Troops from Grand Thidwick

Introducing the 3rd Glossopshire Croats, commanded by Col. Bourneville Smythe-Basset. The standard bearer of this unit and other recent units to receive flags later, once I have a few units that need flags.

New Troops

Introducing the Pandours San Serif, commanded by Colonel Cliché. Sharp-eyed readers may notice their similarity to the Paprikash Pandour Grenadiers, the main differences being the style of hat and the white cuffs vs. the yellow cuffs of the grenadiers.

I seem to be accumulating a fair number of excess officers and NCOs. They're too full of character to not paint and use, but I don't have troops for all of them at this point. They're too martial for diplomatic service or other duties. I think I'll just have to find more recruits to serve under all of those fine officers.

The Battle of Potzenpanz - illustrated

The Soweiter League's main force arrives, spread across the battlefront.

The Main force of the Batrachian army appears to the south, concentrating on the town of Poztenpanz and Potzie's farm.

Both forces advance on their objectives.

To the west the balance of the Soweiter League forces make their way through the village of Potzdorf.

Battle commences in the east.

The Jingleheimer-Schwartz Dragoons spot the Wild Goose Chasseurs.

The fighting continues in the east.

The Jingelheimer-Schwartz Dragoons and Wild Goose Chasseurs charge each other.

Things have not gone well for the Batrachians.

The Mayeux Musketeers and Ballyfoole Light Artillery reach the hill to the southwest of Potzenpanz.

Fighting continues.


The Mayeux Musketeers capture the Batrachian gun, while the rest of the Soweiter forces push the Batrachains out of Potzenpanz and Potzie's farm.

The Cuirassiers Royale finish off the Hasenpfeffer-Heisenberg Hussars, but by this time the battle is lost. Time to withdraw and leave the battlefield to the Soweiter League's forces.

The Battle of Potzenpanz - day 2

Main forces

Soweiter League:
General von Bluster of Hesse-Offenbach
Ober-Umlaut Untersee Horse Marines, Col. von Oberwasser
Jingleheimer-Schwartz Dragoons, Col. Jingleheimer
Ballyfoole Grenadiers, Col. Kelly
Mayeux Musketeers, Col.D'Artagnan
Jingleheimer-Schwartz Musketeers, Col. Schwartzenberger
Saxe-Urquhart Highlanders 2 (aka the Soforth Highlanders), Col. MacHardy
Ballyfoole Light Artillery, Capt. O'Leary

Batrachian Empire:
General de Siécle
Cuirassiers Royale, Col. Descarte
Wild Goose Chasseurs, Col. de Foie-Gras
Paprikash Grenadiers, Col. Paprikash
King's Musketeers, Col. Truffault
Musketeers de Limbourg, Col. Fromage
Pandours du Pinque, Col. Clouseau
Bombardy Royal Artillery, battery 1, Capt. Soufflé

The battle plans for day one were based on simple die rolls to see which of the three main objectives each advance party would try to take. I assumed each force was small enough they wouldn't split up, so I rolled 1D6, giving each objective an equal chance. As it turned out both forces aimed to take Potzie's Farm.

Before even rolling for that though I came up with some options for the Batrachian main force, based on which objective they went for on the first day - this was set up even before I knew what the objective for day one was. As it turned out the result for day 2 was the Batrachians tried to keep their forces fairly concentrated on two objectives, the farm and the town of Potzenpanz.

I also diced for each unit of the Soweiter League's main force to see where they entered. I gave them an equal chance for each objective. The result was more of a split between all 3 objectives. The only change I made to the dispositionsafter rolling was to swap the Mayeux Musketeers and the 2nd unit of Saxe-Urquhart Highlanders, so the Highlanders could go in to support their fellows.

Start of day 2

The center units of the Soweiter forces managed to occupy 2 buildings in Potzenpanz, while the right wing (to the west) composed of the Mayeux Musketeers, the Jingleheimer-Schwartz Dragoons and the Ballyfoole Light Artillery headed for the village of Potzdorf. And on the left wing 2nd unit of Highlanders marched in to support their fellow Scots at Potzie's Farm.

Meanwhile on the Batrachian right the Musketeers de Limbourg marched in to add their weight to the Queen's Musketeers in attempting to take the farm. The Cuirassiers Royale, with the remnants of the Poupon Dragoons, rode forward to face off against the Hasenpfeffer-Heisenberg Hussars. And the rest of the Batrachian forces headed for Potzenpanz. The Pandours du Pinque occupy one building.

Day 2, mid-morning

Heavy fighting occured between the infantry at the barn, with the balance swinging back and forth through much of the battle. The cavalry on that wing also struggled for quite a while. In Potzenpanz itself hoouse-to-house fighting took a heavy toll, especially on the Batrachians who tried to take the initiative and push the Soweiter forces from the town. And in the west the Soweiter forces finding no opposition in Potzdorf swing around and head for Potzenpanz from the southwest.

Day 2, late morning

The Wild Goose Chasseurs and the Jingleheimer-Schwartz Dragoons battled it out just south of Potzenpanz, while the Mayeux Musketeers and the Ballyfoole Light Artillery followed up. The Artillery took up a postion on the hill southwest of Potzenpanz and the Mayeux Musketeers pressed forward. While this is going on the Bombardy Artillery Battery 1 unlimbered and prepared to fire at any targets that present themselves from the southwest.

The fighting in Potzenpanz has been furious. The Paprikash Grenadiers try to storm the building occupied by the Ballyfoole Grenadiers, but take heavy casualties and depart the field. The King's musketeers also fail to take the building occupied by the Jingleheimer-Schwartz Musketeers, and so pull back into join the remaining Pandours du Pinque in the third building.

Day 2, mid day

The infantry around the farm continued to fight for control. The Batrachians managed to force Saxe-Urquhart Highlanders (SH1) into retreating, but their place was taken up by Soforth Highlanders (SH2). The heavy fighting took it's toll on the Batrachians, too, eliminating the Queen's Musketeers and forcing the Musketeers de Limbourg to fall back. General Soleau kept this from being a full scale rout, pulling the retreating forces together. Then, along with the Bombardy Artillery battery 2 they made an ordered withdrawal.

The Jingleheimer-Schwartz Dragoons eliminated the Wild Goose Chasseurs, but in turn were wiped out by the Bombardy Artillery battery 1. The artillery was in turn overrun by the Mayeux Musketeers.

In Potzenpanz the remaining Soweiter infantry forced the Batrachians out of their building, with the much reduced Batrachians fleeing the town. At this point it was unclear what the fate of General de Siécle was as he was in the thick of the fighting.

Day 2, Afternoon

To the east the cavalry melee between the Cuirassiers Royale and the Hasenpfeffer-Heisenberg Hussars finally resulted in the Hussars being eliminated from the field of battle. But by that time the Cuirassiers realize the rest of the Batrachian army has been eliminated or forced to retreat.

Bowing to the better part of valor the Cuirassiers made an ordered withdrawal and departed the field of battle.

Day 2, late afternoon

Final result: another defeat for the Batrachians, the Soweiter League holds the town of Potzenpanz and Poztie's Farm, the Batrachians have departed, and the fate of General de Siécle is unknown...

(pictures to follow in a later post)

The Battle of Potzenpanz - day 1

(Based on the Tabletop Teaser in Battlegames 19)

The bucolic tranquility of the Potzenthal is stirred up a bit as some time after midday advance parties of the armies of the Soweiter League and the Batrachian Empire face off against one another on the hills overlooking the valley. Each force consists of a single regiment of cavalry, one infantry regiment and one cannon.

Soweiter League:
General Louis-Louis Milieu of Mayeux
Heisenberg-Hasenpfeffer Hussars, Col. Oddkugel
The 86th Saxe-Urquhart Highlanders, Col. Stanley MacLaurel
The Offenbach Artillery, Capt. Pachelbel

Batrachian Empire:
General Napoleon Soleau
The Poupon Dragoons, Col. Moutarde
The Queen's Musketeers, 1st Regiment, Col. Dormez-vous
The Bombardy Royal Artillery, battery 2, Capt. Bombardieu

Map of initial dispositions:

Both forces converge on Potzie's farm to the east of the town of Potzenpanz, attempting to gain a foothold in a defensible position before the arrival of the main forces.


The Highlanders march in quickly and occupy the barn, while the Hussars and artillery hold the hill just northwest of the farm. Meanwhile the Queen's Musketeers enter the walled-in field just south of the road, stirring up the livestock there. At the same time the Poupon Dragoons surge forward and the Batrachian artillery comes up to support the Queen's Musketeers.

The Offenbach artillery unlimbers and fires off a devastating volley at the Poupon Dragoons. The Dragoons decide discretion is the better part of valor and beat a hasty retreat back to the hill south of the walled field.

Following this action the infantry on both sides let loose with a couple of volleys, but both sides being protected by walls and barn only minimal casualities result. The artillery on both sides also exchange fire, with even less effect.

As it is now getting a little dark for continued fighting the Batrachians pull back out of musket range to settle down for the night. The Highlanders bed down in and around the barn. The cavalry and artillery do likewise on their respective hilltops - the Poupon Dragoons having recovered from their retreat.

Map of positions as night falls:

The main forces of both armies are expected to arrive in the morning.