Author Topic: Seeking Rules for SYW (Read 5995 times)

mictator · « **on:** 19 October 2020, 12:05:18 AM »

Hello, need Rules for Big Battles for the Seven Year Wars.

Codsticker · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 October 2020, 04:08:18 AM »

Honours of War (link)?

Emir of Askaristan · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 October 2020, 06:46:31 AM »

I have used Honours of War for SYW and WAS and I and my fellow gaming buds quite enjoyed it. They found it easy to pick up and the rules flowed and were good for major battles. 16-20 figure units with these rules. Great for an evening or afternoon game with a dozen or so units aside but able to handle bigger games - we did Mollwitz and Campo Santo as day long games.

I used to use Volley and Bayonet - the linear bases capture the look of SYW battles very well but it has some abstract mechanisms which some didn't like. Units are based on 3"x 1" bases so better for 15mm figs and 12-16 per unit was what I used. Might be difficult to get hold of a copy now too.

Currently I use the free rules which are available from Minden Miniatures by Jim Purkey. These are a little more detailed than HoW but just as simple to pick up. Unit sizes are 24 but you can play with smaller or larger units. I also use Jim's AWI rules too. Played some big games with both and Jim knows the period very well.

DintheDin · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 October 2020, 08:10:17 AM »

I have played several SYW battles with Volley and Bayonet rules, but as Emir says there are some abstract mechanisms I am not very satisfied, however we have played very big battles with them.

The last years I'm stuck to the Honours of War rules, I'm posting regularly to the forum, AARs and scenarios (Dindin)

Honours of War forum link
http://honoursofwar.com/
You will have to register

Several Honours of War games' AARs I have posted here (to name but a few

SteveBurt · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 October 2020, 10:42:36 AM »

Might and Reason is good for large battles.
Maurice is great although not like other rules, being card driven.
Honours of War is pretty straightforward
Shako version 1 had a good SYW section (sadly gone in v2)
Piquet Field of Battle is good and covers SYW

SJWi · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 October 2020, 10:50:32 AM »

Mictator, thanks for asking the question. As the owner of some unused 15mm SYW forces dating back to the 1980s I will interested in the answers.

I know of a few candidates;

My own forces are based for a set called “Koenigs Krieg”. I think they are now at v3 but I have no idea where you can buy them?

“Die Kriegskunst”. From what I know these are based on “General de Brigade” and originally published by Caliver Books. Now only available as a PDF from Wargames Vault for $31.99.

“Maurice” by Sam Mustafa. Available from Northstar in UK for £30 but no idea where you can buy the necessary card set.

“Honours of War” by Osprey Publishing. £11.99 as a soft-back book.

I bought the latter but have never used them. I will check out DintheDin’s links for more information. I have found the Osprey rules very “hit and miss”. Hopefully these are more “hit”.

Also interested in feedback/suggestions for other rules.

WFGamers · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 October 2020, 11:34:24 AM »

We use the 'Twilight of the Soldier Kings' rules which are designed for fighting large battles in this era - https://www.wyrehistoricbooks.co.uk/home

A unit is something like a brigade and most battles can be fought on a 'normal' table and in a reasonable amount of time - i.e. a typical 4 hour or so gaming session.

Usually this will be historic refights of full historical battles.

SJWi · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 October 2020, 12:08:04 PM »

Thanks for the tip re “Twilight of the Soldier Kings”. I have vaguely heard of them but have never investigated further. In the rules write-up they imply units of circa 100mm frontage as being a Brigade.

Can you give a view of how many units/Brigades a “normal” battle would entail?

Thanks

zippyfusenet · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 October 2020, 12:50:45 PM »

Hey SJWi, Siege Works Studios in Australia is the current vendor for all things Koenig Krieg, including the new Version 4. I actually wouldn't recommend KK for really big battles, but I like 'em for two-player games with a few brigades on a side. Here's a link:

http://www.siegeworksstudios.com.au/cart/index.php

genew492 · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 October 2020, 01:34:54 PM »

Take a look at Batailles de l’Ancien Regime from oldregimerules.com

WFGamers · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 October 2020, 04:29:37 PM »

SJWi:

Unit size is flexible and you can in fact use any basing/figure size/etc you want. All movement, etc, is in multiples of half the unit frontage you use. So with a 100mm unit frontage move would be 50mm, 100mm, 150mm, etc but if you have a unit frontage of 50mm then it would 25mm, 50mm,75mm, etc.

A frontage of around 100 - 120mm is often used as this means most battles will be on a table around 1.8m by 1.2m (6 foot by 4 foot in Imperial. So for example if you use a unit frontage of 120mm the the battle of Kolin (1757) is on a 1.8m by 1.2m table (6 by 4). The main exception to this is if you want to do a 'Manoeuvre' battle where one side is trying to march round the defender or is doing a converging attack - i.e. something like the Prussians did at Torgau or the Austrians did at Hochkirch.

Around about 10 units a side is a minimum army. The Prussian army at Kolin is 20 units and the Austrians around 30. We played Kolin a few weeks ago in an afternoon session with a Prussian player new to the system vs an expereinced Austrian player.

vtsaogames · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 October 2020, 05:10:09 PM »

Quote from: SJWi on 19 October 2020, 12:08:04 PM

Thanks for the tip re “Twilight of the Soldier Kings”. I have vaguely heard of them but have never investigated further. In the rules write-up they imply units of circa 100mm frontage as being a Brigade.

Can you give a view of how many units/Brigades a “normal” battle would entail?

Thanks

Rough rule of thumb is a brigade equals ~ 1,500-2,000 infantry or half that number of cavalry. 20,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry should be perhaps 10 infantry units and 8 cavalry. Brigades should consist of 2 stands, with the basic measurement one base width. My 15mm figures are on 1 inch wide stands. I use 4 stands for a unit and use half the unit frontage (2") as my "base width" measurement. Most of the Twilight rules use this scale which allows you to play without rebasing, just adjust your "base width".

There are no separate firing or melee phases. At the start of your turn you test the morale of every unit that is being stressed in any way, by fire, melee, threats, etc. Once that is done any units still following orders may move and try to cause morale tests on the enemy in their following turn. Failing a morale test results in hits on units or possibly rout, being removed from the table pronto. 3 hits routs most infantry, 2 hits routs most others.

Codsticker · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 October 2020, 05:44:43 PM »

Quote from: vtsaogames on 19 October 2020, 05:10:09 PM

There are no separate firing or melee phases. At the start of your turn you test the morale of every unit that is being stressed in any way, by fire, melee, threats, etc.

I am quite intrigued by this; it seems perfect for large battles.

armchairgeneral · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 October 2020, 06:20:20 PM »

Would also recommend Honours of War.

The author has also brought out a free fast play set called Post of Honour but not tried them myself.

http://honoursofwar.com/page/downloads

SJWi · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 October 2020, 06:49:36 PM »

Chaps, many thanks. This thread has led me to dust off my very old SYW Prussian and French armies. Mainly 15m Freikorps of brittle metal fame, and based on either 3/4 x 1" x 1 or 1" bases depending upon whether infantry of cavalry. It looks like I have circa 80+ infantry and nearly 60 cavalry bases per army plus artillery. Sound slike enough for a reasonable sized game.

I also have the aforesaid "Honours of War" and the Crusader Miniatures "Rank and File" rules which may be worth a look before investing any more cash.

Somewhere I know i have a load of new GMB Prussian flags to give them a much-needed makeover.

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Author Topic: Seeking Rules for SYW (Read 5995 times)

mictator

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