"What to expect from TYW wargaming?" Topic

SYW and Napoleonic are "done", so I am looking for something new. It should be more flexible than the linear SYW, but less dynamic than Napoleonic (I like wargaming in 28mm, and IMHO there is never enough depth for Napoleonics).
I assume that
-the formed infantry is slower moving so I donīt need more than 6 feet depth
-artillery canīt decide the battles because of low numbers of guns
-different small units like arquebusiers on foot and horse provide tactical flexibility.

I only had a glance at Pike&shotte from Warlord games and Brevis Edito Tercio, and while the latter is different by not using IGOYOUGO, P&S loks like Black Powder to me. So is TYW a different cup of coffee or just horse and muskets with different hats?

cheers!

You could look at Twilight of the Sun King, they have rules for TYW.

They are on the Pike and Shot Society page and there are a few explanation videos on line.

They look interesting

There was a discussion about the Twilight system at the 18 century forum, and the questions about C&C actually made me look for something else than SYW, thatīs why I landed here. I am looking for a period where I can use combined warfare on a very small tactical level, and thatīs when the Tercio came to my mind.
I use wargaming as a tool to learn history, and when I think about miniatures I image Maurice, Prince of Orange using them for translating roman wisdom into 17th century. I would like to learn why Imperial army and the Swedes just differnt tactics by gaming. :)

There is a set called Tercios that gives some good treatment to the various battlefield formations without getting too granular or clunky. Tercios is for the TYW period and they have an ECW supplement. Simon Miller's ECW variant of To The Strongest does the same for the English Civil War. Both are element-based (one base is a unit) but both are pretty flexible in that regard.

To answer your question, I think it's very different to the SYW. There was quite a bit of evolution of fighting formations going on with different schools of thought pushing their concepts. Cavalry were also undergoing changes too.

@Prince AR: I guess you are refering to of Liber
Militum: Tercios, that is the the long version of the free Brevis Edito Tercio I mentioned in the first post.

I am actually not looking for a specific set of rules, I want to make sure that TYW wargaming is an interesting experience before I invest (more) money and time.

In Brevis Edito Tercio you can use very small battle groups (sic) called companies and support detachments, thatīs what caught my attention.

Well, if you play Pike & Shotte it is just Black Powder tweaked. I know little about that period but our games don't feel very different from SYW/Napoleonics using that game system.

Probably more a reason not to play that system than a mark against TYW though.

Big battle pike & shot feels a bit like Age of Reason. Skirmish pike & shot is nearer late medieval/Renaissance.

I think in 28mm P&S, you might be better off foraging and storming villages than refighting Breitenfield, but many people disagree with me.

link Poke around in Steven Balagan's blog. You can get a free copy of Tilly's Very Bad Day which is a lot of fun to play. He has other battle scenarios, too.
John

I have never tried it, but "By fire & sword" looks interesting – albeit I think it is after TYW a tad.

Thanks for the mention John/mumbasa

If anyone is interested in Tilly's Very Bad Day then …
All Tilly's Very Bad Day material: Rules, musing, battle reports and scenarios.

Download Tilly's Very Bad Day – Fast Play Rules for the 30 Years War

Dogtail: I think most periods have the potential to be interesting or boring depending on what you like and how it's presented. The TYW, IMO, is no exception. It's a period of transition and evolving doctrine. There are big personalities too. I love Pike and Shot but I admit that some of the politics, shifting alliances and strategic level aspects confuse me regarding the TYW.

If I play the TYW with DBR, I'd probably find it plays similar to DBA/M ancients and medievals. Same goes with utilizing a "broad brush" ruleset like Black Powder/P&S/Hail Caesar. Alot of people find dark ages combat less than compelling but if you use a ruleset that is catered to specifically capturing it's feel you may come away with a different opinion (I love Dux Bellorum, it makes shieldwalls fun for me). It comes.down to how your rules present it and if that presentation is your cup of tea.