Victoria Cross II - Rorke's Drift

[bob48]

lol - out of the two, I still think 'Zulu' is best though.

[judgedredd]

Turn 7

This is the situation at the start



British Replacement Phase
There are two squads in Zone G which receive replacements to bring them up to full strength


British Movement Phase
This is the sitrep after the British movement.



Zulu Movement Phase
No reinforcements this turn

They look very strong over by the hospital...I have some concerns.


British Fire Combat Phase
The British score 10 hits this turn. Pretty poor

NB - I might have screwed up the British attack numbers because I had forgotten to take a picture - so I think they killed more warriors


Zulu Random Fire Phase
The Zulu hit one unit in Zone C



Melee Combat Phase
There is PLENTY of melee

It results in Zone P looking pretty precarious. The Zulu in Zone 5 attack Zone P and score 2 hits. The British respond with a devastating attack...7 warriors slain.
The Zulu then attack Zone P again from Zone 4. They score 3 British kills and the British respond and score 3 kills
The Zulu are all done...but I think I can melee with my British units in the Hospital - so I do...and score another 5 kills



British Bayonet Charge Phase
No bayonet charge - I daren't try it with Chard


Hospital Phase
No need - the Zulu did not melee into the Hospital


Victory Conditions
Zulu still have none but the British are now on 3.


Turn 8 next
Another 30 Zulu warriors waiting to enter next turn

[judgedredd]

lol - out of the two, I still think 'Zulu' is best though.

Out them both, I do prefer Zulu...but I always watch Zulu Dawn before I watch Zulu - just to get the feel of the battle...

[judgedredd]

beat the Zulu off

ha!

[bob48]

Strange to think that Napoleon III son, Louis Napoleon, was killed in 1879 serving with the British army in the Zulu War.

[BanzaiCat]

I've got my eye on this one (thanks, JD - lol), as well as Custer's Last Stand.

[judgedredd]

I've got my eye on this one (thanks, JD - lol), as well as Custer's Last Stand.

My pleasure. It's always pleasing to showcase a game that's bloody good.


NB - I've introduced 2 house rules. For Zulu movement, I am going to move left and right on a 1 and 6 respectively and forward on a 2-5 - just so the Zulu start to move forward. I feel they are not aggressive enough with the current movement rules...certainly in my game. The other rule is that when exiting the Hospital, the British have to exit into Zone J


Turn 8
This is the situation at the start



British Replacement Phase
There are two squads in Zone G which receive replacements to bring them up to full strength


British Movement Phase
This is the sitrep after the British movement.


I am trying to get the VP units (with a Red Cross) out of the hospital and away from the Zulu - so one unit has to move.

NB - not shown on the image
Because I've kept Chard where he is, he is eligible to perform Volley Fire. I have also put a marker next to Bromhead because he hasn't moved, but you can only perform Volley Fire when adjacent to the enemy...he's not so that's a mistake.


Zulu Movement Phase
30 reinforcements show up - with a leader - they enter into Zone 21 (I'm glad I left those troops there - I was thinking about bringing them into the compound)



British Fire Combat Phase
The British score 19 hits this turn.

The Zulu Warriors at the hospital have been decimated due to Chard and his Volley Fire - but they are still there.


Zulu Random Fire Phase
Because there's units in Zone J, that get's targeted (better chance of a hit). On the first roll of 6 die, they score 4 hits!!! That's the squad moving the VP unit destroyed...so the VP unit is stuck there (the rules only state that VP units are eliminated when Zulu enter the same Zone)
The next roll of 6 die misses entirely...and it was at Zone A - The Kraal



Melee Combat Phase
Melee results in 5 Zulu losses and 2 British losses


British Bayonet Charge Phase
No bayonet charge - again, I've read that only occurs inside the compound...so I'm sticking with that for the time being


Hospital Phase
The Zulu have now entered melee in the Hospital zone...a roll of 2-6 means a fire starts...and they roll 2...a fire has now started. Time to get out of dodge. Subsequent rolls will determine how fast the fire spreads.


Victory Conditions
Zulu still have none but the British are still on 3. I suspect that's going to change soon



Turn 9 next
I have wrongly set the turns counter to 7...as this is the end of turn 8, it should now read 9


Another 30 Zulu warriors waiting to enter next turn

We are now into night turns so Zulu Random Fire only has 8 die instead of the 12 during the day.

There's a fire in the hospital...so the British need to get out of it - when it reaches 5 on the chart, it's burned down and any units in there are destroyed. Also, when it burns down, the Zulu get 6VPs.

I have to hold onto Zone J for as long as I can. It's worth a  reduced number of VPs to the Zulu over the remaining turns...so I have to prevent him from getting them until they are worth very little. That means - likely - troops in there which means possible casualties from Random Fire (the Zulu get hits on 5 and 6 for Random Fire)

[judgedredd]

Turn 9
This is the situation at the start



British Replacement Phase
There's 1 squad in Zone G which receive replacements


British Movement Phase
This is the sitrep after the British movement.

I've started moving my troops and VP units out of the hospital. Due to the Zulu having a good line of sight to Zone J (8 die at night), I've decided to move more units in there - otherwise I can just see my troops being picked off one at a time...It's a risk - but the alternative is to lose the escorting unit each turn.

I've also moved the troops off the roof. They were really handy there - having range 2 to almost anything over that edge of the map - but I have a feeling I'll need them elsewhere pretty soon.

Also because Bromhead and Shard haven't moved, I put a Volley Fire marker on them to remind me they can perform that should they be able to

NB - I have been doing Volley Fire wrong - including in this turn. I've been using all troops when I should only be using 4 SPs of units - I'll rectify that


Zulu Movement Phase
30 reinforcements show up with a leader and enter in Zone 17 - which now seems to be the focal point of the attacks.



British Fire Combat Phase
The British score 20 hits this turn.



Zulu Random Fire Phase
There were no hits - it is night time after all!



Melee Combat Phase
Melee was poor on both sides this time. Only the British scored 1 hit



British Bayonet Charge Phase
No bayonet charge


Hospital Phase
A roll of 2 saw the hospital fire spread 1 space - if the next roll is a 3 and I still have troops in there, they're gone!


Victory Conditions
The British are up to 4 now - but the Zulu are closing in




Turn 10 next
Another 30 Zulu warriors waiting to enter next turn

[bob48]

What a fascinating game 

[judgedredd]

Honestly - it's a fast, intriguing game and a delight to play...things are getting tense as you'll see next turn.

[bob48]

Definitely you get a feeling of the pressure building up.

[judgedredd]

Turn 10
This is the situation at the start



British Replacement Phase
There's no units waiting for replacements


British Movement Phase
This is the sitrep after the British movement.

As you can see, I'm emptying the hospital before it burns down. I'm shifting more units to the left of the compound - giving up ground on the right. There's nothing to defend except Zone J for a few turns anyway...

The hospital will be empty next turn - so hopefully it won't burn down this turn!

Bromhead keeps his Volley Fire marker as he hasn't moved. I kind of need Bromhead and Chard over where they can perform Bayonet Charges and Volley Fire though


Zulu Movement Phase
30 reinforcements show and enter in Zone 17 again - just as well I put those troops back on the roof of the Storehouse.



British Fire Combat Phase
The British score 16 hits this turn.



Zulu Random Fire Phase
The Zulu decided to be sharp shooters this turn - scoring 4 hits in Zone j!!



Melee Combat Phase
The Zulu scored 3 hits in melee and the British scored 2 - just not good enough



British Bayonet Charge Phase
No bayonet charge


Hospital Phase
A roll of 5 saw the hospital fire spread another 2 spaces...it'll be gone next turn (likely - unless I roll a 1) but the troops will be out of the frying pan (pun intended)...and into the fire


Victory Conditions
The British still have 4 - currently


This is the situation on turn 10 of Rorke's Drift



Turn 11 next
Things are hotting up
I have alot of wounded troops now - and more to come as they pass through Zone J
I will likely lose the second part of the Kraal at some point gifting the Zulu 4VPs...on top of their 6VPs for the hospital
I HAVE to hold Zone J until turn 13 or 14 - the Zulu get too many points for occupying it...though with their random movement, it may be unlikely they even get there.
However, no Zulu warriors waiting to enter next turn

NB - the troops to the top of the map board and to the right are Zulu replacements - every damaged Zulu is put here and waits to come on. The units to the left of the dice tray are destroyed units...currently 10 British SPs and 2 Zulu leaders.

[Sir Slash]

Call in an Airstrike Man! 

[judgedredd]

BROKEN ARROW!!!

[judgedredd]

Turn 11
This is the situation at the start



British Replacement Phase
There's no units waiting for replacements


British Movement Phase
This is the sitrep after the British movement.

I'm continuing to clear out the east side of the compound - though I still have to defend Zone J (The Water Cart) for a few turns at least.

The hospital is empty now

The wounded are piling up around the aid station - and there's more to come

Bromhead has ran across the compound with a couple of squads (to Zone I) to take on the marauding Zulu

Chard has jumped over the mealie bags to assist the troops on the west of the compound...some fresh troops have joined him and the wounded are heading to the aid station


Zulu Movement Phase
No reinforcements thankfully...but they close in on the compound all around

NB - I think adjusting the Zulu movement has helped greatly - however, I wonder if starting with that modifier (moving left and right on 1 or 6 (instead of 1/2 or 5/6) would've made them too strong
NB - the Zulu unit in Zone 5 had a die roll moving it right - I didn't think that was right - why wouldn't they go into the compound - and that makes sense for any "knocking on the door" - if it's vacant in front of them, they'd just move in there....so that's what I did


British Fire Combat Phase
The British score 23 hits this turn.


Bromhead is looking like he's in a precarious situation


Zulu Random Fire Phase
They score a single hit...just another casualty to queue up



Melee Combat Phase
The Zulu score a single hit in melee on the west side in the kraal and Chard and the British defenders score 5.
In the north where Bromhead is they score a single hit as do the Zulu



British Bayonet Charge Phase
At last - a bayonet charge. Chard leads his troops over the wall - charging at the weakening Zulu.
They take out 3 zulu in the first attack and the Zulu wound another British unit
Again they charge into the Zulu and destroy the unit completely


Bromhead thinks better of it as he's facing a considerably stronger Zulu force with less troops


Hospital Phase
A 6 is rolled and the Hospital is brunt to the ground - 6VPs for the Zulu.

Victory Conditions
The British VPs have now disappeared and the Zulu are finally on the board.


NB - honestly I'm not sure I was meant to take the VPs for the British losses when the Zulu had no VPs because there's a rule that says the Zulu VPs can't go below 0 - but if I wasn't meant to, I wasn't sure what the point was of having a British VP counter?


This is the situation at the end of turn 11 of Rorke's Drift



Turn 12 next
The Zulu were 2 units shy of being able to bring in 60 Zulu replacements!! So they'll only get 30 next turn. Still 5 turns remaining. Plenty of time for the Zulu to gather some VPs. Especially with an ever dwindling British force - who have now lost 5 units that cannot come back.