23 March 2014

Random Event Card Vignettes - "The Native Shepherd"



The Friendly Shepherd...or as I like to call him...AJ."
 
Firstly apologies for the lack of activity in recent months.  The focus on getting my Peninsular War project ( http://withpyjamasthroughawhiffofgrapeshot.blogspot.com.au/ ) up and running with a degree of mass has been taking a fair bit of my time recently and even with a wonderful Australian cricket tour to South Africa on the ABC Radio keeping me company, time has been in short supply.

The Sudan still is very much on my mind and the very real desire to get thew rules finalised with suitable illustrations and photographs and available to all as a free pdf as well as having some Random Event Card Decks printed up and available for postage cost only to accompany them.  These are all still destined for completion by the beginning of May.

One of the great advantages of the Bloggersphere is that wargamers from all over the globe have a chance to share their jewels of knowledge about certain gaming systems, icons that they knew, scenarios they played etc. with you in an easy and super-quick manner.  These Gilder Sudan Rules have been a perfect example of that.

When posting about the Random Event cards, a really fun and enjoyable part of these incredible rules, one of the many followers and seasoned wargamers out there recalled his games of these rules with Peter Gilder himself at the old WHC.  AJ distinctly recalled that a card called the "Native Shepherd" was played in the following manner:

Native Shepherd -  "Upon drawing the card the shepherd appears out of the heat haze with his flock, wandering near to a random British unit. He seems disposed to be friendly and will honestly answer three questions put to him about the area, but due to translation difficulties his answers can only be Yes or No. Once he has answered the three questions he will depart".



Lovely Connoisseur Sudan Shepherd and flock.
  I particularly like the young kid being carried along for the ride!
  
The scope for this in a game is too broad for me to try and specify here but I can simply imagine a number of Imperial players, all in the heat of battle with their particular formations under a good deal of duress, all vying for the right to ask the question most relative to his particular unit.  Wonderful stuff for the fuzzies when their is dissension in the British ranks!!