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Wargame Rules for the Thirty Years War
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Supplements
Father Tilly: Campaign - Campaign Rules for Father Tilly & Escalade
Father Tilly: Campaign is a game supplement for the Father Tilly rules that allows players to fight a series of connected scenarios within their chosen phase of the Thirty Years War. These new rules show the effects of campaigning on the players armies and the rewards for the victorious and the penalties for the defeated.
This supplement also introduces some of the wider strategic events that occurred in Europe at the time of the war and how these impacted on the combatants. For instance, the granting by the Pope of massive subsidies to the emperor Ferdinand II, harvest failures in Germany, the Dutch capture of the Spanish treasure fleet, the Peace of Monzon, the Sack of Magdeburg, the death of Gustavus and the civil wars in Britain. Depending on which phase of the Thirty Years War players choose, each turn they will be faced with one of these strategic events and will find that their army either benefits or suffers from its implications.
Also included are a number of familiar campaign elements such as ways of improving the profiles of generals and units as they benefit from their successes on the battlefield (and of course a way of penalising the unsuccessful). Players can also employ a number of "campaign assets" between battles such as forced peasant labour, hostages, control of imports, scorched-earth tactics or a number of other useful methods of undermining the opponent.
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Available online (Wargame Vault) (46-page PDF)
The Danish War
The Danish War is the third supplement in the Father Tilly series. It contains army lists, generals profiles and a Lutter battle scenario. Also in the supplement is a number of sections containing new rules - including rules for Solo gaming and a section showing how players can take Father Tilly down to a whole new level - where players can fight "company-actions" rather than massed battles. This new section allows for an extra layer of detail, including new weapons, hidden movement and skirmish skills for leaders adept in the "dark-arts" of irregular warfare. In addition to this there is a detailed section on military entrepreneurs - effectively a set of campaign rules where humble mercenary captains can rise to the heights of all powerful Generalissimo's. There are also a number of new war-tokens for players to add to their decks - so lots more stuff for Father Tilly players to enjoy!
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Available online (Wargame Vault) (23-page PDF)
The French War
The French War is the fifth in the series of Thirty Years War supplements for Father Tilly. This period saw the arrival of French armies in Germany and their struggle and eventual success against their rivals the Spanish. Included in this supplement are extensive army lists for new arrivals and old enemies alike as wells as descriptions of how tactics and formations changed during the period and of course detailed profiles of the leading generals. The French War also includes two scenario's which provide detailed orders of battle, maps and special rules for the Battles of Wittstock and Jankow - where players can test their abilities against historical outcomes. The French War covers the last phase of the Thirty Years War, the final and most destructive period of the conflict where religious and political ideals gave way to a gruelling war of annihilation which eventually ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 - more than enough scope for many bloody and hard fought Father Tilly battles…
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Available online (Wargame Vault) (24-page PDF)
The German War
The German War is the second Father Tilly supplement, covering the 1622-23 fighting in the Palatinate and featuring army lists and profiles of the generals that fought in this campaign.Included are three scenarios that feature maps and orders of battle for the battles of Wimpfen, Hochst, and Stadtlohn. In addition to the army lists, profiles, and scenarios are new war-tokens and a section on rules to cover the design and use of Battle Wagons. The German War also contains a large section describing the use of map movements.
This is really a game within a game allowing players to use their war-tokens to try and out-manoeuver their opponents before the main battle, to give them a crucial advantage once the shot begins to fly!
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Available online (Wargame Vault) (22-page PDF)
The Swedish War
The Swedish War is the fourth Father Tilly supplement to date and it contains extensive army lists for the period including the armies of Sweden, Saxony, Bavaria and of course the Imperial and Catholic League armies. The Swedish army is looked at in considerable detail and all the rules are described to allow players to use this excellent army. Also considered are the changes that Wallenstein applied to the Catholic forces in order to cope with this new and formidable enemy. This supplement also includes three scenarios - the Battles of Breitenfeld, Lützen and Nördlingen and generals profiles for the major commanders of the period. In addition to this are many new war-token. The arrival of the Swedish army was a major challenge to the Catholic armies - do you have the skill to use it - or the strength to resist it?
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Available online (Wargame Vault) (24-page PDF)
Father Tilly: Thirty Years War Scenario Supplement - Werben, Bamberg, Lech, July 1631-April 1632
This supplement is designed for the Father Tilly rules and covers the end of the conflict between King Gustavus of Sweden and his bitter opponent Count Jean Tserclaus, Baron of Tilly, commander of the Catholic forces in Germany. Three scenarios are described in this booklet, the first (the skirmish at Werben) is a small encounter game that does not require huge numbers of figures and can easily be handled by two players. The next scenario (Bamberg) is a larger affair that requires a more substantial commitment in time and figures. This game can be played with up to two or three players per side. And finally, the last scenario covers the Battle of Lech. This is a large battle requiring around two hundred and fifty figures per side, three to four players per side plus a good five or six hours gaming.
The Lech scenario is based around a river crossing under heavy enemy fire and contains special rules for boats, bridges and other details that allow such actions. Players will need to have a copy of the Swedish War gaming supplement for the details of Swedish generals, troops and tactics, in order to properly use these scenarios.
The Battle on the Lech was Tilly's final battle. Defending a river crossing to prevent the Swedish forces from crossing into Bavarian territory, the old Catholic general suffered a fatal wound while encouraging his beleaguered troops to stand fast in the face of punishing Swedish artillery fire. Will the Imperial army suffer the same fate as the historical outcome or can they deliver a major reverse to the great Swedish king?
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Available online (Wargame Vault) (16-page PDF)
War on the Eastern Frontier: Father Tilly Supplement for Ottoman, Polish & Muscovite Armies
As the title suggests, this supplement looks at warfare on the eastern borders of Europe, from the "Time of Troubles" to "The Deluge" and provides a detailed look at the Ottoman, Polish and Muscovite armies. This booklet provides army lists which focus on the troop types, tactics, weaponry and deployment of these new opponents but also looks at the way western armies had to adapt to face these fast moving and ferocious enemies. Also included in the supplement is a Battle of Kircholm scenario plus a section that allows players to generate numerous - vicious, squalid (but highly entertaining) small-scale scenarios of their own. Finally, the Eastern Frontier supplement includes a number of new war-tokens especially designed to make these new armies an even greater challenge to play and defeat.
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Available online (Wargame Vault) (25-page PDF)