Indian Mutiny Encounter Battle.

I've played another Indian Mutiny game using 'Black Powder' and this time I've managed to record most of the action . The British column moves down the road flanked by a cavalry Brigade .

My newly based loyal Sikh cavalry.

The British CinC General Crawley ('Creepy 'to his men !) espies the approaching enemy .

Colonel Mac Duff cheers his men on !.

The enemy appear - I dice for when and were the Mutineers came onto the table. Staff ratings were also allocated randomly. This Indian commander is only 6 - rather poor . The problem that the mutineers had during the rebellion was the lack of overall leadership.

The Indian cavalry with accompanying Camel Guns - it always seem to me a rather foolish thing to put a gun on a camels back - the seem unstable at the best of times !.

The table on the first move, British left hand side, Indians top right.

Hodge joins me for the first few moves then is ejected from the room for chewing trees !.

The British infantry deploy, the blue marker is for 'First Fire' and the water 'bisthi ' to mark that the unit is 'Steady' - it automatically passes it's first moral check.

The Indian cavalry attack the British right - rather successfully as well ! - overrunning the Horse Artillery section and driving the British cavalry back.

The crisis on the right ! , the CinC rallies the retreating Light Dragoons as the Sikh's manage to halt the victorious Indian Lancers.

More Indian forces appear , unfortunately having moved onto the table they did nothing to assist the cause and simply stood there unwilling to move.

The Mutineer cavalry charge the British Artillery but in the nick of time the Light Dragoons arrive and drive them off , the Sikhs pursue and destroy the Indian lancers . The Indian Cavalry Brigade had to take a moral test which it failed and fled the field ! . This took the pressure off the British and their artillery was able to deploy and start shelling the remaining Indian forces.

The end game - the Mutineer force in the top right had not advanced and when trying to do so it's commander rolled a '12' which means a 'Blunder' has occurred and it retired off the table ! . This signified an end for the Mutineers with over half their force missing or casualties-they were beaten ! , but it had been a close run thing with their cavalry almost overrunning the British right . I'm still fiddling with the the 'stats' for the troop types , but 'Black Powder' allows you to tailor your armies to hopefully simulate their historical counterparts.