Redvers’ Reverse: The Battle of Colenso, 1899

About this board game

Redvers’ Reverse: The Battle of Colenso, 1899 is a solitaire area-movement game for one player, designed for approximately 240 minutes of play. Set on 15 December 1899, it recreates General Sir Redvers Buller’s attempt to cross the Thukela River and relieve the Siege of Ladysmith.

The British player commands forces at company, battalion and battery level, with individual leaders and an emphasis on brigade-level infantry leadership and divisional-level cavalry leadership. Orders are sent from headquarters to commanders, directing them to occupy designated areas. However, receiving commanders may not react as required, creating the same uncertainty and difficult choices Buller faced.

Combat uses a ten-sided die, with results shaped by factors including dug-in positions, terrain, unit density and flank fire. Units can be disrupted, suppressed or routed, while leaders may stand firm or panic. Both units and leaders can recover during the Recovery Phase.

• Asymmetrical combat: British and Boer forces suffer different effects from hits.
• Hidden Boer firepower: The strength of each Boer Gruppe can vary and is not fully known until engagement.
• Boer game system: Gruppe fire is generally directed at the closest occupied area, with designated exceptions.
• Pressure of time: Delays increase Boer confidence, making concentration against Hlangwane and a flank attack increasingly difficult.

At the end of each turn, Boer withdrawal depends on revealed firepower, losses, the Confidence track and a die roll. Hart’s confusion when searching for a fordable crossing is also represented by a dedicated rule. With British victory possible but difficult, Redvers’ Reverse is designed to make every failed attempt feel like another chance to improve the plan.