This year, I have focused my painting efforts on miniatures for the By Fire and Sword game, although we haven't actually played it for quite a while. To change that, I proposed a scenario set during the Swedish Deluge, specifically the Battle of Wojnicz on October 3, 1655. I relied heavily on Michał Paradowski's Against the Deluge, published by Helion, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this phase of the Polish-Swedish wars.
UMPIRING: Bartek Żynda
1. Forces.
2. The Game.
Before we dive into the actual gameplay, let's take a moment to discuss the events leading up to this battle. Starting in 1648, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth became embroiled in a perpetual war after the Cossack uprising led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Neighbouring powers began to intervene in the civil conflict with the Cossacks. When Khmelnytsky sought support at Pereyaslav and placed himself under the protection of the Muscovite ruler, Russia entered the fray. Muscovite forces devastated Lithuania in 1654, and a Swedish invasion in 1655 soon followed, bringing the Commonwealth to the brink of collapse.
Swedish forces advanced through the territory, pushing Crown troops from north to south and engaging in several minor skirmishes along the way. By late September, the Swedish army had reached Kraków and laid siege to the city, defended by Stefan Czarniecki. Meanwhile, the disheartened Polish king retreated to his estates in Silesia. However, the Crown army—still intact—was gathering near Tarnów to march to Kraków's aid. Aware of this, Charles Gustav left part of his army at Kraków and set out with the rest, primarily cavalry, to confront the Polish forces. He engaged them northwest of Wojnicz, near the Dunajec River.
Jimmy commanded the Polish forces in this game, overseeing dragoons, Wallachians, and volunteers in the camp under his direct control. Alasdair led the right flank with one unit of Pancerni and three units of cossack-style cavalry. David held the centre with the Husaria and one unit of cossack-style cavalry, while Mike commanded the left flank with the remaining forces. I took command of the Swedes, influenced by the surprises the Swedes had in store for the Poles during this battle. I divided my forces into two groups, similar to the strategy used in the actual battle.
The situation started with mutual accusations and counter-accusations from both sides. As the overall commander, Jimmy issued guidelines to his subordinates, who then relayed orders to their respective units. I adopted a concept from the first edition: any order that didn't align with the guidelines required a supplemental order. The game was planned for six turns, with the primary objectives being the Polish camp and the ford across the Dunajec River.
Mike advanced on my left flank, where I had set up a Swedish-style ambush with dragoons and musketeers hidden in a small ravine. Interestingly, that ravine is now called "Swedish Ravine" and is home to a small housing development. I learned this while outlining the battlefield on Google Maps. Musket fire stopped the Polish units' charge, but it did not destroy them; subsequent Swedish charges did.
We found ourselves caught in an endless series of close-quarters battles between the two sides. Some of these encounters may have been resolved incorrectly—partly because we hadn't played with these rules in a long time, and also because I had prepared a game that was too large for a Thursday evening. Given its scale, I really should have scheduled it for a Sunday.
In the end, the Swedes inflicted greater losses on the Polish team and emerged victorious; however, we completed only three turns, and both sides still retained all their cards.
In reality, the Polish forces were defeated and fled the battlefield. In the days that followed, many commanders of the Crown army began defecting to the Swedish king in large numbers; before long, almost the entire Crown army had abandoned the Polish monarch. Kraków surrendered, and Stefan Czarniecki retreated to join the king in Silesia. Although the war seemed to be ending, it was only the beginning. Swedish plundering incited uprisings, and the following year the Crown army returned to support the Polish king. The war dragged on for several more years, devastating the Commonwealth and ultimately paving the way for its collapse in the late 18th century. This conflict continued until the Peace of Oliwa was concluded in 1660.
To conclude, I recommend a flyover of the battlefield; however, this time there will not be a song.
3. Links.
SESWC:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352
FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720335988674
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