Franco-Dutch and Nine Years Wars

What is the measure of a good set of wargames rules? Ask 100 'gamers and you'll likely get 100 different answers, although I suspect 'fun' might feature highly on their lists. For me, it's a set of rules that gives largely historical results from historical scenarios, is adaptable to my interests, is playable in an evening without cognitive overload (remember those '80's rules sets with 93 pages of tables?).

In my wargaming universe. that's Volley and Bayonet. A regular conversation to be heard amongst my 'gaming friends is the incredible ease with which VnB adapts to a wide range of sub-periods with the smallest of rules tweaks. For example, the transition from linear to massed bases, and the change away from early firelock drill, completely changes the game dynamic, and effectively models the transitions in warfare, without overloading the player with a whole new set of rules. In doing so the rules allow players to fight battles anywhere from 1700-1900 with ease (and we have).

So it is no surprise that Jon Harding and Adrian Powell should follow up their first VnB scenario book with this their latest offering covering the Franco-Dutch and Nine Years Wars from 1672-1697.

The book follows the pattern set with their first volume, offering a brief historical overview of the period, including comment on the technological transitions that are such a mark of warfare in this period when infantry, for example, transition from pike to bayonet. They offer some suggestions for scenario and period  specific modifications (for example, allowing an army commander to be replaced if killed in action), and a comprehensive guide to their layout and nomenclature in each scenario.

The body of the book offers 18 well researched scenarios across the period, each with a copyable roster sheet for each army, a beautiful scenario map, and any specific instructions for each player that ought to be kept secret from their opponent. The authors do acknowledge that often sources are vague, contradictory, and even misleading, and that they have therefore in some cases made their 'best guesses' as to how things unfolded. In one case in particular, (Killiecrankie 1689) they go so far as to offer maps for an 'alternative narrative' based up their own interpretations of the available sources. What matters most here is that they do not set themselves up as 'the experts', but rather as contributors to a possible debate in which they are open and honest about where they have attempted to make evidence based deductions. I value this honesty.

The scenarios begin with the battle of Sinsheim in 1674 and conclude with Torrorella in 1694, and range from small affairs that players could fight in an hour and a half through to others that would more likely take four players the best part of a day to fight to a conclusion.

As the saying goes, fact is often stranger than fiction. So it is that one of the many other attractions of these scenarios is their adaptability to other periods, if you don't happen to have suitable miniature armies, simply because the specifics of the battle are so bizarre that it would take quite the creative brain to conceive of such tactical challenges. One of the other beauties of these books is that the detail on offer is such that, if on the off chance Volley and Bayonet is not your thing, then the scenarios could most probably be adapted to other rules sets.

One thing I can say for certain is that every scenario has been playtested, and almost all of them at least twice. I know because I was privileged to participate in many of those games. This means that as one-sided as many of them seem, victory conditions have been constructed so that both players 'have a chance'. In my experience with other periods and rules systems, neither of these two things is necessarily the case.

The book is well illustrated with 'creative commons' images of paintings and drawings from the period, as well as photographs of their own beautifully painted miniatures.

For Volley and Bayonet players, the book is a 'must', and for players of Horse and Musket games more generally it is a very valuable reference. The book can be purchased from Lulu here. I highly recommend it.

Fascinating fictional fight - 1815

 A second Volley and Bayonet game featured Keith's fab 6mm armies in a fictional battle using armies constructed to match 1815 compositions. The scenario was developed using the Volley and Bayonet Road to Glory scenario system. Given that I struggle to 'invent' scenarios, I find myself increasingly drawn back to the RTG system which is capable of creating some really interesting game that offer fascinating challenges. This one was no exception.

Just a few 'eye candy' shots.

Battles of the War of the Spanish Succession: a Volley and Bayonet scenario book

I can still recall seeing the photos and reviews of those Greenwood and Ball Napoleonics, and early Peter Laing 15mm figures for the Marlburian Wars, in my monthly copies of Meccano Magazine or Military Modelling to which I subscribed as a teenager, feeling the inspiration to refight some of the battles of the period, although I only knew a few of the names at the time - Blenheim, Malplaquet. As a family we had little money, and the foreign currency and import restrictions in New Zrealand at the time were such that the very idea of buying figures from overseas was barely even a consideration, merely a dream.

My wargames career began therefore with the inevitable Airfix figures that were available from the local cycle shop, and so it went over the years. My introduction to the Volley and Bayonet rules began in 1999 when Brent introduced me to Adrian Powell, newly arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand, with this amazing array of beautifully painted 15mm figures for all sorts of 'horse and musket' sub periods.

In the decades since, we have played battles ranging from the War of the Spanish Succession to the Boxer Rebellion, all with these same rules. The capacity of the rules to absorb subtle sub period tweaks, and to give a very accurate feel of battles of each period, has in all that time never ceased to amaze me.

The hankering for the Battles of Marlborough has never really left me though, even though I still haven't assembled and painted my own army for any of the combatants. 

It has therefore been a real pleasure to help Adrian and Jon to play test some of the nineteen carefully researched scenarios that they have assembled in this their first wargames scenario collaboration.

Available here ... Volley and Bayonet Road to Glory Scenarios: Battles of the War of th Spanish Succession

Each scenario has been carefully researched. Both authors are experienced 'gamers and researchers. Adrian has been researching and assembling scenarios for Volley and Bayonet for several decades. His career as an architect is also on show with the beautiful maps included for every scenario, each of which is a major piece of research in itself. They related to me numerous occasions in which they had had to reconcile inaccurate maps and battle accounts, referring to real life geography to assist them in getting the maps as close as seems possible to the location at which each battle occurred.

Jon brings to the table a career as a research scientist including many years of work in scientific publishing,  disciplines that he has applied very effectively to this work too. They comment in the introduction "In each scenario we have attempted to represent the organisation and numbers on each side. However, for many battles accurate information is unknown and frequently contradictory. In these cases we have made some assumptions base don best available information." This is Jon the scientist speaking. As a duo, their complementary skills are clear to see in this work.

Each scenario comes with historical background, deployment suggestions, maps, and Volley and Bayonet roster sheets that can simply be copied off and used in the games. The level of detail provided also (I suspect) means that adaptation to other rules sets pitched at a similar level of operational command would be a relatively simple task.

Often when I buy scenario books and attempt to play some of the games I am left to wonder if the writers ever actually play tested their creations, so unplayable do the games seem. In this case you can rest assured that every single scenario has been play tested multiple times to ensure that a range of outcomes is possible. That's not to say that some of the battles aren't tough for one side or the other to win, but you can be assured that in every case it is possible for either side to win the encounter. As they say in the introduction "The one caveat is that our consistent aim has been to produce "games" which can be won by either side".

The table of contents giving the list of battles:

A sample map:

A sample roster sheet giving an OOB:

Whether you want a source of playable battle scenarios that range in size from medium to larger battles, or a useful historical reference to some of the basic elements of the military history of the period, this book is a winner. It is printed in colour, with a range of illustrations of both art works representing the battles of the period and photos of some of their beautifully painted figures in play.  There is a second book in the writing/play testing phase right now, so keep an eye out for more of this wargaming 'lusciousness'. For 'gamers of warfare in the age of reason, this is a must.

One of my early childhood influences

Those teenage years .. at the time, this was a hobby 'winner'

Back on the Peninsula .. 1809

 Had a few of the lads around this week for a bit of a bash using the 25mm napoleonic armies. The armies are a good 40 years old, as I've posted before. They are brittle (lead rot), and were painted in the style we used in the 70s and 80s. However none of us is a rivet counter, and it's all about the chance to push figures around a table while enjoying good company. We had both. We fought the game using our standard Volley and Bayonet rules.

This battle is not an historical refight, but rather a 'situation' modelled on the Battle of Tamames on the Peninsular in 1809. As is usually my habit these days, this isn't a full blown AAR, but rather just a few selected photos.

The Spanish forces, a mic of M5, M4, and militia, troops occupy a steep ridge, ands the village of Tamames at its foot. The French are attacking. As I've already said, our game was not a refight.

The buildings are my own, scratch built after the style of Kevin Dallimore who featured similar buildings in Wargames Illustrated in the 1990s.

Battle of the Boyne

Last night's Volley and Bayonet game was a refight of the Battle of the Boyne. As usual, this is not an AAR, but a chance to showcase Adrian's beautiful 15mm armies, and scenery.

We did have one of those memorable game moments. Background: in mēlee/assault, units hit on a die roll of 6, the number of dice thrown being determined by the unit type, and period. Elite units are higher morale so more likely to actually go into combat in good order, and if they have shock they hit in the mēlee on a 5 or 6.

Jon commanded half the Williamite army, trying to cross the Boyne. His forces included two units of elite Dutch infantry, M7 with Shock. Jon threw a unit across the river attacking a defended village against the river bank. This meant that they were disordered going into the assault. They were supported by three stationary artillery units.

Jon rolled his eight attack dice (the two for the assault from the infantry requiring a 5 or a 6 to hit, and six from the three stationary gun stands. He rolls five 6's, meaning five potential hits. The defending unit received saving rolls, because the attacker was disordered. Robin saved four of the five sixes. Harrumph from Jon, but at least he had one casualty on the defenders.

Robin rolled his four dice in defence (the defending infantry stand was stationary). He rolled three 6s, causing 3 casualties on the attackers. 

The attackers being already disordered now rout. The unit does not have enough strength points and is eliminated.

If you've played Volley and Bayonet you will understand the improbability of the entire combat.

After a number of moves of immobility for the Williamites, they finally created gaps in James' defenders, gaps sufficient to allow them to cross the river. It was a hard fought battle but James' forces lost. In our refight James was killed while leading a cavalry unit in combat.

A week in 'gaming ..

It's been one of those weeks. A return from a relaxing long weekend away, and then three Volley and Bayonet games. It happens sometimes.

The first game was a refight of a section of the Battle of Perryville with Andrew. The scenario had been downloaded from Keith's website in 2000 (the date is printed on the footer of the page). It is't currently available on Keith's revamped site. It's a small action, but I was fascinated by the nuance it captured. The game ended as a draw (neither side achieving its victory conditions before night set in), but the Union only survived because the turn limit was 5 turns, and the fact that last move was a night move. I didn't manage to capture photos during the game, so these photos are of the game at the end. The number of yellow and red disorder markers on Union stands reflects the chaos that had ensued. The game was played with my 15mm ACW armies.

The second game was a Franco Prussian war game. The armies are from Adrian's 15mm collection. The scenario was set during the later Republican phase of the war. I was one of the French commanders, and it would be fair to say the result was a French disaster, in part because of my inability to roll 6's with the dice.

The last game was a 6mm Napoleonic game, set in 1809, using Keith's 6mm armies. Again I didn't keep a record pf progress during the game, so the photos are really just eye candy to reflect beautiful figures on lovely terrain.

I feel somewhat blessed to have such great friends and 'gaming companions who are so generous in sharing their time, their expertise, their laughter, and their beautiful armies and terrain.