Great Northern War

Captain of Dragoons · Post by **Captain of Dragoons** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 12:20 am

Hello Barry

I was just looking at your GNW collection of regiments. Looks like a interesting period. I am only familiar with Poltava.

The close up pictures were excellent. Those units have character.

I notice that you have pikemen in your center bases and you banners are flush to the left and right to the center base on the flanking bases. Is this for looks of that conflict or do you perfer the pike stand behind the battalion?

In your intro on that part of the site you said you have a set rules you came up with. Are they similar to 'Lace Wars'?

By the way have you every tried a fictious battle between the Swedes with the French or Anglo-Dutch.

Cheers,
Edward

Post by **barr7430** » Sat Dec 24, 2005 1:40 pm

Edward,

I used a completely different rules principle for the GNW games. I experimented with this in several periods and in truth, I like it very much as to me, it better represented unit capabilities.

The principle was based on something I called 'E' Numbers(not the food additive type!). E stands for EFFECTIVENESS. A units E number is set at the begining of a game and is a cumulative total based roughly on the model

Number of men x training capability x troop type = E Number. Every activity they then perform: march, fire, fight, rally, rout etc etc deducts from their start E number until, when they reach 0 they are capable of nothing other than defending themselves in their current position.

It does away with miracle units and makes the commander think very carefully. Most of my play tests were solo efforts in GNW and ACW. I will at some point revisit the concept because the calculation of the E numbers was in itself rather fascinating. As an example you could compare 800 militia who may typically have had an E of around 400 with 200 Guards who may have had an E of 600. These numbers are of course illustrative. I had worked out various factors of sum and multiplication which allowed the armies to be accurately points calculated.

On the subject of the GNW units - positining of the pikes was more an aesthetic - symmetry issue than anything more military. The Swedes continued to use the pike as part of their battlefield tactics long after it had been dropped in the west. The Russians to a lesser extent also retained the pike. The GNW is a little like Operation Barbarossa with the passing of the years the extremely aggressive but numerically inferior Swedes were worn down by the huge ability of the Russians to survive defeat after defeat and still come out fighting.

Sweden was literally bled white over 20 years of war and the 'GNW' legacy has influenced swedish diplomacy, NEUTRALITY and international politiking ever since. Never get the impression that the Swedes are naturally pastoral and passive.. they were one of the most belligerent and militarily aggressive powers in Europe for nearly 120 years (1600-1720). Much of their current national 'persona' is based on the terrible toll that the GNW took on them.

B

gonzo · Post by **gonzo** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:12 am

Edvard,

If you are looking for a nice set of rules to play the GNW with, I can highly recomend "Gå På". They play fairly fast and I believe capture the feel of the war.

http://www.arnfelts.com/gp/

Regards,

Viktor

gonzo · Post by **gonzo** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:54 pm

Hi, I have one question. Have any of you here played the GNW using the ULB rules? If so how did it go. And while we are at it, how do I get hold of the ULB rules (I know this question has been posted about a million times but still).

Regards,

Viktor

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:31 pm

A recent visit to the Prince August web site really has me intrigued with the Swedish army circa 1700 to 1720. While I'm not interested in casting my own 40mm half round figures

I'm afraid that I'm now interested in building Swedish and Russian armies for this period

in the 25mm/28mm scale. Can anyone recommend a particular line of figures for the Swedes to get started with. Oh, oh, here we go again with a new project

Alte Fritz

18th Century Guy · Post by **18th Century Guy** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:24 pm

I would look into the Imperialist Enterprises line since you are in the Chicago area. It is suppose to have a fair amount of figures and the price is usually always right.

18th Century Guy

Post by **barr7430** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:10 pm

GNW is one of the most exciting and different 'feeling' Horse & Musket periods. I cannot recommend it enough

.

The main differences from SSW/NYW type games are as follows:

1. Swedish doctrine of Ga Pa! which effectively encouraged both infantry and cavalry closing to melee combat as soon as possible - lots of charging infantry - meleeing cavalry and a minimal focus on artillery by the Swedes and their Finnish provinical allies(who were very ferocious types)

2. Inferior size of the Swedish army in the field but it's almost unbroken stream of victories.

3. Similarities to the 'blitzkrieg principles' of the Wehrmacht of 240 years later as used by the Swedes - their enormous adventure - hundreds and hundreds of miles from home(men in the field for 20 years etc).

4. Ability to legitimately field exotic troops types such as Polish Winged Hussars, Pancerni, Cossacks, Streltsi City Militias with bearded axes and all that good stuff.

5. Tartars & Turks -Swedish and Russian adventures in the Caucasus

6. Battles in the snow

7. Sieges and river assaults

You names , GNW has got it.

I recommend Foundry's incomplete but fantastic GNW range supplemented by the more prosaic Marlburian range infantry which will do well for either Swedes, Russians, Brandenburgers or Saxons.

I have played many games with the 40mm Prince August collection of my good friend Alasdair Jamison - with 60 man battalions and huge cavalry Squadrons.

Acquire the Swedish illustrated picture book : Karoliner for inspiration and also read Poltava by Peter Englund.

Bacchus specialise in GNW in 6mm plus lots of supportive literature..

GA PA (which I believe roughly translates as 'Fall on!' or 'Go for it!')

B

gonzo · Post by **gonzo** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:17 pm

Hi,

I have written this before but I can also highly recomend the following book as well (follow the link):

http://www.baccus6mm.com/includes/produ ... detail=gnw

This is actually the first part of a trilogy if I am not mistaken, but the other two parts have not been translated into English (the other two books have a more in depth cover of the Danes, Russians, Saxons etc).

I am also interested in paiting up GNW armies in 28mm , is Foundry the only company carrying a GNW range? It should be added that I already have the complete armies for Poltava but alas only in 6mm. Two years ago I thought that 6mm was good enough, but not so any more

Regards,

Viktor

18th Century Guy · Post by **18th Century Guy** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 2:21 am

Imperialist Enterprises does have a GNW range so you might check them out.

gonzo · Post by **gonzo** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:14 pm

Thanks, I wasn't able to find any homepage where I could have a look at their miniatures. Do you know if there are some pics of their GNW range on the internet?

/Viktor

gonzo · Post by **gonzo** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:21 pm

On another note, does anyone here know if it is possible to mix Front Rank miniatures (their SYW range) with Foundry's GNW range?

/Viktor

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 1:37 am

Barry,

I certainly think that GNW Swedes should operate under the "Optional Modifiers 6.4 -- General Modifications". In other words, they should be able to Charge Non-Shaken Units (since their operational doctrine was to charge as soon as possible).

My question is -- "Do you think that they should have any modifier on their Charge Test"?

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson

Post by **barr7430** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:09 am

Yup Jeff I agree,

ULB was not written specifically for GNW(aonther of my pet periods) but several users have asked about suitability.

Off the cuff, I wuold make the following mods(in general terms)

1. Command Options: No Swedish commander can role worse than Avergae on his movement mods

2. Swedish troops almost without exception classed as veteran

3. REDUCE their FIRE capability to reflect doctrine

4. Allow them to charge formed infantry and proabalby get the Tribal infantry combat bonus

5. Similar alteratIon for cavalry.

Really should write it into ULB Rev 5!

B

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:51 am

Barry,

Before you finalize Rev 5, I want to send you (off-list) a number of minor inconsistencies that I noted in my read-thru of the rules. Nothing major -- the rules look VERY good; but a couple of things that might be made a tad clearer.

Your ULB rules have incorporated a number of things that I've been looking for -- and (most important) kept things pretty simple. I will be using them for my gaming in this period.

Now I can start painting troops (and painting and painting and painting) because I now know how I'll be basing them.

Thanks for the rules!

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson

PS, I'll try to send you the areas I felt might need clean-up some time this weekend.

Bluebear · Post by **Bluebear** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 9:58 pm

Barry,

One thing I think I'll do for the game I've got coming up (a quasi-Fraustadt) is to have the Swedes roll using the ULB "Command Ratings" -- and having the Allies roll using the Playsheet Ratings.

The Rules allow (out of average 6 rolls):
1 chance of Plodder
2 chances of Average
2 chances of Good
1 chance of Inspirational

While the Playsheets allow (out of the 6):
2 chances of Plodder
2 chances of Average
1 chance of Average
1 chance of Inspirational

Thus I will use the Rules (which have better generals) for the better army; and the Playsheet (whose generals are poorer on average) for the poorer army. I figure that this will aid the Swedes while still allowing players to determine their own generals skills.

I do, however, think that the full "tribal" bonus might be a bit much (although perhaps not) . . . hmm, I think I'll give them a +1d3 bonus (I like uncertainty on my tabletops.

Anyway, I want to give ULB a try -- and will let you know how it turns out.

-- Jeff "Bluebear" Hudelson