"Why the 18th Century Warfare is better than Napoleonics" Topic

At one time I was really into Napoleonic History and figures but I find that now I'm more interested in Warfare in the 18th Century.

Perhaps it's because being Canadian I have a big interest in the SYW/FIW. One of the first historical novels I had read in my high school days was 'Captain of Dragoons" about a british officer on Marlborough's staff who also became involing in spying.

Or maybe it is the style of Warfare linar tactics in Lace. A British Line advancing in the WSS looks almost like a British Line advancing in the AWI.

One thing I do notice on the miniature pages is that you can have a really good and interesting discussion on 18th Century Warfare without ego's getting involed like on another page not to be named.

cheers

And they have tricornes ;)

"War of the Slobbovian Succession" is much more civilized than those nasty ideological brawls.

I avoided AmRev for a very long time. I had painted napoleonics for a decade before trying AmRev. Once I tried it I liked it.

I am not saying that one era is better than the other. Both have attractions. The Napoleonic era has well balanced all three combat arms. This is not the case with SYW or AmRev.

The 18th Century has as much 'color' as the Naps. Both can be played with equal fun.

I do 'em both, though the tricorn era is stage center lately.

I have huge armies for both periods, but I always keep coming back to the SYW. There is something very elegant and visually appealing about the 18th century uniforms: tricorn hats, long coats with turnbacks, grenadier mitres, pole arms, etc.

The symmetry of two battle lines marching up to one another in a sort of minuet of combat also has visual appeal. War seems so much more civilized, if there is such thing. After the battle, prisoners would be returned or exchange, the opposing general's personal baggage would be returned to him if it was captured, etc.

I love Napoleonics too, but only have the mental capacity for one complex set of uniform regulations at a time, so I'm sticking with the FIW for now.

I definitely prefer the 18th century uniforms. They're much less cluttered with straps and packs and various gadgets. You can appreciate the cut and color of the uniform much better.

But I prefer the Napoleonic palette of units and tactical options. I like having good artillery!

Its kinda of a neat discussion. I cut my teeth on historicals with Napoleonics, but don't even have an army for that period anymore.

My friend and long time wargaming partner are now embarked on a massive (for us) FIW skirmish project, featuring both linear warfare as well as the frontier style guerilla warfare.

What appeals to me so much about the FIW is the early stage, and how in the FIW you had tactics that were clearly ahead of their time. Frontier warfare in the mid 1700s seems more like modern counter insurgency warfare. The "rules" were thrown out, raiding was common place, and in a time when rules of war were touted by civilized nations, they were categorically tossed out the window on the Frontier in the early stages.

What other period can you do classic linear warfare, guerilla skirmishing, sieges, and not get strange and powerful egoes involved as seems to happen elsewhere? I cant help but love this period for historical interest or wargaming potential… love it.

Rolf the Hermeneutic Meatloaf, What a nice possible thread SYW colors vs Napoleonic colors. Though except for the French, I thought that the colors would have been pretty much the same?

I have always thought of Napoleonics as the best of 18th century warfare, with set piece battles and well aligned units, and light infantry skirmish and cavalry charges into anyone. You can vary your battles and do what you like at the moment. The best balance of horse, foot and guns.

Not to mention the best period ever for uniforms!

I like gaming the WSS.

Nice uniforms, tricornes, and the lack of tactical chrome and formations makes battles easier to represent on the tabletop.

I don't need my battallions to form square, so don't have to either represent it or to regret that my rules don't represent it.

Ditto skirmishers (for the most part).

Oh, and I love the 6mm bacchus figs.

I gamed Napoleonics for quite a long time in 6mm until I moved to another area of the country. The group I joined was doing SYW and WSS in 25mm and I got hooked. There were so many more units with different colors than in the Napoleonics and then there are the FLAGS! Oh joy of joys, the flags are so much more beautiful in the SYW and WSS. Some nations in the WSS have even more color than the SYW because the Colonel still some level of control over how his regiment was dressed and how his flag would look. Both are great period for colorful uniforms.

difficult call.

The 18th century does seem to attract a more "gentlemanly" line of discussion and arguement, and as has been said, no ego's get bruised.

All the "innovations" that are ascribed to the Napoleonic period can be found in the 18th century which arguably saw the biggest change in military thinking with the move from pike and shot to the bayonet.

Horse were horse and dragoons were, well either or.

So yes for me give me the 18th century anyday as a period to study and play. Although I do have a large Napoleonic collection as well(but best not talk about that!!).

Slightly smaller armies make the armies more "collectable" for the gamer with average budget, time and space.

Simpler uniforms provide colour without complexity.

The quality of debate is an interesting point – the period that is based on one man's ego tends to be the one where egos predominate. The "civilised" period (not sure what the victims of Austrian hussar/grenzer or Russian cossack raids would say to that, mind!), tends to beget the more civilised forms of debate.

I personally enjoy any horse and musket period. The colors and visual spectical are worth it. The first rules I used were Grant's and while it could be used in a pinch for Nappys it was focused on SYW, and the battles were generally smaller. So I am tied and would gladly fight in either (actually through ACW).

Garrett

I think it's the tricorn. Nothing beats a line of figures in tricornes,it's just great looking