Rebellion! Question

[Greg]

Hello,

So glad to have the forums back.

I have two Amusettes with my Hessian Jaegers. Fine figures from Perry Miniatures. What should their stats be for Black Powder? I don’t see anything in Rebellion!

Thanks,

Greg

[Dr Dave]

They’re in the Guildford Court House list on p134.

[Greg]

Thank you, Dr. Dave, but I do not see stats for the amusettes anywhere on pg 134. Jaegers, yes, but not the amusettes.

[Dr Dave]

Ahhhh – noted

I’d treat them as being carried within a unit, not as a unit in themselves I think. They’re too small to be a light gun, but clearly pack a heavier punch than a normal firearm.

The awkwardness comes from them being “in” a tiny unit already with “sharpshooter” and carrying rifles. What about counting the target as under artillery fire for their morale save?

The other option is to resign yourself to the fact that few were carried and simply add them to the unit since they look so funky, but actually ignore them for game purposes?

[Greg]

Either works, I think. I like the target counts as under artillery fire option. I’ll try that with my opponents and see what they think. Thanks, Dr. Dave!

[Greg]

Okay, so my opponent hollered like was trying to saw off a part of his anatomy using a rusty bread knife. He said it’s not even remotely fair. I countered with using them as battalion guns (24″, 12″ manhandle, -1 break for artillery and -1 morale save but separate unit). He countered with in the unit, doesn’t change size, +1 shot, -1 morale save, but cannot enter woods.

These are 50 pound guns. Not certain about the weight of a mantlet. The lightest cannons are 500 pounds or so. I think they can move amusettes through the woods (that was part of their point, heavier weapons that could actually get through North American woods).

Still working this out, I think. If anyone has other ideas, I’d love to hear them. Right now I am looking at:

Jaegers with Amusettes (small unit, 3 shooting, -1 morale save, moves through woods, skirmishing, marauder, ). The amusettes are not a separate unit.

Amusettes as separate unit (light cannon, battalion gun with 24″ range, 12″ manhandle)

[Dr Dave]

Battalion guns are really the 3pdr types… Bigger than your amusette. When I suggested -1 on the save, what I was thinking of was that and nothing else. So your tiny unit fires, score a hit and instead of saving on a 4+, the target saves on a 5+. Nothing more – I wouldn’t count the -1 for a casualty from artillery fire for example or the -2 for close range, or anything else; no canister, no +1 to hit if the target is in attack column etc…

I think that they can certainly move through woods with/in the unit – otherwise what’s the point of that unit having them?

The counter has to be a slower rate of fire, couple of chaps to lug it about perhaps with the ammo, so while they’re firing the Amusette they’re not firing their rifles?

It’s a tricky one.

[invisible officer]

I doubt that it was possible to get the Amusette through an American wood of the time. It was no European one cleaned of scrub by peasants collecting stuff for heating but more a jungle. Just remember how one of the last old style Woods in Western Europe, the Hürtgenwald, made transport of mortars and HMG a nightmare away from the paths.

The Hessen-Kassel Jäger used 1 pdr guns designed by Oberst Huth. In Europe they are one horse drawn.
Barrel weight was up to 175 Kilogramm.
Crew was 3 men.
Iron balls got used and in Europe often put into a fire to get them red hot to inflame palisades or buildings.
Other amo used was Grape, 100 8 Gramm lead balls.

Rate of fire was like 3 pdr Battalion gun.

For movement one should not forget the amo transport problems.

[Greg]

Thanks, Invisible Officer, but the research I have done thus far indicates a weight of 50 pounds, not attached to a carriage, picked up and carried by two men. It’s a 1.2″ ball, 1/4 of a pound and a length of 5 to 7 feet. I don’t see that as particularly immobile, even in the woods of Pennsylvania at the time. The indications that I have seen were that it was used for precisely that reason. It was the only thing that they could get through the terrain reliably.

The mantlet might be more of a problem. I am uncertain as to the weight and it is wheeled. I would not be surprised if it got left behind when necessary. It was not required for the gun to function, however, and it was not attached.

[invisible officer]

Aaaah, thats the clue. You asked for the Amusette. I
had not looked into the Perry site so answered about the true Jäger Amusette. The thing shown there under that name is the Wallbüchse that the Jäger had too, a super heavy Rifle.

I guess some AWI authors and miniature makers mix the two.

The HK Jäger had 3 pdr guns (left at home depots) , 1 pdr Amusettes and quarter Pfund Wallbüchsen. Hessisches Pfund, not the British pound.

The Wallbüchse was not intended for battle but siege and camp defence. Picking artillery crews and sentries, in field battle it would be of little use. Slow to load and slow to move.

If you try to drive the wheeled mantlet through thick scrub you will soon get tired of cutting brush.

It is a nice model but in battle just a rifle with a higher range. If one insists to use it in battle games it should be just another rifleman but moving slower.

[Author]

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