"Fictional/Fantasy Horse and Musket" Topic

For a while now I've been thinking about doing fictional Horse and Musket era armies representing bizarre little duchies, principalities and republics. However I'm not sure about rules, I need something reflecting the Linear warfare of the 18th century which will allow me some room to make modifications for the odd weird unit and will be suitable for smaller scales. Any suggestions on what is available would be great and if you've done something similiar I would love to hear about it.

Thanks
Porthius

There is always Flintloque which is a fantasy napoleonic game.

I will probably do a very similar project in the next year or so. I'd suggest the following rules Warfare in the Age of Reason (rules for battalion level units) or Piquet or Volley and Bayonet (both of which have rules for units smaller than battalion as well). The revised Piquet supplement, Cartouche II, is not finished though, maybe in six to twelve months? To get a copy of the Volley and Bayonet rules, Age of Frederick, you'll have to go to the Volley and Bayonet Yahoo group and request a copy of the draft of the Seven Years' War rules (but they are free).

I'll probably use Volley and Bayonet and use the Wing scale so that each stand will be a company of infantry, etc. That will allow me to represent some small fictional forces.

Jeff

Porthius, Jeff,

Are you interested in using Charge? This was the original rules for fictional games set in the era of the Seven Years War. For lots of ideas, including campaigns, battle reports, and rules discussions, check out the Old School Wargaming Yahoo group.

link

Even if you aren't interested in OSW or Charge, there are some great ideas there.

And I can second the recommendation for VnB. I'll take a look around for the Duke, Elector, King website that was a fun read.

Ed

As promised, the Duke Elector King:

link

Ed

Charge and the Wargame are the best!

Hi all, thanks for the help.

Jeff, I've heard good things about Volley and Bayonet, I'm a bit confused however, is Age of Frederick a supplement to VnB or a whole different ruleset based on it? I was under the impression that VnB already catered for the 7YW.

Ed, I'm keeping an eye out for Charge though I'm not sure it would be suitable for me as I intend to use 6mm/10mm, should be great for ideas though. I've joined OSW, looks really good and thanks for the great link :)

Tom

Tom,

Age of Frederick is a complete version of VnB, specifically for SYW, with all of the other periods cut out. It has a couple scenarios, and teasers on a lot more.

I failed to mention, the Duke, Elector, King used VnB.

Ed

Ed,

Thanks, for the links. I'm on the "Old School" group and that is where my ideas were rekindled. I was just pondering how to set up the campaign on my drive to the ocean today. I also know about the Duke Elector campaign. Sadly it seem to have not gotten very far, well at least according to Greg Novak. I used to live 40 miles from Greg and got to play some VnB games with him. Always fun to see how the game designer actually play their games!

Jeff

When DEK was first started, I was just getting into the SYW myself. I even got a copy of the Birthright map and considered dragooning the local group into a 15mm version.

Just today, fired up by Battlegames, I have been sketching out a map of the County of Ostphalia, the Duchy of Gauchestein, and the poor Principality of Straddle that has the misfortune to lie mainly between the two…

Speaking of Flintloque, did the sculptor change at some point? I was looking to supplement my bare handful of the old "rough dogs", but discovered that the currently available dogs are almost all of the bulldog/hound variety. The only rough dogs left appear to be the three in the Artillery Crew & Limber set…

wessex games produce 'ranke and vyle' for 15 mm, but i have no idea what they're like. the link from the wesex games site doesn't seem to be working either.

Dear Porthius

Well, if you're interested in this, the Yahoo Group, "Society of Daisy" does nothing but dream up fictional countries and armies. We presently have several mythical countries going, and it is turning into a clearing-house/exchange of ideas articles, color guides, and rules. I'm the list owner so come on by or send me your e-mail at sigurd@eclipse.net and I'll sign you on if you can't find us.

My own effort in this is the Principality of Saxe-Burlap und Schleswib Beerstein under the renowned Princess Trixie, whose army is resplendent in its pink coats. Facing them is the usual assortment of characters including the blue-meanies who look a lot like Prussians of the Electorate of Bad-Zu-Wurst, some guys in white coats of the Kingdom of Flounce, and some guys in Purple Coats from the Empire of Vapid. Other players have Frankzonia, Laagerburg, the Grand Duch of Ober-Bindlestiff, the Whyknot Empire, and Scandalusia (a fusion of Spanish and Norwegian-Viking socieites). We share outrageous and outlandish histories, color guides, tales of extravagant adventures, lascivious countess', bumbling generals, and the entire group, by the way, is named for "Daisy" who is the pet Cow of Mad King Ludwig and who always trots into battle with his command figure. King Ludwig also trots out of the battle after Daisy. Daisy seems to know when the battle is won or lost- after all Ludwig don't!

We use all different rules. My own rules for the period (8 pages including art, examples, and tables (of which there are none) is "Oh God!!! Anything but a Six!— or more properly for the 18th century "Mon Dieu!!! Tout Saif un Six!
The rules are posted on the list.

We also do fictional countries in other periods too. I do it as part of my "Shattered Century" Game, about a mythical world in a totally fictitious but strangely familiar world in the 1920-1940's, and also delve into th eRenaissance where the wars of Swinnland versus the Empire of Salacia (and its ruler Shah Na-Na, the Nattering Nabob of Negativism) are notorious.

Otto

Hi Otto,

Sounds great, I've submitted my membership request.

Thanks.

Tom

For any interested in this genre, a battle report of this "period" has been posted in the battle report section.

I don't know if you can find it anywhere else, maybe via Magweb if nowhere else, but there's an interesting article in Miniature Wargames No.47/April 1987 called "Setting Up a Fictitious War" that I highly suggest (and is also in a mid-18th Century setting to boot).

@ Porthius & jdglasco

very promising messages: any new to share?
TMP link
Cheers,
Jean-Louis
P.S. the Miniature Wargames No.47/April 1987 called "Setting Up a Fictitious War" is available in the 'Files' of the Old_School_Wargaming Yahoo group.

Complementary threads:
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and somehow:
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Cheers,
JL

And of course Der Alte Fritz's (Lace) War Balloon:
TMP link

Then,re:
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I suggested A.A. ‘Dark Elves' Light Infantry can be used as *humans* in a (fictitious) Lace Wars setting –and they are ‘odd' enough to fit in a Lacepunk one; but they can also be used as *Martian* Askaris / Sepoys: the Zuave costume was not really more ‘exotic' or ‘dated'
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Battlegames Magazine has been running a series on how to set up fictional mid-18th. C. nations and campaigns with background information more than useful to consider. Each issue of ten so far has had one informative article with visual illustrations. (Ten issues.) Battlegames is worth it for a lot more reasons. The website is:

battlegames.co.uk

The new mid-18th.C. wargame ruleset Batailles de l'Ancien Régime 1740-1763 otherwise known as BAR published last March also deals with many aspects regarding this topic.
Website = oldregimerules.com

Our group uses historical units in historical and fictional games and settings.

Good luck with your project.
BP

I should add this quote to my previous remarks from the Battlegames website. The editor, Henry Hyde, tells us in issue #10, "In my Wars of the Faltenian Succession series, I deliver part 1 of the siege rules, enabling you to use treachery, starvation, surprise and assault to capture enemy strongholds in fictitious or historical settings."

Faltenian Succession is the name of his fictional campaign series for the mid-18th. Century. Ther have been ten articles about building a fictional world.

Have fun imagineering and creating your project.
BP

@ BP: Henry's announcement sounds promising! ‘Vauban' sieges are a wargaming challenge. One is curently taking place in the Duchy of Alzheim link .
The pdf of the Siege of Dendermonde (Battle Magazine for Wargamers, from 12/ 1976 to 07/ 1977) is on-line on the Battlegames site: link ; also there an eye-candy slideshow featuring a ‘Vauban' Star fort: link . Last time I checked, the pdf og Henry's articke introducing the ‘Wars of the Faltenian Succession' was available as a pdf in the Files of the Old_School_Wargaming Yahoo group: link ("Fictitious Wars" article, published in Miniature Wargames 47, 04/ 1987).

Ë ->On the GASLIGHTrules Yahoo group link , Jeff ‘bogdanwaz' W. posted an almost Lacepunk battle report ‘GASLIGHT in the Age of Reason' and a series of fascinating photos in the ‘Age of Reason' photo album. Both deserve to be perused and enjoyed. Hopefully their author did use his models of skyships and steamwagons in other games since, and now has a *lot* more to share – even a blog, maybe? Does anybody have news of this project ?
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JL