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Small War Presents

Plucky Pikes and Stalwart Shot

An Ultra-Fast Set of Pike and Shot Rules

By Ben King

Introduction

Introduction: In the early years of miniature wargaming pike and shot rules were short, simple and easy to play. Unfortunately many of them were adapted from Napoleonic rules that ignored the realities of Renaissance warfare. Plucky Pikes and Stalwart Shot recaptures the spirit of those short, fun-filled rules while maintaining the accuracies that today’s wargamers expect. On the next 3 pages is a set of rules for the type of warfare from 1450 -1660 for 5mm-28mm figures.  After the rules are illustrated examples and the Combat Cards with the all the tables needed to play Plucky Pikes and Stalwart Shot. Have Fun!

Preliminaries: You will need model soldiers, terrain, a tape measure and 2 differently colored 10 sided dice. One d10 has a range of 1-10. 2 d10s are d% and give a range of 1-100. Soldier classes are Guard, Elite, Veteran, and Recruit.  Class differences are demonstrated by d10 modifiers for combat and morale, the Unit Reaction Time (URT) and fatigue points listed in the Class Mod Table on Combat Card A. 

The Game Turn: The game is divided into turns and each turn has 4 parts. Part 1 is movement and fire. Each side rolls  d% and the high scorer must move first. After the high scorer (player 1) moves, any eligible artillery piece or unit on either side may fire. Artillery always fires first. After player 2 moves, remaining eligible guns/units may fire. Guns and units can fire only once per turn. Part 2 is Melee (hand-to-hand combat). Part 3 is unit Morale and Part 4 is Army morale. Casualties are removed as they occur.

Movement is in inches. The maximum movement rates are listed in the Movement Table. Players may move their units shorter distances if they wish or not at all. Formed infantry and cavalry are allowed to charge every 4^th move but only to engage the enemy. Light infantry and light cavalry in skirmish formation may run every 4^th move. A URT is the time it takes the unit to accomplish something. For example it takes 1 URT to change formation which means an elite unit takes 1/3 move while a line unit takes ½ move. A battalion in line may pivot 30⁰ with one end stationary in one URT.  It may not pivot on the center. Brigades in line may pivot only 15⁰ per URT. Some activities take more than 1 URT. All of the activities are listed in the URT Table on Combat Card A.

Formations: Infantry operated 4 ways. The pike formation was a deep formation used for close combat. Pikes could also form “hedgehog”, a square for all round defense against cavalry. Musketeers were in open order to fire and skirmish formation for reconnaissance. Cavalry operated in close order for close combat, open order for firing pistols or carbines and skirmish order for reconnaissance. Professional units could maneuver skillfully albeit slowly. A unit must be in good order to move and fight effectively. Formations that are slightly disorganized are “disordered.”  A unit is disordered when it has just waded a stream; finished a melee; or when it has charged and not reached its objective. It needs 1 URT without moving to reorganize. Disordered units fight with 2 subtracted from their d10 rolls. Disordered infantry gets no tactical advantages for firing. Cavalry can’t charge. No disordered unit gets an advantage in melee other than being in hedgehog or defending barriers and houses. A unit attacking a disordered enemy doubles its LF. A badly disorganized unit is “muddled” when it is forced into a friendly unit; runs into one by accident; or is forced into a melee while wading a stream or river. It takes 3 URTs of the lowest class to untangle a muddle and none of the units may fire. If attacked in melee, they fight as if taken in the rear until they are sorted out. Units sort themselves out even during melee. A 2^nd rank must have at least 50% of the figures of the 1^st rank to count as such.

Attack Values (AV): Cavalry and infantry AV are based on the number of figures while artillery AV is based on points. The AV is combined with 1 or more situation factors and a d10 roll to get the Lethality Factor (LF). LF = (AV + modifiers + d10). If the LF equals or exceeds the target’s DF there is a hit. Target units lose figures while guns, horse teams and buildings lose points. If the LF is 2X the target’s DF the target loses 2 figures/points, 3X, 3 figures/points, etc. AVs are on Combat Card A. Only roundshot and shell damage buildings. With 0 points remaining, the building collapses and the building point value is used as an AV against the troops inside.

Defense Values (DV): Cavalry, infantry and artillery all have a DV of 10. DVs are in the Values Table on CC A. The DV is combined with cover and tactical modifiers to make the Defense Factor (DF). DF= (DV + modifiers). If the LF equals or

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exceeds the target’s DF there is a hit. Target units lose figures while guns, horse teams and buildings lose points. If the LF is 2X the target’s DF the target loses 2 figures/points, 3X, 3 figures/points, etc. AVs and DVs are on Combat Card A. Horse teams function fully until the points run out. When the d10 roll is a natural 1 the LF is halved. Building point values are in the Buildings Chart on CC B.

Modifiers: There are d10 modifiers for armor, casualties, damage and morale. They are listed in the appropriate tables on the combat card. When the notation is a single digit with a “+” or “-” it means that number is added to or subtracted from the d10 roll. If the notation is LF=3(AV+3), it means that 3 points are added to the d10 roll and the sum is added to the AV and the class modifier. Then the total is multiplied by 3. Be sure to include all appropriate modifiers when finding the LF.

Artillery: The guns are Falcons (light), Sakers (medium), Culverins (Med-Heavy), & Cannon (Heavy). Ranges are divided into short, medium and long and each has a modifier. To “fire” a gun must be unlimbered and the target visible to the crew. Measure the range from the axle to the target and roll a d10. Add the d10 score, the class modifier and range modifier (+/-) to the AV of the gun. If the LF equals or exceeds the DF of the target, it loses a figure or a point. Hailshot is in a separate table and gets +2 to the d10 roll. Artillery loses points the way other units lose figures. Limbered artillery is formed and is designated by a model horse or ox on the stand. Unlimbered artillery (no horse or ox) is in skirmish. Artillery firing at other artillery subtracts 5 from its d10 roll. If there is a hit roll a d%. If the score is 86+ guns have been hit and the artillery unit loses 1/3 of its AV. Horse/ox models can be placed anywhere within 6”of an unlimbered gun. 

Firearms: Musketeers fight as formed units or in skirmish formation, and most firearms take 1 URT without moving to reload. Formed musketeers in 2 ranks engage any target 45⁰ left or right and fire the whole 1^st rank. Moving musketeers subtract 2 from the d10 roll. Stationary Musketeers fire 1.5(AV+2). Swedes in the mid-17^th century 2(AV+2). Musketeer units in 2 ranks may fire the 1^st rank every move with no reloading penalty. Stationary Musketeers in a single rank must take 1 URT without moving to reload. When formed units fire, the entire unit engages the enemy. Skirmishers fire their full LF when stationary and subtract 2 from their d10 rolls when moving. They may fire in any direction but only the stands in range count for the AV. They need one nonmoving URT to load and get none of the tactical advantages of formed musketeers. Cavalry firing pistols use their full LF for the 1^st rank if they are stationary and subtract 2 from the d10 roll if they are moving. If they fire their pistols before or during a charge they get no charge bonus. Pistoliers have 3 pistols each. They may fire 3 turns in a row but must take 1 URT to reload each one. Handguns without serpentines take 1 URT to load and get no bonuses. They get -3 while moving.

Bows & Crossbows: Moving bowmen fire only the first rank of the formation at its full LF with -2 on the d10 roll. There is no loading penalty for bows. Stationary light bowmen fire 1 rank. Stationary Heavy bowmen fire the first rank and 50% of the second rank. Moving crossbowmen fire only the first rank of the formation at full LF with -2 on the d10 roll. Stationary heavy crossbowmen fire with the LF X 1.5. They take 2 URT without moving to load. They get no advantage being in 2 ranks. Asian Horse Archers may fire from horseback while moving with their full LF. If they dismount they fire as regular bowmen.

Firepower modifiers: Formed infantry and artillery firing at the flank or rear of an enemy infantry or cavalry (enfilade) get +3 on the d10 roll and the LF is multiplied by 2 (LF=2 (AV+3)).  Artillery on a hill firing at enemy below gets +1. Artillery firing uphill gets -1. Artillery or infantry a contour higher than friendly troops may fire over their heads but not with hailshot. Modifiers for woods are in the cover table. Visibility is 20” in Light Woods and 10” in Heavy woods. A unit must be 2” from the edge of a wood before it gets protection. Firing First: When formed units fire at each other each rolls a d10, add its class modifier and situation modifier listed in the Firing First Table. The higher score fires first. Ties fire simultaneously. Units and artillery may fire at enemy units attacking adjacent units if they are within 4” of the friendly unit. Artillery can’t fire hailshot.

Cover and Armor: 4 types of cover are listed in the Cover Table. Add the appropriate modifier to the target’s DV. For example, infantry in a wooden building has a DF of 10+3=13. If the cover doesn’t protect the flanks/ rear of a unit, the flanks/ rear are open. Troops wearing a full or ¾ armor are “armored”. Those wearing a cuirass and helmet are lightly armored. The rest are “unarmored”. Armor mods are added to the DV only for melee, bows and crossbows not firearms or artillery. 

Melee (Close Combat) occurs when the stand of an advancing unit touches an enemy stand or position. Only a Steady unit can initiate melee. Only a Steady or Shaken unit can accept melee. When a unit that hasn’t yet moved is attacked and the attacker has moved less than 1URT of the target unit, the target must accept melee as it stands. If the attacker takes more than a URT, then roll a d10 and add the unit’s class modifier and use the Melee Counter Rolls Table. If the score equals or exceeds that in the table the unit may change to a more advantageous position, formation or counter-charge. Skirmishers may withdraw. Units on a side that has already moved have no options. Pikes and hedgehogs vs. cavalry and flank/rear attacks count 2 ranks and all

others count 1. Artillery batteries count all their points. The relationships of the various formations are in the Melee Matrix.

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Add the figures/points to the appropriate modifiers and the d10 roll to find the LF. Each side removes its casualties. On move 2 of a melee, all the troops of each side are involved in the melee. Minimum charge distances are 1” for infantry and 4” for cavalry to get the charge modifier. Charges must be made in a straight line, not in the oblique. Flank and rear advantages last 1 move then the melee becomes general and all figures of each side take part. Pikes/hedgehogs retain their 2 rank advantage and formation until they break. Pikes not in hedgehog lose their advantage if attacked on the flank or rear. Units entering a melee in progress get their charge bonus but no flank or rear advantages. Modifiers for assaults on buildings and barriers are in the Melee Modifier Table. Units behind barriers won’t pursue. A unit that lost a melee rolls a d10 and adds its Class mod. 6 or less means it lost its flag. A unit wins a melee when it causes more casualties to the enemy and/or pushes it back.

Fatigue & Pursuit: A unit gets fatigue points (see table) for each move in melee. At the end of each move roll a d10 (don’t add the class mod). If the score doesn’t equal or exceed the total of fatigue points, the unit falls back 6”.  When a unit stands and its opponent withdraws, subtract the number of figures from the unit that withdraws from the unit that stood. Add that to the unit’s class mod and a d10 roll. If the score is 20+ the victorious unit advances and the melee continues. If the enemy routed, a victorious cavalry unit pursues to get to the enemy baggage and is not seen again. A general/staff officer can prevent a unit from moving forward. With no pursuit, the melee is over. A unit that falls below a level, also falls back 6”, if its opponent is steady, it automatically follows and the melee continues. If both fall below a level both fall back and the melee is over. Fatigue lasts only for the melee. There are no fatigue points given for pike units and hedgehogs because they must be stable. They do not move backward until they are broken. Units making flank/rear attacks or the equivalent are exempt from fatigue for that round of melee. Units may not charge the move after they engage melee. In wars where no quarter is given such as religious wars, there are no fatigue points and units stay in a melee until they rout.

Effectiveness (Morale): Infantry units, cavalry units, and artillery batteries have 4 levels of effectiveness: Steady, Shaken, Broken and Routed. They are listed in the Effectiveness Levels table on Combat Card B. At the end of a move in which a unit drops below a level, make a rally roll for the unit with a d10 and add its Class mod to see if it gets figures back. These are lightly wounded returning and may return the unit to its previous level. Rally rolls are even made for units still fighting a melee. In fights to the death units make the normal rally rolls. The original size of a unit is in the left column and the d10 scores are on the top row. Advancing and charging units that fall below “Steady” can’t close and withdraw 6” from the point of contact. Their rally roll comes at the end of the move. 

Leadership: A unit or gun has 3 leaders that are not part of the figure count. When a unit takes a casualty from fire or melee, roll d%. A score of 86+ means that the unit suffered a leader casualty in addition to a figure casualty. For single units, subtract 2 from rally rolls for each leader lost. For brigaded units there are 6 leaders worth 1 point each. General & Staff figures represent command and control. For every 5 - 8 units there is a general and a staff officer. Commanding two or more of these corps is a Commanding General and 1 staff. A General or Staff Officer adds points to a unit’s rally roll if his stand is touching the unit’s. The points are in the Rally Roll Modifier Table. Only 1 officer at a time affects a unit. If a General/Staff officer is with the unit when it takes a leadership casualty, he is the casualty. When a general is a casualty, all of his units within 18” that have to make rally rolls that move and lose 3 or 4 points. The unit he was with loses the points permanently.

Victory Points: Establish the number of units/guns in each army and assign 1-4 points to each valuable objective on the table. At the end of the game find the units and guns in each army that are routed or destroyed and find the percentage remaining. This will give you the points in the Army Effectiveness Table. Then add/subtract the appropriate modifiers in the Army Modifiers Tables. Once you have the total roll a d10 and use the Rally Rolls table to get additional points. Compare the total score of each army and the high score wins. The courses of action listed are for games that are part of campaigns.

“With Rules This Easy I Might Have Captured Vienna”

Gustavus Adolphus

All illustrations and graphics to include cover art are property of the author. I owe a debt of thanks to the following individuals who helped play test the rules: Wayne Gerdes, John Kaiser, Rich Kardos, Mike McVeigh, Howard Meissel, Bill Melgaard, Brent Romanick, Colin Romanick, and Paul Sullivan.