Finnish cuirassiers charge between the German Leibgard and a nondescript Swedish regiment from the left against two Spanish Imperialist units and a party of Imperial lancers. The Leibgards, for that manner, all infantry units shown are deployed in a mixed formation with a dense column of pikes flanked by the standard depth of 2 musketeer bases on either side.

The early 17th century is just beginning to attract the attention of collectors and wargamers in the English speaking countries, part of that attention, naturally enough, centers on the English Civil War which broke out in the 1640's, but a good bit lingering on the Thirty Years War on the continent. Having been puttering around with pike and shot wargames for some time, I though a few notes might be in order.

Tactical units for the pike and shot era are a far more complicated matter than for the "musket period," since in the latter case the overwhelming majority of infantry fought with musket and bayonet in homogeneous tactical formations, while in the former the infantry was not only divided into pike and shot, but among the shot contained arquebuses and muskets. Moreover, since the "shot" had little power to stand cavalry in the open, it was generally necessary to keep the two major categories in the same tactical units all the way down to the company. Muskets of the period, which had an agonizingly slow rate of fire, also had to form in deep formations for fire action, and the cavalry, relying heavily on pistols, also formed in deep formations for the same purpose.

By the Thirty Years War continental armies, especially on the Imperial side, relied on the Tercio as the basic large field unit. The Tercic, had come a long way from the original 8x200 pike, 100 arquebus, and 20 musket companies with with 2 arquebus companies of 300 arquebuses and 20 muskets to a slightly more flexible force. The companies of most armies had become more balanced, and in the Swedish Army a system had been introduced calling for 2x200 man (approximately) companies to a battalion, 2 battalions to a regiment, and 2 regiments to a brigade. Even the early Tercio, however, had been capable in some circumstances of fighting by formed detachments, which somewhat lessened the waste inherent in the huge division square of the total unit.

By mid century, the English "New Model Army" under Cromwell was formed of regiments, each containing 10 companies-of 120 men, and, according to the terms of Cromwell's treaty with Mazarin (alliance against Spain in the Netherlands) some 5,000 men, with 2,500 pikes (referred to as lances in the French text) and 2,500 muskets were sent to aid Turenne's French troops.

By that time the sword and buckler troops who had supported the old Spanish Tercio's had disappeared-their primary purpose had been the slaughter of unsupported pikes, but they had little capacity to face cavalry and no fire effect. The Halbard, once the national weapon of the Swiss, had disappeared except for ceremonial usage by dismounted officers and guards of standards.

Tabletop Representation

The method of representing "pikes and shot" units is quite a problem Some years ago Ted Haskell suggested the use of "files", i.e. , several figures on a strip of cardboard or other material one behind the other to represent the depth required to maintain a steady fire. These units, of course, would only be able to fire and fight when formed up.

Blair Stonier, who has read and collected extensively on the pike and shot period, suggested, in view of the complex composition of the infantry, that a "1 for 10" representation be used, leading to a company of 30 and a tercio of 300 figures (approximately) on the display or wargame table.

Pierre Foure, in France, uses, I believe, 64 figures to the Tercio, with the pike bases occupying one hexagon on the playing area, and 4 small groups of muskets deployed in adjoining polygons at the corners.

My own solution has, for a variety of practical and sometimes not very satisfactory reasons, been somewhat different. I mistrusted the "file" system, which has much to recommend it, because allowing each file to fire would give the effect of a Napoleonic battalion column in which all muskets could bear directly forward, rather than reflecting the fact that low rate of fire necessitated the depth of formation in order to maintain a similar rate of fire, hence the "file base" would only constitute a fraction of the mass needed to deliver a succession of significant volleys on each turn.

Moreover, since wargame armies usually represent several men with one, a depth of, for example, four figures would be equivalent not to a depth of 6 to 12, but perhaps 100, which was not necessary even in those days. The 1 to 10 ratio presented practical problems. With formations of three hundred or more men bulging hither and yon on the table top (even if anyone I knew had several formation 300 strong for the period) would get out of hand. That system does, of course, offer possibilities to the dioramist, who can limit the scope of his work.

For my own purposes, a double rank of musketeers, or a single rank of arquebuses, is needed to maintain a steady volley, though a single base of four musketeers or a half base of two arquebusiers may fire at reduced effectiveness as skirmishers. By "skirmishers," of course, I am referring to the quaint custom of sending out bands of "shot" ahead of the main body to snipe at the enemy, screen, scout, and cause trouble.

These troops, with clumsier firearms and less hand capacity than later skirmishers, were even more vulnerable to cavalry and formed troops, earning the title "forlorn" or "forlorn hope" in the British armies, and "Enfants Perdus" (lost children) in the French service. Their plight was kept bearable only by the clumsiness of formed units, both horse and foot.

Ignoring, as is often my habit, the precise national and local distinctions in the size and composition of units, I normally form infantry basic units with 4 "shot" and 4 pike bases, ranging from 30 to 40 figures of which 8 are normally officers, standards, musicians, etc. Cavalry, which formed all the way down to independent troops in some armies, is represented by a staff base of 2 cadres (officers, musicians, etc.) and 2 bases of 4 troopers each. These conglomerations are theoretically around 1,000 strong in the case of infantry, 250 in the case of cavalry, or the strength of a regiment of infantry in the Swedish system, a third of a Tercio in the old Spanish system.

More satisfactory, for some, would be a company of 10 figures, 2 officers, 4 pikemen, and 4 muskets or arquebuses. These could be used 10 to a Tercio, 4 to a Swedish regiment, etc. This would call for a reduced fire power per volley for the muskets, but I would be more tempted to adopt it if my pike and musket troops were not 30mm flats boxed in sets of 18-20 figures.

Rules for the period must take into account the following types:

Infantry

Pikemen: Heavy infantry with no firearms but substantial shock effect, carrying weapons 18 ft. or so in length, usually protected by armor, and having a sword as a sidearm. They may change only when acting independently against infantry, and their combat power is reduced by Woods, building, and fence crossings.

Musketeers: Soldiers armed with a long firearm normally fired from a forked rest, and a sword, rarely used, as a sidearm. These troops must form in deep order for steady fire, move slowly when loading.

Arquebusiers: These troops had a smaller, shorter ranged, and less accurate handgun, having about half the range and twice the rate of fire of the musket, hence less depth was required for sustained fire and movement while loading was less difficult.

Cavalry

Lancers: Lancers were relatively rare except in Poland, Spain, and Scotland. Except in Poland, where special rules would have to be adopted, lancers were usually poorly disciplined and difficult to rally after a charge or to maneuver, but, when able to deliver a charge more or less in concert, were powerful against pistol armed cavalry. They tended to fight in shallower formations, if the term applied at all.

Cuirassiers: Heavily armed troopers, sometimes clad in steel from head to toe, who relied on pistol fire followed up with the broadsword, and normally attacked in deep columns at the trot.

Arquebusier zu Pferd: Often equipped with breastplate and helmet, faster on the field when galloping than the cuirassiers, but usually relied on firearms at the trot.

Dragoons

The dragoons, by this time, usually relied on arquebus or musket in dismounted action, sometimes having 1 trooper with lance to form the front rank of the dismounted formation. They were poorly mounted for the most part, hence would be cheaper and cost less in points than cavalry, fighting only on foot except occasionally in pursuit. If you find yourself in possession of an armored dragoon, refer back to arquebusier zu pferd.

Croats, who seem to have been dragoons for the most part, were known to fight mounted as light cavalry. They, like various other types of light horse, were of little use mounted on the field, but were adept at pillaging and terrorizing the countryside and could often be useful in ambush situations.

Infantry Movement
Type	Road	Charging	Route column	Formed	Routed
Mixed Infantry	6"	6"	5"	4"	4", then 8"
Musketeers	6"	6"	5"	4"	4", then 8"
Arquebuses	6"	8"	6"	8" (as skirmishers)	5"	8"

Cavalry Movement
Type	Walk	Trot	Charge	Rout	Gallop
Cuirassier	5"	10"	10"	10", then 15	--
Lancer	5"	10"	15"	10", then 15	--
Dragoon	5"	10"	--	10", then 15"	15" or 20" (very light)
Arquebusier	5"	10"	10"	10", then 15"	15"

The trot may include up to 2 changes of direction of 30 degrees, the walk up to 90 degrees change of direction. A gallop must be taken (including the second move of a rout) at an angle within 30 degrees to either side of direction faced at the beginning of the turn. This directional limitation also applies to an all out charge of infantry. The fire of infantry must also be directed within 30 degrees of the direction faced by the infantry base when firing.

Weapon Range and Accuracy

Weaponry
Type	Hit with die score of:
	4-5-6	5 or 6	6 only
Pistol Mounted	enter melee	5"	--
Arquebus Mtd.	--	5"	10"
Arquebus (foot)	5"	10"	--
Musket	10"	15"	20"

Melee Value

Cuirassier: 2 points Officer (8 per infantry unit, 2 per cavalry unit):3
Lancer: 2 points plus 2 points per base impetus
Arquebusier zu Pferd: 1.5 points
Pikeman: 1.5 points

"Shot": 1.0 against infantry, .5 against cavalry. When a mixed formation of pike and shot is attacked by cavalry and infantry the "shot" troops count at .5.

Stopping a charge: If one of the bases of a mixed unit of infantry (must contain at least 1 pike per 2 shot) rolls a 6 at point blank range against an attacking unit when firing the charge is stopped and the loss assessed against an officer.

If a unit of pistol armed cavalry meets an enemy unit and rolls a 6 for its pistol fire as it goes into the melee the enemy unit loses 2 points per base, receives no impetus, and is considered in disorder during the melee. This may be done to a unit of infantry (no more than 8 bases) but will of course not be of much value if the infantry unit has also rolled a 6 to stop the charge.

Melee Results: After establishing the victor by multiplying the combat value of each side by 3 dice for each 4 infantry or 2 cavalry bases, two dice are rolled and applied to the combat results table.

Mixed infantry or pikes: 0 difference-1 killed per enemy cavalry unit 2 per enemy infantry unit from the defeated side. The defeated unit holds its position or retreats 1 move.

1 difference-1 killed per each victorious infantry unit, 1 wounded per pair, defeated unit retreats in order on the next turn.

2 difference, as above but 2 wounded per pair of attacking units, and the unit stands or retreats in disorder (fights with value reduced by 2 points per base on the following turn.)

3 difference-Same morale state, but may not stand, 3 wounded instead of 2.

A difference of 4 or 5 continues to increase wounded (or prisoners) and route the defeated unit. Impetus: Adds 1 point per base to isolated pikes (not mixed) making a charge (8") or trotting cavalry which does not have to turn during its attack move. Impetus also adds 2 points per base to charging lancers or to other cavalry which both players agree to permit a charge at the gallop. Cavalry charging at the gallop requires two turns to reform after melee (may pursue broken troops for one turn before beginning to rally) during which time it may not fire and fights at 3/4 value only if attacked.

Normal losses for infantry (shot only), cavalry, and artillery are as follows:

Dice Difference	Type	Disposition	Killed (per enemy unit	Wounded (pairs)
0	Heavy Cavalry	Stands in order or retreats	1	0
1	Infantry	retreats shaken (2 pts)	1	0
2		retreats shaken	1	0
3		routed	1	1
4		routed	1	2
5		routed	1	3
0	Musketeers/ Arquebuses	retreats in order	1	0
1		routed	1	1
2		routed	1	2
3		routed	1	3
4		routed	1	4
5		routed	1	5

Light or medium cavalry suffers the same loss as heavy cavalry, but is routed by anything but a "0" difference. A routed unit, when attacked, does not fight and has losses assessed against it at the normal rate.

One killed is assessed against a victorious unit for each defeated unit if the defeated unit was either stronger in points than the victor, or was a pike or mixed infantry, or heavily armored cavalry unit and not routed in the melee.

Attacker's benefits:2 points per base of the unit attacked in flank. 4 points per base of the unit attacked in rear.

Skirmishers (or "shot" attacked by cavalry) are automatically broken by formed troops, losing 1 figure per attacking unit and entering a rout.

Light cavalry being attacked by pikemen may fire and retreat without loss, but must retreat 1 turn and rally on the next before it can fire or charge, and is in disorder while rallying, considered routed while running.

1630: Uniform Notes