King of the Battlefield

Wargames Rules: King of the Battlefield King of the Battlefield, written by Ian Godwin, offers an engaging set of eighteenth-century wargames rules designed specifically to reflect the tactical nuances of warfare during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. The rules place a strong emphasis on grand tactical command, formation control, and the devastating effect of disciplined line infantry fire. The mechanics manage linear tactics and cavalry charges with precision while keeping gameplay fluid and accessible. It serves as an excellent system for refighting historical engagements, allowing players to recreate the complex drill and command friction typical of mid-18th-century battlefields without getting bogged down in overly complex tables. Published by: Ian Godwin What do you think? I would love to hear your opinion on these rules! Do you use them for the Seven Years War? How do you find they handle the 6mm scale? Please leave your thoughts in...
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The French and Indian War 1754-1763 Project Hub

"The Wilderness War in North America (1754–1763)"

Welcome, fellow commander. This hub serves as the headquarters for my wargaming project covering the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War. Fought through dense primeval forests, along lakeshore waterways, and around wilderness forts, the French and Indian War represents a stark tactical contrast to the rigid linear battlefields of Europe.

Here, traditional European drill met the harsh realities of wilderness warfare. Success relied not just on steady infantry lines, but on light infantry tactics, raiding parties, provincial rangers, and vital alliances with Native American nations.

A Change in Scale & Perspective

Where our European hubs capture the sweeping grand scale of multi-corps armies, this project brings the focus right down to the company, skirmish, and raiding level.

To reflect this shift without changing our visual footprint, unit designations scale down accordingly: a 24-figure base represents an individual company or warband rather than a full European battalion. The dense woodland terrain, river crossings, and stockade fortifications demand a highly visual approach—where companies of regular infantry, provincial rangers, and native warbands weave through dense foliage and broken ground.

Tactical & Campaign Engines

Engagements on this hub are fought using the Black Powder / A Dark and Bloody Ground ruleset. To capture the unique character of skirmishing and small-unit battles in the wilderness, these engagements are reframed for tactical fluidity.

To give these tabletop battles true strategic weight, I use the 1982 GDW (Game Designers' Workshop) game Soldier King as my operational campaign engine. Soldier King handles grand strategy, army movement, supply lines, and fog-of-war on a provincial map layer. Whenever opposing army counters clash on the board map, the action transitions directly to the tabletop in 6mm to decide the victor.

Technical & Basing Standards

Units for this project are painted and based to reflect woodland manoeuvre, loose formations, and small-unit tactics at the company level:

  • Infantry Regiment: 24 Figures | 60mm x 30mm base | Two ranks of 12
  • Cavalry Regiment: 12 Figures | 40mm x 50mm base | Two ranks of 6
  • Army Artillery 3 Guns & 12 Crew | 60mm x 40mm base
  • Regimental Artillery 2 Guns & 8 Crew | 40mm x 40mm base
  • Battalion Artillery 1 Guns & 4 Crew | 30mm x 30mm base
  • Brigade Commanders: 2 Mounted Figures | 30mm x 30mm base
  • Overall Commander: 3 Mounted Figures | 40mm x 40mm base

Participating Armies

  • British Regulars, Provincial Regiments & Rangers
  • French Regulars & Troupes de la Marine
  • Native American Allies & Warbands

All 6mm figures for this project are commissioned and painted by Robert Jackson (Mersey Wargames).

Campaign & Battle Index

1. Early Frontier Clash & Braddock’s Campaign (1754–1755)

The opening sparks in the Ohio Country and the brutal realities of wilderness ambushes.

  • Battle of Jumonville Glen & Fort Necessity (1754)
  • Battle of the Monongahela / Braddock’s Defeat (9 July 1755): The catastrophic ambush that shocked the British military establishment.
  • Battle of Lake George (8 September 1755)

2. The Wilderness Forts & French Ascendancy (1756–1757)

Montcalm's offensive against the British frontier outposts.

  • Siege of Fort Oswego (August 1756)
  • Siege of Fort William Henry (August 1757): The iconic siege on the shores of Lake George.

3. The Tide Turns & The Canadian Campaigns (1758–1760)

Massive British amphibious and overland offensives targeting the heart of New France.

  • Siege of Louisbourg (June – July 1758)
  • Battle of Carillon / Ticonderoga (8 July 1758): The bloody British assault on Montcalm's abatis.
  • Battle of the Plains of Abraham / Quebec (13 September 1759): The decisive clash on the heights above the St. Lawrence.
  • Battle of Sainte-Foy & Fall of Montreal (1760)

Research & Primary Sources

Historical accuracy, orders of battle, and uniforms are grounded in key academic research and primary source accounts:

Wargaming Manufacturers

A tailored list of 6mm figure and terrain manufacturers catering specifically to the wilderness campaigns, stockade forts, and North American forces of the French & Indian War:

  • Baccus 6mm (UK): British, French, Colonial, and Native American figure ranges suitable for company-level wilderness encounters and frontier forces.
  • Battlescale (UK): Select 6mm resin timber and earthwork fortification models suitable for wilderness outposts.
  • Irregular Miniatures (UK): Specific Colonial and North American Indian ranges alongside British and French regular line troops.
  • Heroics & Ros (UK): 18th-century lines offering British and French regular infantry and artillery suitable for North American siege and field operations.
  • Henry Turner Miniatures (UK): 6mm 3D-printable STLs and physical prints adaptable for British, French, and provincial forces in North America.
  • Total Battle Miniatures (UK): Dedicated North American frontier 6mm resin range, featuring log cabins, stockades, blockhouses, and wilderness structures.
  • Timecast (UK): High-detail 6mm resin North American structures, timber buildings, and frontier settlements suitable for the 18th-century wilderness.
  • Perfect Six Miniatures Manufacturers of 6mm scale miniatures, terrain, and wargaming accessories

Wargaming Rules

A curated index of tabletop rulesets spanning classic linear warfare systems, grand-tactical engines, and fast-play mechanics for 18th-century battles:

Scenario Books

    Essential historical scenario guides, terrain maps, and orbats for setting up refights on the tabletop:             

Movies

Cinematic works, documentaries, and drama-docs exploring wilderness tactics, provincial forces, native alliances, and siege actions across North America:

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