Roland Davis has been painting for me again – some Swedes for the Thirty Years War. So I’ve been mulling over how to base them. Part of the answer is obvious – on big bases. The potential dilemma is what figures to put on each base given these are mixed pike and shot units. Here’s a few options I considered and a bit of a journey to get there.
Thirty Years War
In 1617 the fiercely Catholic, Ferdinand of Styria, was elected by the Bohemian Estates to become the Crown Prince of Bohemia and the heir to the throne. In May 1618 a group of Bohemian Protestants in Prague seized Ferdinand’s representatives and threw them out of the palace window. This event started the Bohemian Revolt and the Thirty Years’ War. The conflict soon spread across the Holy Roman Empire, and then the whole of Europe, involving Spain, France, Denmark, Sweden, and a number of other countries. The war ended in 1648 with the treaties of Osnabrück and Münster, part of the wider Peace of Westphalia.
17th Century Cavalry – Investigations of a Dog
You know how sometimes something big is going on but you don’t hear about it. I feel a bit like that about Gavin Robinson’s blog Investigations of a Dog. The blog was active 2006-2013 but is, unfortunately, now closed. Luckily the site is still up and is well worth a look. It contains some marvellous analysis of certain aspects of 16th and 17th Warfare, particularly the use of cavalry.
What is the origin of the term ‘Tercio’?
What is the origin of the term ‘Tercio’ – the name adopted by the large Spanish pike and shot units of the Renaissance? The word literally means a bundle, or a one-third part of something (Notario Lopez & Notario Lopez, 2012) but he origin of the term for a military unit is not known. There are, however, various theories.
Twilight of the Winter Queen: ToSK for the Thirty Years War and Lutzen Scenario
Andrew Coleby, co-author of Twilight of the Sun King, has come up with a variant for the Thirty Years War that he calls the ‘Twilight of the Winter Queen’. All words are Andrew’s.
Nordlingen – A Field of Glory Renaissance Scenario
I quite like the idea of playing Nordlingen. This order of battle was from From Slitherine Forum: Nordlingen After Action Report. I have:
Army Lists for Field of Glory Renaissance
Fields of Glory Renaissance has a collection of army list books.
30 Years War Starter Armies for Field of Glory Renaissance
I’ve got a Dutch army and the majority of a Spanish army for the 30 Years War (and 80 Years War). The Dutch didn’t fight many open battles during this period so I’m wondering what I can use my existing figures for. That’s what the table below is for.
30 Years’ War Spanish – 600 Point Armies for Field of Glory Renaissance
I’ve got most of the figures necessary for a Spanish army for the 30 Years War and 80 Years War in Field of Glory Renaissance. The Spanish of this period are represented by two army lists in the army list book Wars of Religion: Western Europe 1610-1660: Later Imperial Spanish (1621-59) and Thirty Years’ War Peninsular Spanish (1635-59). Both, of course, have a starter army. The armies are fairly similar but they’re not what I’m looking for. I want an army for the Battle of Rocroi (1643).
15mm to 18mm Wargames figures for the 30 Years War and English Civil War
Most of my figures for the Thirty Years War are from Essex Miniatures. This was because they had the best at the time I started to collect. But there are some newer, and great, ranges available now in 18mm (e.g. Khurasan Miniatures, Testudo, Totentanz Miniatures, and Blue Moon Manufacturing). So I thought I’d revisit the figures available for the Thirty Years War and English Civil War.
States of the Holy Roman Empire
As I was working on the Timeline for the Thirty Years War I was musing on the major features for a campaign. The Holy Roman Empire comprised a vast multitude of more or less minor states. Representing them all in a campaign is probably unnecessary. I’m thinking about a Mapless Campaign so about 100 territories is about right. The question is, which 100. My initial thoughts are to represent only the most significant; this might be because the state/area was:
Holy Roman Empire (HRE) Board Game
Mark McLaughlin designed a game of the Thirty Years War called “Holy Roman Empire” or HRE for short. I’ve never played it but I do have a copy. It looks a good basis for a miniatures campaign so I’ve summarised some of the features which I think make it interesting. I found the material on Board Game Geek: Holy Roman Empire useful when looking at the game.
Mapless Holy Roman Empire Campaign
The Holy Roman Empire (HRE) board game by Mark McLaughlin has elements, including a great map, which make it a good basis for a miniatures campaign. A Mapless Campaign is simple to run and encourages on-going participation by the players. This is my stab at combining the two.
Swedish Brigade of the Thirty Years War
In the field the Swedes used squadrons (battalions) and brigades (Brzenzinski, 1995). Brigades would have 3 or 4 squadrons.
Protagonists in the Thirty Years War
The 80 Years War (1568-1648) overlapped the 30 Years War (1618-1648) and some protagonists, notably the Spanish and Dutch, fought in both.