Happy Wanderer | 24 Mar 2017 5:47 p.m. PST |
Gents, I've popped up a few pics and thoughts on getting together forces for depicting action set in the North American conflict, King Philip's War, 1675. This conflict is quite interesting in that it saw a changing of technology and tactics between the British colonist forces and the Native Indian tribes, who were generally better armed and more skilful in fighting. It provides something of a ‘balanced' force mix and has unique aspects of its own making it different from the more popular French and Indian War conflict 80 years later. Included are some thoughts on gathering forces and snaps of my Woodland Indians. Cheers Happy Wanderer wp.me/p1YrZG-1oe link |
Dave Jackson | 24 Mar 2017 6:00 p.m. PST |
Thanks for this! Excellent! |
FusilierDan | 24 Mar 2017 6:49 p.m. PST |
|
Happy Wanderer | 24 Mar 2017 10:22 p.m. PST |
Your welcome gemtlemwn. I hope others feel free to expand the conversation on this lesser known type of 'Indian War'. HW |
WarWizard | 25 Mar 2017 4:48 a.m. PST |
Your research into this period is excellent. I did not realize how interesting it could be. |
79thPA | 25 Mar 2017 9:50 a.m. PST |
This is a very interesting read on the subject: link |
axabrax | 25 Mar 2017 10:22 a.m. PST |
Very cool. Looking forward to your thoughts on the rules. |
Jlundberg | 25 Mar 2017 11:59 a.m. PST |
Nice summary I have been pecking away at a scenario book for KPW and will run a game at Historicon. The scenario is based on a what if – the colonial forces move more aggressively while Phillip is trapped on the Pokanoket peninsula Brigade does have a continued release of miniatures – most recently it was the mounted dragoons and praying Indians who would be in colonial service. On my wish list is civilians. I currently use ECW civilians. Keith Stine of Iron Ivan is looking at an update to "This Very Ground" that will include coverage of the King Phillip's War era. |
nnascati | 25 Mar 2017 1:03 p.m. PST |
What figures ar eyou using for the ranger company? |
Happy Wanderer | 25 Mar 2017 3:30 p.m. PST |
@79thPa Schultz's book is excellent. It's definitely one of the first books that is worth reading to get the full sweep of the period from a modern author.… good recommendation along with Leach's classic, Flintlock and Tomahawk! Needless to say Malone's Skulking Way of War is mandatory reading to get an understanding of Woodland warfare in this period. @axabrax 👌 I'm taking a slightly different approach in using muskets and Tomahawks. I want to show the differences in technologies and tactics of the period and I think this rule set is a good vehicle for doing just that. @Jlundberg That sounds really interesting. Is that going to be a commercial seller or distributed in some other fashion? I think a scenario book highlighting a number of actions from KPW would be an excellent way to introduce the period and it's unique features. I shall keep my eye out for that one. Good news on TVG 👌👌 @nnascati That's a good question Nick! My take on the (irregular) 'ranger' company is that they're predominately made up of Praying Indians. As I mentioned in the post it's very much along the French model of incorporating friendly Indians with colonist leaders. If I were to model the figures specifically I'd probably go for a little bit of a mix of doing simple head swaps on the most 'westernised' colonist looking Indian figures so I had a blend between the look and practicality of Indian clothing but with a colonist's facial features or some other distinctive element. I have a number of figures which at a pinch will do though to do them specifically for this period I think capturing the essence of the combined puritan look and Indian clothing or weapons is a nice visual look to my eye….on balance, more colonist looking than indian. I guess it comes down to individual figures combining both elements which in essence is what the ranger companies, for want of a better description, I'm trying to portray. The bulk off course are just Indians, but more heavily clothed to reflect the Christianised town dwelling influence. |
nnascati | 25 Mar 2017 4:49 p.m. PST |
Well, I just ordered Malone and Leach from Amazon. As to rules, I have "Song of Drums and Tomahawks" which I've used for F&IW, and also TSATF which works for everything. Holding off ordering figures until I've read at least one book. |
Jlundberg | 25 Mar 2017 5:33 p.m. PST |
The Scenario book will be published by brigade assuming Lon does not get tired of waiting. I plan on two installments 1675 and 1676. So far I have written up documented actions ranging from several hundred per side to several Indians attacking a woman and her children. She fought them off with a water bucket for a while. Just a couple of major notes when you port FIW to King Phillips. No bayonets and no real linear formations like you see a lot of rules give Regulars a big advantage in the open vs Indians. The Indians were still loathe to charge formed bodies of troops. While the Indians were familiar and reportedly quite good with their muskets, they had no source for gunpowder. The French have not opened up the frontier as a front. During the early stages of the war the colonists did not make effective use of allies as they were suspicious of even the loyal tribes – partially validated when tribe after tribe swore allegiance then joined the rebellion when the time was right. Early in the war the Indians had an easy time ambushing pretty much at will |
Joep123 | 25 Mar 2017 9:02 p.m. PST |
Thanks for posting this H.W. I planning on doing some gaming of this war using Pikemans Lament and 10mm figs by Pendraken. I ordered a mix of flintlock and matchlock armed troops. Can't wait:-) Joe |
Happy Wanderer | 25 Mar 2017 10:17 p.m. PST |
Good chat chaps, @nnascati – you won't be disappointed with either of those Nick. Good choice. The period certainly lends itself to Song of Drums and Tomahawks…it really is just a matter of what perspective or scale of play you wish to partake off and how large your forces will be, etc. @Joep123 Good stuff Joe. I've got some ideas about force ratings and listers for Pikeman's Lament which I'll be putting up in my next post. Really it's just a starting point for others to build off. @Jlundberg All good points – nice work. I think it really does come down to what a player wants to represent, how you want to do it, what rules you're using, and what you're going to emphasise. It's a case of relative positions insofar as what troops can and can't do in respect to one another IMHO. My research shows that the militia companies are more inclined to try and fight on their terms, as they had 'trained' for (limited as that was) rather than on the Indian's terms…goes without saying. This off course, as you know, is usually what brought them unstuck. It is the very fact that the Indians could often choose the place of contact and thus usually had better of it when they did. If Indians were to engage the colonists forces in the open then things would not work out for them. So my approach is to allow each side to play to their strength as they did historically. How the players put their scenario together and mix their forces up is then going to create the tactical problem. Militia companies will derive the maximum benefit if they form up and engage the enemy in the open maximising the benefit of their inefficient musketry ability and improving their morale by operating in close formation with one another. This to my mind speaks very much to the muskets and tomahawks firing line rule which aids and benefits European troops operating as they did… It does not mean that they are equivalent to 18th century standards of drill or anything like that. It does mean that the colonist experience of warfare was based on their 17th century drill manuals such as Elton's Tactics. So it's a relative thing. These tactics evolved during the conflict, but not always. Needless to say this isn't going to happen all the time to their benefit and the Indian player will be endeavouring to do the complete opposite…such is the tactical equation. That's is more or less a brief glimpse of how I understand the period and wish to portray it. Dealer's choice of course depending on the rules you use and your point of view…. I can say that the difference between the forces using Pikeman's Lament and Musket & Tomahawks produces quite different sets of tactical problems. This is just the nature of how those two rules systems work and what they emphasise – I for one don't think that matchlock and flintlock muskets should be treated the same way but they are in PL…there you go! Anyway, I'm gonna go into some more detail about some of my thoughts on this particular matter and if nothing else it provides food for thought for anyone else who is looking into the subject. Cheers HW PS excellent news on the scenario book – nice one. |
Joep123 | 26 Mar 2017 5:45 p.m. PST |
I grew up in Upstate New York, and lived for a time in Schenectady. Always remembered a small road side sign about the French and Indian attack on Schenectady (1690?) and the massacre. |
Dave Jackson | 27 Mar 2017 11:02 a.m. PST |
Came on this today, might be interesting an pertinent to the battle questions: link |
nnascati | 27 Mar 2017 3:41 p.m. PST |
I would think figures could be found in the North Star 1672 range, and probably some more "frontiersy" looking figures from the 1750s. |
marco56 | 28 Mar 2017 8:29 p.m. PST |
I saw some of the 1672 range painted as the Carignan-Salieres regiment and they looked pretty good. Mark |
Happy Wanderer | 29 Mar 2017 4:32 a.m. PST |
Hi Nick, IMHO the1672 range is probably a little to 'regular' in uniform appearance and of the entire range I think only the firelock packs, of which there are only two, probably would be useful…as much as I hate to say that about Copplestone sculpts. Whilst using some infantry with the bandolier is okay I think by and large the look is to not have infantry with bandolier unless modelling troops from early in the war. Of course, as I mentioned in my initial post, it's not incorrect to have some infantry with bandolier but it does come down to how you wish to portray your militia company forces. All of them I think is not quite right however. I think the Brigade Games figures do the best job of capturing the look of offensive force militia and most other troops for the bulk of the conflict. My 2c. Happy W |
Happy Wanderer | 30 Mar 2017 6:11 a.m. PST |
Chaps, In a follow up to my original post I have uploaded part II of my look at King Philip's War. Hope you guys can pop over and maybe gleam something useful. Regards Happy W wp.me/p1YrZG-1pl
|
Happy Wanderer | 06 Apr 2017 6:06 a.m. PST |
Gents, I've added the next post in this short series. This post discusses weapons used by the protagonists of King Philip's War. Please pop over if you feel so inclined. Cheers Happy Wanderer wp.me/p1YrZG-1ql link |
Happy Wanderer | 20 Apr 2017 7:26 p.m. PST |
Gents, Here is my last post in this short series on King Philip's War detailing tactical aspects of conflict and the adaptation of such for use with Muskets & Tomahawks and Pikeman's Lament rules. Lots of discussion on game play, set up and how to organise force for play and special rules to go with them. Hope you pop on over and pick up a few ideas. Cheers Happy Wanderer wp.me/p1YrZG-1rM link
|