Sir Portly B'Stard's thrusting desert column

 Once again its up the Nile for Galloping Major Willie Stroker and Major Pea of the Durhams.  Once again our enemy was that vile monster Mr Babbage.  Once again I trusted the "up and at em" Lt. Herbert Farthingdale with command of the 10th Hussars.

Sir Portly and his supply column were to relieve the fort at one end of the table, a place which was clearly besieged by the Dervish.  The supply camels were loaded with gum Arabic and senna pods.   The garrison were not really regular troops.*

*My thanks to Mr Kenneth Williams and the 1970s

 Given our previous experience only a miracle would save the day.  

Deployment

The fort

My composite Brigade advances, trying to keep the Colonel behind us.

Farthingdale goes mad, again, and charges Irregular riflemen to the front.  They had rolled as good shots, but the 10th hussars didn`t care

He thumps them back and follows up

With Farthingdale charging out front the Battalion squares advance

The Durhams keep very good order

Farthingdale goes again, knocking back tribal infantry

And he's getting near the fort

My Lancaster's form close order, but no less than three mirages appeared before us.

And Sir Portly has had enough of our slow approach.  The column thrusts forward.  Idiot!

Throughout the game the Egyptian garrison gave a good account of itself.

The Lancasters kill off a tribal Infantry unit, leaving its leader, Abdul Abulbar alone.
O' the sons of the desert were valiant and bold and quite unaccustomed to fear.

The 10th Hussars are, amazingly, still going.  Wiping out another unit.

Finally the Hussars face Tribal Infantry in cover, supported by Riflemen.  Charge!  

And Sir Portly's supply column is getting away

The 10th Hussars go in, four dice four kills, but lose one.  He follows up, losing two more men but the Tribal Infantry are pinned down and beaten.

And Farthingdale is left alone.  Mad as a hatter he charges in alone and kills one, but falls bravely.  A VC winner. Posthumously of course.  I can now appoint another cavalry Officer!

The Mahdists come over the hill into the close order Lancasters.  We lose a man.  They lose seven. 

The End Game.  The game is won, the fort relieved, and Sir Portly had an excellent dinner.

Grand stuff..

Up the Sudan with Sir Portly

A game revisiting the Sudan and Men who would be Kings.   Major Pea, and Major Stroker providing an escort for the supply column through to a paddle steamer waiting on the Nile.  Commanding the column, Colonel Sir Portly B'Stard, a man who was clearly in a hurry to reach the Nile.

The Rajputs.  A stirring sight!  I give Lt Herbert Farthingdale the Cavalry, even though he is an up an at 'em.  A mistake I think!

On my right the Durhams, and Mounted Infantry.

And so Babbage begins, as the Dervish appear.

Initially Farthingdale and the 10th Hussars do a reasonable job.  But he's an unstable fellow.  On the right the Mounted infantry fail to scout properly and Dervish appear, using the trees as cover.

And through it all Sir Portly B'Stard marches the column forward.  Apparently there is Apricot pie on the steamer!

The idiot Farthingdale charges, driving off Dervish riflemen

Worse, he follows up, fighting well but stupidly.

Even the Dervish Emir is here

Herbert is pinned but wallops the Dervish attack, four kills on five dice, losing three himself.  I knew that Mauser pistol was a good investment

Another Dervish attack.  Farthingdale is the only survivor.

And through it all Sir Portly advances.

Farthingdale joins the baggage train, hiding among the camels.

Sir Portly advances into trouble

Meanwhile both defending battalions are in serious trouble 

And the Dervish hammer both sides

Sir Portly discovers that his advance may just have been a little foolish

And the entire column stagger back pinned.  Just who is the fellow atop that penny farthing anyway? 

We have put up a solid fight but its all looking lost

The end game.  All very enjoyable!

Lady Glynis and the Village

The Lady Glynis' Tale

In the absence of Ooure Hoste

A fellow we admire moste

It fell out an attack upon a village

A little robbery, a little Pillage

And as we all deployed ooure Minis

We es'pied the figure of Lady Glynis

The production of the War-Spur Issue 6 is delayed, given that the Lady cannot win the title of Most Gallant Knight.  In the circumstances she probably was Most Galloped Lady.

The Game

The Grand Master tool charge of the Village, with Balian d'Pidelin sworn to stand by him.  

Three desert Chiefs decided to raid the village, these being El Fatti, Lord of the Milk Shakes, the Grand McTurk and El Mike, lord of the brush.

First things first.  The Wild Turks grab the "reluctant" Lady Glynis.

Stirring up a hornets nest in the village.

For added value El Fatti grab some cows too.

The villagers however flee before his magestic's girth as the Ghulams give chase.

More Islamic troops appear to the south, but El Fatti is totally focused on his side of the fight.

The Grand Master produces archers and crossbows.  The Village is now looking like a street fight.

Around the Oasis de Pidelin pretty much refuses to move.

But all of a sudden Balian gets involved in fighting the Grand McTurk

The Wild Turks make off with the Princess and the cows.  A profitable day.

El Fatti also grabs the peasants and the sheep.  A very profitable day.

And I'm not clear on events to the south.  Lots of running around and fighting.  The Grand Turk takes a beating.

El Fatti sacrifices his spearmen to make off with the loot.  No morality that fellow!

Whilst El Mike attacks the Village with barrages of bow fire.

And Fatti pretty much leaves the table with most of the goods 

El Mike captured some monks.  The Grand McTurk knabbed a portly Bishop

But McTurk lost most of his force doing it.

Game over, just another quiet day in Outremer.

Now, who wants to buy a used Princess?

The Roll of Dishonour.  

Bishop "I've tempted the sheep"

And

The Wild Turks have pulled out, a rare happenstance for those fellows.

Most Gallant Knight Points

Sir Nigel/the Grand Turk  15 (+2  for yet another desperate fight)  I name him "The Galloping Turk"

Grand Master/El Q 15  (+2 Well fought but from an impossible position) 

D'Pidelin/El Pea 12 (+2 and +1 man of the match point from Father Jac.)

Amir El Liott 10 ( a no show)

Oour Hoste 10 (No show)

Bishop Farthingdale/El Fattii 14 (A +4 for his pillage skills) 

Wee Archie/Bungdit Din.  12 (+2 for Valour) 

Sir Nigel as the Galloping Turk ties with the Grand Master at the top of the Gallantry Leaderboard but the bishop has enjoyed a late spurt.

The Knight who has displayed most Valour however is Wee Archie o'Balamory.