Rorke's Drift 2024

                                                      Battle of Rorke's Drift 2024

         The battle of Rorke's drift has been a passion of mine for a number of years after seeing the film "Zulu" as a kid. Although I missed half the film the first time as my mum wanted to watch the bloody musical "Seven brides for seven brothers" which was on the other channel. However I have forgiven my mum a long time ago, as now I have probably watched it more times than any other film over the years. Every year I put on the game for my friends at my house (Actually this would be the third time I had played it this year.)

With moving to a different area of Spain in a few months (Anyone want to buy a house with its own self purpose wargaming room, I'm your man) this game would be a final farewell battle to some of my Spanish wargaming friends from Alicante, that have made me so welcome fifteen years ago. 

Over the years I have played the game in 15mm but I've always wanted to do it in 28mm and when Warlord has a special offer on their Rorke's Drift set (Pre-Brexit) I took the plunge. So four years and over 520 painted Zulu and British figures on, I think I have reached the level that I had in 15mm. 

Although the buildings are quite nice in the Warlord set, I feel they are a little small when placing figures in them. Therefore over the last year or so I have been using a "dungeon and dragons" style floor plan to show the layout and fight the combat inside. A picture of the floor plans from the last game can be seen below.                                  

I wanted to add walls to the floor plan to make it look more like a building. So a week ago after finding some foam board in the local Chinese store, I decided I would set myself a task of building the walls before the game. This became quite a mammoth project because I decided to replace the flooring, window and door frames and getting it all painted in time. Not forgetting that I had to build  the storehouse as well!

The walls didn't take a lot of time, but adding the frames, floors and painting them all was the main task.

The two buildings were finished and basic painted the night before. More detail and finishing off will be added before the next game.

So to the game itself, we had 3 Zulu players, Salva, Miguel and Toni. The British was  split into three commands, Jose Angel was Lt Chard, Pedro was Lt Bromhead and Juan Marcos was Commissary Dalton.

Each British Player had a command divided equally with Hospital Patients, fit for duty soldiers and named soldiers that had performed bravely in the actual battle and had either earned a Victoria cross or some other distinction. All the Victoria cross winners were able to suffer 2 wounds before being killed and also classed as tough fighter so had a +1 in close combat.

A few of the VC winners in the game.

Also depicted are some of the notable soldiers that may not have been awarded a Victoria Cross but played important roles in the battle (even if they were omitted from the film). They had their own special rules

The Zulus were in their 4 regiments surrounding the mission with one regiment on each side. The regiments were in divided into groups of 12 figures that were assigned a section of the defences that they would attack that were each outlined by a line of sawdust on the table. Once one wave of Zulus had been killed and removed they were placed back in their starting positions, to be recycled for their next attack.  

"Zulus to the South west Sir, thousands of em"

Overhead view, thanks to Jose Angel's drone.

 To activate the Zulu regiments to charge they had to complete 4 stages,  rest, stand, sing and the last, charge (Usuthu).  To progress through the stages the Zulu players had to throw a dice to get a high number depending on the time of day. This mechanic of randomness was to ensure that the Zulu players could not attack all four sides at once, also it gave the British players an idea of which side the attack may be coming from next so they could have a chance to reinforce the threatened side.   

Zulu Activation cards

Also the Zulu players could place their commander, Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande, with one of his regiments to give them a little encouragement (+1 on the activation roll) to charge the garrison.

Prince Dabulamanzi kaMpande

Unfortunately for the British, instead of just a small attack so the Zulu Indunas could count their guns, the Zulus were singing on the North and South side of the garrison with the two larger regiments.  Then with high dice rolls from Salva and Miguel, they both charged at the same time.

The first Zulu charge comes from both long sides

The British have three chances of firing at the charging Zulus before they reach the defences. The chances of hitting improve as the Zulus pass each range marker.

The British fire their last volley before the Zulus hit the defences and engage into hand to hand combat.

 The mechanic for hand to hand combat I have "borrowed" from the game risk. Basically the British have a greater chance of success if they are behind the barricades etc. The Zulus have an advantage if they manage to breach the barricades and fight the British in the open. Any successful win or shot by the British  automatically kill a Zulu. However if the Zulus are successful then they just wound the British soldier, which means the British soldier has a penalty in any proceeding combat. If the wounded soldier gets a further wound then they are killed and removed from the table. 

One of the weak points of the defences is the corner by the hospital although the British were able to fight the Zulus back, this time.

Usually for how much time the Zulu attacks lasted, I would have a chart that would give a random amount of time between 5 and 30 minutes. Then any soldiers that were assigned to build barricades or the redoubt would be calculated to see if they have completed part of their task. The clock starts at 4.30pm and the British have to survive until 7.30 a.m. 

However for this game I decided to try a different method for counting time to get a satisfactory result when the time runs out to play the game. Therefore playing in the morning before stopping for lunch (a lovely BBQ cooked by my Lynn my wife)  would be the same time as when it was daylight on the day of the battle (4.30-7.00pm). When we returned after being sufficiently fed and watered we would play until 5.30pm, this would be the night and early morning part of the battle. If any British were left alive by the end of play at half five, then they had won the battle, due to Chelmsford's Column coming to relieve the beleagured garrison.

The well built Kraal was defended by Bromhead's troops, although they were a little vunerable, due to the Zulus being able to attack them on three sides. However their advantage was that they were able to give enfilade volley support on to the Zulu flanks attacking the storehouse and barricades..

The British players need to finish the barricade, before the next wave of Zulus hit. Due to using a different system for time keeping. I decided that on every British turn for each British soldier assigned to make the barricade or redoubt, the player needed to roll 1D6 and then add up the score, I would take that away from the total needed to make a section of barricade. It seemed simple on paper, but all my maths ability seemed to leave me that day. So I decided to wing it and just tell the players when they had nearly built a section and then what they needed in their next turn to complete it, sorry lads.

My brain on Saturday Morning

 Lt Chard's (Jose Angel) men holding the line between the hospital and storehouse, were keeping up a stout defence. 

 

After the first attack, like in the film, the 10 Zulu snipers on Shiyane hill were able to fire on the garrison. Although not accurate they still caused a few casualties on the soldiers working on the barricades.

British casualties began to mount on the North wall after repeated Zulu attacks from the unmarried iNdluyengwe regiment  trying to prove their bravery with individual Zulus that had broken through causing mayhem until they were finally killed. This caused serious gaps in the defences 

The British players had made a serious error in deployment (although I may have forgot to remind them). They had only put the walking wounded hospital patients with the immobile and bedridden patients and had not bolstered it with fit able soldiers. (even Hook was outside). when the error was discovered, it was too late as the soldiers in the immediate area were fighting for their lives or were retreating to the newly completed barricade.  



To stop the Zulus attempting to set fire to the thatch roofs, a section of soldiers were deployed on them, who were able to defend their position very well, until the hospital was fully taken over by the Zulus who then were able to concentrate on taking the roof finally overpowering them. 

With most of the British behind the new line of defences, Chard and some of his wounded men were still in the open. Although a couple of the wounded soldiers were killed Chard was able to use his revolver to kill the last remaining Zulus  from the South side attack and get the other wounded soldier and  Pvt Williams  back to the barricade

Lt Chard and Pvt Williams earning their Victoria crosses

Chard and Williams and the other wounded soldier slowly make it to the biscuit box barricade as the Zulus surge over the undefended abandoned barricades.

With only half of the redoubt built, now the east side of the defences were under pressure from the Zulus with a new breach to worry about in the Kraal.

Zulus enter the Kraal

With no chance of joining his comrades the last redcoat is killed on the hospital roof. With all the Patients are already dead inside the Zulus decide not to set fire to the hospital because with the sun setting, the light of the fire would aid the defenders shooting ability (or they forgot to bring the matches). 

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The British players look on as the Zulu players begin to apply pressure to the inner defences

The Zulus break into the Kraal on all sides  and begin slaughtering the British in there. Lt Bromhead brings troops out of the storehouse and wants them to charge into the Kraal but Chard and Dalton advice against it as they will be needed for the final defence. 

The Zulus from the west side charge across the abandoned outer defences and although losing a few to the British rifles they start reaching the Biscuit box barricade.

Lt Bromhead has 3 men still trying to complete the redoubt, he needs to get 9 or more with 3D6 and gets only 8. So the redoubt remains uncompleted.  With the fighting getting desperate the men pick up their rifles as they are needed now to man the defences.

 With the Kraal now in Zulu hands the British try to defend the inner wall

      

But with only wounded soldiers to stop them the Zulus breakthrough the Biscuit box barricade.

Now with the Zulus from the south side finally charging, all the Zulu regiments are involved in the last attack but there is less than half an hour left to play. The British players are counting down the minutes.

Lt Bromhead joins the others in the redoubt. 

The Zulus begin to attack in strength over the storehouse roof pushing the British (including Colour Sergeant) back.

          Lt Chard is surrounded by Zulus and unable to retreat to the Redoubt but manages to kill two of his attackers with his revolver.

Despite their best efforts the Zulu players could not get enough of the Zulus over the barricades and the Relief column was sighted coming over the drift by the Indunas on the hilltop in the early morning light.

Just as everything seemed lost to the British players the Zulus suddenly break off their attack and skulk away into the early morning shadows. 

Juan Marcos, celebrating the win by getting into character with my new helmet, although his character Commissary Dalton was killed on the ramparts.

So Lt Chard and Lt Bromhead survived the battle, also Sergeant Bourne  (still on the storehouse roof), Pvt Williams and Yankee Dan the ferryman. Unfortunately Dick the Dog was killed defending his master in the hospital. 

Another fantastic game and day enjoyed by all, also my friends left me speechless when they presented me totally unexpected with a card and present (A new book about the Zulu wars). I will miss them all but will be sure to visit when there is a tournament in Alicante.