by-one. The character may opt to (A) Shoot: A revolver has six individual shots (1D6 each), a shotgun, two barrels (4 dice per barrel). 4,5 - wound, 6- killed. Hits are equally divided between opponents, incredibly enough. Shooting modifiers: Good shot +1, Poor shot or poor eyesight -1. (B) Fight: Our heroic characters can wield a sword in one hand and a pistol in other, though fellows using shotguns must either swing them like a club (-1 compared to sword) or count -2 for a round of combat while drawing the arme blanche. Roll a D6 each for the character and his foe: Character wins by 1 point: enemy falls back, may engaqe again. by 2 points: enemy wounded, falls aside defeated. by 3 points: enemy killed. Mahdist wins by 1 point: Character disarmed/horse killed; -2 next turn. by 2 points: Character slightly wounded, -1 henceforth by 3 points: Character wounded, -2 from now on by 4 points: Character killed - end of innings, old bean Modifiers: mounted vs foot/charging into combat/up to 2 characteristics acceptable to the umpire (eg "Good Swordsman., agile., huge, etc.). Mahdista get no bonuses. After all, they aren't British' y'know--- (C) Run Away! But that would hardly do, would it? (D) Rescue another gallant Briton: Subject of rescue bid may be another character or an NPC invented for the purpose of displaying proper heroism. If the character kills one or wounds two of the enemy, they will flee abjectly, leaving our man to carry off a comrade with the help of 1-3 admiring other ranks. (E) Be rescued himself, either by a character or some suitable NPC - a devoted orderly, perhaps, or a grinning one-eyed Sudaneae corporal. Umpire may add extra features as needed - I like the occasional thrown spear appearing at random moments, hits for a "6." The general object of Personal Combat is to show gallantry in the face of the enemy' win medala and impress War Correspondents. Thus, the umpire will note that the rules are heavily biased in favour of the characters. However, sometimes they will get themselves killed anyway. Back to MWAN #53 Table of Contents © Copyright 1991 Hal Thinglum 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