"Wargaming myths how do they get in the rules" Topic

This is a two part question, Part 1 is very simple – Does anyone have any first hand documentary evidence of musket armed infantry advancing and firing. I know it appears in the drill books and I know it's in virtually every set of rules I've ever read but when id it actually happen in the field because all I can find in contemporary accounts is evidence that once troops started firing they were a) static and b) very difficult to stop. The exception is the one volley then charge of Gustavus Adolphus and his subsequent imitators.

Part 2 is cavalry movement a man marches at between 2.5 and 3.5 mph and might run for 5 seconds at 8 mph for a charge. a horse walks at 4 mph trots at 10 mph, canters at 13-14 mph and gallops [conservatively] at 28 mph and a horse can easily gallop for a mile. How many sets of rules have you played where cavalry move at 3 time infantry speed [trotting] and gallop a lot further. I'd suggest none.

So why are these ideas so common.

Most charges actually took place at a trot in order to maintain cohesion and battlefield terrain is rarely smooth like a steeplechase course.

How many sets of rules have you played where cavalry move at 3 time infantry speed [trotting] and gallop a lot further.

Certainly, QILS does not. But that's because unit design is not part of the "rules". "Army lists" go with scenarios, not rules. So, you certainly could do that.

However, (mostly) other than an initial charge, it is physically possible for cavalry to run fast, but not in a tactically useful way. Once you get into combat, that speed potential is rarely tapped. Even in an initial charge, you need to slow down at the end or your horses are going to smack into stuff at speed and at least be injured and taken out of the fight.

The full on cavalry slam into a wall of bodies is cinematic at hell, but not a success move for the cavalry.

Night Raid at Târgoviște

Love this painting. But what happens to that central horse with legs dramatically out, running full tilt, about 2.3 seconds after this image?

Cav doctrine does not have "gallop 27.4 mph and rein back to 10 at 100y and 3.5 at 23.6'". But it does talk about reining in, practices that as a drill, emphasizes keeping formation (not letting everyone go at their own individual speed), and regrouping on withdrawal.

If you've ever shot from the back of a horse, you know why trick shooters do it in an arena that has been leveled against a static target that they know and have practiced precisely multiple times.

It doesn't mean that high speed cav manuever can't or never actually happened, but in combat that it is rare, and probably best handled in the scenario like that.

Is part of this our old friends ground scale and turn length? If a turn represents 30minutes there's plenty of time to cease fire, dress the lines, march forward, load and fire. We just don't track each of these "sub-actions".

What do you think caused most of the American casualties at Bunker Hill? Cholera?

British doctrine was to advance, fire and charge with a hearty "Huzzah!" and of course the bayonet. Yankee scum feared the bayonet. Until they didn't.

And that's just the AWI.

Another factor is what generals did versus what gamers will do. Cavalry speeds are "box scale" i.e. faster than infantry but that make sense on the table.

Assume a 20 minute turn. Men move at 3mph or 1 mile per turn. Cavalry trot 12mph or 4 miles per turn. Assume a ground scale of 1" = 100 yards – call it 18" per mile for convenience.

At this scale infantry move 18" per turn, cavalry 72".

So yeah, a LOT of game design decisions are not about any kind of accuracy but about making a fun game, and being able to play on a table of a reasonable size.

There are plenty of accounts where a charge stalled in the face of a fire from the defender. Then the attacker fires. Often fire is exchanged until the attacker falls back.
Rinse, lather, repeat.

This is handled quite well in the AWI rules "Patriots and Loyalists" with a 10 card flip.

I don't think it myths but, rather, the inability to model certain things when compared to the time, ground, and figure scale of the rules. If 8 figures represents a Napoleonic light dragoon regiment, I don't need to know about the evolutions of the squadron, or worry about walk, trot, and gallop. All I need to know is that they can charge 12 inches.

As for Part 1 -IIRC (and I may be wrong) the Prussian infantry at Mollwitz advanced firing. Anybody out there know better?

Is part of this our old friends ground scale and turn length? If a turn represents 30minutes there's plenty of time to cease fire, dress the lines, march forward, load and fire. We just don't track each of these "sub-actions".

This is accurate. WRG Musket and Pike have 80second player turns, so those rules attempt to duplicate micro-actions, but most rules have game-turns of 15-30 min, so lots of different stuff occurs in that period of time, including firing and moving. My main grip is line infantry is often only given the choice of moving fast, moving slow & firing poorly and firing. I personally feel firing should have a MP cost, so line infantry can stay still and keep on firing away for the entire 15-30min period. As for charging, according to many accounts cavalry actually meeting cavalry was not that common, someone often turned chicken before contact. Not certain about cavalry v infantry, i suspect line would be stuffed. On the other hand several rounds of musket fire may prove unpleasant as well.

…someone often turned chicken before contact.

Reminds one of when "Indian fights were colorful sights…