Fourth Sikh Wars playtest

In our last Sikh Wars game we used card activation which worked quite well, we decided to add in some slight modifications to game play and use the cards again.

I got quite caught up in the game and the rule amends so only took a few photos I am afraid. We also only played for about an hour and a half as we chatted about the rules and reminded ourselves of the basics.

It proved to be an interesting little game giving me some ideas to finalise the rules.

Steve takes the Sikhs with 4 brigades totalling 9 foot and 3 horse.

I have the Company troops 3 brigades totalling 8 foot and 2 horse, whilst Steve has slightly more than me the British quality should more than make up for it.

We each have 3 guns.

For initiative we each roll 2 D6 the difference is the number of cards we draw and the highest roll decides who goes first with their drawn cards, all cards are drawn until finished then the next player goes. 

There are cards that activate the Company troops and separate cards for British only so the British get extra opportunities to re-load and move making them more flexible and powerful. 

Steve wins by four but elects to let me go first, I get a reload which is of no use as I havent fired and I am out of range, an artillery move card which is great, followed by an artillery reload card so open fire inflicting a couple of casualties to start proceedings. Last card is British movement, each of my brigades has 2 British and 2 Indian battalions, the cavalry both being British or Queens regiments, the Queens troops all take a full move forward.

Troops get 3 actions which can be move, limber/un-limber change formation etc. The foot all move three actions in line at 4 inches each, the horse move two actions of 8 inches as they arrive in column (Line is 6 inches) and they then form line for their third action.

Steve is out next also with a re-load he cant use, followed by an uncontrolled advance card, this forces his tribal brigades to test to see if they can control their fiery warriors, on a  1 or 2 they will attack the nearest enemy.

The tribal foot are kept under control but the horse throw caution to the window and charge forward 3 full actions not quite reaching the leading British cavalry.

The Sikhs get movement cards but Steve is happy to hold his position and let me come to him.

Company movement and all my troops now move forward with the Indians moving forward to try fill the gaps between the British units and also form a small reserve behind them.

The artillery move card allows me to man handle forward to support the infantry.

The cards are originally designed for Seven Years War, if we are happy I will create some Sikh Wars specific ones on my own.

Cavalry Movement allows my Lancers to charge the Tribal horse. The Tribal horse must test to stand, one unit passes the other legs it, retiring one full move dis-ordered.

So whilst my Lancers charge the front two units of Tribal cavalry the melee must wait for a Combat resolution card. The player who pulls this first will get the charge bonus.

Fortunately I get the Combat resolution card first. We each get one D6 per base, I then get an extra three D6 for the difference in quality and another for my charge bonus, lastly I get a bonus for lance. The British then have 10 dice needing 6 for a casualty, the Sikhs have 5.  

Steve gets one casualty on the lancers, I score 3 on the tribal horse, thats an immediate break test for losing a base.

They are level two so have two dice needing a 5 or 6 to stand. However they loose one for loser of melee and another for 25% casualties. This would take them to zero but unit always get one dice, but need a 6 if they have fallen below 1. Steve rolls again for the response to failing morale and the unit is forced back two full moves (6 actions) and dis-ordered having rolled a 3.

My Lancers are pretty done in so rally behind the Light Dragoons who press forward and meet the next unit of irregular Sikh horse.

The main forces are still quite far away but a flurry of movement cards soon has us at close quarters.

I move into firing range and get a re-load card firing a volley, Steve fires his guns in return, I get another movement card for all my troops so fire a further volley, taking both guns down to virtually nothing and one battalion of Sikhs retires after failing a morale test. I use my move card to charge 4 units of foot, one doesnt quite reach, with the others I hit two battalions and the guns.

Steve uses his loaded infantry to volley me on the way in. 

When the melee resolution card comes out we get mixed results, the Sikh guns are overwhelmed and the gunners die to a man defending their guns. My next British unit does well against the Sikh foot but they stand as does the next unit against a native battalion. These units are locked until the netx melee resolution card. Steves Sikhs get a move card volley my end unit of British and then charge them. Another melee resolution card comes out and whilst the first melee is a British win the next two and narrow losses and the British fail their morale and fall back.  

Its still all to play for the Sikhs have had all of their cavalry and haf of their regular foot driven back or routed and lost all of their guns, the British meanwhile have had two battalions badly mauled and thrown back. Either side is able to win here but the British have the edge in both quality and numbers left on table, 

The game has been a great sucess and as soon as I get home I start looking at designing Sikh appropriate cards, few more games to finalise things but we are definately on the right track.

Stay tuned for more udates but in the meantime thanks for stopping by.