Friday afternoon and evening saw another visit to the delightful Firestorm Games in the company of James Churchill, Douglas Baldwin and Giacomo Scarano to play a battle set during the Great Indian Mutiny of 1857-8. Douglas Baldwin and I were the avenging Britons while James and Giac commanded the mutinous Indian sepoys and their native Indian allies.
As in my recent game, we used Steve Thompson’s excellent “Carry on up the Raj” rules for the Mutiny, as recommended to me originally by Sid Bennett. I made a few errors in using the rules, for instance mis-reading canister range, but I suspect this did not detract from the game too much if at all. Indeed the game was close, far too close for comfort, with the British riding down a mutinous crew of Sepoys with Hodson’s Horse to take the last coins from the Indian Treasury while we only had two of our own left in our Viceroy’s Treasury!
The rules gave a good close game then which is what one wants from a game with equal points for each side, here 200 points each. I enjoyed the game as I believe did the others.
The Rockets on each side proved erratic as was to be expected though scored no “own goals”. I did however miss that any unit within 4” of the eventual impact point automatically receives a morale dice and therefore needs to take a morale check at the start of its next turn.
I commanded the British Cavalry which eventually overpowered the Indian mounted troops including the mutinous sowars of 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry but only after a fierce and prolonged melee with Hodson’s Horse. A flank charge by 6th Dragoon Guards was eventually too much for the mutineers.
My two wings of the 93rd Regiment of Foot, the Sutherland Highlanders, armed with Enfield Rifled Muskets, supported by the Sirmoor Gurkhas and a battery of the Bengal Horse Artillery were able to overcome the resistance of four mutinous sepoy regiments though the supporting native manned 9 pounder guns caused much carnage in the ranks of my highlanders. Indeed at one stage they had to take three morale checks at the start of their turn and by good fortune passed them all – three red dice thrown, phew!
Over on our left affairs did not go so well. Pressure from Indian horse artillery, rockets and lots of warband backed by Ghazis and a Civilian Mob, overwhelmed the Crown forces laving only the field guns of the Bengal Artillery still in action, the remainder having been forced from the field, hence the action was so close.
I do hope to repeat this again soon, perhaps with more cavalry on both sides plus some Indian Zimburak camel guns – I want to see if the camels will panic as provided for in the rules.😊
Mike Lane
Despertaferres 
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