Sunday, December 23, 2007

History of "WAG" Battles --

Before I started this blog, we had some early playtests of my "Tricorne Wars" rules. The photo at left is from one of these with me overlooking some of my GNW Swedes.

Nevertheless, the main reason for my writing these rules is for our local gaming in what we are calling the "Wars for Arcadian Glory" (or WAG for short).

WAG is named for the local gaming club here on our area of Vancouver Island (off of the coast of western Canada).

In the ensuing months, our blogs have recorded some nine battles as we've been building up our forces for an ongoing campaign. So far these have been "one-off" battles . . . most of them using some of Charles Grant's "Table Top Teasers" so thoughtfully provided by Steve-the-Wargamer.

Listed here (starting with the most recent) are the various playtests which Murdock and I have recorded in our blogs:

Battle of Grozhof

Fought on December 12, 2007 (at my Game Room) between the forces of Mieczyslaw and Burtzenia, it was another Table Top Teaser #3 fight. Murdock played Mieczyslaw (of course) and Deryck handled the Burtzenians. The primary account of this battle can be seen here.

Grozhof ended in a victory for Mieczyslaw.

Battle of Fraudorf

Fought on December 11, 2007 between the forces of the Duchy of the North and Principality of Saxe-Bearstein, again it was Table Top Teaser #3 (which we were playing for the second time -- Pete having his choice of sides). This too was fought at my Game Room.

Pete commanded his Norden troops and I played my Saxe-Bearsteiners. An accounts of the battle can be seen here.

This battle ended in a cease-fire and draw when Brigadier Prniz Gunther von Ursa, second in line to the throne, received a mortal wound leading his troops in battle.

Battle of Ubergang

Fought on November 27, 2007 this battle marked the opening of my Game Room. Combatants were the Duchy of the North and that of Mieczyslaw. As usual, Pete handled his Norden troops while Murdock directed his Mieczyslaw boys.

This was our first attempt at Table Top Teaser #3 (the Advance Guard Action). Pete's forces came from the North (appropriate, what?) near the town; while Murdock's troops entered near the bridge.

Ubergang was marked by a significant amount of "fog of war" with one of Pete's brigadiers consistently re-interpreting his orders to the consternation of Pete's C-in-C.

Eventually the battle ended up as a draw . . . but it was a close thing at times. For accounts of this game, go to here and here.

Battle of Offenbach

Fought at Murdock's on October 21, 2007 this one was a bit different. It was a "proxy battle" involving the troops of Frankzonia, the Soweiter League and my own Stagonia. Murdock (and friends) ran the battle for players in other areas.

Again one of the main features of the day was problems with "command and control". Stagonian forces had three "Political" commanders . . . and their left flank pretty much never moved as my "Tricorne Wars" rules "fog of war" aspects kept resulting in misinterpretations of orders stalling troops in their tracks.

Nevertheless, the vile Stagonians carried the day (and sneeringly gloated about it).

It also featured some interesting "battlefield diplomacy" that resulted in a significant re-alignment during the battle. Murdock's account of the battle is here, with his pre-battle commentary here.

Battle of Barva

Fought at Murdock's on September 4, 2007 between the Duchy of the North and the Duchy of Mieczyslaw. This was our third playing of Charles Grant's Table Top Teaser #2 (The Wagon Train) -- obviously we liked this one.

As usual, Pete ran his Norden troops and Murdock had his Mieczyslaw men.

For an account of this battle, go to here.

Battle of Stinz

Fought on September 2, 2007 at Murdock's Shed. My Principality of Saxe-Bearstein boys faced Pete' Duchy of the North forces.

For the second time we were playing the Charles Grant "Wagon Train" scenario from his Table Top Teasers (as provided by Steve-the-Wargamer).

This was the battle in which Brigadier Prinz Gunther von Ursa earned his father's ire for leading so many cavalry charges. (Note: this same Prinz Gunther was to fall mortally wounded in an infantry firefight during the Battle of Fraudorf.)

Accounts of the battle may be read here and here.

Battle of Polkfurt

Fought on August, 2007 at Murdock's, this was the first time my Saxe-Bearstein troops were to make it to the table top. I was to face Pete's Duchy of the North . . . and come away with a victory!

Murdock did his usual thing and had a wonderful setup prepared for us. We were playing "The Wagon Train" Table Top Teaser . . . and he had a great setup ready. He also umpired for us and ran the battle quite smoothly.

His account of the fight can be found here. In addition, he has a "preview" of the action here.

My account of the battle can be seen here.

Battle of Debnica

Fought on July 15, 2007 between the Duchy of the North and the Duchy of Mieczyslaw.

Pete (Norden) and Murdock (Mieczyslaw) ran their usual troops.

The two biggest lessons learned in this game were by me (to seriously reduce the light forces available) and Pete's discovery regarding the difficulties in planning deployment . . . linear warfare is seriously different from the Napoleonics he was used to.

Murdock's account can be read here; and my post-battle thoughts here.

Battle of St. Argard

Fought on July 1, 2007 this was the first time we had "Wars for Arcadian Glory" troops on the table top.

Pete ran his Duchy of the North troops for the first time (although he had to borrow a number of my Great Northern War boys to do so).

Murdock gave his Duchy of Mieczyslaw troops their baptism of fire as well.

This was a simple scenario. A meeting engagement with relatively similar terrain from both sides of the table. It was primarily a chance to see how my re-worked "Tricorne Wars" rules would work.

Murdock managed to end on top, but we all had a good time. His account of the battle can be found here; while my reactions can be read here.


-- Jeff

Thursday, December 13, 2007

A Prince is Slain --

Well, Pete and I played another of Charles Grant's Table Top Teasers this past Tuesday night (#3 -- The Advance Guard Action). The action was fast and furious but ended in a negotiated draw when one of Saxe-Bearstein's princes was slain.


The action centered around the town of Fraudorf and the bridge over the Blauwasser river. Both the Duchy of the North and my own Principality of Saxe-Bearstein had dispatched forces to secure the town and bridge for the full field army.


The Norden forces entered nearest the bridge; while I entered near Fraudorf. In the early maneuvering, Pete nearly occupied the town but my Wildschwein Dragoons managed to overcome and destroy his two mounted units before its remnants fell to infantry fire.


Indeed this was a very fluid and bloody engagement. A battalion of my own Infantry Regiment von Urquell reached the bridge but was eventually had to withdraw. They were under the command of Brigadier Prinz Gunther von Ursa.



The prince had attached himself to an IR von Schlitz battalion when they were fired on from the rear by the late-arriving Norden Musk Oxen regiment who had just recently reached the battlefield. Unfortunately the prince (second in line for the throne) toppled from his mount having suffered a mortal wound.


Even though the Saxe-Bearstein forces seemed to have the upper hand, Major General Otto von Lager immediately suggested a cease-fire when he saw the prince fall (which Maj. Gen. Olle Fasjovik, the Norden commander was quick to accept).


Sadly the cease-fire came too late to aid Prinze Gunther, who had already passed away.


To the left are a series of battlefield sketches as seen from various points.


The first is early in the fight as the Wildschwein Dragoons (in red coats) close with some Norden Cossacks.


While that was happening, the second sketch shows Prinz Gunther leading his infantry brigade in a race to reach the bridge. Unfortunately the Norden skirmishing foot was able to delay them just a bit too much. Notice how eagerly the Prinz looks back at the cavalry action.


A natural cavalry commander, the Prinz had been forbidden by his father, Furst Bruno von Ursa, because of the many cavalry charges he had led during the Battle of Stinz. Perhaps if he, rather than Brigadier Karl von Blatz, had commanded the horse, he would not have fallen.


The third sketch shows a view from the bridge with the Prinz moving his von Schlitz troops around the copse of trees in a grand double envelopment of the Norden infantry forces.


The fourth sketch details the closing of this double envelopment with the Prinz in the upper right corner. Behind him the Norden Musk Oxen regiment may be seen arriving on the battlefield.


Our final sketch shows the fallen Prinz Gunther (at top of sketch) just moments before the cease-fire was arranged.



-- Jeff of Saxe-Bearstein

Sunday, December 09, 2007

A note re: BloodAxe Miniatures --

The "stand-in" GNW pictured in my last post (and some future ones) are from BloodAxe Miniatures. I bought them years ago from Lance Runolfsson. Thanks to some legwork by Steve-the-Wargamer, I was able to track Lance down. Here is part of his email to me about these WSS/GNW figures . . . .


"Nice to hear from you. [snip] I am no longer selling any figures. However I have an arrangement with Mike Taber who owns the old Jack Scrubby Line and a number of others to produce my figures for retail.

"The GNW WSS are not lines that he currently produces. I don't know what kind of order he would need to make it worth while for him to make new molds and run some stuff for you but you could give him a try. I'm guessing the lead time would be pretty long if for no other reason It takes me Quite a while to get anything done and I would have to run enough figures for him to make molds for the figures you want then send them to Mike. Mike does all his casting in pewter so the price point would by higher than mine was I am sure. You can get ahold of him from the Historifigs link bellow.

http://historifigs.com/

You have a very nice site of your own mine does not compare by content or frequency of update. We are mostly playing WWII here lately with a kind of Hybrid Miniatures Board Game. My site link Bellow

http://lancerunolfsson.googlepages.com/home

Anyway nice to hear from you.

C-Ya Lance"