Basic information

Further pages
Nations page, a hub for all the posts detailing each nation in the Schultze-Böhnstadt universe.
Leaders page, containing links to all the persons of importance broken down to nations.
Wars page with a detailed chronology and further links to posts telling about the wars fought so far.

Tabletop rules


Recently switched from homebrews to Maurice, a game by Sam Mustafa. You can download a free draft or purchase the complete version from the website linked above.

A few thoughts regarding the rules can be found here and I usually address more key points in the Notes after each battle report.

For small skirmishes, my preferred choice is Flashing Steel by Ganesha Games, which is perhaps the most versatile of all of their games based on the same engine.
Here's a small sample article about how individual characters are created.

History
(Dates according to the Old Calendar)
1433: the House of Jazygia settles in Böhnstadt.
1448: the end of the Great Wars; Varangia gains the Sjelle Islands with the Treaty of Westfahren.
1451: Protestant Glambrians raise the Duchy of Armagnac.
1470: Leuwenthaal gains complete freedom from Glambria in the War of Independence.
1490-98: War between the Flossian Union and Glambria.
1501: Schultze-Böhnstadt quits the Flossian Union.
1512-3: War of Störkburg Valley, the Principality gains control of Störkburg.
1517: Dethronization of the House of Altdorf in the Union; the four Electors hold power.
1517-21: Electorate Wars against Kurt II of Altdorf. Alliance with Schultze-Böhnstadt.
1522: Extinction of the House of Parmigiano in Quattri Formaggi.
1523-31: Formaggian Succession Wars.
1531: Beatrice Schiavona gains the title of Supreme Chancellorette in Parmigiano.
1534: In return for a 10-year peace treaty, Quattri Formaggi cedes the region of Alba to Glambria.
1538-40: Varangian Wars. The Union invades Sjelle Islands and is repulsed. Böhnstadter mercenaries fight on the Union side.
1538-42: Fortress War between Leuwenthaal and Glambria.
1541-44: Failed Glambrian invasion of the Duchy of Armagnac.
1543: Naval war between QF and Glambria for Île-de-Suillen.
1543-50: Great Peace.
1549: Start of the Calvacasa Rebellion in QF against the Chancellorette.
1550: Second War of Störkburg Valley, a Böhnstadter counter-offensive repulses the Union attack and threatens their capitol.

Campaign map


(Google resizes the image so here's a full version)


All posts labelled as "lore"

Other labels I intend to use stand for:

"Map", when the post's content deals with campaign moves on the hex map.
"Diary", campaign diaries about characters' decisions, events etc (non-battlefield events)
"Batrep", battle reports played in Cossacks.
"Tabletop", showing painted units or tabletop wargaming action.
Furthermore, each 'wiki' page has a label, and so does every post detailing a specific campaign.
All of these are accessible from the right sidebar.

Questions Which Are Not Frequently Asked, But May Nonetheless Arise

What is the Old Calendar?
The Old Calendar uses the years set by Sixtus Petroglobus, an ancient Phoenician sage. It is used mostly in the Catholic monarchies of the imaginary world. The Catholic church did not, in fact, adopt it, but continued its use as a conformity. The New Calendar numbers the years from the birth of Christ while the Old Calendar begins 200 years earlier. Therefore, to convert Old Calendar dates to new, simply add 200.

Where are the other major bellingerents of the SYW?
The answer to this question could spiral to a rant about distancing myself from the terrors of the real wars of the age; but playing with little toys sort of defies that. 
Russia had never had its territories threatened and was on the offensive when its armies moved. By the way, it's past those large eastern mountains, and no doubt some exotic and very barbarous allies would show up, should one of the nations on the map require so.
The British fought allied with the Prussians and again never had their homeland threatened by invading armies. Here arises the issue of the Americas, and some references had been made in the 'lore' posts about it, but this is an entirely different matter. The red-coat Böhnstadter could as well be British/Hanoverians, and I am planning to add more 'mercenary' units which can be used, again, for any side in a battle. Rest assured, the British Isles are somewhere there on the western edge of the map again.
It is also worth mentioning that some other, 'more European' nations appear on the political compass who were not active partakers in the historical conflict. In short, I wanted a world with multiple factions to ally with one another and then break alliances; and, as it evolved, I wanted these nations' armies to have multiple uses as historical and something else. 

Why Cossacks?
This game has a special place in my heart and I am moderately good at it. While unrealistic in terms of combat results (armies are always completely annihilated instead of breaking), it has the 'period feel' a wargamer would require from a tabletop rule set. It is now over ten years old, but it holds up well, I believe.

Why 6mm?
Some periods, I think, are best done in specific scales. These are just personal observations. The Seven Years War would be best done in 28mm or 6mm - 28mm for the 'old school' tradition and 6mm for a mass effect that can still present detail. 
6mm scale has also, despite the ever inflated prices, the best figure to money ratio. 1/72 actually comes close (closer than 15mm), but 6mm wins headlong, and the period is not well supplied with 1/72 figures. Money is always an issue for me, which is rather contradictory to the 'money talks' nature of the hobby I've taken up. I would like to build large units of Minden figures, which are absolutely beautiful, but for the price of a 24-man unit, I could live for a week. 
As you may know, or learn looking back to older posts, I've started collecting 15mm figures, but that has ended quickly. I have forty of them along with some pike and shot. 15mm is the ugly little brother of 1/72; you gain nothing by the smaller size, and you actually pay more for them. Some periods may suit the scale better than the ones I engage in, but I'm pretty sure it's not only personal prejudice.

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