Monday, January 29, 2007

More on the Croat Terror

I've been knocking a few ideas around in my little head these past few days.

I've become interested in doing a demo game based around the devastation of Bavaria during the War of the Austrian Succession in around 1742.

This probably isn't too suprising considering where my painting and modelling have been taking me these past few weeks, but geez, it'd make a good demonstration game for later in the year.

I was thinking I could put together a scenario based on this where a couple of weak Bavarian battalions with a squadron of Dragoons might try to defend a three villages from a horde of Croats with a large battalion of Hungarians in support along with a squadron of Hussards. The terrain would basically be a long-ish valley with a river running through the midle of it.

The villages could each be assigned a points value depending on their size. Lesser points values could be obtained by sucessfully evacuating their populations. Victory would be based on the number of points accrued by defender or attacker. One of the villages with the highest points value would have to be seperated from the others by a river.

The number of players could be easily varied - the Bavarians could accomodate another by hiving their grenadiers off to form a detachment; their 40-figure battalions could be halved. The Croats could be played be single or multiple companies. The large (60 fig) battalion of Hungarians could be broken down into four 15-figure companies or two 30-figure divisions.

Rules - currently I'm looking at der Alte Fritz's "Kleine Kreig" rule set, as you'll probably realise from the unit sizes.

All food for thought.

Any comments?

6 comments:

Mr. Fox said...

Sounds VERY fun!!! I have always loved Croats....Nasty little guys to fight, though.


DwarfMan

MurdocK said...

Most interesting blogging.

I'd like to see more pics of your battalions on the table...possibly in a follow-up from this Croat Terror battle?

The only concern I would have for your planned 'long running' battle along the banks of the river is the speed of most infantry cannot match that of the cavalry. Wheras the artillery is what is generally needed to 'batter-down' hardened town locales.

Your overall concept I think would be better organized as a 'campaign' to be faught over a number of 'imaginary' weeks. With each defensive stand, chosen by the Bavarians (probably based on the 'value' of the locations) becoming the basis for a tabletop engagement.

This way the Croat forces would be able to either 'blitz' trying to rush past with their superior cavalry...or surge forwards in a unified formation.

Cheers

check out my blog at:
http://murdocksmarauders.blogspot.com/

Bloggerator said...

Hi Murdock, I'm still building the forces! Right now I've the castings for the Hungarians, I've just about finished painting one battalion of Bavarians and half a company of Grenze. I'm test-painting a pair of Hungarians up as Regiment Haller.

I need to buy about 35 Grenze and another 40 Bavarians.

The cavalry are just a twinkle in my eye right now.

I agree this might make a better campaign as it stands at the moment, but I do like the idea of putting it on as a demo game - I'll call it "The Defence of Strudelberg!" or something!

I think this might be my main project for 2007.

All the best,

Greg

marinergrim said...

we ran a very simialr idea for a demo game some years back at Triples & Partizan. the game was based on a large Indian raid down the Ohio valley in the French indian Wars. Twelve warbands of indians (some 120 figures) racing down the valley against 30 regulars and 40 civilians (including women and children) with a relief force sailing up the river in boats. The terrain had two steep wooded valley sides with a fort close to the river and homesteads scattered across the valley floor. we found the whole thing great fun and added twists with each play 9adding in some French regulars to support the Indian or local militia for the English - we even had Indians in canoes!).

the trick we found was play testing it several times before the demo to make sure it worked and was not too unblanced.

I imagine your Croat terror game being similar.

MiniWargamer said...

Is there a place where I can find Alte Fritz's "Kleine Kreig" rule set? I looked through the OSW files and did not see them.

Mike Cannon

Bloggerator said...

Mike, if you contact Alte Fritz on the OSW group, I'm sure he would be glad to share his rules with you!

Greg.