I recently decided to play-test Steve Parker's DOMINION OF THE SPEAR AND BAYONET RULES that I reviewed at the beginning of the month.
The first thing that I did was to create a suitable gridded battlefield on the back of one of my spare 30cm square 6mm-thick cork tiles. As my 15mm figures are mounted on 40mm-wide bases and none are deeper than 40mm, I decided to to make each of the sector grid areas 50mm x 50mm. The end result looked like this:
I then chose two armies from the army lists that are included in the rules.
Mahdist War (1881 - 1899 AD)
- Mahdist (1881 to 1899):
- 1 x Skirmishers (Baggara Arab cavalry armed with muskets and spears)
- 1 x Elite spearmen (Hadendowah Beja tribesmen)
- 1 x Elite line infantry (Jihadiyya riflemen)
- 1 x Ambushers (Ansar spearmen on foot)
- 1 x Skirmishers (Ansar with bows or old firearms on foot)
- Egyptians (1882 to 1885):
- 1 x Cavalry (Dragoons)
- 1 x Line infantry (Sudanese)
- 2 x Line infantry (Conscripts)
- 1 x Spearmen (Sudanese native levies or auxiliaries)
- 1 x Artillery (old cannons)
The Mahdist Army.
The Egyptian Army.
(The figures I used came from my 15mm Belle Époque collection.)
Background and Initial Positions
As the power of the Mahdists increased across the Sudan, the Egyptians decided to mount a punitive military expedition against them in the hope that it would stop a full-scale revolt in its tracks. They selected retired British Army Major Archibald Higgs to lead the expedition, and gave him the rank of Pasha. Having gathered his troops together at Jakdun Wells, he set off across the desert to find and fight the Mahdists.
Three days after setting out, the Egyptians were passing through an area of scrubland near a plateau when the Mahdists attacked them. (During the battle the Mahdists were the attackers and the Egyptians were the defenders.)
Turn 1
The Mahdist Baggara Arab cavalry skirmishers attacked the Egyptian Dragoon cavalry in the left sector. Both sides threw a D6 die and scored 4 and 2 respectively. As a result, the fighting was indecisive.
In reply, the 1st Egyptian line infantry attacked the Mahdist Ansar skirmishers in the centre sector. Both sides threw a D6 die, and scored 3 and 4 respectively. As a result, the fighting was indecisive.
Turn 2
The Mahdist Baggara Arab cavalry skirmishers attacked the Egyptian Dragoon cavalry in the left sector for a second time. Both sides threw a D6 die and scored 1 and 2 respectively. As a result, the fighting was indecisive.
In reply, the Egyptian Sudanese spearmen attacked the Mahdist Ansar ambushers in the right sector. Both sides threw a D6 and scored 3 and 4 respectively. As a result, the fighting was indecisive.
Turn 3
The Mahdist Baggara Arab cavalry skirmishers attacked the Egyptian Dragoon cavalry in the left sector for a third time. Both sides threw a D6 die and scored 3 and 5 respectively. As a result, the Mahdist Baggara Arab cavalry skirmishers were destroyed ...
... and replaced by the Mahdist Elite Jihadiyya.
In reply, the Egyptian Sudanese spearmen attacked the Mahdist Ansar spear-armed skirmishers in the right sector. Both sides threw a D6 die and scored 1 and 5 respectively. As a result, the Egyptian Sudanese spearmen were destroyed ...
... and replaced by the Egyptian Sudanese line infantry.
Turn 4
The Mahdist Elite Jihadiyya attacked the Egyptian Dragoon cavalry in the left sector. Both sides threw a D6 die and scored 3 (+1 for being Elite attackers) and 6 respectively. As a result, the Mahdist Elite Jihadiyya were destroyed ...
... and replaced by the Mahdist Elite Hadendowah spearmen.
In reply, the Egyptian 1st line infantry attacked the Ansar Arab skirmishers in the centre sector. Both sides threw a D6 die and both scored 6! As a result, both the Mahdist Jihadiyya and the Egyptian 1st line infantry were destroyed!
There were no Mahdist troops in reserve but the Egyptian 2nd Line Infantry were able to replace the Egyptian 1st line infantry.
Turn 5
The Mahdist Elite Hadendowah spearmen attacked the Egyptian Dragoon cavalry in the left sector. Both sides threw a D6 die and scored 5 (+1 for being an Elite attacker) and 2 respectively. As a result, the Egyptian Dragoon cavalry were destroyed …
… and replaced by the Egyptian Artillery.
In reply, the Egyptian Line Infantry attack the Elite Hadendowa spearmen in the flank. They throw a D6 die and score 5 (+1 for an outflanking attack). (Because the Elite Hadendowah spearmen were being attacked in the flank they were not able to fight back and did not throw a D6 die). As a result, the Elite Hadendowa spearmen were destroyed ...
... and the Mahdist force was defeated! Against the odds, Pasha Higgs had led a successful Egyptian punitive expedition against the Mahdists!
This battle took a lot less time to fight than it did to photograph and write about, and I can see myself using these rules to fight a simple campaign in a day at some time in the future.
One thing that this simple type of battle lends it to is the narrative style of battle report. My play-test shows how the rules work, but does not impart the flavour or feel of the battle. What follows is the battle report I would have written (in the character of Higgs Pasha) had I wanted to include it in a campaign that was going to be recorded for posterity.
To his Excellency, the Governor of the Sudan
From Higgs Pasha
Sir,
In accordance with my orders to seek and bring to battle the forces of the so-called Mahdi, I assembled a small field force comprising a regiment of Dragoons, two battalions of Egyptian line infantry, a battalion of Sudanese line infantry, a battery of artillery, and a group of locally-recruited auxiliaries at Jakdun Wells.
I led my force into the desert, and after several days of fruitless searching, we approached a small plateau that seemed to dominate the surrounding area. I suspected that the Mahdists might have chosen it as a base as there appeared to be an abundant supply of water near the plateau’s base.
I sent the Dragoons forward, flanked by the by the one of the Egyptian line infantry battalions and the unit of auxiliaries. Almost at once, a large group of mounted Baggara Arabs appeared from cover and engaged the Dragoons, who gave a good account of themselves.
Seeing a host of Ansar spearmen behind the mounted Arabs, the Egyptian line infantry engaged them with somewhat ineffective rifle fire.
Whilst the two mounted forces continued fighting, the Sudanese auxiliaries attacked another group of Ansar that had suddenly appeared with more vigour than I would have expected of them, although the results were inconclusive.
The Dragoons finally prevailed, and the Baggara Arabs quit the field, only to be replaced by a force of Jihadiyya riflemen. By this time the Dragoons were exhausted, and the arrival of a such a fierce and aggressive enemy caused them to falter slightly … but they proved to be brave fellows and fought their new enemy with great vigour, causing them many casualties. The Mahdist unit withdrew from the fight, only to be replaced by some fearsome Hadendowah infantry.
At the same time, the Sudanese auxiliaries finally succumbed in their somewhat unequal struggle with the Ansar, only to be replaced by my steadiest unit, the Sudanese line infantry. Fighting in the centre was particularly fierce and saw both the Egyptian line infantry and the Ansar unit that was facing them mutually annihilated, but the other Egyptian line infantry unit stepped forward over the bodies of their fallen comrades to continue the fight.
This was none too soon as the hard-pressed Dragoons finally gave way, to be replaced by the Egyptian artillery battery. At this point the Egyptian line infantry proved themselves worthy of their reputation for dogged steadfastness. They enfiladed the Hadendowah with a devastating volley … and the Mahdist unit disintegrated. As only a unit of Ansar spearmen remained, victory was ours!
I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
Archibald Higgs Pasha
