NMA: What Can Support Det. Horse???

[Blathergut]

Having all of one game under my Renaissance belt, I found one thing in particular awkward/weak in the NMA, namely, supporting the Det. Horse. Even one little 2pak of Royalist Commanded Shot was a deadly threat with its shooting. And once I charged in to get rid of them and their pesky Cavalier buddies, I was even against the Cavs but at a - against the protected shot!!!

So how can I support the Horse? I don't want to detach muskets from the pike/shot BGs...they are very strong when full. Dragoons will get in the way. The lone 4pak of firelocks is hanging near the arty to plug that gap if somethings comes across at it.

I asked this earlier without answer: Is there a particular reason the NMA has no Commanded Shot? Was it no longer used by this point? Was the Horse too aggressive to have it keep up with them? Just curious as to tactics.

And how, if you have run NMA, how did you support the Horse? It seems to be ye-olde can't-charge-in-but-can't-sit-within-range dilemna.

[deadtorius]

Try bringing some bibles and reading scriptures, that should either drive us off or make us fall asleep in the saddle. I think your artillery did a pretty good job of ridding the battle field of my horse, think how much longer I could have held out if I had been at full strength instead of just 2 strong??

[mellis1644]

I think commanded shot did die out over time if I remember history correctly. At least for the ECW. It's quite defensive in nature and although works well in some ways it limits a mounted arm a lot. Also, due to the small size of units, if things go wrong they go wrong quickly with them.

Someone with more knowledge of the later 17th Cent likely can add more from the real world view/use of them.

[deadtorius]

Guess they went the way of the Dragoon and disappeared eventually.
For the record my own commanded shot did quite well today for their first time out. Didn't do much for the horse but they got some extra +'s for being protected foot, and then held up the cav on one flank for a few turns till they died.
I guess as cavalry became more of an offensive versus foot weapon commanded shot just was not viable to worry about any more.

[timmy1]

Dragoons are your friend here. Use them to shoot and scoot.

[deadtorius]

Blathergut got the shoot down ok, he just forgot to scoot. I doubt he will do that again, so next time it will be chase the dragoons or send in the foot to shoot the dirty buggers down.