Türkenkrieg (1737-1739)

Türkenkrieg: The Russo-Austro Turkish War, Balkan Theatre 1737-39

Volume V in the Lace Wars series

TK is a two-player game: Imperial Austria against the Ottoman Empire. The Turks have three provincial armies, composed of a mix of infantry and cavalry, and the Sultan's own army of heavy cavalry, janissaries, and artillery. They can also call upon Wallachian and Tatar allies. The Imperials have their core Habsburg-Austrian army, plus contingents from the Holy Roman Empire, and elements from the personal armies of Saxony, Bavaria, and even Modena. They also have the irregular forces of the Military Border.

Both sides are evenly matched - weakened by war but still dwarfing the forces of their neighbors. The Imperials begin as the aggressors, but will have to play cannily to avoid surrendering the initiative to the Ottomans. Playing for Prestige (like the other games in the series), your goals are modest, but can add up to significant gains that may influence the outcome of the peace talks. The peace process, more or less out of your hands, is the mechanism by which the game ends.

Map scale is 8.5 miles per hex. Unit scale is battalion/regimental. Units are rated for Effectiveness and Movement; raw strength is factored into Effectiveness.

Turns are equivalent to three weeks - 16 turns per year. Each turn is broken down into several phases - supply, operations, admin, etc. There are scenarios for each year of active operations - three in all - and a Campaign Game.