Kampfgruppe Engel: Tribal wars in Africa

Tribal wars in Africa

I tried out the Hail Caesar rules with my Tribal Africa project. It was some times since I read the rules now but I think we managed to play them mostly correctly anyway. I acted as the umpire and pressganged two of my friends at the club to test it. They have previously tested the Black Powder rules so they quickly got in to the game mechanics.

I pitted two tribes against each other. One more close combat orientated and one more range orientated.
I decided that the Zulus would attack the Hamr tribe.

The player of the Hamr tribe was given a deployment area and mustered his warriors. In one of the table edges a witchdoctor was placed at her tent. The Hamr player was told that she would help him if he placed a unit in base to base contact. What she does or what rules she had I kept a secret for the players at that time.

The Zulu player then deployed his force 6” into the table and was given the first turn.

His chieftain at once ordered his warriors in full regalia to advance as fast as their legs could carry them to the enemy and three orders were carried out in this manner. His other units must have been tired from the forced march to the battlefield because they failed to hear or obey his shouting’s.

The Hamr chieftain ordered one unit of spearmen forward and sent Bobobo and his followers of drummerboy hangarounds in close behind (I first gave him the name of Bob but that seemed like a strange name for him so I lengthened the name somewhat.)

The Zulus in full dress running forward but their friends still catching a brake and resting, must to the frustration of the chieftain.

The Hamr tribe must have been stunned to see the Zulus rushing at them at full speed and just looked on, their chieftain failed to give them any orders.

The Zulu forerunners get in contact with some Hamr warriors and win the combat, forcing the Hamr warriors to give ground.

But then something terrible must have happen, the Hamr warriors start fighting back like a wild lion and smacking the living shit out of the Zulus. It must all have been a clever trap to fool the enemy to pursue. The Zulus got beaten, beaten bad and broke from the battle.

The Zulu chieftain could not believe his eyes but finally manages to order his other unit forward.

Meanwhile the Hamr tribe has managed to get the witchdoctor to help them. She gave the closest units some magical berries, some magical bodypaint and told them that they are now invincible.

Things are starting to look really good for the Hamr tribe now and a unit of warriors was orders into speartrowing distance with the enemy.

Other parts of the tribe is ordered to try to surround the Zulus.

After some spears are thrown the Hamr chieftain orders one of his units to attack the wounded Zulu light infantry unit up and personal and a bloody combat is resolved.

The Zulu light infantry and the Zulu warriors manages to force the Hamr unit to give ground.

Before they manages to exploit this the Hamr chieftain orders one of his fresh units, the invincible units accompanied by the witchdoctor to charge the Zulus. Booth the chieftains join in to ad their strength to the fight.

Bobobo and his drummer boys see his moment, this could be his moment to show the other Hamr warriors his skill and he closes in with his sword drawn.

The Zulu is a fearsome warrior tribe indeed, the invincible Hamr unit, their chieftain and the witchdoctor is cut to pieces.

Bobobo gets a good smacking and starts to run with the Zulus in hot pursuit.
This was not his moment, better run to fight another day.

The Zulu tribe is victorious!

Damn that was a good game. I really liked the rules. At one time I thought the Hamr tribe would win easily after their extremely good start but the fighting skills of the Zulus came thru in the end. Both players caught up with the rules easily and I think we all had a blast.

Im not sure about the stats I given to each of the tribes, if it was a fair fight.
I was unsure if the witchdoctor or Bobobo and his drummer boys would work but I think the rules is easily open to add these stranger or more unusual stuff into it without getting complicated.

The Hail Caesar rules worked perfectly for even this smaller types of games.

The witchdoctor gave the unit she joined with the Fanatical rule and added 1 attack like a commander.