"Gaming with amusettes in the AWI" Topic

We played a relatively small AWI game with Age of Reason last night, the scenario being Cooch's Bridge, a few days before Brandywine. We just adjusted tthe figure ratio ddown from 50:1 to 5:1 and the game went smoothly.
It was satisfyingly bloody, with the Yanks being overwhelmed in the last turn, not without bloodying Hessian and British noses.

Anyway, we used amusettes for the first time. I had one painted, and had a "Eureka!" moment when I realized I had some Grenadier HYW wheeled mantlets I had bought back in 1982. Sure, they were a bit taller than the Fife and Drum one, and had a HUGE St George cross painted on them, but the principle is exactly the same.
We treated the three as a unit, with 2 gunners per mantlet. They outranged rifles, being a VERY long barreled .50 caliber punt gun. When they routed, they left the guns behind and the mantlets were just sitting there. The gunners rallied, and COULD have remanned their guns, if it were not for some messy melees being fought on that ground.

These were ad hoc add on rules to Age of Reason, and I am sure I will come up with something similar when I run them in Sword and the Flame soon.

How do you handle amusettes and their mantlets in your chosen rules? Obviously the were not very common, but once a gamer has something weird, they tend to make frequent appearances.

I have been trying to figure out how to use them in a game for a while. My problem is that I really do not understand their use in actual battles. Are they just sniper type weapons?

I have two of them from a trade and I have no idea what to use them for.
Matthew

I believe they were primarily used in sieges. The guns themselves were no doubt useful for defenders too and in that respect were called "wall guns".

They were used in the field at Cooch's Bridge.

In a Jeager officers diary, they used them to root out some American riflemen who were in a barn shooting at them. the amusette made short work of them and the survivors ran off.

Yes, what Ironwolf said. The amusette bullet easily pierced the wood barn planks causing the Continentals to scurry out of the barn. IIRC, most of them were picked off by jaeger fire or rounded up by the 17th Light Dragoons.

Which is why I got mine.
It looks like a fun skirmish game. Well. maybe only if you are on the British side.

Oddly enough, when Rick was firing his AK through the sides of the camper at the Wolves last night, that is what I was reminded of.

John,

For TSATF, you could always treat them as "light" artillery and roll 2-3 dice per gunner when firing.

Oddly enough, when Rick was firing his AK through the sides of the camper at the Wolves last night, that is what I was reminded of.

Come on, John, you gotta tell us the rest of the story about this. Don't leave us hanging.

Jim

The Walking Dead last night, Jim.
And no. I hope Jon Snow is not…. Oops. Wrong show, but same sentiment.

For some reason can't remember the officers name who wrote th4e diary. Was it Cpt. Ewald… Winston Smith, hoping the same as you.