ECW cav, do you differentiate?

[Last Hussar]

When fielding cavalry do you differentiate the models for shooting units and charging units?  My understanding is that they were pretty identical, it came more down to how closing combat was delivered. Discussing with Sunjester he said role varied for a unit on the Colonel's whim that day.

I ask because I am wondering how much more horse to buy a should I pander to my inner 'aspie'?

Members of Pendraken sales team maybe shouldn't answer!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Always best to buy all the options...

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

What commission are you on Will ? 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

0.000000000000000%

[d_Guy]

I use a mixture of both pistols and swords in most horse units, because not only did they use both it gives a more dynamic look.
In my case, units are built out of several bases that can be configured in different numbers and formations to indicate the tactic dejure.

If you use Scots there are also lancers which were often intermixed by troop with harquibusiers but I put them in  their own units for ease of identification and play.

[Zippee]

Yes, absolutely, they may have all looked pretty similar in practice but it's very helpful to have the troop types easily identifiable.

GA01 - Prince Rupert's Life Guard - 00 by Zippee Jerred, on Flickr

Galloper style shock-charging cavalry - swords, based in a V

TR05 - Lord Carnarvon's Horse - 00 by Zippee Jerred, on Flickr

Trotter style shooting-charging cavalry - pistols, based in a single rank

RE03 - Owen Cambridge's Horse - 00 by Zippee Jerred, on Flickr

Late Reiter style shooting cavalry - pistols, based in two ranks

REM01 - Sir John Meldrum's Horse - 00 by Zippee Jerred, on Flickr

Early Reiter style caracole shooting cavalry - carbine, based in four ranks


TR02 - William Penwright's Horse - 00 by Zippee Jerred, on Flickr

The Cuirassiers - pistols in single rank.

Sometimes you just run out of figure poses and have to compromise, so also

TR05 - Earl of Essex's Horse - 00 by Zippee Jerred, on Flickr

Trotters with swords, single rank - at least it allows some variation in grades . . .

[paulr]

I'm planning to use a single rank for chargers / Swedish and double ranks for shooters / Dutch

I'm basing my forces on Cheriton 1644, late enough that almost all units will be Swedish. For earlier battles where I want Dutch units I will put two units of the same colour on a double depth sabot base or combine two appropriately coloured units if 'brigading' multiple smaller regiments

[mollinary]

Paul,

For what it is worth, I normally do not differentiate on bases or within a unit, but my later Swedish Style units are three bases side by side, and my more conservative, 1642-43 Parliamentarian Horse are four bases in two ranks of two.

Mollinary

[paulr]

Thanks Mollinary, I am planning on using four bases, two deep on a full width sabot, to represent a small unit of Dutch horse and two bases, one deep, on a full width sabot to represent a small unit of Swedish horse

But if I need lots of Dutch horse for a particular battle then I may go down the four base route

[Terry37]

I know I am the odd man out here due to my preference of rules (HOTT and DBA-HX), which means I usually only have one or two bases of a type of horse.  For pistoliers I usually do 4 to a base, and for Knights I usually go with 3 to a base. Then to break it down a bit better I have to consider their fighting technique. As an example for my Swedish horse of the TYW I base them as 4 all armed with a pistol. For the Hakcapells I base them as 3 to a base, but due to their tenancy to madly charge home I use sword figures. But bottom line the figure used is strictly for aesthetic purpose as the element type determines it fighting skills and weaknesses.

Here is an element of French Horse who used a pistolier style attack in the 9 years war, so they are 4 to a base.



And in the same army, here are the carabiniers, who fought more as cavalry, so are only 3 to a base to help reflect that.



And here's' my Roundhead army which if you look at rear left you will see Haseilrigs Lobsters as 4 to a base, while the ones next to him and on the right are just 3 to a base and fight as cavalry as opposed to pistoliers. (this represents a complete army for a game for me).



Don't know if this helps you or not but thought I'd share it anyway.

Terry

[d_Guy]

First let me say I enjoy seeing pics so thanks to Zippee and Terry. I have in the past admired the work you both do so thanks for posting them.

Terry - that's the army I would like to use - it makes me feel very at home! 

Last Hussar, unless you are adverse to using component pieces to build a unit (and since you are planning to do generic) I would highly recommend the component approach. You can get by with fewer figures since the components can be assembled and used in different tactical representations.

[Terry37]

Bill you got it no prob. Easy to convert it to a good basic HOTT army. Also have a Royalist army if you'd rather go that route.

Terry

[Last Hussar]

Another 8 bases completed. This absolutely the only time I will ever put 6 horse on a base.

[paulr]

What base size are you using?

I assume they are a 'little' cramped, or is it too many horses to paint

[Last Hussar]

Too many bloody horses.

The bases are 30x40 - the size given in Peter Pigs Regiment of Foote. The rules were written with the expectation you use 15mm.  It struck me last week that if I'd gone with a 30 square base and put 3 on I'd be finished the cavalry by now!