Background

On the 8 November, the rebel army was defeated just

outside of Prague at the Battle of White Mountain by
Imperial and Catholic League forces. The conquest of
Bohemia and suppression of the rebellion followed.
Rebel leaders were executed, their land confiscated
and Catholicism was forcibly restored. Frederick of the
Palatinate was overthrown and the crown of Bohemia was
restored to the new emperor, Ferdinand II of Styria.

In 1618 the province of Bohemia rebelled against Austrian

rule. The Emperor Matthias, head of the Austrian Habsburgs
had tried to remove the Protestant faith from Bohemia.
He sought to advance imperial control by pressuring the
Bohemian estates to elect Ferdinand of Styria, a prominent
Catholic, as king of Bohemia.
The rebels countered this move and brought in their own
government, offering the crown of Bohemia to the Calvinist
Elector Frederick of the Palatinate instead. Responding
to urgent calls for outside assistance the Duke of Savoy
rallied to the rebel cause and sent mercenary forces under
Ernst von Mansfeld and Bethlen Gabor to come to the aide
of the rebellion.

Army Lists

This supplement contains a number of army lists that

players can use with the Father Tilly rules. Also included
are details of generals that fought in the campaign as well
as a number of new War Tokens that can be added to the
players deck.

The next two years saw things turn very much in favour of
the Empire. Spain came to the aide of the Emperor sending
an army to invade the Palatinate in 1620 which captured
much of Fredericks German lands and threatened the
rebellion in Bohemia. Later that year, several of the
Empires key Lutheran states won guarantees for their own
security in the Treaty of Ulm when they declared their
loyalty to the Emperor. From that point on, the rebellion
was doomed to failure.

There is also a scenario based around one part of the Battle

of White Mountain. Not a particularly balanced game, but
it will give players a good start with the rules, and it will
also give highlight the strength of Tercios and the relative
weakness of the rebel forces.

Army:

Commander:

The Catholic League

Tilly

Unit Type

Formation

Grade

Number

Strength

Weapon

Bavarian Infantry

Tercio

Regular

24 - 40

P/s

German Infantry

Tercio

Regular

24 - 32

P/s

Austrian Infantry

Tercio

Regular

40

P/s

German Cuirassier

Caracole

Regular

German Horse

Caracole

Regular

Cossack Horse

Skirmish

Regular

Demi-Culverin

Artillery

Regular

Formation

Grade

Number

Strength

Weapon

Walloon Infantry

Tercio

Veteran

24 - 60

p/S

German Infantry

Tercio

Regular

36

p/S

Neopolitan Infantry

Tercio

Regular

48

p/S

Walloon Cuirassier

Caracole

Regular

Walloon Arquebusier

Caracole

Regular

German Arquebusier

Caracole

Regular

Cossack Horse

Skirmish

Regular

Demi-Culverin

Artillery

Regular

Army:

Commander:

Imperial
Bucquoy

Unit Type

Both of the Catholic armies relied on deep and sturdy Tercio formations, the Catholic League infantry tending to have
more pike than shot, the Imperial infantry having more shot than pike. Much of the infantry were veterans of the Spanish
army that served in Flanders but there were also many newly raised units - but these often included a decent cadre of
experienced men.

Army List Terminology

The descriptions of unit formation types such as Tercio and Caracole can all be found in the Father Tilly rules along with
the descriptions and factors relevant to the unit grade. The number column heading shows the number of units of that
type that is permitted in the army. The strength column heading details the number of figures that the unit is allowed
to contain. If this column contains a range of numbers, for instance eight to ten, the unit can vary in size from eight to
ten figures.
The final column describes the weapons that the unit can deploy. In the case of infantry, the column shows the pike to
shot ration of the unit. Shot detachments will be labelled S meaning that they are all shot units, p/S are units with
more shot than pike, P/S are units with equal number of pike and shot figures and P/s have more pike than shot. All
cavalry are designated S.

Army:

Commander:
Generals:

Bohemian Rebel

Anhalt
Thurn, Hohenloe, Schlick
Formation

Grade

Number

Strength

Weapon

Dutch Infantry

Unit Type

Regiment

Veteran

Bohemian Infantry

Regiment

Regular

16 -28

p/S

Bohemian Infantry

Regiment

Conscript

16 - 20

p/S

Bohemian Infantry

Regiment

Militia

16 - 20

p/S

German Infantry

Regiment

Regular

12 - 20

p/S

Royal Cuirassier

Trotter

Veteran

10

German Cuirassier

Trotter

Regular

Moravian Horse

Trotter

Conscript

Dutch Arquebusier

Trotter

Regular

10

Moravian Arquebusier

Trotter

Regular

10

Hussar

Skirmish

Militia

12

Demi-Cannon

Artillery

Regular

Demi-Culverin

Artillery

Regular

Falcon

Artillery

Regular

As the rebellion spread to new provinces, the rebel armys ranks were swelled by units from Silesia, Moravia and Austria.
Much needed strength was also supplied by experienced Dutch and German troops, as well as Mansfelds mercenaries and
a host of Transylvanian Hussars. Along with these foreign troops came the fighting techniques employed by most Dutch
and German troops - smaller units with an emphasis on manoeuvrability and firepower.

Army:

Commander:

Mansfeld
Mansfeld

Unit Type

Formation

Grade

Number

Strength

Weapon

Swiss Infantry

Regiment

Veteran

40

p/S

English Infantry

Regiment

Regular

40

p/S

Scottish Infantry

Regiment

Regular

32

p/S

German Infantry

Regiment

Regular

12 - 40

p/S

Lifeguard Horse

Trotter

Veteran

20

German Horse

Trotter

Regular

8 - 10

Demi-Culverin

Artillery

Regular

Falcon

Artillery

Regular

At the start of the war Mansfeld was only a junior officer when the Duke of Savoy placed him in command of 3000 Swiss
infantry and ordered him into Bohemia. With the country in chaos and rival groups of Protestants and Catholics dividing
up the area, Mansfeld had an early success capturing the town of Pilsen. This helped to secure his reputation and drew in
additional Dutch and German troops to his army. However, following later defeats whilst aiding the rebels, Mansfeld bgan
to distance himself from his superiors, preferring to operate independently - his army funded by looting and pillaging.

Army:

Commander:

Hussar

Bethlen Gabor

Unit Type

Formation

Grade

Number

Strength

Weapon

Hussar (armoured)

Skirmish

Regular

Hussar

Skirmish

Regular

Well used to disrupting Habsburg territories in Hungary, Bethlen Gabor provided large numbers of his cavalry to the
Bohemian army at White Mountain where they served with little enthusiasm in this formal battle. Away from the main
battlefield, the Hussars perform much better in their more familar role as raiders and skirmishers.

Generic Units
Unit Type

Formation

Grade

Number

Strength

Weapon

Militia Infantry

Regiment

Militia

Any

8 - 12

P/s

Peasant Levy

Irregular

Militia

Any

8 - 12

Impro

Unemployed Mercenaries

Irregular

Regular

Any

8 - 16

p/S

The table above provides a list of generic units, such as mobs of vengeful peasants or rampaging unemployed mercenaries,
that can be used to add a bit of extra colour to a scenario. The factors shown above are just guidelines and players
can modify to suit the situation. For example, the mercanaries could be classed as better or worse than the grade shown
above depending on how long they have been out of work. Players can also stray from the recommended weapons list.
Militia infantry could be interspersed with figures weilding farm implements (improvised weapons) and peasant levy units
could have the occasional musket armed figure.

Generals
Name

Army

Personality

Tactics

Strategy

Command

Catholic League

Good

Good

Average

Imperial

Average

Poor

Average

Christian I of Anhalt-Bernstein

Bohemian

Poor

Average

Poor

Count Henrich Mathias Thurn

Bohemian

Rash

Average

Average

Poor

Count George Frederick of Hohenlohe

Bohemian

Cautious

Poor

Poor

Poor

Count Heinrich von Schlick

Bohemian

Poor

Average

Average

Bethlen Gabor Prince of Transylvania

Bohemian

Average

Poor

Average

Ernst von Mansfeld

Mansfeld

Good

Poor

Average

Count Jean TSerclaus Baron of Tilly

Count of Bucquoy

The table above describes the skills and attributes of the leading generals that took part in this campaign. The rules that
apply to these factors can be found in the main Father Tilly rule-set.

New Tokens

Dead Shot, Ferocity, Stalwart, Counter-Attack,Pay Day,

Ambush, Find a Path, Scouting or Reinforce token. Once
played - the card is discarded in the usual way.

Included in this supplement are a number of new War

Tokens. These differ from the usual in that they only
feature a generals name or the name of an army. These
new tokens can be added to the players existing deck if
they are present at the battle. For example, if Mansfelds
army is to face Bucquoys, both of their tokens will be
added to the deck along with Mansfelds army token and
the Imperial army token.

Detrimental Effect

When a player plays one of the opposing sides tokens, i.e.

the Imperial player plays Mansfelds army token, the token
can be used as if it were one of the following - Looters,
Powder Explosion (etc), Difficult Ground, Question Orders,
Mutiny, Unrest, Generals Quarrel, Generals Drunk, Target
General, Leader Killed, Low Ammo, Spy, Traitor or Curse.

These new tokens will have different effects depending on

who uses them. If for example, the Imperial player picks
up either the Bucquoy token or the Imperial army token,
these can be used in a variety of beneficial ways. However,
if the opposing player uses one of these tokens, they will
have a detrimental effect on the Imperial army.

These tokens can be played on units or generals that have

already received a token that turn.
Unlike most War Tokens, these do not have the usual
subheadings of Deploy, Leader, Initiative etc. They can be
used in this way but only count as factor one i.e. one extra
point of Initiative or one Deployment Point.

Beneficial Effect

When a player uses one of their own tokens (i.e. their own
general or army token) they can play it as if it were a Resolve
token or Bravery, Indomitable, Rally, Sharpshooter,

The Imperial Army

Mountain. The unit name, formation type, grade, strength

(number of figures in the unit) and weapons are shown.

The order of battle shown below is just the first wave of the
Imperial attack on the southern slopes of White Mountain.
The unit name, formation type, grade, strength (number
of figures in the unit) and weapons are shown.

General: Thurn
Thurn 1st Bn, Infantry Regiment, Conscript, 26, p/S.
Thurn 2nd Bn, Infantry Regiment, Conscript, 16, p/S.
Kaplir 1st Bn, Infanty Regiment, Conscript, 16, p/S.
Kaplir 2nd Bn, Infantry Regiment, Conscript, 16, p/S.
Kaplir 3rd Bn, Infantry Regiment, Conscript, 16, p/S.
Detached Shot, Regular, 12, S.
Bubna, Trotter (Arquebus), Regular, 10, S.
Royal Cuirassier, Trotter, Veteran, 10, S.
Hohenlohe, Trotter (Arquebus), Regular, 10, S.
Kien, Trotter, Regular, 6, S.
Borseda, Trotter, Regular, 6, S.
Artillery: One Demi-Culverin.

General: Bucquoy
Verdugo, Tercio, Veteran, 60, p/S.
Breuner-Tiefenbach, Tercio, Regular, 34, p/S.
Spinelli, Tercio, Regular, 50, p/S.
Cossacks, Skirmish, Regular, 8, S.
Gauchier, Caracole (Arquebus), Regular, 10, S.
La Croix, Caracole (Arquebus), Regular, 6, S.
Areyzaga, Caracole (Arquebus), Regualar, 4, S.
Artillery: One Demi-Culverin.

The Terrain

The Rebel Army

The map below represents a six by four foot table with the
rebels occupying the higher ground. At the centre of their

The following order of battle represents the left flank of

the rebel forces commanding the southern slopes of White

position are two small earthworks with a larger fortification

to the left. These provide cover for any artillery or
detached shot that occupy them (but not hard cover as
the defences were not completed). Other than this, the
terrain is relatively open and free from obstacles.

off their muskets with great enthusiasm, but little effect.

With the prospect of failure looming for the Imperials,
Bucquoy personally led his cavalry in a counter-attack
which drove back the rebels to the ridge line. Elsewhere
the Catholic infantry pressed forward, over running the
earthworks and pushing the rebels out of their defences.
As more and more of the defenders began to fall back,
those units in the second line began to waver and many
crumbled without firing a shot.

Deployment

The Imperial force represents only the first wave of

Bucquoys attack. The three Tercios were central, two
in the front and one to the rear, with supporting cavalry
between the infantry and on either flank (and the
skirmishers on the extreme right).

A little over an hour after the battle had began, the rebel
army was crushed. In places pockets of resistance stubbornly
held out, but these were inevitably overwhelmed. The
Protestant army had been destroyed and along with it the
hopes of the rebellion. Popular support began to ebb away,
the Transylvanians returned to Hungary, some rebel units
even went over to the other side, many laid down their
arms.

The rebel forces were deployed in two lines with the

cavalry placed in between each infantry battalion. Ahead
of the main force were the detached shot companies and
the artillery in the earthworks.

The Battle

The battle began with a short bombardment of the rebel

positions at midday before the general advance was
ordered. Thurn was not content to simply sit and wait for
the Catholic forces and ordered his cavalry forward to
engage the enemy. This encounter stalled the attack, drove
back some of the Imperial cavalry and caused disorder in
one of the approaching tercios. Encouraged by this early
success, the rebel infantry began to advance before firing

This battle, like many others in the early stages of the

Thirty Years War, are very difficult for the Protestant
armies to win, faced as they were with the quality of
the opposition and the weaknesses in their own forces.
However, this is a good introduction to the Father Tilly
rules and will make the later victories of the Swedes taste
all the more sweet.

Father Tilly

Count of
Bucquoy

Imperial Army

Catholic League
Army

Christian I
of
Anhalt-Bernstein

Count Henrich
Mathias
Thurn

Count George
Frederick
of
Hohenlohe

Count Heinrich
von
Schlick

Bethlen Gabor
Prince of
Transylvania

Ernst
von
Mansfeld

Bohemian
Rebel
Army

Hussar Army

Mansfelds Army