ECW Dragoon Horseholders

[mollinary]

OOh yes please, I love having more and more put into rules so that there is even more to forget. Thank god for Dan Mersey!

Hi Leman, I actually entirely agree with you, simplicity is admirable, and usually makes for a much mor3 fun game.  . If it wasn't for the example of Okey's Dragoons at Naseby I would be inclined to say that once Dragoons dismount they can never remount. But Okey's dragoons did. So I went with the simplest concept I could come up with. The horseholder is simply a marker, once placed, you can forget it, it doesn't move. If you want to remount, you go back to it. It is uncomplicated. But it's purpose is to limit the way Wargamers are prone to create super troops out of those who were, in reality, entirely ordinary, by exploiting aspects of the rules. I can think of few (well actually none!) occasions, where Dragoons moved across a battlefield mounting and dismounting at will. Dragoons, and mounted infantry, seem to have used horses to get into position but not to move around a battlefield. Okey's Dragoons at Naseby, as mentioned above seem to have dismounted behind a hedge, fought from there, and then when the battle came back to them, remounted and charged. If there is a historical example of Dragoons moving on foot, followed by their horseholders, I haven't found it, so would welcome any info others may have.

Cheers,

Mollinary

[Westmarcher]

Hi Leman, I actually entirely agree with you, simplicity is admirable, and usually makes for a much mor3 fun game.  . If it wasn't for the example of Okey's Dragoons at Naseby I would be inclined to say that once Dragoons dismount they can never remount. But Okey's dragoons did. So I went with the simplest concept I could come up with. The horseholder is simply a marker, once placed, you can forget it, it doesn't move. If you want to remount, you go back to it. It is uncomplicated. But it's purpose is to limit the way Wargamers are prone to create super troops out of those who were, in reality, entirely ordinary, by exploiting aspects of the rules. I can think of few (well actually none!) occasions, where Dragoons moved across a battlefield mounting and dismounting at will. Dragoons, and mounted infantry, seem to have used horses to get into position but not to move around a battlefield. Okey's Dragoons at Naseby, as mentioned above seem to have dismounted behind a hedge, fought from there, and then when the battle came back to them, remounted and charged. If there's is  a historical example of Dragoons moving on foot, followed by their horseholders, I haven't found it, so would welcome any info others may have.

That is exactly the question FK&P addresses. The horseholders stay where the unit dismounted. To remount, the unit has to return to that point. If it is overrun by enemy units, then that is it. The lesson, is dismount somewhere safe, and don't move too far!

Good explanation. I think you've incorporated a good rule there, Mollinary.  Simple, sensible and fun*.    

*How embarrassing would it be to have your horses stolen or "forget where you parked them." "Well, Constable, we're sure we left them here ..." Great for campaigns, too.    

[paulr]

Agreed

FK&P adds some very nice flavour with simple mechanisms for the slightly unusual troop types A very small price to pay for the richness added

[nigel drury]

The irregular figure is useful, the horse being a bit smaller is also reasonable. 'Spare' horse-holders make useful figures for leading pack-horses, wagons or adding into gun crew.

[d_Guy]

FWIW
Here is a pic of horse holder markers I use for FK&P

To the left is Pendraken LOA (Pixie painted it) - it is shimmed up to get the base surface height equal to the other two.
The middle one is Irregular Miniatures (smaller and thinner figures but well enough done).
To the right (providing more scale comparison) is an earlier attempt with a Pendraken Musketeer and a Minifig(?) MT horse.

Using the dismounted marker to show where you left your horse is a simple way to implement dragoons. I Like it.

[pierre the shy]

FWIW in the end I went for a combination of the LOA35 horse and EC2 pike figure to get the look I wanted since we were ordering lots of Pendraken stuff anyway....mine are still somewhere down the painting queue.

[toxicpixie]

Cor, that Irregular chap looks like a hobbit! Is it that noticeable on the table?

Handy idea on the markers, easy way of doing it.

[d_Guy]

Yeah, it is pretty noticeable. They are going to be switched to the hexagonal MDF stands (like the LOA) and I'll probably shim them up a bit. As you say, that are good for simple markers. Plus I don't use dragoons much (except when trying to deal with Jacob  ).

[pierre the shy]

I got enough dragoons for a couple of small regiments per side as both Montrose and Leslie did have some at Philiphaugh and they do also feature in the second and third civil war battles in the Covenant armies.

Horseholders are only used as markers in FK&P rules.

Besides who can resist having a unit commanded by one Captain Blackadder     

[Dr Dave]

We just use markers for dismounts and if the unit can remount it simply does, regardless of the markers location -it stops the tail wagging the dog so to speak and units chasing down the horse holders -a bit too odd.

As for the marker itself, we use a mounted figure and several empty horses. Horse holders rarely actually dismounted them selves. Controlling 4 horses whilst on foot and then trying to Mount one as well is actually a bit tricky.

[d_Guy]

Besides who can resist having a unit commanded by one Captain Blackadder     

True that!

I may never get to Philliphaugh! Nor Carbisdale! 

[d_Guy]

We just use markers for dismounts and if the unit can remount it simply does, regardless of the markers location -it stops the tail wagging the dog so to speak and units chasing down the horse holders -a bit too odd.

As for the marker itself, we use a mounted figure and several empty horses. Horse holders rarely actually dismounted them selves. Controlling 4 horses whilst on foot and then trying to Mount one as well is actually a bit tricky.

Given the probable quality of dragoon mounts in W3K period, maybe should be holder (mounted or standing), a swayback cart horse, a pony, one collapsed on the ground and perhaps a donkey. 

[toxicpixie]

Fire pit with spit roast and donkey sandwiches?!

Oo, reminded me to get my orders in, we'll have the Three Kingdoms reunited under US very soon now. Afterall, we're two battles to nil

[d_Guy]

 

If you count the small sea actions it's 4 - nil! 
Still - the Highlanders will soon be out of haggis and over loaded with plunder. 

The man that once did sell the lion's skin
While the beast lived was killed with hunting him 

[FierceKitty]

 

Literacy is not yet a thing of the past!