Brisbane Independent Gamers group member and DBM enthusiast Paul Turner reports on a recent play-testing of the new DBR rule set.
While many traditional DBM players have taken to DBR since the release of the new rules sets, and army books, I had my debut with my beautiful Dennis Misso-painted New Model Army English at the BIG club meeting on the 22 August 1999. What I found was that the DBR system should appeal to anyone interested in either DBM, or the later Horse and Musket periods, and is the bloodiest set of rules I think I've ever played!
As a DBM, Napoleon's Battles and recent ACW player, I was interested in filling in the void in the time-line by acquiring a DBR army and giving the rules a go. Mark Lauchs and I fought a 400-point English Civil War battle with my New Model English against Charles I's Royalist forces.
Both Mark and I were beginners, so the battle probably didn't reach any great tactical level, but it did provide a valuable insight into the rules system, and an enormous amount of fun.
The terrain was minimal with hills and rough on either flank, allowing a nice open battlefield for this traditional fight.
Mark had three commands with his flank commands each including a mix of Pike (0), Shot (0) and Cavalier Pistols (F) while his centre command was made up of Pike and Shot with a couple of Artillery (0).
Cromwell's boys seemed to be lacking his flair and set up safely with each flank anchored on an area of rough. The three commands, from left to right, were a mixed 4-Pike (0) and 8-Shot (0) command with two artillery (0) pieces anchored on the left flank rough, the C-in-C's centre command of 6-Pike (0) and 12- Shot (0) and a flank command of 12 stands of Pistols (0) plus a Pistols (0) sub-general.
This set-up was DBM-based with a large cavalry wing. While initially successful, this deployment was shown up late in the battle to be somewhat flawed.
The battle began with the cheeky Royalists quickly racing some of their right flank Pistols (F) around the rough to threaten Cromwell's rear. This panicked the normally unflappable Cromwell, who quickly turned a couple of stands of Shot, a couple stands of Pike, the C-in-C and left flank sub-general to meet this threat. Cromwell responded by relying on his Ironsides to win the day, and a mass charge of Pistols (0) from my right flank headed across the open spaces to smash into the opposite command. Some quick manoeuvring by the Royalists saw the centre command's Foot come forward to threaten the flank of the charging Pistols. This forced me to detach a couple of stands of Pistols to ward off this threat, while the rest crunched into the opposite command of Pistols, Pike and Shot.
The charge was an outstanding success, and within two bounds the Royalists' left flank crumbling under the weight of Ironside Pistols. Of particular success was my ability to turn some Pike, kill them and take out two stands of Shot facing in a different direction behind them. Unfortunately, the Royalist centre of Pike and Shot had moved forward, and was rolling up the Pistols from the centre.
The Pistols and the left flank of the Royalists broke within a bound of each other. Here was a major change though from those used to DBM, because both of us were able to eventually rally enough of our troops to keep the fight going despite our losses. Meanwhile, the battle had become joined on my far left flank where four Pistols (F) of the Royalists had exposed my poor set-up and moved in to threaten my rear. The quickly thrown-together, last-ditch defence of two Pike, two Muskets (both two ranks deep), my C-in-C and a sub-general met them and a battle royal was joined. The Royalist charge took advantage of the DBR rule that gives a big advantage to the Pistols which charge and, before I knew it, my C-in-C was dead. Calamity.
Fortunately, my Pike, Shot and sub-general were much more successful and all won their combats, killing two of the attacking Pistols and halting the rear attack in its tracks. Luckily the C-in-C was the only element I had lost at that stage from the centre command, so it held and kept on fighting.
With both flanks largely fighting each other to a standstill, the centre was where the battle would be won or lost. We manoeuvred to positions where we could bring our shot to bear, and the Royalists, with three and four-deep pike phalanxes compared to the thinner New Model Army two-ranked pike looked to have the advantage as the Foot came together.
However, with some judicious flank-turning, Cromwell's forces were able to pummel the approaching Pike with Shot fire, clearing away the front ranks and diminishing the advantage. The extra firepower from the 18 stands of Republican musketeers was the telling blow, along with some damn good dice rolling, and history was repeated with a shaky victory to the New Model Army.
A fine debut. It's good to see they fight well along with looking good.
Some lessons for the beginner. Mix up your Pistols with your Foot. While the mass charge worked wonderfully in the short term, it caused big problems later because I lacked the very distinct advantages gained from mixing the Pistols with the Shot, and therefore providing strong flank support. Another big difference between DBR and DBM is the speed of the moves, and of the game. The foot seemed to race across the ground, and often I thought I was safe from attack, only to find myself in hand-to-hand combat, or under fire, in the very next turn.
It is a very quick, easy and bloody set of rules that I highly recommend. Many of those with DBM armies can convert up to DBR without too much trouble, and I am now looking at trialing my Samurai as a DBR army before rushing out to buy the 16 stands of Shot which would make it realistic. I'm sure Ashugari Ax (X) look like musketeers.
My only problem with the rules was that 50 paces equalled 40 mm instead of an inch, and my maths skill was not up to the hasty conversions. I am planning on writing a quick ready-reckoner for easy conversions on movement distances.
Great fun, and highly recommended.
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