The Jackson Gamers return to Florida:
HURRICON 2003
September 26/28 2003

The Jackson Gamers returned to the sunshine state on September 25, 2003. Rembering our spring 03 jaunt down the highways and byways of Florida, we again loaded Mark Steven's Volkswagen "Bug" with too many troops, too much terrain and larry the lizard (our bobble-head guide). Did we have as much fun as we had at Recon in April? Yup!

All photos by Jay Stribling unless otherwise credited.

The Sikhs across the Sutlej Game

Mark Stevens (seated), looks on as his Sikhs across the Sutlej game winds down. In this 1846 battle, the British/Indian allies have turned the Sikh's left flank and pierced the center. Two British generals sip a cool drink as they watch the action.

British artillery pound away at a small village occupied by Sikh infantry in the 1846 Sikhs across the Sutlej game. The Honorable East India company's army won the game, but with substantial losses.

John Company infantry advance toward the central Sikh redoubt.

The British and their allied did not assault the powerful Sikh redoubt in the center of the battlefield, but instead, they pierced the Sikh lines on either side of the work. This would have led to the redoubt falling as the British curved around behind it.

Images of the Sikh horse in Mark Stevens' Sikhs across the Sutlej game. These were painted by Mark Stevens and Andrew Doyle.

More Sikh horsemen, trying to reorganize after being hurled back by the John company's

Photo by Pat Condre

View of East India company gunners, backed up by Cavalry as viewed from the Sikh lines.

The Sikh commander on his gorgeously tricked out Elephant. This photo does not do the 25mm Pachyderm justice. It is really quite nice and keeps the great man above the vulgar tumult and struggle. Two mounted musicians on the same command stand are ready to use trumpet and bugle to transmit commands over the din of battle.

Photo by Pat Condre

This image is from the rear of the Sikh lines looking towards the British as they advance, just to the right of the central redoubt (off the edge of the photo to the left - you can see a single gabion of the work at the extreme left of the picture).

Photo by Pat Condre

Looking towards the Sikh rear. You can see the mud huts, and tents, and general clutter of the rear area. The gunners in the work and the infantry on the right look stalwart enought, but when the crunch came, they were no match for the Honorable East India Company's troops.

The Zulu War Challenge Game

Mark Stevens was the British commander in the "Challenge Game" called Horsemeat Can Be Tasty . This was a game occasioned by a dispute between Jay Stribling and Mark Stevens (on the pages of the prestigeous Colonial List) about the value of cavalry in the 1879 Zulu Wars. The game was based loosely on the ride of the Mounted Column in 1879. The game had to be called because of the approaching end of the alotted time period.

Frank Puleo (in white shirt) is moving his Natal native contingent forces forward, very early in the game. One of his fellow commanders in the purple shirt watches, and awaits his turn with the movement dice.

Jay Stribling thinks that his Zulu's won the game, humbling the vaunted British cavalry and eating mighty well for days. Mark Stevens thinks that the challenge was "2 out of 3 games".

I do not believe that the British had enough movement speed to have gone the length of the table to arrest the Renegade Zulu prince in the time allotted. If we do this game again (and I am willing to do so) I will allow the British mounted units a 5-dice normal move.

The Along the Sweetwater Canal Game

Exuberant 1882 British Commanders display the spirit found in most of the games at Hurricon. They won their game against Arabi Pasha's Egyptian army by continuous pressure along the line. Their sweep against the Egyptian left would have pushed the "gyppies" off the table, had it not been for repeated poor command response dice rolls which impeded their movement.

The Egyptian commanders in a more somber mood - undoubtedly at evening prayers. The Egyptian players did well. They very roughly handled the British/Indian cavalry, keeping that very powerful arm busy with continual morale failures. In the center, they surrounded the Seaforth Highlanders, but powerful British rifle fire never allowed the Egyptians to close and destroy them.

The Egyptian infantry is moving forward. I postulated a night attack that very barely got going before a British dawn offensive. After the set-up, behind a screen, the Egyptians were allowed one move forward with no fire and no command response needed. Fuzzily, an Egyptian Gatling gun battery can be seen among the palms in the forground.

Photo by Scott Woodman

A view of the British left showing the cavalry speeding forward to attack the Sudanese on the Egyptians' extreme right flank. Multiple attacks failed to close or were beaten off by the infantry in squares, and the gunfire of the battery among the palm trees.

Photo by Scott Woodman

A view of the center of the table showing the Egyptian advance against the long steady British line.

Photo by Scott Woodman

A close-up of the Sudanese square, just before they opened fire!

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