The following is the account of a Fire & Sword Campaign played by The Essex Warriors, near Chelmsford, in the UK. The campaign was organised and umpired by Simon Walker who also acted as the Mahdist C-in-C for table-top battles, while the key personalities were played by club members Richard (Gen. Graham), Tim (Gen. Wolseley), Mike (Valentine Baker), & John (Col. Hicks). Each player was given a briefing and an outline of their personal objectives for the campaign.
The campaign used a modified version of Steve Winter’s Fire & Sword rules, most notably with a variable initiative system that allowed better commanders with better troops to move more rapidly than weaker commanders with poor staff support and/or poor quality troops. Table Top Battles were fought using the Science vs. Pluck (or ‘Too Much for the Mahdi‘) rules. This account was written, and kindly supplied, by Simon Walker.
The Anglo Egyptian Order of Battle
The Egyptian Army
General William Hicks, Commander in Chief of the Sudan Field Force [Int: 1D4+1]
General Valentine Baker Pasha, Commandant-General of the Gendarmerie [Int: 1D6]
Charles Gordon, Governor-General of the Sudan [Int: 1D3]
Colonel Sartorius Pasha [Int: 1D6]
Colonel Tewfiq Bey [Int: 1D6]
1st Egyptian Infantry Regiment – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
2nd Egyptian Infantry Regiment – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
3rd Egyptian Infantry Regiment – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
4th Egyptian Infantry Regiment – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
IVth Sudanese Infantry Regiment – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
Xth Sudanese Infantry Regiment – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
XIIth Sudanese Infantry Regiment – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
Bashi Bazouks & Bazinqirs – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
Egyptian Regular Cavalry – 6 squadrons of cavalry (36 figs)
Bashi Bazouk Irregular Cavalry – 3 squadrons of cavalry (12 figs)
European Police – 1 squadron of cavalry (4 figs)
Circassian Cuirassiers – 1 squadron of cavalry (6 figs)
3 batteries of Mountain guns (3 guns & 9 crew)
2 batteries of Krupp Field guns (2 guns & 6 crew)
2 batteries of Nordenfeldts (2 MGs & 6 crew)
1 battery of Gatling guns (1 MG & 3 crew)
1 battery of Rocket Troughs (1 gun & 3 crew)
Gunboat #1: “Melik” (1 Gatling MG & 1 Mountain gun & 6 crew)
Gunboat #2: “Metemmeh” (1 Nordenfeldt MG & 3 crew)
Gunboat #3: “Fashoda” (1 Gatling MG, 2 Mountain guns & 9 crew)
The British Expeditionary Force
The composition of the British expeditionary force is inspired by that of the original Suakin field force and the Desert Column. At the start of the campaign, the units available are still based in England, Alexandria or India and their deployment to the Sudan may take several turns before an effective force can be assembled to intervene in the region. Wherever possible, regular infantry and cavalry should be deployed as complete units. Politically, Gladstone’s government would prefer the Mahdist uprising to be suppressed by local forces, without the intervention of British troops, but this may prove unavoidable. The loss of British troops is undesirable, so players may wish to reinforce their forces in the region with available Egyptian or Sudanese troops initially. British characters may assume command of Egyptian forces but not vice-versa. Characters and units available to the BEF are as follows:
General Sir Garnet Wolseley (Int: 1Dav+1)
General Sir Gerald Graham (Int: 1Dav+1)
Major General William Earle (Int: 1Dav)
Major General Sir Herbert Stewart (Int: 1Dav)
Lieutenant General Sir Redvers Buller (Int: 1Dav)
Lieutenant General John Davis (Int: 1Dav)
Colonel Fred Burnaby (Int: 1D6)
Lieutenant Commander Lynedock Moncrief (Int: 1D3 & max. of 6 units under command)
1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders – 8 companies of infantry (32 figs)
3rd Battalion KRRC – 8 companies of infantry (32 figs)
1st Battalion Royal Highlanders – 8 companies of infantry (32 figs)
2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
1st Battalion Yorks & Lancs – 6 companies of infantry (24 figs)
RMLI & Bluejackets – 3 companies of infantry (12 figs)
10th Hussars – 4 squadrons of cavalry (24 figs)
19th Hussars – 4 squadrons of cavalry (24 figs)
Mounted Infantry – 1 squadron (4 figs)
Heavy Camel Regiment – 4 companies of mounted infantry (16 figs)
Guards Camel Regiment – 4 companies of mounted infantry (16 figs)
Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment – 4 companies of mounted infantry (16 figs)
A, B & C batteries, RA (3 guns & 9 crew)
Gardner & Gatling Guns, RN (2 MGs & 6 crew)
Royal Engineers – 2 companies (8 figs)
Whalers & Voyageurs – 6 companies*
HMS Ranger – Gun Vessel deployed in defence of Suakin
Each company of Whalers has sufficient boats to transport 2 units of infantry or artillery along the Nile.