Trying Blucher for The Great Northern War

 First a bit of background:

Around Lockdown I picked up  a bucketload of plastic 10mm-ish 18th century miniatures. I think these were originally were made for a verson of the boardgame Risk. I had intended to incorperate them in my 10mm WSS armies, but the plastics are more 12mm and tower over my metal armies (mainly Pendraken).

So I put then aside for a bit, then I decided to make up some GNW armies. This would take minimal painting as these plastic had already been basically painted as Swedish and Russian forces, I would just need to repaint a few units for Danes and add cuff turnbacks to the rest. I now have nearly half done, to make up basic Swedish and Danish armies for the later part of the war, around 1711/12.

I am already using Black Powder for my WSS armies and wanted to do something different, when I came across a Blucher varient for the WSS, which I thought would be fine for the Great Northern War, as they overlapped in time for most of their duration. I had already played a few games of Blucher (by Sam A Mustafa) and enjoyed them, I found the 18th century variant, Eugene, somewhere online (sorry I am not sure where).

One with the game:

After a couple of false starts I finally got Colin around to give the rules a go. Due to time constraints, and being Colin's first time with the rules, we skipped the pre-game mini campaign (usually one of the best bits IMHO) and straight on with a meeting engagement.

Sorry, I forgot to take any pictures of the initial deployment (and I really need to finish basing some of the units). I deployed my Swedes with cavalry on the left and infantry on the right and centre. Colin mixed his columns up, so unintentionally deploy in mirror image to me! My cavalry advanced as did Colin's centre, our other infantry flank advanced a bit, then both just took a break and watched the action for a while.

The view of the infantry battle. The Danish centre is closing on the Swedes, but taking casualties from muskets and accurate artillery fire. The Danish guns had attempted to soften up the Swedish unit on the right as they advanced, but failed. In fact I think the Danish artillery only caused 1 Morale Point all game.

Away from the infantry the cavalry clash...

....indecisively at first, both sides having units bounce back and forth (as cavalry melees tend to go!).

Now the Danish infantry charge, but are thrown back. A counter charge by one of the Swedish brigades routs the Danes in front of them.

On the far flank the two side exchange musketry at long range.

Some unbelievably good dice for the Swedish cavalry break two units of Danes, making a hole in their line....

...which the Swedes exploit and the Danish cavalry starts to melt away. Colin managed to retire one unit on the point of routing off table (units voluntarily retired off table do not count towards losses for the army morale).

Swedish cavalry now wheel across to threated the flank of the Danish centre.

Too late, the Danish right wing launch an attack.

But the centre crumbles as the Swedish infantry attack and the cavalry charge into their flanks.

The view from the Danish side of the table, "Why are my men facing the wrong way?"

An over view of the final situation, an outstanding victory for the Swedes. A lot of laughs in this game, and we will be doing again soon!