By Fire and Sword - Faction Overview Part 2

Welcome back! Today is the second part of my faction overview for By Fire and Sword. Today’s post is going to focus on the factions not included in Republic in Flames / the original rulebook. I’ve included what supplement each faction is from in the faction heading. Once again I’d like to remind you that all skirmish lists and some task forces are included in the online army builder at ac.fireandsword.wargamer.pl should you wish to play around with lists and check out unit rules and stats.

Holy Roman Empire – Rules found in The Deluge

Pike and shot infantry are a staple in the western armies

Pros

-          High quality, dependable cuirassier cavalry

-          Pike and shot formation infantry

-          Good quality and plentiful artillery

-          High command

Cons

-          Units are often expensive – expect to be outnumbered by the eastern factions

-          This is Not Our War means your units may start the battle understrength

-          Imperial armies suffer a reconnaissance disadvantage

If the pros and cons list didn’t give it away, the Holy Roman Empire (HRE for short) are similar a faction to the Kingdom of Sweden. In fact, most of the western factions share a similar roster and play style. Imperial cuirassiers are basically identical to reiters rules wise and play much the same way. The Imperials have access to strong cuirassier formations including the Piccilomini Regiment, a rock hard regiment of morale 6(!), armoured veteran reiters which is up there as one of the most elite regiments in the game. Pike and shot battalions backed up by artillery provide a defensive core to Imperial armies that can be used to anchor a flank or hold the centre of the battle line. Croat cavalry provide an interesting light cavalry option not available to the Swedes that may open additional options for Imperial players.

Imperial players can expect to use their defensive infantry to hold an objective or key position while their cavalry and dragoons takes the offensive and work the flanks of the enemy. High quality troops in combination with high command points allow an Imperial player to manage their units with a high degree of confidence in the face of larger enemy forces. Imperial players will need to leverage their command advantage against the enemy, in particular when up against the huge armies of Muscovy and the Ottoman Empire.

Brandenburg-Prussia – Rules found in The Deluge

Pros

-          A mix of lower quality and higher quality western troops provide a potentially larger force than most western style armies

-          Prussian armies have access to plentiful Spanish muskets

-          The demi-regiment system provides flexibility in division construction

Cons

-          Those same lower quality troops may become a liability if you are used to their better counterparts

-          Prussian forces are unable to use offensive tactics

-          Brandenburg forces still suffer from low numbers compared to eastern armies

Brandenburg-Prussia is an interesting faction that utilises a similar roster to the Swedes and Imperials. What makes the faction interesting is the combination of high quality Brandenburg units with lower quality Prussian units. The Prussians suffer from the  Poor Tactical Discipline and Militia but are cheaper than their Brandenburger brethren. This enables the faction to boost their numbers with cheaper Prussian troops in centre divisions while maintaining a core of skilled infantry or reiters to hold the line if need be. It’s worth noting that Prussian infantry carry Spanish muskets-  devasting weapons in the game. Brandenburg-Prussian players who focus on Prussian units will be able to field larger numbers of Spanish muskets than most armies at the expense of troop quality. Otherwise, my previous comments on the Swedes and Imperials largely apply here.

Transylvania – Rules found in The Deluge

Transylvania has both excellent and very poor cavalry

Pros

-          Variety! Transylvanian forces have a broad variety of units and unit quality.

-          Can field a large amount of poor quality troops while bolstering with elite formations

-          Faction special rules give flexibility at the start of the battle

Cons

-          A majority of troops are poor quality

-          Minimal artillery

-          Lots of units with Poor Tactical Discipline and Robbers.

-          Low Command

Transylvania is the faction I feel the least confident writing about here. If there are any Transylvanian players reading feel free to comment your thoughts and ideas. The Transylvanian player suffers from a similar problem to the Muscovites – masses of cheap troops and low command values. Transylvanian troops also often suffer from Poor Tactical Discipline and Robbers. Robbers may potentially exacerbate the command problems that the player is already experiencing.

Despite the issues, the faction has upsides! Poor troops typically means low points values meaning you can make up the power gap either with a horde or scenario balancing.  The Transylvanian infantry is often not too bad – while not elite like their western counterparts many of the infantry options lack any glaring bad points and have decent stats. Household Cavalry are a strong, elite cavalry option for the Transylvanian player. Take that Hill! Allows the player to deploy on a hill outside their deployment zone (get those better infantry up there for an advantage) and Ambush will allow the player to help offset some of the armies advantages with flanking manoeuvres. I recommend Transylvania for more experienced players who can manage their troops efficiently and prioritise command points.

Royal City of Gdansk – Rules found in The Deluge

Pros

-          Defensive minded – plenty of infantry and fortifications

-          Marksmen in ambush

-          Good amount of artillery and the unique mortar

Cons

-          Lacking quality cavalry

-          Mercenary infantry regiments are small in size

Gdansk is an interesting army, mostly consisting of poor quality defensive infantry. Their sole type of cavalry regiment – the combined cavalry regiment – combines decent mercenary reiters with poor quality militia cavalry. Gdansk forces typically take a large number of fortifications and indeed are forced to take them at the divisional level. Gdansk forces  can expect a lot of firepower with a good amount of divisional artillery and are one of only two factions to have access to a mortar (the HRE also having access in one division).

Gdansk infantry is a mix of poor quality, skill 3 militia alongside mercenary musketeers. Sadly for Gdansk the mercenary regiments are small and won’t be able to sustain large losses in divisional games. That said due to the smaller regiment sizes Gdansk can make do with two (upgradeable to three) command points per regiment and should have relatively few problems with command. A defensive force that I think would be quite forgiving to play for a newer player despite utilising poor quality units.

Kingdom of Denmark – Rules found in Danish Wars

A Danish skirmish force with Snapphanar at the front.

Pros

-          A well rounded, western style roster gives flexibility

-          The faction is well fleshed out with a good variety of troop types and army lists

-          Combined regiments of reiters and dragoons provide even more flexibility

-          Snapphanar partisans are unique

-          Some divisions have plenty of access to mercenaries, include veteran reiters

Cons

-          Danish national units suffer from Poor Tactical Discipline

-          Norwegian divisions are focused almost exclusively on infantry

-          The War Council Spoke limits tactics options in division games

-          Divisions may suffer from an inexperienced commander with little command

By now you should have a good idea of how the western factions play. In many respects Denmark-Norway is no different. Having received a book exclusively focused on the Danish Wars (a great little supplement by the way) the Danes have received a large variety of lists to use. Some lists are very focused such as the Norwegian divisions which rely almost entirely on infantry regiments. Others are varied, with a core of Danish units backed up by Polish or Imperial allies.

While Danish national infantry and reiters suffer from Poor Tactical Discipline the are still skill 4 unlike, for example, Gdansk militia. Access to mercenary infantry and reiters is also plentiful providing the Danish player with the option to build a force just as reliable as the Swedes or Imperials. They also get access to the Snapphanar partisans which look to be a lot of fun! The Danes offer a lot of variety and should be fun to field in the hands of new and experienced players alike.

The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia – Rules found in Armies of By Fire and Sword Part 1

Pros

-          Great as a side project

-          Strong reconnaissance

-          Reasonably well led

Cons

-          Not really a full army – just a single skirmish force or allied regiment for the Lithuanians

-          Limited roster

Courland is not really an army in the sense that the other factions are. It offers a single skirmish list that can also be fielded as an allied regiment for a Lithuanian army. Because of this, Courland has a limited roster of reiters, mercernary infantry and what amounts to militia cavalry. When played as a skirmish force Courland has strong reconnaissance advantages with an increase to its own reconnaissance and a random decrease to the enemy’s. Courland is not recommended as a faction for new players but rather a side project for those who want a unique skirmish list or for Lithuanian players looking to add allied variety to their divisions.

And that wraps up the faction overviews! I hope you’ve learnt something and are now on your way to picking your first army for By Fire and Sword! Or your second… or third… Next time we’ll start looking at general tactics for the game, focusing on the core mechanics of the game. Future articles will look more in-depth at skirmish, task force and division level tactics as well as faction specific tactics.

Until next time!

By Fire and Sword – Faction Overview Part 1

Welcome again to my series on By Fire and Sword. Today’s post is going to be an overview of the various factions of the game and broadly their strengths and weaknesses. All armies in this post are featured in the Republic in Flames document which is downloadable from Wargamer.pl’s website. Remember that at the Skirmish Level all lists can be found in the online Army Creator. Keep in mind that I am yet to play every single faction for the game and so this should not be taken as tactical gospel. It’s more intended to give you an idea of how each faction plays to help you decide what you would like to play in the game.

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (PLC)

The famous Winged Hussars.

Pros

-          Lots of cavalry

-          Some of the best cavalry in the game including the winged hussars

-          Flexible with the ability to take light cavalry and pike and shot regiments in the same army

-          The largest roster of any faction with multiple allied options

Cons

-          Multiple potentially crippling special rules at division level representing the financial problems of the state during the period

-          That elite cavalry can be expensive. Hussars are 1fsp per base, when 1fsp often gets 2-3 bases of other cavalry.

-          Western style troops aren’t quite as good as their Swedish/Imperial equivalents

-          Little artillery available compared to some factions (Lithuanians in particular).

The PLC is the star of the show in By Fire and Sword, with the game really being about the troubles of the Commonwealth in the period and the game itself being written by Poles. As a result, the PLC is the most fleshed out faction, with different skirmish forces and division for different times over the period. It also has some of the best unit variety in the game. Light cavalry regiments feature Tatar and Wallachian light cavalry and can be fielded side by side with elite, heavy cavalry regiments and western-style pike and shot infantry regiments. This variety and depth is perhaps the most compelling reason to play the Commonwealth – you’ll never be short of new varieties of troops to paint and you are never going to get bored exploring the various options the army has in the game. The PLC also features the most powerful unit in the game – the infamous Winged Hussars. Pancerni and Pethorcy also feature as some of the best cavalry in the game. Polish cavalry often has the elite cavalry special rule, letting it move freely like light cavalry without the combat penalties light cavalry typically suffers.

Overall the PLC is a faction that suits beginners as well as veterans. Beginners will find the flexibility of elite and light cavalry easy to wrap their heads around and will not have to be concerned by the precision required in wheeling and facing unwieldy blocks of cavalry. Yet due to the elite cavalry rule, they still retain frontal hitting power.

Kingdom of Sweden

Pros

-          Strong, well disciplined infantry formations

-          Plentiful artillery

-          Plentiful reiters are perhaps the most dependable cavalry in the game

-          Another well fleshed out faction with numerous lists

-          Plentiful Command Points

-          Quality units make the Swedes beginner friendly

Cons

-          Not a lot of unit variety

-          Often lacking numbers compared to their opponents

The Swedes were the biggest menace to the PLC during the period, almost completely occupying the country during The Deluge. Sweden lacks unit variety, consisting of reiters, dragoons and pike and shot infantry with only a couple of exceptions. While there is variety within these types (armoured vs unarmoured reiters or mercenary vs national infantry for example), the actual difference in play style is small. Swedish players will find themselves using mass reiters supported by pike and shot regiments and plentiful light artillery. Dragoons fulfil an interesting role being mounted infantry and Swedish dragoons are possibly the best in the game. Swedish commanders usually have plenty of command points, giving the player the ability to execute his plans with relative ease.

Swedish players will find their play style dependent on what way they compose their army. Infantry heavy forces will mostly find themselves on the defensive with their pike and shot regiments using the countermarch to advance steadily will laying down fire. Players who lean more towards reiters will have offensive regiments that lack the flexibility of light cavalry but are utterly dependable in combat. Armoured veteran reiters are dead reliable and perhaps the standard by which all other cavalry should be rated. Don’t let the lack of unit variety mask the array of tactical options available to the Swedish commander.

Crimean Khanate

Pros

-          Flexible! Almost every unit is light cavalry

-          Masters of the feint. Feigned Flight will see Tatar units breaking off from charges to isolate and destroy their enemies

-          A high skill level that makes good tacticians exceptionally dangerous

-          Lack unit variety

Cons

-          Light cavalry suffers in a straight up fight – failure to feint and flank will be punished severely

-          Tatar morale is shaky when faced by gunpowder

-          Difficult to learn due to the high skill requirements

-          Bows struggle against armoured opponents

The Crimean Tatars are one of the more interesting factions in the game. They are the successors of the Golden Horde and are primarily a faction of horse archers. Tatars matched up against Western pike and shot battalions are one of the most intriguing battles to play in the period. Like the Swedes, the Tatars lack unit variety. Unlike the Swedes however, the Tatars almost completely lack infantry. Their sole infantry unit, the Kapikullu, are only available at the Task Force and Division levels and even then only in limited numbers. Tatar players then will find their forces composed primarily of Tatar Warriors and the Kazindji, or Tatar Rabble.

The tactics of the Khanate revolve around their horsemen peppering their opponents with arrows before fading away and flanking. Their light cavalry are best used to entrap and flank enemy units. The Khanate’s Their Sight is Better and More Penetrating… special rule allows them to operate independently of their commanders, meaning Tatar players can use multiple, smaller units without the command issues that would plague other factions.

Tatars struggle in a straight up fight however, and if unable to flank their opponents will find it difficult to best even average cavalry. Their morale is highly susceptible to gunpowder wielding opponents and cracking a wall of infantry is a near impossible task without the application of skill. The Khanate then is not a good faction for beginners but will heavily reward those who invest the time to learn how to play them well.

Ottoman Empire

Pros

Ottoman Sipahi. Allah Allah!

-          Huge variety of both infantry and cavalry

-          Big armies! Ottomans are one of the games two “horde” factions

-          Despite carrying the horde tag, the Ottomans can still field elite units

-          A unique play style, combining light cavalry, masses of infantry and masses of banner wielding Sipahi

Cons

-          That variety can make it difficult to learn the ins and outs of the army

-          Ottoman infantry is typically poor and will need support

-          You’re gonna need a lot of guys…

-          Average command points combined with high numbers can make the army difficult to control

The Ottoman Empire is near the peak of its power during this period and wages war against many of the factions, not just the PLC. The Ottoman is THE army for avid painters and are a swirling mass of colour and banners. Without a doubt, a well painted Ottoman army is the most impressive force on the table. Ottoman units can often fight in either open or closed order providing even more variety to the look of the army.

The Ottomans are the second largest force on the table after Muscovy in the game. Masses of poor but cheap infantry lend the Ottomans an advantage in numbers but can be difficult to coordinate. Ottoman commanders typically only have two or three command points so Ottoman players may find it difficult to give orders to their numerous units during a game.

Ottoman cavalry is a mix. Gonullu and Besli offer light cavalry options while the Sipahi are more suited to a straight up fight. Sipahi suffer from poor tactical discipline, providing a punishing penalty in combat but often carry lances and are available in large numbers to make up for it. The Infamous Janissaries suffer from poor morale but can boost this through the deployment of a mehter, or military band. Overall the Ottomans are a flavour rich, fun faction to play with and against and are an absolute spectacle on the table.

The Cossacks

Pros

-          Large amounts of good quality infantry, supplemented by hordes of rabble

-          The wagon train!

-          High quality skirmishing infantry

-          Infantry often have rifled barrels, giving them extraordinary range.

Cons

-          Extremely lacking in cavalry

-          Difficult to attack with due to low speed

-          Wagon train rules are fairly complicated

The Cossacks are one of the most interesting factions in the game. They are an infantry focused force that fights behind linked wagons laden with guns and even small artillery! The wagon train looks incredible on the table and because of this the Cossack Hetmantate fights completely differently to any other faction. Success on the table will be reliant on effectively using the wagon train and integrating it with infantry. Cossack infantry is the focus of the army. Moloitsy and Register Moloitsy are of good quality through their firearms lack the effectiveness of proper muskets. Cossack Rabble are best described as poor at best, but available in large numbers to help support the Moloitsy.

Where the Cossacks can come unstuck. Their sole cavalry unit are dragoons meaning they fight poorly when mounted. This means the Cossacks are at a disadvantage during both reconnaissance and during the game. The Cossacks lack of cavalry can leave them reacting to a cavalry heavy force and in high risk of being outmanoeuvred. The Cossacks then are a faction best suited for experienced players or those willing to put the effort into learning the game and rules.

Muscovy

Pros

-          Numbers! Muscovy has the most troops in the game

-          Big variety of units and regiments

-          Streltsy and Soldats are highly reliable defensive infantry

Cons

-          Severely lacking command points

-          Units are often poor quality

-          Ineffective artillery for some forces

Muscovy, or the Tsardom of Russia are the eastern giant of the game. This period is a time of expansion for Russia and the Muscovites are in frequent conflict over the Poles for control of modern day Belarus and Ukraine. Muscovy has a huge amount of troops, to the point where if you bring enough soldiers, you get even more for free (ie 0fsp)! Sadly, these troops are often poor quality. Boyar Sons are the core of Muscovy’s cavalry but suffer from poor tactical discipline and armour 3. Border Dragoons are poorly armed and skilled and are low in morale (and despite their name have no horses!). Muscovite players however will find their biggest problem in command and control. Not only do they have masses of units to manage, Muscovite commanders are usually poor with low command points (usually 2, sometimes 3). If you play Muscovy, you WILL face hard decisions between giving orders or rallying your troops.

Despite these difficulties, one of the Muscovite strengths is their huge unit variety. Though the poor quality units occupy the mind, Muscovy also has a number of good quality formations. Muscovite Reiters while not as highly skilled as their Swedish or Imperial counterparts come with armour and arquebuses as standard. Field Dragoons are the only dragoon unit in the game to have the pike and shot formation, allowing the Muscovite player to rush a defensive unit up the table or onto an objective. Soldats and Streltsy have berdishes (optional on the Soldats) and re-rolls to their morale when on defensive orders making them some of the game’s best defensive units.

Muscovy’s command scarcity is their greatest weakness. New players may be better suited to a high command faction however the Muscovites aren’t as difficult to wrap the head around as the Ottomans, Cossacks or Tatars and are overall an interesting faction to play.

Well that wraps up part 1! Part 2 will move onto the factions featured in The Deluge and other supplements. If you’re a current player feel free to comment on what faction you play and any tips you have for new players. Detailed tactics articles will be coming soon! Hope you enjoyed the read.

By Fire and Sword – An Introduction

Hello friends! Здравсте друзья!

Today I’m starting a series of posts about the game By Fire and Sword by Wargamer.pl. By Fire and Sword has been around for a while now, launching in the early 2010s. I personally first got involved with the game with the English language rulebook kickstarter in 2013 and started actually playing in early 2019. This post is to introduce new players to the game and give a basic overview of what the game is about and how it plays.

The Setting

By Fire and Sword is a historical wargame focused on the mid 17^th century in Eastern Europe. As could be expected by a game written in Poland, the primary focus is on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, its triumphs and its disasters. One of the great strengths of this is faction variety, with western European pike and shot battalions facing up against Turkish Janissaries and Tatar horse archers. The game is based in history, with army lists and special rules reflecting the makeup of the forces of the day and how they fought. It is perhaps not a hardcore historical wargame, as it maintains an emphasis on pick-up games and offers rules for competitive, tournament style play for those who prefer that.

Tatars circle a cossack wagon train

The Game

By Fire and Sword is a complex game to learn, with a fairly long set of rules to read and numerous unit abilities to learn. Despite this the game flows smoothly and plays well once you start to learn it. My regular opponent Nathan and I still found ourselves forgetting rules on occasion, but it never ruins the outcome of the game and we often play hard fought, close games. By Fire and Sword has two things that set it apart from other wargames. The first is the mechanics, revolving around a command point economy and a unique turn sequence. Every commander in By Fire and Sword has a number of command points, or CPs. CPs are used for multiple things including influencing the initiative roll (who goes first in the turn), rallying broken units, reorganising casualties but most importantly giving orders. Orders are one of the key components of the key and consist of move, defend and charge orders. Move and charge are perhaps obvious, but defend is possibly the most important order, conveying advantages including bonuses to combat resolution and the all important ability to fire early.

By Fire and Sword is an I go-you go game by phase, i.e. you move, I move, you shoot, I shoot. In addition, By Fire and Sword’s combat phase is split up into multiple sub-phases, where units firing defensively fire before combats are able to gain an advantage over charging opponents. Combat is fought in two rounds, meaning pursuits must be carefully managed with CPs to ensure units do not overrun so much that they find themselves out of range of their commanders (and new orders).

Special rules are reasonably extensive and take some learning, but offer an enormous amount of period flavour. Musketeers firing in salvos or using the countermarch drill to advance, light cavalry breaking off from charges and the tough nut that is the Cossack wagon trains give the game flavour and depth without descending into rules for the sake of rules or ridiculousness.

My own Muscovite border dragoons. They suffer from their poor training and rabble special rule.

Game Levels, Balance and Scenarios.

The game itself is divided into three levels of play – Skirmish, Task Force and Division. Skirmish level games are the smallest, requiring a small amount of figures and only a 4x4 table to play on. Despite games often being most popular at the high levels, By Fire and Sword’s most popular level to play has consistently been skirmish. Skirmish level has been the basis of tournaments but more importantly despite the smaller size, still offers the full depth of gameplay that By Fire and Sword has. Games are playable in a couple of hours and can be tense affairs. Division level is the largest level, featuring forces 3 or more times larger than skirmish forces! Division is where the full flair of the game appears with huge formations of cavalry with banners and massive pike and shot battalions duking it out. Games however are much longer, potentially taking up your whole day. The large gap between the levels led Wargamer.pl to release Task Force, which sits between skirmish and division in terms of force size but tends more towards skirmish level in play time.

A Polish skirmish boxed set. This is enough to get playing even against larger forces.

Games are uniquely balanced in By Fire and Sword. Unlike most games slaved to a points system, By Fire and Sword deliberately allows unbalanced forces to fight, but then uses various advantageous scenarios and effects to balance the game. As an example, a weaker force may fight a scenario to defend a river crossing or use additional effects lay an ambush, cause panic in the enemy ranks or plague the enemy commander with a bad day, reducing their command points. A final balance point is reconnaissance, which is handled differently depending on the level. At skirmish level reconnaissance is done by comparing recon points and if the differential is high enough the player with more points may get to purchase more effects. This system of balance is unique and one of the best parts of the game. A player building their force can fight someone with a larger force and still be assured of a balanced game, while the player with the larger army still gets to use all their favourite toys.

Scenarios are varied, with simple “capture the hill” type scenarios, attacks on supply camps, as well as river defence and night attack games. As mentioned, these scenarios are used to balance uneven forces to fantastic effect. I have yet to play a scenario I didn’t like. At division level the system is slightly different, with no set scenarios and more a kind of “build your own adventure” system that is still used to balance forces but is perhaps a bit more flexible than pre-written scenarios. Of course, you can always fight historical games. Wargamer.pl has encouraged this by releasing campaign books around the Danish Wars and Siege of Warsaw.

I hope you enjoyed this overview of my favourite game By Fire and Sword. If you are on the fence about it or have perhaps had a rulebook or miniatures already, please, give it a go. I am yet to meet a player who has played the game and disliked it. It truly is one of the gems of the wargaming hobby with a varied setting, great rules and fantastic miniatures. Thanks for reading and I hope you look at the upcoming faction overview post.

Bye! До свидания.

By Fire and Sword - Muscovite Pomiestna Cavalry Regiment

Hi again!

Today I managed to finish my Muscovite Dvorians for By Fire and Sword. These guys are essentially better armoured Boyar Sons, representing wealthier boyars who could afford better equipment. Given their wealth I decided to paint all the cloth on the figures in colours, whereas many of my regular boyars are adorned in browns or grey. In game terms though they have better armour, they fight no better than regular boyar sons.

This unit completes my pomiestna cavalry regiment. Technically I actually have enough to play a very small division game now if I proxy a general and an extra colonel in! I'm receiving my zavoivodchicy, high command and streltsy on Friday to expand to a properly sized division.

Coming up soon will be a battle report of a game I'm playing on Friday (skirmish BFaS). I also intend on writing some tactics articles for By Fire and Sword. Thanks for reading!

The Regiment in all it's colourful glory.

The Dvorians, finished today.

Boyar Sons with Spears

The force as it stands.