WTF – Pike and Shot Era Supplement

This suplement for “Warfare’s Tremendous Feats” requires the core rules for “Warfare’s Tremendous Feats.
At present, these rules are being developed for mid 17 th Century western Eurpean armies.

Troop Types
The infantry categories are ‘Battle Line Infantry’, ‘Skirmish Infantry’, ‘Shot’, ‘and Artillery’. The other
category is ‘Mounted’.

Battle Line Infantry

Battle Line Infantry includes Pike, Host and Horde.

Pike
Pike armed troops. By the mid 17th Century, they were mainly used to support shot against cavalry. The
proportion of pike to shot tended to decrease with time.

Host
Well motivated and fierce troops with a mixture of weapons that included well-armed and skilled individuals,
as well as poorly equipped men. Examples include many Scottish Highlanders.

Horde
Newly raised untrained infantry with makeshift and improvised weapons.

Skirmish Infantry
Skirmishers are the only type of Skirmish Infantry.

Skirmishers
These tended to be armed with muskets or other firearms, and included sharpshooters.

Shot
Shot have been separated from Shooters to give a new category. It includes Aquebusiers, Muskets and
Dragoons. Shot were probably the most effective infantry against other infantry. They became increasingly
numerous.

Aquebusiers
Troops armed with older and shorter ranged firearms such as the aquebus.

Muskets
Troops armed with matchlock or flintlock muskets. They could fire at longer range than Aquebusiers.

Dragoons
Mounted infantry mainly used for non-battlefield duties.

Warfare’s Tremendous Feats v. 0.9.1 © Richard Lee and Kevin Owen 2020
Artillery
Artillery have been separated from Shooters to give a new category. It includes Cannon and Guns.

Cannon
Larger,longer range artillery.

Guns
Smaller artillery pieces that were more mobile and had a higher rate of fire.

Mounted
Mounted includes Gallopers, Irregular Cavalry and Trotters.

Gallopers
Gallopers might have pistols but tended to charge home and use them at very close range, or use melee
weapons. They included lancers, and most Royalist cavalry.

Trotters
Pistol armed cavalry that tended to shoot in preference to close combat.

Irregular Cavalry
Skirmishing cavalry. An example would be the Borders referred to as “Moss Troopers”.

Points System
Unit AP Cost
Horde, Irregular Cavalry, Skirmishers 2
Aquebusiers, Dragoons, Host,Pike 3
Cannon, Gallopers, Guns, Muskets, Trotters 4

Further Development
More troop types may be added, with the intentention of expanding the geographic area and period covered
by these rules.

Warfare’s Tremendous Feats v. 0.9.1 © Richard Lee and Kevin Owen 2020
WTF – Pike and Shot Playsheet Close Combat

Sequence of Play Close Combat Factors Foot Mounted

Battle Line Pike 3 4
Select 3 terrain pieces each. Roll for Attacker.
Infantry
Defender places 2-6 terrain pieces. Attacker deploys Host 3 2
first, and takes the first bound. Horde 2 2

Each Bound: Skirmishers Skirmishers 2 2

Shot Aquebusiers, Muskets 4 2
1. Active player rolls for Control Points (CP)
Dragoons 3 2
2. Movement, activate ambushes
Artillery Cannon, Guns 2 2
3. Shooting (both players, active player first) Mounted Gallopers, Trotters 3 3
4. Close Combat (order decided by active Irregular Cavalry 1 1
player) Rear Support: Host 1 Pike 2 in good going

Tactical Movement Troops Situation

Command Distance 16 MU line of sight, 8 if not All General +1

All Uphill or defending river bank +1
Unit Good Bad
All Each side overlapped not in combat, -1
Cannon 2 N/A and each extra enemy
Guns, Horde, Host, Pike 3 3 All Fighting to Flank or Rear -2
Aquebusiers, Muskets, Skirmishers 4 4 Gallopers, Fighting in Bad Going -1
Dragoons, Gallopers, Trotters 6 3 Trotters
Irregular Cavalry 8 4 Pike, Horde, Fighting Infantry in Bad Going -2
Art.
Skirmishers may move as a group wider than 1
column in Bad Going. Shot, Host Fighting Infantry in Bad Going -1
Shot Pike, Galloper or Trotter friends on +2
Infantry and Mounted may interpenetrate Artillery if flank when fighting Mounted or Host
they move completely though it.
Mounted Fighting Gallopers, Trotters or Pikes -1
Shooting with their Shooters on their flanks
Combat Results
Target Factor Infantry 2, Mounted 1
• Shot General +1 Diff Result
1-2 Skirmishers destroyed by Mounted in good going;
• Shot in cover +1 Skirmishers fighting Battle Line Inf. no effect;
Otherwise 1 BP from loser.
• Shot by Artillery within 4 MU -1
3-4 BLI destroyed by Host, Gallopers in good going;
Shooting Factor Skirmishers, Dragoons 1, Artillery destroyed;
Aquebusiers, Artillery, Muskets, Trotters 2 Skirmishers and Shot destroyed by Mounted in
good going;
Range Aquebuses, Trotters 2, Dragoons, Mounted except Irregular Cavalry destroyed in
Skirmishers 3, Muskets 4, Guns 8, Cannon 16 (own bad going, or by Gallopers in good going;
Otherwise recoil and lose 1 BP.
bound only)
5+ Skirmishers flee from Battle Line Inf, 1 BP;
Artillery may not fire if troops moved through them Mounted flee from BLI in good going, 2 BP;
or they moved this bound. Otherwise destroyed.

Shooters may shoot up to 1 MU into and out of

cover.

Warfare’s Tremendous Feats v. 0.9.1 © Richard Lee and Kevin Owen 2020
Outcome Moves
Turning after Combat: After combat, a unit
fighting a single unit on flank or rear turns to face
the attacker.
Recoil: 1 MU, or through friends directly behind if
allowed. Destroyed if can’t recoil.
Fleeing: Recoil, turn 180 degrees, then full move.
Pursuit: Gallopers, Host, Horde, Pikes pursue 1
MU.

Unit Loss

Unit Destroyed Break Points Lost

Skirmishers, Horde 2 Add +6 if
destroyed unit
Other Infantry 5
was General’s
Mounted 6
Camp loss costs 10 BP.

Period Specific Rules

No garrisons.

Warfare’s Tremendous Feats v. 0.9.1 © Richard Lee and Kevin Owen 2020