When the Sons of the Desert met Monsieur Mitrailleur in TMWWBKs

Tuaregs Vs Tirailleurs

By quirk of fate Sasha and myself found ourselves both available for a game. We opted to have a go at the Men Who Would Be Kings (TMWWBKs).

Battlefield from the Southwest

The garrsion

I wrote up a brief scenario the idea being a platoon of Tirailleurs defending a trading post with a legion relief force on the way. While attacking were two bands of Tuareg.  The scenario may not be the best intro to TMWWBKs my megalomaniac streak kicked in and made both forces too big  to easily capture the flavour with creating the forces which is one of the main fun things about TMWWBKs but for the intro game I dropped that and replaced the unit activation with  pull poker chip from bag mechanism. The pull from bag activation coupled with leadership tests to active unit added uncertainty to the game turn.

Tuareg attacking from the West

Relief is on the way

Tuareg attacking from the East

The Tirailleurs garrison consisted of three squad supported by a Mitrailleur (machine gun) .  The presence of Mitrailleur was massive over kill but I had just based it and I wanted to use it.   The garrison started at the North of the table defending a cluster of buildings. To the South was the relief column consisting of three squads of Legionnaires and a troop of cavalry.  To the East was the first band of Tuareg consisting of two units of tribal cavalry, three units of tribal infantry and one unit of irregular infantry. To the West was the second band of Tuareg consisting of one unit of tribal cavalry, two units of tribal warriors and two unit of irregular infantry.

Tuareg irregular cavalry on the move

Sasha opted to command the Legion so I took the Tuareg.  The action started with the relief fluffing a bunch of command rolls meaning the cavalry charged forward alone while, two of the three legion units stalled, with the third at the rear swing West to face the approaching Tuareg. In response the eastern Tuareg force moved towards the garrison, while the western Tuareg force split into two with the irregular infantry moving to engage the relief column while the tribal warriors moved towards the garrion.  The tribal cavalry failed its command test (which was to be recurring theme for the battle). The Tirailleurs in the garrison had obsolete rifles and did not yet have the range to yet engage the incoming warriors. But the Mitrailleur was more modern and started to fire, killing several warriors from a unit of tribal infantry and pinning it.

Mitrailleur open fire

They are getting closer

Taureg advancing 

The remaining Tuareg closed on the forward moving in range of the Tirailleurs. Frustratingly the Tirailleurs seemed to be up for fight, firing and pinning several units of tribals with the Mitrailleur also pinning another band of warriors.  The relief column split into two groups with two units of legionnaires moving to engage the irregular infantry while the remaining unit moved after the cavalry. The French cavalry got into a face off with a unit of tribal cavalry, with both sides potential with charge range but neither willing to commit to a charge.

Tuareg enter the fort

The initial assault on the garrison floundered badly with the Tuareg either getting pinned or being repulsed in assault by the normally timid tirailleurs.  The French decided to break the cavalry stalemate by unsporting drawing carbines and firing on the tribal cavalry.  The Mitrailleur also added its weight to the fire, knocking several more warriors out of their saddles. With the Tuareg cavalry suitable pinned the French cavalry drew sabres and charged.  The charge pushed the Tuareg cavalry back and opened a channel for the French cavalry to reach the garrison.  With the rest of the Tuareg floundering in front of the garrison and the french cavalry about to arrive the remaining Tuareg opted for discretion and withdrew.  Most of the warriors and tribal cavalry were below half strength and the irregular infantry had not even fired a shot. In exchange the garrison lost just three(3!!!) men.

The relief column encounters resistance

Apparently tribal warriors assaulting a modern machine gun in defended positions does not go well, who knew that?

Charge of the cavalry

French cavalry break through

That is all for now thanks for stopping by.