New Horse and Musket rules: Snow game 2 GNW Late period

by Barry Hilton September 26, 2014

This field engagement pitted a mixed Horse and Foot Swedish force against large Danish infantry units supported by an entrenched field gun. Again we chose a winter setting for the game repositioning the terrain pieces we had used for the Narva game.

Danes deployed across the foreground, Swedes in the distance

In this game description we'll introduce some more details about the new rules. The characters are listed together with the colonel titles for each regiment.

Danish Force
Garden til Fods: Veteran with flintlocks and socket bayonets (24 models) Colonel: The Traitor
Characters: Ensign, 2 x drummers, 2 x sergeants 96 points
Regiment Funen: Drilled with flintlocks and socket bayonets (30 models) Colonel: The Invertebrate
Characters: Ensign, 3 x drummers,3 x sergeants 68 points
Jyske Militia: Recruits with flintlocks (36 models) Colonel: The Drunk
Characters: Ensign, 2 x drummers, 2 x sergeants 42 points
Field gun Drilled
Characters: Master Gunner 40 points
Clearly the Danes had not selected their colonels very well! Total 246 points

Swedish Force
Ostergotland Regiment: Veteran with flintlocks,socket bayonets and 6 pikemen (18 models) Colonel: The Old Sweat
Characters: Ensign, 2 x drummers, 1 x sergeants, 1 x Minister 82 points
Halsinge Regiment : Drilled with flintlocks, socket bayonets and 6 pikemen (18 models) Colonel: The Dandy
Characters: Ensign, 2 x drummers,1 x sergeant 70 points
Smalands Cavalry: Veteran Blade Horse (12 models) Colonel: The Climber
Characters: Cornet,Trumpeter 76 points
Abo & Bjornebergs Cavalry: Drilled Blade Horse (12 models) Colonel: The Drunk
Characters: Cornet,Trumpeter, Sergeant 68 points
Total 296 points

I have calculated the force points using a revised system retrospectively showing that the game was very much imbalanced in favour of the Swedes, My original calculations were a little inaccurate. I had worked out 257 for the Danes and (on an old system) 252 for the Swedes!(there is now a 25% 'tax' on Swedes of the Karl XII era!)
It was all of no consequence as this game was very tough and finished as what could be described as an extremely bloody stalemate. In the end it was all about the run of cards!

Ostergotland charge the Danish Footguards

Fire! a devastating close range volley kills 1/3 of the Swedes

Ostergotland charge home but are slaughtered by the Guards

The objective for this game was to hold the field and wipe out the enemy. Bob took the Danes this time and Dave the Swedes. Dave attacked aggressively with his infantry whilst sending the cavalry on circuitous manoeuvres on each flank. Ostergotland ran straight into a devastating point blank volley from the Danish Foot Guards timed to perfection at point blank range and scything down 1/3 of the Swedes in a single volley. The subsequent combat went very badly for the Swedes and the devastated Ostergotland were broken although they later rallied with help from the Supreme Commander.

A good left hook by the Smalands Cavalry caught the Danish Guards repositioning in column of march, despite this they held on and with the support of the Jyske Militia who joined the combat they were finally able to beat off the cavalry. Halsinge also joined this fight in the dying stages and managed to destroy the Guards and steadily push the Jyske Militia backwards and off the table over several turns. Even the arrival of the Danish Supreme commander was not enough to save the Jutlanders and he left the table too!

Smalands crafty left hook takes the Guards by surprise

Unable to deploy from CoM the Guards are crumpled by Smalands

Funen held their position on top of the hill shooting with impunity into the Abo cavalry and killing all of their characters and over half the regiment.

Funen pick off Abo-Bjorneberg as they gallop by

In the dying stages of the game the Funen Regiment (now downgraded to Recruit as the Supreme Commander had left the field) moved to check the rampant but disordered Halsinge. Both armies were down to a rump.

Performing the impossible - Halsinge charge uphill and break Funen

Halsinge managed a bold charge uphill and broke Funen but were themselves reduced to a less than 6 figures in doing so. On the table at the close was the Danish gun, the rallied rump of Regiment Funen on one side and 5 models from Halsinge atop the hill with 3 models from Ostergotland rallied in their start line.

A very bloody draw. The colonel characteristics caused several farcical incidents.

What a carve up! Nothing left but the rump of two forces