The Wargamer

INTRODUCTION

1634 may be a date loaded with meaning only for students of the Thirty Years' War who understand that with Wallenstein sacked by his Imperial boss, Hapsburg Emperor Ferdinand II, the Swedish Army once more had the chance to make its fine qualities felt on the battlefields of central Europe. Sweden Fights On is the second entry in GMT Games Musket & Pike series. The battles presented recreate the command issues that confronted the new leaders of the Imperial and Swedish forces as they attempted to control and maneuver musket or pike armed infantry, bulky cavalry and awkward cannons. 

Presentation and Plot

Sweden Fights On examines Sweden's military capabilities after the death of the great soldier/king Gustaf Adolfus. Fortunes swing from desperate to marginally hopeful in the four separate battles examined in the game. Each of the four major battles relate different challenges with unique force mixes of cavalry, muskets, pikes and cannon.

The game examines the period of history when warfare was in transition from personal armies of feudal retainers to the professional soldiers gradually emerging as fiefs became states. It asks this basic question, what constitutes the essence of the decisive moment in battles of this age. A key concept is the role of the reserve in successful battle strategy.

The Musket & Pike Battle System is GMT's exploration of the roles that leadership, morale and unit cohesion played during the era of the emergence of professional infantry. How does the professionalism of the officer class and the discipline of the armies they command impact the outcome of crucial battles? The establishment of who the moving player is at this moment is a critical element in the game design. As each player is ready to move a wing of the army a check is performed to see if the opposing leader can steal the initiative.

Sweden Fights On places the player in the role of general of the army. Will subordinate commanders follow direction at the time desired for action; will their units stand the fire of opposing forces or the charge of enemy infantry or cavalry? Army commanders are not at the mercy of the dice roll, but must plan for contingency actions base upon the success of a wing or the successful attack of the opponent. Because the scale of the game involves few units, the game can isolate to a level of differentiation of formation and morale which other games up one level of generalization to cohesion. This specificity permits the player to view these same differences as the field commander. When to attack, when to leash the key volley from infantry muskets or cavalry pistols; these decisions provide a tension to the outcomes of individual combats.

Each battle is either a few hours in a single day or a couple of days. Scenarios permit several what-if in timing of engagements. Because of the decisive nature of the final charge in each scenario, turns focus upon maneuvering units to close to the opposing wing and force a decision. The combat moment of decision is often quick and surprising. A well managed army will feed reserves from the wing or the army reserve into the gap created to resolve the charge. Four maps, two on each back printed sheet, provide the player with historically precise areas for maneuver.

GMT provides extensive historical context for each game to help the player understand the specific battle's aims and consequences. At Jankau, the player fights one of two critical moments of the battle or re-plays the entire battle in the frost of winter. While the historical constraints provide the setting for each situation, scenarios provide alternative. The Swedish Army might take an extra days gathering troops or the Imperial Army might reorganize its wings.

Each of the four battles; Nördlingen, Wittstock, Second Breitenfeld and Jankau; are independent of each other. This is, success or failure in one battle does not impact latter battles. Each is a separate investigation of a single problem presented to the commander on the spot.