If the word "Tugar" does not strike you with relentless fear, then perhaps you are not familiar with that masterpiece of alternate history, William Forstchen's Lost Regiment series. This series of novels starts in 1864 with a regiment of Maine volunteer infantry and a battery of New York artillery aboard a transport heading toward the offshore islands of North Carolina. Caught in a fierce storm, the ship is transported to another world populated by communities of humans who, like the Yankees, had been carried there over the centuries. The Yankees land on the shores of Suzdal, a medieval Russian city-state.
The Russian boyars, it seems, would be happy to eliminate these newcomers except that they can not overcome the Springfield rifled muskets and bronze twelve-pound muzzle-loading guns. But the big threat is not the lance-wielding knights. No, sir. For the original inhabitants of this world are eight foot tall, hairy, humanoid creatures who savor human flesh. The horde of Tugars circle the world on their horses of Clydesdale proportions, visiting the human communities along their route and assessing them twenty per cent of their population. The human rulers have little choice but to give up one in five of their people to the slaughter pits. The alternative is complete destruction.
Needless to say, the Yankees won't give up without a fight. First, overthrowing the boyars, the Yankees train and arm the Russian serfs. Then, they throw down the gauntlet to the approaching Tugars. In some of the very finest battle narrative, Forstchen describes defeat and victory so vividly as to captivate the reader. His descriptions of Tugar dealings with the "cattle", their name for human kind, are utterly horrifying. Self-sacrifice, tactical genius, abundant heroism, and industrial age weaponry all combine to give the humans a narrow margin of victory.
As the series continues, the human revolt against the horde spreads to a nation descended from ancient Rome. The Yankees create an industrial base and add newer, more lethal weapons to their arsenal - dirigibles, breech-loading firearms and cannon, steam-powered tanks. Likewise, they extend their command and control with their allies using rail and telegraph. By the fifth book in the series, warfare looks like the opening days of World War I.
The Tugars start the series looking an awftil lot like Huns or Mongols in their social system, weaponry, and tactics. Everyone is mounted and an excellent archer although they also carry lances and scimitars. They are an extremely cunning foe, using deception and ambush to great advantage. However, their utter contempt for humans leads them to make impetuous charges which often leads to their defeat. The humans depend on tactical defenses behind earthworks surrounded by abatis, which helps break up the cavalry charges. The humans also have a firepower advantage early in the wars and the Tugars come to fear the six pound field guns. As the series continues, the Tugars adapt, first moving to dismounted attacks as appropriate and eventually getting cannon and firearms of their own. The Tugars are more powerful than humans, particularly in hand-to-gland combat. And their stride is longer and thus they run faster than humans.
Well, if you are still with me, perhaps you can see the great potential for some very different wargaming. So far I am wargarning the early battles, the time when Tugars do not have firearms and the humans are only partially armed with muskets or rifles. First, let me discuss the models I use and then describe some of the units.
The Models
First off, no one makes Tugars but some possibilities exist nonetheless. I wargame this in 25mm scale but if you really want to create the massive battles described in the books, you need to go to a mix of 15 & 25 mm. For humans, I use Old Glory ACW figures in kepi and light equipment for the Yankees and medieval Russian Militia with spears for the serfs. I use my son's Warharnmer@ Empire figures for Russian musketeers. Napoleonic Russian Militia figures would also serve. As the Yankees modernize the Russians, you could use World War I Russian figures and be real close to the descriptions in the book. You can also use ACW figures in slouch hat and blanket roll as well. The Romans enter the fray in first century legionary garb but eventually move toward "comfortable confederate" in butternut when they receive their muskets and eventually rifles. There are very few human cavalry units in the early books and I don't use them but post ACW "Plains" uniforms and equipment are perfect.
I use Warhammer Orcs for the Tugars. Now the Orcs make particularly good Tugars because they are head and shoulders taller than the Old Glory figures. Also, they have a wide selection of partially armored figures armed with bow, spear, sword, war axe, and shield, just like the descriptions in the series. As a small drawback, Tugars don't have tusks but otherwise the physical comparison is close. Cavalry presents a problem. Tugars ride huge horses but Orcs ride boars. And Warhammer Orcs on boars are prohibitively expensive (unless you are a teen with no bills to pay). So I cheat. I use goblins on wolves when I really need Tugar cavalry. I mean, if you have suspended disbelief up to this point, what's the problem? The Warhammer plastic goblin cavalry set gives you a wide assortment of poses at a reasonable cost.
I choose to mount my figures singly but I attach magnetic tape to each base. Then I use metal bases large enough for 4-6 figures. I put the metal base on top of a foam core base to give my hands something to grip. This allows me to move several figures at once and still remove single figures as casualties accrue.
The Units
I use a ratio of 1 figure to 20 people/Tugars. At full strength, Tugar regiments are 1000 strong which means 50 figures but I use units of 20 figures. Human battalions are 500 strong at full strength but most have been ground down to 300 or so, so I use 15 figure units. The Lost Regiment series is hugely expansive as far as types of units, uniforms, and equipment. What I show here are some early units. I try to put one officer, one standard bearer, and one musician (humans use bugles, Tugars use large, deep-pitched horns) with each unit. They have no special role in my rules, just create a good visual presentation. Tugar standards are embellished with human skulls, another reason to recommend Warhammer accessories.
Maine Infantry
There is only one battalion of these boys, equipped with Springfields. Obviously, I do my best to keep these guys out of harm's way and use them only in emergencies. I use my Yankees in company size (4-5 figure) units so they can stiffen the line.
New York artillery
Again, only one unit and equipped with four 12 pound smoothbores.
Russian militia
The militia are equipped with spears initially and eventually move to smoothbore muskets cast away by the Russian regulars as they modernize. Russian militiamen are only called upon in the most desperate situations, as when Suzdal was besieged.
Snipers.
Later in the series, very small units of snipers are formed. I don't use snipers but you may want to use one or two single figures with great range and accuracy. Humans particularly targeted Tugar officers and gun crews.
Russian regulars
First armed with smoothbore muskets, eventually the Yankees gear up the machine tools to produce muzzle-loading rifles. Russian regulars fill the bulk of the human army.
Russian artillery
Start with four pound iron muzzle loaders. Four guns to a horse battery. Eventually upgraded to twelve pounders and finally to breech loaded rifles. In any event, there were usually more of the older. batteries present on the battlefield than newer weapons.
Rocket Batteries
As a "surprise" weapon, the humans built rocket batteries on rail cars. Each battery fired a hundred or so rockets and each warhead was a shrapnel round. These were devastating area weapons but there is a very real chance of misfires in the tube which can destroy the battery during firing. Also, errant rockets can inflict friendly casualties. I fight smaller tactical battles and the humans reserved rockets for emergency use only. Also, the target needs to be within a couple kilometers of a railroad track.
Tugars
I have two levels of Tugars - guard and regular. The guards have better morale and fighting characteristics. Each Tugar is equipped with a bow and hand weapons but I form distinct units of archers, spearmen, and swordsmen. Tugar cavalry are either archers or spear/lancers. All except archers can carry shields.
Smaller Scale
As mentioned earlier, as the series evolves, battles become multi-corps affairs. To replicate these, a smaller scale of figures is a good idea. I would suggest using 15mm ACW humans and 25mm/HO scale Tugars. Use bluecoats for the Yankee infantry, artillery, and human cavalry; gray Confederates for Russians; and butternut for Romans. Designate some infantry units smoothbore musket and some rifled musket. For Tugars, consider using Huns for cavalry and Dark Ages barbarians for infantry. When the Tugars start arming themselves with firearms, I think cossacks might be a good match.
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© Copyright 2001 Hal Thinglum
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