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“MAGDALA TO MAFEKING”
OLD SCHOOL COLONIAL RULES BY ANDY CALLAN

Disclaimer: These rules make no pretence at either historical accuracy or political correctness. The idea
is simply to produce a fun game where both sides have a chance to win (not necessarily an even chance!).
Games run best with an Umpire to keep things civilized and rule on any dodgy points at issue – otherwise
roll dice to decide whether you can do something, then agree on a “house rule” for the next time it comes up.
Imperial troops should usually be outnumbered by natives by at least 2:1.
See Appendix 1 for some suggested army lists by Roy Boss.
Order of play is by alternate turns (IGO/UGO).
All measurements are in inches (Imperial!). You need lots of standard 6-sided dice (D6).

1. ORGANIZATION

Base your troops according to personal taste. Regulars might be in 1 or 2 ranks and Irregulars in swarms on
multiple bases. You can keep track of losses either by removing figures or using special dice or other
markers.

Regular Infantry Unit = c20-24 figures……(it may send out a Detachment of 5-6 figures (or c ¼ strength)
Regular Cavalry Unit = c12 figures…………………… Detachment = c4 figures
Boer Kommando (mounted Infantry) = c 12-20 figures…………..Detachment = 4-6 figures
Artillery = Field Gun & 3-4 crew (Machine Gun or Pom-Pom or Mountain Gun or Rocket = 2-3 crew)
Native Warband etc = 30-40 figures……………………Detachment = c10-12 figures
Native Cavalry = 15-20 figures………………………….Detachment = c4-6 figures

2. MOVEMENT
Regular Infantry : close order = 6 inches, skirmish order = 8 inches.
Regular Cavalry : walk or trot up to 12 inches or charge 18 inches (may not charge from the halt)
Mounted Infantry : walk or trot up to 12 inches. Cannot charge. To mount or dismount takes ½ a turn.
Field Artillery : in good going can operate at infantry, skirmisher or cavalry trot rate.
Limbering and unlimbering takes a full turn
Native and Irregular Foot : 2D6 +2 inches
Native and irregular mounted : 4D6 + 2 inches
Supply wagons : 6 inches, pack mules : 8 inches
Detachments may operate no further than 2 moves from their parent unit.
Depending on the scenario, the Umpire should reduce moves in bad going for formed Regular troops – but
not necessarily for Skirmishers, Irregulars or Natives

3. FIRING

All troops may fire at half effect then move (or vice-versa).
European Sharpshooters (eg Boers and Skirmishing Regulars) roll 1D6 per 2 figures firing.
Volleying European Regulars roll 1D6 per 3 figures firing or per 4 figures firing for any other Regulars
Native Irregulars roll 1D6 per 6 figures firing or per 4 figures firing if specialist Snipers (eg Afghan jezailchis)
Artillery roll 2D6 per crewman (A pre-Maxim MG jams if 2 or more 1s are rolled. Clear next turn for 4/5/6)
Add 50% to the number of dice rolled if firing magazine rifles.
Halve it if vs skirmishers or a target in cover/rough going or pinned/prone (cumulative).
So vs Boers in skirmish order in rough going and prone roll half x half x half (one-eighth!) the number of dice.
Halves round up for European Regulars, Boers and Snipers. Ignore all fractions for other troops.
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Ranges:
Breechloading Rifles Short = under 12 ins, Long = 12-24 (Sharpshooters add 6ins) ) All roll 5/6 to hit
Other Small Arms = under 9, Long = 9-18 (Snipers add 6ins) ) at Short Range
Field Artillery Short = under 12, Long = 12-48 ) or 6 at Long
Heavy Artillery (e.g.4.7 inch Naval Gun). No short range fire but unlimited long range. Roll 6 to hit
Machine gun 0-24 (no short range) roll 5/6 to hit at any range.
Mountain Gun or Pom-Pom 0-36 (no short range) roll 6 to hit at any range
Rocket 0-30 (no short range). Roll 6 to hit. If more 1s than 6s are rolled the hits fall on the friends nearest
the target instead!
Clear fields of fire at Long Range (as at Omdurman) should be the exception rather than the rule…

Ammunition

Most units of Infantry and Artillery usually start with enough ammunition for 6 turns of firing at full effect.
Depending on the scenario they could start off with more or less ammunition and it might be possible for
regular units to be re-supplied from a supply wagon or pack mule.

Show each unit’s current ammunition state using a special coloured dice placed beside it.

If you choose to fire a volley at ½ effect roll a dice: for a 4/5/6 this doesn’t deplete the ammunition supply, for
a 1/2/3 lose half a point (put a special chit next to the unit’s ammo dice).
Once they have used up their 6 turns worth of firing Regular Infantry units are reduced to one “last stand”
volley at ½ effect, to be used only if they are charged. Other troops and Artillery can’t fire at all.

Ignore the ammunition rule whenever detachments fire (their job is to make the enemy waste his!).

4. MELEE
Units moving into contact always take the defender's fire first (but at only half effect if the attackers moved
less than 9 ins).
Count up the figures in contact and fight one-third of that number of combats. Count all of the defenders who
are in contact in the case of a flank attack.

For each individual combat a Roll D6 vs D6: a difference of 2 or more is a kill. Anything else is indecisive.
British Infantry always +1 (!), Regular Cavalry +1, Zulus or Mahdists +1 except against British cavalry.

The Umpire may rule an extra +1 or -1 according to special circumstances (e.g +1 for Lancers in the 1st
round of a Melee, -1 for any troops attacking fieldworks).

A unit which is outnumbered and overlapped must fight up to two extra combats (at a straight D6 vs D6, with
2no adjustments) for each flank which is overlapped – it cannot inflict kills if it wins these extra combats, but
it will take them if it loses. In a 2nd round it fights 4 extra combats, in a 3rd it fights 6 etc, etc.

The overall loser of a melee must test Morale (see below) and if he passes the test the melee continues
next turn. It also continues next turn if there was no overall winner in the fighting.

If the enemy is broken and routed (see Morale) victorious Regular Infantry will rally on the spot. Any other
troops must roll a D6: for anything but a 6 (5/6 for Regular Cavalry) they will Pursue and destroy a routed
enemy. Regular Cavalry halt and rally after two moves of pursuit. Other troops chase the enemy off the table
and never rally.

5. MORALE
Any advancing infantry unit that suffers more than 10% fire casualties in a turn is automatically halted by
that fire and is pinned in position for at least one turn, during which it may only fire at ½ effect.
Otherwise a unit taking two or more fire casualties in a turn (1 or more for detachments/Cavalry/Artillery)
Or a unit which has lost a round of Melee
must test its Morale.

Roll 2D6 for Infantry, D6 +2 for a Kommando, D6+1 for Cavalry or Artillery, D6-1 for a detachment).
British Regulars (or equivalent e.g. Foreign Legion) +1, Any Regulars in square or behind defences +1,
Advancing Fanatics (eg Ghazis, Mahdists) +1.

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“Inferior quality” is a subjective assessment which can vary according to circumstances. Boers might be
considered Inferior if attempting to charge but not if firing from cover. Egyptian Conscripts might have no
adjustment if defending entrenchments, -1 if advancing under fire and -2 if testing after losing a Melee!

The Umpire might keep such variations secret in the game scenario, only to reveal them in the action.

An unadjusted roll of 11 or 12 is always a pass for Infantry (or a 6 in the case of other troops).

If the score is equal to or more than the total number of casualties it has sustained so far the unit will
continue to advance under fire or continue to fight a Melee or continue to fire at full effect.

If the score is less than the total casualties sustained so far a unit must halt (if not already halted) and may
fire back at only half effect next turn. A unit halted by fire may then choose to retreat OR test its morale again
(after at least 1 turn) to advance under fire or fire again at full effect. If this new test fails it falls back half a
move and halts again losing 1 extra casualty (= troops slinking off).
Note the need to keep a halted enemy under fire – artillery is particularly useful for this.

A unit which fails a morale test after losing a melee is broken and routed.
NB: British Infantry and Foreign Legion always fight on rather than rout but unless in square they must fall
back half a move and lose an extra casualty.

At 50% casualties Regular units or detachments must retreat back on their supports (if any).
Otherwise, any troops down to half strength or less must always attempt to retreat off the battlefield.

Reaction Test:

A unit must take this test whenever it sees fellow countrymen or ANY friendly Europeans retreat or
rout past within 12 inches. Test by rolling 1D6: British troops and Foreign Legion always +1, any troops
not engaged or under fire +1, if a General is with the unit +1, poor quality troops -1, friends routing past -1.
4,5 or 6 = Carry on, 1,2 or 3 = Retreat one turn then test again. Two successive retreats and the unit routs!

6. GENERALS & NATIVE COMMANDERS (one per Player or no more than 2 per army)
An unwounded General with a unit may try to rally it by re-rolling a failed Morale, Reaction or Pursuit test.
Risk to Generals: if a unit with a General takes more than 2 hits roll 2D6: 2 = killed, 3 = wounded.

7. FORTIFICATIONS AND FIELD DEFENCES

Zareba: Gives no cover. Attacker in Melee minus 1 on all his combat dice rolls.
Wagons or Sandbags etc: Cover vs small arms fire. Attacker in Melee -1.
Earthworks: Cover against small arms and artillery. Attacker in Melee -1.
Sangars: Cover against small arms. No advantage in Melee. Detachments or skirmishers in suitable rocky
terrain can build sangars for themselves if they are not under fire.
Roll 5/6 to complete on any move after the 2nd spent in construction.

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Tel El Kebir 1882

British
4 x24 figure battalions of regular infantry single shot rifles.
2 x12 cavalry, carbines.
2 field guns 4 crew.
I Nordenfeldt MG three crew.

Egyptians
4x20 inferior regular battalions single shot rifles, in fieldworks.
2x 20 Retif battalions irregulars single shot rifles, in fieldworks.
3x Krupp field guns 3 crew, in fieldworks.
2x 10 cavalry, inferior regulars, one with lances.

Suakin 1885

British
4 x24 regular battalions single shot rifles.
2 x12 regular cavalry, carbines one with improvised lances.
2x field guns 3 crew.
1x Gatling gun 3 crew.

Army of Osman Digna

NW frontier

British
4 x20 British or Indian battalions single shot breech loaders.
1x20 scouts Irregular skirmishers single shot rifles.
2 Mountain guns, 3 crew.
1 field gun 3 crew.
1 x12 regular cavalry, lances, carbines.

Pathans
Swordsmen 4x24 tribesmen, fierce (adds 1 in melee).
Musketeers4x 24 irregular tribesmen each can detach up to half as skirmishers.
3x10 cavalry, melee weapons.
In addition to 2 Generals this army may have one imam who adds a +1 to any unit testing morale within 6
inches of his position.

Atbara 1898

Dervishes
Ansar. 4x24 tribesmen single shot rifles poor shots, in fieldworks.
Ansar 4x24 tribesmen melee weapons, in fieldworks.
Baggara 3x12 cavalry, melee weapons.
Baggara 2x12. camelry. mounted infantry melee weapons.
Artillery. 1 Krupp gun 2 crew, in fieldworks.

British
4x 20 regular infantry breech loading magazine rifles.
2x 20 Sudanese or Egyptian regular infantry breech loading single shot rifles.
1x12 regular cavalry, lance, carbine.
2x field guns 5 crew.
1 x riverboat, equivalent to one field gun crew 4 and one Nordenfeldt type MG crew 3.

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Boer
6 x 16 Kommandos Mounted Irregular Infantry with breech loading magazine rifles. Sharpshooters.
Special Boer “Bug out” rule, A Boer Kommando with its horses within 8 inches of the unit may withdraw to its
horses and carry out a full mounted move in the same move.
1x Pom-pom 3 crew.
1x Field gun 4 crew.
1 x ammunition wagon.

British
6 x 24 Regular British infantry breech loading magazine rifles.
Ix 12 British cavalry , lancers.
1x 16 British mounted infantry Breech loading magazine rifles or 1x12 Regular Colonial cavalry, breech
loading magazine rifles.
2 x field guns 4 crew.
1x 4:7 inch Naval Gun 4 crew, or 1x Pompom or Maxim gun, 3 crew.

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