Little Wars do Islandlwana

[ochoin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAh-Xz7oyqA

The usual riveting stuff from LWTV. In 6 mm (could you do it in a scale in which I can see the figures?), and without changing the battle beyond recognition, the British are again annihilated despite the forewarning inherent in a re-fight.

My question is, can the British win this battle in a reasonably fair re-creation?
We've found that Waterloo re-fights mostly end up as French victories and that the Germans can get most of their troops out of the Falaise Pocket etc. Is Islandlwana a foregone conclusion?

I wouldn't mind trying this game (at 20mm, of course) some time in the future.

donald

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

I think your best bet is probably a "disguised scenario" (although that hill is always going to be a bit of a giveaway).

From reading Mike Snook's books - which are top-notch, by the way - the defence failed through initially covering too large an area, due to (a) a large portion of the defenders being sent off on a wild goose chase, (b) failure to identify where all of the potential threats could - and did - come from, (c) key points being defended by less well trained/equipped troops, and (d) sheer weight of numbers. If your set-up is 100% accurate, they I'd say you'd need some bloody good dice (ie anyone's but mine) for the British to survive.

(And didn't the "doomed" British invasion of Zululand end up with us winning and the Zulus later becoming staunch allies?)

[grizzlymc]

I would say that you need 6mm and a big table for the brits to win. They need to use their irregular horse as recce and focus on defending the baggage. Sorry Lady Chelmsford, but you have to have baggage on campaign.

Of course, as did the Boer invasion of the British territory in South Africa, or the British invasion of Nepal.

There was a time when Britain understood how to use Johnny Foreigner.

[Wg Cdr Luddite]

The clip was sponsored by Baccus 6mm which effectively paid for one of them to have a holiday in SA. Hmm.

[ochoin]

The clip was sponsored by Baccus 6mm which effectively paid for one of them to have a holiday in SA. Hmm.

Massive corruption in the wargames' hobby! Where will it end?

My "problem" with 6mm figures is simply a personal opinion that using counters or tiles would be as effective. Apologies to any fans of 6mm figures....and please don't tell Bacchus. I don't want any heavily built (but presumably short) Bacchus thugs turning up to take me down a peg or two.

donald

[ochoin]

Years ago, we re-fought Cannae & simply by extending the Roman front, the Carthos came to a sticky end. But it seems Islandlwana is unwinnable. In the vid. the Little War chaps caused a lot more casualties amongst the Zulus and broke several regiments but the disparity of numbers and lack of British concentration (the two salient features of the battle) make it a foregone conclusion?

We will probably re-fight it one day, regardless.

donald

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

My "problem" with 6mm figures is simply a personal opinion that using counters or tiles would be as effective.

Back in the late 1970s, GDW adapted their "Fire & Steel" rules for 15mm miniatures to do exactly that with something called System 7 - so named because the scale of the counters meant that commensurately scaled figures would have been about 7mm tall. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/167 ... apoleonics

Very nice system - I had, and still have, 14 of the 15 sets (the Prussians were never widely distributed in the UK for some reason). Excellent idea, but needed work on the rules, which still relied on written orders and lots of tables; also, nobody ever produced any useable terrain (we used Squad Leader boards, although they weren't quite the right scale).

Years ago, we re-fought Cannae & simply by extending the Roman front, the Carthos came to a sticky end. But it seems Islandlwana is unwinnable. In the vid. the Little War chaps caused a lot more casualties amongst the Zulus and broke several regiments but the disparity of numbers and lack of British concentration (the two salient features of the battle) make it a foregone conclusion?

We will probably re-fight it one day, regardless.

And why not? A very good game can be had simply trying to do better than one's historical counterparts (which the Little Wars guys clearly did). Don't forget the impact that the Zulu losses at Isandlwhana had on the future conduct of the war, and the eventual Zulu disillusionment with continuing the fighting.

[Wg Cdr Luddite]

The clip was sponsored by Baccus 6mm which effectively paid for one of them to have a holiday in SA. Hmm.

Massive corruption in the wargames' hobby! Where will it end?

My "problem" with 6mm figures is simply a personal opinion that using counters or tiles would be as effective. Apologies to any fans of 6mm figures....and please don't tell Bacchus. I don't want any heavily built (but presumably short) Bacchus thugs turning up to take me down a peg or two.

donald

If Baccus can fund Yanks to SA, sending thugs to Queensland will be no problem. Although I suspect Grizz and COTOTS would get to you first. Sleep tight !

[grizzlymc]

I smell a crucifixion in the air.

[Etranger]

A tiny, tiny 6mm one...