Ulster Wargames Society - Pike and Shotte ECW game (plus Zulu War, WW3 and FOGR)

UWS club day today and I partook in a very entertaining game using Pike and Shotte (from Black Powder stable) run by Billy with his excellent 28mm English Civil War, Scots Covenanters (apparently first time on table top) and Royalists. 

Not a scenario as such just an encounter set up by Billy with Dave S taking the Scots and I the Royalist forces. We both had two similar Brigades of foot and two cavalry wings with Scots having a extra battery of light guns.

Scots suffered a Blunder on first turn which saw an Infantry Brigade retire off-table (we allowed them to come back on to assist game) and this allowed me to get right onto their side of table on my right. This was just as well as two annoying wooded areas were cramping my movement options here. We both exchanged musketry and cannon shot in equal measure but Scots failed a couple of Break Tests (this was to be story of day for Dave S) and holes appeared in their lines which I was able to exploit. In one instance I did roll 7 hits out of 8 to Daves mere 1 in reply in a melee (wargames are games of skill I tells ya!).

My Cavalry on this flank were able to crush (more failed Break Tests) the Scots mounted who were somewhat inferior types (1 less dice in melee and crucially no ability to counter-charge as reliant on pistols) and I was able to turn this flank almost completely.

In centre I had a lesser Commander (7) who failed to advance quickly (several failed/single move command rolls) but as opposing Scots also held back this was a blessing in disguise somewhat. In later turns I did manage several potent volleys (lots of sixes causing Disorder) to harass the Scots foot.

Story on my left flank was that I had a mounted Brigade which included two Dragoon units who were able to advance quickly, dismount and occupy some buildings located on this flank from which they were able to really annoy the Scots mounted (and destroy an isolated gun battery).

My other mounted cavalry launched several charges of which the first singularly failed seeing me lose a unit of cavalry. However subsequently I launched a fresh unit lead by the Brigade commander (risky but great aid to melee hit chance) which routed enemy horse and conducted a sweeping advance to see off more Scots horse. Brigadier was however lucky not to be unhorsed by effective musketry. This saw Scots cavalry on this flank also broken.

With both flanks gone and his left flank foot Brigade under duress Dave called it a day and Scots yielded the field.

Great fun and things fairly belted along as forces engaged each other pretty quickly. Musketry having a whopping 18” range means pain gets inflicted tout suite. 

Been a long time since I played P&S and it took a couple of turns to again get head around the fact that each Pike and Shot Regiment is comprised of 3 'sub-units' (1 Pike block and 2 Musketeers units) rather than one unit with each being capable of independent action and with separate hits/morale states. This can look a bit odd at times compared to other sets I have used (generally such a unit would be a single entity) but once you accept this method of showing the formations and fighting style of period it mostly works especially if players don't abuse the system too much (melee can be confusing).Break tests (ala Black Powder) can be really brutal but that is how rules generate decisive results with minimal rules overhead.  

Initial deployments from behind Scots lines

Royalist right wing cavalry who were to ride to glory alongside Pike and Shot foot

Royalist Dragoons have dismounted and taken village and annoy Scots horse

From Scots perspective (they had just lost a gun battery to Dragoons in field)

Royalist central command is rather tardy in advancing

Things quickly got hot and heavy on Scots left as I tried to squeeze past the woods

Note Royalist cavalry pushing forward.

And they have now turned Scot left flank supported by their foot Regiments (a Scots pike block has just been destroyed by my pike charging their flank)

Scots horse on their right about to implode due to combo of broken and shaken units.

Pressure on Scots wings evident in this view with my....um...refused center 

Dave contemplates what could have been with Chris as Billy records for posterity

 

 

Also at club were other games for which a selection of pics, I have no idea as to outcomes

A Team Yankee game in 15mm run by Andy with BAOR vs USSR with loads of kit in action

Phil and son ran a Zulu Wars game with his 20(25?)mm and his trusty home brew rules (based on old Wargames Illustrated set)

And last but not least the Two Daves managed 2 Field Of Glory Renaissance games with Ottoman Turks versus Ethiopians which is certainly an army seldom seen in these parts.

 

Pike & Shotte - another (and better) Grand Alliance outing

Another game with Pike & Shotte at Billys with Simon and Bryn (Shane came, saw and cleared off early :-) ).
Essentially a repeat set up of last time, with Jacobites defending a ridgeline, but trying reduced Musket ranges (half for all small arms) and couple of rules we had forgotten last time.
Simon and I were the Jacobites with Billy and Bryn the Alliance forces.
Simon cannily withdrew his whole wing backwards to refuse our whole right and this frustrated Bryn whose forces failed to advance quickly enough to engage.
Simon had left one battery of guns on the ridge which managed to annoy Bryns forces.
Bryn did however send his Cavalry force to assist Billy on the Allied right.
And so the Jacobite left wing saw a real ding dong engagement from the get go with Billys Cavalry crashing into mine but being initially repulsed.
However his second wave pushed one of my Brigades back but thankfully some dismounted Dragoons and a supporting Brigade shored up this flank.
Simon did have some Cavalry support poised but not required.
Meanwhile (and in stark contrast to last encounter) Billys foot advanced en mass and even managed to get opening volley (I was holding mine for inevitable close combat) but thankfully this was mostly ineffective. Before engaging my ridge line units.
A to and fro battle ensued which the Jacobites managed to win breaking several Allied Foot units and eventually breaking 2 Brigades.
My Cavalry were battered and one Brigade broke but the other held.....just.....and with Billys Foot beaten the Allies yielded.
All in all a much better game with reduced firing ranges as more manouvre possible and units do get eyeball to eyeball much more.
Still find Black Powder system a bit too free and easy for my sensibilities at times especially in this period of slow/staid movements but it certainly plays quickly and decisively with lots of units in action.
Billys 15mm troops are a joy to behold (pics do not do them justice)
One thing to note in the above I had no moans about my dicing for once !

Pike & Shotte - A Nine Years War encounter

Game at Billys last night using Pike & Shotte rules with his super 15mm Grand Alliance troops of which there are copious amounts !
Billy set up forces to accommodate 5-6 players but in the end just Billy, Shane and I controlled the hordes.
I took Jacobite force (5 Brigades of Foot and 4 Cavalry with 3 Gun Batteries) nominally defending a ridge line with the chaps controlling the Grand Alliance forces (6-8 Foot and 5-6 Mounted Brigades and 3 Cannon ?).
Lots to control but with Black Powder stable of rules highly doable.
Grand Alliance had poor Command Rolls and then hit a steel wall/storm of musketry and cannon fire (of which more later) which pretty much stopped any general advance with lots of units Disordered and several Shaken.
In P&S units with Pikes in Disorder can cause Disorder on units interpenetrating or interpenetrated, a nice simple rule although we got this slightly wrong as made it an auto cause instead of on a dice roll of 6 only.
The Pike Company rule is good (Cavalry lose all bonuses against Infantry units with a Pike component and such Infantry gains versus Mounted) meaning its a foolhardy Cavalry unit that would charge Pike assisted units in most circumstances.
On Allied right Billy charged from get go (its BP system !) hitting my own mounted and 2 units of Dismounted Dragoons (treated as small units of skirmishing Infantry).
One Dragoon Fired and Evaded the other failed to Evade but performed heroically (good dice rolls) halting the enemy Mounted unit.
My impacted Cavalry lost and retired and Billy used a Sweeping Advance to hit support which also Retired.
However his unit now isolated and vulnerable to my supports.
On my turn my supporting Cavalry Brigade duly charged into Billys defeating them and with supporting Musketry he soon had Shaken.
Meanwhile my dismounted Dragoons continued to hang on inflicting casualties on enemy horse and surviving 2 Break Tests which with my dice rolls is no mean feat !
Subsequently Billy Brigade broke (3 out of 5 units Shaken) and he had to commit a fresh Brigade which fared little better with several being Disordered from my shooting (several opportune 6's !!!).
On my right Shane and I exchanged volleys with Allies suffering slightly worse and both reticent to commit Mounted Brigades (after having seen the carnage elsewhere was probably prudent).
Only 1 Allied Foot Brigade even got close to my lines and its front ranks were Shaken and Disordered by Close Range Volleys.
We called it there as seemed Allies were never going to get in any sort of order or strength.
Spectacular looking game with lots and lots of units and indeed very fast playing.

BUT.........I do feel this period is ill served overall by BP/P&S (as written) rules as the musket volleys are equally as 'good' as those of SYW or Napoleonic period and with a massive 18" range ! (no doubt with 28mm it would not look just as 'bad').
This jarred for the period and meant at up to 18" with First Fire I could unload 4 dice per unit (more than Arty which only gets 2 dice) and even I when firing say 10 units (40 dice) will manage at least 1 or 2 sixes to Disorder the enemy with hits added bonus.
Cavalry all get 1 Dice to fire as well (up to a huge 12") which of course means on a 6 they can Disorder target, again this just does not gel with my feel of the period (Pistol armed types 'only' fire to 6" but as this is Close Range they hit on 3+ rather than default 4+ as we understood rules !?).
If I were to House Rule I would try reducing Muskets/Carbines/Pistols to half range (keeping moves and artillery as is) with no + at Close Range and -1 at 3-9".
I would be tempted to reduce these ranges further as in period, volleys were generally  loosed off at well under 100yds indeed often at under 50yds due to training, accuracy (lack thereof) and doctrine, maybe 6" maximum.
Only if charged would I allow the +1 hit benefit, if only to discourage relentless charging.
Mounted I would only allow the 1 shot as Closing Fire and without any +1 benefit.
Only Shock Cavalry (essentially the French) would get +1 to hit benefit in Charge/Counter-charge situation Firearm types get the 1 dice shot.
I would consider this Mounted Shot as not being able to Disorder but that might be too severe.
For Foot I would not allow a Charge to Contact with enemy until after First Fire has been used.
I would also consider making it harder to get 2 or 3 moves with Foot (-3/4 = 2 moves -4 = 3 moves vis Command Roll ?) to reflect ponderous non-cadenced moves of the period as opposed to 'Exocet missile' mode they currently possess (an overall BP system 'problem/issue').

Not fully sure there would be no unintended consequences with these tweaks and could slow game slightly (maybe not so desirable for a big evening game ?) but do on face value seem at least in principle somewhat more akin to late 17th Century European Warfare as I understand it.
Otherwise its just another Lace War (or Blue Team vs Red Team) in different uniforms, only real difference being the Pike Companies (a nice rule that works and is easy).

Always a balancing act between game speed/playability and history I guess, but personally I much prefer more historically based substance to a simple 'moving diorama' and/or 'dice fest'.


All figures and terrain courtesy of Billy (his room is a treasure trove of figures in all scales and periods !).
The amount of troops and units present here certainly put 'Grand' into the War of Grand Alliance for an evening game.
His hospitality (and on this occasion dice rolling) much appreciated especially as mine was much better than usual.
Is this how the 'Dice Demon' gets to feel every game/roll !!!!!?????










Billy deploys his ill-fated Horse Brigades (note just some of his collection visible behind)

Central massed Alliance Foot Brigades (and more shelves of figures)

Alliance left commanded by Shane.

My right

Jacobite centre

And left wing

Dragoon 'heroes' just about visible on extreme left

Green 'puff' indicates a Jacobite Brigade with Freshly Raised and Untested units

My right wing Cavalry moves forward but never went further as Allied Dragoons dismounted in wooded area

The lone Allied Infantry 'almost' assault. The purple dice on my unit to right signifies that its Untested outcome gave it a very desirable 4 Stamina

Allied right in disarray as one Brigade breaks

Allied horse repelled. The hero Dragoons still in situ despite having hits (should read 3)

Musket balls exchanged at 18" (it even looks daft to me here) and note hits and disorders on enemy waaaayy across field

Shanes Guard units with hits from my 'long range snipers'

Good view of Allied lines staggered far too far from my ridge line but it does look epic

Jacobite cavalry begin to push their advantage on left wing

Jacobite centre also with several Disordered units from Allied long range laser guided Musket Volleys. Two were also Shaken out of 5 Unit Brigade at this point.