Twilight of the Sun King

Twilight of the Sun King: Birth of the Age of Reason is a version of the original Twilight of the Sun King rules targeted at refighting large battles from the period 1680 to 1721. The rules feature scenarios for the battle of Fraustadt, 1706

All measurements in the game are based on a scale chosen by the players, the base width. Movement distances, weapon ranges, etc, are then multiples of whatever base width has been chosen. The base width is half of the frontage of whatever you wish to use as a unit. Therefore any size of figure and also any basing scheme can be used with the rules.Units represent about 2000 infantry or 1000 cavalry but a smaller scale of half of that can be used..

Battles can be fought to a conclusion in a reasonable amount of time, most in around 4 hours. Most battles are suitable for a single player a side if you wish. Large battles like Blenheim, Ramillies and Landen/Neerwinden, see scenarios below, are probably better done with two players a side. Using a unit frontage of 80 to 120mm means most battles are played on a table 120 to 180cm wide (4 to 6'). The system is simple and innovative. It concentrates on you being a high level commander and bringing out the characteristics of the various troop types.

Resources Page:

Click here for the resources page with additional unpublished scenarios, play options and other material.

Click here for a report and photos of a Great Northern War game we ran.

Click here for a report on a massive re-fight of Poltava 1709.

Click here for a key to the maps used.

Louis XIV at war is the first scenario booklet for the rules. It contains 10 scenarios from the War of the Grand Alliance (1688-97) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14). It features the following scenarios.

War of the Grand Alliance (1688-97) Scenarios

Fleurus, 1690

Boyne, 1690

Landen/Neerwinden, 1693

Marsaglia, 1693

War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14) Scenarios

Luzzara, 1702

Speyerbach, 1703

Blenheim, 1704

Ramillies, 1706

Almansa, 1707

Almenar, 1710

The second scenario booklet featuring battles from the Great Northern War (1700-21) and the Ottoman wars of the period is also available. It features the following scenarios

Ottoman Wars Scenarios

Parkany, 1683

Pruth, 1711

Peterwardein, 1716

Great Northern War (1700-21) Scenarios

Narva, 1700

Crossing the Duna/Riga, 1701

Kliszow, 1702

Holowczyn, 1708

Lesnaja, 1708

Gadebusch, 1712

Storkyro, 1714

NEW: September 2019:

The third scenario book is now available. It features 15 battle scenarios from the War of the Grand Alliance (1688-97) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14).

In addition recommended optional and amended rules are included for pursuit, replacing commanders, using D6 and an alternative play sequence. Finally also includes are modified quick reference play sheets for the above changes and also one for this era only, i.e. without unit types not used in these wars.

This booklet features the following scenarios.

The War of the Grand Alliance (1688-97)

• • • • Walcourt, 1689

      • Staffarda, 1690

      • Aughrim, 1691

      • Steenkirk, 1692

      • Ter River/Torroella, 1694

The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14)

• • • • Chiari, 1701

      • Friedlingen, 1702

      • Hochstadt, 1703

      • The Schellenberg, 1704

      • Cassano, 1705

      • Turin, 1706

      • Oudenaarde, 1708

      • Malplaquet, 1709

      • Saragossa, 1710

      • Villaviciosa, 1710

Purchasing

The rules and scenario books are published by the Pike and Shot Society. Their website is here Pike and Shot Society

Forthcoming

A second set covering the Thirty Years War and English Civil War period has now been published, along with scenario booklets for these wars. More scenario books for these rules and also more scenario books covering further battles from the era 1680-1721 are being prepared.

These rules and two scenario booklets have now been published: Click Here Twilight of Divine Right

A third set covering the period of the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War, roughly 1730 to 1780, has now been published. More information on these is available here - https://www.wyrehistoricbooks.co.uk/home

Groups: groups.io/g/TwilightSK

Contact the author at - hwiccee@hotmail.com