Colonial adventures 2: Zululand patrol

I got "Colonial Adventures 2nd Edition" from 2-hour wargames and had to try them out.

I decided to play a British patrol scenario into Zululand.

I decided to use 3 British units and they worked out as 3 infantry units 2x REP 5 and 1x Rep 4 they came with 3xREP 5 leaders, 2xREP 4 NCOs and a REP 3 NCO.

My table is 4'x4'. I generated my terrain using the clear/hilly terrain chart and this is what I got:

That's right 5 hills, 2 woods and a 2 hut village

The 3 British columns enter, we have no idea where the Zulu are.

Where are the Zulu?

To find out where the Zulu are, I go to the charts (again) roll some dice and get PEFs (Possible enemy Forces) in sections 2, 4 and 4

Area 2, The woods at the back of the table. The white die shows the REP of the PEF (6 is the Best possible)

Area 4, both units behind the crest of the hill. The Dice show the REP of the PEF, (1 is bad)

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Turn 2: The Brits closest to to the two REP 1 PEFs  advances 8" and shakes into line, the Center column advances and stays in column so it can move through the woods next turn, the Column on the Right cannot activate. The Zulu REP 6 PEF activates and races into the central woods, where the British get LOS  on it and it morphs into a REP 5 Impi, (I should have read the PEF movement chart, I then would have know PEFs move 16").

Sir, I think I see something moving ahead of us!

Zulu are in Open order, since only troops in open order can enter woods, unless they are foolishly in column of march.

 The British are within 12" and have LOS they must take a test of will check, they pass 2, a volley crashes out with 4 dice, needing ones, they score no hits, the Zulu take a received fire check and regardless of what they roll, they will want to charge (the Zulu are ferocious)

That's not too bad, we'll pull back, shake into line on the hill and feed em some lead next turn.

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Turn 3: The great British plan is scuppered, the Zulu go first, another round of melee ensues leaving the centre unit a bit short in the manpower department.

But a plan is a plan and they successfully pull back, the Zulu take a test of will and charge, a puny volley pops out, the Zulu pass the casualty test and at 16 to 5 eviscerate the redcoats (it was 18 dice vs.8) and though they rolled 5 successes it could not offset the Zulus 9 successes, the redcoats were down to 2 figures then the morale check reduced it to one, the REP 5 officer.

The left platoon decides to advance onto the hill and disperse the PEFs there (REP 1s probably aint going to be actual troops)

Wrong! one PEF is TWO units the other ONLY one.

One Zulu unit tests will, charges and is fired upon and then melees, then the second Zulu unit takes his Test of wills, charges and is fired upon and then he conducts melee. The second rank units seeing there is no room for him, decides to race over to attack the unit in the open, hoping to co-ordinate with the survivors (all 15 of them) of first attack.

The second unit of British dies even quicker, in melee the +1 melee die for each extra figure is very deadly, Since they are fighting two units the British have to split their melee dice so it was 2 Zulu units, one of 18 and one of 16 versus, 14 redcoats so 18 to 7 and 16 to 7  it worked out each attack was 18 dice vs. 5 dice, they didn't even need to check morale they were all dead. During two rounds of melee they had managed to kill 2 Zulu from each unit (4 total), plus 1 or 2 from gunfire as they charged in.

 The survivors on the nearest hill charge the British in the open and manage to tie them up long enough for the rest of the Zulu to mop them up as well.

Here two truly ferocious Zulu are preventing the British from recovering casualties (or withdrawing), as the rest of the army moves in.

Thoughts on the rule changes. Maybe I should stop fighting ferocious units as they always seem to skew the results.

Things I like:
I like how the melee resolution is much faster.
I like the removal of the constant casualty checks.


Things I don't like: (may be colored by Ferocious ability)

Zulu are either REP 5 or 6 (they were good, I don't think they were that good)
Shooting is very ineffective.
Melee: the winner takes only 1 casualty, regardless of how well his opponent rolled.
Melee: unit size has no effect on number of dice you roll (near the end of the game 2 Zulu attacked 11 Brits with 7 dice 5 for REP +1 ferocious, +1 shielded, admittedly the Brits rolled 15 dice back at them, 4 for REP, +9 dice for extra figures and +2 dice vs Open Order unit)
The Army lists only tell you REP of the units, not how they are armed.


Home rules I'm thinking of:

When firing on native Mobs hits on 1 or 2, (MOST natives were crappy shots, so they'll stay at 1 when firing on close order Europeans)
Zulu mainly REP 4 with a few 5's.
Melee, only front two ranks plus 1 overlap on each side counts during melee.
Melee winner needs to suffer more, maybe remove all successes from other side, rather than the difference from the loser,