Charles Stuart Grant and Stuart Asquith have released WELLINGTON IN INDIA: A Wargamers Guide - available from REDOUBT ENTERPRISES, 49 Channel View Rd., Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7LN, UK (price unknown). This is a 68-page professionally printed effort covering the Third Mysore War (1789-92), Fourth Mysore War (1799) and the Second Mahratta War (1803-05). It provides a history of the East Indian Company armies and Crown and native forces including strengths and units as well as painting information, including illustrations, and organizations. The major battles of the three wars are discussed with orders of battle and maps provided. There is a chapter on "tactics of the period" and three scenarios, each of which contains information as to a summary of the battle, forces involved including orders of battle, terrain, and mechanics of the battle.

The rules themselves are only seven pages long - my favorite kind! They are designed for 25mm scale and there are six phases to each turn. Figure scale is left to the wargamer, though the authors state they use four cavalry/ten infantry to a unit and figure ratios for units is provided at 1:100, 1:50 and 1:20 for the scenarios. Firing is carried out by throwing one percentage die per firing unit with "hits" reducing the target's morale status. The rules are straightforward and should provide for an interesting game. The booklet contains a lot of information and is well worth the purchase just for that facet of the rules.

Recommended as a quick information source and starting point for a fascinating period with a growing number of figures being made available in 15mm and 25mm scales!

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© Copyright 1996 Hal Thinglum

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