Renaissance Campaign Update

I returned to assess the state of affairs of my local Redcar Wargaming Club's Renaissance (Thirty Years War) campaign. As a free-lance mercenary general I am expected to drift in and out of tactical commands, but every now and then it is good so see the world from a strategic perspective.

The major news is that Vienna has fallen to a Protestant army which is a huge coup (see below, bottom left corner - those are not HRE counters):

But Protestant Prague itself finds itself on the cusp of falling to the mighty HRE siege-train arrayed around its walls (see below): 

All-in-all the HRE is coming off second best with the Protestants having more active pieces on the board, but there is still plenty of fighting to be done.

All I am interested in is a warm bed, sack of wine and purse of gold.

The Infantry Battle: "Many Face a Few" (Vienna Battle Part IV)

The battle drew to it's climax. 

My wing of horse 'pulled back' (tactical not cowardice) to delay any combat on my flank for as long as possible. My mission was to guard the flank of the Protestant guns (who had dealt death all day) while the infantry went in and won the battle for the Protestants Princes (see below)

My wing (above) was the one part of the battlefield where the HRE outnumbered the Protestants as in the centre of the battle field the situation was dramatically reversed (see below): 

The HRE troops faced a devastating "combined arms" attack as guns, shot, pike and mounted pistols all spoke (see below):

The Catholic troops in the centre were brought within a a stand of demoralisation and could not continue to fight it out at a distance (see below):

Meanwhile I was trying not to "lose any men/ground" or "give the HRE any glimmer if hope" as I prepared to face a HRE 'death or glory' charge (see below):

In teh centre the HRE commander decided that desperate times called for desperate measures as the HRE infantry and their "C-in-C's cavalry" piled forth 'while their morale was intact', hoping for 'sixes' from their dice and asking for 'ones' in return from their enemy (see below): 

It was not to be a day for HRE 'heroes' as the HRE  central command broke, ending the game and opening the road and this starting the 'Siege of Vienna' justr this time not y the Turks (see below):

Inches away from combat the HRE cavalry backed away and I did not even have to roll a combat dice all game, but still even as a mere spectator it was a 'job well done' and a satisfying game played to a conclusion in an entertaining evening (which is a big plus).

Flushing the Enemy Out (Vienna Battle Part II)

The HRE target the advancing Protestant infantry and by scoring a good dice roll remove and enemy unit of shot, exposing the vulnerable Pike behind. First blood to the HRE (see below): 

Retribution is swift as the Protestant Princes target the (superior) enemy artillery piece and it is a troublesome gun no more. This does not bode well for the HRE Pike blocks. The Protestants have a 3:1 advantage in artillery now (see below):

My wing of horse are in no particular rush to do anything in particular as they suspect the built up area is teeming with hidden shot units. All I do is to make sure I do not occlude any potential targets for my artillery (see below): 

The Protestant infantry soon mount "the hill" to see what they can see (see below):

A wing of HRE horse that is flushed out of its hiding place (see below):

The HRE sub commander does not fancy his chances against the Protestant forces so uses his interior lines to retreat the left facing infantry along with his 'wing of horse' into the centre of the HRE position. At least they should be cosy and warm there!

The Thity Years War Campaign has now "Started"

The glorious campaign map from the GMT game (of same said name, i.e."Thirty Years War") in the flux of opening play (see below):  

Of extreme interest is the opening rapier like strike into the heart of the "Catholic" Holy Roman Empire by the Germanic "Protestant" Princes threatening the very "Gates of Vienna" itself (see below):  

Despite his forces being heavily outnumbered the Holy Roman Emperor decides fight outside the capitol in the hope of buying time (at least another turn) rather than by holed up inside Vienna like a rat, awaiting the simple siege roll of a dice (unable to effect the outcome). Her at least he stands the chance of inflicting damage on the attackers which ultimately may make his relief attempt easier.

So much for the grand strategy, what about the battle?

Next: Battle for the Road to Vienna

Winter Club Project: Thirty Years Year Campaign

Something for the "dark winter nights" sir? A wargame campaign seething with historical religious persecution and long standing injustices, backed with frequent and bloody battles? Welcome to the Thirty Years War and all that that entails. 

This inevitably will be a long runner, so the campaign system is taken from a tried and tested GMT board game (called surprisingly "The Thirty Years War") and is a card driven system which produces much variety within a believable historical framework (see below): 

The figures are beautiful 25/28mm, shown above are horse (Pistols), Hoards of angry Peasants and the deadly "shot". I cannot explain why I didn't put some Pike into the frame too as they are still a force to be reckoned with. Classic stuff. Suitable battles will be carried to the tabletop and translated into DBR armies dependant upon the quantity and composition of counters in the campaign armies. My only misgiving is the rule set (DBR) but at least in this period it is 'far less complicated' than its ancient DBM cousin. My favoured Impetus rule set, to my incomplete knowledge, does not seem to have stretched to the 30YW (yet)

I have also been requested to paint some 'cavalry' if possible (see below):

I will have to make a trip up into the 'loft' to see if I have any suitable ECW or 30YW figures. Spiders beware here I come! IMHO it is always good to try and link a painting project with a (long running) campaign so that before the end of the said campaign you can boast fielding a 'new unit' of troops into the fray.