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Friday, March 24, 2006

Sihayo's Kraal Scenario (continued)



Today we'll get back to the Sihayo's Kraal scenario I brought up earlier. Here you can see my wife Teri, the worlds most recent TSATF convert, and scenario designer Roy Jones plotting the Zulu defensive strategy. In the bottom photo you can see the task facing the British force. They have to scale the plateaus, capture objectives, and exit troops off the table edge at the top. If you look carefully you can see clumps of boulders and caves in the side of the cliff, these are both objectives and places for hidden Zulu units. The path going up the middle is the only way for the British regulars to get up onto the cliffs. Their Natal Native Contingent (NNC) allies are the only one who can scale the cliffs at any point.

Speaking of the NNC, this was the most intriguing aspect of the scenario. There are only four NNC units, two regular Brit infantry, and one cavalry unit of Natal Mounted Police (NMP). The idea is to put the NNC out in front to attack uphill. As long as there is a British unit directly in their rear they get a -2 die roll bonus on all there morale checks, including "closing-to-assualt" and "standing-to-fight." This makes an otherwise totally unreliable force fairly effective. Just imagine the scene! The NNC are advancing toward Zulus who are waiting for them up above (and in this scenario all Zulus have muzzleloaders), they are of course reluctant, but because of the rows of British bayonets right behind them... Well, you get the idea! I thought it was a brilliant idea that really made the scenario something special. It was a blast! (pun intended, sorry) Next time I'll tell what happened!

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