Two Questions

[smalcolmson126]

Just learning P&S. So questions:
1. We had a pike unit charge another pike unit. The defender had support on both sides from Musket. Can these Musket units fire as the pike charge in? From reading seems no but want to be sure. Just seems odd that the muskets would just watch the pike charge in.
2. Still unsure about ‘Combined units’ in To Kill A King’. I have read over the description on p. 144 and about Pike Company on p. 91 of the main rules. However, it seems unclear to me. How is this represented? If I read it right, this seems to make more sense to me, rather than treating pike and shot as totally independent entities.

[Corso]

Hi Smalcomson

1) As far as I know no, unless they are in a hedgehog formation with the pike block.

2) From the thirty years war onwards, I would use the combined units rules. I find them much more historically accurate than separate units (unless for specific scenarios). You still get the option to field separate musketeer units as commanded shot. For 16th century battles I would keep units of pike and musketeers/arquebusiers separate.

Hope this helps 🙂

[Charge The Guns]

Hi Smalcolmson

1. Agree with Corso. The shot can’t target the unit charging the pike. I can’t remember this ever being much of an issue in my games, but I do rather like the idea of allowing this. It makes perfect sense. I’m going to try it.

2. I think of the combined units as just one level up in detail. Rather than a pike and shot formation being three units in the game it becomes a single unit. It shoots, and gets some melee benefits against cavalry. (You may want to adjust unit widths as part of doing this, especially wrt cavalry.) I play both ways. In very large games we may use combined units to speed up play. In smaller actions we like to still model the dynamic of separate units. (Note, some people find this an anathema and get cross, so beware 😉 .)

I’m currently doing a lot of TYW games with Swedes and the separate units do allow us to play with the Swedish squadron formation. Still working it out, but couldn’t do this (and it wouldn’t look as cool!) with simple combined units.

With both queries I would suggest trying some things out and seeing what you and your gaming buddies prefer.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Charge The Guns.

[Corso]

Agree with CTG – whatever you and your buddies like, do it.

For smaller games, combined units are not good. Separate ones make for more ‘cinematic’ approach.

[David]

We do separate units but basically always position them in such a way that they look combined, we I even have them on one big movement tray.
In Helion’s book on the Spanish army during TYW the concentration of of muskets (usually depicted positioned on each of the four corners), are described as being able to manoeuvre on their own and having a bit of freedom. As opposed to the one to three ranks of muskets sleeves directly with the pike block.
The Swedish brigade is also often described as being able to present more pikes or more muskets depending on situation, which indicate that the components where not fixed in position.
So I actually like P&S approach to let players have that tactical involvement in the game.

[Author]

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