Following on from my earlier test run of the new rules (adapted from a Battlegames article) for my Sun King figures, two wargaming friends came round for a game to try them out. It was a straightforward attack and defence game, the French on the attack, the Dutch/Austrians on the defence holding a ridge line. The game was fought on my hex terrain, skilfully upgraded by Steve from their original form, the board being 8' by 4'. Opinions were positive about the new rules, with only one amendment made, and they certainly provided a faster pace game than the previous set we have used. Below is a range of pictures from the action. Honours went to the French after some furious cavalry battles on the right flank and a brave charge up the ridge by their infantry.

The battlefield, Dutch/Austrians on the left, French on the right.

Figures are mostly North Star, some Old Glory, and a few League of Augsburg.

The Dutch infantry and artillery holding the ridge.

The French centre and left wing.

The French right wing.

French Foot Regiments.

More French Foot Regiments.

The unit in brown coats is the Royal Italien, heir to Cardinal Mazarin's Foot Regiment of the 1650s. 

The French left wing cavalry.

The French right wing cavalry.

The Dutch/Austrian left wing cavalry - three units of Austrian Hussars,

very colourful but also very unreliable! The figures are Old Glory.

The Dutch/Austrian right wing cavalry - a regiment of Austrian Cuirassiers (two big squadrons)

and two regiments of Dutch Horse, each of two squadrons.

A Dutch medium cannon. All my guns are from League of Augsburg.

A Dutch Dragoon regiment.

Two Dutch Foot regiments; Aylva on the left Beaumont on the right.

The Dutch Beaumont Foot Regiment.

The Dutch Vrijbergen Regiment, all marines off their warships, so armed with flintlocks but no pikes. It was the first time they had appeared in a wargame and, as usual with brand new units, they performed rather disappointingly!

The main cavalry engagement, which proved to be a see-saw affair, neither side gaining an advantage for quite some time. The dice show a unit's Fatigue Points.

The French infantry attack moves up the ridge.

The cavalry fight on the opposite side of the battle.

The hussars performed rather badly and were chased off by the Dutch cavalry.

Towards the end of the game, a unit of French guard cavalry charged a Dutch infantry regiment in Stand of Pikes (the 17th Century equivalent of a Napoleonic square).

 The cavalry were, not unsurprisingly, beaten off.

The final stages of the game, with disaster all around for the Dutch, being driven off the ridge in the background and about to be overwhelmed at the bottom of the picture, having been caught in the wrong formation.

Something a bit different this time, a game from Petaudia, my Mediaeval/Fantasy continent campaign: the Battle of Sturlinga's Farm. I play this campaign solo (my club is strictly Historical Wargames only!) and use Dragon Rampant fantasy rules, which I think produce a fun game, with simple but intelligent rules, and the command and control system is handy for solo play as it means I cannot do anything I want with a unit. I have adopted a few minor house rules to do with leaders/commanders, but nothing that affects the basic system. The Medieval equivalent of the rules, Lion Rampant, is used at my local club.

Harpagian Giant Boars and Hobgoblin riders attack Strymonian Longbowmen.
Harpagia is the realm of the Evil Sorceress; Strymonia is one of the human states, its colours being red and white.

The Giant Boars are from Games Workshop; the Longbowmen are Essex Miniatures. The little red and blue dice show hits on the units.

Unsurprisingly, the Giant Boars drove their opponents off the table!

Another unit of Giant Boars attacking Strymonian Spearmen. 

The foot figures are Essex Miniatures.

In this fight, the Spearmen beat off the Giant Boars rather easily.

Strymonian Knights engages a unit of Goblin Wolf Riders.

The knights are Essex Miniatures, the goblins were originally produced by Vendel Miniatures.

The small red dice show 15 hits, a unit in Dragon Rampant can take a maximum of 12 hits, so the Goblin Wolf Riders were destroyed after two rounds of combat!

Half-Elf Guard Swordsman attacking the Giant Boars.

The elves in Petaudia are divided into three groups, these are from the Taehnir Forest group in the north of the continent.

The Half-Elf Guard came off worse in this engagement!

The latter figures were bought from Kallistra many years ago, but no longer seem to be available.

Another part of the front, Ogres taking on Strymonian Billmen.

The figures on both sides are Essex Miniatures.

This was more of a see-saw action, the Billmen holding off the Ogres for some time.

Half-Elf Guard Longbowmen fighting Hill Trolls. It was not a good day for the elves; the Hill Trolls shattered their opponents quite convincingly.

The half-elves are Kallistra figures once again; the Hill Trolls are Vendel Miniatures.

An Eagle and Elf Rider, my only one, bought decades ago from Grenadier Miniatures I think.

Various units of Goblins, spear, sword and bow, all Vendel Miniatures.

A unit of Goblin Guard swords, I think they came from Grenadier Miniatures.

em4 miniatures sell some very similar hard plastic figures, including in bags of fifty at a very reasonable price.

The commander of the Harpagian army for this battle, a Giant Minotaur.

I don't remember where I got this figure.

The unit of Ogres, figures from Essex Miniatures.

The game ended with the Strymonian-Elf alliance soundly beaten, the latter suffering considerably more losses than their Harpagian enemies. The alliance also failed to achieve their objective, which was the relief of the Strymonian capital from siege.