"war of spanish succession books help" Topic

Just starting out in this period, can anyone recommend some books on the organization of the various forces of the nations involved, looking for number company's per battalion/regiment etc

Some free online uniform sources would be welcome also. I know about the Baccus uniform guide but are there any more comprehensive ones

TIA

CS Grant's two volumes on Armies and Uniforms of Marlborough's Wars are a good starting point. Vol 2 details organisation of units in the main armies. Not always easy to get hold of (currently on Amazon at silly money, but may also be possible to get it from Caliver books here in UK)
Also try your local library for Chandler's book on Warfare in the Age of Marlborough- looks in detail at each of the the three "arms". Some of the material is really based on slightly later information, but overall it is excellent. I have also found the Uniformology books to be very good on uniform details eg for the Bavarians ( army of the Blue King). I usually get these directly from Uniformology.

Not sure what scale you are planning to game in (I use 10mm on 60x30mm bases with one base representing a battalion or a couple of squadrons), but generally infantry battalions are around 500 to 600 men and cavalry squadrons around 100 to 150 men.

As for rules, I have used Polemos, but you really need to be be playing with experienced players at first. Our club recently used a set called something like "Last days of the Sun King" to refight Blenheim. Very quick, interesting mechanisms and takes only a couple of game turns to get the idea. It's a brigade level game, so may not be what you are looking for, but it's fun to play.

thanks for the info steamingdave47

I'll be using 10mm Pendraken figures, got the Polemos rules liked the rules but not the "Tempo bidding" bit

Yes, Old Smokie, that's the sort of thing that needs an experienced player to guide you through. Having said that, we have had some good games using the Polemos rules for WSS and GNW. The rules I mentioned in my last post are actually called "Twilight of the Sun King". Were available through the Pike and Shotte society, I think.
The 10mm Pendraken figures are great. Most of my armies use them

Another recommendation for "Twilight of the Sun King", especially if you're using 10mm figures since they were written for 12s. Units are brigades, based on two 40x20mm bases. Musketry, mêlée and the threat from close-by cavalry are all resolved in one morale role. Wing or Line commanders' ability influences the odds of getting a unit to charge, or pulling off complicated manoeuvres, e.g. the passage of lines.
We played them recently and they gave us a plausible outcome in an evening – see
link

Also, note that the number of companies per battalion is pretty immaterial, since they were merely administrative entities and besides, varied greatly in size from one army to the next, and sometimes within armies.

Tactically, the foot soldiers were told off into platoons or "divisions", of which a battalion usually had between four and eight. Cavalry troops or companies would be combined into squadrons.

The Chandler book recommended by steamingdave47 provides good detail on all of this.

Another recommendation for ' Warfare in the Age of Marlborough ' , it's a great book.

Here ya go smokie

ti's a period hard to resist
spanishsuccession.nl
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Whether you use the rules or not the GaPa army list books are outstanding. Everything you need to build whatever you want. Very very helpful

Grant and Chandler as above. You just need to hunt around for semi affordable copies of Grant.

Depending on how 'deep' the project will be – see if you can track down the Editions Brokaw booklets written by Pat Condray. They are excellent and well worth the money.

thanks for the all the info and help guys

You may wish to see the latest Wargames Illustrated which has a War of Spanish Succession theme
wargamesillustrated.net
On their web page they have also re-printed Mark Allen's excellent series on the French Infantry from the '90s

thanks smacdowall thats a great help