Friday 6 September 2024 saw me put on a refight of the Battle of Kłuszyn (aka Klushino), one of the most impressive performances of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's army at its 17th century peak. The battle took place near Smolensk, then in Russia (and later in Poland-Lithuania), and we used my 28mm figures and my Sobieski! rules.
Jonathan and Kamall were the Russians (30,000 men, 11 cannons; 24 units) with Doug playing as their Swedish and west European mercenary allies - including Scots, Germans, English, French and Walloons (5,000 men; 5 units of musketeers). Overall the allied side had 24 units and 5 guns.
On the Polish side, Richard and Patrick commanded the 5,500 Winged Hussars (six units), with Mark leading two units of Cossack light cavalry, one musketeer unit, and one gun.
A fence spanned the battlefield, which included the Russian and Swedish camps. Before the start of the game, the Poles rolled to see which sections they could remove, managing to remove several. This simulated the Polish pickets removing fences at night before the historical battle.
The Russians and Swedes deployed between two rivers on a narrow frontage, side by side, with infantry at the fence, and cavalry further back. Three of their five guns were able to make it into the battle (the other two remaining in camp - historically, none were deployed). De la Gardie, the Swedish general was decent, but Russian commander Dmitry Shuisky was 'infamous' (not so decent).
The Poles placed the Hussars on the right and centre, with Cossacks, infantry and gun further left. They had five good or very good commanders plus a 'legendary' commander-in-chief (Hetman Żółkiewski). No unfair bias there, of course...
I had slightly modified my rules to simulate the fact that the Poles trounced the Russians in the real battle. Accordingly, whenever a unit was charged by the Hussars, it had to take an immediate morale test. The Poles also had +2 to all initiative rolls.
The game went smoothly, with Richard on the Polish right starting the attack against the corner of the Russian left. A gun was quickly lost, followed by some hasty Russian musketeers...
Patrick soon joined in, and progress was made against some of the Russian infantry, which was forced to flee its defensive position. Some Russian units made a stand and lost casualties, but the Hussars' momentum was mainly due to failed morale tests...
Mark bombarded the uncovered foot of the Swedish mercenaries, and bided his time with the infantry and Cossacks.
As in the real battle, the Russian position was congested. Mal and Jonathan repeatedly moved fresh units up to face the Hussars, but were eventually whittled away as the Polish elite heavy cavalry either charged in, forcing a morale test, fought a melee against standing units, discharged their multiple firearms at a distance, or charged on in breakthrough moves...
As the Russians were steadily routed, the Hussars moved into the centre and rear of the Russian positions.
Mark now attacked the mercenary infantry at the fence line with Cossacks - but they were driven back. He also closed in with his own musketeers to engage the Scots with his ranged fire.
After multiple combats and relentless pressure, Richard finally took the Russian camp - one of the objectives (besides inflicting more casualties).
Soon afterwards, the Hussars looked to have reached their zenith. However, they were nearly spent, and Doug's infantry put up a resistance, and some of the Polish heavies had to withdraw.
Even so, by the end of the game, the Russians had lost 12 units, including all three guns, while the Swedes had lost one unit.
The Poles lost two units of Hussars, one of Cossacks, and three commanders, including the legendary Hetman Żółkiewski himself.
Overall this was probably my most successful Eastern Renaissance game for quite some time. I was pleased that everyone enjoyed it (we continued to nearly 11pm), and glad that the rules and scenario parameters helped simulate the sort of victory won so famously in 1610. (The result seems fairly miraculous now, but an even worse fate befell the Swedish army at the Battle of Kircholm in 1605...)
Historically, at Kłuszyn, the Poles lost 400 men but routed the Russians and Swedes who lost 5,000 men. The victors plundered the camps, and the mercenaries defected to the Polish side. Soon after the battle, Polish Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski occupied the Kremlin in Moscow. Seven boyars duly elected Polish Prince Władysław, son of Polish King Sigismund III, as Tsar of Russia. Although he never occupied the throne, the Poles still managed to hold Moscow for two years, but eventually they had to evacuate. Still, this was a high water mark for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. But the dream of a united Poland, Lithuania, and Russia, under one Polish dynasty, was not to be realised.
King Władysław IV of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, titular King of Sweden and Tsar of Russia (depicted by Rubens as a Prince in 1620). He reigned 1632-1648.
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