Newly published: "Bloody Big Battles in INDIA!"

I am delighted to announce the publication of the third BBB campaign supplement: "Bloody Big Battles in INDIA!" (BBBI), by Dr Mark Smith. This covers the Second Maratha War (1803-1806) where Wellington made his name; the Gwalior campaign of 1843; the Sikh Wars; and the Indian Mutiny.

From helping Mark to playtest these sixteen scenarios, I can report that they are super games. The asymmetrical armies make for interesting tactical challenges (how best to use camel-mounted rockets ... ?). So too do the situations, e.g., protecting baggage against marauding cavalry, or the unusual cityfight in Lucknow. Furthermore, Mark writes very nice clean unfussy scenarios with well-designed objectives. I've provided the full back cover 'blurb' and a list of the battles included at the foot of this post. To get a flavour of the scenarios in the book, here are a few battle reports: Delhi (1803); Argaum (1803); Laswari (1803); Maharajpore (1843); Punniar (1843); Aliwal (1846).

The book is published by SkirmishCampaigns. It should be available from all SC's usual retailers shortly - shipping out this week or next, I think - but let me give a special shout out to North Star Military Figures, who snapped up a big order within 30 seconds of hearing about BBBI! (At time of writing, not yet listed on their website, but drop them a line if you want a copy.) BBBI joins the two existing BBB campaign supplements: "Bloody Big EUROPEAN Battles!" (BBEB) and "Bloody Big BALKAN Battles!" (BBBB). The fourth is in press and will appear later this year: "Bloody Big HUNGARY '48 Battles!" (BBHB). A couple more collections are in fairly advanced preparation as well, so expect more BBB books in 2023.

Thank you to everyone involved: Mark for all his hard work and skill in creating such a fine collection and introducing me to these wars about which I knew very little; our merry group of playtesters at OWS; Scott at SkirmishCampaigns; all the retailers who carry the BBB books; and, of course, the 1,000s of you out there who read this blog, or are members of the BBB group or Facebook page, and whose shared enthusiasm for this period is what really keeps the BBB project going.

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[From the back cover of BBBI]

The major states of India, especially the Maratha Confederacy and the Sikh state in the Punjab, were among the most redoubtable opponents of the extension of British power in the sub-continent. The size and technological sophistication of their forces posed major problems for East India Company commanders in the field and frequently threatened them with defeat. BBBI lets you refight sixteen of the most important battles of the period from the Second Maratha War (1803-1806) to the Sepoy Uprising (‘Indian Mutiny’) of 1857-1858. This collection gives you:

·       The battles where Wellington made his name!

·       A wide range of terrain and tactical situations!

·       Balanced scenarios with asymmetrical armies!

·       Unusual troops – Gurkhas, camel rockets, ghazis!

·       An engaging game of constant decision-making!

·       Battles you can fight to the finish in an evening!

Many also offer scenario options to explore ‘what-ifs’ and increase replay value. Campaign options allow players to link battles so that each has consequences for the next.

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Battles covered:

The Second Maratha War (1803-1806) – 4-scenario mini-campaign

    Delhi

    Assaye

    Laswari

    Argaum

The Gwalior War (1843) – two individual scenarios

    Punniar

    Maharajpore

The First Sikh War (1845-1846) – 4-scenario mini-campaign

    Mudki

    Ferozeshah

    Aliwal

    Sabraon

The Second Sikh War (1848-1849) – 3-scenario mini-campaign

    Kyneerie

    Chillianwallah

    Gujrat

The Sepoy Uprising (‘Indian Mutiny’) (1857-1859) – 3-scenario mini-campaign

    Second Battle of Lucknow

    Third Battle of Lucknow

    Bareilly

Update 31 March 2023: the fine French wargames magazine Vae Victis has devoted almost a whole page to a nice positive review of BBBI. (Issue No. 167, March/April 2023.) VV's verdict: "Like all the BBB supplements, the content is extremely informative and, in the present case, enables you to recreate some very unusual and colourful battles." Merci, Nicolas!

 

Christmas in the Caucasus

For the last club night of the year, Mark excelled himself by running an 8-player game for us. This was the fifth in his now legendary annual series of Christmas Specials. (For previous years, see here.) This followed Mark's standard format: there were four of us on each side; each player earned Victory Points for achieving certain specified objectives, in keeping with his historical character, and secret from the other players; at the end of the game, the individual VPs for each side were totted up to determine which side won overall, while maximum kudos went to the player with the most VPs.

Our setting this year was the Caucasus in the 1840s, when Imam Shamyl was leading the Caucasus Imamate's resistance against the Russians. I found myself cast as Shamyl. A large column of the infidel Russian dogs under Viceroy Vorontsoff was marching to take our base at Dargo Aoul. My cunning plan (the scenario brief told me) was to leave nothing worth taking and lure them in there, while harrying their flanks and baggage train from the forests either side of the road; I myself would hold our real base at Gherzel Aoul, further down the road.

Imam's-eye view at game end. My force ensconced in Gherzel Aoul and its associated barricade; Russians linking up in the woods nearby;

others rampaging down the road towards me, brushing aside my ally Kabeet Mahoma.

The game generated the usual raucous medley of confusion, glee and disbelief. My most gung-ho henchman, Akhvadi Mahoma - "First of the Naiks" - with commendable aggression got most of his force slaughtered, leaving one flank open for the starving enemy to link up with their relief column; my less-than-loyal lieutenant Hadji Mourad, who I hoped would at least descend on the Russian baggage, left it too late to make a difference. I not only held Gherzel Aoul but destroyed most of the column attacking it, but to no avail. The fiery young upstart Russian who killed the most of our Murids and achieved the link-up scored the most personal points and ensured an emphatic victory for the soldiers of the Tsar.

Never mind, it was a brilliant game, and I reckon we won the banter if not the battle. (All in as good taste as you may imagine, so I'll spare you any samples.)

A Merry Christmas to all!