Fleurus Two Times

I find the Pike and Shot period of warfare fascinating. Like the Napoleonic era and the American Civil War, it was a period of rapid evolution of warfare coupled with a time of dramatic political and social change. There's a lot to learn and understand about the wars of this period, and I keep getting drawn back to it.

Protestant and Imperial positions at the start of Fleurus, Pike & Shot Campaigns

Victory Point Games: Aspern Essling

I quite enjoy the Napoleonic 20 system from Victory Point Games. They are quick to play with easy rules that still manage to pull off reasonable results for the scale.

Right now I'm reading John Gill's excellent trilogy on the 1809 campaign against Austria:

Which is just a phenomenal read. If you are at all interested in Napoleonic warfare, this should be on your list.

Frustration at Wertingen

In between work, my week has been filled with the command of vast 19th century armies in Germany. Chris and I have been enjoying a PBEM game of the battle of Gross Beeren in 1813, which is speeding toward what looks to be a climactic clash after half a game of maneuver.

I've also been playing a great deal of solo Napoleonic goodness, set mostly during Napoleon's Ulm Campaign of 1805, during the War of the Third Coalition. This is the campaign that led eventually to the Battle of Austerlitz, probably Napoleon's greatest victory.

The battlefield at the start of the action.  The lead elements of Beaumont's 3rd Dragoon Division are entering along the road from Frauenstetten. The game is John Tiller's Campaign Austerlitz.

Gaming Table and ATO Magazine

This weekend I finally managed to get a gaming table set up in my office/game room. I was just in time, too, because minutes after I set it up my first issue of Against the Odds magazine arrived.

I'm particularly excited because this issue focuses on Paul Rohrbaugh's A Thunder Upon the Land.  This game concerns the Great Northern War between the Swedes and Russians and portrays the battles of Narva and Poltava.

I really enjoy Paul's games. His chit- and card-pull systems make for elegant command rules and really enhance solitaire playability. In fact, the map you can see off to the left and the counters in the tray at the top are from his Test of Mettle game concerning three battles in France in September, 1944.