31st Seven Years' War Assn. Weekend Game List

Situation: 31st Annual SYW Assn. Game Weekend
Date: March 28-29, 2014 (Friday-Saturday)
Location: South Bend Indiana
Venue: Magnusen Hotel Tel: (574) 232-3941

LIST OF GAMES FOR SYWA CONVENTION 2013

Friday Morning/Early Afternoon (11 am to 4-5 pm)

·                   Battle of Prestonpans - 4 to 6 players - 21 September 1745 - General John Cope is determined to crush the Jacobite rebellion before it grows powerful. Bonnie Prince Charlie marches boldly to meet the enemy at Prestonpans. A quick and dirty fight ensues. Dale Wood hosts, using his “Age of Reason” rules and 15 mm figures (or maybe 25s).

·                   Action at Altenbrunsler -  2 to 4 players - In an attempt to gobble-up an isolated Hessian garrison at Altenbruner, Baron von Clozen has crossed the Eder River at Ellenburg with 6,000 men. The Hessian general Graf von Kanitz and his 1,500 men must either defend the town or attempt an escape – Alex Burn hosts, using Final Argument of Kings rules and 15mm figures.

·                   Squadron Action on the High Seas (SYW) – 2 to 6 players – Squadrons clash in this age of sail game on the high seas. Lynn Langer hosts, using Home Rules and 1/1200 ships.

·                  Battle of Leeper’s Farm AWI) - 4 to 6 players -  Advance elements of Hessian regulars and American Continentals and Militia collide in this skirmish game. Herb Gundt and Thom Osborn host, using Muskets & Tomahawk rules and 28mm figures.

·                  Battle Near Torgau (SYW)  - 4 to 8 players - Prussian and Austrians vie for control of the Elbe near the city Torgau. Ken Bunger hosts, using Tricorne rules and 25MM figures.

 

Friday Afternoon/Evening (3 to 5 pm until midnight)

·                   Battle of Chester’s Courthouse (AWI) - 6 players - The Continentals and British Regulars clash in a meeting engagement during the Philadelphia Campaign that escalates into a larger battle. Jim Purky hosts, using Fife & Drum Rules and 30mm figures.

·                   Battle of Prestonpans - 4 to 6 players - 21 September 1745 - General John Cope is determined to crush the Jacobite rebellion before it grows powerful. Bonnie Prince Charlie marches boldly to meet the enemy at Prestonpans. A quick and dirty fight ensues. Dale Wood hosts, using his “Age of Reason” rules and 15 mm figures (or maybe 25s).

·                   Battle of Strehla (SYW) – 6 to 8 players – The Prussian general Hulsen has established himself in an entrenched camp near the Elbe city of Strehla. To drive him out, the Austrians storm his positions on the Durrenburg. This game is based on an historical incident. Patrick Lebeau and Dean West host, using the 28mm version of The Final Argument of Kings and 28mm figures.  

·                   Jacobite Rebellion Battle – Hosted by Bart Redmond

·                   SYW Battle: Austrians v. Prussians – 6 to 8 players – A hypothetical SYW scenario. Tod Kershner hosts, using Age of Reason Rules and 25mm figures.

·                   Battle of Bungdras - 4 to 8 player - The East India Company seeks revenge for last year’s ignominious defeat at the hands of those colorful Indian troops. The locals are just as determined as ever to drive the Infidels from their lands. Jurgen Olk hosts using “Currycorne” rules, the India variant of “Tricorne” and 25mm figures. Jurgen urges players to bring their own Indian troops.

                                  

Saturday Morning (9-10 am to 2 pm)

·                   Battle of Lobositz: 1756 - 6 to 8 players - Frederick discovers that these are not the same Austrians he dominated during the 1740s. Jim Purky hosts, using either “Battailles de l’Ancien Regime” or “Alte Fritz rules and 30mm Minden miniatures and featuring 1:20 figure and ground scale. Late morning start & into afternoon.

·                   Battle of Hastenbeck: 1757 - 6 to 8+ players - Refight of the first large battle fought in the western theater during the SYW, Hanoverians v. French. John Read and Todd Fisher host, using Revolution and Empire rules, and 15mm figures. Late moring start time, continues into afternoon.  

·                   Battle of Strehla (SYW) - 6 to 8 players - The Prussian general Hulsen has established himself in an entrenched camp near the Elbe city of Strehla. To drive him out, the Austrians storm his positions on the Durrenburg. This game is based on an historical incident. Patrick Lebeau and Dean West host, using the 28mm version of The Final Argument of Kings and 28mm figures.  

·                   Battle of Leeper’s Farm AWI) - 4 to 6 players - Advance Guard elements of Hessian regulars and American Continentals/Militia collide in this skirmish game. Herb Gundt and Thom Osborn host, using Muskets & Tomahawk rules and 28mm figures.

·                   King George & Broadswords: Moore’s Creek Bridge (AWI) - Up to 8 players— Highlander veteran of Culloden take on American militia. The terrain will be modified to give the loyalist a chance for victory. Hosted by Tod Kershner using Iroquois Terror rules and 22mm figures.

·                   Battle of Bungdras—4 to 8 players—Refight of Juergen’s “Currycorne” India game (See Friday Afternoon schedule for details)

Saturday Afternoon/ Evening (3 pm to midnight): break at 6:00 pm for Professor Duffy’s lecture. \

On Saturday at 6 pm Professor Duffy will speak in the registration area. After questions, gaming will resume in the main hall.

Orientation for 2/15/14 SYW Game

Purpose: Pre-Game Terrain Photos For Participant Orientation
Location: Saxony east of the entrenched camp at Pirna.
Date: October 15, 1756 (February 15, 2014)

Rules: Batailles de l'Ancien Régime 1740-1763 {BAR}
Available at: http://oldregimerules.com/
Ratio: 1:20 (One miniature equals 20 real men - Usually we do 1:10)

Arrival: 9:30 am but players bringing units should arrive earlier  (9ish) to unload
Turn 1: 10:00 am
Lunch: Noonish
Finish: Turn In Progress at 4:00 pm

Situation: Austrian Relief Column attempts to assist the Saxons breakout of the Prussian encirclement. Historically the Saxons failed to bridge and cross the Elbe River to join the Austrians. This time some succeeded.

Note: Areas designated below as "Extreme Flank Zones" will have few, if any, miniatures on Turn 1. This will allow officers a lot more room to maneuver and might entice light troop operation on "Extreme Flanks" where they most often belong in the SYW.

Click on photos to enlarge them

Austrian Extreme Right Flank ----------Prussian Extreme Left Flank

Elbe River may be seen on the Back Table upper right corner of image

6' Wide Austrian Extreme Right Flank (Foreground)
Prussians will be opposite them

Ignore blue building, harbor, etc. on the Back Table. 

Austrian Right Flank (Foreground)

Prussians will be opposite them.

Note location of ruins.

Center of Battlefield. 

Note ruins are shifted right.

Austrians have the foreground. 

Prussians will be opposite them. 

 Austrian Extreme Left Flank ----------------- Austrian Left Flank
Prussians will be opposite them

4' Wide Austrian Extreme Left Flank................................
Prussians will be opposite them
-----------------------------------
----- Das Ende -----

31st Annual SYW Weekend 2014. Be There!

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION to attend the 31st Annual Convention of the SYW Association.  Professor Christopher Duffy returns along with several dealers, flea market and lots of games.  We will be back to our usual digs on March 28-29, 2014 in the Magnuson Hotel, 213 W. Washington Street, South Bend, IN 46601 (574) 232-3941.  We encourage all to attend.  New game masters and dealers are always welcome. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY 2014!

----- 
Dorothy, Rocket, Smokie and I want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy 2014. We hope you will have a GREAT time with your family and friends plus enjoy some well earned down time on Christmas and News Year's Day.
 
I also want to take this opportunity to say a BIG 'Thank You' for your continued interest in my adventure stories and games You keep me going! I greatly appreciate the trust and confidence you have shown in my endeavors and look forward to more plus your companionship in 2014.
 
Once again, THANK YOU, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
Respectfully,
Bill and Dorothy
Rocket and Smokie too
 
12/20/2013
12/26/2013 

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RESTARTING THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR

Our game group will restart the SYW on December 14, 2013.
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Date: October 14, 1756 (December 14, 2013)
Location: Saxony

Situation: Prussia's Frederick II invades Saxony. This time however, the Saxons don't entomb themselves at the great encampment at Pirna. They are instead free to maneuver hoping to stop Frederick or escape into Bohemia. Austria is sending assistance.

Rules: Batailles de l'Ancien Régime 1740-1763 {BAR}
Scale: 1:20. Frontage/miniature: Infantry 3/4" and Cavalry 1"
(We usually use 1:10 BIG battalions, but BAR plays well at 1:20 too)

Appearing will be some of the oldest SYW units in the USA from collections dating back to the 1970s. They have not gotten to play much. However, this will be their second outing in 2013. For their first one in almost two decades see: http://campaignsingermania.blogspot.com/2013/02/lets-talk-about-bar-3.html

Der Alte Fritz (Jim P.) is busily strengthening his 1:20 Minden Prussians while I am adding only a second squadron to the Saxon Leibkürassier Regiment. I had hoped to finish my Eureka 28mm Prinz Xavier regiment but this will not happen.

At the moment we have twelve eager players in the game with five others on standby should some of the twelve excuse themselves from the game.

This should be a photo extravaganza.
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Oh. A question from the back row. Yes?
Questioner: "Bill what have you been up to since the last post here?"

Answer: Aside from a painting funk from January into the summer of 2013, I was happily painting for, setting up and photographing sets for and writing new short stories for the Colonial General Pettygree blog. See:
http://generalpettygree.blogspot.com/2013/09/chapter-65-trouble-everywhere.html
and
http://generalpettygree.blogspot.com/2013/09/chapter-66-departures.html
If you have not seen these, you may be pleasantly surprised with no holds barred characters and story.

More Answers: Otherwise there was a a lot of activity in Napoleonic Iberia; rules, games and painting. Also Chuck and I have been painting miniatures for a totally new blog story set in the South Pacific but I've promised myself not to talk about this much. This should debut in early 2014, God willing.

I also wrote and photographed an article for Charles Grant's THE WARGAMERS' ANNUAL 2014. My title was CAVALRY ON THE TABLETOP. It starts with what I think are stunning images of my 9th Bengal Lancers duplicating the 1898 21st Lancer Regiment charge at Omdurman.

The publisher made the photos absolutely HUGE. This added a lot to atmosphere. Maneuver, the charge, hand-to-hand combat and recovery are described by a first-person participant in the charge, Winston Churchill. You will see my lancers do what he said! Kudos to Winston for his style - not me.  There is a lot more to the article; other cavalry topics. You might want to buy the magazine for Christmas! Lots of good writing and images in this issue.

And perhaps we all needed a pause from SYW activity for a while. We've done some very interesting and satisfying X-Wing combat in Outer Space, a 1940 Battle of Britain air game, two road trips to Earl's and also Randy's homes and played a couple of 20mm American Civil war games. The most recent saw the metal and plastic regiments my sons and I painted in the late 1990s getting onto the table with House Rules. The boys were age 14 at the time. See the left side of the blog for other fun games played.

However, we will be back to the SYW very soon.
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Respectfully,
Bill
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RED ALERT!!!
Your remarks are as always very welcome below.
However, I'm moderating them because of a relentless spammer.
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SYW NEWS: June 17, 2013

SIX MONTH RECAP
   Dec. 27, 2012:  Lobositz at Der Alte's Home (BAR Rules)
   Feb. 9, 2013:  1:20 Game at Gallia (BAR Rules)
   Apr. 5-6, 2013:  1760 Escalade of Quebec. (BAR Rules)*
   Apr. 5-6 2013:  Austria vs Prussia. (Tricorne Rules)*

* The annual SYW Assn. Weekend in South Bend, Indiana.

   There was a gratifying increase in the number of Russians painted by Michael M., John M. and John B. Thank you guys for your trust and confidence!
-----

THE FUTURE
1. Restart the SYW before 2014.
  Hopefully in late August or October for game #1.
  Plus the annual game on Dec. 7, 2013 for game #2.

2. Future painting for me:
  Saxon Prinz Xavier Battalion (Eureka)
  Saxon Leibkürassier Garde 2nd. Sq. (Eureka)
  Saxon 6 Pdr. Battery (Eureka)
  French Arquebiussier de Grassin Squadron (Eureka)
  Horseholders: Bercheney's Hussars and Fischer Dragoons. (Eureka)
  French Cuirassiers du Roi (Suren)**
** These fellows have been lanquishing unpainted for 4-5 years!
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RULES: Batailles de l' Ancien Régime 1740-1760
Three unique descriptions of BAR were conducted by miniatures taking readers on a tour with photos, captions and conversation below. You've never seen anything like this before! Fun too!

http://campaignsingermania.blogspot.com/2013/01/lets-talk-about-bar-1.html

http://campaignsingermania.blogspot.com/2013/01/lets-talk-about-bar-2.html

http://campaignsingermania.blogspot.com/2013/02/lets-talk-about-bar-3.html
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DIGRESSIONS FROM THE SYW
Some of you know I also do Campaings of General Pettygree Colonial and the Napoleonic Campaigns in IBERIA blogs. Naturally these take time away from the SYW. A few months ago the Pettygree Colonial story resumed plus Der Alte, Curt B., John M. and I have been raising British for Iberia. As much as I like the SYW
it is important to pause from time to time. I've been gaming the SYW since the late 1960s so we've had a great long run - and - it shall continue.
-----

Votre Serviteur,
Bill


 

Quebec Falls To de Levis

Date: April 1760
Location: West Side of Quebec City
Situation: What If Scenario
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On April 5-6, 2013 The Seven Years' War Association held its annual wargame weekend at the Magnuson Hotel in South Bend, Indiana USA. I arrived Thursday evening to have dinner, chat and catch up with friends. Games were held on Friday and Saturday allowing an easy drive home Sunday.

Just under one hundred people attended to game the mid-18th Century featuring North America, India, Europe and the ocean blue. The celebrated Christopher Duffy spoke Saturday and there were a number of good vendors.
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Background For The Game I Hosted:
In April 1760 the French Army left Montreal to recapture Quebec. The British formed to oppose General Levis a couple miles to the west of the city at Sainte Foy. The French won the battle and the British retreated behind the walls of Quebec.

Afterwards the French laid siege to Quebec hampered by insufficient artillery though it was said walls were weak. Murray's British garrison was sickly and low on supplies. A waiting game ensued as the frozen St. Lawrence River thawed. Quebec would ultimately be controlled pending the arrival of the Royal Navy or not. Historically the British arrived to resupply and save the garrison. Not wanting to storm the walls after this, the French retreated back to Montreal.

Our what-if scenario changed things this way. The French Navy arrived first, Murray refused terms of surrender and a renewed bombardment....

Caused two breaches.
(Miniature Building Authority castle walls)

After which the French formed up, gathered ladders and prepared to storm the city. One example was Battalion 2/La Sarre initially formed in open column of divisions before it marched toward the wall.

In the distance from left to right Canadian milice with battalions 2/Royal Roussillon, 2/ La Sarre and 2/Berry come closer. The 60th Royal Americans wait inside the walls to fire devastating volleys as the French come through the two breaches.

2/Berry arrives at the wall and is about to raise scaling ladders. 

Ladders were scratch-built from bass wood and Elmer's wood glue. They were made wide and rungs were separated enough so miniatures could be easily placed on them for a fun old school look and feel.

2/La Sarre came through the breach first, becoming disorganized as it climbed over rubble. A semi-circle of British Brown Bess muskets met them  and La Sarre routed back through the gap never to return.

Behind La Sarre 2/Royal Roussillon is just about through the breach. The 44th Foot mans the wall on the left versus Canadian milice and brave Woodland Indian allies on the other side of the wall.

2/Royal Roussillon routed to the rear when it was charged by a division of the 44th Foot shown at the top middle of the image. Meanwhile 2/Berry climbed onto the wall mostly unopposed, closed up taking its time to get into formed close order and prepared to fire.

Not shown is the 42nd Highland battalion marching to assist the British right flank. It had been posted to the left of the main gate taking on the Woodland Indians.

Soon General Murray asked for terms. General de Levis granted them and the battle ended. Quebec was restored to France.

Left to right standing: Yours truly Bill P., Paul Q., Rolf R. and Chris C. Seated are Brad C., Noel V. and Brent O. Chris brought an adult beverage to toast our companionable players. (Let me know if I have any one's name mixed up) Thank you VERY much for participating!

CLOSING REMARKS
1) Paul, Rolf, Chris, Brad, Noel and Brent - if you want to make comments, please do at remarks below.

2) Noel did extreme execution with the huge mortar in the middle of the image above.

3) I do believe we all had a lot of fun. The game had an old school appeal about it because of the big battalions, bombardment, collapsing walls and scaling ladders.

4) Rules: Batailles de l' Ancien Régime 1740-1763 known as BAR. The game was played in three hours.

5) Thank you Der Alte Fritz (Jim P.) who provided all terrain except for the walls.

6) We had additional fun when Brent had the commander of 2/La Sarre charge through breach rubble up onto the rampart to point the way through the breach!

7) All French white coats are 30mm Willies, the 44th Foot is 30mm Stadden, the Royal Americans are Front Rank.

8) Your remarks are welcome below!
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IT'S NOT GODZILLA - IT'S....

Just for fun, here is Rocket being inquisitive. 

He is ten months old now and a great pal.

GODZILLADOG COMES! --- RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

No it's not Godzilladog. It's Rocket our ten month old Dalmatian. 

He has "liver" (dark brown) spots. 

Here he is sneaking by Castelo Vasco de Gama in Lisbon, Portugal. We are getting ready for a Napoleonic game in Iberia. I set up the castle to see how its looks with some new wall sections from Miniature Building Authority.

Or... for General Pettygree Colonial Blog fans, it is Fort Grant on the NW Frontier. Despair not.The general will return. In the background is part of a temporary model railroad layout set up for my two grandsons.

What's this great aroma Dad? 

I don't know. Shouldn't you get back on the floor Rocket?

What did I do?

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