1600-onwards Campaign

[FierceKitty]

If I can just get the players to commit, I think we're ready to start a 5-party eastern European campaign, with Turks, Cossacks, Muscovites, Poles, and Swedes. I know, the Empire is a glaring omission, but the Ottomans have enough enemies already, especially since the rules won't allow anyone else to form an alliance with them.
Watch this space.

[cbr3d.com]

What rules are you thinking of using?  ('By Fire and Sword' rules by any chance?     )

[FierceKitty]

10 More Sons. I'm more and more satisfied with them, as are my opps, which is not to be lost sight of in these things.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Looks like fun.

[cbr3d.com]

10 More Sons. I'm more and more satisfied with them, as are my opps, which is not to be lost sight of in these things.

Not come across those rules before, I will have to get a copy.   

[FierceKitty]

Happy to send them to you if you want to have a look; home made.

[cbr3d.com]

FK - have PM'ed you.   

[FierceKitty]

Winging their electronic way through the cybervoid.

[cbr3d.com]

F.K. - Got them, many thanks.      

[Hwiccee]

You could add the Crimean Khanate, AKA the Tatars. The Tatars were a power at the time and raided the Cossacks and Muscovites annually. They were nominally a Ottoman vassal and so would give them an ally but they also were at least as powerful as the Cossack or Muscovites and followed their own path. The Cossacks and Muscovites were weren't really strong enough to take on the Ottomans & so they usually fought the Tartars in any major war vs. the Ottomans. It was not until the 1700's that the Muscovites/Russians were strong enough to take on the Ottomans.

You might want to think about adding the other major Ottoman vassals - Moldavia, Wallachia and Transylvania. These together were probably about as powerful as the Cossacks.

You could then perhaps add the Empire and perhaps other 'German' powers.

[FierceKitty]

I've been somewhat limited by available figures. The Tatars do feature, mainly as Ottoman vassals and allies, but available for (not entirely reliable) hire by the Cossacks, Muscovites, and Poles, provided that there is historical precedent.

[Hwiccee]

Personally I don't think that there was much difference of appearance between the various Eastern types of the same general kind. For example I use a mixture of Tatar, Cossack, Polish, Muscovite and other light horse for all the armies. So this would expand the available forces.

Perhaps you could use this idea to include the Tatars. As already mentioned these guys were a 'player' at the time. Certainly more so than the Cossacks and arguably than the Muscovites. The Cossacks and Muscovites occasionally had Tatars in there army but most of the time were desperately trying to avoid becoming Tatar vassals/being conquered by them!

Just food for thought and good luck with the campaign. We did a similar campaign sometime ago and it was great fun.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello FK

Sounds like great fun. One of my favourite areas and eras.

You could also add in Transylvanian, Moldavian and Wallachian as unruly and/or unreliable allies. There are also the Don and some smaller Cossack hordes (Terek, etc) that can be independent players. And the best part is, as Hwiccee says, you can use the same figures for most of them. Don't forget the Mongol figures.. RCW troops in greatcoat and furhat can be used as firearm auxiliaries.

Here's a link to the archive of 1618 Something, a PBEM campaign run by David Heading:-

http://web.archive.org/web/20030313074422/http://www.1618something.co.uk/index.html

It was great fun and may have few ideas that you can borrow.

Looking forward to hearing about your campaign. I have your rule set so will be interested in AARs.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan