Some Thoughts on my French Wars of Religion Rules

When I had finished my lengthy pondering about starting the French Wars of Religion as a wargaming project, one of my first and significant periods of reflection and energy was about the rules.  Yes, even before buying the miniatures.

Having already looked around, I had come to the conclusion that there was nothing that really satisfied me or had everything that I wanted.  This was doubtless made more difficult by deciding to proceed in 2mm.

It wasn't a hard decision to write my own rules.

I began with first principles and drew up some design guidelines:

• No figure or base removal.  This was a no brainer really.  At 2mm, a base was going to represent a formation.

• Everything should be centred around two attributes: unit quality and the unit's cohesion.  All my reading to date really highlights these as determining factors.  Quality will remain the same, but cohesion levels will ebb and flow during a battle.  This means that all tests, movement, firing, morale and combat will be hanging on these two attributes.

• Morale grade is not a factor in itself but the sum of the unit's quality and cohesion.

• Use six sided dice only.  I'm not opposed to using a range of dice (my own WW2 aerial rules use d6, d8, d10,d12 and d20s) but just wanted to reach for the dice... not decide which dice to reach for!  In most cases decisions should be determined by rolling 2d6 - i.e. 2-12.  I need the bell curve if I am going to pin everything on quality and cohesion.  Essentially both quality and cohesion have settled into a 5 to 1 range, with 5 being the top.  So a veteran unit (quality 4) with a cohesion level of 5 will pass a morale test on 2d6 with a score of 9 or under, so 83%.  However, if the same unit's cohesion has dropped to 2 then the pass is 6 or under, which is 41.6% and not so good.

• As few markers/counters as possible.  Impossible to have none, but I think 2mm figures will be overwhelmed by too much clutter on the tabletop.

• I want to introduce cards to give the players extra decision making, not just in moving their troops, but in playing event cards and trying to win initiative.  So the idea is that cards can influence events, but they also come with a value; this value can be used to bid for initiative, but it may mean not being able to use that card to influence an event.  I hope that the basic rules will provide a flavour of the period and the conflict, but the cards will (fingers crossed) have specific references that will enhance that feel for the warfare and the times.

Basically I ended up writing the rules before I purchased the figures.  They are under constant personal review and have yet to be used in anger by anyone else, other than solo on my dining table.

No rules are written in a vacuum and my thinking has no doubt been influenced by rules that I have read, played or seen reviewed.  There is seldom anything entirely original.  I also understand that further research may impact on my design.  I'll keep you all posted on how these develop.

Beginning to Muster the Catholic Army

Here is a little peek at a couple of infantry units that I have completed.

This was as much a test of how to paint and base them as anything else.

I am aiming for the overall appearance of a unit's formation.  In this example, the stands represent Swiss in their three column attack in echelon with skirmishers just proceeding them.  The Swiss were in regular pay of the French monarchy.  So invariably fought on the side of the Catholics in the French Wars of Religion.  Well, certainly until Henri of Navarre became king... but the situation was already becoming more complicated before then anyway.

As you will see, 2mm models do not make for good photographs.  Nor should one look too carefully at the paint work.  This is all about blobs and impressionism.

You can see that I have given the units an oversized flag.  It helps for recognition and I always like bigger than scale standards.

Side view.

The two Swiss units.  Hopefully you can see them each in three columns in attack echelon.  The black sections on the bases are for me to place a unit identity key.  At this scale it will also help players identify which way the unit is facing. i.e. the unit code is always at the rear.

Apologies for the dark photo.  Hopefully this rear view shows the echelon a little better.

This is part for Jonathan of Palouse Wargaming, and all others that are getting on their bikes.

A couple of pics from a recent bike ride to see the pear blossom in the fruit orchards.  Not quite the big sky and scene, but it helps me breath a little.

Hopefully the painting production line can start turning out more units... in my usual slow manner.

A Little Reading - The French Wars of Religion

We all like to know what we are getting into when we start a new project.  This will involve film, books, an increasing amount of online media and source material.

The French Wars of Religion is unusual as a wargaming project for me.  All my periods have found their origins in my teaching them at school.  Drawing inspiration as I extended and deepened my understanding of the topics in order to better convey the history to my students.  I have never taught the French Wars of Religions.  In this respect, the research has been a more personal and "selfish" endeavour.

My research process tends to start with simple (often children's books) then work up to more specialist/detailed work.  I find that this helps me to build the layers of knowledge and not become overwhelmed by information.  However, there aren't many English language children's books on this topic!

Here are some of the books I've read so far.

General history

Years of Renewal is an old textbook for A (advanced) level students in the UK (17-18 years).  It surveys the period stated.

It takes themes and countries into account, and ensures that the whole are connected.

It is an easy read and doesn't get you bogged down in too much detail.  It is well organised.  It has to be remembered that this is aimed at students.

Nonetheless, I found it useful as one of my starting points.  Little by way of military history... as you might expect.

This is another student textbook.  This comes from a series that covers A level and early university students.  This series contains extracts from primary sources as integral to the reading.

Very much focusing on the complex factors at play during the wars - economic, factions, social, religious etc.

Robert Knecht has published a number of items on this period and clearly is a master of his material.

Again, not a military history but essential in getting a handle on the context, and very readable.

Detailed History

This is an excellent narrative/analysis of European history from the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis to the Treaty of Vervins.

It provides a detailed account that makes clear the interwoven strands of events, characters and developments.  From England to Poland, and Sweden to Spain.  Europe gets covered and the links are revealed.

In a readable fashion a lot of complexity is carefully handled and transmitted.

It is not a military history.  However, it does a good job in showing that the French civil wars are inextricably linked to events in Elizabethan England, the Netherlands, Rome and all of them inevitably with Spain.

I've put this volume from Osprey Publishing under detailed history as, whilst it gives a very good treatment of the wars and all the major battles, it also provides good and clear history and context.

This follows the usual pattern for Osprey books and is well illustrated.

A good read and helpful companion.  But for deeper understanding of the wars in context, rather than military alone, then Knecht's book above is more appropriate.

The wars and the military

Sorry.  This is a hardback book and I lost the dust cover.

This is a general survey of war in the sixteenth century.  There are some comments on a few battles, but it is really about how wars were fought.

This is almost a coffee table type of book - easy to pick up, have a peek at some pictures, read a little portion, then put down.  Having said that, it is actually very revealing in the art of war and formations used.

I think that this is a very useful book and a nice starter on the art of war in this period.

Again.  No dust cover on this book!  I'm clearly quite careless.

This one is specifically aimed at wargamers.  Gush may be a name that older gamers will recognise.

Divided by country/empire this deals with the various troop types and, broadly speaking, how they fought.

Very useful black and white photos and drawings of troops, armour and flags.  You can always find something new in here.

Quite a valuable tome to have in one's collection.

A small paperback guide.  This covers in brief detail the major battles of the wars.  There is a map with deployments and enough information to start compiling orders of battles for each of the engagements.  There is a little background information with each.  However, the focus is, as the title suggests, a wargamer's guide.

No colour illustrations here, or fancy printing.  This is good old fashioned fare.  Nonetheless, a good job well done to get you started.

This one is from Helion publishing and still quite new.  It is excellent.  A really good primer for the wargamer.

It has some background context.  There is sufficient detail on the major battles of the wars, maps with plenty of information to start organising your armies and games.  Plus, there are colour and black and white illustrations of various troop types and standards.

It can feel a little quirky in its use of old French for town names, but this does not detract from the really handy nature of this volume.

There are plenty of prints from the time and the bibliography permits deeper investigation.

An essential purchase in my view.

Another absolutely essential read is this one by Charles Oman.  There are aspects of this that is a little dated, e.g. the treatment of some of the historical characters.  However, this is a classic and remains a "buy it now" volume.

The section on the French Wars of Religion is brilliant for understanding the troops, the tactics and how the wars were fought.  It always nicely links to the other conflicts that are also covered, such as the Dutch rebellion against Spain.

Next Steps

I'm looking to start examining the more contemporary accounts of people like Tavannes, La Noue or Montluc.  Hopefully I can find English translations before I have to put my very limited French to the test!!

The Battle of Vervins, 28 August 1914

Postie hosted a early World War One battle for the Rejects in the shed of war.

It was the Germans attacking a position that the British and French had taken.  The winner would be determined by which side could inflict the most casualties in terms of stands (infantry, artillery or machine gun).

For the Germans there were Steve (CO), Ray and Surjit.
For the Allies - David (British) and me (French)

Ray took infinitely more, and better, photos than I did.  So, you might want to nip over to his blog at Don't Throw a One to read his report.

I'm not even going to pretend to report on all the events.  This is really more focused on my part of the tabletop where I faced Steve's Germans.

For your information, Postie was using his own excellent WW1 rules and his figures are all 6mm Baccus miniatures.

The long view down the table.  The Germans are on the right, The Allies on the left, with me as the French closest to this end, and Dave as the British in the further half.

Turn 2 - I received some reinforcements which arrived in taxis from Paris.  One battalion of elite unit of  chasseurs a pied.

And those chasseurs have arrived just in time as my dismounted cavalry in the woods have taken a battering from some fierce German artillery fire.

But I'm also dishing it out to the advancing lines of German infantry!

My British partner in defence, David, also received some much needed reinforcements.  These arrived by bus.  Good thing that they are more reliable than the ones where I live!

My defending troops on the far right of the line start coming under bombardment.

Meanwhile the Germans reach the woods and assault the small defending contingent.  They are about to be wiped out!

As this happens, the German progress in the centre is slow and facing tough opposition from the French and British battalions in position on the left of the fields.  This will prove to be a major obstacle in the teutonic advance.

Back on my right.  The chasseurs move up to counter the advancing Germans.

Whilst in the centre, my French unit and machine gun team deal out death to the attackers.  Any advance for Steve and Ray is going to come at a high cost!

The German assault begins on my right as they charge the hedge line and seek to engage in the woods.

However, gallic soldiery give the Germans a taste of French steel, and hurl them back.  I should say that Postie's rules heavily favour the defender.  Especially if they occupy any sort of favourable position.

Back in the centre the French and British units are heroic in their defence.  It now attracts the wrath of the German artillery.

But it holds !

Whilst in the woods the Germans have charged; found to their surprise an elite unit, and bounced off them.

The German advance is clear, but not dramatic - having just made it half way across the battlefield.  There is a second line of defence for them yet to encounter.  Further down the table the British left flank buckles.  It is this that will hand the Germans their victory.

Analysis
Postie included a new item that meant artillery could run low on ammunition and even run out.  This was not a big issue for the Allies as we had two ammo wagons.  However, this did blunt the German artillery who only had one wagon between three commands.  Postie gave a good reason for this (the speed of their advance meant logistic problems), but may have been a little harsh.

The Allied defence was solid and difficult to crack.  The rules perhaps gave the prepared defenders too much advantage in melee (extra dice plus roll 6+ against the attackers 8+ on a d10).  Though one might argue that isn't this precisely why World War One developed into stalemate.

The dice rolling is very important in the rules.  Whilst there were bouts of good fortune for both sides, I would say that the laws of probability applied themselves evenly across the game to all players.

The Germans won by 25 to 22.  This victory came as a bit of a shock to the bloodied German commanders.  Effectively this was resolved on the very last melee where Surjit's assault on the British left flank resulted in the capture of 3 stands.

I'm sure Ray's report will say more about the assault against the British.

All in all, a close game.

A New Project - The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1598

Ask any of the Rejects and they will tell you that I don't move into a new period on a whim.  This has been no different.

After much rumination I have decided to engage with the French Wars of Religion.

St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, 24 August 1572

I have been intrigued by the Thirty Years War for some time, especially after following the progress of Sidney Roundwood's Lutzen project.  However, everything I read grabbed me intellectually, but somehow I always lacked the emotional engagement with the period.

Basically my pattern for starting a new period/project is:

1. Get excited about something after reading, film or visit etc.
2. Do some research.
3. Look up rules, troop types and figure manufacturers.
4. Continue this for a month or two at least.  If the initial enthusiasm to collect etc. has cooled to just an interest, and my constraints remain a barrier, then this is NOT a project for me.
5. If I'm still very excited and engaged intellectually and emotionally then I start working out the finer details about armies, rules etc.

As you can see, that to start a new project is NOT an impulsive endeavour!

I guess at the heart of it I have realised that there are certain limitations that are really quite profound and starting a new period/project to then have it gathering dust is disheartening.  The main constraints are:

Money, and even more so these days.  This also has a real impact on the scale of any project - both in figure scale and in ambition.  To put it bluntly, I have to think really, really carefully before doing anything in 28mm... even 15mm is no longer an economic option for army builders.

Time.  I am a slow painter of figures and I must factor that in.  Do I want to start a project that will take me a demoralising amount of time to complete... if ever!

Henry of Navarre at the Battle of Arques

However, once I started picking up on the French Wars of Religion things felt different.  It had the military, political, economic and social "spice" to it that I found compelling and sustaining.  There is religious strife, factional politics, interesting (and appalling) characters, fears about overbearing outsiders (Spain and Rome), Europe-wide inflation and economic dislocation and flux, and militarily the armies give different a feel.  The royalist/catholic army with the better infantry but less reliable cavalry.  Whilst the Huguenots have poorer infantry and more disciplined and newer style cavalry.

There were actually eight wars.  Each have their own causes and character.  To say that it was all about religion is to ignore the complexity of the time, place and context.

So what next? and what decisions have I made?

There's always more research to do.  However, this is what I have decided, and done, so far:

• My aim is to fight battles that look like battles and I'm doing it in 2mm using the figures from Irregular Miniatures.
• I have decided to start the project based around the Battle of Coutras, 20 October 1587, before expanding.  I have constructed army lists and bought the figures.
• I have written a rough 1st draft of rules for the wars.

Pikes awaiting the lick of paint!

Huguenot cavalry champing at the bit!

So, that introduces my new project.  Hopefully future posts will show how this progresses.