Black Powder: Pilica 1764.

05 października 2025

Black Powder: Pilica 1764.

This time, I returned to my fictional Second War of the Polish Succession. My freshly painted Saxon miniatures made their debut in the game, and it turned out as expected. We used the Black Powder rules along with the Last Argument of Kings supplement.

SCENARIO: Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING: Bartek Żynda

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

POLISH-LITHUANIAN COMMONWEALTH, SAXONY

(Alasdair, Bartek)

CinC (8)

Grenadier Brigade

General (8)
4 x Grenadier Battalion
1 x Regimental Gun

1st Muskeeter Brigade

General (7)
4 x Muskeeter Battalion
1 x Regimental Gun

Polish- Saxon Infantry Brigade

General (8)
2 x Saxon Small Muskeeter Battalion
1 x Radziwiłł Militia
1 x Regimental Gun

1st Cavalry Brigade

General (8)
1 x Cuirasiers
1 x Dragoons

2nd Cavalry Brigade

General (8)
2 x Uhlans

Gun Battery

General (8)
3 x Medium Gun

REINFORCEMENTS:

2nd Muskeeter Brigade

General (8)
4 x Muskeeter Brigade
1 x Regimental Gun

PRUSSIA

(Andy, Michael)

2. Scenario.

After the Battle of Warsaw, the armies divided. The Austrians began their retreat towards Częstochowa, while the Saxons moved towards Kraków. Meanwhile, the Russians decided to surround the gathering deputies of the Election Sejm to influence the selection of a "suitable" candidate for the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Prussians opted to pursue the Saxons, who still possessed the royal regalia. What the Prussians did not realise was that the Saxons were expecting reinforcements, with the second part of their forces marching in from Kraków. The two forces eventually met at the Pilica River, where they decided to make a stand and confront the Prussians.

The terrain appeared to be advantageous for defence. The Saxon positions were situated beyond the river, and both banks were bordered by marshy floodplains, making it difficult for infantry and cavalry to march or charge effectively. Although the river was relatively low, it did not present a major barrier to crossing. However, the current of the Pilica was treacherous, posing a significant challenge for anyone attempting to cross it. There is a bridge over the river located north of the village. On the northern side of the river, there is a prominent hill known as Swedish Hill. On the eastern and western sides of the river, two small woods can be easily traversed by both infantry and cavalry.

DEPLOYMENT:

The Saxon player begins by deploying his brigades. He positions two infantry brigades and all cavalry brigades, along with a battery of medium guns and what is known as the Polish-Saxon brigade. The Polish-Saxon brigade is stationed in the village (In one of the buildings, the player secretly positions the royal regalia), the medium artillery is set up on Grodzisko Hill, the infantry is positioned along the flood line, and the cavalry is placed on the flanks. If the brigade has regimental guns, those are also deployed.

The Prussian player begins by deploying his three infantry brigades, all cavalry brigades, and one medium/heavy artillery battery. If the infantry brigades are equipped with regimental guns, those guns will be deployed alongside their respective brigades. The Prussians can deploy their brigades 24 inches from their edge, with cavalry on the flanks and artillery positioned on the Swedish Hill. After this initial deployment, the player rolls to determine the status of the remaining infantry brigades and artillery batteries. If the player rolls a 6, that brigade is also deployed, but it must be arranged in marching columns or positioned limbered if it is artillery. Additionally, these brigades must touch either point A or point B.

The remaining brigades will enter the table starting from the second turn. The Prussian brigades will be positioned at points A and B, while the Saxon brigades will be located at point C on the map.

TERRAIN SPECIAL RULES:

The bridge can only be crossed in a marching column.

Rivers and floodplains are considered "tricky ground." Infantry and light cavalry become disorganised on a roll of 6, while other cavalry disorganise on a roll of 5 or 6. For cannons, a roll of 4 or higher results in their loss. Test every move the unit makes on this terrain.

All woods are passable for both infantry and light cavalry. For heavy cavalry and artillery, these areas are considered difficult terrain, and their movement speed is halved when travelling through them. Woods provide a +1 bonus to cover when targets are shot at (except artillery), and they can be seen from up to 2 inches away from their edge.

Buildings provide +2 cover from muskets and +1 from light artillery, but offer no cover from medium or heavy artillery.

VICTORY CONDITION:

PRUSSIANS: Break through the Saxon-Polish defence line and capture the village, or force three Saxon infantry brigades to retreat. If the royal regalia are captured and transported beyond the Prussian lines, the game will end in a decisive victory for Prussia.

SAXONS: Hold the village and hill for at least eight turns or destroy three Prussian infantry brigades. Do not lose the royal regalia.

BROKEN BRIGADE SPECIAL RULE:

If more than half the units in a brigade are destroyed or shaken, a test must be conducted for the brigade. Roll a D6 and subtract 1 for each destroyed unit and 0.5 for each shaken unit. Regimental artillery and skirmishers should not be included in this calculation. If the result is 0 or less, the brigade panics and flees.

Prussian CinC is 9, all other Brigade Commanders are 8

Saxon CinC has a level of 8, and all other Brigade Commanders also have a level of 8. However, for each commander, roll D6. If the result of their test is 1, their level drops to 7.

3. The Game.

The deployment of forces went quite smoothly. On the Polish-Saxon side, Alasdair commanded the artillery, grenadiers, and the first musketeer brigade, while I led the remaining troops. The royal regalia were concealed in the right-hand building, protected by one of the small Saxon battalions. Opposite us, the Prussians held their left flank under the command of Michael and their right flank under Andy. Our strategy was to maintain our position and avoid being broken.

The Prussians advanced aggressively, but they encountered significant difficulties due to the Pilica River and its floodplains. To make matters worse, they faced consistent fire from the Saxons, which constantly disrupted their lines. Only two Prussian brigades were able to cross the river and engage the Saxon positions. This led to intense hand-to-hand combat, where the Prussian soldiers showcased their superiority. Gradually, the Saxons began to retreat.

Before this could happen, a cavalry fight erupted on our left flank. Initially, the Saxon cuirassiers defeated a unit of Prussian jagers that had gotten too close to the river. The dragoons then responded, and the Prussian cuirassiers charged, successfully routing them. As a result, the Saxon cuirassiers were forced to retreat. Seizing the opportunity, the Prussian cuirassiers crossed the river and threatened our flank. Meanwhile, the Saxon cuirassiers returned to the battlefield, but they were routed again, this time by the Prussian dragoons.

Light cavalry brigades joined the fighting, with Hussars fighting for the Prussians and Uhlans for the Saxons. The Uhlans charged against the Cuirassiers, but their attack ended in defeat. However, this charge provided the reserve Saxon infantry brigade with the opportunity to secure its flank, ultimately preventing the destruction of the Saxon-Polish army.

At this point, we were on our fifth turn. The Saxon commander, realising that the Prussians had successfully established a second battery of cannons across from the village, along with the serious situation in the Saxon infantry lines, ordered a retreat towards Kraków. Most of the forces were still on the opposite side of the river. The Uhlans managed to cover the retreat, giving the Saxons a chance to withdraw. Most importantly, the royal regalia remained in the possession of the Saxon elector, which was a significant argument in the ongoing discussions at the electoral sejm, under the watchful eyes of Russian bayonets.

The Saxons experienced significant casualties, losing two grenadier battalions along with a regiment of cuirassiers and dragoons. Three of these units were freshly painted. The Prussians, on the other hand, lost a battalion of jägers and another of musketeers, and several more of their units were shaken.