Algerie 1834

For the French Zouave Player:

You are Lt. Hans Neinschiese of the 2e Zouaves.  Due to Berber activity and lack of ammunition and food, you were forced to abandon your outpost and make a move down the valley to the safety of the fort but were halted at this small village of El Nowar.  You had a volunteer with a message of your plight go to the fort but chances were slim of his success, however you hear the sounds of gunfire indicating help is on its way.

You may have limited action however due to your fatigued state of your men and their lack of ammuntion.  Thus you activate any moves with an additional +2 on the dice; can only fire on a successful activation four times; and cannot activate any charges.  If on the path, you gain 4” of movement.

Units within the baseboard perimeter of the town offers an additional stamina point.

The game to last to “night fall” The French must either have all units move back to the start point of the FFLor all units must be within the perimeter of the village for safety.

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The Zouaves in the village.  The rather crude buildings made from cork sheets.

For the French Foreign Legion Player:

You are Capt. Francois D’Mathie of the 2e ER.  A bedraggled volunteer of the 2e Zouaves , has given a message of the plight of a contingent overwhelmed at the El Nowar outpost and the commander has tasked you to offer a rescue.  You are to take 2 companies and a train of ammunition and food up the valley.  You must link up with the Legionaries and return with them. 

You have 6 rounds of ammuntion per unit. While designated for the rescued, you can break open the ammuntion boxes of the mule train for up to an additional 12 rounds of ammunition.  The unit resupplied must be adjacent to the mule train to be re-supplied.  

The wagon has the food for the rescued and must be protected.

If on the path, you gain 4” of movement 

Having much elan, your Legionnaires can activate charges against known Berber positions with an additional +2 modifier on your roll. 

The game to last to “night fall” The French must either have all units move back to the start point of the FFL or all units must be within the perimeter of the village for safety.

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Using TMWWBK rules, KevinA, PeterM and myself as the Berber leader 'I Bin a Badhi' gave my French of Algeria 1834 a go.  The French in 1830, still uniformed much as they had in the Napoleonic wars, sought to colonize the north coast of Africa and fighting practically never ceased until 1964 when finally relinquishing control.  Early on the French incorporated native elements but the Zouave contingent soon became primarily European in nature but still retaining the native dress which soon would become so beloved by American volunteer units in their civil war. As this is the early years of the occupation, I employed Victrix greatcoat plastics with modifications to show the Foreign Legion uniform before 1840 at which the belly box was in vogue and thus lack of crossbelts would render these figures out of date.  

While I do have some Berber type figures on foot for use against my other 1920's style Legionnaires, I have not gained any appropriate types and so use hidden markers.  They activate as usual to fire but do not move. If attacked, a dice roll determines if they stay and fight, or evaporate off the table.

The Legionnaries Grenadier company (top) and Voltigeur company (bottom).  At this early stage, French still had differing companies within the battalion and so coloured epaulettes.

Smoke from the 'shrubbery' has a small group of hidden native musketeers firing at the grenadiers. 

The small groups of hidden Berbers in this game had the French stymied and hard pressed to stave off disaster.