Principality of Lichtengrein

French Army

2009-04-07T08:40:00.004+10:00

Here is the plan for my French army as depicted in Might and Reason. Unfortunately my painters have made a mistake with all the King's drummers so they need to be repainted thus holding up the progress on this army. Otherwise it is painted and awaiting basing.

Pics to follow.

Prussian Army

2009-03-29T17:36:00.008+11:00

Prussian Army pics.

Note the base the troops are "sitting on". As all my troops are based on 1" x 1" bases, I use a 2" x 1" cut metal strip that has magnetic tape on it. This enables me to 'clip up' bases for other game systems if they require a larger base, such as Sam Mustafa's Might and Reason rules. See basing for further details on my thoughts on this.

Lichtengrein Army

2009-03-28T11:43:00.020+11:00

Lichtengrein Pics

1st Battalion of the leib-garde foot grenadiers.

2nd Battalion of the leib-garde foot grenadiers.

3rd Battalion of the leib-garde foot grenadiers on the march.

1st and 2nd regiments of Horse Grenadiers.

Note, the flag of Rupert himself off to the right of shot. Inspired by the colors of his great uncle it will be familiar to all who enjoy the English Civil War.

and again, with the colors of the 1st clearly visible.

Here's a closer look at prince Rupert's personal colors........

A rear shot of the 2nd Battalion of regulars. The standard bears the motto of the principality's colors "Fur Gott und Furst" - For God and Prince.

Lichtengrein freikorps

gunners man their red field pieces......

Gallery #1

2008-04-03T18:02:00.004+11:00

The following pics show a clash between French marine units and Allied Mohawk Indians vs an American Provisional force made up of the 'Jersey Blues' bolstered by their grenadier company.

Assorted gallery - FIW

2008-04-03T17:58:00.006+11:00

This area shows off an eclectic selection of photos of the many troops that form the armies and enemies of France in the New World.

Gallery #1

Gallery #2

Gallery #3

Gallery

2008-03-24T23:50:00.014+11:00

This area showcases the forces of Lichtengrein and other nations.

Lichtengrein

French

Anglo - Hanoverian

Austrian

Prussian

Russian

Scenarios (Americas)

2008-03-24T21:02:00.008+11:00

Here is a selection of scenarios for various rules sets [shown in brackets] for actions set in the Americas.

1. Battle of Black River settlement (1757) - [Brother vs Brother]

2. Action at Fort Venango (1759) - [Brother vs Brother]

Scenarios

2008-03-23T21:53:00.008+11:00

This area is for all manner of scenarios for different rules sets.

1. Crossing the Weser - Crossing the Weser is a fictional assault river crossing by an Anglo-Hanoverian force in early 1759.

2. Battle of Bomporto - the Battle of Bomporto is a fictional action set in Italy during the War of the Austrian Succession, 1743. It pits Spanish and Neapolitans vs an Austro-Sardinian force under the gifted Marshal Traun.

Rules

2008-03-10T08:12:00.015+11:00

This area will discuss various rules used and other useful attachments relating to the different 'rules of war'.

Might and Reason

For players wishing to make up army lists for their own Might and Reason army here is template.

Remote frontier outpost -1757

2008-03-09T10:40:00.006+11:00

One of our first games, we were experimenting with a few rule systems. In this case we played using our Legends of the West 'French and Indian Wars' supplement we worked up.

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The terrain was thrown down and we pretty much got stuck in.

Scenario – 1757 and Rangers have been raiding up the Mohawk valley, causing no end of havoc. In an effort to inflict damage on an isolated outposts just off the Mohawk River, a known staging area of a Ranger company; a warparty consisting of three Indian Warbands (8 figures) and supported by hastily raised Canadian Militia and a French Marine company (9 figs each) attempt to overrun the position.

It is known that the stockade is lightly defended (12 figs) but the return of another Ranger company (12 figs) is imminent according to French scouts.

The action kicked of with all the French and Indian forces on the edge of the woods in something of a large ‘U' shaped formation, taking advantage of the treeline. The Rangers, well protected in their blockhouse (6+ITW) and behind stone walls (5+ ITW) would be hard to whittle out of such a strong position.

The first few turns of fire did not inflict any losses on the Ranger detachment. However the Rangers were able to hit several enemy companies as the light woods offered a (4+ITW) save and only the Indians derived a further (+1ITW) bonus as they could skirmish (Rangers rated riflemen also re rolled misses..they hit on 3+…ouch!)…Militia and Marines were deployed only in a loose open order formation so got no benefit for being skirmishers.

After a few turns it became apparent that the French and Indian forces would have to storm the blockhouse if they were to have any chance of success…even though they outnumbered the rangers by four to one at this stage, they simply couldn't hit troops defending such a strong location.

Throwing caution to the wind four out of the five French forces assaulted the stockade. One Militia unit was held back as it fightin' value and morale was only 2 and the charge across open ground vs the rangers would probably not be a good idea. Also, another ranger company was expected so they formed the reserve.

In they went!! It took two turns to make it the wall and the ranger rifle fire was deadly. One unit, already reduced in numbers, took further casualties and broke (Indians suffer a ‘Life is Precious and a further -1 if an easy way of escape exists). By the second turn the French Marines and remaining Indian forces stormed over the outer wall to engage the defenders, however another Indian unit had taken too many casualties and headed for the hills as well!!!

By this stage the second ranger company appeared, as it happened, just near the Canadian militia forces held in reserve. The militia, in the presence of their commander, Henri Beauvais, moved to delay the rangers to allow their compatriots to fulfill their attack. These two forces faced off one another in the woods and began a steady firefight.

A fearsome Indian attack resulted in the death of 1/3 of the ranger company with many scalps taken for the Indian braves. The marines overwhelmed the lightly held stone wall. By this stage the victorious but depleted French forces were exhausted at the walls of the blockhouse proper. However, the elevated position of the defenders of the blockhouse enabled a continuous fire as their comrades held the stone wall before they finally fell. To no avail…the defenders were swamped by the attack and the Indians and French were in position for the final push.

It was not to be. The casualties suffered at this stage were to much. The successful Indian unit, happy with it's scalps had taken enough sniping rifle fire to cause a bravery test and they decided enough was enough. The marines persisted on however but by this stage they were the lone attackers of the last blockhouse defenders. Importantly the initiative (pluck) shifted to the rangers in the next turn and they were able to run into the blockhouse with the other defenders, slam the door shut and man the parapets.

Se sauver!!!! With the ranger force ensconced in the blockhouse and another company coming, all the Indian allies gone, Beauvais gave the signal for a withdrawal. The blockhouse survived!!!!

A most enjoyable game using our Legends of the Wilderness rules. The French force lost 3/5 of their force and the rangers were just under half. Riflemen with their re roll and 3+ to hit behind 5+ and 6+ in the way saves proved very tough…but I guess they should be. This was about as good as it gets in the game for any forces. However, a raiding force with a small cannon and a unit of regulars would certainly have changed the equation somewhat….next time!!

Battle reports

2008-03-09T09:59:00.003+11:00

This area will detail actions, small and large, that are fought in the new world.

Remote frontier outpost- 1757

French and Indian forces

2008-03-09T09:57:00.000+11:00

British Forces

2008-03-09T09:55:00.007+11:00

Find within these pages pictures of the British army and their American allies in action.

The following pictures show 28mm Redoubt enterprises British figures. The gunners and mounted officer are Front Rank seven Years War figures.

The great man himself!

British Hatmen

Gun crew with 6pdr

...and again

Rangers on the move!

Americas

2008-03-09T09:39:00.012+11:00

Far away from central Europe, the great empires of France and Britain struggle for control of the Americas.

This section details all manner of activities that are reported to the court of Lichtengrein on the struggle for the new world - an area of particular interest as the prince's great uncle, Prince Rupert of the Rhine was a founding member of the Hudson Bay Company.

As a boy he spent much time hearing the stories his father was told by Rupert himself of his adventures with fur traders and Indians of northern Canada in his own Rupert's land.

British Forces

French Forces

Battle reports

Scenarios

Assorted gallery

Historicals

2008-03-03T23:33:00.002+11:00

This area will detail all information relating to the Wars of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War

Basing

2008-02-26T22:11:00.028+11:00

How to base your figures?

The question most people wrestle with particularly for the horse and musket era as large numbers of figures are involved and rebasing is something best avoided. Therefore, some considerations; Basing – If going with Seven Years War Old Glory bag purchases, you get 50 figures (usually with a couple of 'extra' character type figures). These come with command figures for making up 16 figure units.

In this pics above you can see a 12 figure unit spread over a 2 x 2" wide base ala Might and Reason basing.

The OG figures are quite animated and large - a true 18mm figure entirely compatible with Eureka miniatures SYW range. The issue is they don’t squeeze into a standard 6/8” (3/4”) frontage for traditional 3/4" per figure frontages ( the standard Koenig Krieg or Empre style basing) – 1” is better. This means 4 figs on a 1” base looks chunky but not cluttered – it seems right.

Figures are Old Glory SYF1 - French infantry no turnbacks

If you base ala Might and Reason you would put all figures on a 2” x 1” base, which is 8 figs – this looks good and means a M&R unit (ie two bases) is made up of 16 figs. The downside of this is the rigid 2” frontage of basing which is much less flexible in other game systems.

However a 1” x 1” system has the advantage of keeping the basing flexible enough to play a single rank game. This would mean that the single rank in this case is represented by two lines of figures on a 1”x1” base. You could still play Koenig Krieg with two bases, you’d just need to mark casualties (which is just like recording SPs in M&R).

The upside;

Unit numbers - You now get 3 M&R units out of one Old Glory Bag. Two cavalry units of 8 figures.

Magnetic basing – if you do this on a magnetic strip of a 1” x 1” metal base the two stands needed lock on to the 2”x1” underbase to give a solid M&R stand. These do not shift around, make for ease of game play and storage as well on a metal sheet. It does mean pre organizing bases is not as easy as the metal bases would slide around in a box – however, grip material can obviate that.

Other consideration – army size. Poorly led armies need many, many units – up to 20+. Therefore multi basing is important to physically moving the figures. It also means you cannot label the underside of a stand easily, which you can do with my metal underbases.

Bases – Perfectly cut 1” x 1” metal bases from a machine metal shop are quite do-able – they are bullet proof and a perfect cut, every time.

Big Armies – M&R is meant to be played with lots of figures in a few hours. Reducing bases to M&R 2”x1” stands is I think very important to getting the game to finish on time – lots of time is wasted moving figures. A typical 7 turn game has an average of 15 pulses in it until game end might happen. Therefore, moving lots of small figures is going to slow the game down. If you save 5 mins on each turn not moving you just saved 45 mins minimum. That’s nearly 1/5 to 1/4 of the expected M&R playtime. So this is an issue in the basing equation. 'Empire style' basing is fine with small armies but not when you need to push around a very large number of separate stands.

Other rules - With a 1" base you are within an 1/8" of being based the same way for the Age of Reason rule set. For Koenig Krieg if you use 3 bases per unit (ie 12 figs) the difference would be an increase from 2 1/4" frontage vs 3" frontage - whilst this is an increase simply adjusting the ground scale by increasing all ranges by a 1/3 should enable the game to be played without too much problem.

For me, all these issues add up to a universal 1"x1" basing for infantry.

Figures are Old Glory SYW Prussian Grenadiers and Musketeers

Cavalry - much less of an issue. Figures from Old Glory fit nicely onto a standard 1" wide by 1-1/2" depth base. Eureka figures are bigger but the additional depth should allow for staggered placement of figures without a problem.

Figures are Old Glory SYW Hussars

Artillery - this is a bit more interesting. The 2" frontage recommend for Might and Reason is quite wide and unwieldy in a smaller scale battalion level game. Probably not too bad for position batteries however, but not always that easy to fit in with limbers, etc because of the wide frontage.

1" wide has a nice commonality with the other base sizes but is a bit squeezy with 3 crew - though not too bad. 1 1/2" is quite alright but is an 'odd size' so equally not as desirable. After much consideration I've opted for a 2" frontage with a depth of 1.5". By placing 3-4 figures on the base this provides a not overly cluttered stand and gives me some spare figures from the Old Glory bag. In concert with the 2"x1.5" base I'll be doing 1" x 1.5" bases as well, using the surplus figures from the 24 figures you get in an old glory bag ie no wastage. This will give me complete flexibility for all game systems.

Figures are Old Glory SYW Artillery

The 2" frontage can infact represent two 1" frontage bases merged together if needed by some game systems. This makes the stands compatible with Might and Reason and any other future games I'm likely to play. As there are often not too many guns for this period (at least at the army level game scale) surplus 1" by 1.5" bases for battalion guns for a battalion based game system (such as Koenig Krieg) will therefore provide maximum flexibility - keeping the guns loose and place them on either base as needed.

Figures

2008-02-26T22:09:00.000+11:00

This area for the description and photos of figures

Battle of Stoltz

2008-02-26T19:17:00.018+11:00

Being an account of a recent action fought between the King of Prussia and the Army of the Lower Rhine, under Marshal Broglie.

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Background: King Frederick of Prussia marched his army towards the threat posed to his western flank, by the Army of the Lower Rhine, led by Marshal Broglie. Prior to battle the light cavalry forces scouted out each other's positions but the wily Prussian’s reconnaissance forces enabled him to gain a local advantage in the deployment of his army. As a result, whilst Broglie was able to maneuver onto ground suitable for his army, the French forces were deployed in full view under the eye of Frederick and he subsequently made his arrangements to maximize his advantage.

Forces: The armies were comprised of reduced sized forces from the typical Might and Reason (M&R) armies. These essentially were 3/4 the normal size points forces in a typical game, with the same proportions in each army and the table was reduced to a 6’x4’ table, which suited our table space. This reduction enabled us to keep the proportion of forces to table size about right, as would be appropriate for a ‘normal’ M&R game.

Prussians:

King Frederick: rating - Great

1 x Hussars (10)

2 x Dragoons (20)

1 x Grenadier (12)

4 x Musketeers (40)

2 x Fusilier (18)

1 x Freikorps (5)

105 points

French:

Marshal Broglie: rating - Average

2 x Grenadiers, Guards (20)

3 x Foreign & Vieux Rgts (24)

3 x Other French Regiments (21)

2 x Volontaires (10)

1 x Elite & Guard Cavalry (10)

4 x Cavalry Regiments (36)

2 x Dragoons (10)

1 x Hussars (5)

3 x Heavy Artillery (30)

166 points

Plans:

Prussian: Attack! Advancing as rapidly as possible, refusing the left flank, take out the gun battery and shoot the enemy infantry into submission!

French: Mindful of the fearsome musketry of Prussian infantry and their equally capable cavalry the plan Marshal Broglie decided upon was to use his Vieux infantry as his first line as a buttress against which his second line troops could maneuver behind and flank his opponent – in support the tough Swiss Guards and Grenadiers of France were the final line to ensure the Prussian infantry so engaged were fixed to their front. In addition the light cavalry would charge immediately at the enemy forces, force them to slow down and deploy and then evade away from the subsequent attacks by Prussian cavalry. This would hopefully draw the cavalry into the centre of the French army by which the strong right flank heavy cavalry force could fall upon the exposed left flank of the Prussians. The artillery would place itself centrally and thus play on the enemy troops which he would not be able to ignore. A young staff officer upon hearing of Marshal Broglie’s plan described it as a ‘soft centre’ defense.

Act I:

The battle opened up with a rapid movement by Frederick’s forces. Advancing across the Stoltz River they fanned out in an effort to contain the entire French force. This appeared to be a dispersion of effort that may well play into the French army’s plans. With some degree of trepidation the French Vieux regiments of Picardie, Champagne and Piemont advanced forward to meet the famed Prussian infantry. In keeping with the general plan the second line French regiments began to swing around toward the left once the Prussian infantry had committed to advancing on the main French first line.

On the right flank the fine mounted regiment of the Maison de Roi and supporting cavalry units took up their position just behind the Stoltz stream line. This obstacle, whilst restrictive, did not prevent infantry and cavalry forces crossing it. To their left the grand battery moved up under Broglie’s eye and dropped anchor as the Prussian Grenadier battalions of 17/22 Kremzow and 37/40 Manteuffel seemed intent on rolling over the top of the battery – the fire increased in intensity and holes started to appear in the Prussian ranks. The Fusilier battalions of the Prussian left wing seemed intent on holding off the French cavalry by defending the stream, the lone freikorps brigade protecting their flank should any French horse move to the north and attempt an encirclement.

Meanwhile in the centre the French light cavalry moved directly at the Prussian line. The Prussian cavalry immediately responded to clear the way for the infantry brigades to deploy. Unable to hold back, the Prussians charged and luckily all the French light horse were able to evade away from the attack, leaving the Prussian cavalry ‘swinging at thin air’ as no other targets presented themselves.

Act II:

Now the action heated up – the Prussian grenadier brigade throwing caution to the wind charged directly at the French heavy battery. Because of the battery’s position Frederick felt he had to clear this area to prevent the artillery slowly wearing down his infantry or cavalry battle lines. Unfortunately the infantry were probably the wrong tool for the job – fast moving cavalry are more suited to taking out such gun positions. Nevertheless, on they came, through canister fire they took further heavy losses but did make it to the guns – the gunners, long seeing the approach of the grenadiers managed to get one battery away, the other two being overrun – but the cost had been high. Seizing the moment the Maison de Roi unleashed their mounted fury. Catching the grenadiers as they crossed the stream they slammed into the side of the now much weakened Prussian brigade. As was hoped this was all to much even for the crème de la crème of Prussian infantry – the victory was complete and the Maison de Roi showed little mercy as the Prussian formation broke and ran, several banners captured for the walls of Versailles.

Looking toward the infantry positions the din of musket fire could now be heard all along the line. Broglie had moved from the eastern to the western side of the field to closer control the deployment of this wing. The Prussian battleline, four brigades, shook out and moved into range to do their deadly work. The French opened up an equally brisk response and casualties on both sides began to mount up – as was expected the French got the worst of it, but not by much. The strong Vieux regiments of the French army gave a good account of themselves. Behind the pall of smoke now descending along the frontline the French second line regiments continued to march and deploy to the north seeking the flank of the Prussian infantry. However as time wore on the regiments of Picardie withered under brutal Prussian musketry and their units withdrew from the field – their formation shattered. Sensing the danger Broglie, active all over the field, immediately ordered the red coated soldiers of the Swiss Guards forward – these fine soldiers would be much harder to defeat.

Looking toward the centre of the field, the cornflower blue coated Prussian dragoon regiments and the black coats of the death’s head hussars – Frederick’s feared light cavalrymen, were poised for action. Whilst temporarily in control of the immediate area, they had to turn to meet the threat posed by the successful French household cavalry and their supports as well as keep the French light cavalry occupied and threaten the French infantry line.

Act III:

The battle had now reached its high water mark – all significant forces were engaged. The French flanking move around the Prussian infantry line had matured and the Prussian forces now sort to shoot their way out of trouble. Musketry continued unabated. One more French brigade suffered at the hands of Prussian lead – unable to withstand the fire the unit broke, shattering the centre of the French line – all reserves now committed. Like pillars the Grenadiers of France and Swiss Guards stood firm. Fortunately for Broglie numbers of muskets started to count with what he had left. The Grenadiers of France moved into line and began a brisk fusillade on their opposite in the Prussian line. Further to the north the Prussian brigade, made up of the regiments Meyerinck and Markgraf Karl, was now receiving fire from three sides – the unit grudgingly held its ground and fought back as best as possible.

In the centre the sabers of both sides lunged forward at one another, thousands of horsemen charging into combat. The Death’s Head hussars locked horns with the French heavies supported by a brigade of dragoons that had been reforming adjacent to the Werdner marshes on the southern extremity of the battlefield. Assailed from three directions the Prussian cavalrymen fought ferociously but could not withstand this weight of horseflesh directed at them – much to Frederick’s dismay the light cavalrymen broke from the field.

Broglie then unleashed his own light cavalry reserve against the Prussian Czettritz dragoons which now fought for control of the centre of the battlefield - the French dragoons being defeated as was to be expected. This action was largely used to draw the attention of the Prussian ‘heavies’ to prevent them from attacking the flanks of the infantry line, as a decision with these regiments was now sought to decide the day.

However, just after the command for the infantry line to charge was dispatched a thunderous sound and a dust cloud formed to the eastern side of the battlefield. Finally Frederick’s fusiliers became engaged as the French cavalry moved forward to threaten the Prussian left flank and the musketeers, seizing the initiative, advanced into musketry range. A volley not seen since Mollwitz erupted from the muskets of the brigaded fusilier regiments. In an instant the right wing cavalry force of the French army evaporated under a pall of black smoke and hot lead - musket balls finding a mark wherever they fell. Two brigades of cavalry broke immediately.

Finale:

Broglie not willing to tempt fate against the fearsome musketry of the fusiliers ordered the remaining French heavy cavalry to hold the line of the Stoltz stream as a force in being. Equally the light cavalry, now poised for pursuit, held their position to cover the flanks of the French infantry.

As the sun began to lower on the horizon, sunlight pouring through the thick smoke hanging over the battlefield, confusion everywhere, the French infantry advanced forward, bayonets fixed, flags flying to the cadence of the drums, hoping their numbers in the end, would make the difference. Committing two brigades of infantry to the attack (the third failing to close) the Prussian regiments of Meyerinck and Markgraf Karl fought hand to hand to hold off their attackers – such was the tenacity shown by these brave men. Whilst losing the combat they held their ground teetering on break point. Such a contest was not lost on Frederick or Marshal Broglie as those Prussian regiments did their king much honour.

At this point the French had lost two batteries of artillery, three units of cavalry and three infantry brigades. The Prussian losses stood at three brigades. Both sides had reached their break point. Now turn 5 (of a 7 turn game) the day was drawing to a close. As the dice rolled the French scored low keeping them in the fight but for Frederick all was lost – a roll of two sixes resulted in the Prussian army breaking from the field.

Now, with the Prussian light cavalry defeated, the reformed French dragoons were released to do their deadly work – the victory was complete.

____

Postscript: This was the first battle (of the last four) where the much feared Prussian army was finally beaten. As it was both sides reached their break point at the same time and the luck of the dice fell to the French – thus the French with a light cavalry superiority would’ve prevented a Prussian pursuit and their light cavalry superiority in victory, enabled it to be complete. Had not the French horse been shot to pieces by the Prussian fusiliers (something Broglie could've avoided) the defeat would've been more marked in the favour of Louis XV's forces.

In review, the Prussian army seemed to have made spread itself to thin and likely would’ve had more success refusing their left flank with their cavalry reserve and attempt to smash the French line with a solid line of infantry – as it was they tried to cover the entire front and inevitably got surrounded by an aggressive French force under a leader capable of keeping his army going, though not without a few unintended pauses in movement and action. The French plan largely worked as hoped but the Prussian forces played into the plan Broglie had set, such is the game of war.

A great game had by all……….

Battle Reports

2008-02-26T08:13:00.009+11:00

This area will detail battle reports from actions fought by Lichtengreiner armies and other continental adversaries.

1. NOV, 1757 Battle of Stoltz French vs Prussians

Miniatures

2008-02-26T08:11:00.009+11:00

This area details items associated with the miniatures I'll be using for the armies and enemies of Lichtengrein.

Figures

Basing

Rules

Scenarios

Campaigns

2008-02-26T00:32:00.004+11:00

This area will detail any campaign based activities.

To assist in the resolution of siege activities for campaign games the following siege results calculator can be used.

Scout reports can be generated by using the scout report calculator.

Flags

2008-02-24T09:30:00.044+11:00

The flags used by the army army are based on the family coat of arms.

The flag carried by all regular forces of Lichtengrein are those of the Prince - the prince's colors. These were the same colors carried by the first ruler of Lichtengrein Baron Rupert, on the first holy crusade in 1095.

Since that time, all soldiery of Lichtengrein has carried this standard. The three rings of the shield signify the strength and interlocking relationship of the mountains, woods and great Danube river - collectively being the cornerstone foundations of the principality.

Prince's colors - The flag itself carries the knight motif as its central theme. This signifies the family tradition of service to the pope's of Europe - though in recent times more tolerant rulers have allowed protestant based religions to co exist in the principality because of the multi national nature of the army, now draw on the martial aspects of the knightly brotherhood to unit forces under the prince's banner.

Milita's colors - the colors of all militia or citizenry based forces of Lichtengrein carry the same layout as those of the regular army. The only change is the shield colors are reversed. This change in color places the majority of the shield as the color yellow, signifying Lichtengrein's predominately catholic based populace.

In addition to the principality's colors, individual militia standards are also carried. They come in a variety of styles dependent upon the local inhaber and/or region from which the unit is raised. A selection of flags are as follows, though many other variations exist.

Line infantry colors - The line infantry regiments carry a formalised style of colors in addition to the Prince's colors shown above. Each battalion is assigned a number in sequence, the 1st beign the senior unit. Each standard is adorned with the principality's motif - "Fur Gott und Furst" - For God and Prince.

Freikorps colors - The freikorps forces of Lichtengrein have their own distinctive colors.

For those wishing to make their won heraldic coats of arms, flags, etc, etc visit the following link - excellent stuff!

Wiki Heraldry

Uniforms

2008-02-24T05:24:00.014+11:00

The uniforms of the Lichtengrein household are unmistakable. Dressed in golden yellow with Donau blue facings they strike fear into the hearts of their enemies, be they the fearsome lieb-garde grenadiers or the perfectly mounted horse grenadiers, fast moving imperial horse battery or stoic militia.

The colors of the regiments of the 1st brigade of leib-grenadiers are significant – they reflect the influences of the multi national forces the prince regularly employs and are often found in the regiments themselves.

The predominantly blue and yellow colors show the importance of the Germanic elements of the Holy Roman Empire under the rule of Austrian and Germanic monarchs, including the British prince regent and his Hanoverian subjects. Finally, white gaiters pay homage to all Bourbon kings, both French and Spanish along with powdered hair for all grenadiers, horse and foot.

The militia forces offer a more subdued appearance, wearing the simple off-white coat that is a typical sight around the streets and marketplaces of Lichtengrein. Thus the local forces combined with the diverse influence of the multinational contingents that serve in the army, provide for many styles of military fashions that come from all over Europe.

Army Background

2008-02-23T17:03:00.056+11:00

The army of Lichtengrein is made up of predominantly Swiss, French and Germanic client state troops formed around a nucleus of several units of the Lichtengrein leib-garde, horse grenadiers, hussars, freikorps and artillery arm.

The yellow and blue uniforms worn by Lichtengreiner troops are the colors of the royal coat of arms. The foreign forces are variously colored white (French), red (Swiss and Anglo-Hanoverian) and blue (Germanic) which makes for quite a spectacle on the field of battle.

The leib garde foot grenadiers are the personal bodyguard of the reigning monarch, the most fiercely loyal followers of the realm and protector of its leader. A minimum of ten years service and several campaigns is needed as an entry requirement into this elite formation. These household troops provide a stabilising force whenever the army puts into the field.

These men are known for developing a blood lust in combat though this often results in losses as they are regularly used as assault troops and committed to battle – fortunately, there is always a willing manpower pool to serve in such an elite body of men, for which privileges are many – foreign mercenaries have even been known to swear allegiance to the prince and serve in his guard for life, such is their fame.

Cavalry forces are formed from the central rural pasture land communities. This central region is the bread basket of the country and provides the recruiting ground for the prince's cavalry arm. Two hussar brigades form the light cavalry components of the army. Those that serve do so in one of the two brigades known as the black knight and white knight hussars – these formations are manned by an ancient feudal levy of the two principal bergmeisters in the area, hence their separate distinction. A healthy rivalry exists as is to be expected of these fiercely independent horse mounted people.

The prince’s finest mounted soldiers, the leib-garde horse grenadiers are recruited from the best and toughest men of the existing hussar regiments. To be accepted, a minimum of eight years service is required and at least one campaign fought. Positions in the horse grenadiers are much sought after as officers are often sent to foreign courts to accompany diplomatic missions - the brightly clad 'canaries', as they are known, are court favourites at Versailles and the Schönbrunn.

Because of manpower limitations, Lichtengreiner armies employ forces from all corners of Europe, thus its army has a very eclectic feel that is ever changing. The majority are foreign veterans as the prince generally requires his allied contingents be composed of 'measured men', though due to the resources of various client states, sometimes regular line units are sent to supplement the better quality troops. The Prince's gold enables his foreign battalions to be kept up to full strength which allows Lichtengrein militia and freicorps units to keep their establishment near full strength, hence their large size. In addition, a number of wealthy merchant brigades are formed from the major town centres. These forces comprise the regular Lichtengrein line infantry that are considered a cut above the milita and comparable to foreign troops, but not the veterans.

The very nature of the rugged terrain and the irascible hunters of the Lichtengrein hinterland have caused the prince much discomfort over the years. He has attempted to counter such kleine krieg tactics with his own townsfolk formed into freikorps units, who unfortunately never quite adapted to irregular fighting tactics because of their urban artisan ways, however they have developed a trait of being fearless and stoic defenders once given a task, typical of the spirit of the citizenry - this problem of irregular forces still plagues the princedom to this very day.

In recent times, Lichtengrein forces have been in the service of Prussian, Austrian, and Bourbon kings – predominantly as an allied force; however it is not unknown for them to have been fighting on both sides of a broader European conflict, though never confronting fellow countrymen on the field of battle – more typically, Lichtengrein armies are involved in a number of lesser conflicts with neighboring states or large raiding forces – such are the constant warlike conditions the principality exists under.

Close ties with the state of Nordmark exist. On occasion they supply shock cavalry and regular infantry forces as contingents. In addition, a permanent cadre of instructors constantly drills Lichtengrein forces with musketry –the exception being the leib-garde foot grenadiers whose primary role is shock action. It is a condition of service for foreigners that musketry is maintained to a consistently high standard and the prince takes a personal interest in such matters.

Militia forces are formed from the remote communities and central city 'trained band', of which the prince is colonel. By their nature they are fierce defenders of the state and need little more encouragement than seeing the nation's battle standards aflutter to give a good account of themselves. Unfortunately their civilian tasks as artizans, market owners and traders prevents them from attaining proficiency with firearms, of which the prince is most understanding.

Because of the the rugged landscape of Lichtengrein, space limitations for large scale army maneuvers involving all forces, restricts most field 'exercises' - therefore marching and deployment skills are limited for all troops, excepting those of the leib-garde - these troops regularly practice drill in attaining a high degree of mobility in keeping with their roll as shock troops. For the rest of the regular army, most of their time involves practicing musketry drill, polish their boots and entertaining the local lady folk whilst awaiting their next call to arms.

Such is the character of the Lichtengrein army that has so many unique qualities of its own.

To view the army list for use with Might and Reason click on pic.

A short history

2008-02-23T00:46:00.036+11:00

Led by the warlike yet benevolent Prince Rupert, the small but strategically located principality of Lichtengrein (pronounced 'leesh-ten-grein' - as in stein) is a well established and proud nation state that has seen and fought in many wars. Dating back to the time of the first crusade, Baron Grein and those under his command distinguished themselves in combat - upon his return from the holy land a grateful Pope Urban II blessed 'Baron Grein's knight motif' standard and allowed him to settle the lands of the area now known as Lichtengrein, 'Grein land of light', from whence he departed to do god's work.

Located on the fringes of the Electorate of Bavaria and the upper reaches of the Hapsburg Empire its unique position has enabled it to remain a neutral principality and establish an independence of it own. Despite its wish for peaceful trade between its neighbours it maintains an effective and capable army ready to defend its borders, which it often has to do.

In recent history, Rupert's father, Prince Wilhelm, fought under Duke Max Emanuel of Bavaria during the War of Spanish Succession. This allegiance brought him into close contact with Spanish and French Bourbons for which his services were much appreciated. However, following the battle of Hochstadt in 1704, Lichtengrein fell under the hegemony of Austria, thus beginning a long association with the Austro-Prussian-British alliance. By this twist of fate Lichtengrein established close ties with all the courts of Europe.

Young Prince Rupert listens obediently to the great stories of his father

Prince Rupert, schooled in the arts of war by none other than Frederick of Prussia and Marshal de Saxe, has had a truly privileged military education – this is vital to the security of the country. Spending time both in the Prussian and French courts, present at a number of significant battles, the handsome prince, distantly related to his namesake of the Palatinate, moves his army with the likeness of a pistol. His great fame as a kind and gifted commander does his nation state much honor.

Prince Rupert rides alongside King Frederick of Prussia

Economically driven by taxes collected by the goods peddled between western and eastern European countries, which must pass via the great river Danube which runs along its border, the strong Lichtengrein castle dominates this waterway. Surrounded by formidable hills and many pine forests that protect the approaches to the city, god has blessed this small country with natural geographic defenses and a flourishing trade base in a time of booming economies following the miseries of the 17th century.

Even though the country has limited manpower, the vast wealth its tax collecting ways generates has made Prince Rupert rich and his people happy. A lack of human resources has resulted in a well established tradition of using foreign contingents to form the basis of its field armies that has countries eager to send forces to serve the well paying prince. These troops, arrayed alongside the nucleus of the small but fiercely loyalist troops of Lichtengrein, make her armies much feared even amongst great powers and often sort after as allies.

In the manner of many 18th century nations, alliances come and go and are an accepted way of life amongst the courtiers of Europe. However, the Slavic hordes to the east of Lichtengrein are much hated due to a number of hostile attacks that have almost resulted in the fall of the prince’s realm. Such instances have made the armies of Gaveretski the Terrible the enemy of Prince Rupert’s enlightened and noble countrymen and thus their fiercest and most hated foe.