Zulu 1879 recreates the British military campaign leading up to the destruction of the belligerent Zulu kingdom in South Africa in 1879. The British and their allies must quickly seize the enemy capital Ulundi or capture the Zulu king. The Zulus must attempt to repel the opposing forces using their knowledge of the terrain and their numerical advantage
Zulu 1879 is played in 34 rounds, each representing six days between January 6 and July 19, 1879. Two asymmetrical adversaries face each other in eastern South Africa, a technologically powerful colonialist empire and an indigenous kingdom with proven military traditions.
- The British take the initiative at the outset by attacking on several fronts, relying on unstable Boer allies and uncertain local auxiliaries
- The Zulus have a large army with very high morale, but with a severe lack of firearms.
The British command knows that it must move quickly, as failure to capture the king or the enemy capital would mean an international slap in the face...
Event cards will allow for a variety of tactical and diplomatic fluctuations in the game.
Average playing time: 5 hours.
Favored side: none.
Hardest side to play: Zulu.