Khartoum-style Walled City for Wargaming

Khartoum-style
Walled City

In the mid-'80s, David built this large fortified city for Jack Hulsey, who wanted to use it to represent Khartoum in a siege-assault game. The city was in 25mm scale, and measured approximately 35" (89cm) on a side. Though not historically representative of the actual layout of Khartoum, the model provided a fairly spectacular but playable fortified Egyptian city in a reasonable area.

Figures in all photos
are Ral Partha small 25s,
owned by Jack Hulsey

The city was made of foamcore with balsa roofs and parapets. The wall-segments and towers were entirely modular and could be assembled in a large variety of ways. Jack had already ordered an improved foamcore version of the Desert Fort from David, and it was incorporated into the city as a walled residency for Gordon. It can be seen at the right in the photo above. At left is a view of the residency from the other side.

This is the city from the side near the residency (right side of the first picture). The main length of wall is divided into three separate segments, each with a removable vertical divider which appears as a buttress from the outside, so that the segment can be combined into a single long wall or offset to make an advanced or recessed section. Smaller buttresses on the segments disguise the trick. Stairways up to parapet level were built as separate pieces, and could be placed as needed. One can barely be seen to the left of the residency in the previous picture.

This view shows the same wall and part of the rear wall. Below is a closeup of one of the bastions on the rear gate.

An artillery bastion on the far side wall (just behind the left tower in the main picture). Note the two separate wall segments on each side of the bastion and a third segment, offset forward in the lower right corner of the photo.

Jack used the Khartoum layout in at least one Dallas-area gaming convention in the mid-1980s, where the game was a continuous-running hit. In fact, in one recent HMGS convention, David ran into someone who had played in the event as his introduction to miniatures gaming.

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