"Forlorn Hope" Topic

How do you guys read the section on "Forlorn Hope" (p183 in the rules)?

It reads:
Each player can deploy one BG of up to 4 bases of medium foot shot (if it has one) between 10 & 15 Mus from its rear table edge. It must be entirely in non-open terrain or defending an obstacle.
The Glossary (p173) describes a FH as a body used for semi-suicidal tasks, deployed ahead of the main army.

It *seems* this unit is different from Detached Shot (which are taken from brigades of shot & pike).
What do you think?
Can I create a special, new unit of Forlorn Hope? (ie 4 bases of 3 figures each?).
I'm currently trying to think of ways of making my stodgy, slow-moving Swedes have a little tactical speed.

I'm also trying to source a 3 base dragoon unit. With both these units, I'd never compete with an Eastern armies mass of fast moving cavalry but I might have a go at seizing terrain & trying to hold it whilst the rest of the army moves up.

As it says IF your army has a unit of up to four bases of medium shot then they can be a FH.
Otherwise I see no reason why you cannot use such a unit created by the Detached Shot rules to do this.

Seizing terrain is what your dragoons are for. Don't bother trying to form a deatched shot unit foe a Folrlorn Hope as it negates most of the benefits of the Swedish Brigade system.

So, the Forlorn Hope needs to be detached from a pike & shot BG?

I see your point David Taylor.

I *could* add an average German mercenary P&S BG to the army (2 pike, 4 musket) & detach the shot from that. And attach the 2 pike bases to something else?

It's a while since I've played FoGR and don't have my rules in front of me, but from memory I believe that you can only detach up to half of the shot bases from a P&S unit.

This would mean that for you to create a 4-base unit of detached shot as a forlorn hope, you would need to have two 6-base units of P&S, the remainder of which would then combine as an 8-base P&S unit (you have to maintain the same number of battle groups).

@ TamsinP

I checked this & you're right.
I don't think it worthwhile to add two BGs to get a Forlorn Hope, so I guess dragoons it is.

Many TYW armies have small, 4-base units of musketeers (eg ECW "firelocks" and the like), usually in the "Optional Forces" sections. From memory, I don't think the Swedes do, but they do have small 2-base units of "commanded shot" (with an option for a regimental gun as well) that you could use.

Thanks SM.

Here's the rub: we will never game in a tournament or even against anyone outside our circle of friends. So, technically, I guess I could add anything on the Wars of Religion lists to my army.

But I'm thinking even if you hold to points totals & min/max restraints, you may skew things one way or the other.

So, at this stage, I don't think I'd add a 4 base med. musket BG to my Swedes.

Indeed. Outside of competition games, it's really just about how historically/tactically accurate a particular type of unit was, rather than points totals and what have you.