| John the OFM | 10 May 2012 8:23 a.m. PST |
I was amused to see that Der Alte Fritz' Fife and Drum AWI range will include amusettes.
link
These look like a very fun sort of "artillery" to use in a skirmish battle. Has anyone introduced rules for their use in games? I play vanilla The Sword and the Flame for "skirmish" games (as I define it, games with individually based figures at 1:1) and Age of Reason for "larger" battles. I doubt they would make any inpact in AoR rules, unless I really bathtub down. Would amusettes count as "artillery", per AoR rules, which force you to take a morale test (all morale tests are bad…), or would they just be normal hits from muskets/rifles? "Battalion guns"? Hardly. Maybe? I am thinking of making them Gatling guns or jingals for TSATF. Obviously, further research is needed.  I just dug out a bag of RAFM "wall guns", that came in the same pack as swivel guns. By RAFM scale standards, they are giant muskets. By 28mm standards, they are … muskets. Would those be considered "amusettes"? I could possibly mount them on a spare limber, but… Naaaah. I will wait for DAF's ones. Hey Fritz! Be sure to give them Jaeger crews too! |
 Der Alte Fritz  | 10 May 2012 9:15 a.m. PST |
The drawings that I've seen make them look like a very large jingal weapon. I don't think that I would use them as "artillery" in any set of rules, but then, who really knows? I'm thinking that they were more like an elephant gun, i.e. very large caliber bullet. |
| John the OFM | 10 May 2012 9:20 a.m. PST |
Maybe I should draw a LOS down the tube, and everyone behind the first target should make a saving throw.
I would probaly make them fire every other turn, and any hit requires a morale test. Obviously, when the guy next to you has his head explode, it would be disconcerting. |
| altfritz | 10 May 2012 9:29 a.m. PST |
Doesn't AOR add in battalion guns as an extra die on the charge? Or am I mis-remembering? How did they handle the Scottish guns (or did they bother?) |
| John the OFM | 10 May 2012 10:02 a.m. PST |
Battalion games are an extra die in continental battles. (Not "Continental"… )
The link I put up has the amusette firing a half pound ball. I would not call that worth a die.
They look something that would have more of an effect in skirmishes. The must have had SOME good effect, or that consumate professional Ewald would not have bothered with them. |
| vaughan | 10 May 2012 10:13 a.m. PST |
Have you seen these examples? One's a (modern) painting, the other some re-enactors; scroll down:
link |
| Happy Little Trees | 10 May 2012 2:07 p.m. PST |
Well that website mentioned 400+ yds. range. So sniper weapons in TSATF (however you want to handle it). In AOR how about it causing a morale check at 400 yds if not previously under fire. A "Holy St. George and his pet turtle, they're shooting at us already!?!" sort of thing. |
| Sysiphus | 10 May 2012 2:42 p.m. PST |
Were they used for causing officer casualties? If they were, then a command disruption, "event deck", might be interesting. Don |
| perfectcaptain | 10 May 2012 3:41 p.m. PST |
There is an incident in Ewald's diary where he uses one to chase some Rebels out of a small wooden house that it seems was proof against his rifles. After a few shots the inhabitants fled, so I imagine it should qualify as some sort of artillery. TPC |
| Bandolier | 10 May 2012 4:37 p.m. PST |
I use amusettes as rifles with extended range. There are usually only 1 or 2, when present, so not battle winning but they seem to add a bit of extra interest to games. If they inflict a couple of hits each it's considered a good effort. The Perry ones with the mantlets qualify them as soft cover. |
| Ironwolf | 10 May 2012 8:27 p.m. PST |
Perfectcaptain,
I was just gonna post how Eald used them against Rebels in a barn or building to flush them out. lol I'd say if they could cause a morale modifier. |
| skinkmasterreturns | 10 May 2012 9:15 p.m. PST |
You could always use the Chinese method for firing-have some poor buck private holding it across his shoulder while the corporal fires it. |
| perfectcaptain | 11 May 2012 1:45 p.m. PST |
It seems these were used by forces that needed a great deal of mobility and thus a small supply train, making them perfect for Jaegers and other light formations. They were not too heavy and easily disassembled. Not artillery in that you couldn't knock a building down with them, but you could blow a nice hole through it! So I agree with Ironwolf in that is would be better to treat it as a morale effect. Nobody likes being out-ranged and unable to reply. |
| John the OFM | 11 May 2012 5:22 p.m. PST |
They seem like fun in a game. Blast a hole in the wall, and roll for random hits.
Maybe Ewald was a fun loving guy too! |
| historygamer | 11 May 2012 5:34 p.m. PST |
They were a kind of light artillery. Kinda. |
| GarryWills | 30 May 2012 2:08 a.m. PST |
I have posted an short article regarding the use of Amusettes at the battle of Boxtel in September 1794, written by Geert van Uyhtoeven on my website. Geert's website is no longer available hence my posting, link Regards Garry Wills
caseshotpublishing.com |
| Ironwolf | 30 May 2012 10:30 p.m. PST |
OFM, "Obviously, when the guy next to you has his head explode, it would be disconcerting." I can't help it, every time I read this I start laughing. hahahahaha |
| spontoon | 31 May 2012 2:48 p.m. PST |
WRG 1685-1845 reats them as very light artillery. |
| abdul666lw | 01 Jun 2012 12:58 p.m. PST |
Quite similar to the 'rampart musket' used in sieges, and to the heavy jezzail of zambereck camels.
Rifles with a 500 paces max range and ignoring soft cover? |
| spontoon | 08 Jun 2012 2:54 p.m. PST |
I thought a musette was a sort of small bagpipe! |
paints brigs for the British fleet.
