Europe at War: Germany in the summer of 1717.
Northern Germany in the summer of 1717
EPhotos by ach Command Decision aims to offer a series of playable options in timeless military scenarios. Command Decision is designed so you can read the situation and figure out your own command decisions if you were leading the troops on the ground. You can either work through the various options or use the mechanics to create the precise circumstances of the table top engagement. The scenarios may have particular historical themes and settings, but you can easily adapt the mechanics to suit your own preferences and collections.
SITUATION REPORT
A catastrophic war is raging across northern, central and Eastern Europe. The Tsar of Russia is leading a coalition of states in a deadly struggle against the Swedish Empire. He is supported by DenmarkNorway, Saxony and Poland-Lithuania. More recently, the British and Hanover have joined the fight. The Swedish, led by Charles XII can call on several Polish leaders, the Ukrainian Cossacks, the Ottomans and Holstein-Gottorp.
ROLE & COMMAND
You are Duke Charles Frederick of Schleswig-HolsteinGottorp, born in Sweden in 1700. Your mother is the sister of Charles XII. Your duchy has sided with Sweden and primarily against the Danes. This had led
to the country being pillaged by the enemy. You met your uncle Charles XII for the first and only time last year. You have reached your legal majority and have some military power for the first time. Rather than tackle the dangerous Danish army, you determine to give Hanover a bloody nose. They have a forward force established at Rendsburg on the River Eider; the opportunity seems too good to miss.
COMMAND DECISIONS
Your troops are assembling at Kiel and are ready to march the 40km to Rendsburg. Your scouts tell you that the Hanoverians have occupied the city with four regiments of dragoons but infantry and more cavalry, supported by artillery, are moving towards the city. Your four options are:
◗ Option One: Leave Kiel immediately with your cavalry, instructing the infantry and artillery to make all haste and follow you.
◗ Option Two: Leave Kiel immediately with your two guard cavalry units and your Foot Guards, instructing the rest of your force to follow as soon as possible.
◗ Option Three: Wait for all troops to be ready to move before setting off for Rendsburg.
◗ Option Four: Remain in Kiel and await help from Charles XII.
Consider your options before continuing to read the narrative.
HOW THE OPTIONS CAN BE WORKED OUT
◗ Option One: Leave Kiel immediately with your cavalry, instructing the infantry and artillery to make all haste and follow you.
Set up the table with Rendsburg on the Hanoverian side of the table. Represent this with a handful of scattered buildings simulating the outskirts of the city. The Hanoverian dragoons can deploy in and around the buildings. The Holstein-Gottorp player may enter in column on the road on their side of the table.
There should be a road running from the centre of the Holstein-Gottorp side of the table into Rendsburg. The rest of the table should be fairly clear with one or two fields and perhaps a thickly wooded area.
Reinforcements: both players roll a d6 independent of one another and consult the following chart:
Set up the table to represent Ostenfeld, a village to the east of Rendsburg and on the road to Kiel. Ostenfeld is on a crossroad with the Kiel road running from the centre of the Hanoverian side of the table to the centre of the Holstein-Gottorp side. From the Hanoverian side of the table the road on the left heads into farmland and the one on the right towards the hamlet of Höbek. Ostenfeld is represented by two or three buildings around the crossroads. The rest of the table is open woodland and farmland, there are few fences.
Holstein Gottorp’s progress is slower as they are delayed by the infantry; this means that the Hanoverian dragoons may deploy anywhere on the table provided they are 12” from the Holstein-Gottorp table edge.
Reinforcements: both players roll a d6 independent of one another and consult the following chart:
◗ Option Three: Wait for all troops to be ready to move before setting off for Rendsburg.
General Points
This option means that the Hanoverians have moved closer to Kiel and are advancing, expecting the Holstein-Gottorp army to block their route to Kiel. The Hanoverians are to the north of Emkendorf and a large forest lies on their left flank. The forest should take up a quarter of the length of the table and be around 12” deep.
Lay the table out with a track running the length of the table, disappearing into the forest. The rest of the table is farmland with few fences.
A farm should be placed at the centre of the Hanoverian table edge which has just been looted and fired by the invaders.
The Hanoverians must be advancing in columns on the table edge with their horse ahead of the infantry columns; the artillery enters the table on
Turn 2 behind the main body of infantry.
Holstein-Gottorp forces may deploy in line on their table edge.
Random Events: to be rolled by the Holstein-Gottorp player
As above in Option Three, but the woodland is replaced by a lake as the Hanoverians have reached the countryside just outside Kiel.
Random Events: to be rolled by the Holstein-Gottorp player
GAMING
The mini campaign can or two sessions, perhaps the map movement and of the battlefield. The second session can be devoted to fighting out the battle on the table top. Although I heartily recommend my own
Fight Another Foe rules for this period, other sets including Lace Wars or even
Black Powder. Fighting the battles should not involve slugging it out
to the death. be played out over one the first one covering determining the layout