Tilly's Very Bad Day - Battle Reports Archives

S01 Attack on Prepared Position – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report 1

15 Jan 2022 by Steven Thomas

I invited Chris and Adam over to play test my version of S01 Attack on a Prepared Position Scenario for Tilly’s Very Bad Day. This is an adaptation of a scenario from “Scenarios for all Ages” by Charles Grant and Stuart Asquith. My scenario is Thirty Years War with Spanish attacking entrenched Swedes in high ground.

Summary: Short and intense. A much better game than any of us anticipated. It was a close run thing with Swedish (Adam) breaking the Spanish army (Chris) just as the Spanish horse broke past the Swedish line and were going for the baseline. We all agreed it would be good to play again with some minor tweaks.

Alternative Chacabuco – A Bolivar’s Very Bad Day Battle Report 1

12 Dec 202112 Dec 2021 by Steven Thomas

Chacabuco-739 Talavera Regiment waiting in the fields - Banner

Jamie came over to play test my rather raw variant of Tilly’s Very Bad Day for the South American Wars of Liberation. We played John Fletcher’s Alternative Chacabuco scenario, my go to for testing out rules.

Small Kircholm – A Tillys Very Bad Day Battle Report 2

28 Aug 2021 by Steven Thomas

Kircholm-2662 Polish Left and Centre - Banner

Following our first play test I thought I’d make some tweaks to my Small Kircholm scenario and try it again. In this play test the Hussars are just Superior Horse and there are five Hussar units, not six. Chris bravely took the Swedes for a second time, hoping to benefit from his experience in the first game. Adam took the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In Tilly’s Very Bad Day terms this is a small game on a small table with small armies.

Summary: A really good game. A better game balance than the first version. Both players played well with particular credit to Chris for quickly compensating for the crippling Swedish deployment. But the Poles took the day, again.

Small Kircholm – A Tillys Very Bad Day Battle Report 1

16 Aug 202131 Jul 2021 by Steven Thomas

I’m still keen on playing with my brand new Polish-Lithuanian Army so when Chris came over I suggested we play Small Kircholm. The scenario was very draft and I expected to find that it favoured the Poles too much. In particular the experimental Hussar rules were probably a touch too punchy. In Tilly’s Very Bad Day terms this is a small game on a small table with small armies.

Summary: Poles rolled over the Swedes in three game turns. Scenario needs tweaking. The experimental Lancers were a super troop type – and we don’t need that kind of thing.

Swedish versus Polish – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report

16 Aug 202126 Jun 2021 by Steven Thomas

The easing of Covid-19 restrictions allowed me to get my brand new Polish-Lithuanian Army on table. Chris, Jamie, and Adam came over and we played Swedish versus Polish using Tilly’s Very Bad Day. This was a pick up game with pre-generated army lists and terrain chosen via Terrain Cards. It was also the first time we played an Eastern Army.

Summary: A really enjoyable game. It see sawed but eventually the Swedes won the infantry battle and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth won the cavalry battle. Pretty standard outcome for these historical opponents. In this case the Swedes caused enough damage to take the overall victory. But it was a very near run thing.

Battle of Grantham – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report

31 Jul 20215 Jun 2021 by Steven Thomas

Malcom Dove sent through a battle report of the Battle of Grantham, his 2nd Solo Game Tilly’s Very Bad Day, and the first game of his English Civil War Campaign. Most words are Malcolm’s.

Battle of Schlossmuele – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report

10 Aug 202127 Feb 2021 by Steven Thomas

Battle of Battle of Schlossmuele - Banner

Malcolm Dove shared an after action report for his first solo game of Tilly’s Very Bad Day. He calls it, the Battle of Schlossmuele. All words are Malcolm’s.

S140 Dominant Hill – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report 2

8 Aug 202123 Jan 2021 by Steven Thomas

Jamie and I thought we’d have another go at S140 Dominant Hill – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Scenario. Our first play test was a blast and we both had ideas for how to play it differently. Once again Jamie was Saxons as the Red Army and I was Imperialists as the Blue Army. Tilly’s Very Bad Day of course.

Summary: Another great game. Five game turns. 1.5 hours game time. Tense and gritty, with a decisive result. We will play it again.

S140 Dominant Hill – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report 1

8 Aug 202116 Jan 2021 by Steven Thomas

Roger Calderbank play tested my S140 Dominant Hill – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Scenario and gave it a thumbs up, so I thought I’d have a go. Jamie came over and took Saxons as the Red Army and I took Imperialists as the Blue Army. Tilly’s Very Bad Day of course.

Summary: A great game. Six game turns. 1.5 hours game time. Seemed balanced but ended in a decisive result. We will play it again.

Small Herbsthausen – A Tillys Very Bad Day Battle Report

16 Aug 202115 Aug 2020 by Steven Thomas

In our first game since Covid-19 lockdown, Jamie and I played my Small Herbsthausen – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Scenario. In Tilly’s Very Bad Day terms this is a small game on a small table with small armies (in numbers of units). The Bavarians (Jamie) heavily outnumber the French (Steven) so I was going to find this a struggle.

Summary: A quick game resulting in an rather spectacular draw. That is pretty much the best result the French could expect from the scenario.

Small Fleurus – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report 1

15 Jul 20207 Mar 2020 by Steven Thomas

Chris and Adam played my Small Fleurus Scenario. This was, of course Tilly’s Very Bad Day, and was played before I published Version 2.

Summary: Spanish won. Scenario was too challenging for inferior Protestant Paladins. But potential for a good game with tweaks.

Small Lutzen – A Tillys Very Bad Day Battle Report 1

15 Jul 20207 Jan 2020 by Steven Thomas

Tilly-926 Swedish Sandwich gets chewed up

Jamie and Chris play tested the pre-publication version my Small Lutzen – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Scenario. This is a small game on a small table with small armies (in numbers of units), and only normal Pike+Shot not Large Pike+Shot.

Summary: Scenario needed tweaking before publication. Swedes couldn’t win.

Big Lutzen – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report 2

15 Jul 202014 Dec 2019 by Steven Thomas

Adam and Jamie played my big Lutzen scenario for Tilly’s Very Bad Day.

Summary: Good game. A better game than last time. Jamie (Imperialists) beat Adam (Swedes) on Game Turn 6.

John Mumby replays Imperialist versus Swedes in Tilly’s Very Bad Day

15 Jul 202010 Dec 2019 by Steven Thomas

Terrain Card Table 1 - Tillys Very Bad Day

John Mumby is one of my proof readers, and has also kindly sent through a short battle report. He replayed my Imperialists beat Swedes game of Tilly’s Very Bad Day

Big Lutzen – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Battle Report 1

15 Jul 202030 Nov 2019 by Steven Thomas

Tilly-574 Crossing the road under fire is not easy

Chris and Adam played a very raw version of my big Lutzen scenario for Tilly’s Very Bad Day.

Summary: Good game. Some debate about how to simulate the road and ditches. Adam (Imperialists) beat Chris (Swedes) on Game Turn 6. The scenario evolved after the game.