Light guns - worth the points or useless?

[davids]

I tried light guns the other day and came away fairly underwhelmed. 4 bases of them for 48 points made me wish for something else: - dragoons, pike/shot, pretty much anything else.

With such a short range - 8 MU - and hitting foot on 5s they seem to be bad value compared to medium guns.

Any ideas for use or should I consign them to the dustbin?

Thanks.

[Blathergut]

I sometimes use two in front of foot that are holding a flank.

[iversonjm]

I got great mileage out of them with the Qing Chinese at Historicon this weekend. They basically turn every test generated by the adjacent bow units (who with 9 shooting dice cause a CT test every phase) into a -1 CT. Like FOG-AM handgunners, their role is to support adjacent shooters, not do damage on their own.

[khurasan_miniatures]

Actually many historical commanders had the same frustration that you do. Battalion guns generally proved virtually useless on the battlefield. Commanders were very reluctant to take them away from the infantry because the infantry loved them, as they were a way to strike back at enemies, to bang away even if the little pop gun rarely did anything.

I've always thought the primary benefits of battalion guns should be the possibility of doing some mild damage at close range, and an improvement in morale.

[hazelbark]

I have found light guns attached to infantry holding of the enemy mouted wing a good combo. The foot at an angle just over 12 MU from edge and the light guns extend 8 MU in. That really shores up a weak mounted wing.

[marty]

I have fond light guns attached to infantry holding of the enemy mouted wing a good combo. The foot at an angle just over 12 MU from edge and the light guns extend 8 MU in. That really shores up a weak mounted wing.

Exactly how I use them in my Scots Covenanters (which has no shortage of "weak mounted wings"). I have found them very useful in this role (often with seperated pike units behind them).

Martin