[BG] Grunwald 1410 (Dragon)
: wtorek, 3 kwietnia 2007, 14:38
Grunwald 1410 (1)
Ok, to start...
When in Poland boardgaming started it appeared the game "Grunwald 1410". It was in 1990 or sth like that. It wasn't the first Polish boardgame (historical boardgame I should say) but one of the first...
The game simulates the battle of Grunwald, which had place in 1410 (15th July 1410). This is the most famous historical event in Poland, well known to small children, pupils in primary school and so on. In the battle forces of Teutonic Knights was completly destroyed by united Polish-Lithuanian army supported by Crimean Tatars. It was also the biggest battle in medieval Eastern Europe. Teutonic Knights forces are estimated to be abuout 20 000 - 30 000 people, Polish-Lithuanian Army was larger. It was chivalric battle (main role played heavily armoured knights units). So larger part of both armies was heavy cavalry. Historians discuss if there ware also infantry units but because of battlefield was quite opened as I said main battle was between cavalry. Battle started with furious attack of light Lithuanian and Tatars units on the right wing of Teutonic Knights Army. Quickly Lithuanians 'didn't keep the field' and retreated. It's a vide discussion if it was only a 'usual' retreat or it was a special manouvre which had to break Teutonic Knights line and push their knights to disorder during pursuit. We don't know the truth but in fact left Teutonic wing during pursuit disordered, the other reason of it was the woody terrain which spreaded widely behind Lithuanians. In the wood, shattered with moods, knights wasn't so effective as in open field. Lithuanian forces after first combat shock reorganizated started to attack disordered Teutonic units which tought the battle was won and only thing they had to do is pursuit and approach camps of Lithuanian and Tatar army.
Meanwhile, on the Teutonic right wing and Polish left wing lasted frontal battle. In the one moment Teutonic Knights captured the banner of the whole Polish-Lithuanian army but it mobilized Polish Knights. Minute after minute they were turning defeat into great victory. In the end Teutonic army was flanked by coming back reorganised Lithuanians and Tatars (comanded by Dzelal-ed-Din) - they had mainly light cavalry wchich was very fast, and Polish wing also flanked Teutonic near village Łodwigowo. The second part of the battle was an attack of Ulrich von Jungingen, the great master of the Teutonic Knights Order who commanded 16 units which stayed in the rear prepared to make an decisive attack broking enemy army. But Poles also had reinforcemnts prepared to balance it. Attack of the great master was in the same time when from the forest started to appear Lithuanian forces. Loses of both sides was huge, from the Teutonic Knights army counting before the battle 20-30 thousands retreated only about 1000 people. Polish loses was also very large, especially in the middle of battleline where the combat was enormously bloody.
So that was abut the battle... It's easier to write abuot history i think
The game was qiute easy, espaecially for wargamers playing comlicated figure using systems. Teutonic forces - 120-130 counters, Polish-Lithuanian army about 180 I think...
Many standard rules - like zone of controle. It was very essential how the unit was fronted.
Combat relies on summing up strenght of fighting units and decrease it by the strenght of enemy (so my strength minus enemy strength). Bad side of it - I mean disadventage - was that attack of two units of heavy cavalry on one enemy unit of heavy cavalry resulted in decisive defeat of attacked side.
Movement was easy, very essential feature were the costs of turning which was very high, so that manouvre (changing facing) of the unit was very hard.
Turn sequence was very easy. First moved one side, than the other.
There was movement phase, than combat phase, and reorganization phase, first one side, than - other. Between Polish movement phase and combat phase Teutonic player had shooting phase (crossbowmen and bombards).
Combat results were: elimination of whole unit, dezorganization (it' s not exact translation - it was called 'disperse'... but so will be easier) and withdraw by 1 hex, retreat was by 3 hexes and was always connected with changing units state into dezorganised. Units didn't loose points of strength but there was something like symbole of the first attack - when during the first combat unit didn't take decisive victory their strength was decreased - the player was obliged to turn the counter on the other side where the strength was by 1-2 points smaller. And - it was an element of strategy in this game - Teutonic units at the beginning was stronger but when they had lost symbole of the first attak they had lost 2 strength points and Polish and Lithuanian units 1 point only. It was an indication how to play and obviously not everyone saw it just when he was beginning.
Another interesting element was obligatory pursuit - in the geme there was a command line rules - very easy. When any unit was too far from own commander its movement abilities were decreased. For example he could do only one change of facing during own movement phase. Another essential rule was mentioned obligatory pursuit - when the enemy retreated and your commander was 5 hexes or more from the unit you had to pursuit after him the whole retreat way. It could easily break the battle line, especially in Teutonic Knights army. And Teutonic Knights had 3 commanders for the whole army, and Polish-Lithuanian army 7 commanders. So now you colud esily understand the tactic.
I am rather analytical when I describe rules so I'm trying to concentrate on chosen aspects and the disadvantage is that I don't write everything but I hope you could make some opinion after reading it. I would expand if you were interested..
Ok, to start...
When in Poland boardgaming started it appeared the game "Grunwald 1410". It was in 1990 or sth like that. It wasn't the first Polish boardgame (historical boardgame I should say) but one of the first...
The game simulates the battle of Grunwald, which had place in 1410 (15th July 1410). This is the most famous historical event in Poland, well known to small children, pupils in primary school and so on. In the battle forces of Teutonic Knights was completly destroyed by united Polish-Lithuanian army supported by Crimean Tatars. It was also the biggest battle in medieval Eastern Europe. Teutonic Knights forces are estimated to be abuout 20 000 - 30 000 people, Polish-Lithuanian Army was larger. It was chivalric battle (main role played heavily armoured knights units). So larger part of both armies was heavy cavalry. Historians discuss if there ware also infantry units but because of battlefield was quite opened as I said main battle was between cavalry. Battle started with furious attack of light Lithuanian and Tatars units on the right wing of Teutonic Knights Army. Quickly Lithuanians 'didn't keep the field' and retreated. It's a vide discussion if it was only a 'usual' retreat or it was a special manouvre which had to break Teutonic Knights line and push their knights to disorder during pursuit. We don't know the truth but in fact left Teutonic wing during pursuit disordered, the other reason of it was the woody terrain which spreaded widely behind Lithuanians. In the wood, shattered with moods, knights wasn't so effective as in open field. Lithuanian forces after first combat shock reorganizated started to attack disordered Teutonic units which tought the battle was won and only thing they had to do is pursuit and approach camps of Lithuanian and Tatar army.
Meanwhile, on the Teutonic right wing and Polish left wing lasted frontal battle. In the one moment Teutonic Knights captured the banner of the whole Polish-Lithuanian army but it mobilized Polish Knights. Minute after minute they were turning defeat into great victory. In the end Teutonic army was flanked by coming back reorganised Lithuanians and Tatars (comanded by Dzelal-ed-Din) - they had mainly light cavalry wchich was very fast, and Polish wing also flanked Teutonic near village Łodwigowo. The second part of the battle was an attack of Ulrich von Jungingen, the great master of the Teutonic Knights Order who commanded 16 units which stayed in the rear prepared to make an decisive attack broking enemy army. But Poles also had reinforcemnts prepared to balance it. Attack of the great master was in the same time when from the forest started to appear Lithuanian forces. Loses of both sides was huge, from the Teutonic Knights army counting before the battle 20-30 thousands retreated only about 1000 people. Polish loses was also very large, especially in the middle of battleline where the combat was enormously bloody.
So that was abut the battle... It's easier to write abuot history i think
The game was qiute easy, espaecially for wargamers playing comlicated figure using systems. Teutonic forces - 120-130 counters, Polish-Lithuanian army about 180 I think...
Many standard rules - like zone of controle. It was very essential how the unit was fronted.
Combat relies on summing up strenght of fighting units and decrease it by the strenght of enemy (so my strength minus enemy strength). Bad side of it - I mean disadventage - was that attack of two units of heavy cavalry on one enemy unit of heavy cavalry resulted in decisive defeat of attacked side.
Movement was easy, very essential feature were the costs of turning which was very high, so that manouvre (changing facing) of the unit was very hard.
Turn sequence was very easy. First moved one side, than the other.
There was movement phase, than combat phase, and reorganization phase, first one side, than - other. Between Polish movement phase and combat phase Teutonic player had shooting phase (crossbowmen and bombards).
Combat results were: elimination of whole unit, dezorganization (it' s not exact translation - it was called 'disperse'... but so will be easier) and withdraw by 1 hex, retreat was by 3 hexes and was always connected with changing units state into dezorganised. Units didn't loose points of strength but there was something like symbole of the first attack - when during the first combat unit didn't take decisive victory their strength was decreased - the player was obliged to turn the counter on the other side where the strength was by 1-2 points smaller. And - it was an element of strategy in this game - Teutonic units at the beginning was stronger but when they had lost symbole of the first attak they had lost 2 strength points and Polish and Lithuanian units 1 point only. It was an indication how to play and obviously not everyone saw it just when he was beginning.
Another interesting element was obligatory pursuit - in the geme there was a command line rules - very easy. When any unit was too far from own commander its movement abilities were decreased. For example he could do only one change of facing during own movement phase. Another essential rule was mentioned obligatory pursuit - when the enemy retreated and your commander was 5 hexes or more from the unit you had to pursuit after him the whole retreat way. It could easily break the battle line, especially in Teutonic Knights army. And Teutonic Knights had 3 commanders for the whole army, and Polish-Lithuanian army 7 commanders. So now you colud esily understand the tactic.
I am rather analytical when I describe rules so I'm trying to concentrate on chosen aspects and the disadvantage is that I don't write everything but I hope you could make some opinion after reading it. I would expand if you were interested..