"What do we now know? TYW" Topic

So I was wondering if someone would be nice enough to give me a small summary of how our understanding of battle in the TYW has changed over the last two decades, and which game systems out there try to represent this new understanding?

And yes I know I am asking for too much :p A pointer to review essay would also be cool.

With Respect
KTravlos

I love black powder , but the newish TYW book added nothing if not little to BP Pike and Shotte . It did nothing for me in the 'special' way Tercio's or the large Swedish formations fight .

Steve Jones – aka the Captain-General has done extensive research using the latest academic works both English and German-language. have a look at his rules; they offer a radically different approach to most rules for the period –

link

Basicly the last 20 years of research has overthrown the "old" narrative about TYW tactics which had backwards Catholics piting lumbering Tercios and caracoling Cuirassiers against innovative Protestants with nimble linear formations and "proper" shock cavalry who charged home sword in hand.

However as many historians have at best limited (and often no) interest in researching the details of 17th C combat at the tactical level there is a continued reliance on old and outdated sources when they do write about events on the battlefield. To make matters worse there have been some very poorly researched recent works published about the military side of the TYW such as Guthries "Battle of the the TYW" and the Osprey volumes aboyt the Imperial army which ignored the new research in favour of the "mythical" view of TYW combat even though the authors are contradicted by the very texts they are supposed to have used…

As far as wargaming rules are concerned the language barrier combined with a reluctance to abandoned the "old" view of TYW tactics (because it seems to provide more distictive and colourfull armies & battles?) has meant that many rules show little change due to the new research.

Wardlaw = Thanks I will take a look

Daneil S = Yes it was your postings that prompted this question. Is there a review article available that sums the new findings?

I looked on the Captain-General's blog but did not see a link to his rules.

You must email him and either buy them from Caliver or directly from him. He is nice though and answers many questions about them.

Email is TheWarreGame1632@aol.com

I must say his rules are very very interesting. Make sure to take a look.