Sher Shah takes on the Mughal Emperor

Today we set out my Mughals on the tabletop again for another sub-continental affray.

This time the Mughuls under my command were attempting to deal with a recalcitrant Sher Shah, as represented by Crafthole. Stuart, after a roll of a dice, commanded my right flank as al-Firaman.

Starting dispositions. Mughuls to right, Sher Shah to left.

Sher Shah's right flank rests on a gentle hill in a series of supporting lines. Two lines of Camp followers are sandwiched between Rocketeers, firework throwers and Jezailachis to the front and Jagir sipahis in reserve. A small force of horse archers are stationed out front as an additional annoyance.

On the opposite side of a shallow valley, on another gentle hill, the Mughals have placed the bulk of their forces. Timurid Sipahis prepare to advance in the foreground, backed up by rahkala firearm wagons and a mixed foot force of Baluchi archers, Afghan hillmen and Bunduqchis arquebusiers. My plan is to send these around Sher Shah's flank and effectively re-orientate the battle across the valley.

Sher Shah's centre is thinly held by his artillery and his own arquebusier armed bunduqchis, but well dug in behind ramparts and well hidden in a series of impenetrable topes.

Sher Shah has taken the opportunity to garrison in a village on the far opposite side of the battlefield his most powerful command, no doubt in an attempt to get around the Mughal flank. A potent mixture of Jagirs and elephants supported by rocketeers, javelin armed paik and sword arned dhalis ready to burst out onto the maidan

We anticipate this and Al-firaman has the tough job of delaying this attack on the vast and dusty maidan to give the rest of the Mughal army time to redeploy.

The Mughals waste no time sending their sipahis charging across the valley and up the opposing hill where they are met with some surprisingly tough camp followers who manage to keep them at bay.

Much manoeuvring on the maidan. Dust clouds kicked up by various bodies of troops the only sign of movement as al-Firaman's command make a staged withdrawal in front of Sher Shah's juggernaut.

As Sher Shah's camp followers and sipahis heroically hold up the Mughal mounted arm, the Mughal rahkala war wagon train steadily trundle their way around Sher Shah's flank

Losses start to mount on the hill so Sher Shah decides to take a leaf out of the Mughul play book and conduct a slow withdrawal to give his main attacking force time to catch up with the action.

The key pivot in the centre is also hotly contested between rival forces of foot, backed up by the big guns.

After being steadily picked off by Sher Shah's arquebusiers, the Mughul bundiqchis and Baluchi bowmen decide it would be better to abandon their pavaises and close with their opposition.

The Mughals make slow and painful progress up the hill. As Sher Shah steadily withdraws the wandering war wagon train finds it cannot keep up and is rather left behind on the far flank

The Mughals are initially having the better of the fight in the centre, but Sher Shah slowly feeds in his reserves as his all important strike force gradually edge nearer.

The heroic camp followers are taking dreadful losses, literally throwing them selves in front of the Timurid lances, but are successfully holding up the main Mughal attack.

Sher Shah's Jagirs ride straight over some artillery that the Mughals do not have the numbers to defend hardly bothering to pause.

However the remainder of the Mughal artillery is having a telling effect supporting the Mughal centre. Yet the dust clouds on the maidan kicked up by Sher Shah's approaching storm are getting perilously close.

The elephants decide to leave their supporting infantry behind in an effort to catch al-Firaman's sipahis withdrawing across the maidan. A small group peel off to take on each other in an epic duel.

The fight will continue for the rest of the battle and will no doubt be sung about for many years to come around the campfires.

Sher Shah's jagirs drive into the Mughal centre just in time to save his remaining foot, however things are nip and tuck as a volley from another group of approaching arquebusiers crashes into his flank.

The painfully slow Mughal war wagon train turns around and head for the crucial centre to shore it up.

As part of Sher Shah's jagirs are engaged in the centre...

....the balance of his force finally catch up with al-Firaman's command as it is finally obliged to turn and fight to avoid the Mughal baggage being captured.

The slightly alarmed Mughal camp start packing up their tents in consternation at how close Sher Shah's army have approached.

Sher Shah's jagirs finally tip the balance in his favour in the centre, and the Mughal centre command is the first to break.

However the large amount of manoeuvring has taken up a great deal of time, with one of Sher Shah's commands also close to breaking, but none of the others on either side having taken much in the way of serious casualties it looks like it is heading for a draw and we have to call it day.

The Mughal war wagons arrive just in time to deploy to cover the collapsing Mughal centre

Sher Shah's attack on Stuart's flank has done little initial damage, if the fighting continues it'll take him some time to cut his way through al-Firaman's command.

The remaining Camp followers jeer at the Mughal commander as he finally secures the hill. They have taken heavy casualties but stalled the Mughal attack in its tracks. Those that are left will no doubt provide a tough nucleus with which to rebuild some veteran units.

The Mughal centre desperately fend off Sher Shah from all sides as they wait for succour from the steadily approaching war wagons.

Their position is looking increasingly tenuous, relief can't come soon enough!

The Mughal commander, surrounded by his bodyguard, starts tallying the cost. Perhaps he needs more practice with war wagons to get the hang of them, perhaps they were not the best choice for a flanking manoeuvre!