"Great Northern War is the new Black" Topic

This seems to be the big thing in the 18th century period now. Release of the compendium. New gnw post of pictures almost every other day.

I've lost count of the number of gnw projects going on at this moment. But i think i know of about 8 different people doing it now.

You now have both warfare and Ebor doing swedes and Russians.

So is the GNW the big new thing in the 18th century

The original "old school" various Holger Eriksson ranges were essentially metal versions of traditional Swedish wood-carved soldiers. So in one sense GNW gaming goes right back to where 18thC wargaming began, even if the games were set in an imaginary "high Germany".

I was gaming the GNW using HotT 15 years ago!

Well now that its common I had better sell all mine and get into something even more obscure. 3rd Afghan War anyone?

Nah you should stay with the Nordic theme

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I agree, the Great Northern War has never been greater!! I hope any other enthusiasts have all seen the excellent TACITUS.NU website: tacitus.nu/karoliner/armeer

Sounds like it's time to revive my TMP poll calling for a 'Great Northern Wars' board.

It just failed a few days ago!

Not that I'm not in favor of it--I am. But I still believe it would gain more votes,and make more sense, frankly,if it were included in a board addressing the overall period of transition from pike to shot,say 1680-1720 or so. LOA,GNW,and WSS.Lots of overlap there. And more people are playing WSS,along with GNW.

Truls, Biker war really? If I am sticking with Nordic will go the otherway and go Bronze Age Nordic. Lots of opportunity for Chariots.

DWilliams you are spot on the Tacitus site is invaluable I use it all the time.

I am doing GNW with the sadly defunct WGF plastics. I bought a boatload of them (like 26 boxes) on sale and no I am not selling them! I only paid $9 USD a box with free shipping! While not perfect once they are painted I think it will be a most impressive sight.

If you had a board covering 1672 (Louis XIV's invasion of the Netherlands) through 1721 (end of the GNW) you would cover a period that was coherent. The Renaissance was over by 1672 and, obviously, the Eighteenth Century did not begin until 1700. Thus, the period 1672-1699 really doesn't fall into either category. On the other hand, the WSS has a lot more in common with the NYW than it does with the WAS and SYW. Maybe you could call it the "Age of Louis XIV."

Age of the sun king!

Bshytubits I use WGF missed with Ebor command for my Saxons and they look really nice I think.

Yup…the GNW bug has also hit me about a month ago. Based up a lot of 28mm figures for Beneath the Lily Banners v2 rules. I like the basing, but started to tinker a bit with the rules by looking at Donnybrook and Victory Without Quarter (ECW) rules.

That Tacitus sight is awesome, found that a few years ago when I first started my GNW project. Still on the fence for good set of GNW rules…still tinkering.

P.

Nope. But nothing wrong with it, it's just not the new anything.

I play the 2nd Boer War extensively, have hundreds and hundreds of figures for it. But the 19th Cent. board covers it just fine.

I don't need a separate board for it. That is how I see the GNW. Like the Boer War it is a niche period and the 18th Cent. board covers it adequately and I am good with that.

Niche thing that changed the dynamic of North and eastern Europe and so Europe. Had just as big as an effect as the WSS, but I guess that's niche too.

The GNW has indeed gathered pace amongst wargamers in much the same way that the War of the Spanish Succession did. it only takes one manufacturer to release a comprehensive range for a period to snowball. The WSS had Strategem and Dixon figures but only really took off when Front Rank came on the scene. Same with the GNW – Musketeer & Reiver had figures but were never that popular. along comes warfare and the whole thing takes off.
All to the good and great news all round.

Ebor Miniatures figs got me into the era. I think they are fantastic.

Gunfreak,

in my opinion GNW had a more important effects on european history than WSS. With the WSS the French egemony on the continent was stopped for 100 years, but as Napoleonic Wars told us, even a French victory shouldn't had changed the Global Power Balance. GNW instead unleashed the resources of Russia and bring that undeveloped and feudal country on the European stage, with consequences that we are still appreciating today. In my view GNW was more important for the european history than WSS was.

If you're looking for obscure and with a Nordic tint, try:

link

To my knowledge, I'm the only one that games it.

Regarding the GNW – some great posts on this thread and I think some of us might remember the Editions Brokaw figures which introduced many of us to the GNW. I've still got a few battalions of Swedes, Russians and Saxons lying around here and what great little figures they are. While Pat Condray's booklets were great for their time, they have been superseded by other publications. However, there is a certain 'charm' to both the EB figures and the booklets that aren't matched today.

Altefritz, completely agree – the effects of the GNW were massive compared to the stagnation brought about by the end of the WSS. Poland-Lithuania started down the long road to partition, Russia rose and Sweden started its decline as a second-rate power. Definitely, the GNW was a war that changed the map of Europe.

I agree the GNW had more impact.
But it had more impact because France lost the WSS, if France had won, habsburg empire would fall, most of western and central Europe would be directly under French control (through Louis puppet Elector of Bravaria (Who would then be holy roman emperor, end possibly monarch of Austria)

So I would say WSS only had less impact because France lost.

I have, for almost a decade now, encouraged Old Glory to produce a line of GNW in 28mm and at the same time Sash and Saber to do the period in 40mm. I think, like the American Revolution, the GNW period is perfect for 40mm. Unfortunately I have not bee successful in either effort but hope springs eternal…for a short time Old Glory carried the Ebor line, which I found very nice, but that didn't last very long.

I wonde rif Old Glory are looking at Foundry, Reiver, Footsore, Warfare and Ebor and wondering if there is already enough players in this particular market? Personally I would welcome any more choice but doubt it would return the investment for OG.

I don't remember OG ever listing Ebor--they did carry Reiver Castings for a few years, and adjusted their packaging (downward) and their prices (upward) to match Reiver's. They stopped carrying Reiver some time ago, but kept the packaging and pricing,for no reason that I can figure. Russ did tell me WSS was his slowest selling line. But that was maybe 10-15 years ago. With both WSS and GNW gaining popularity, maybe it's time to consider returning the range back in line with regular OG pricing. It would be a spur to sales,I'd think.

What about it,Russ?

I guess it depends on how well the Blue moon GNW range sells.

I should mention baccus has 6mm GNW range for those that like that scallo.

Good point. I wonder how the Blue Moon GNW and WSS are selling compared to more "mainstream" lines like ACW or Naps. If they do well, it might encourage some fiddling with 25s. Won't hold my breath,though--haven't been any new 25mm for years.

Where have you lot been for the last decade or so? Both the GNW and the WSS have been consistent best-sellers since Baccus started selling them back in 2000!

6mm gamers have been alive to the wonderful wargaming opportunities offered by early eighteenth century history long before somebody 'made it popular' by releasing a few 28mm infantry for the period.

You're only going where the small scale chaps have been for quite a long time…

Too be fair, it's not a few infantry packs.

Warfare miniatures alone has 28 codes of swedish and Russia infantry in the store (140 unique sculpts)
Pluss more soon to come out, like grenadier and artillery.
Pluss swedish cavalry. With sevral more packs of swedish cavalry and Russian dragoon coming out next month.

I don't know exactly many codes ebor has, but there is cavalry both swedish and Russian. Russian infantry and swedish infantry and artillery.

So not a few packs of infantry.

To be totally fair,Peter is probably talking about the "introduction" period of 25mm GNW,rather than now. I don't want to put words in his mouth, though.

To tell the truth, I'm trying to do GNW on the cheap,with 1/72 plastics.

I do have Baccus; all mine are ancients. Don't worry,Pete--I'll.be ordering more when I can afford to! My goal.is to turn my "regular" DBA sets into 25mm ground scale armies. They look so much more impressive.

No disrespect ment to Baccus, he is totaly right he was on the GNW bandwagon long before 28mm took off.

I have toyed with doing 6mm too. But I never complete my 6mm projects. Not even close.

You're only going where the small scale chaps have been for quite a long time…

6mm is 50 years behind 30mm.

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Yup , well I must confess to jumping on someone else's appropriated bandwagon. I had no idea periods could be owned by an individual or a scale but I live and learn.
Warfare has made a small commitment to the 28mm hijacking by producing 190 different sculpts. If that qualifies as a few I would love to know what qualifies as a lot.