1672: Les messieurs de la France

It's been a long time since I started the 1672 project, with a very different end in view. So, I look with some satisfaction on the fact that I've been able to get a lot done in the last two months. I've gone from a box full of neglected unpainted lead and a few partially-painted minis to several units ready to game—in fact, for The Pikeman's Lament I have more than enough French painted to make a 24-point company, with more in the works.

The first unit I completed was 12 pikemen that I started sometime in 2012. After nearly 8 years languishing in obscurity, they're suddenly the stand of pikes for Le Régiment Picardie.

The only uniform information I have specifically for 1672 is from the Osprey book on the army of Louis XIV, which says that the men of Picardie wore gray uniforms with gray cuffs. The green-brown trousers, red hose, and red aiguillettes are just my own fancy.

As I was completing the pikes, I started two 6-figure units of grenadiers, one for Picardie and one for the next French regiment, Normandie, who are also in gray/gray, but I've given them differently colored trousers, hose, and lace. I've only completed the grenadiers for Picardie at this point, but the Normandie grenadiers are close behind. I'll field them as some variation of Forlorn Hope in The Pikeman's Lament.

Along with the pikes and grenadiers, I started three units of Swiss in French service. So far, I've just completed one unit of 12 musketeers. The pikemen, with their heavy armor, and the other musketeers are coming.

With the pikemen of Picardie being done, I dipped into the pile of raw lead and pulled out 24 musketeers—or rather 20 musketeers plus two sergeants and two drummers. Except for the Swiss, who are all musketeers, my shot units will all have some "command" element of a sergeant/officer and drummer.

Another unit I started back in antiquity were some dragoons. In my own rules Pike & Periwig, dragoons were 8-figure units with both dismounted and mounted versions, plus a stand of horses and a horse-holder for when they were dismounted. The Pikeman's Lament doesn't differentiate between mounted and dismounted versions of dragoons; they're a shooty unit that moves fast and can skirmish/evade. I opted to incorporate dismounted, mounted, and riderless horses into my dragoon units. I only have the one unit done, but I'll have three or four by the time I'm finished.

For a bit more firepower (hitting on 4+ at 18"), I have some regimental guns. One is a nice design produced by Old Glory, the other is a galloper produced by Northstar. Not pictured is the one field gun I've completed. In The Pikeman's Lament, these are bruisers (hitting on 3+ and 48"), but entirely immobile except to use a move action to pivot.

Finally, I have one officer painted. The figure is actually l'homme lui-même, Louis XIV from the now-discontinued Phoenix Miniatures range, which produced the first 1672 Spanish troops for Northstar (which I also have several of—stay tuned).

It's a nice collections so far, but there's much to do before the game I'm running at our annual convention Enfilade! in May.

Under the brush at the present time are the Normandie grenadiers and the Swiss mentioned above and a 6-figure unit of cavalry for the French. I've got two musketeer units and a pike unit under way for the English (painting Dumbarton's regiment in green facings, although there was also a regiment with these colors in the Anglo-Scots brigade serving under the Dutch) plus a regimental gun for the English. There are also some units I started a long time ago for Austrians. I'm waiting until I receive my Helion book on the Imperial army before I get back to those. It's been 8 years since I last touched them; they'll keep.

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.

Thither 1672

In a previous post, I considered which direction to go with my 1672 project. A few years back, I purchased piles of the Northstar 1672 range (formerly Copplestone Glory of the Sun range). At the time, I was going great guns with writing my own rules, Pike & Periwig. While still a noble project, I'd lost momentum and haven't got it back yet. That left me wondering what to do with all the figures I have, mostly partially painted or just bare lead.

After properly pondering the matter, I've settled on The Pikeman's Lament for many reasons. The rules are easy to learn, fun to play, open to house rules, great to run with larger games in convention settings. I'm a huge fan of living rampantly. It's only natural that I've settled the question the way I have.

Now that my course is set, I've been churning out minis for the project and have in mind a large game for Enfilade!, our local convention in May. I've been helped a lot by the fact that I had several minis partially painted from back when I was writing my own rules.

I also have a few units painted and based, which is problematic. I hate rebasing. I'll need to spruce up and dip the minis to make them match my current style. However, the biggest issue is that the infantry units for Pike & Periwig are 18 figures: 5 pikemen, 10 musketeers, 1 ensign, 1 sergeant, 1 drummer. The units painted can't be re-used as Pikeman's Lament units as is; the numbers are wrong.

So far, I have completed and based a unit of French pikemen. They carry flags for Régiment de Picardie, but the uniform is the standard French gray coats with gray cuffs, a uniform worn by a large number of the French regiments in this period. In the French Wikipedia article I saw a picture of a different uniform with a white coat and red vest, cuffs, trousers, and hose. That's the first I've seen of it and I'm not sure if it's correct. The Osprey title on Louis' army has, as I've painted, gray coats with gray cuffs and no information on vest, trousers, and hose.

The distinctions I'm making between gray-coated, gray-cuffed units will be the flags and the trim such as the aiguillettes, hat bands, trousers & hose. I gave Picardie red aiguillettes, hat bands, and hose with green-brown trousers. I'm working on Regiment Normandie, which will have blue distinctions and also black cuffs for the sergeants and officers.

I have one unit of 6 grenadiers completed and based.

I have a unit of 12 Swiss musketeers completed and based, with another 12-figure unit in the works along with 12 Swiss pikemen.

I have two 12-figure musketeer units painted and dipped for Régiment de Picardie  at this point. I only need to brush on the matte varnish, base them, give 'em a last spritz of dullcote et voila!

I also have some artillery with gunners and an officer figure [actually the Louis XIV figure by Phoenix Games, which is no longer available.]

Finally, I just dipped some French dragoons. I'll eventually have three 6-figure units that will be a mix of dismounted, mounted, and standing horses.

I have a smattering of already-begun French units that I need to finish, likely in the upcoming week, which I have off from work. These units are the second Swiss musketeers, Swiss pikemen, a second unit of 6 grenadiers, and a unit of French cavalry.

After that, I'm starting a few units of English that will include two 12-figure musketeer units and a 12-figure pike unit that I'll paint in red and green as the Coldstream Guards [notably the future regiment of Rudolf Rassendyll]:

I've also got some firelock figures that I'll use for a 12-figure musketeer unit of the Buffs in yellow and red. These were originally marines and eschewed both matchlock and pike. They'll be veteran shot in TPL terms.

I'm pretty happy with this direction. I'm very happy with how quickly I'm churning out units. The dip has—as I've written many times before—revolutionized my painting output. Since November, I've painted more figures than I'd manage in a whole year using my pre-dip technique. My only regret is that I don't paint eyes. They're nor really visible on the table top, but the lack of them shows in close-ups when whole regiments have the Orphan Annie look: