Colonial Games: the Second Battle of Tel Debi

The Second Battle of Tel Debi
Evacuation of a Border Town

The game was played to celebrate Alan's return visit to Texas after having moved to North Carolina. Alan and Steve commanded the British defenders, David handled the Germans, and Max played the Native forces. For pictures of the commanders, click here. All photos are taken from video footage of the event.

Alan designed the scenario and had already played an earlier version of it with all his new friends (sniff) in Carolina.

The Tabletop
The town of Tel Debi guards the only bridge across the Al-Josen River. Halfway down the table is an oasis. An archaeological excavation at an ancient tomb complex is to its left. On the North (right) are foothills leading up to the mountains at the far end.

The table measures 4 x 6.5 feet (1.2 x 2 meters).

The Scenario
Tel Debi sits at the edge of British Ouargistan. Native tribes, encouraged by the support of German imperial advisors (two full infantry units and a cavalry squadron of advisors, actually), have allied under the banner of Beezil the Bandit, scourge of the Ouargi desert, for a full-scale invasion of British Ouargistan. The British, realizing that Tel Debi cannot be held against the overwhelming strength of the combined assault, prepare to evacuate the town, and Royal Engineers begin setting explosive charges to demolish the massive stone bridge in order to halt the invasion at the river.

Civilians in each town building move bridgeward according to random die rolls. The British forces, (infantry, cavalry and two guns, supported by a machine gun in the launch on the river) must hold off the assault long enough for the civilians to get across the bridge. With every turn of preparation, the probability increases of a successful demolition when the engineers finally push the plunger, so the British mission is to hold as long as possible and get as many troops across at the last minute before the charges are detonated.

Complicating the situation is a slow-moving supply train from the arsenal at Tinduk, which must cross in front of the defenders, blocking fire from the town during the early stages of the German/Native advance. In addition, Sir Arthur Plumsett-Delving, the world's most trouble-prone archeologist, is excavating the tombs near the oasis, and must (well, should, at any rate) be escorted to safety.

The Battle
The British commanders choose to keep the infantry and both guns in the town rather than expose them by moving them in front of the arriving supply train. A unit of lancers is ordered to the tombs to delay the enemy advance.

The Germans and Natives have no sooner appeared in the mountains than they roll an appearance by the Dreaded Random Anarchist (a chaotic feature of Alan's scenarios, which will play a crucial part later in the game). The Anarchist's attempted assassination of Gen. von Himmelstupper fails when he was riddled by the Mausers of von Himmelstupper's accompanying infantry before he can toss his bomb.

As the Germans and Natives stream out from the mountains, the British civilians begin moving toward the bridge with amazing rapidity. Sir Arthur is a bit slow starting his motorcar, however. Absent-minded, you know. By the time he moves out, a squadron of Uhlans (German cavalry) is closing in.

The British lancers, rather than intercepting the Uhlans, dismount and dig in behind the hills near the tombs, pouring harassing fire on the Kaiser's infantry advancing to the oasis.

The first waves of Native troops move rapidly over the foothills in the North, taking advantage of the cover provided by the supply train.

Their infantry bogged down in a firefight, the cavalry on the German right run down the fleeing archaeologist, capturing the Rolls, but taking casualties from the fire of the Gurkha troops escorting the supply train. As the Native vanguard reaches the clear terrain, they come under fire from the launch's Nordenfelt gun. They hesitate behind the last row of hills, waiting for support from the troops behind and the slow-moving German center.

The sluggish second unit of German infantry bypasses the firefight at the tombs and occupies the oasis, pouring rifle fire into the town.

The first unit of German infantry finally gets its thumbs out and rushes the surviving British lancers. Outnumbered and completely isolated, the lancers fight on with amazing tenacity, standing off the initial assult.

GO ON to the Conclusion of the Second Battle of Tel Debi.

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