Anatoli's Game Room reports on "By Fire & Sword" -- Gaming Eastern Europe in the 17th Century

Anatoli's Game Room  has been a player of the rules by Historical Wargame called By Fire & Sword. This from their site:

"By Fire and Sword – a historical wargame...to create a realistic, playable and dynamic wargame which recreates the 17^th century wars fought by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against Turkey, Muscovy, Sweden, Crimean Khanate and Cossacks. The period between 1640 and 1676, on which the game focuses, is a time of almost constant warfare waged by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on all fronts, in many cases with several enemies at the same time."

An expansion book is due out any day focusing on the "The Deluge"which covers the period of 1655-1660 and includes Sweden as one of the combatants.

Another excerpt from the website:

"There were only a few years of peace for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the seventeenth century. Not only did the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth wage innumerous wars but all of its neighbors were also involved in various armed conflicts. And even during the years of peace, when no formal state of war existed, there were constant border clashes and Tatar raids. In a way the famous prayer of German landsknechts asking for a hundred years of war came true. Political and military struggles focused mainly in two regions – around the Baltic Sea (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden and Moscow) and in today’s Ukraine (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Tatars, Cossacks, Turkey and Muscovittes).
The fighting for the Baltic coast saw the clash between Sweden, which wanted total control of the sea, and Moscow, that wanted to gain access to the Baltic Sea. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was also keenly interested in keeping its influence in the Baltic area. As far as Ukraine was concerned the rivalry here was even more complicated. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Cossacks, Moscow and the Crimean Khanate were all involved in the conflict. After the division of Ukraine in 1667 between The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Moscow, the Ottoman Empire took a more active role in the region by taking the Cossacks under their “protection”.

Here is Anatoli's Game Room multi-part Review of the rule book. Here's a listing on Boardgame Geek. The rules provide for battles to be played on four different levels. "The Foray" or basic game is a small, short skirmishes with the sytem expanding up to “The Field Army” for gaming battles. Collection of one's force is incremental allowing the new collector to build his forces in hiustorically representative units from the small skirmish sized units up to Regiments. Even if one does not want to play the rules, the information contained within the book is quite comprehensive. Historical Wargame produces an equally comprehensive line of miniatures and terrain.

Miniatures & Terrain

Anatoli's Game Room has been posting small medium and large AARs on the system for quite some time. Here's a sampling:

Battle in Lithuania AAR

Cossack Attack on a Village AAR

Large Battle set in Poland AAR

I have selected a number of pictures from the various AAR's and posts.

Cossacks

Dragoons & Artillery

Reiter Regiment

Winged Hussars

Here is the summary page for Anatoli's Game Room of By Fire & Sword...and by the way set aside some time as he has 135 posts related to the miniatures, terrain and games. Take a Look.

And is 17th Century Eastern Euope is not your "thing" please go over and check out Anatoli's Game Room anyway as he has all sorts of painting, modeling, game reviews and at least 185 different battle reports. he covers Blood Bowl, By Fire & Sword, Chain of Command, Empire of the Dead, Malifaux Saga, and Strange Aeons including many others. It's a good BLOG to add to your following.