Escape from Myer's Drift
A Tabletop Game of the Zulu War

Table Size: 3 x 6 feet
Forces needed: 30 British (including a few white and black civilians), 40 zulus
Setup: See Map.
Place the British camp at "C," extending no more than 6 inches onto the table. Place 20 British figures (including Lieutenant Henry Hollingworth Harward, mounted) and 20 Zulus (the first iviyo) in the camp in a confused jumble.
Place the abandoned farm at "F," extending no more than 6 inches onto the table.
Place 10 British (including Color Sergeant Booth and Lance Corporal Burgess) in a defensive cluster at "B," about 2 feet from the camp perimeter.
Place 5 Zulus at each "Z" (altogether forming the second iviyo).
You will also need some six-sided dice in three colors.
British Movement
The British player moves first by rolling 3d6: a red "escape" die, a white movement die, and a green "Go" die.
First look at the "escape" die. If it rolls a 1, 2, or 3, one British figure escapes from the camp; place the figure just outside the camp perimeter. The first figure to escape must be Lt. Harward. On a roll of 4, 5, or 6, one British figure is killed instead; remove one soldier (never Lt. Harward) from the camp.
Next look at the movement die. If it rolls a 2-6, then one British refugee that is outside the camp can move twice that many inches. Lt. Harward moves three times that many inches. Moving through brush costs double. Moving within 1 inch of Zulu figures is prohibited.
If the movement die rolls a 1, then Color Sergeant Booth and his group of survivors move 6 inches directly toward the abandoned farm. Any Zulus in the way are moved aside.
If the "Go" die rolls a 1, 2, or 3, the British player gets to take another move immediately. (This die is rolled at the same time as the move die, so the British player knows before making each move whether he's going to get another.) The "Go" die is rolled with each move, so it's possible to string together several moves in a row.
Zulu Movement
The Zulu player rolls 3d6: two white and one colored "Go" die.
Add together the two white movement dice. One group of Zulus outside the camp can move that many inches. Movement through brush is at normal speed.
If the two white dice are doubles, then one group of Zulus searching brush for a refugee finds him. This is done instead of moving, at the Zulu player's discretion.
If the "Go" die rolls a 1, 2, or 3, the Zulu player gets to take another turn.
Zulus are prohibited from entering the abandoned farm. Only Zulus outside the camp move at this time. Zulus inside the camp are busy killing the redcoats as they stumble out of their tents.
When Zulus Catch British Figures
If Zulus catch British figures on the run, there's a fight. Roll one die for the British figure and one for the attacking Zulu. The Zulu gets to add +1 to his roll. Whoever rolls higher, wins. If there is a tie, roll again. The loser is killed if he rolled a 1 or 2. A Zulu steps back and lets someone else do the fighting if he loses with a roll of 3 or more. A British figure that loses with a roll of 3 or more manages to escape; move the figure 2 inches away from the Zulus in any direction.
British figures that are moving through brush are hidden. Zulus can find British soldiers in the brush only by entering that brushy area and then rolling doubles on their two movement dice. One roll will find every British figure in that same patch of brush, but they all fight individually (the British don't get to form up in close order; each man is on his own).
The survivors organized under Color Sergeant Booth are too strong for these small groups of Zulus to attack (Booth's men had full ammo pouches and he directed volleys at any Zulus who ventured too near). The Zulus can't move closer than 6 inches to Booth's men. In turn, these men must remain in a tight, close-order cluster with all-around facing (no fair stretching out across the table to prevent the Zulus from passing through).
Reaching Safety
British figures that escape from the camp are seeking to either reach the abandoned farm (difficult) or link up with Color Sergeant Booth's group (much more likely). Once they join Booth, they are safe from Zulu attacks.
Lt. Harward
When it was clear that the situation was utterly lost, Lt. Harward ordered Booth to fall back to the farm. He then caught up his horse and hightailed it for Luneberg and reinforcements. He was subsequently court-martialed for abandoning his troops in the face of the enemy. The court acquitted him of all charges, but Chelmsford and Wolseley still considered his action shameful.
Lt. Harward must be the first figure to escape from the camp. He will not seek safety with Color Sergeant Booth, but instead heads at top speed toward the far table edge. You aren't obligated to get him away. However, as long as he is on the table, you must move him in preference to any other figure whenever a 6 is rolled on the British movement die. You can move him on other rolls, too, if you want, but he gets all the sixes.
The Second Phase
After 20 turns, the British camp will be empty of British soldiers; they're all either dead or have slipped away.
When there are no more British refugees on the table (all are either dead or have linked up with Color Sergeant Booth), the first stage of the game ends and the second begins. At that point, the game shifts to standard The Sword & The Flame rules. Color Sergeant Booth is the only British leader on the scene. There are two Zulu units, the iviyo from the camp and the scattered iviyo that was hunting for refugees. Zulus are still prohibited from entering the farm.
Victory
The game ends when the British have either been wiped out or all surviving British are holed up inside the abandoned farm.
Victory is determined by how many British figures (not counting Lt. Harward) make it to the farm. Living figures count, even if wounded; dead figures do not.
15 or more: major British victory, Harward acclaimed for his "brilliant ride"
13, 14: minor British victory, Booth gets his VC
9-12: minor Zulu victory, Harward dismissed in disgrace
1-8: major Zulu victory, Swazis rise and join Cetshwayo
0: brilliant Zulu victory, Chelmsford relieved of command

Read the battle report | Return to Myer's Drift history | Return to Main Page