Game Reports

"Pony Wars" goes to Zululand

Posted by PaulRPetri on 20 Mar 2022, 15:25

Hello everyone another battle report today and as a bonus the figures are in our favorite 1/72 scale! Hurah!

So what follows is my attempt to use the Pony Wars system, which for those not in the know, the Zulu army will be controlled by dice roll placement on the table then a reaction table depending on the situation they face. All of the players will be on the Colonial side and as game Judge I rolled and moved the Zulu hordes. Just as a short explaination of this project when I started my official wargame journey around 1983 or so I became aware of the Pony Wars rules. I never did get to play in a game using the rules but they took on legendary status for some reason for me. The rules were written in 1980 and had been long out of print. Fortune smiled on me when they were reprinted last year.

So with out further ado here goes the report.
My Daily Calendar says it is a Play Day for Paulie!!
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Just a picture to get in the spirit of the game.
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The colonial players started in their camp and had to move out in two columns each taking a valley to clear then meeting up to attack a Zulu Kraal.
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Getting ready to move out.
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This shot is from the far end of the table showing the two columns about to depart. The numbers on the right side of the table are possible Zulu arrival points.
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Another shot from the Zulu far end of the table. The even arrival points for the Zulu's!
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At the start of each turn a card is pulled that indicates how many zulu units enter the board. I then rolled a d12 to start with to determine arrival point. In this case the Imperials left hand column had a mass of Zulu's arrive at point 11. Game on!
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The Zulus move on first then the Colonial troops can react to them. I had rolled for the Zulu reaction and they chose to move to the flank and hold tight. They will check again at the start of nect turn.
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After receiving blasts of musketry the Zulus swung to the other flank. Notice the Zulu numbers have been greatly reduced.
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The Colonials are using Zulu tactics and surrounding them!
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The right hand Imperial column thought they had clear sailing but that soon came to an end.
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The right hand column moving out to meet the threat.
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The Zulus in the left valley are being driven off.
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Suddenly the right hand column is facing a growing force.
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Ignoring the massing Zulu menace the left hand column carries on scouting out the Zulu arrival points, once scouted only an ambush card can have a Zulu unit show up in that location. They are attempting to secure their flanks.
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The Zulu's continue to mass in the right column valley.
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The right column continuing the advance.
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The lads in the left column have sorted themselves out from their first brush with the Zulus and continue forward.
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Without warning the left column is under attack once again!!
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While in the right hand column area the Zulus seem reluctant to attack??
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The hills and scrub block movement between the columns.
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The Zulus in the right valley "Go To Ground".
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Even more Zulus arrive to join the growing host in the right valley.
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Zulu Attack!! The boys on the left have their hands full!
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The Giant Injured Hand is removing some Redcoats that fell in the swirling Melee!
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Zulu Victims.
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Unfortunatly the Zulus in the left valley couldnt press home the attack any longer and draw off.
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Finally with great encoragement from their Indunas the Zulus in the right valley move in to the attack.
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The Zulus appear to be disorganized in the left valley after their failed attack.
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The left Column on the move again.
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The Zulus rallying to the attack again.
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The right column beat off the attack but lost a gun and some NNC in the process.
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Unfortunatly the game had to be called early due to unforseen circumstances. Some rough parts need to be smoothed out in the rules but overall it was a fun time.

Here is a shot of the front cover of my rules of inspiration.
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Thanks everyone who has a look.
PaulRPetri  United States of America
 
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Posted by Emperor on 20 Mar 2022, 16:24

Nice wargaming...I see there is a lot of figures...
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Emperor  
 
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Posted by johnl5555 on 20 Mar 2022, 18:31

Looks great in my favorite scale too! Are your tweaks posted anywhere? You used the regular PW card deck? Did you adjust that or the reaction chart for the Zulu?

Thanks, I love it! I own PW and have lots of painted Zulu war stuff so am very interested!

Thanks

John
johnl5555  United States of America
 
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Posted by Peter on 20 Mar 2022, 19:06

Always nice to see a table full of figures! Thanks for sharing! :thumbup:
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Peter  Belgium

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Posted by Fire at Will on 20 Mar 2022, 21:08

Looks and sounds familiar, my solo Zulu War rules are also based on "Pony Wars". Published way back on the Freewargames rules website (not sure where it disappeared to)
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Posted by PaulRPetri on 20 Mar 2022, 22:41

I would love to see your rules Will.

John if you PM I can make a PDF of what I have done rules wise and email it to you.
PaulRPetri  United States of America
 
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Posted by Ochoin on 21 Mar 2022, 01:05

Great work, Paul. As always you combine a visually spectacular experience with a taut game report.

I am interested in the scaling of this game.
For those who are not wargamers, we have to reduce the actual numbers of men in a battle down to something manageable but still, hopefully, preserving the "look" of a battle. Colonial Wars has the problem of relatively few European soldiers facing large numbers of native troops.

Also, IMO, one of the challenges in a Zulu (or indeed, any Colonial War game) is establishing the fine balance between the numbers on the native side and the firepower of the Europeans.

When we started in the AZW, we used the esteemed skirmish set "The Sword & the Flame" but, in attempting to use it for larger battles never could get the above mentioned balance correct.

We now use a modified version of "The Men Who Would Be Kings" but I admit to not being quite satisfied here either.

I would be glad to hear how your version of Pony Wars fits these demands.

donald
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Ochoin  Scotland
 
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Posted by Harry Faversham on 21 Mar 2022, 09:47

PaulRPetri wrote:
Here is a shot of the front cover of my rules of inspiration.
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Thanks everyone who has a look.


I both saw, and played the in original, 'Pony Wars' way back in the day. Hand on heart, I can say your re-setting to Zululand looks equally impressive and well done.
Sadly, then we come to the games' rules. Back in the dawn of time, most everything was clunky and long winded, rules wise. 'Pony Wars', in my 'umble opinion being no different. Even though my favourite film is 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon', you endured a game more than you enjoyed it. I eagerly awaited the re-publication, hoping for rule updates, without them spoiling the flavour of the game.
There aren't any, it's just the same old crap, with some nice piccys added.

:(
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Harry Faversham  England
 
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Posted by PaulRPetri on 21 Mar 2022, 13:39

Thank you for that kind comment Harry.

I agree completly on the clunky rules of Pony Wars. So I changed nearly everything. I followed the reaction table pretty closly but made a few changes. All of the combat tables I redid, I went to a d6 to hit/melee, the Pony Wars combat tables are so 1970's I had a hard time figuring out what was meant. I made a simple ammunition supply rule and it seems to work okay. I also made up my own cards to be drawn and went with regular numbers on the table side for deployment options not the percentage dice thing in Pony Wars. My inspiration and rule outline comes straight from Pony Wars so I didnt want to steal all the credit. Just trying to pay tribute to a great idea.
PaulRPetri  United States of America
 
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Posted by Harry Faversham on 23 Mar 2022, 00:38

PaulRPetri wrote: Just trying to pay tribute to a great idea.


You've certainly done that my friend!

:yeah:
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Harry Faversham  England
 
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Posted by C M Dodson on 23 Mar 2022, 09:20

Impressive stuff in the ‘Grand manner’.

Best wishes,

Chris
C M Dodson  United Kingdom
 
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Posted by PaulRPetri on 23 Mar 2022, 14:47

Thank you very much Harry and Chris.
PaulRPetri  United States of America
 
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Posted by Rich W on 24 Mar 2022, 00:46

Congratulations on another fantastic looking game Paul! Those figures look really good massed together on the table. Must have been fun setting them all up in their columns.
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Posted by PaulRPetri on 24 Mar 2022, 14:35

It was great fun Rich even as I raced around like a Mad Man deploying all of the Zulu's from one side of the table to the other. I am regaining my strength for next week when I run two fairly massive 28mm SYW games at the annual SYW Association Convention. I hope I can do some photo documentation for a battle report or two.
Thanks you for the kind comment on my troops.
PaulRPetri  United States of America
 
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