Covenantors and Montrose troops

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BaronVonWreckedoften
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by BaronVonWreckedoften »

levied troop wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:55 pm If anyone has suitable recipes for ‘Hodden gray’ I’m all ears.
You might find a paintbrush more useful. :evilgrin:
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by bangorstu »

IIRC the Covenanter and Montrose Pike and Shot units were indistinguishable - so much so one of Montrose's regiments actually thought they were fighting on the other side for one battle. They deserted to the government immediately after the battle, murdering their duplicitous Colonel in the process...
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by ochoin »

bangorstu wrote: Sun Jun 21, 2020 12:26 pm IIRC the Covenanter and Montrose Pike and Shot units were indistinguishable -
I wouldn't dispute this but for the sake of wargaming convention, our Montrose P&S feature some tartan.
This helps distinguish who's who for our convenience & does, perhaps, mirror a more Highland origin of the Graham's forces.

BTW as the flags each side carried were quite distinctive, would this have helped identify who you should be shooting at, at least to a degree?

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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by bangorstu »

I would guess the issue was either lack of knowledge of whose the flags were, trust in the colonel or simply a lot of smoke...or of course a neat story told by a unit making a smart decision about the ultimate victor!
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by BaronVonWreckedoften »

ochoin wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:44 pm BTW as the flags each side carried were quite distinctive, would this have helped identify who you should be shooting at, at least to a degree?
Saltires (at least the full field ones) generally denoted Covenanters. Cavalry was a bit more of a lottery, but since shouting "Boo!" very loudly at either side's horse generally saw them scurrying for safety, it was not usually a problem.
Kein Plan überlebt den ersten Kontakt mit den Würfeln. (No plan survives the first contact with the dice.)
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by FreddBloggs »

Am I imagining it, but were there border lancers involved?
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by BaronVonWreckedoften »

Yes, a number of Covenanter horse regiments had a front rank of lancers, and a rear rank of pistoleers (although having pistoleers must have made it difficult to get their helmets on).
Kein Plan überlebt den ersten Kontakt mit den Würfeln. (No plan survives the first contact with the dice.)
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by Essex Boy »

:fp:
ochoin
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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by ochoin »

bangorstu wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 5:50 pm I would guess the issue was either lack of knowledge of whose the flags were, trust in the colonel or simply a lot of smoke...or of course a neat story told by a unit making a smart decision about the ultimate victor!

We use the serviceable but perhaps a little dull Field of Glory rule set for our ECW games.

To give them some spark, I've made Event Cards: a popular favourite of which is "FAITHFULL FORTESCUE CHANGES SIDES; expecting treachery, one of your opponent's units (your choice) will fire upon the nearest unit of their own side."

Always good for a laugh. :evil:

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Re: Covenantors and Montrose troops

Post by grizzlymc »

BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 7:23 pm Yes, a number of Covenanter horse regiments had a front rank of lancers, and a rear rank of pistoleers (although having pistoleers must have made it difficult to get their helmets on).
I'd find it difficult to keep my attention on my front if I knew that my second rank was armed to the teeth with smoothbore pistols.
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