The traditional Sunday of Tundra Con "big battalions" game was held Jan. 7th at the Garden Hilton in Oshkosh, WI. Rules are Batailles de Ancien Regime or as they are affectionately known: BAR. Author Bill Protz provided the scenario and background. It was just left to us to fill in the numbers.
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| "Arise Christendom, the Ottoman hordes threaten Vienna again." |
The set up featured a 6' wide center table and back tables to facilitate reserves and maneuver. Allowing one to move directly from the back table(s) to the main action area. The Christian forces feature Austria (naturally), Franch, and the Imagi-Nation of Litharus, having a decidedly Russian look to them.
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| The invaders had hired the army of Imagi-Nation Rondovia, and a heretical contingent of Polish Winged Hussars to supplement their ill-disciplined masses. |
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| Said Winged Hussars may be seen, along with mercenaries from the Imagi-Nation Prochistan. |
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| The peaceful center table before the conflict. Hard to pick up, but a major ridge is in the center. |
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| The BAR movement rates are generous so little time was wasted getting to grips with the foe. |
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| Bill begins maneuvering his troops onto the center. |
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| Looking down the length, once can appreciate the visual impact of big battalions. |
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| As seems to be typical, the Vilnius grenadiers route early. They did rally and return to the fray later. |
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| Action see-sawed in the center as each side advanced and fell back at some point. |
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| More movement in the center. |
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| The invaders held the numeric advantage on our left and pressed. |
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| Litharus had the numeric advantage on the right and pressed. |
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| The Royal Artist will be replaced for failing to capture the sight of the Ottomans fleeing the center. Most unexpectedly I might add. |
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| By deft maneuvering and miserable Ottoman dice, the left not only held, but was sweeping the field at the end. |
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| Battle is always a confusing entity, but in this case it was clear that the defenders of Holy Roman Empire had prevailed. |
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| Betelguese the XXIV assembled the Ottoman forces that were soundly defeated on all three fronts. |
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| The famed Red Sash brigade of muskets skirmishing with swords behind. |
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| Sepoy battalion, recruited in India. |
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| Major Ottoman attack developing, supported by a body of cataphracts. |
Despite the large number of figures and buckets of dice rolled, we easily completed the game in the allotted time slot. A game of many surprising twists and turns that I believe everyone enjoyed. We used a roster system where you marked off casualties till it was time to remove a stand of 12. This treated the figures with more care and made pick up/clean up go that much faster. We will do that again. Thanks to all who participated and were part of the planning and set up.
