Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy 80

I hope you all have ordered a copy of the Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy Issu 80, released on 1st september. As you will find My and Jan´s Stockholm 1392 article about our demo game at Salute 2015. You will get a short historical background and the 4 scenarios that we run during the day using the Lion Rampant rules.

From the WSS page:

Feature: Michael and Jan, "The Victial brothers at Stockholm, 1392 - God's 'friend', the world's enemy"

One night in June 1392, screams from tortured prisoners could be heard across Stockholm. around 70 Swedish burghers had been captured by their German neighbours and their henchmen, the Victual Brothers. They were tied up and taken across to Käpplingeholmen, a small island close to the town. There they were held prisoner in an old wooden building, which was finally set on fire, killing all of them. This was the culmination of a longstanding conflict between the two factions over the control of Stockholm.

 I hope it will inspire you to some good gaming :)

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Swedish reinforcements for the Scanian War

As the Swedes have lost the last games in my Scanian War project... I decided that they really needed some reinforcements and have started to add more dragoons from the Skåne-Bohusläns Dragon Regiment. I have one unit of 6 sins before and will add 2 more units of 6 minis in total 3 units of 6 minis. They are all built with the plastic Wargames Factory WSS Infantry and Cavalry boxes

Here are some pictures of the 1st of the 2 reinforcement groups, and a bit of Regimental History from the time of the Scanian War.

Bohuslän Dragoon Regiment takes its origins to 1661 when a cavalry and a dragon department was set up in Bohuslän. Both units were transformed to two companies of 150 men and was called Bohus- Jämtland Cavalry Battalion and its Colonel was Major Otto Mörner.

From 1670 known as the Bohusläns cavalry company. The 2 Bohuslän companies would together with 4 companies in Skåne and two companies in Jämtland form a dragoon regiment . The regiment was then called Dragoons in the former Danish provinces of Skåne or - Bohuslän , Jämtland Dragoon Regiment and its Colonel was Mats Kagg.

From 1670 the regiment was called Scania - Bohuslän Dragoon Regimen . In 1675 was the Jämtland companies separated from the Dragoon Regiment. Instead the Bohuslän companies was increased to 4, the regiment was also called German or Green Dragoons and was quartered in northern Bohuslän. 

During the scanian was the Regiment was involved in all the major battles. On 17 August 1676 the regiment participated in the Battle of Halmstad. The regiment was formerat 3 squadrons and stood on the left wing. 

The regiment participated in the Battle of Lund, December 4, 1676 due to casultys it was reduced to only 149 men and was deployed in 2 squadrons, and stood in the left wing of the second line. After the battle remained only men for one squadron. 

In spring 1677 the regiment was reinforced with 400 recruits. On July 14, 1677 was the regiment in the Battle of Landskrona, deployed in 3 squadrons and placed on left wing in the first line. 

In 1678 the regiment was with Lord High Admiral Stenbocks army in Bohuslän. The regiment also took part in the Battle of Uddevalla August 28, 1677 and on 22 July 1678 the rescue of the Bohus fortress.

Last a picture of one more group of Dragoons the 3rd and last for now, just have to paint them...

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Regimental banner.

Space Hulk

Last weeks I and the family have spent some time in the summer house in Darlecarlia. I have managed to find some old game and presented them for my 6 year son, some day ago we had a game of Space Hulk.

Unfortunate it seems like I have used the Terminators for some other project so we had to use SWAT team cops insted, but it worked fine and the Son really liked the game:)

The Pikeman´s Lament - AAR #2 - Crossing the steam at Ekeshultssjön 1678

Here are some pictures from out last test game of The Pikeman´s Lament, My and Daniel Merseys new Pike and Shot themed wargaming rules that are due to be published in the Ospreys Wargaming serie in January 2017.

This time the two nemesis the Danish Officer, Second Lieutenant Niels Andersen and the Swedish Officer Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte meet up with their Companies at a bridge over the stream besides the Ekeshult lake south of Örkened i Scania. They both need to get controll of the bridge and the stream.

OOB
Once again the two companies used have a lot of different troop types in them, as we want to test as many as possible in the same game.

Danish
Officer - Second Lieutenant Niels Andersen, he are a Hothead and have a hard time with superiors - he have been demoted several times, but his freeshoter company loves that he cares for them and lead from the front.
1 unit of Shot with officer attached
2 units of Raw Shot (Scanian Militia)
1 unit of Detached shot (Scanian Militia)
2 units of Trotters
1 units of Dragoons

Swedish
Officer - Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte, he are an Officer and a Gentleman in fancy clothes that the ladies really love.
1 unit of Pike with officer attached
2 units of Shot
1 unit of Galoppers
1 unit of Dragoons
1 Regimenta gun

As we are in the beginning of the playtest and rules are adjusted from game to game I will not say much about any gaming mechanics, more than that the rules are based on the Lion Rampant mechanics;)

The game unfortunate once again ended in a Danish Victory...

Due to his good performance during the last two missions the Danish Officer Second Lieutenant Niels Andersen got promoted to Lieutenant.

Regimental Gun for Scanian War

The 3pdr regimental guns were used during the Scanian War as well as during G II A's time with infantry regiments and was placed in the gaps between the battalions in groups of two or three pieces. Each regimental gun had a crew of 4-5 men and 3 horses.

Re-deployment forward or backward occurred in connection to the infantry movements during the battle, At regroupings during battle they took the help of the infantry to move the pieces as the horses was to difficult to handle in the battle situation. They neededn the help of about 15-16 extra men to regroup a 3pdr regimental gun. 

The regimental guns opened fire on the 600 m distance from the enemy soldiers and would then reload during the march forward. After firing the shot, they would be advancing forward in steps so they came about 50 m in front of the infantryline. At approximately 200 m would stay and proceed to give fire with grape shots. The infantry then went beyond the regimental guns for theirs attack.

The regimental guns was expected to continue to fire during the battle, even after the infantry had passed them at the 200m point. They usually followed the infantry that was advancing to charge the enemy. As they had friendly infantry on both sides of their firelane they had to return to shooting with solid cannonballs. 

During the Carolingian period the Swedes leave the custom to place the heavy artillery in front of the main infantry line. The started to place the heavy artillery on the wings or between the different combat units (Left wing, Center and Right wing), if they even bothered to bring it during their swift marches. They took into account the terrain and tried to place the heavy artillery on heights in groups of one or two batteries with a variable number of guns. The batteries were their own fighting units with their own commander but some collaboration between the batteries.

I felt that my swedeish troops in Scanian war needed a Regimental gun so I built me some Dalregiment crew from Wargames Factory minis, found me a nice Perry AWI 3pdr and some other stuff to make me a Regimental gun unit for The Pikeman´s Lament rules.

In conjunktion with the other troops in the rules that are 12 or 6 minis we, at least for the moment, decided to let all guns have 6 crewmen, playtest will show if we alter it or not.

As most guns aren´t sold with 6 crew you can use other stuff as "crew men" just to keep track of how many hits they have taken and to see if they are at full or half strenght, it dosen´t really matter if it is 6 actual men with the gun,

So for my Regimental gun I have 1 single crewmen (1), one powdermonkey (1), one horse with civilian horseholder (2), and one more crewman with barrels and powder (2) to get the full crew (6). I hope you got it :)  and of course if you are luckey to have spare gun crew, please use 6 of them to each gun.

The Pikeman´s Lament AAR#1 - Raid in Örkened Socken 1678

Here are some pictures from my and Jonas first playtest game of My and Daniel Merseys new Pike and Shot themed wargaming rules "The Pikeman´s Lament" that are due to be published in the Ospreys Wargaming serie in January 2017....

We used my Scaninan War 1675-79 collection and the Scenario are a Raid mission on a small Scanian farm that havbe been toold to help the Danish Freeshoters so the Swedish authoraty have decided to burn it all to the ground as a punishment for them helping the rebelles, i.e.. "Snapphanarna".

OOB
The two companies used have a lot of different troop types in them as we wanted to test as many as possible in the same game;)

Danish
Officer - Second Lieutenant Niels Andersen, he are a Hothead and have a hard time with superiors - he have been demoted several times, but his freeshoter company loves that he cares for them and lead from the front.
1 unit of Shot with officer attached
2 units of Trotters
2 units of Dragoons
1 unit of Allmoge
1 unit of Detached shot

Swedish
Officer - Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte, he are an Officer and a Gentleman in fancy clothes that the ladies really love.
1 unit of Pike with officer attached
2 units of Shot
1 unit of Galoppers
1 unit of Veteran Dragoons
1 unit of Allmoge

Deployment, Danes to the left with a few units in the middle to defent the farm and Swedes to the right. The gaming area are about 120x120cm

Swedish Dragoons and Galoppers. As you see we have keept the unit sizes, 6 minis for Horse and 12 minis for most Foot, The Dragoons are some in between with a mix of Horse and Foot, but it have no effect on the game

Soldiers from the Swedish Dalregiment, one unit of Shot and a unit of Pike with the officer, Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte, mounted on his Horse so all enemy snipers can see him and his new hat in all his glory;)

Scaninan Allmoge that fights for the Swedes to hunt downt the marauders, the Snapphanar.

It was quite common during the Scanian war that the Scanian Allmoge fought for both the Swedes and the Danes.

Scanian Allmoge that under command of the village priest will try to defend their homes from the flames. Back in the small field you can see a group of Detached Shot, represented by the more potent shooter from the Scanina Allmoge.

Danish Freeshoters (Dragoons) advance to help out protect the farm.

Even more Danish freeshoters advance to protect the farm against the evil Swedes...

To the left a unit of Shot with the officer Second Lieutenant Niels Andersen on his horse that he stole from a Swedish general some time ago. To the right, on the road, two units of Trotters.

The Danish Trotters dashingly moves throught the farm eager to engage the Swedes, in the back some Danish Dragoons take cover behins a pile of timber.

The Scanian Allmoge hide out behind one of the houses hoping that the trotters will win the day for them.

At the same time the Swedish infantry have reached the stone wall and the Dragoons and Galoppers are on their way up to the farm.

Only the Scanian Allmoge that lagging behind in the general Swedish advance

The Scanian Allmoge that are defending the farm are still hiding behind a house while the Swedes advance...

The Swedish Galoppers ad Dragoons have taken some casulties due to shooting from the Danish Trotters and Dragoons...

The Scanian allmoge have at last advanced to a possition behind a hedge to start shooting on the advancing Swedes...

The advancing Swedes also recieve some flanking fire from the Danish Shot unit.

Just before the final Swedish assault...

Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte leads heroicly his Pike unit in a charge...

Fierce fighting...

The Pikeman´s from the Dalregiment manage to chase away the Scanian Allmoge...

Smells like a Swedish victory...

...but due to some shooting and a lucky blow Second Lieutenant Nils Skytte falls from his horse, wounded...but it seems like it was just a flesh wound and his Pikemen´s manage to bring him to saftey, but also stoping their offencive...

With just one Shot unit, a Pike unit and some no-god Scanian Allmoge left the Swedes decides to retreate in good order and launch a new attack another day...

To have been the first test game of The Pikeman´s Lament we both feelt most worked out good, we have some adjustment of troop stats, special rules etc to do, but we are on our way with the playtesting, expect more The Pikeman´s Lament playtesting AAR´s :)

Thanks for reading!