Killiecrankie bayonets

[switze01]

Hi

The bayonet issue at killiecrankie needs a special rule to simulate the wiiliamite armies
failure to get them fixed in time for the highland charge.

My idea is -

one fire phase to fix bayonets during which you cannot fire and after which you cannot fire.
Once fixed you get the bayonet bonus - otherwise no bonus

Without this the williamite troops will not simulate their behavior.

steve

[kevinj]

I think this is a level of detail that falls below the scale at which Fog models combat in the period and any mucking about with bayonets would be subsumed into the standard mechanisms, in the same way that, for example, the effect of damp weather on matchlock muskets is.

Then, if you look at the troop types involved, the bayonets thenselves are likely to be irrelevant. The Higlanders are Impact Foot, which get + POA at impact regardless of bayonets. In melee the Williamites are likely to be 1+5 Pike and Shot, so will count as Protected, which negates the Highlanders sword capability. Any overlaps will be at ++ regardless as they are Warriors.

If you're looking to refight Killiekrankie, I think you'd probably get a reasonable result by ensuring the Williamite army is not a tournament optimised version and includes some poor troops (as the forces are described as "green and untried"). The terrain is descrbed as providing some cover from the incoming shooting and the Williamite deployment as poor with gaps in the line, both of which should also give the Highlanders sufficient opportunity to replicate the result.

[timmy1]

The rules are writted for plug bayonets. It is because of the change to socket bayonets that the rules end in 1698 so they don't have to be covered.

[marshalney2000]

Actually, I think you are all looking at the wrong Sassenachs list for Killiekrankie as when i was involved in writing the list to fight the Scot's Jacobites I recall agreeing with Nick that we would encompass the Government army into that of the Restoration British and not Williamite as the latter bore little relationship to the army in Scotland in 1689 and 1690. I have checked and if you look at page 57 of Duty and Glory you will see the amendments that strip away a lot of good troops and add the compulsory poor. You also have the option of taking away the pike as it is widely believed that many government regiments left their pikes behind having worked out the Jacobites did not really have much of a cavalry arm. The superior Earl of Angus regiment should not of course be allowed at Killiekrankie as these were the defenders of Dunkeld.
Re the rules I think they work well for this engagement in that if the highlanders can disrupt the regulars at impact then the sword comes into play in melee. If the Government troops have gaps in their line as they did historically then the warrior overlaps hitting on a three also comes into play. The government cavalry was also very poor and few in number and as such the usual nemesis of the highlanders was removed from play.
If you want to gild the lily even more you can count the highlanders as being uphill at impact. If you have ever been to Killiekrankie you will know what I mean. Your main problem after running down that hill is actually stopping yourself.
On the question of terrain, there was a significant dip at the bottom of the hill which provided some shelter to the one volley fired with many shots going over heads. The Jacobites however still took 30 to 40 percent casualties from this one volley.
For some nice flavour and a bit of inspiration play the rousing old ballad" Killiekankio " as you play or even better listen to the more modern but stunningly evocative song "Weep Ye by Atholl"
Hope this helps.
John

[kevinj]

Thanks John, I'd missed that note in the Restoration British List. Of course, if you use that list nobody has bayonets (unless you have the Fusileers which I suspect would be dubious), so the original point becomes somewhat moot.