Great Northern War

Great Northern War

Fight across the battlefields of Northern and Eastern Europe in Great Northern War, a detailed tactical wargame covering the campaigns, battles, and skirmishes that ended Swedish dominance of the Baltic and transformed Russia into a European great power.

From Humlebæk and Narva to Kliszów, Fraustadt, Holowczyn, Poltava, Helsingborg, Stresow, and the final campaigns in Finland and Norway, Great Northern War places you in command of the armies that fought for control of the Baltic world. What began in 1700 as a coordinated assault by Russia, Denmark-Norway, and Saxony against the young King Charles XII became a grueling 21-year struggle across Scandinavia, the Baltic provinces, Poland-Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, and Northern Germany.

Take command in Great Northern War, where detailed tactical maps and historically grounded orders of battle place you in control of armies fighting across snow-covered plains, frozen rivers, fortified towns, forests, marshes, villages, coastal regions, and open continental battlefields. Every engagement is shaped by the realities of early 18th-century warfare: aggressive shock tactics, disciplined musket fire, pikes and bayonets, cavalry charges, dismounted dragoons, field fortifications, morale, command, supply, attrition, and extreme winter weather.

Command the Armies of Northern Europe

Recreate the major campaigns of the Great Northern War from either side of the conflict.

Lead Sweden and its allies, including:

Swedish Guards and line infantry

Finnish infantry and cavalry

Provincial and enlisted regiments

Swedish cavalry and dragoons

Troops from Sweden’s Baltic and German possessions

Pro-Swedish Polish and Lithuanian formations

Cossack allies

Swedish field and regimental artillery

Or command the Northern Alliance and Sweden’s other enemies, including:

Russian Guards and regular infantry

Russian dragoons and cavalry

Russian Cossacks and irregular forces

Danish regulars and militia

Danish cavalry and dragoons

Norwegian infantry and dragoons

Norwegian ski troops

Saxon infantry, cavalry, and dragoons

Polish-Lithuanian hussars, pancerni, rajtars, dragoons, cossacks, and noble levy

Prussian and other allied contingents

The historically accurate Order of Battle reflects the many armies, alliances, and internal divisions that shaped the war. Swedish forces begin the conflict with superior training, leadership, morale, and aggressive doctrine, while the Russian army develops from an inexperienced and uneven force into a disciplined military capable of defeating its former teachers.

A War Across the Baltic World

Great Northern War covers the full scope of the conflict across its major campaigns and theaters.

Fight through the opening campaigns of 1700 and 1701, when Denmark-Norway, Saxony, and Russia launched separate attacks against Sweden. Lead Charles XII’s rapid counteroffensives at Humlebæk, Narva, and Riga, where the Swedish army defeated each opponent before the alliance could concentrate its strength.

Campaign across Poland and Lithuania, where Sweden’s invasion became entangled with political division, disputed kingship, and civil war. Fight for cities, river crossings, fortresses, and the allegiance of Polish and Lithuanian factions while attempting to force Augustus the Strong from the Polish throne.

Invade Russia in the decisive campaign of 1708 and 1709. Advance across vast distances, protect vulnerable supply columns, overcome fortified river crossings, and confront a reformed Russian army using scorched-earth tactics, superior numbers, and the punishing climate to wear down the Swedish advance.

Defend Finland after Poltava as Russian armies move westward through the Swedish Empire. Conduct delaying actions, defend river and lake crossings, and attempt to prevent smaller Finnish forces from being outflanked and overwhelmed.

Fight across Scania and Sweden’s German possessions as Denmark, Saxony, Russia, and Prussia return to the war. Defend Swedish territory, relieve threatened fortresses, attack entrenched camps, and struggle to preserve Sweden’s remaining position on the European continent.

Lead the final Swedish invasions of Norway, where mountains, winter weather, hunger, disease, and fortified positions prove as dangerous as the opposing army. Attempt to capture Trondheim and reverse Sweden’s declining fortunes before the war reaches its conclusion.

Tactical Warfare in the Baltic World

The Great Northern War was fought during a period of changing doctrine, weaponry, and military organization. Armies entered the conflict with sharply different approaches to infantry fire, cavalry action, and battlefield command.

Fight across battlefields where:

Swedish Gå-På tactics combine close-range volleys with aggressive infantry shock attacks

Swedish infantry use formations combining musketeers and pikemen

Danish infantry rely on disciplined musket fire without pikes

Russian infantry and leadership improve as Peter I’s military reforms take effect

Cavalry doctrine ranges from aggressive Swedish charges to more controlled fire-and-charge tactics

Dragoons may operate as cavalry or dismount to fight on foot depending on their army and role

Polish-Lithuanian hussars and pancerni bring armor, mobility, and powerful cavalry shock action

Cossacks, ski troops, and other light forces excel at reconnaissance, harassment, and movement through difficult terrain

Regimental guns support advancing infantry while heavier artillery dominates sieges and fortified positions

Snow, mud, forests, rivers, marshes, and extreme cold shape movement, fatigue, supply, and combat

The game models the differences between Swedish veterans, provincial formations, Finnish troops, early- and late-war Russian armies, Danish and Norwegian forces, Saxon regulars, Polish-Lithuanian cavalry, Prussian contingents, militia, and irregular troops. Unit quality reflects training, leadership, morale, equipment, and historical battlefield performance.

89 Detailed Scenarios

Great Northern War includes 89 scenarios covering engagements of all sizes, including:

A solo tutorial scenario

Major historical battles

Smaller skirmishes and regional actions

River crossings and amphibious operations

Sieges and attacks on fortified positions

Variant and what-if scenarios

Specialized versions for both head-to-head play and play against the AI

The game covers famous and lesser-known actions from the Great Northern War and the included Scanian War content, including:

Halmstad