Moggy, just try and start playing a game, is their anyone near you who has played the rules to help you?
The rules are constructed to give each side a fair chance, but this does mean that both side play a very different game.
The rules do allow the Colonial forces to fight with their superiority in fire power and the natives win in the hand to hand.
So the British force wants to shoot and slow the charging natives who want to avoid being fired at but close to hand to hand as quickly as they can.
Really is a brilliant game...lots of variety and sneaky things to do. Just make sure you don't let the British get too many volley fires off at you if you are playing the Dervish!