2018 Seven Years War Association Spring Convention
Scheduled Games
Sign-up sheets and table locations for the games will be at the convention desk beginning on Thursday evening. There will be a food cart and coffee strolling the hall Friday and Saturday so a lunch break will not be as time consuming. The restaurant/bar opens at 3pm. The hotel will offer a complimentary hot breakfast for its guests. With a little more time in the hall this year, be sure to frequent the many dealer tables located adjacent to the gaming area.
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Many attendees arrive at the convention on Thursday afternoon. In general, Thursday¡¯s focus is a preliminary ¡°Meet & Greet¡± occasion. A party atmosphere dominates the proceedings, as old friends and new come together to set-up and arrange the tables, and in general assure that all is in order for the convention¡¯s official opening on Friday morning. Some game masters set-up their set-up their games for Friday. Usually, a few attendees host a ¡°pick-up game¡± on Thursday afternoon and evening. A couple of these will be:
Thursday Afternoon Game
Attack on an Extended Position
The year is 1759 Frederick has detached General Finck in an effort to cut Daun¡¯s supply lines. The Austrians have gotten wind of Finck¡¯s maneuver and have dispatched General Loudon to cut him off. Finck encounters Loudon¡¯s force gathering in a low valley and must ¡°Attack an Extended Position¡±. 1/72 scale (Plastics) Rules Volley & Bayonet regiment scale. Paul Petrie hosts. 4-6 players
Thursday Evening Game:
The Affair of Reichenberg April 4 1757.
Spring 1757 Frederick¡¯s invasion of Bohemia is underway. General Bevern leads a column of Prussians across the Niesse River where he encounters General Konigsegg and his Austrian¡¯s barring his path. Bevern must force a way through to link up with the King. 1/72 scale (Plastics) Rules Volley & Bayonet battalion scale. Paul Petrie hosts. 4-6 players
FRIDAY EVENTS
MORNING SESSION: Approximately 9:30 AM TO 2 Pm
A Greater Than Nelson? (Anglo-Dutch War): Once again, 1n 1670 the Dutch Admiral deRuyters leads his magnificent fleet against the equally awesome British fleet. Will deRuyters have the balls to deploy his 12-gun yacht? Hosted by Tod Kershner using Warfare at Sea in the Age of Reason rules and 1/1200 Langedon ships. Up to 8 players
The Battle of Brandywine Creek (AWI): As at Long Island, Lord Cornwallis has marched around the flank of Washington¡¯s army deployed along Brandywine Creek and guarding each of the crossings. Washington sends troops to block Cornwallis, who outnumbers his troops 2 to 1. Will the troops left to guard the Brandywine fords be able to hold off the Hessians. Michael Wedding hosts, using Guns of Liberty rules and 15 mm figures. Up to 8 players
Prelude to Leuthen: The Battle of Breslau, Nov. 22, 1757 (SYW): Fought just two-weeks before Frederick¡¯s most famous victory, the bloody battle for Breslau is the least known or studied large battle of The Seven Years War. Yet it was an interesting and bloody battle. The Prussians lost as many men at Breslau as they did at Leuthen, 6000. Hosted by Dean West, Patrick Lebeau and Kermit Hilles using The Final Argument Of Kings rules and 15 mm figures. Up to 10 players
Background to Battle of Breslau: Following Frederick¡¯s defeat at Kolin and subsequent retreat from Bohemia, Prince Charles¡¯s Austrian army followed him into Silesia and through the summer and fall reoccupied most of the province for his Empress and Queen. Now the Prince is poised to attack the last important objective in the rich province, Breslau, the capital city of Silesia. A Prussian army of 26,000 under The Duke of Bevern, defends the town and they are entrenched up to their eyeballs in a defensive line located on the floodplain of the Oder River south of the city.
Push towards Landau, autumn, 1703 (WSS) ¨C Forces of the United Provinces are moved late in the campaigning season to help lift the siege of Landau. French Field Marshall Tallard reacts to the enemy move by dispatching a strong force to stop them. Hosted by Jude Becker and associates using his group¡¯s Combat General rules and his beautiful collection of 28 mm figures. Combat General rules and 28 mm figures. Up to 6 players
The Battle of Zorndorf. August 25, 1758 (SYW) ¨C This game commemorates the 160th Anniversary of King Frederick the Great¡¯s controversial ¡°victory¡± over a Russian army commanded by Lt. General Fermor¡¯s. The scenario will focus on the attack of the Prussian advance guard of Manteuffel and the left wing commanded by Kanitz. The two of them ran into a Russian buzz saw – see if you can do any better in this refight of a very tough battle that both sides claim to have won. Maneuver your forces of 28mm Minden Miniatures figures past some of Herb Gundt¡¯s best landscaping and architectural creations on the table top. The Der Alte Fritz rules are well suited for convention games – easy to learn, yet full of nuance that might surprise a general who is not paying attention. 8 Players
Knights of the Sea (SYW) ¨C Captains duel to the death in a series of fast-and-dirty frigate actions drawn from the Age of Fighting Sail. Multiple sessions will be run; jump in any time and play as many times as you like. Game hosted by Jeff Knudsen hosts using Captains Bold rules, and his sublime 1:1200 ships. Up to 4 players per game
The Battle of Chotusitz May 17, 1742
Frederick in an over ambitious state has been caught by Prince Charles with his forces divided. The willy Prince has formed his army up and is advancing against Erbprinz Leopold who is bracing for the worst hoping Frederick makes it in time to aid him. Paul Petrie hosts. 1/72 scale (Plastics) Rules Volley & Bayonet regiment scale. 4-6 players
The Battle of Warksow 1678. Christian V of Denmark has landed an army on the island of R¨¹gen to support the Brandenburg siege of Stralsund on the mainland. The King has gone home for the holidays and the Swedes have transported a force to the island to defeat the Danes. 10mm figures, using the new Beneath the Lily Banners – War of Three Kings rules. Four players. This game will be a late morning game.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING SESSION: Begins 2 pm
Brandywine Creek continues
Battle of Breslau continues
Battle of Landau continues. Jude has kindly offered to host a second game on the same table, if sufficient players so demand.
Battle of Zorndorf continues
The Battle of the Virginia Capes (AWI) ¨C Two mighty fleets clash in a battle that will seal the fate of the British army at Yorktown. The game will include more than 50 miniature sailing men-of war. A donnybrook to be sure! Game hosted by Jeff
Knudson using Admirals rules and his 1:900 ships.
The Battle of Wandewash (SYW India) ¨C The French East India Company the equally avaricious English Company battle it out for power and riches in India. J¨¹rgen Olk hosts, using his Currycorne variant of Tricorne rules and 25 mm figures. Up to 8 players. J¨¹rgen has kindly offered to adjust the start time to allow more players to join later if necessary.
SATURDAY EVENTS
SATURDAY MORNING SESSION ¨C 9:30 AM TO 2 PM
The Battle of Fontenoy, 1745 ¨C Butcher Billy Cumberland tries again to rally his British, German and Dutch army to take the village of Fontenoy from the brilliant Frenchie deSaxe. Will the British guards deliver the most devastating volley of the smooth bore era again? Will the French guards again deliver the wimpiest volley of the smooth bore era? Hosted by Tod Kershner using Warfare in the Age of Reason (3rd Edition), and 22 mm (1/72) figures. Up to 8 Players
The Relief of Hesse-Cassel (WAS 1747) ¨CField Marshall Maurice de Saxe¡¯s French army has the important city of Hesse-Cassel under siege. Its loss would be a disaster for the allied cause in Germany. In a desperate effort to raise the siege, The Duke of Cumberland maneuvers his Anglo Hanoverian Army into Maurice¡¯s rear and cuts his line of communication. Maurice leaves a scratch force to maintain the siege, while marching with the main army to strike Cumberland and reestablish his supply lines. John Read and Todd Fisher host, using Empire & Revolution rules and 15 mm figures. Up to 10 players.
The Battle of Springfield, June 23, 1780 ¨C This engagement was one part of what some have characterized as Knyphausen¡¯s Raid, which was designed to stir up New Jersey loyalists to threaten George Washington¡¯s main body of the Continental Army encamped at Morristown, New Jersey, which Knyphausen believed to be on the verge of mutiny. A 1794 British report, in reference to the purpose of the raid: ¡°instead of being received in the Jerseys as friends, the militia very generally turned out to oppose them.¡± Hessian Lt. General Wilhelm, Baron von Knyphausen, has been characterized as impatient to use his 8,000 men offensively, after being left behind in New York by General Sir Henry Clinton, as Clinton shifted the focus of British offensive actions to the southern colonies. The Battle of Springfield ended Knyphausen¡¯s campaign goals and was the last major battle of the American Revolution in the northern colonies. Commenting on the battle, George Washington trumpeted: ¡°They (the Jerseys) flew to arms universally, and acted with a spirit equal to anything I have seen on the course of the war.¡±
The game will use Jim Mitchell¡¯s Yankee Doodle rule system (modified and updated), which is a six-stand version of Johnny Reb I (or classic). The game will also feature Jim Mitchell¡¯s 15mm AWI collection created to the support the rules system he was developing and play testing at the time of his passing. Patrick Lebeau and Steven Popper host. Upto 6 players
The Battle of Zorndorf ¨C The 160th Anniversary of Frederick the Great¡¯s controversial ¡°victory¡± over Lt. General Fermor¡¯s Russian army on August 25, 1758. The scenario will focus on the attack of the Prussian advance guard of Manteufel and the left wing commanded by Kanitz. The two of them ran into a Russian buzz saw – see if you can do any better in this refight of a very tough battle that both sides claim to have won. Maneuver your forces of 28mm Minden Miniatures figures past some of Herb Gundt¡¯s best landscaping and architectural creations on the table top. The Der Alte Fritz rules are well suited for convention games – easy to learn, yet full of nuance that might surprise a general who is not paying attention. 8 Players
The Battle of Moys, September 7, 1757 (SYW) – Following his defeat by the Austrians at Kolin in June, Frederick the Great abandoned his conquest of Bohemia and retreated back into Silesia. Once there, he received news that a large French/ German army was advancing on Saxony from the West. Meanwhile, a huge Austrian army under Prince Charles of Lorraine was on the march north from Bohemia to evict the Prussians from Silesia. To meet this double threat, The King split his army. He marched west to meet the French with around 33,000, while leaving another 30,000+ troops under the Duke of Bevern to hold Lusatia and cover Silesia from the Austrians. An additional 10,000 Prussians under Lieutenant General von Winterfeldt covered the Prussian left flank in Silesia. Winterfeldt¡¯s command was a tempting target, and Prince Charles unleashed General Nadasty¡¯s Corps to attack Winterfeld in his positions at Moys. This battle is taken from a new scenario book soon to be published. Tim Tilson hosts, using Black Powder rules and 15 mm figures. 4 players
The Battle of Fontenoy, 1745 ¨CRefight of this famous battle that pits FM Maurice deSaxe¡¯s French army against the allied army of British and Dutch. Over 2000 28mm figures and two dioramas (by Ed Philips) will be present. Rules will be a modified version of ¡°Kaiserin Krieg¡± which was used at last year¡¯s convention. Dannie Fogleman and Dick Goettel host. Up to 10 players
SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING SESSION – 2 pm into Evening
Battle of Zorndorf Continues
After the Battle of Springfield ¨C Patrick Lebeau and Dean West have kindly volunteered to host another game. (Watch this Space!)
The Battle of Breslau, Nadasty¡¯s Attack on the Prussian Left, Nov. 22, 1757 ¨C After his victory at Moys, Nadasty besieged the major Prussian¡¯s Silesian fortress of Schweidnitz, and took it by coup d¡¯main on November 12. Nadasty¡¯s Corps then rejoined Prince Charles¡¯s large army advancing on Breslau, the capital of Silesia. With an army numbering around 26,000 good Prussian troops, Duke of Bevern had fortified the outskirts of Breslau and was determined to hold Breslau at all costs. By November 22, Nadasty had rejoined Prince Charles army in his attack on Bevern¡¯s army, which had fortified the outskirts of Breslau and meant to hold the city at all costs. This scenario depicts the attack on Nadasty¡¯s Corps attack on the Prussian Left flank, while the main Austrian army assaulted the Prussian Center and Right flank. Tim Tilson hosts, using Black Powder rules and 15 mm figures. 6 players
Raid on Pontiac¡¯s Village (American Indian Wars, 1763) Pontiac¡¯s Rebellion rages around Detroit, and the Indians have the city besieged. The Settlers are determined to strike a blow by attacking Pontiac¡¯s main Village. Steve Dake hosts, using his skirmish rules War Ain¡¯t Fair skirmish rules and Miniature Service Center 40 mm figures. 6 players
Breaking an Espionage Cabal (to catch a spy in the AWI) ¨C British and American forces seek to find a spy in the vicinity of McDonald¡¯s Farm. For one side it is an opportunity to mine information about the enemy¡¯s strength and deployment. For the other side it is an opportunity to disrupt a troubling enemy intelligence organization. Herb Gundt and Thom Osborn host, using the Stand of Games Company rules Forager, and 28 mm figures. Up to 4 players
Battle of Laffeld 1747 (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) After the completion of the Fogleman¡¯s Battle of Breslau game, the table will be set up for another War of Austrian Succession game using many of the same 28mm figures. The game will be hosted by Ken Bunger using an updated (percentage based) version of his Tricorne Rules. Up to 10 players. The game will be set up late afternoon and begin after dinner.
SATURDAY EVENING SESSION ¨C starting after dinner
The Battle of Soor September 30, 1745 Frederick has left himself open for attack by camping in a long valley with the entire area dominated by hills the Prussians have failed to occupy. Once again Prince Charles has worked his way behind Fritz and occupied the hills cutting the Royal army off from his supply base. Game on! 1/72 scale (Plastics) Rules Volley & Bayonet regiment scale. Paul Petrie hosts. 4 to 6 players.
paints brigs for the British fleet.
