18TH CENTURY LAND WARFARE:
Frederick the Great

image from catalog

Out of Print
Brief Description

According to the FGU catalog: "Miniatures rules for the Seven Years War with complete sections covering army organisations of the participants. Also include modifications for the American Revolution and Marlborough. The most comprehensive rules available for this period."

The rules use a point system for creating armies. (For example, Infantry w/ musket-Cavalry w/carbine = 4 points/figure.) Optional rules include: Constructions and Cover (earthworks, redoubts, soft cover, trenches, walls, bridges, etc.); Dismounted Dragoons; Weather; Other Scales (includes 1 figure = 20 men, 1 gunner = 1 gun and crew); Unit Casualties (a different way of figuring casualties).

Appendix II: The Age of Marlborough adds a page of changes and additions. There is also a one-page Appendix III: Figures and Where to Buy Them.

Period Seven Years War (with modifications for American Revolution and Marlborough)
Scale
Ground Scale 1 mm = 2 yards or 1" = 50 yards (for 25mm)
1 mm = 4 yards or 1" = 100 yards (for 15mm)
Time Scale 1 game turn = 10 minutes (approximate)
Figure Scale 1 casting = 50 men

"Artillery is a special case; the size of any grouping of the guns in the game depends on the number of artillerist figures present. Each artillerist figure represents two artilley pieces and crews; thus, a battery of four real guns would be represented by a gun model and two artillerist figures. Casualties are taken in crew figures and represent a reduction in the battery effectiveness due to multiple causes, not just casualties; therefore, replacement crew figures may not be stripped from other guns of different caliber to renew reduced crews. In other words, only crew figures from a three-pounder can recrew another three-pounder."

Miniature Scales25mm, with conversions for 15mm
Basing
All infantry, except troops that function as lights or without bayonets13mm (3/4") frontage by 25mm (1") depth per figure
Light infantry, and figures that melee without bayonets20mm (3/4") by 25mm (1") per figure (2-man bases)

True light inf, Croats, Amerindians, etc., should be on 1-man bases, though Croats can be on 2-man bases.

All cavalry25mm (1") by 40-50mm (1 1/2 - 2") per figure
Artillery"As artillery strength is based on the artillerist casting, so is its base size. Each artillerist requires a base of at least 20mm (3/4"). A ten gun battery (represented by five crew figures) would require a base at least 100mm wide. Depth is not terribly important, but should be deep enough for the crew figures and the gun model to fit."
15mm figures: All base dimensions are halved
Contents Booklet. "To play the game, one needs paper and pencil, rulers (either metric or English), two percentage dice. Casualty caps and at least one figure per side per player are also heartily recommended. Terrain features, trees, buildings, etc., are all desirable, but not really necessary."
Designer David Park Newport
Publisher First edition published in the late 1970's (?) by Fantasy Games Unlimited

What You Think

David M. Davis (dmdavis@greenhills.net)
I haven't played these rules yet. However, I like the way they are written, and the unit information in the rules. Rules have lots of examples, and the illustrations are very good. David Park Newport has a good sense of humor.

I am just now getting into the Seven Years War, and I plan to use these rules for the first few games. I will also try them for the Age of Marlborough.

If you would like to add your opinion to this webpage, use the following form or send email to the editor.

Your Name
Email Address (required)
Review/Opinion

Online Resources

If you know of other resources for this game, or if you have material you would like to make available to the Net, please let us know.

Last Updates
23 April 1999info and comments by David M. Davis
2 December 1998page first published
Comments or corrections?