We had a very lively and enjoyable Moghuls game on Sunday. As usual, however, I was left with a sense that the normal principles of tactics don't work in India. You can't hold together a steady line, because there's nthing that you can be sure will be there five minutes after lead and steel start the debate. The infantry have no staying power, and elephants and cavalry aren't for holding a steady line, which is just as well, since most of the horse are sipahis and will flee from gunpowder weapons anyway. It's like playing bridge with jokers included in the pack!
  Are there any gamers with experence of Indian armies who would like to comment?

Which rules were you using?
From experience I'd say that if you modify their moral in Black Powder they would work exactly as you said (esp if given wavering/unreliable too). Principles Of War will give you a more solid line, until units break from the Brigade, then you suffer a -1 to moral for each lost unit. V&B will see them disintergrate within minutes...
Will

DBR, with some of the idiotic and unhistorical stuff editted out.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 21 September 2011, 10:55:46 AM
DBR, with some of the idiotic and unhistorical stuff editted out.

So... most of teh rules then! 

You have a point. But they can be made to work, and they're easily understood; useful when you're the only experienced gamer and introducing a Scot, a Pole, and two Yanks to the gentle art of miniature warfare.
   Actually, there's a Thai too, and he is experienced, having got the bug in the UK and US, but there's a reason why every neighbour has always thumped the Thais in every war....

Oh dear! What a reputation to aquire... Some countries are eternally tainted, poor chap (to be Scot)! 
Anyway, perhaps force a full move recoil on Indians cavalry if hit by gunpowder weapons (perhaps in a random backwards direction so they don't just reform into line, or they are not allowed in base-to-base contact with their own units)? Infantry have to make a +1 pip to enter combat after having been shot (shaken) - this will see commands disolve fairly quickly into carnage, but still have some chance of the odd unit making it into combat?

Is this the Sheik wars or other campaigns? Sheiks would probably be imune to this, as they were rather dreaded!

Moghuls. Salim's rebellion against Akbar. The Sikhs were a small religious question mark at this stage, not yet major political players in the Indian drama.
  I'm really interested in people's own experiences gaming Indian armies. DBR rules actually have the right effects for their armies already.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 21 September 2011, 10:55:46 AM
DBR, with some of the idiotic and unhistorical stuff editted out.

You don't actually say what your opponents were fielding. Against European armies in the early 1700s your Moghuls would usually have a technological disadvantage. You will need a healthy superiority in numbers to offset that.  Any later than that then you're getting out of DBR territory. Try them against other eastern type armies - the Turks, for example. Or against the people they usually fought - each other!

Hertsblue, you haven't read my previous post.

Yep, tunnel vision my speciality. However, Sikh and ye shall find - to coin a phrase. 

My own Muslim Indian army tends to suffer from a lack of firearms. However, points to consider are:

The elephants are there to disrupt the enemy cavalry. Embed them in the cavalry units.

Rocketeers are useful as nuisance value. In decent positions (i.e. in good cover) they can tie down enemy troops.

Wagon laagers can seal off a flank to allow you to mass your cavalry on the other. And using sipahis in double rank is de rigeur.

Hope this helps.

Ray