ANOTHER TALE OF LOVE AND WAR IN WELLINGTON’S ARMY
Part Two: A second scenario for Sharp Practice
Last month, in Send Three & Fourpence, I reviewed An Unconventional Officer by Lynn Bryant. This is the first novel in her series set in the Peninsula war following the career of the Lieutenant, now Captain Paul Van Daan and the 110th Foot. The novel begins with our hero joining the regiment in Leicestershire and follows his career through India, Ireland and eventually to Spain. In brief, the novel is a rattling adventure story with more than a dash of romance. Bryant’s female characters are well written and the regiment, it’s officers and men and their families, is very much a character in her story. You can buy An Unconventional Officer on Kindle for less than the price of a pint via Amazon, while you can get the entire six book series on kindle for less than twenty quid. The series has just been released in paperback. I recommend them.
INDIA & ASSAYE
Our first scenario was a dust up on the plains of India, but now we find ourselves on the field of Assaye. In the days before the battle, the light company of the 110th were advancing only to discover that the whole Maratha army was much closer than Wellesley believed. They were then ambushed by Maratha cavalry and cut up, with a number of men and Captain Mason killed. Van Daan and the boys killed the remaining cavalrymen and brought the news of the unexpected appearance of the Maratha to Wellesley. Van Daan was temporarily promoted Captain and given command of the company, but the 110th were kept in the rear the following day when the battle opened.
As the engagement developed, the 74th Highlanders advanced on the right and were badly cut up by Maratha cavalry and guns. Van Daan blackmailed Colonel Maxwell into bringing the 110th forward by running off with the Light Company with some Bengal Native Infantry in tow, to relieve the 74th. In reality, this was a role fulfilled by the cavalry, but literary heroes must make do with other men’s glory. The main body of the 110th and the 74th are off the British table edge tangling with Maratha cavalry, but Van Daan and his men have moved foward under the cover of the gunsmoke. They plan to
incapicate a gun crew down by rifle fire before taking the rest at the point of the bayonet. Will you be able to recreate this feat of derring do?
SCENARIO: ASSAYE
Before we start, please note that this scenario has been playtested twice and due to the current Level 5 restrictions currently in place in the south of Ireland, that playtest had to be done solo.
OBJECTIVE To win the Marathas must force the British player to withdraw by whittling away his Force Morale.
To win the British player must force the Maratha player to withdraw by whittling away his Force Morale, but must also take at least two guns while doing so.
DEPLOYMENT POINTS The Maratha player must deploy his three guns and crews on the three points marked on the table. He may, if he wishes, deploy two infantry groups between the gun line and his own table edge, so long as each group is placed within six inches of a gun. He then rolls a D3 to determine which entry point he is using. He may then place his Primary Deployment Point within six inches of that entry point.
After the Maratha player has determined all of this, the British player dices to see which entry point he uses. He may place his Primary Deployment Point within six inches of the relevant entry point. He may, if he wishes, place a Secondary Deployment Point within six inches of the other entry point, but this Deployment Point may only be used by Paul Van Daan, Sgt Reilly and the Rifles.
FORCES Captain Paul Van Daan (described in full last months column) The hero of the piece. Assuming you did well in last month’s scenario, he is promoted to Captain and commands the Light Company of the 110th Foot. In Sharp Practice terms, Paul Van Dann is a Status III leader, new money with extravagant wealth. He is not considered a gentleman and is treated as such only due to his rank. He is certainly a Cad, but is also a Flashing Blade. He is a Strapping Fellow, a Good Looking Chap and is Charming.
Lt Carl Swanson (described in full last months column) Van Daan’s trusty sidekick and usually the voice of reason. In Sharp Practice terms, Carl Swanson is a Status II Leader. He is considered to be of good family, but is of straitened circumstances. He is an Honourable Gentlemen, but possesses no special skills. He is of average stamp, Fair of Face and is Affable.
Sgt Micheal O’reilly (described in full last months column) Lt Van Daan’s state-mandated emotional support Irish sergeant, as issued to every Napoleonic literary hero that ever wore a red coat. O’reilly is a Status I Leader. He is a Strapping Fellow, Plain and Unremarkable and is a Pleasant Fellow.
Lt Johnny Wheeler A well built fellow of medium height, dark hair and greyish eyes, Johnny Wheeler wears his hair long and tied back in
the old style. His father was a younger son who made his way in the law. Wheeler’s uncle had a small estate in Derbyshire and financed his nephew’s first two commissions. Sadly both Johnny Wheelers parents are dead and father’s law practice was modest, so Wheeler must live on his pay and is not likely to be able to afford further promotion. In Sharp Practice terms, he is a Status II Leader. He is an Honourable Gentlemen, but possesses no special skills. He is a Strapping Fellow, a Good Looking Chap and is Affable. (I have to say they all sound like a fine bunch of chaps! Ed.)
110th Foot ◗ Captain Paul Van Daan, Leader
III ◗ Lt Johnny Wheeler, Leader II ◗ Lt Carl Swanson, Leader II ◗ Three groups of 8 Regulars,
Muskets (p99 Sharp Practice) ◗ Two groups of Loyal Native Infantry, Muskets (p113 Sharp Practice) ◗ Sgt O’reilly, Leader I ◗ One Group of 6 Rifles (p99
Sharp Practice)
Note: If you are wondering why there are Rifles present in India, please see the note below.
Marathas ◗ Saurav Das, Leader II, Mounted ◗ Utpal Dutt, Leader I ◗ Gautum Banerjee, Leader I ◗ Tiku Bedi, Leader I ◗ Six Groups of Maratha Infantry (treat as Well Ordered Sepoys p116 Sharp Practice) ◗ Two groups of Maratha Cavalry (treat as Mutineer Cavalry p116 Sharp Practice)
Note: The Maratha Cavalry may not be deployed until all Infantry groups are deployed.
◗ Three groups of Maratha Artillery (treat as Mutineer Artillery p116 Sharp Practice)
Note: These are counted as Light Guns (treating them as heavy led to a very short first playtest!) and start deployed, but they cannot be moved, though they may be turned. They start the game unloaded.
Special Rule: An’ ‘e’s generally shammin’ when ‘e’s dead. Several times during the battle in the book, Maratha soldiers play
dead only to spring up and attack after being over-run. If you wish – and only by mutual agreement prior to the game – you may use the following special rule. Where a Maratha group has been thrown back in fisticuffs, the Maratha player may choose to sacrifice one of his surviving men. He may then make a single one die attack on the victorious unit, inflicting a kill/shock as normal. Roll to see if a Leader is hit as normal.
The sacrificed man is then immediately killed in return.
TERRAIN & MINOR CHARACTERS
The terrain should be broken up a little bit with some scrub brush, one or two trees and a few scattered rocks, but it is otherwise quite open. There are no minor characters.
NOTES
I’ve had some questions about the Mahratta cavalry used in last month’s game. They are HAT Cossacks, set 8006, who had their tall cossack hats cut down. I then made a “snake” out of greenstuff and wrapped it around the remainder of the hat, rather like you’d make a coiled pot in school. This makes a very serviceable greenstuff turban: a conversion so simple that even I was capable of it. The figures themselves have very clean lines and little paint transports them from the steppes of Russia to the plains of India in very little time.
As for this game, it’s actually a bit of a race against time. The Maratha player has three quite devastating pieces in the shape of this artillery, but they begin the game unloaded. The British player will have to look at his deployment carefully because he has numbers against him. My initial game went spectacularly badly when the leftmost Maratha gun managed to reload quickly and devastate my Riflemen before they could do enough damage to the crew. A canny British player will try to concentrate his forces before the Maratha’s and take at least one gun before they can get themselves organised.
As for the Maratha player, deciding whether to fire controlled or uncontrolled is worth the extra risk for his guns: it is tricky. Also deciding where to place his initial two infantry groups to shield them is a poser. A gambler might risk leaving them off and then deploying his infantry en masse. I had more luck as the Maratha player sacrificing one gun to build a stronger defence around the other two, but your mileage may vary. The cavalry did not live up to their ferocious performance in the last month’s game, having half their saddles emptied by a Sepoy volley and their leader killed, and then suffering the indignity of being charged and driven off by infantry. A shameful display indeed.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this little escape to the world of Paul Van Daan and the 110th courtesy of Lynn Bryant, who has been a very good sport letting me play toy soldiers with her imaginary heroes. Even if I did get a few of them killed, but of that the less said the better. I remain your obedient servant and conrad.kinch@ gmail.com or @aquestingvole on Twitter will find me. ■