Memorial Game of The Sword and the Flame

To mark the recent death of Larry Brom, author of the seminal and influential rules, the HAWKs ran a game of The Sword and the Flame last night.  It was fun to pull out those venerable rules and play the game.  TSAF was the second set of rules I ever owned.   Below are some pictures from the evening’s events.  The basic scenario involved the Pathans holding a hostage, young Wee Willie Winkie (the Shirley Temple version, depicted by a 15mm highlander in an otherwise 25mm game).  While a column of British and Indians moved to rescue her, additional Pathans were arriving as reinforcements.

Setting up the game
Setting up the game
Getting started
Getting started
The British force, including three platoons of infantry and one of Indian cavalry
The British force, including three platoons of infantry and one of Indian cavalry
Pathan relief force advances
The Pathan fort. Winkie is in the tower
Another view of the British advance
Another view of the British advance
The Pathan relief force musters
The Pathan relief force musters
The Pathan fort. Winkie is in the tower
The Pathan fort. Winkie is in the tower
The British advancing toward the fort
The British advancing toward the fort
A British platoon arrayed in a gap getting ready to blaze away at the Pathans
A British platoon arrayed in a gap getting ready to blaze away at the Pathans
Some Pathans defending the entrance to the fort
Some Pathans defending the entrance to the fort

The view from the Pathan fort at the advancing British
The view from the Pathan fort at the advancing British

The game ended when the defenders of the fort took enough casualties that they routed.  Then a group of Pathans charged to try to clear the way for the routing troops to take Winkie with them, but the were destroyed in a combination of rifle fire and melee.  The game was a resounding British victory.