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The
Adventures Colonel Kurtz: Kurtz, a renegade German, formerly of the French
Foreign Legion, Force Publique and Mercenary.
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King
Uhmed and Kurtz's communication group. |
INTRODUCTION
German Colony of Kamerun, Africa
1890's
The Germans have been patrolling inland using steamers
on the river. Kurtz's wandering renegade army has moved into the highlands
of Kamerun. Kurtz is beginning to build a kingdom, based on slaving and
raiding. Having taken over a village at the base of a hill, Kurtz has renamed
the village Kurtzburg. The top of the "burg" looks down on the river the
Germans have been patrolling.
Kurtz is determined to stop the German advance in his
realm, but it is going to be very difficult with the poorly trained musket
armed troops in his fledgling army. Most of his levy have set up defensive
positions facing back down the hill, as news reaches them that the Germans
have landed down stream and have flanked them, and are advancing up the
hill towards the village.
The top of the hill drops off, down a cliff to the river,
so Kurtz must stand, attack or flee.
This is a small game for three or four players and the
scenario can be played with any European, well armed aggressor, and any
number of native defenders. It will be equally at home with the French
in West Africa, the Belgians in the Congo or the Portuguese in Angola.
The Europeans' devastating firepower will surely make
mincemeat of the natives, but the government does not want to hear of casualties
in the colonies.
The
Rules
We played the game with The Sword and the Flame, a 1:1
colonial skirmish game set of rules. We have modified the rules with some
factors that allow for the more devastating firepower brought into effect
by the Europeans at the end of the 19th Century. We dub these modifications,
The Sword and the Sand are also available form the publishers of The Sword
and Flame, as a modification produced as part of a scenario pack.
The crux of this modification is a different firing chart,
which is reproduced on the Red Shadow game, Tukulor
Ghosts. We have also introduced a new hand to hand combat chart.
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ORDER OF BATTLE
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GERMAN
FORCES
Marine Section (12 Men)
1 Officer. Flag bearer 10 marines
Superior Rifle
Elite troops
Askari Sections (4 Sections of 10 men)
Including 1 German Officer, 1 German NCO, 2 African NCO's)
Inferior Rifle
Askari Machine Gun Section
2 Maxim Machine Guns (Each with 80 bursts-D20's) Maximum
20 per turn
Native Levy
Former Chief of Kurtzberg and 20 musket men. Inferior
natives
Scouts
5 man scout team (Moves at charge-no drop backs, must
evade from a charge. Armed with poor rifle. No leader required). Use scouts
to flush ambushes. They reveal any ambush they move within 4 inches of.
All German regulars have magazine fed bolt action rifles
and can fire twice per turn. The Askaris have black powder rifles so count
as inferior. The levies are armed with musket and fire half per turn. |
Kurtz's Renegade Army
Colonel Kurtz's Personal Bodyguard (20 Men)
Various breech loading single shot rifles.
Poor Rifle. Fanatics
King Uhmed, Kurtz's 2nd in command
Communication group of drummer and two witch doctors.
10 musket armed body guards. Fanatics
Amazon Women Warriors.
Kurt's personal Harem. 18 Fanatic warriors. Spear
Native Spear Men
3 units of 20 spear warriors
Native Musket Men
4 units of 20 musket men
Inferior natives
Kurt's Artillery
Iron cannon (fires case as per 8cm mountain gun on charts)
4 rounds - takes one turn to swab, one turn to load,
may fire on third turn - starts loaded)
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Victory
Using the modified charts for The
Sword and the Sand, the ability of the Germans to drive Kurtz from his
burg, is a foregone conclusion. The statistical fire power balance is 10:1
in favor of the Germans. Kurtz knows this. However, he also knows that
the German government will not stand for high casualties in the search
of a Place in the Sun for the Kaiser.
Kurtz's intent, then, is to inflict
intolerable casualties on the Germans and damage their credibility and
prestige in the area.
The following victory conditions
should ideally be unknown to the players until after the game. If you play
this game, take a subordinate position in the game so that your knowledge
of the required victory conditions will not affect your tactical input.
The Germans should simply be told
to keep casualties to an absolute minimum.
The German mission is to Drive
Kurtz from the hill
The Germans begin the game with
100% Credibility
If the Germans end the game 75%
ore more credibility, it is a Major Victory
If the Germans end the game with
50%-75%, it is a Minor Victory
If the Germans end the game
with 25%-49% it is a Phyrric Victory and considered a draw
If the Germans end the game with
0%-24%, it is a Minor Victory to Kurtz
If the Germans end the game with
less than 0%, it is a Major Victory to Kurtz
Each European Officer or NCO Killed |
-25%
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Each African NCO Killed |
-10%
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Each Marine Killed |
-10%
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Each Askari Killed |
-5%
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Each Machine Gun captured |
-50%
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Each Native Levy or Scout Killed |
-1%
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The scenario specifications follow. |
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