The Fall of Khartoum

Generally speaking, I really like little games.  Sure, there's something to be said for the sweeping vistas created by maps like those in the LABAT series and the like, but, having spent more than a few hours crouched over there, there's a release to be felt over something like this:

The really neat thing is that this map, if you flip it the other way, marries nicely to the bottom of the full "Remember Gordon!" campaign map.  In the event, the Mahdi ordered Khartoum abandoned after the death of Gordon so it plays no part in the later Omdurman campaign, save by its memory.

As one might expect, I've got a tiny handful of units that I've largely nestled into the settled area of Khartoum.  There are no counters appropriate to the earlier scenario provided so the units for both sides are stand-ins borrowed from the larger counter mix.

If you look at the first photograph, it's evident that I wasn't sure what to do with the outer wall of Khartoum.  With the receding of the Nile that Gordon had long feared, the eastern flank of his defenses was left hanging in the air.  I initially thought it'd be a precocious idea to garrison the two "bumps" in the wall with two units each of loyal Sudanese.  How better, after all to pour a bit of early fire into the advancing Mahdists?  That analysis, however, made no allowance for their foot speed.

Meanwhile, HL brought up two of his three artillery units and quickly punched breaches into the wall for even more screaming Mahdists to pour through.

The bottom line in this little game is whether or not Gordon can speed bump the Mahdists just enough to force down their victory level.  There's just about no way that Chinese leaves this joint alive.  Despite the fact that none of the Mahdists have rifles -- forcing everything for them to one hex range -- and the fact that the British and their allies can pour defensive fire into them before they attack, their numbers are just too much, even when measured in terms of spears.

 One big thing I did notice is that there are times when the Mahdists are better served to melee only after which they can advance after combat; an opportunity not afforded them in missile combat.

Gordon is under there somewhere.  In the palace under the friendlies at the left.

The level of victory is determined by how many turns it takes to kill Gordon.  This level can be reduced depending on the number of casualties taken in the effort.  In this game, HL scored a marginal victory which dropped to a draw due to casualties.  He'd have done better, I think, had he forgone a few fire combats and just had at me with clubs, spears, and swords.