Reinforcements Have Arrived: Soldier King Lands from Noble Knight Games!

There is nothing quite like the feeling of an international parcel hitting the doorstep, especially when it contains a classic piece of campaign gaming history you’ve been eagerly anticipating! My boxed copy of GDW’s 1982 classic, Soldier King , officially arrived today—safely shipped over from Noble Knight Games. The components are in fantastic condition. Leafing through those vintage 1982 rulebook pages and unrolling the map sheets in person immediately brings back that great, nostalgic operational gaming aesthetic. The Inspiration Behind the Campaign I have to give a massive tip of the hat to Neil Patterson over at the Aufklarungsabteilung blog. It was reading through Neil’s fantastic posts and seeing how he integrated Soldier King into his own campaign gaming that originally hooked me on the concept. The clean map layout, simple area movement, and multi-faction dynamic make it an ideal engine for driving grand-scale strategic campaigns on the tabletop w...
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The Silesian Wars 1740-1763 Project Hub

"The Chronicles of the King and the Empress: Prussia vs. Austria (1740–1763)"

Welcome, fellow commander. This page serves as the master headquarters for my wargaming project documenting the 23-year struggle between Frederick the Great's Prussia and Maria Theresa's Habsburg Empire. From the sudden invasion of Silesia in 1740 through to the final peace of 1763, this hub tracks the complete Austro-Prussian duel across all three Silesian Wars.

The 6mm Vision

To capture the true "grand scale" of linear warfare, I have chosen Baccus 6mm figures as the heart of this project. The unique scale of 6mm allows for a level of magnification that larger scales simply cannot match; it enables us to see the sweeping movements of entire army corps and the vast, rigid lines of musketry as they were meant to be seen. In this project, a battalion looks like a battalion, and a battlefield feels like a theatre of war.

Tactical & Campaign Engines

The tactical engine for these engagements is the Black Powder / Last Argument of Kings ruleset. These rules strike the balance between playable tabletop mechanics and the distinctive period flavour of 18th-century warfare—where command friction and the "thin blue line" are everything.

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 Standards & Basing

To accurately represent the combined arms of the era while prioritising visual spectacle and ease of play, all regiments adhere to these strict basing conventions:

  • 24-Figure Infantry Regiment: 24 Figures | 60mm x 30mm base | Two ranks of 12
  • 12-Figure Cavalry Regiment: 12 Figures | 40mm x 50mm base | Two ranks of 6
  • Artillery Battery: 3 Guns & 12 Crew | 60mm x 30mm base | Standardised battery frontage
  • Brigade Commanders: 2 Mounted Figures | 30mm x 30mm base
  • Overall Commander: 3 Mounted Figures | 40mm x 40mm base

Participating Armies

  • Prussian Army
  • Austrian Imperial Army
  • Saxon Army

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

Campaign & Battle Index

1. First Silesian War (1740–1742) — War of the Austrian Succession

The opening gambit: Frederick’s sudden invasion and the Prussian infantry’s baptism of fire.

  • Mollwitz (10 April 1741): The first major test of the Prussian military machine.
  • Chotusitz (17 May 1742): The decisive engagement securing Silesia.

2. Second Silesian War (1744–1745) — War of the Austrian Succession

The struggle for supremacy featuring cavalry reforms and the rise of Austrian light troops.

  • Siege of Prague (September 1744): The successful Prussian investment of the Bohemian capital before the difficult retreat.
  • Habelschwerdt (14 February 1745): A sharp winter engagement demonstrating the ferocity of early-war skirmishing.
  • Hohenfriedberg (4 June 1745): Frederick’s tactical masterpiece and the debut of the Bayreuth Dragoons.
  • Soor (30 September 1745): A desperate struggle against the odds in broken terrain, proving Prussian resilience.
  • Hennersdorf (23 November 1745): A brilliant cavalry action that caught the Saxon-Austrian forces by surprise.
  • Kesselsdorf (15 December 1745): The Old Dessauer's final victory, securing the peace treaty through brute infantry force.

3. Third Silesian War (1756–1763) — Seven Years' War: Austro-Prussian Theater

The high-water mark of linear tactics, desperate manoeuvres, and total defense.

  • Lobositz (1 October 1756): The opening battle of the war. A foggy morning encounter that shocked the Prussians with a resurgent Austrian spirit. [Pending]
  • Prague & Kolin (May – June 1757): The zenith of Prussian aggression followed by Frederick's first catastrophic defeat at the hands of Daun.
  • Leuthen (5 December 1757): Frederick's oblique order tactical masterpiece against Prince Charles of Lorraine.
  • Hochkirch (14 October 1758): The Austrian night surprise that nearly ended the Prussian cause.
  • Liegnitz & Torgau (August – November 1760): Desperate victories that kept Prussia in the war through pure military tenacity.
  • Burkersdorf (21 July 1762): The final major manoeuvre that secured the status quo and led to the Peace of Hubertusburg.

Research & Primary Sources

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

  • Christopher Duffy: Essential cartography and army organisation for the Eastern European theatres.
  • Horace St Paul: Detailed tactical observations and camp dispositions.
  • National Regimental Histories: Specialised research covering Russian, French, and Allied uniform distinctions.

(For battles against non-Austrian forces such as Rossbach, Zorndorf, or Kunersdorf, please visit the Seven Years' War: Coalition Fronts hub).

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