Visiting Stockholm's Historical Wargaming Club Little Wars - DAY 1 THE GAMES

The Long planned visit

Here are the 3 brave Finns (Marko, Ludde and myself), that eventually made it all the way to this far western country of Sweden and two of our most generous host: Jesper and Micke

During the day we managed 3 excellent games... see how they went and how we felt about it all...

Game 1. Pikeman's Lament: Finnish War 1809, Prelude to the Battle of Oravainen

Scenario: Russian troops needed to take the Swedish gun position on the right flank and cross the river on the left. Swedes & Finns needed to stop this from happening and cross the river themselves.

Co-writer of coming Pikeman's Lament Micke explains the set up for Marko

We started this team-game by creating our office characters. My character, Anatole Sinebrychoff came out as sly (can refuse challenges)...

Starting positions and first rounds

My command was a strong force of Russian infantry, my co-op player Marko commanded Russian hussars, a unit of jaegers and a heavy cannon.

My troops advanced rapidly, willing to engage Swedish jägers in greater numbers before rest of the

Swedish / Finnish forces could join in...

Marko's hussars took a cover-up tactics and moved forward in the cover of the woods, while his jägers harassed the enemy

My troops took my orders very well and soon I reached firing positions on both sides of the river. One of my units was supporting Marko's troops and the rest soon made short work of enemy skirmishers.

Swedish reinforcements arriving in the distance

Swedish / Finnish troops closing up

Decisive moments

The game moved forward very fluently and for a while lady Fortuna was smiling for me and momentarily to our opponents as well. Swedish Gun Yawl shot few destructive shots and destroyed one of my units. Rest of them took cover in the forest and their combine fire power tore the Swedish/Finnish infantry apart! Most of command started to cross the river while the remaining enemies retreated into the light cover of the fence.

Meanwhile in the right flank Marko's brave hussars launched an attack after an attack against the enemy troops, whom mainly evaded and skirmished. Hussar units were being whittled down in an alarming speed...

Finally the last unit pushed through and charged the gun positions but it was too little and too late... they didn't manage to destroy it!

My command crossed the river, while the enemy fled.

Conclusions

• Result: draw! I had reached my objective, but my brother in arms had lost his forces in brave, but vain attempts to reach their objective. I should have sent more help in his way!
• We quite immediately fell in love with the Pikemans Lament system, based on the Lion Rampant rules, which I already knew. Micke and Dan have achieved giving the good system extra with the black powder era flavor and a campaign mode
• You can learn more about Pikeman's Lament from Micke's blog
• We will certainly start playing it at Nopat Club

2nd. Game, Black Powder co-op.: Great Northern War / Battle of Ljesna 1709

GAME 3. Pikeman's Lament: Great Northern War
- Swedish attack on a Russian village