Frederick the Great

Wargame Rules for the 7 Years War

Frederick the Great – Wargame Rules for the 7 Years War, by David Park Newport The Seven Years’ War is one of the most important wars in modern history. If for no other reason than the consolidation of Prussia, and the arrival of Prussia as a first-rate power in Europe, it is a major war. But, it also saw the exclusion in all but a titular sense, of Austria from the rest of Germany, i.e., the Empire, and the emergence of Prussia as the predominant German state, or at least a shared predominance with Austria. It saw the virtual elimination of France as a world power, an elimination that was completed with the destruction of the French fleet at Trafalgar, half a century later. With the loss of Canada and India to the British, France was still a major European power, but hardly a world power on the order of Britain. A Britain which, in one fell swoop, had doubled its Empire in size and wealth, and eliminated its arch-rival France from both the New World and the Indian sub-continent. And, it saw the baptism under fire of a bunch of colonial nobodies; nobodies like George Washington.

But perhaps as important, is the fact that the Seven Years’ War, and the Marlburian Wars, are a hell of a lot of fun for the wargamer (I think that’s as important as the consolidation of Silesia, Canada, India, and all those silly places). It is an interesting period, being a juxtapositioning of the old and ritualistic and the new and innovative; the linear tactics used since Alexander and before on the one hand, with the emergence of the skirmisher and massed artillery, not to mention the first instances of large scale usage of horse artillery. Later wars would develope into artillery duels, then reaction to that would turn them into skirmisher’s wars, so these innovations would all assume major significance.

Plus, some of the most splendiferous (don’t look it up) uniforms this side of a Napoleonic Full Dress Ball are included free of charge. And these are on the enlisted men. The color and the glory of an earlier era, and the technology of a later era, combine to make this one of the most intriguing and fascinating periods in which to game.

It is hoped that these rules accurately reflect the warfare of this period and that my enthusiasm for this period can become your enthusiasm. Most of all, it is fun. Each arm is in balance, nothing particularly overpowers anything else. So there are very few Civil War type situations (where artillery chews up your infantry from 3000 yds.) or few times the cavalry will just sweep through them without even bothering to say "excuse me". It is balanced, it is fun, it is beautiful to look at; what more would you want. Good Luck and Good Gaming --David Park Newport

Title: Frederick the Great – Wargame Rules for the 7 Years War
Period: War of Spanish Succession, Seven Years’ War, American Revolutionary War
Type: Tactical Miniature Wargame
Time Scale: 1 turn = 10 minutes
Ground Scale: 1:1800 (1 inch = 50 yards) or 1:3600 (1 inch = 100 yards)
Troop Scale: 1 figure = 50 men
Basing: 13 mm frontage per infantry figure, 25 mm per cavalryman
Author: David Park Newport
Illustrator: Mike Gilbert
Format: 56-page rule book
Language: English
Publisher: Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc., Roslyn, NY
Published: 1977

Chapters

Set Up
Movement
Fire Combat
Melee
Morale
Optional Rules
Appendix I: Organizations for the Seven Years’ War and American Revolution
Appendix II: The Age of Marlborough
Appendix III: Figures and where to buy them

Quick Reference Charts and Counters

Movement
Small Arms Fire
Artillery Fire
Melee
Morale

Opponent Finder

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Wargame Rules