Further Pressure into Mieczyslaw

With the Cossack breakthrough the defenders of the Duchy had to respond.

Moving the horse to overcome the Cossacks, then filling in the lines along the river.

Just in time as the Boyars have moved to press on both flanks ...

Tabletop battles to come ...

Cossack Breakthrough!

Amazingly the Cossack attempt at the river line managed to force a crossing.



The Allied light companies covered the known and suspected river fords in the Drohizyn region.



They had no artillery and chose to use an 'opening ruse' to lure some of the Cossacks across the river, then defeat them in detail after they were forced to face a rapidly formed square.




The cossacks chose to take the bait, expecting to be repulsed yet pressing home for a chance at success all the same ...


To their utter horror the light infantry companies watched as one-third of their number was literally ridden down like grass. The hasty square exercise was a total failure and the cossacks rode like madmen among them, cutting apart the company and sending less than half of the survivors scattering to the winds.



Seeing an opportunity like no other to completely envelop the defenders the Cossack command chose to press home on the center company of the Allied contingent of light infantry. Fully both sides of this line was covered by the wild riding light horsemen of the Russian steppes.



This time the company of infantry chose to make better use of their shot and powder. They delivered a devastating volley into the Cossacks, then stood tall to take on their charge from both front and rear!

Amazingly they defeated the Cossacks this time ... however one half of the Cossacks retreated away from the river pressing on deeper south into Mieczyslaw, the line of defense was broken. The strategic situation was a loss, what the infantry needed now was to hold the line by day long enough to break off from contact and retreat by night fall.



The Cossack commander was willing to stay cautious now as the remaining parts of his command were bloodied and shaken, he reverted to a defensive posture until he could learn what had become of the squadron that had penetrated the line so well!



By midnight it was clear that the light infantry had retreated to the west along the river. Now a path across the river line was open, could this be the flank attack line?

Battle Awaits

The Boyar Cossacks have pressed the river line.

Unable to keep the Cossacks in check, they have pushed ahead to the flank of the Mieczyslaw lines along the river.

Tabletop battle awaits!

Count Boyarisov

Considering his options ...

Count Vladimir Boyarisov now must decide, shall he depart Moscou to personally oversee the troop dispositions or could he count on the generals to take on the critical tasks in Mieczyslaw?

Boyar Second Move

The Boyars continue their advance on Mieczyslaw

Now that the Tzarina has started the invasion of the East Altmorania territories, the flank riding cavalry has moved to break out and cover the right (north) flank of the advancing columns. Meanwhile to the south (left flank) the cossacks continue to raid, now into the town of Bielsk Podlaski.

News of the Cossack attack came well in advance of their approach and only the feeble and the infirm were left behind. The Cossacks were left with little in treasures to capture, though many stores were taken.

The main body of Boyars has now entered Pajewo on the main road through Mieczyslaw.

Setting up a campaign

Here we see the opening Position for the troops in a cyberboard view.

For the Cyberboard system, I have put together many of the parts and pieces that I have been working on over the past few years.

Now I have a game box that includes parts of the imagi-nations that we have been using on the Emperor vs. Elector concept.

So I have begun a Seven Years War and shall game it out via tabletop, board games and a mass combat system for use in Role Playing Games.

Time to see how well (or not) it will all work.

Count Vladimir Boyarisov

The Count Vladimir Boyarisov had risen to lead the Hetman of Boyardvina in only five short years.

His combination of vision, energy and drive worked well with his natural charisma and charming outward dispositions.

He had made his friendship with Tzarina Elizabeth and her new Field Marshal, now they had made him principle leader of their south columns.

There was no delay in his preparations ... though in his haste he may have overlooked the character and nature of the leaders of the military formations...

Miecek Duda Located

One Time ADC Miecek Duda has been found in the service of the Duke of Tragardland as part of his Lifeguard of Horse.

Now the critical message must be got through to the Duke of Tragardland via Miecek Duda that Mieczyslaw is in need of assistance....

Cossacks in Bialystock

The local Hetman chose to stand with his farmers and militia rather than flee.

The great relics of their parish had been collected and other treasures secreted in a farm outside of the town.

While the main force of Cossacks did not face any resistance in Bialystock directly, this column to the south did.

The militia and defenders learned that the Cossacks were on their way with three troops, numbering more then their meager forces. There was no way that they could run away, so they set up to defend the farmhouses and the little bridge.

The waves of pony riders swarmed over the nearby hills and across the stream.

This caused the bridge to become a worthless defense.

Seeing that the fields would become the critical battleground the Hetman Viktor rode out to personally hold back a half a dozen riders and give time for his militia to form firing lines.

Even the evacuation of the bridge was not simple and a few militia managed to shoot a couple of Cossacks out of their saddles. Not enough to stop them from swarming half of the buildings of the farm. This half did not have the critical treasures that had now been dragged up into the attic of the other major building.

The fields were swarmed by the Cossacks ... some shot as they crossed the underbrush at the edge of the fields, others cut down by the heroic efforts of the Hetman Viktor!


Hetman Viktor was wounded first by the volleys of the militia as he fought bravely against four to one odds. The wound was not enough to throw him from the saddle, it was enough to slow him down. Thankfully he was only facing one more Cossack. Sadly he was not fast enough to parry this last Cossack that felled the Hetman.

The militia began to fall apart ... half of them fleeing in the face of the Cossacks, the other half halt, nervous, yet held. Enough to break the cossacks will to fight in the field.

Unfortunately for the defenders, more Cossacks had swarmed behind the critical building, they entered and a confused series of battles raged room to room.

Enough losses came to the Cossacks, they broke off their attack, literally just in time for the remaining militia for they were also close to fleeing. They had save the treasures, lost more than half their numbers to death, many others were wounded. There was just enough left to flee the town with the holy relics and some of the valuables.

Boyar's Support from the Tzarina

Count Vladimir Boyarisov bowed low as the procession of Tzarina Elizabeth and her consort Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, now newly made Field Marshal.

The deal he had struck earlier that same afternoon with Count Razumovsky left him free to annex and move on the Mieczyslaw lands of Flety. Vladimir knew that the Mieczylaw nobles in that region would support his move, the trouble would come from Mieczylaw itself and the likely response would be military in nature.

Count Boyarisov smirked to himself as the priests began their chants, this time the Mieczyslaw military force would not have a free hand, for Vladimir had seen the treaty of alliance that the Tzarina had signed with Wein and Paris. This time there would be a great powers war and he, Count Vladimir Boyarisov would have charge of the left wing of the Tzarina's forces, he would be free to annex and conquer Mieczyslaw while the poor nobles of that province would have to choose sides, either with the Empress in Wein, or the mad killer king of Altmorania. His spies in the Noble assembly in Mieczyslaw informed him that due to the current Duke having been supported in his place by the Duchy of the North and the known animosity between Norden and Altmorania it would be impossible for Mieczyslaw to stand alongside the butchers from Brandenburg. Meaning they would have to accept either rule by Wein or Moscou, either way Count Boyarisov became ruler and would enrich the Boyar fortune.

Boyar First Move

The Boyars have crossed the Nomad River and are now in the Province of Mieczyslaw.

They are clearly on the main road to Brandenburg, their primary target: Altmorania.

The only problem is that Mieczyslaw has not openly granted this army passage...

Empress Merrie Teaser

Scene: Imperial Palace in Wein.

Empress Merrie Teaser is preparing to enter the Grand Ballroom where a majority of the court awaits her arrival.



A page quickly steps forward with a note on a silver platter, the note is somewhat crumpled and dirty on the gleaming silver surface. The platter is offered to the Empress who glances at it then at the young aide de Camp of her Field Marshal Dawna, she nods to the young man to open the note.

He quickly takes the scrap of paper and only part way through digesting the information reports to the Empress,

"Field Marshal Dawna reports that his spies near the borders of Altmorania, Stagonia and Saxe-Bearstein have seen columns of troops both entering and assembling in Saxe-Bearstein and along the border regions. The Marshal writes that she fully expects Saxe-Bearstein to be invaded by the time your Majesty receives this note. Without a doubt King Freddy has initiated a war posture and means to invest our northern borders."

All assembled are silent, the Empress speaks quietly.

"Thank you M. aide de Camp." she adjusts her dress to smooth out the front.

"I shall compose an appropriate response after having entertained our ministers and court this evening." She looks about her in the small hallway at the entrance doors to the hall.

"None of you are to speak of this news." She lets out a calm breath and takes in another calm breath. "You may announce us now."

Empresses Make Moves

The Duchy of Mieczyslaw is in an impossible position.

Empress Merrie Teaser has concluded a pact with the Tsarina Elizabeth. Together they shall strike out at Altmorania Elector Freddy the Bill (his favorite execution method).

Unfortunately for The Duchy of Mieczyslaw the Boyardvinians are supported by the Tsarina. With this support they have volunteered to open a path for the main Russian armies into Altmoranian territory. Now The Duchy of Mieczyslaw must call a szlachta to summon the defenses of the realm ... or have there been other choices made by certain nobles?



Here we see the Boyar commander and his staff settling in for the night now across the Nomad River the natural boundary between Boyardvina and Mieczyslaw.

Cossacks led the way across the river earlier in the day, while the senior command looked on, pontoons were put across the river and artillery crossed along with some 11 Battalions of foot, 8 squadrons of Horse (including the two Cossack formations) and a train of 5 batteries of artillery.



Here is pictured the Grenadier Brigade crossing, led by its artillery batteries ... to the right is the Boyar Prince Danil Borislav.



Prince Borislav inspects the engineering works of the pontoons and congratulates his Engineering officer on a good first crossing. Many more will be needed.

Seen crossing here is a brigade of Allied troops from nearby Burtzenia sent by Empress Teaser to support the opening of a way through Mieczyslaw.

This force is more than the Mieczyslaw one and a critical choice must now be made as the dogs of war have been let loose!

Religious Freedom

Duke Jerzy called a convocate of the szlachta towards the end of his life. He had realized that a hereditary dynasty was not in the best interest of the divisive peoples of Mieczyslaw. Moreover, were he to press for such an action then the pressures from Rome, Moscwa, and the more secular west would most certainly lead to war.

The countryside had avoided the religious wars of Urope and there was no need to start them all over again here in peaceful Mieczyslaw.

The best way to maintain the peace was to declare a freedom of all to practice religious observance and to have the szlachta elect the next and all future Dukes.

The szlachta were at first divided on the issue, then when it became clear ~ after a number of riots in the south and east that were brought about by the news that the szlachta were going to reject the freedom act then the nominal majority agreed to both terms.

Duke Jerzy died only three months after signing the great proclamation of Religious Freedom.