Field of Battle

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Field of Battle, Designed by Brent Oman and published by Piquet, Inc., the Field of Battle system stands as one of the most respected horse-and-musket wargaming frameworks of the modern tabletop era. Originating from the broader Piquet gaming philosophy, Field of Battle streamlined classic card-driven mechanics into a single, cohesive system that masterfully simulates command friction, the fog of war, and battle momentum without forcing players into exhaustive chart lookups or micromanagement. Across its three distinct iterations—from the original breakthrough 2006 release, through the refined 2011 second edition, to the polished 2020 third edition—the rulebook family has continually perfected its core sequence deck concept. By replacing rigid movement turns with dynamic card draws and initiative rolls, Field of Battle ensures that no two actions play out identically, offering a deeply atmospheric and unpredictable grand tactical experience that scales brilliantly for 6mm Seven Y...
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Plans for 2026

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Plans for 2026

Image Credit: Concept & Scenario Design © Muskets & Magnification (2026). AI image integration provided by Google Gemini.

Project Update: The Logistics of War

New recruits, grand-scale terrain, and the literature of the lone commander.

With the research archive nearing completion, it is time to turn our attention to the physical requirements of the Third Silesian War project. I have a massive logistics train currently in motion, sourced from some of the best providers in the 6mm world. Here is what is currently on the "March to the Front."

1. The Armies: Mersey Wargames

To jump-start the "mass" of the project, I am acquiring two large professionally painted forces from Mersey Wargames. These are Baccus Miniatures, painted to order.

  • 2x Prussian Army Packs: Each featuring 192 Infantry, 54 Cuirassiers, 27 Dragoons, 27 Hussars, and 2 Guns.
  • 2x Austrian Army Packs: Matching the Prussian strength exactly. These come painted but unbased, allowing me to apply our project-standard 60x30mm basing.

2. The Landscape: Total Battle Miniatures

To represent the towns and topography of Bohemia and Silesia, I’ve placed an extensive order with Total Battle Miniatures. We are moving away from felt mats and into high-detail resin networks.

  • The Big Battalions (Towns): Limal, Plancenoit, Wavre, Bierges, and Quatre Bras—these will serve as our major objectives.
  • Road & River Networks: A comprehensive 20mm track system and a tiered river system (ranging from 20mm narrow streams to 100mm wide rivers) to create realistic water barriers.
  • Americana Range: A selection of Snake Fences, Stone Walls, and Rail Fences to add the necessary "clutter" and cover to the fields.

3. Specialist Equipment: Baccus 6mm

No army survives on musketry alone. I am bolstering the Equipment and Specialist ranges from Baccus to bring "life" to the rear areas of the table.

  • Logistics: Baggage trains, large camp sites, and cattle/sheep packs for foraging scenarios.
  • Engineering: A Pontoon Bridge and a dedicated unit of Sappers.
  • Ordnance: WSS Siege Guns, Mortars, and Limbers to represent the heavy siege train required for our "La Crenoil" style scenarios.
  • The Rules: A hard copy of Polemos: Ruse de Guerre to serve as our grand-tactical engine.

4. The Solo Commander’s Library

As much of this project will be fought as a solo campaign, I am acquiring the definitive guides to the "Lone Wargamer" craft. These volumes will help bridge the gap between historical narrative and tabletop action:

Donald Featherstone’s "Wargaming Campaigns" & "Solo Wargaming" | Stuart Asquith’s "Guide to Solo Wargaming" | Neil Thomas’s "One Hour Wargames & The Solo Wargaming Guide" | "Scenarios for All Ages" | "Solo Wargaming: A Practitioner's Guide"

The wait for the painted armies is roughly 4-5 weeks, which gives me plenty of time to prepare the terrain and study the solo campaign guides.

What do you think?

How do you handle army building and terrain planning when launching a new grand-scale campaign?

Related project hubs for this period:
Solo Wargaming Hub  |  The Silesian Wars 1740-1763 Project Hub

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