Die Kriegskunst: Wargaming the Seven Years War

Die Kriegskunst is a Seven Years War miniatures wargaming rules set based on the General de Brigade system. From the designer's website:

One of the biggest differences is the figure scale (1=40 rather than 1=20). Then there's the way you move your units around. In GdeB the orders system means that you can't always do what you'd like and when you would like it. In Die Kriegskunst this is even more apparent, as we've made it a little harder to change orders. We've also introduced a new type - the "Approach" order - used to recreate those great Frederickean flank marches. Is "Frederickean a word? Well, it is now! Even more restricting is the way units manoeuvre. there are no columns (well, only in really limited situations like storming breaches), and in the age of linear warfare, moving a brigade from column of march into line was a complicated business.

We think we've found a way to simulate this fairly simply, but even so you really have to figure out where your troops are going and where they'll deploy well in advance. For example, a battalion in column of march (one stand behind the other) has to wheel to the right, then halt. the next turn it moves all the stands through 90 degrees, so that they no face the enemy - thereby forming a line. Now, if you imagine doing this for a whole brigade, then for a division-sized force with one or more brigades forming a second line, and you've got some idea of how tricky the whole thing is. Of course, you can start your games in line, facing the enemy and raring to go, but we needed to produce a system to get the guys there in the first place!

Other differences include modifications to the firing mechanics, a new system for firing at chargers (charging cavalry into formed infantry is rarely a smart move), and a downgrading of skirmishers. While these may sound like little more than little tweaks, they actually represent a lot of work and experimentation - trying to keep the basics of the existing system while adapting it to reflect the linear tactics of the period.

Basing is the same as for other General de Brigade sets (although we use slightly larger bases ourselves - four 28mm infantry figures on a 40x40mm base). A full strength Prussian battalion is 20 figures, an Austrian one is 24, and a Russian one is 16. Heavy cavalry ride around in 20 man units, although the Russians should really be smaller due to their chronic cavalry resupply problems - 12 man for Cuirassier units and 16 for others. I just have to have more Russians to make up for the small units - and of course there's my pretty but less than effective Cossack horde...