Flint Keith - Honours of war - wargames rules for the seven years war

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Osprey Publishing,

PO Box 883, Oxford, OX1 9PL, UK

PO Box 3985, New York, NY 10185-3985, USA

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This electronic edition published in 2015 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

2015 Keith Flint

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Print ISBN: 978-1-4728-0809-7

PDF e-book ISBN: 978-1-4728-0810-3

EPUB e-book ISBN: 978-1-4728-0811-0

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Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Phil Smith at Osprey, and especial thanks to all the playtesters, from those I have known for years to those I have never met. Your contributions have been genuinely invaluable.

Special thanks go to James Roach, Crusader Miniatures

(www.crusaderminiatures.com), Front Rank Figurines (www.frontrank.com) and Nick Eyre (www.northstarfigures.com) for their generosity in providing the photographs found in this volume.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

"On the wargame table each commander will endeavour to manoeuvre the enemy into untenable positions so that they must accept the Honours of War"

Donald Featherstone, Wargames Through The Ages, vol.2, 14201783

"Honours of war (plural noun, military): the honours granted by the victorious to the defeated, esp. as of marching out with all arms and flags flying."

Collins English Dictionary

***

This is a set of wargames rules for fighting battles with toy soldiers in the period of the Seven Years War in Europe, which lasted from 1756 to 1763. They are designed to be simple to understand and straightforward to play: the main mechanics can be comprehended in a single read-through. No cards or special playing aids are required.

The rules can be used for miniatures varying in size from 28mm down to 6mm. As figure size reduces, you have the option to fight battles on progressively smaller tables, using reduced moves and firing ranges; or alternatively you can use smaller figures to fight big battles whilst still using tables of a reasonable size. While I give a basing recommendation, re-basing your collection will not normally be necessary.

Whatever size of figure you choose, a wide range of battles can be fought, from small encounters with four to six units on each side right through to representations of some of the major battles of the period. Four scenarios in a variety of sizes are given towards the back of the rulebook.

You will find things happen quickly a lot can occur in one move! The simple victory conditions that you will use in most battles will give your games a beginning, a middle and an end.

Players should note that the other two significant theatres in this period, North America and India, are not covered. These rules have a tight period focus and cover only the Seven Years War in Europe.

I hope you enjoy playing Honours of War.