Cold Wars Report: Northwest Frontier by GASLIGHT

I arrived at Cold Wars Friday afternoon, had time to check  in to the hotel, unpack, and then helped Buck Surdu set up our Friday evening Northwest Frontier by GASLIGHT game.  I was scheduled to help GM, but  we were down a couple of players so I stepped in to take one of the commands.

An overview of the field, as the British start to set up a defensive position on the hill in the center to guard Wee Willie Winkie.

   The set up for the scenario was based on  a previous game, where the British had been tasked with rescuing Wee Willie Winkie from the evil Pasha's fortress. Now, the Brits were heading back with Wee Willie Winkie in tow, only to find themselves ambushed by a force of the Pasha's men, bent on retaking their prize.  The Pathans was aided by some Russian advisers who sent some old timberclad steam-tanks, and a small contingent of troops.

Another view of the table.  as a hot firefight develops near the center.

      Things got off to a great start when I decided to charge my commanding officer, Victoria Hawkes, at an approaching open-topped Russian Steam-lorry; with the goal of dispatching the driver.  The driver rolled a hit with his Scuffle, and I a miss.  I then promptly failed my Save roll, dying gloriously.  Much laughter followed.  

Russians charge the Female Hussars' Steam-Carriage. 

  My misfortune continued when I managed to have one of my two support helicopters shot down by the same steam-lorry, and my other one failed its Sustain roll on the first turn and was never able to get started again before crashing to the ground.  The driver was allowed a last ditch Save to auto-gyro safely down, but failed that miserably as well.

A unit of my Female Hussars ends up with the short stick in a melee against a unit of Pathans

        My last attempt at glory came when a group of Russians charged my broken down steam-carriage. I counter charged with a unit of Female Hussars, and a swirling melee developed on top of the vehicle.  Unfortunately, two of my troops rolled 20's on their Scuffle attempts and were ruled to have fallen off the top of the vehicle to their deaths. I did however win the battle and two of my Hussars retained control of the vehicle-top as the Russian unit failed their morale and ran.  At this time the vehicle crew inside the Steam-carraige had managed to repair their engine, and attempted to move the vehicle. This caught the two surviving Hussars on top by surprise apparently, as both failed their Save to not fall off a moving vehicle.  We decided all their troubles were caused by the long skirts the unit wore that made movement and balance difficult. :)

The Punjab Lancers charge a Timberclad Steam-Tank

    A last bit of British "heroics" occurred when the Punjab Lancers charged one of the  Pathan timberclads and attempted to use their lances through the gun port.  A lone Pathan commander charged the Lancers in return, and the sight of the lone crazed fanatic running madly at them was apparently too much, as the Lancers failed their "to stand" morale check and went fleeing back away from the Pathan commander and the vehicle!

In the end, the Pathans were unable to ever reach their prize.

    Despite all the British mishaps their modern firepower decided the day, as by game's end the Pathans were too badly chewed up to get at Wee Willie Winkie.  The British were declared the winner.  The game was a lot of fun to take part in and a good time was had by all.