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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The Solo Wargaming Guide By William Silvester

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The Solo Wargaming Guide

Mastering the Solitary Front: A Review of The Solo Wargaming Guide

By William Silvester (Original Publication: 1999)

Introduction: Unlike histories focused purely on the grand strategy of rulers or technical studies of uniform lace, William Silvester’s volume is a practical tactical guide engineered specifically for the lonely commander. It bridges the gap between historical campaign narratives and the solo tabletop, providing an overarching framework to simulate the friction, fog of war, and unpredictability of multi-theatre operations without requiring a live opponent.

The 6mm Connection: For our massive Seven Years War project, this text is an invaluable tool for operational movement. Silvester's grid-based scouting mechanics and map-manoeuvre systems allow our large 24-figure Baccus infantry battalions and 12-figure cavalry regiments to march across the map with genuine strategic uncertainty. The rules for supply lines and reconnaissance translate perfectly into scenarios for our upcoming table set-ups, letting us track the movement of brigades before they even deploy into line-of-battle for our Black Powder games.

Historical Insight: The true "lightbulb moment" in this volume comes from its elegant matrix for general temperaments and changing seasonal logistics. Rather than allowing the solo player to move forces flawlessly, Silvester introduces systems where an army commander might ignore orders due to cautiousness, or supply wagons might get bogged down by weather. This perfectly mirrors the immense logistical headaches and command frustrations faced by Frederick the Great and Maria Theresa’s field marshals throughout the brutal campaigns in Bohemia and Silesia.

Conclusion: The Solo Wargaming Guide absolutely deserves a permanent spot on the shelf of any lone general. By turning administrative book-keeping into an engaging part of the narrative, it rounds out our understanding of the era's operational friction and ensures that our upcoming 1756 campaign season remains completely unbiased, highly unpredictable, and deeply immersive from the first march to the final volley.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Muskets.

What do you think?

Have you read this volume? Let me know in the comments if you’ve used this research to inform your painting or game strategy!

Related project hubs for this period:
[The Silesian Wars 1740–1763 Project Hub]  |  [The Seven Years War 1756–1763 Project Hub]  |  [The French and Indian War 1754–1763 Project Hub]

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