A Punitive Expedition is Planned

Saxe-Bearstein's ruler, Furst Bruno von Ursa, has determined that the vile Stagonian menace needs to be reminded that their nefarious actions incur repercussions.

In other words, he has decided to send an army into the very lair of their viciously cruel country. He has therefor detailed the following officers and units to effect this punitive expedition (note: with their "Tricorne Wars" information in italics):

General Baron Helmut von Pilsner -- (Aggressive, inertia 3, initiative 3 -- 10" command radius -- 2 AdC)
Lt. General Hertz von Stout -- (Steady, inertia 2, initiative 1 -- 14" command radius -- 1 AdC)

Brig. Ernst von Bruin -- (Steady, inertia 2, initiative 1 -- 11" mounted command; 6" if foot)
Brig. Dieter von Maltz -- (Careful, inertia 1, initiative 2 -- 10" mounted command; 5" if foot)
Brig. Wolfgang "Bud" von Weiser -- (Aggressive, inertia 3, initiative 1 -- 13" if mounted command; 8" if foot)
Brig. Baron Viktor von Zendabrau -- (Political, inertia 2, initiative 1 -- 11" if mounted command; 7" if foot)

The following troops have been assigned to fill out the various commands as Gen. von Pilsner sees fit (along with their rating in italics):

"The Bears" Foot Guards (guard)
IR-1 von Becks (veteran)
IR-2 von Grolsch (veteran)
IR-3 von Urquell (veteran)
IR-4 von Schlitz (veteran)
IR-6 von Carling (veteran)
IR-7 von Molson (elite)
IR-8 von Doppelbock (raw)
IR-9 von Veltins (raw)
IR-10 von Lowenbrau (raw)

von Comocks Kuirassiers (veteran Trotters)
von Eigerbrau Ritters (raw Gallopers)
Wildschwein Dragoons (elite Dragoons)

Furst Bruno has also assigned considerable artillery to the army. (Note that all are crewed by "veteran" class gunners):

3 x Medium Gun batteries of 6 pounders
3 x Light Gun batteries of 3 pounders

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The above are the forces for our upcoming (June 15) quasi-refight of the Battle of Mollwitz from Charles Grant's book "The War Game". Stagonia will be taking on the "Austrian" positions and Saxe-Bearstein will be serving as the "Prussian" attacker.

As currently envisioned, Murdock will be in command of Stagonia and Ross Macfarlane, visiting from eastern Canada, will be the Saxe-Bearstein commander.


-- Jeff

Planning the Battle of Wollmitz --

Yikes! It is only a little over three weeks until Ross Macfarlane will be visiting Vancouver Island. The plan is that he (and perhaps a friend or two) will drive up to Courtenay and we'll get a game in.

So Saxe-Bearstein has decided to teach those vile Stagonians a lesson. The plan is to capture the key area surrounding the town of Wollmitz.

This battle will be based on the "cut-down" Mollwitz battle from Grant's "The War Game". Of course we won't be using Grant's rules since our forces are much smaller (25-man infantry battalions instead of 53 for example). In addition my table is 5'x8' (instead of Grant's 7'x9' table).

We will use my "Tricorne Wars" rules and give the scenario a try. Saxe-Bearstein will take on the "Prussian" role with 10 battalions of foot and 3 cavalry regiments. Stagonia will have the "Austrian" mix of 7 battalions of foot and 6 cavalry regiments. In addition the vile ones will be on the short end of the artillery mix with 3 guns to the 6 for the good guys.

So now I have three weeks to make sure that all of the pieces are in place. It won't be the same as Partizan re-fight of last year when a number of gaming luminaries used the original buildings and figures . . . but I expect that we'll have a good time anyway.


-- Jeff

What I've Been Doing --

Last Sunday Pete came over for our weekly painting session. Since I didn't have any primed SYW figures . . . and since my thoughts had turned to the Colonial period lately . . . I dug out a couple of boxes with some partially painted 28mm Old Glory Colonial figures.

Mind you, I wasn't starting from scratch. All were primed and most had some paint on them. Anyway I've been busy. Except for flocking the bases, I now have:

60 painted Sepoys
35 painted Egyptians
30 painted Sudanese
10 painted Egyptian cavalry
10 painted but not yet based Pathan Swordsmen

All of the above were finished this past week. Add to these the 40 Pathan Jezailmen I already had finished and I've got quite a good start on my the period.


-- Jeff

A Future Project --

I long ago realized that it is a good idea to take a break every now and again from one's main gaming focus . . . and, when doing so to go to something very different in feel.

Yes, the 18th century is my primary focus . . . but I know that I'll eventually need something else for a "change of pace".

To the left you will see the image of an imaginary continent somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

It is known as Afristan and has, late in the 19th century just become known to the "civilized" world. (Note -- if you click on the image you will get to see a larger version of it).

Of course it is far from being uninhabited. There are at least a dozen different "tribes" living here. Some are of African descent; some of various "Islamic" peoples. And there are those persistent rumors of some mysterious peoples living high in the mountains.

My hope -- once we develop more miniature gamers in our area -- is to have at least four main "European" nations attempting to explore and exploit this previously unexplored continent.

My thought is to have one player each for the British, French, Germans and Turks. I've already got British and Turks (mainly Sepoys and Egyptians). I'll use French Foreign Legion troops for the French; and find something for the Germans.

For rules, I'm currently thinking of a sort of mixture of "The Sword and the Flame", "G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T." and some of my own ideas, which I've been putting together as my own Colonial rules called . . . "Khyber Knife".

Yes, the title is taken from some of Kipling's verse. In this case, from "The Ballad of East and West":

They have looked each other between the eyes, and there they found no fault,

They have taken the Oath of the Brother-in-Blood on leavened bread and salt:
They have taken the Oath of the Brother-in-Blood on fire and fresh-cut sod,
On the hilt and the haft of the Khyber knife, and the Wondrous Names of God.

Of course this project is quite some time in the future, but the skirmish-style of the action should provide a good change-of-pace from our "Wars for Arcadian Glory" SYW actions.


-- Jeff