The Drift 1879

Prelude…

On the afternoon of 22 January 1879, two survivors from Isandlwana, Lt. Gert Adendorff of the 1st/3rd NNC and a trooper from the Natal Carbineers, arrived at Rorke's Drift bearing news of the shocking defeat and destruction of the British Army at Isandlwana. They carried with them one other bit of information of importance to the garrison at Rorke's Drift. Part of the Zulu Impi, some 3000 to 4000 strong, was now headed directly their way.

Upon hearing the news, Lt. Chard, Lt. Bromhead, and Acting Assistant Commissary James Dalton had to make a quick decision. Attempt a retreat to Helpmekaar or defend their tenuous position at the Drift. Dalton pointed out that a small column, traveling in open terrain, burdened with carts and hospital patients, would be easily overtaken and defeated by the numerically superior Zulu force.

Their only chance was to stand their ground and fight...

Scale
• squad level 
• 3/30 meters per grid cell 
• 5 minutes per turn

Command
• Command the British garrison at Rorke's Drift or the waves of deadly Zulu warriors 
• Quick turn based play, pbem capable

Variants

• Zulu force size, allocation, and command capacity 
• British reinforcement (Stephenson's native Natal contingent, Rainforth's G Company)
• morale/resolve base and breaking points
• arms and munition level and quality
• fog of war 
• historical and randomized variants 

Platforms: WinXP or greater