Rorkes Drift 1964
”The Battle of the”22 and 23 January 1879...
Wargame rules for wargaming the film ZULU of 1964...
About the rules :
These rules are designed specifically for a game based on Rorkes Drift when 3500 Zulu’s attack the Missionary Station that was defended by 158 British troops .
The rules have been designed to give both players a chance of a victory .
The British troops need to build their defence perimeter and finally the redoubt to be able to win .
Whilst the Zulu’s have to be able to attack whilst there is no defensive barrier .
The rules have been used with both sides winning .
Scales :
The rules can cater for all figure scales from 2mm up to 25mm/30mm .
For the British the figure scale is one for ten men .
The Zulu’s can have the same figure scales but if you are using a larger scale figure then the figure ratio can be one to hundred but the base needs to be a
suiteable size to represent the number of Zulu’s ...
Zulu organisation :
Regiment Strength :
Unmarried zulu regiments :
inDluyengwe 500 men...
Married zulu regiments :
uThulwana Strength ?
isiBabule Strength ?
iNkonkoni Strength ?
inDlondlo Strength ?
uDloko Strength ?
Total married zulu regiments ,3000 men...
British organisation :
158 men...
The ground scale is of your choice and depends on the space available. One yard can be one millimetre or ten yards can be an inch .
The table scale should be 3000 yards by 1000 yards...
Setting up the game :
The Zulu’s start the game off table and move from the direction of Isandhlwana to encircle the Missionary Station ready to attack .
The British are in the missionary station with out any defences . 30 are in the hospital and the rest can defend the Missionary station and build the defensive wall’s .
Playing the Game :
The game is played in bounds broken down into three one minute phases where one of the following actions can take place .
Movement, firing, melee or wall construction .
The British troops can start constructing the defensive wall from the start of the game .
The Zulu’s move onto the table and encircle the Missionary Station ready to attack but they must not any closer than 500 yards .
Only one Zulu regiment can attack at a time . The other regiments lay down in
dead ground and long grass .
Once a regiment retreats then the next one can stand up ready to attack .
Before any Zulu attack takes place a ordinary six sided die is rolled to determine how many bounds the regiment will beat its shields before launching an attack, this is hidden from the British player to prevent any knowledge when the attack will happen .
Whilst beating it shields the regiment can advance fifty yards per bound but no closer than 100 yards from the defenders .
Any outstanding bounds where the Zulu regiment has to beats its shields are done stationery...
Formations and movement :
The British are in single skirmish line when at the defences whilst a section of ten men can stand back from the main defensive line ready to counter charge
the Zulu’s .
The Zulu’s when marching on table move in a column five ranks wide .
When formed up ready to attack/charge the Zulu’s form up five ranks deep .
Direction changes for the Zulu’s are minus 25 yards for every 90◦ turn when marching across country .
When formed up for a charge subtract 50 yards for a 45◦ turn .
Zulu’s climbing over a obstacle, on to or into a building take one bound without any combat . A maximum of 30 Zulu’s can be on top of a building at any one time .
They may try to enter a building via the roof or wall which takes 2 bounds without any combat and a maximum of 50 Zulu’s can enter the building but only 10 can melee .
Firing :
To calculate any casualty from rifle fire add and subtract the rifle factors, roll a six sided die . Add the two scores together and multiply by every group of ten men firing ,
i.e. one figure. This gives the casualties for one minutes firing. If firing in more than one phase in that bound multiply by the number of phases/minutes.
Rifle fire factors
Zulu’s firing per ten men -1
Target behind cover -6
Range for zulu's spears = 30 yards
Range for zulu's muskets = 100 yards
Range for Zulu's muzzle loading rifles = 260 yards
British troops resting weapons, i.e. on defensive wall +5
Melee :
A figure may not melee whilst constructing a defensive wall, crossing a obstacle,trying to enter a building or trying to push over a defensive wall .
A defensive wall can be pushed over with two bounds of no combat and a score of three or more on a six sided die .
The defending troops are pushed back 10 yards but without any casualties and the Zulus can move through the gap the next bound .
Casualties are calculated in a similar way as the firing, for every ten men .
Roll a six sided die then add or subtract the factors. multiply the score by the number of 10 men fighting and by the number of phases in a bound .
Modifiers :
Bayonet in melee +2
Unobstructed charge +2
Over a obstacle -2
Against the redoubt -5
Morale :
There is no morale in these rules. The only factor to consider is when a Zulu regiment has been reduced by 25% of its original strength it will retreat and go to ground . It may attack again after a pause of at least three bounds .
Once a Zulu regiment is reduced to 50% of its original strength it will cease combat and any attack .
Redoubt and defensive wall construction :
For the redoubt to be constructed it will take ten men 20 bounds to complete .
This time factor will be reduced roportinally with more men helping to build it .
The redoubt is considered strong enough to withstand a Zulu regiment .
For defensive wall to be constructed it will take ten men 5 bounds to for 50 yards .
More men will do it in a quicker time .
This time also applies to a section that has been damaged by an attack .
Good Luck
Pascal
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