Pikeman's Lament: Plug your bayonet!

With my 1672 project in full swing and steadfastly directed toward The Pikeman's Lament, I've been noodling on some house rules specific to the use of plug bayonets, but also some ideas for integrating Pike and Shot units in TPL generally.

Musketeers of the 1670s were typically equipped with a plug bayonet, which is called a dagger in English drill manuals of the era; the command for fixing your bayonet was actually, "Screw in your dagger." The plug bayonet remained in use through the end of the 17th c. Even though the socket bayonet had been developed, the muskets produced for the era didn't have the necessary lug to fix the newfangled socket bayonet, which meant that they tended to fall off.

The plug bayonet was fairly secure once it was fixed in place. However, the barrel of the musket being plugged meant that the unit couldn't shoot. Musketeers had to choose between shooting and fixing bayonets and might easily get caught dithering between the two choices, such as happened to poor Hugh Mackay's troops at Killiecrankie in 1689.

The Plug Bayonet rules are pretty straightforward and are just a variation of the standard rules for allowing Shot units to form Close Order—except for the reaction ability.

The Pike & Shot rules are more detailed, but actually pretty simple in execution. They only seem complex because I've tried to account for every "what if" I could think of.

Plug Bayonet

Shot units in the 1670s can form close order as described on page 21 of the rules. However, when in close formation, the unit cannot fire because it represents shot with plug bayonets fixed in the barrels of their muskets.

• It requires a move activation to go into or out of close order (i.e., fix or unfix the plug bayonets)
• Units that enter rough going lose the +1 to their attack and defence scores, but are still considered to have plug bayonets fixed until unfixed by a move action.
• As a reaction to being charged by mounted troops or clansmen, shot may attempt to go into close order, succeeding on a roll of 7+. If unsuccessful, the unit becomes Wavering.

Pike & Shot

Shot units may be protected by Pike units when attacked by mounted troops or Clansmen. With a move activation, a shot unit that is within a half move (3") of a Pike unit that is 6 models or more, not wavering, has not yet activated this turn, and is not in rough terrain may form close order with the Pike unit and receive a defensive benefit when attacked by mounted troops or Clansmen.

Shot forming up with Pikes in a "hedgehog" benefit from the protection of the pikes, but become more vulnerable to shooting due to their denser formation.

Forming Pike & Shot

• On the successful move activation, move the shot into contact with the pikes and formed around them. This is an exception to the rule that friendly units must be at least 1" away at all times.
• Although the Pikes do not roll for activation nor move, they are considered part of the action and they are considered to have been activated for that turn.
• The Pikes are considered to be in close order, per the special rule on page 20; the Shot are not in close order, i.e., their plug bayonets are not fixed and they can still shoot.
• While pike and shot are formed in this way, the Pikes may not activate separately. The shot may activate to shoot or move.
• The formation may not move, but a Shot unit can use a move action to move away from the Pike unit up to 3", thus breaking the formation.
• Once formed, the Shot is considered the active unit, i.e., the Pikes become a hedgehog defence in which the Shot takes shelter. All shooting and attacks are considered to be against the Shot unit. If attacked, only the Shot take casualties. If shot at, both units take the same number of casualties.
• Up to two Shot units may form close order with the same Pike unit. The Shot units are targeted separately for attacking and shooting, but both benefit from the defence values of the Pikes.

Attacking Pike & Shot

• A Pike and Shot formation may never attack.
• If the formation is attacked by mounted troops or clansmen, the Shot defend using the defence value and stamina of the Pikes (including the +1 for).
• If the formation is attacked by other foot units, the Shot does not use the defence values of the pikes, i.e., it defends using its own defence value and stamina.

Shooting from Pike & Shot

• Shot that shoots while in this formation has a -1 modifier to their dice scores. [Note that a normal Shot unit, with a 5+ shoot value, could effectively only shoot at 12" range, hitting on 6, unless using First Salvo.]

Morale in Pike & Shot

• If a morale test is required, each unit in the formation tests separately.

Breaking Pike & Shot formation

• As noted above, a Pike & Shot formation is broken when the Shot unit moves away. Thereafter, the Pike and Shot unit act independently, per the usual rules.
• The formation is also broken if either of the following occurs:

1. The Pike unit falls below 6 figures [Note that the Shot unit may fall below 6 figures without affecting the formation.]
2. If either unit in formation becomes Wavering.

• If the formation is broken by figure loss or wavering, separate the units with 1" between them.
• If two Shot units are formed with one Pike unit, breaking the formation of one may not affect the other. If one Shot unit becomes Wavering, it does not affect the formation between the Pikes and the other Shot unit. However, if the Pike unit becomes wavering or falls below 6 figures, the formation is broken for both Shot units.

 Shooting at a Pike & Shot  

• If the formation is shot at, use the stamina of the Pike unit; however, any figure loss is taken by both units in the formation, i.e., every 3 hits results in a figure loss from both the Pike unit and the Shot unit.

Forming Pike & Shot as a reaction

• As with Plug Bayonet, a Shot unit that is attacked by mounted troops or Clansmen may attempt to form with a Pike unit that is within a half move (3"), succeeding on a 7+. If successful, the units form per the rules above. If unsiccessful, both the Shot and the Pikes become Wavering. If the Pikes become wavering and are already formed with a second Shot unit, that formation is broken. Move the second shot unit 1" away. The second Shot unit does not become Wavering.