By Shot, Shock, and Faith - Intro

Some initial thoughts on By Shot, Shock, and Faith from Hexasim, a game covering five battles from the French Wars of Religion.

Wilderness Empires

Summer 1754 - The British have seriously concentrated their forces!

A couple of weeks ago Worthington Publishing ran a warehouse clearance sale, offering Wilderness Empires for $25. I'd looked at this game in the past but always felt it might be too simple to hold my interest. For $25 though, given my interest in the period it seemed worth a shot. It seemed like a nice compromise - a game with enough period focus to interest me, but also simple enough to engage my non-wargamer wife.

A Famous Victory - Blenheim: Battle is Joined

Warfare during this period certainly is a methodical affair. It takes Cutts from 12:30 until 2:00 PM to get his leading brigade across the Nebel and launch the first assault on Blenheim. Despite support from the battery next to the village and all three battalions of the famed French Navarre regiment holding the front edge of Blenheim, Rowe's men charge the barricades.  Their combined fire shatters the 1/Navarre, eliminating it. Return fire disrupts a British battalion.

A Famous Victory - Blenheim: French Setup

The Great Leaders series from now defunct gaming publisher Moments in History is a series of two games covering Marlborough's four great victories during the War of Spanish Succession, Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malplaquet. I'm about to start a the Blenheim scenario. In this scenario the Franco-Bavarian army sets up first. The above is an overview of the Franco-bavarian position. I've gone with a more-or-less historical setup, both because I prefer historical setups and to test out the game mechanics with a known deployment.