1512 The Battle of Kümmerling - the Venetians can move AND win!!!

Last Thursday we decided to play 28mm, Pike&Shotte, French and Italian Wars, I said we but old Angus lazily didn‘t read my e-mail and forced after, a miserable whinging tantrum, half of my miniatures off the table (unforgivable for any red blooded wargamer!). For "more room to maneouvre", which in the end we didn‘t, as you do not get the Napoleonics out of this lot.

So Angus and Bart (who claimed Verona, he wore a Verona T-shirt, as Pro-Venice ???) were on the side of Venice and on the other side, me, Mike and Alisdair were fighting for good old Maximillian, to restore a German North Italian Kingdom.

This battle proved to be the firsts in many things, firstly Angus actually did move with his Venetians (and that also successfully) and secondly Barts cavalry superiority was broken by Mikes gallantly charge of the Imperial Horse.

So the Cavalry formations duly advanced to the middle ground and first fights started to erupt. In the centre it was just the usual shooting and standing and waiting until something happened.

I charged Angus cavalry and lost and he charged back and I lost more and from there it pretty much unravelled and went downhill, as I couldn‘t let go to charge still - stupid, but fun. In the end my complete flank (including the officer) was eliminated and left Alisdair is a somewhat pickeled situation - sorry, Alisdair, it wasn‘t your fault!

On the other side we had seismic event as well, as Bart‘s usual cavalry charge did not plan out as he probably hoped for. Mike beat him, but could not capitalise on his success for the sake of the whole battle. In the end as the opposing forced encircled the doomsday awaiting Landsknechts in the middle, I supposed a daring "follow me" charge including the Emperor! I know you shouldn‘t involve royals in combat, but it was at the end of our time that night so ... well another devastating miserable dice rolling ended the life of Maximillian and his dreams of a northern Kingdom of Italy. We got utterly beaten to the last man. Congratulations to the Venetians!

Scenario and Venetian forces by Alsheimer Angus, except some few arquebusiers from Bart, which made their first appearance and promptly killed the Kaiser!
Imperial forces by me.

... maybe I need a weekend game of Italian Wars next time ...

The Venetian Carroccio 

Bart‘s Veronese Flank

My Imperial right flank

Mike‘s Imperial left flank

Alisdair‘s Imperial centre

My German Gendarmes d‘Ordonnance

The imperial guns with a view to Venice 

Angus Stradioti and some

The start of the collapse of my flank

The Spezis form the lagoon surrounding the rest of my Horse

The Venetian centre behind Pavises of my own design ...

Mike‘s Pike and Doppelsöldner

Alisdairs Pike and gun

The hand of God (and the devil, uncertain in the background) 

Mike‘s Imperial Gendarmes d‘Ordonnance take on the Men-at-arms of Venice

... which were led by Bart ... but to no avail ...

Alisdairs Pike in Hedgehog already and still the dices are rolling ...

Angus Horse surrounding the centre due to the non-existence of my flank

is a  hedgehog on its own really safe?

... not in front of so much guns and crossbows ... 

Even Mike's success vs Bart's Cavalry (!!!) didn‘t elevate the situation

The last all out charge with the Emperor ... went wrong – finis!

"Seven Years" wargame rule set published!

Well it took some time, and maybe even this will be just version 1.0, (upgrades in the future not entirely in the realm of the impossible). It was designed to be simple (but not too simplistic) with an easy to remember system (that fits onto an A4 double sided play sheet - so that you can roll a dice or hold beverages at the same time) that is easy enough to explain to "beginners" and "veterans" alike, a typical club night you might say. Though it has optionals for scenario add-ons and "National differentiators" and I‘m sure there is room for further development, if people like things more complex ...

No animals other than some of my wargaming chaps from the SESWC were harmed (mentally) in the process.

In the pages section there is a link to the lulu.com site. Its a straight black and white A4 print with the play sheet being one of the last spreads within the book, ‘cause a separate or attached laminated and printed play sheet would have been too expensive (for my taste). I'm still yet to receive the test print from Lulu, so I can't tell anything about the print quality or delivery time ... and anybody: in case there is an issue ... please contact the chaps from lulu.com and not me! I just put it out there in case somebody is interested. And no, its just the hard copy, not the PDF.

I had fun designing it (the game as well as the brochure), as it was primarily designed for my or the club fellows needs. And I simply don‘t care if it not 100% depicts the flavour of the time or there is some special extra shooshoo etc. bla bla bla – shut up and design your own then! 

... as my aunty always said, you can always argue about taste, but before you do, you first has to have it ...

P.S. and yes maybe it will spawn into other eras - maybe the Franco-Prussian War? ... who knows, watch this space ...

First side of the playsheet

The cover 

The index

some example illustrating support and multiple units combat

The movement rules with example illustrations

the command phase (exerpt)

The Intro 

aaand THE maaap, huzzah!

1813 Die Schlacht am Kölsch-Berg

Last week Thursday we decided to play 28mm Napoleonics using BlackPowder 2. Bill brought his wonderful Prussians for him, me and Peter to play, while Angus, Bart and Alisdair and Campbell shared the French Bonapartistes. I guess the scenario was from Angus, as all the commands and important and unimportant terrain was named after some wine (in the French case) or beer in the Prussian case.

The Prussians were to hold the two villages and one hill for 12 turns and would win, or so were victory conditions, on which I will come back later. The French would come from three different roads/entry points in march column into the field with more and better troops. And the Prussians would dice for possible re-inforcements.

For starters, the French came/zoomed in, already in attack column and consequently were in no time battle ready in front of the Prussians guns. I know a despicable oversight which was down played by the French players "stante pede". They concentrated all their might on my village so it seemed.

The overall battle din was then simulated with a lot of shouting and arguing (sometimes over the foggy knowledge of the said new rules, which then had to be clarified very often by Bill - who had only imported orange juice to support his strained voice) the actual beverages of the others only accelerating the issue(s).

The Prussians defended the objectives gallantly and at the 8th turn all of them were at least with some tattered units contested when we had to close the battle due to time. Which led some of the post-revolutionary Bonapartists immediately declare victory for their side. 

I think I made my case clear, dear High Court of Wargaming Table Top Integrity, that this and was not the case. The conditions were not met and future, hypothetical, game turns can not and will not at the end of the battle, have any influence on the part fulfillment of the victory conditions! (sound of audience shouting and roaring and applauding)

Still Bill declared it a draw. 

So in which case, I will declare, this a fine example of a typical SESWC Napoleonic 28mm Battle, including all the rule infringements and health and safety risks - a nice evening indeed!

My brigade of Line, guns and Landwehr occupying the village 

The Fusiliers and the Jäger

Peters lot on the other village

Hiding behind Built up areas

The first French men are arriving in the woods

Some Prussian Reserve (line and guns) are appearing behind the Kölsch-Berg

The approaching Frenchies get a blast

... but more Frenchies arrive...

... in fact in about a turn the whole table was full of them ...

Thats me fighting "was das zeug hält" ...

After some initial success the French -Wurtembergische Reiterei came threatening my flank 

and meanwhile a lot of gun and musket fights

the smoke is rising the battle gets intense

The French trying to dictate the scene

Slowly my troops are melting away

But also the traitors on the German people (the Wurtemberger) are getting light

the village fought to the teeth

meanwhile Peter get hell as well ...

but also the French ...

The last attack on Kölsch-Berg

house by house is falling into French hands

... but the last one was still in our hands