Jingals in The Men Who Would Be Kings

There are no stats for Jingals in The Men Who Would Be Kings.  Of course, if you have Boxer, or Imperials or Tai Ping troops you want Jingals.

Right then, what do we know about Jingals?  Basically, a Jingal was like a big shot gun with a two- man crew.  At short range, it could be very effective at long range it was nearly useless.  It was though very mobile, a Jingal and crew could easily keep up with infantry.  They were often used from cover or concealment.  You can see two of them, mounted on tripods, front and centre, below. Sometimes there was no tripod with one of the crew resting the weapon on his shoulder instead.

I’m rating mine as follows: Irregular crewed weapon, 2 crew three dice each, range ‘3 (for 15mm), speed ‘3. A Jingal crews only defence against close quarter assault was to evade it so their free movement will be skirmish.  I’m thinking a cost of 2 points, possibly 3.

While we are on the subject Blue Moon 15/18mm have released a lovely bag of Jingals and crews under the title of Chinese Wall Guns.

General Rose’s Gambit

It was fair to say that General Rose had been unlucky so far.  The troops called him the accursed Rose. That he was plucky no one doubted and so when it was decided that the Rani must be taught a lesson his eagerly offered services were swiftly accepted.

It was a daring plan; a strong force would bridge the river protecting the Rani’s capital Krishnapur and establish a bridgehead on the far side.  This would be re enforced and then the city subject to storm and sack.

There were problems, patrols had been unable to penetrate the strong screens of Mutineer cavalry and intelligence was contradictory.  No one was sure exactly where the Rani’s main forces were.  The danger was that Rose would be caught on the march and the pontoons and necessary boats destroyed or immobilised through loss of draft animals.

Clearly what was required was a strong cavalry force to prevent the column being surprised.  With adequate warning, the firepower of the column’s guns and new rifles would see off any assault.

To help things along General Hope Grant would feint to the north dealing out retribution as he went.  Thus, causing uncertainty among the foe and perhaps making them divide their forces.  

If General Grant met with over strong opposition he was to withdraw.

Reader, I succumbed

I mentioned in a previous Nap’ Rampant post that what I needed to do was to buy some French infantry, but what I wanted to do was to buy some British light dragoons and Vistula lancers.

Of course, I bought the cavalry. AB figures pricey but lovely and they come in the right amounts for this sort of game.  I ordered more French from Xan too.

Progress continues with the British nearly done.  Should you want to know if Old Glory and Campaign Group Miniatures 15mm go well together, they do indeed.  OG on the left below.

A start has been made on the French with a Baden unit completed.

Further poking around the bits box has produced a unit of Walloon Guards and one of Spanish light infantry.

I think that will do it for this project.  Famous last words of course.

Zulu Stuff

I got a copy of Dan Mersey’s A Wargamers Guide to the Anglo Zulu War at a good price.  It’s a very nice, well produced affair containing pretty much what you would want to know. 

The tone is pleasantly conversational and as you would expect-informed.  Strangely, Dan does not mention his own splendid Men Who Would Be King in the rules round up towards the back.  Old fashioned modesty perhaps, anyway it doesn’t matter because you can clearly see from the historical material what inspired the thinking behind his ‘tribal firepower’ rule.  All in all, it’s a grand little purchase.  

The Impi, as you can see is coming on a treat.  Just one unit left to paint and then its horns, head and loins on the table.

Here’s a pic of the Old Glory Chinese Legation armed civilians handy enough for the Cape too.

More Nap’ Rampant

Well, the British force has taken shape.  It’s not too unlikely, a unit of line infantry and one of light from Campaign Group Miniatures- lovely figures and in stove pipe shako.  Next, two more units of light infantry from Old Glory.  Last but not least Highlanders and Rifles from Fantassin now available from Capitan. All from the bits box and all units up to strength.

The French proved more of a challenge and so I might have to put my hand in my pocket.  The bits box delivered a gun and crew, a French line unit and too few voltiguers (2), cavalry (4) and command (1).  I do have two units of Bavarians too and one of French grenadiers. Can I justify a unit of French grenadiers?  I suspect not.

So, I need to make some decisions and to set some boundaries to prevent this becoming a bigger project than it needs to be.  That said surely 36 points would prove more flavoursome than 24.

I’d like some British light dragoons in shako and some Vistula lancers but really all I need to do is to buy some French infantry from Xan Miniatures.

As a compromise, I’ll be haunting ebay while I dither.

Nap’ Rampant

Belatedly, I came across mention of Eagle Rampant (a Napoleonic Lion Rampant) and then Dragoon Rampant-Ditto but for the Peninsula War and subsequently Rifleman’s Lament based on The Pikeman’s Lament.  

All good stuff, so of course I succumbed.

A visit to the Bits Box and I was in business give or take a couple of discrete purchases.

While I pondered I realised these are the type of rules needed for the ’98 in Ireland.  First though I need some figures.  Khurasan have them, but they have not been released.  When they are ready I will be too.

Meantime, with only one Zulu unit left to paint my thoughts are turning to Spain.  Mr Mersey seems to have pulled off the DBA effect by creating an engine that everyone wants to use. 

Zulus, 32 of them!

All Old Glory 15mms and based for The Men Who Would Be Kings.  These ones are the married warriors with head rings.  Nice figures I think, with a lot of variety.  They seem to be slightly smaller than the OG Ancients figures I have.  

The bag produced enough figures for three units of 16 figures with spares left over. Six figures are armed with a rifle.

I’ve ordered a bag of Zulus in full ‘uniform’ too.  That will give six units in all and should I want, a unit of skirmishers.  So in terms of the Impi a 1-4-1 formation for horns, chest and loins of the bull. 

They are quite time consuming to paint but worth it I think. You do have to glue the shields on.