Club Night 2nd July

Tonight I ran an Indian Mutiny games, using a sightly modified Battle of Bareilly scenario courtesy of the Canberra black powder group. Ian and Steve K took the British, while Andy and Duncan took the Mutineers. The mutineers deployed in three lines (below), 1 on the river, a second on the hills behind and a third back in the cantonments.Duncan in his usual style took most of the Cavalry and the religious fanatics and stormed forward on either flank to delay the British advance. The British appeared to co-operate with some uninspired command rolls moving them forward very slowly. In contract the mutineers rushed forward, and their artillery proved remarkably accurate and discorded the British cavalry screen. On the British left they were even forced to rush their guns forward to counter what proved to be the first of many fanatic and cavalry charges.
In the centre the British line and Gurkhas advanced slowly with their flanks vulnerable to marauding natives. However, although the Indians were taking heavy casualties they were proving successful at delaying the advance, and as a result the mutineers line along the river and its supporting artillery on the hill behind was able to concentrate against the British centre and cause heavy casualties.

As both sides began to disengage due to losses it was clear that the Mutineers were the true victors, they had held their lines, stopped the British advance and could now retreat into the defences at Bareilly itself in good order, having lost very few of the Sepoys themselves.