German East Africa: Outpost Attack AAR

So Steve, Victor, and I managed to meet up for some African gaming today.  The local hobby shop was unavailable due to a swap meet, so Victor's wife graciously allow us to take over her dining room.  She even fixed lunch!

The game consisted of a raid on a German outpost (Steve) by native and British troops (Victor and yours truly).  To make things a bit more interesting, we also had some wild animals roaming the board, along with some cattle that could be captured and used to offset a failed moral test.

Overview of the outpost

 An advanced KAR unit deploys on the British left to flush out any hidden German troops.

British infantry prepare to start up the road.

 German askari prepare to move through the banana trees.  Lions have recently been spotted around the farm, so they have to be careful.

 Victor decides to don some appropriate headgear  as he deploys his askari.

The start of round one, and it's time to review rules as everyone is a bit rusty.

German troops safely snake through the banana trees behind a scout, while a puzzled rhino looks on.

The advanced guard of KAR troops spring a Masai ambush.

Native warriors break out of the scrub brush and head down the road towards the hotel.

The German command and a small group of native archers assemble at the trading outpost.  Askari have been stationed at the hotel windows to snipe at advancing forces.

British askari scurry out from behind the hill and manage to avoid the German snipers.

The KAR troops pull back and set up a firing line in preparation for the Masai assault. A European settler and the British forces also start to get into position.

Native horsemen and riflemen spring out of the bushes on the British right and head for the outpost.

In a panic, the KAR troops only manage to shoot one Masai before the onslaught begins. 

Native warriors rush down the road towards the German command.

The German scout leads the askari up a hill, where they have a prime view of battle between the Masai and KAR.

The Germans send out a witch doctor to spook the native troops, but he is quickly gunned down before he can cause a panic.

German askari continue their trek from the farm to the hill, managing to grab some cattle that had passed  through their line.  The rhino has wandered off, but is still in the area.

Spotting the natives coming down the road, the German command and the archers start to advance.

 The battle with the Masai is a bloodbath. The few KAR not slaughtered run like mad off the board.  The European settler looses his gun porter, but manages to survive. 

German sailors enter the farmhouse, only to discover there is no path from the back doors to the front veranda.  They will get bogged down trying to break through the walls.

 The natives and askari are almost to the hotel.  They manage to grab some cattle on the road, but the hotel snipers score some shots as they move forward.

The rhino has returned and though annoyed, it doesn't charge into the German askari. 

Not being stupid, the lone European settler will beat a hasty retreat from the Masai and look for a spot to hide.  In the background, the British command prepares for what they know is coming.

A firefight breaks out between the British askari and the German archers, while the German command runs for the farmhouse. The native chief and his warriors don't plan to let them get far.

The Masai slam into the British command, while troops head for the hill in hopes of establishing a firing line.

A lion appears, dragging one of the German askari to his death, while the rhino continues to be puzzled by the whole situation.

British askari engage the archers, while the British-allied natives chase down the German command.

Native horsemen and a witchdoctor head towards the sound of battle.  The German snipers try to hit them but fail.

However, the snipers do manage to drop a few members of the chief's entourage.

Last moments of the British commander. At least he managed to take one warrior with him.

 Hand to hand combat breaks out at the hotel.

The German askari and a sharpshooter (hidden in the banana trees) whittle down the British riflemen, while the Masai swing around the hill and eventually finish them off. The British settler hiding under the lower right tree manages to shoot down the German scout.

You can run, but you can't hide.  The chief's warrior surround the German command.

The German askari on the hill take out the sniper.

The native horse head towards the Masai, but come under fire from the sailors in the farm house, who have finally made it to the front of the building.

Some of the German askari finally emerge from the hotel (they had been trying to open the door for a few rounds) and engage the natives in the scrub.  The native horse suffer further losses and flee the field.

The chief watches with glee as his warriors dismember the German command.

At this stage we were out of time and had to end the game, but chalked it up as a German victory.  It was a lot of fun and I was really happy to have a chance to try out my new terrain. Plus the hotel veranda survived the trip to Victor's house and back, which was a great relief.