Indian Mutiny skirmish game - The Men Who Would Be Kings

An Indian Mutiny skirmish game using The Men Who Would Be Kings by Daniel Mersey, published by Osprey wargames.

Editor's Postscript:

For those interested in doing something similar, John was using the rules as written, but with unit stats derived from Rebels & Patriots, which are very similar - see below for details.

On with the AAR.

Civilians having fled from the garrison town of Meerut, are heading for Delhi assisted by four groups of the Honourable East India Company (HEIC), two of Europeans and two of Sepoys, and they have been joined by two groups of British regulars along with one of Light infantry.

Map illustrating the key towns involved with the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and the area of Meerut and Delhi, where our scenario takes place.

They were intercepted by a mixed force of Mutineer’s, some Sepoy’s having retained their good order and able to use disciplined fire, while others had descended into a chaotic rabble which, although retaining their muskets, were more intent on rushing into hand to hand with the enemy.

The mutineers had somehow also acquired a field artillery gun but which they seemed unfamiliar with and in it’s use.

The fleeing force formed a line with the HEIC on the left and the British on the right, and with the civilians between them. In the beginning the battle went well for British, the HEIC formed up in close order pouring volley fire into the advancing rabble. The British sent forward their Light infantry who with their longer ranged rifled muskets also laid down a lethal fire into the advancing mutineers.

The mutineers for their part were slow to advance, with their leaders being unable to drum up support for such a move, and the gunners seeming not to know how to load their artillery piece. 

The mutineers that did manage to advance were forced to retreat from the HEIC fire while the British

Light infantry poured lethal volleys into the mutineers to their front, wiping out one unit entirely.

The British were jubilant pressing forward, along with the civilians, seeing their escape as a real possibility, then their fortunes of war were reversed, as the leaders of the mutineers rallied the more ordered Sepoy's, with them advancing to return a hail of shot into the enemy. 

The men manning the artillery piece finally mastered which end was the barrel and added their fire in support.

Both the British and HEIC both suffered badly from the mutineers fire, some units being forced to retreat while others were so badly decimated as to not be able to form close order thus being unable to volley fire. Finally being forced to disperse into the countryside where many were likely caught and massacred.

AAR and Game organised by John