"Unit sizes for Sword and the Flame" Topic

Gentlemen, a new question. I am interested in adding musicians to TSATF. Are buglers/pipers/drummers an addition or should I remove one rifleman/trooper from the basic units

Remove a rifle to maintain a 20 fig foot unit.

You could just add them for 'color', but not have them count as a figure/trooper.

Do whatever you what. TSATF is flexible enough that you can substitute a rifleman for a musician or add a musician extra who can only be hit with a face card.

I have it both ways in my Imperial forces. The Egyptians and red-coat British have musicians as part of the platoon while my khaki coated Highlanders have the pipers as extras.

Jim

I have never been bound by basic unit sizes in TSATF. Why should anybody be?
If I have 19 painted up, I use 19.
If I have 24 painted up, I use 24.

No sergeant went around saying "B Platoon, you have too many men! Reilly, go over to A!"

If the pipers are inspiring the men (add your own rules for that), then naturally they are not shooting.
Let a Joker be their wound card, for "special" troops.
I always count face cards as "aimed shots" anyway, the target being what the shooter wishes to hit.

It depends on your mood. Some of my units have them as an extra man, some have them as 1 of 20, and some have them as part of the company command group (that also has the commander, color bearer, and an NCO).

There was a ruling in a game I was in at Colonial Barracks last year that only if figure had a rifle could they be used for firing.

I've also seem the rule that they could only be hit by the key figure card.

Agree with John!?!
My units have 21 figures because this seems right to me. If the situation really demands 20, one of the lads can stay in his box.

Grelber

John's with me on this one.

Hear! Hear!

TVAG

Thank you gentlemen, 21 it is!!

Well they will soon be below. 20 soon enough.

I never penalize players for wanting to add appropriate musicians or flags to their units, even when not provided for by the rules, and rather than craft new rules to govern these, I usually just count all such guys as standard "riflemen" or whatever the norm is for that unit. Then if the opponent wants to single them out as Key figures, he can eliminate them with face cards. I've seen Scottish-unit commanders take a personal morale hit when their pipers become casualties!

OR, if you prefer customized rules, I find that allowing a standard-bearer or musician to act as a Leader for morale and movement purposes (they can signal commands, after all, or rally/inspire troops, etc.) but still vulnerable to being hit as a key figure, works well without too much extra recordkeeping or rules lawyering.

I like, for Brits and such, 20 trooop units, with an officer, sergeant (he will be dead enough anyway due to all them "key figure" cards) and a bugler/drummer, for 23 figures overall.

The bugler doesn't melee, shoot, or do anything much unless I am playing with limited ammo and a ammo supply wagon he can run for.

Musicians are mostly just for looks. Mostly.

As for natives, my devish have 20 figures, plus a leader and a drummer, who is a full unit member (melees).

Piper909 – shouldn't the rest of the army get a morale bonus when a piper is silenced?

Which is why you only pair Highlanders with Sikhs and Gurkhas and others who are more tolerant.
NEVER brigade Welch with Highlanders!

I have a had a few fun times in melee when "the Drummer boy" or the bugler fighting like madmen and being among the last stranding!

One could also have the drummer/bugler be with the higher command.