"Pondering ECW - Timeframes & Tactics" Topic

Ok, I have about 400 ECW miniatures and have to make some decisions.

So what do you think is the most interesting timeframe of the ECW? Is it the beginning, middle or late war? It seems early war has the best uniforms. It seems mid war may produce the most competitive armies with closer battles.

In reading about the ECW, it seems parliment infantry regiments are substantially larger than Royalist infantry regiments. In a push of pike situation with gaps between adjacent formations, how could the smaller royalist regiments with open flanks possibly stand up to the larger parliment regiments? It seems the larger regiments would simply overlap the flanks of the much smaller regiments.

Thanks in advance!

I like the 1644 Campaigns of the Oxford army.

Units were usually deployed as battalions of about 500 men. Big regiments may form more than one such field unit.

I'm actually looking forward to reading the new Osprey Pike and Shot tactics to get a better understanding of such things.

Hi Jagger,

I think a good point about ECW is that the figures will 'do' for any period of the 1st Civil War, the 2nd or the 3rd. The only possible caveat being the need for lots of New Model Army redcoats later on (though its thought they didn't get issued in time for Naseby, and red was the most popular coat colour in most armies).

I'd agree mostly that Parlt Regts were on average stronger than the Royalists, overall, and very much so by 1645. However it appears that small regiments were brigaded together into 'batallions' for a pitched battle. These were usually 400-600 or so strong. Sometimes extra-large regiments were split down to this size. So on the wargames table you could use units of a similar size, but the royalists are more likly to be a combination of multiple regiments than the Parls.

-Crosspost with another Tim ;-)

Middle period certainly as said the 1644 campaigns a very interesting time. Yes the King had a habit of raising new regiments rather than re supplying current units. As said these were then brigade together to make field units. A good example would be the Shrewsbury Foote. The unit was made up of the remains of the Irish regiments: Tilliers, Ernlys, Broughtons etc. The unit disappeared at the Nasby field. Don't forget there were still the local forces Militias if you want some colour and oddities.

Thanks all for the good feedback.

One other question concerns the use of armor by pikemen. Did all pikemen wear armor or just the front ranks?

I also have English Infantry of the ECW which lists the colors of many regiments but doesn't state when they were worn. It seems most variety was early war. As the sides organized, apparently most regiments went red, medium blue or grey/white. The Scots apparently gray. The Irish primarily green or yellow.

Hi again Jagger,

Pikeman armour, hmm, not really known for sure, some did, some didn't, and the idea is that it slowly became less common as soldiers realised it wouldn't stop musket balls and was a pain to march in. Saying that I think the NMA foot had pikeman armour, and armoured guys in the front rank sounds sensible. Probably depended on how much cash the Regimental Colonel could afford to arm his men! Scots apparently hardly ever wore armour.

On coat colours, the Polemos website gives some good info-
link

Agree red, blue (apparently blue in random shades as the dyes weren't great) and grey were most common coats as far as we know, but I reckon less than 10% of regiments have a known coat colour, so you can happily make some up!

Scots pretty much all grey. Irish (mostly English Army returning from Ireland) in yellow and green were so-equipped when they arrived at Bristol and Chester respectively.

Thanks Timbo!

So what is the best set of rules for ECW giving flavor and a fair amount of detail? I am tentatively thinking Perfect Captain's Spanish Fury or possibly an adaptation of Coat of Steel. I have enough figures to do an impetus army as well. I also have warhammers ECW but haven't read it yet.

PS: Polermo's site is very helpful. I used it extensively for AWI. Now I go back again for ECW. I need to buy some 6mm just to show my appreciation.

The Bishop's War. How it all started out.

It's way less professional, the sides are still thrashing themselves out and it's Scottish!

Rules

I played lots of Forlorn Hope and thought it great however, a recent game made me realise how slow it is to play.

The TooFatLardies are working on a set called In the Buff to be published, possibly this year. I have high hopes that they will create a great game. In the meantime I've given up playing ECW and just paint the odd bit for my armies while I wait…

There are however lots of other ECW rules all of which have their own loyal following such as:

1644
WECW
Gush
Polemos
Victory without Quarter (worth a look IMHO)

Don't forget the Bloody Kingdom rules which see to have potential.

Thanks all! I will do my rules research.

Hi all,

I agree with Timmo on the rules question, Forlorn Hope for me have the best period 'feel' but are a bit longwinded, for a big game, fine for small/medium. However I think they are worth buying for the army lists and miscellaneous ECW chat alone.

FoGR is coming. Quite good for larger battles.

What about Peter Pigs "Regiment of Foote"?

I adapted Might of Arms for ECW. It works well, easily learned, taught, played. Gets a good sized game with 4-6 people done in reasonable amount of time. I've got all the above rules and have based my collection on Victory without Quarter basing because I really like the ability to see the figures instead of dealing with cramped basing that doesn't do justice to good painting skills.

FogR?? More protractor gaming.

Steve Miller
DFW Irregulars

BTW…sorry to over post…I've got three copies of the ECW scenario books as well. You might want to pick them up. They're well worth the investment. To answer your original question, I like the early ECW period because I like the concept that both sides really were semi-well officered mobs. That makes for some great games in which both sides are green and more than a little wary of truckin' down a merry lane lined with hedgerows that may contain dragoons. :)

Steve Miller
DFW Irregulars

1643

simple as there are so many campaign areas and possibilities.

I also like using poorly trained troops : !!

pilum40….That makes for some great games in which both sides are green and more than a little wary of truckin' down a merry lane lined with hedgerows that may contain dragoons.

Its 1644 England not 1944 bocage Normandy with lurking PaK 40's :0.

Its 1644 England not 1944 bocage Normandy with lurking PaK 40's

Hmmm……. they can both kill you pretty much dead. The PAK just makes a bigger boom.

Agreed huevans…
Hey Warwick..that was a "duh" post! :)

huevans….Hmmm……. they can both kill you pretty much dead. The PAK just makes a bigger boom…

I suppose it would if it had ever happened :^I