In The Buff - Playtesting new rules for the Gunpowder era - Dutch Revolt action in the Netherlands

In the Buff doesn't actually exist as a set of rules yet, so this game is a run through of the latest playtest version that Rich at Too Fat Lardies kindly sent me. The idea behind the rules is too simulate low level actions in European warfare in the early gunpowder age, roughly between the end of the Italian Wars and the end of the Thirty Years war.

Normally games of this era are focussed on the larger scale battles where huge blocks of pike armed infantry and large formations of Lance or Shot armed cavalry. In the Buff looks to zoom in on the smaller scale warfare that would have gone on between small garrisons of men, continually harassing each other in 'small war'.

My figure collection and interest lies in the latter half of the 1500's, specifically the wars in the Netherlands and in Ireland. So I set up a game involving an English force attempting to silence some Spanish guns. Each force had three Leaders and six units. Each had a mix of Arquebusiers, Musketeers and a combat unit (Halberdiers for the English and Sword and Buckler armed troops for the Spanish.

Like most Lardy systems, there is a mechanism where your choice of action is determined in a random manner. I won't give away the new system that this game uses other than to say that it different from any of their previous games and in our experience it worked pretty well with all the players picking the system up within a turn or two and then running with it. 

As to the game we played. Both forces came on at road edges and moved towards the hedge rows, presumably to gain some cover. The Spanish force seemed more decisive and split the force into two and made an aggressive move up the left towards the flank of the English force.

The English had left a unit of Musketeers guarding that flank and they quickly became a bit nervous and started shifting forces about in panic!

They did, however, manage to send a volley of shot into one of the Spanish groups who were sent reeling away from the hedges with a pocket full of shock. This event convinced all the players that standing about shooting might be the way to win the game.

The Spanish on the Left continued their advance however and proved a major distraction for the English. 

Realising that they were going to have to make a push if they were going to have to get to grips with the Spanish, the English Halberdiers started to make a move round the cottage.

The same occurred to the Spanish on the other flank who started to stride through somebodies back garden in an effort to stick their swords into the ribs of those annoying protestants.

However, things quickly went awry and the Spanish Gentlemen found themselves hiding in a pigsty with several pounds of angry pork. 

The Spaniards spotted the English move and quickly attempted to reorganise their defence line but the shock was slowly building on their groups which made things difficult. Combined with poor rolls on the command dice and things were starting to look shaky.

The other Spanish were too far away to help but advanced in order to distract the English attention.

They were soon dealt with though and the English turned their attentions back to their main task.

The Halberdiers advanced into the teeth of a volley from the Spanish Musketeers but it bothered them little and they continued to surge forward.

Seeing their brave veterans the other English groups bounded over the hedge and moved across the open ground in support.

 

The Halberdiers smashed into the Spanish...

....and chopped them into little bits!

With the rest of the English advancing rapidly and their command dice dwindling the Spanish decided to call it a day and headed to the hills. 

The game was engrossing and fun and really kept all four players engaged throughout. The table was only 4x4 but had more than enough space for the action. We had a lively discussion about the rules as they are in an early stage of development and all the feedback was noted down and sent off to Rich for his perusal. 

We had so much fun that we immediately set up the board for a second game. This time set in Ireland.

 

The same English force was this time set against a Force of Irish including a couple of unit s of Shot armed Kern, some Javelin armed Kern.....

and some Gallowglass.

We didn't get far with this game but we did manage to get into a couple of Brutal combats! Hopefully we'll be playing far more of this as we go. I look forward to running more games!