Redvers' Reverse: The Battle of Colenso, 1899
On the 15th December 1899 General Sir Redvers Buller tried to cross the Tugela River in order to relieve the Siege of Ladysmith. He was faced by well entrenched Boer commandos who inflicted a reverse upon the British that ultimately led to Buller being relieved of command.
For the British it is a race against time, the longer he delays the higher the Boer confidence goes, this is measured by a "Confidence track" which rises and falls according to events on the Battlefield. As the level of Boer confidence, alongside the extent of the Boer loses, is central to determining if the Boer retire and thus the British win, it must be kept low at all costs. This simple rule prevents the British concentrating against the Hlangwane and turning the Boer flank, he just hasn't got the time to redeploy his forces. There will also be a simple rule to handle Hart's confusion when trying to find a fordable crossing of the Tugela River. The Boer Gruppe are in their historical positions but their exact Firepower can change slightly from turn to turn. The British player does not know the exact firepower of each Gruppe until they are engaged. As loses are inflicted upon the Boer's their firepower will slowly decline and the likelihood of them withdrawing slowly increase. Whether or not they withdraw is determined at the end of each game turn by revealing the full firepower available, the position on the "Confidence track" and a die role.
The British can win but it won't be easy. The intention is for the player to feel that if I give it one more go I can do it.
Components:
- Game Map: 22" x 34"
- Game Counters : 240 each - .75" counters and game markers
- 9 each - 1.2" variant markers
- Rules Book: 12 pages
- Player Aids: 4 ea. 8 1/2" x 11" & 2 ea. 11" x 17"
- Scenarios: Full game only with variants
Game Details:
- Map Scale: Area (3"/mile)
- Unit Size: Company - Battalion
- Time Scale: 30 minutes/turn
- Players: 1
- Complexity: MED
- Solitaire: High