Ram Shazzahr! 1897 somwhere in Afghanistan

I was kindly invited to a test skirmish game of 28mm Afghanistan 1884. Angus played the proud defender while I slipped into the role of the colonial invader. A valley castle next to a village had to be taken with a handful of Highlander Gurkhas and Sikhs and a gun. We used a Musket&Tomahak derivate (courtesy of Bill).

I had a choice: either to go directly for the fort, or clearing the village and then go for the Khan.  I thought a safe gun might be just that what I need, and to blow away the clay off that hill. The advance towards the village was swift and the crown entered the village, but then at the central market place, the hail of musket shots teared into the Colonials, fighting was quick eventful and bloody. After some salvoes and a Gurkhanese close combat the village was clear, and I decided to advance with my now halved force towards the mountain cittadelle. In Saxe-coburg romanticism of the day, I dubbed my last attack the Nibelungen assault, never expect it to make it.

But the sprint of the Highlanders and Gurkhas and the handy dynamite tubes proved me wrong, together with my gun they blew the gate wide open. then a murder and skirmish ensued. At last my gun fired a shrapnel shot at the top where the Khan was residing of the battlefield. His surviving few surrendered at last ... but the reign over those lands will come at a certain cost to all who want to conquer ...

Figures and terrain by Angus Konstam.

For a more emotional report at:
http://www.edinburghwargames.com/painthar-kee-maand-1897/

The gun in the grass

The British attack the village

Shocked the garrison of the castle can only watch 

Street fighting in Afghanistan 

Slaughter in the market place

The Colonials are leaving the village

The Highlander form a line just next to the gin bearer 

Another empire strikes back

British advance in dusty fileds

The dynamite is at the door! 

Kaboom - the doors are open

Melee - gemetzel in the courtyard ...

Some insurgents escape to live for another fight ...

We self-censored in grim anticipation the following images ...

But afterwards ... jolly good picture is taken of the victorious

And the lump of clay once again belongs to Victoria, jucheirassa!