Hrik, Excellent Post! Let’s brainstorm this.
My suggestion in mixed weapon units was that the formations were
consistent with 100 meter hexes, they were highly successful in
paper wargames, and they would seem to have the least programming
impact on REN AI/special rules.
Yes, exactly. Moncontour
http://www.lepg.org/moncont.htm shows
the “mixed-weapon/hybrid” heavy infantry blocks, and also
detached shot over in formation 18. The question is if the
detached shot is detached
in the midst of battle. Pre-battle
shot detachment is quite common. From the historical accounts,
we don’t seem to see much shot detachment
in the midst of battle.
Unfortunately, the REN AI strips shot from the pike blocks in the
battle quicker than I can believe. It’s impossible to get one of
those toe-to-toe shot exchanges, followed by the push-of-the-pike
against the game engine.
Since you mention Dreux.
Background for everybody – Dreux, 19 December 1562. Part of the
French Religious Wars, solidly in the 16th century. Dreux is one
of a pair of nice wargames by Ben Hull, published in Vae Victis 50.
It is also possible to get a VASSAL module of it at:
http://www.vassalengine.org/community/index.php?option=com_vassal
_modules&task=display&module_id=44
(Yes, believe it or not, Ben Hull does 16th century, too.)
See also the Osprey “Essential Histories” No. 47. A similar
figure is also found on pg. 33. Wikipedia shows:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BatailleDreux1562.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schlacht_bei_Dreux_19_12_1
562_Franz_Hogenberg_1540-1590.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bataille_de_Dreux.jpg
"http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File
reux.gif"
(The URL above should be File(colon)Dreux.gif)
(The thread editor converts (colon)D into a smiley)
This last figure is a detail of a mixed weapon heavy infantry
block surrounded by enemy cavalry. If we look at the Hogenberg
figure, we also see mixed weapon blocks marching along. I go
into this because the formation depicted in these images is
exactly what is modeled by the “Hedgehog” formation rules found
in Ben Hull’s games. Unlike a “Block”, a “Hedgehog” does not
move. This is something that is way down on my list of
suggestions, but does evoke the conduct of battle in the
Sixteenth Century.
Hrik, I completely understand when you say that the skirmishers
were not “leased” to the parent units. Just a plain arquebus
unit will deploy skirmishers at the drop of a hat. And, even if
you keep the arquebus Restricted, they will leave the “parent”
pike block far behind. To me it seems that if you construct some
type of linkage between a “parent” pike block and the “frosting”
of arquebus, you are, in essence, constructing a mixed weapon
unit.
Hrik, you say “However, I've noticed that some gamers seem keen
to get an engine change to permit a unit in line to stack with a
pike block without disrupting...” I sincerely hope you don’t
mean me. Seriously! My motivation is to simulate the toe-to-toe
shot exchanges, followed by the push-of-the-pike. Right now it
is impossible to do it with REN. If the Xtreme Disordering is in
place, I can do it as long as I disable AI and play completely
manually. To show how serious I am, I’m willing to make a
recommendation that Line formation be prohibited from all shot
units in REN. It should be prohibited even if the unit is behind
a wall. The reason is that the arquebus had an abysmal rate of
fire. So they would build shot formations of files that were
dozens of men deep. The guy in front would shoot, walk back to
the end of his file, and eventually get reloaded by the time he
rotated back to the firing line. We don’t get anything
approximating a Napoleonic firing line until Gustavus Adolphus in
the 17th century. (And he was pushing the envelope with the
firearms of the age - - they also needed training and fire
discipline to create volley fire.) Anyway, I don’t care for
lines.
Let me break here. Will be back shortly .....
