Got a Article in Wargames Soldiers & Strategy 113 :)

Just wanted to let you knwo that you can find a article and scenario of mine in the latest Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy, issue 113.

The theme for this issue are "Conflict in Norway throught the ages" and my article are about the Swedish attack at Trondheim in 1718 that ended in a Swedish disaster. Writen for Rebels and Patriots rules but also included stats for Black Powder.

I have also produced this months WSS Online scenario, The Battle of Bysjön 1644, one again a Swedish loss against the Norwegians... writhen for The Pikemens Lament and free for download.

Hope you like them both and that they give you some good games.

AAR Battle at Älgsundet 1457 #2

I have had a chanse to re-play my scenario about the Battle at Älgsundet in 1457, then the Swedish Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna) rebelled against the Swedish King Karl Knutsson (Bonde)...

This time we played on a 120x180mm table.

I used a different Break point system: add the Hits for all troops in the army divide by 2 and you got the armys Break point, if you lose as many points worth of untis the army breake and they lost the battle... units that get shaken count as half the points lost as long as they stay shaken. I hope you got it...

OOB for Battle at Älgsundet...

The Rebell force

1st Battle under command of the Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson from the house of Oxenstierna.
1 Small Unit of Knights
2 Units of Allmoge

2nd Battle under command of Erik Axelsson from the house of Tott.
2 Units of Allmoge

Breake Point 4+6+6+6+6/2=14

The Kings forces

1st Battle under command of the King Karl Knutsson from the house of Bonde
2 Small unit of Mounted Knechts
1 Small unit of Mercenary Handgunners

2nd Battle under command of Erik Eriksson from the house of Gyllenstierna
2 Unit of Allmoge
1 Small unit of Mercenary Handgunners

Breake Point 4+4+4+6+6+4/2=14

Set-up...The Kings men, to the right, started in their camp. They was just awaken by the nightguards, and got to recive 2 successfull orders to get ready for the battle and for a proper battleline...

The Rebels started of board and was allowed to enter on their first turn...

The Kings men have just ruched out of theirs tent, starting to assemble for battle...

The inhabitans of the nearby farm started to move there livestock to saftey in the forest...

Just the rebel generals was placed on the Table at first...

The Rebells start to move out of the forest and up on the battlefield to come... the Knights seem to have problem in the forest as they didn´t manage to enter the field...

The King and he´s commanders had without any problem managed to rally theirs forces and form a battle line with the Mounted knecht to the right and the Allmoge to the left and both flanks covered by mercenary handgunners...

The poor farmers prepare to defend their property and to move the family members to saftey...

The Kings battle line...

The Archbishop leads from the rear of 2 units of allmoge soldiers...

The Kings battle line advance up to the Fence and awaited the rebells...

The Archbishop was so eager to see blood that he incautious advanced with he´s allmoge soldiers to confront the Kings Knechts...leaving all support behind...

The King didn´t want to lose this chance and ordered he´s Knecht to CHARGE !!!

It become a hard fight with several casualtys on both sides...but the Archbishops troops manage to resist the Cavalry charge and come out on top...

Overview...

The Archbishop had taken a chanse and was struggleing to keep the initiative in the battle... desperatly awaiting to be supported by he´s knights and more allmoge units...

The King was trying to get he´s Knecht back in to the fight...not wanting to commit he´s allmoge units just yet...

The Archbishops troops managed to brake one of the Kings Knecht units...and the Knights managed to move up just in front of the Handgunners...

The Archbishop wanted to order he´s Knights to make a hedlong charge on the Handgunners...but failed so they had to recive some more shooting...

The Rebells 2nd battle managed to, at last, make a swift advance to protect the Archbishops exposed flank...

The commander of the rebells 2nd battle ordered a fullout attack, and lead he´s allmoge warriors in a ferocious charge!!!

Hard fought combat in the center...

The Archbishops allmoge units managed by crossbow fire brake the 2nd Knecht unit...

At the same time the Knights slaughter the Kings handgunners...

Several rounds of combat did take it´s toll on the involved units...One of the Rebell allmoge units did breake by the hard pressure from The kings allmoge units...

The Rebells had lost 1 allmoge unit worth 6 breake points and the knights was Shaken, totaling up to 8 lost break points.

The King had so far lost 3 small units worth 12 break points, if any of the remaing unist would be shaken och break he would lose the battle...

In what would become to be the last round, the fight in the center ended in yet one more of the Kings allmoge units become shaken... Totaling the Kings break points to 15!

This leading to the Kings forces to break of the battle and retreat...the king managed to escape with some of he´s loyal knights and made it to the Capital Stockholm, he htought he´s cause was lost, so he took the royal treasury and fleed to exile in Danzig...

But he would be back...

AAR Battle at Helgeandsholmen 21 August 1463

Here comes the AAR from our latest Kalmar Union War game using the Hail Caesar rules.

Background
In 1459 the Union/Danish King Christian I got the opportunity to inherit Schleswig, but he had to pay off some of he´s relatives. The price however, was astronomical, 123000 guilders, equivalent to 30750 silver marks or six tons of silver!!! and this would be borne by the Union population. All citizens in Denmark and Sweden had to pay extra taxes to cover for the cost...

The increased tax burden in Sweden met with resistance. 1463 imposed an additional tax of 12 cents for each tax farmer and 6 cents for every country people. When the Allmoge in Uppland protested violently, declared Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna) that the tax was abolished.

When King Christian returned to Stockholm the Archbishop was imprisoned and taken to Denmark. Uppland Allmoge marched to Stockholm and camped on Norrmalm. Under the leadership of the Swedish Marshal Ture Turesson (Bielke) the Kings soldiers attacked the Allmoge on August 21 at Helgeandsholmen just outside the Stockholm city walls...

Opposing Armies
As there is no true historical account of which and how many participated in the battle, I have based the army lists on the minis I had available at the moment, The scenario at the end have a different OOB then the one we used in this AAR, it was my firts intentiobn but I diden´t have time to finish all minis...

As Commander for the Allmoge I have put relatives to the Imprisoned Archbishop that had estates in Uppland and had the possibility to influence the Allmoge to a rebellion.

The Rebel Allmoge army was attacked from two directions. One force attacked from Stockholm under command of the Danish Marshal Claus Rönnow and one was the reinforcements attack by the Knechts under command of Swedish Marshal Ture Turesson (Bielke) that was returning back from an attack on the Archbishops fortress at Almarestäket...

Order of Battle Union

Command of Claus Rönnow, Defenders of Stockholm
2 Units of Mercenarys halberdmen and crossbowmen
1 Small Unit of Mercenary Handguners

Command of C-in-C Ture Turesson (Bielke), Reinforcements
2 Small Units of Knechts
1 Small Unit of Mercenary Handguners

Order of Battle Rebels

Command of C-in-C Kristiern Bengtsson (Oxenstierna) Brother to Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna)
2 Units of Allmoge
1 Small unit of Allmoge skirmishers

Command of Erik Nilsson (Oxenstierna) Cousin to Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna)
2 Units of Allmoge

The game starts when the Defenders of Stockholm have deployed outside the city walls to engage the rebels according to map.

The Union reinforcements will enter on a roll of 4,5 or 6 in turn 2, on 3,4,5 or 6 in turn 3 and in turn 4 they will enter automatically. The Rebels has the first turn...

The rebells on Brunkebergsåsen leave theris night camp and start to move against the Bridge to Helgeandsholmen. They are going to reinforce the allmoge units that got over during the night...

The defender of Stockholm just await to have theirs reinforcement to arrive...

The Danish 2nd in command decide that he will try to deffeat the rebel force on Helgeandsholmen before they can get theirs reinforcements over the bridge...

The battle start out with some missile fire from both sides, the rebell allmoge got the uper edge and manage to break!!! one of the Danish mercenary units, due to poor morale. The mercenary unit flees back behind the safty of the Stockholm City Wall...

With one mercenary unit taken care of the Rebell commander order a charge!!! a fierce hand to hand combat that last for several turns begins...

At last! The Danish Reinforcements arrives, but they have left the Knights back at the camp... The commander Ture Turesson Bielke was a keen fighter so we gave him +3 if he joins a combat, all other commander only added +1.

Ture Turesson orders he´s Knecht to advance against the supprised Allmoge.

Then he order he´s mercenary handgunners to make a advance to the left...but they "missunderstod" the order and as they already got all the loot they could carry, by ransacking the Archbishops estate, they decided to go back to the camp and party with the Knights...

At Helgeandsholmen the rebell allmoge had managed to defeat the last danish mercenary unit, chasing them back behind the city walls...

Battle field overview. The Danish Knecht preper themself for a charge that will puch the allmoge down in "norrström" i.e. the north stream...

The Knecht charged but was repulsed, both units shaken...even though Ture Tureson Bielke was leading from the front adding 3 attacks...

With 2 mercenary infantry units Broken, the 2 units of Knechts shaken and all mercenary handgunners of to party, the Danish commandes shoose to call it a day...

It was a realy nice and intense game, but I think it would have turned out more to history i.e Ture Turesson Bielke and he´s Knechts and Knights massacred the allmoge. The Union Soldiers even entered the Helgeandhouse and killed enemy´s that had seek sanctuary in the chapel after this event Ture Turesson Bielke was known as infamous "allmoge butcher"...

AAR Battle at Älgsundet 1457

At last have I played my first Kalmar Union War game using the Hail Caesar rules. I have writen a small scenario about the Battle at Älgsundet in 1457, then the Swedish Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson (Oxenstierna) rebelled against the Swedish King Karl Knutsson (Bonde)...

I diden´t have the time to go down to the club and play it ou,t so my kitchen table had to do...and the only gamingmat I had was 60x90cm!!! But as Hail Caesar is a realy adaptable game system so it worked out fine:)

I had to make some small changes...I only fielded half of the units in my scenario and I used Centimetres instead of Inch...

And I changed the Break point system to: add the Hits for all troops in the army divide by 2 and you got the armys Break point, if you lose as many points worth of untis the army breake and they lost the battle... units that get shaken count as half the points lost as long as they stay shaken. I hope you got it:)

OOB for Battle at Älgsundet condense...

The Rebell force under command of the Archbishop Jöns Bengtsson of the house of Oxenstierna.
2 Units of Allmoge
1 Small unit of Allmoge skirmishers
Breake Point 6+6+4/2=8

The Kings forces under command of the King Karl Knutsson from the House of Bonde
1 Small unit of Mounted Knechts
1 Unit of Allmoge
1 Small unit of Mercenary Handgunners
Breake Point 4+6+4/2=7


Set up map for my orginal scenario, yes I have lost a D in Älgsundet;)


My small gaming board, the troops moved in on turn 1...and a Shepherd with some livestock as spectators...


The Battle begins with a cautious advance by both sides... The Archbishops troops to the left and the Kings troops to the right...


The Kings Mercenary Handgunners advanced in cover of the fenced field...


The Archbishop sends he´s skirmishers out to the right to screen of the Handgunners...while he´s Allmoge units start to shower the Kings troops with crossbow bolts...


Both sides try to soften the enemy troops by crossbow fire... in the back you can see the King rally he´s Allmoge troops...

At the same timetThe Kings Handgunners managed to frighten of the Allmoge skirmishers...and make the Archbishops side to loose 4 Break points... just 4 left...


As the Kings troops were a little inferior in shooting capacity, they decided to charge !!!

A intence close combat that lasted for 3 turns followed...


At fisrst it seemed like the Archbishop would be Victorious as the Kings men started to retreat...

BUT The Kings Allmoge troops came out on top in the end, then they manage to break one of the Archbishops Allmoge units and make the Archbishops side to loose another 6 Break Points to a total of 10 lost Break points and a Lost Battle...

Even in a Insignificant format, like this gam,e Hail Caesar have proven to be a greate game system! We had a realy fun and intense game that lasted for a little more than one hour.

Below you can fins my Scenario and it wouldent be to hard to be set in the WOtR, playing the Allmoge units as mixed Bill and Bow units... Please let me know if you try it out:)

AAR Battle of Castulo 211BC

Björn, Fredrik and I have continued our Iberian adventure during the Cartaghinian war using the Hail Caesar rules.

This time I had put together a scenario inspired by the battle of Castulo in 211BC, this was one part of the Battle of the Upper Baetis, the second part are ofcourse the next game...

The romans had devided their army in two parts, one part under command of Publicus Scipio made a swift night march to be able to suprise the Iberian chieftain Indibilis and he´s troops by a dawn attack.

What the roman commander or Player(Fredrik)didn´t know was that there was large amounts of Carthaginian unit in the nearby area, that would arrive as support during the battle...

Order of Battle Rome

Publicus Division: C-in-C, Publicus Scipio
2 Units of Legionaries
1 Small Units of Velites
1 Unit of Italian Auxiliaries

Maximus Division: Legate, Tiberius Fonteus
2 Units of Legionaries
1 Small Units of Velites
1 Small Units of Cretan Archers

Order of Battle Carthage

Indibilis Division: C-in-C, Indibilis (Starting force on table, 1 unit may start in the fortified camp)
2 Unit of CeltIberians - Medium infantry
1 Unit of Iberians – Light infantry
1 Small Units of Baleric slingers - Skirmish infantry

Masanissas Division: General, Masanissa (arrives in turn 3 on Carthaginian left flank)
2 Small Units of Light Horse – Light Cavalry

Hasdrubal Giscos Division: General Hasdrubal Gisco (arrives in turn 5 at the Carthaginian base line)
2 Units of Carthagian - Heavy infantry
1 Small Unit of Carthagian - Skirmish infantry

Magos Division: General, Mago (arrives in turn 7 on Carthaginian right flank)
1 Units of Cavalry - Medium cavalry
1 Unit of Elephants – Elephants
1 Small Unit of Carthagian - Skirmish infantry (Sub-unit to Elephants)




Indibilis trying to get he´s newly awaken troops in a fighting formation...


Turn 2, The Iberians to the left had managed to form some sort of fighting formation in turn 1 and was now avaiting the Roman advance...

The Romans to the right started out slow in the first turn but the following turns they made some swift movement forward the enemys...

Exept for the Cretan Archers that apperentlu haden´t been payed enough and only stroll int their own pace...


The Romans had soon made it to the outskirt of the Iberian Camp, on the Roman right flank their Italian Allies charged a Iberian unit and managed after soem turns of fighting breake the enemy...

At the same time the Carthaginians heard the sound of reinforcements...but due to poor command of Masanissas they didn´t arrive on table...


At last did Masanissas and he´s light Cavalry arrive starting to harass the roman right flank.

In turn 5 the Carthaginians recived even more reinforcements, this time Hasdrubal Giscos slowly arrive with some Heavy Hoplite Infantry...

The Romas that by now knew that they had to win this before to much reinforcements could arrive mad a puch all over the line...


The Romans fought hard in the center there Indibilis Celtiberians put up stiff resistance...

By some reason Hasdrubal Giscos didn´t manage to get he´s troops in to the fight...the Roman commander claimed that it was the newly paid Cretan Archers that stoped them with accurat missile fire...

The Carthaginians recived even ore reinforcements...this time Mago arrived with Cavalry and Elephants... The Roman commander started to get realy stressed...


Final Puch by the Romans... in turn 7 they managed to Breake one of the Celtiberian units, as they breake the baleric slingers alsoe Broke and the last Celtiberians retreated in to the camp...

The Romans followd up to keep the contact and managed after some more intense fighting to finish the last Celtiberian unit of and by that forcing the rest of the Carthaginian army to withdraw...Glory to Rome...