"Maurice wargame" Topic

Just acquired the rule set, along with "for king or Empress", fervently building Austrian-Prussian for the Silesian wars. Can arrange the stands for both systems by forming the four stands into block for "king or Empress" and then use them as is as well for Maurice. I've read the rule book 3-4 times and I really like what I see. I have seen where Monsieur Mustafa has taken some "sling and arrows" for not being -conflict- specific enough for specific conflicts in the age of reason. I find this a weak argument. The national advantage cards can be manipulated and/or removed to reflect the contemporary practices in a given decade or conflict. It need not be spelled out in the book, we are all historians of some degree of another, work it out. I.E. cadence in the WSS, with deadly volleys, for the French. Just because you can because the book says you CANT, is a weak argument.
Kudos to Honour Publishing for a fantastic and original product.

One of my absolute favourite rulesets too! I'm just finishing up a Russian GNW army for it actually. We've used it for the SYW and Marburlian, as well as an imaginations campaign and always had great games.

As you say, brilliant design.

Tony, do you use pikes at all, in theory "by the book" they use there, in practice I have been understand that by 1703-04 they fell into dis-use. I am in no way well read into this war. My next "build" will for "M" be either GNW or AWI.

@Clays Russians

Pikes were still in use by some armies into the 1710s; there is some evidence that some British units of Marlborough's army had them at Blenheim. Certainly no problem in giving pikes to your GNW Russians or Swedes

link

Yes one of my all time favorite rule sets as well.

Christopher

Hi Clay,

Absolutely pikes were used by the Swedes and Russians in the GNW. There is some controversy about how much the Russians actually used pikes on the battlefield. As you say, just because they were officially issued pikes, does that mean that they were dragged along to battle?

Interestingly enough, it seems that few pikes were evident in the Russian army before 1700, as the Russians noticed that Western Europe had abandoned the pike pretty much by then. However, after fighting the Swedes, and seeing how effective the Swedes were with the pike, Russia reintroduced and started using the pike once more.

In the primary sources, pikes were listed as being issued to Russian units, and more importantly also were listed in material losses after battles, which strongly implies that they were actually used in battles post 1700. The ratio of pike to shot was quite low, well under the "traditional" 1:3 pike to shot ratio. Also, not all regiments seemed to have been issued pikes, so probably there were no regulations or universal standards about pikes. There isn't a lot of source material about pikes.

In 1723, Peter the Great ordered all of his pikemen to rearm with muskets and bayonets for a war against the Turks. I found that quite interesting that against an army with a high proportion of horse, that pikes were dispensed with. I had heard an argument that because Russians often faced more mobile opponents, pikes were more important. Apparently not, according to the Czar!

(This information is from Boris Megorsky's work, which seems the most exhaustive. Konstam states each infantry regiment was issued pike; Hoglund merely mentions pikes were used, but the extent is unknown).

In Maurice terms, I have about half of my regiments with pike. In those, I have four pike figures for 16 casting units, which of course makes no difference for Maurice, but I just like the ratio.

I'm honestly not sure how the pike rules will work in Maurice, as it seems almost an afterthought, but I suspect it will work well enough for me, and definitely give a different "feel" to a GNW army, as opposed to a SYW army.

I have heard the argument that some pikes were at Blenheim, but it is my understanding that that particular historical viewpoint is somewhat controversial in academic circles. I raised a French army for that conflict, so I didn't delve into that research too much.

Thanks for the link Steamingdave2. Very interesting discussion. From what I read, the Streltsy did not have pikes, except to carry pennants, so I'm a bit dubious about the accepted "Russians used pikes until 1720" blanket statement.

I need to get that Russian GNW book from amazon by Boris megorski. "Eeeez Boreez"! Tum tudda tum tum tum tadda tum tum… apologies to the Slav…🤗

I found it very useful indeed.

It's the one from Helion – this one to be precise -
link

Tony, that's the one….. there is a companion volume on the Caroliner Swedes as well I believe -nes pas?

Yes. I don't own that volume, so can't personally vouch for it, but I strongly suspect based on the Russian one, and Helion's reputation, it's also very good!

I do know my friend, who is painting up the Swedes to face my forces of Mother Russia, has it.

Steamingdave2 … thanks for the link!