Just wondering about Allied cavalry and the 4,5,6 score required to cause a casualty during the WSS period. Should this apply to all the Allied cavalry or only some nations?
As I understand it, during the WSS the Dutch and British used a more aggressive tactic in the charge whereas the French relied more on firepower. This proved to be much more effective so the BLB rules fit this well although the I appreciate the superioty was probably not just down to the tactics.
What I'm not so sure about is if all the Allied cavalry was as effective as the British and Dutch, the Imperialists used similiar tactics to the French I believe.
Would be interested to know how other people play this in your games.

Hi Simon

I only count British and Dutch cavalry as superior myself as they seem to have been directly influenced by Marlborough's preference for shock tactics. From what I have read, most other allied cavalry still seemed to favour the use of fire tactics. Would be interested to hear what Barry intended as this is a question that occured to me.

Actually BLB 2 classifies cavalry as Bullet or Blade. With the former using the more controlled approach and the latter the more aggressive.

Extract from the text:

BLADE: Those trained to charge at a rate between fast trot and gallop using their swords as the primary offensive weapon. These would have higher momentum on contact. As examples, the following would fall into the category of BLADE Horse:
French 1679-1698, English & Dutch 1700 – 1715, Swedes GNW, Jacobite Horse 1689-1691, Polish and Turkish armoured cavalry, other lance armed non-light cavalry.

BULLET: Those trained to advance at a slow trot almost to contact where they would discharge pistols. They would then close with the sword or other hand weapons. BULLET Horse would have lower momentum than BLADE Horse on contact.
As examples the following would fall into the category of BULLET HORSE:
English, Dutch, Danish, German 1689-1698, French 1700-1715, all dragoons except Swedish, Russian Horse Grenadiers during the Great Northern War.

As can be seen, I have not been exhaustively prescriptive but the distinction requested in your post IS included. I have left other interpretations open for gamers to discuss and agree.

There are also further distinctions made for Imperialist Horse in the options for Eastern Wars.

Austrian Cuirassiers are permitted additional options both in attack and defence against enemy Horse. They are classified as Bullet Horse. As such they would ordinarily receive +4 dice when charging and then become Disordered after the first bound of close combat. Austrian Horse approach the enemy more slowly, discharge their weapons and receive only +3 as a charge bonus. In the second round of close combat in all situations except where they lose and are compelled to Break Off or Rout, they do not count as Disordered having held their formation longer than the enemy. This gives them slightly improved possibilities of survival or victory if the get through the first bound. This modification can be used against European players if agreed prior to the game commencing and that it is used throughout the game for every Austrian cuirassier unit.

Austrian Cuirassiers with Defend orders may if charged, choose to stand and receive the charge. In such a situation the enemy Horse will take a Charge Home check as they would against enemy Foot. Although there is no defensive fire the charging Horse move to a distance of 3 inches, take the check and if they fail they follow the result detailed in the Horse Morale Check Table. If they pass they are Disordered on contact and half the number of available close combat dice. These options are not available to dragoons or irregular light cavalry in Austrian service.

This option may not suit all and that is why it is an option. I think it produces a nice variety in the cavalry types.

cheers

Barry,
Many thanks for your reply, I like the idea of the blades and bullets definition.

Reading the Austrian Cuirassier rules it sounds like combat is dealt with differently in BLB2?

Yes Simon. I have gone for the R2E method... it works very well!

Sounds interesting, I've got R2E and have just had a read of the melee system, using it in BLB would a combat group still be four figures?

I'm currently busy painting up units of Front Rank figures for the WSS so just to check, have the unit and base sizes remained the same?

combat group in BLB will be 6 models to correspond to
1 cavalry squadron OR
1 infantry stand..

no need for rebasing Simon!

Hi Barry,

This is very good news, as with BLB1 the British Cavalry will still have the same tactical factors in the new BLB2 for Blenheim and the rest of Marlborough's battles.
I purchased the 3rd and final cavalry brigade at Partizan from Front Rank.This will be Maj.Gen.Ross's brigade which includes 4 squadron's of the Erbprinz Dragoon's (Hesse-Kassel).
I'm I right in classing these as "Drilled" and as I was unsure wether to class them as "Bullet or Blade", I went ahead and purchased a few figures firing pistols or carrying carbine's in their hand's for the 1st and 2nd ranks.
These are due to be started in October once the Napoleonic Project is finished.

Simon,

I hope to see some photo's of your cavalry on here when finished.

Cheers........Ray.

Ray, my understanding would be that they would be classed as "bullet" since they're dragoons. If I recall correctly the other two regiments in the brigade were the Irish and Scots dragoons so they would be classed as bullet too.

Hi Simon,

Maj.Gen.Ross's is indeed a all dragoon brigade, but Marlborough had ordered his cavalry officer's to follow the Dutch tactic's of charging in at the gallop with the sword.
Reading the accounts of the Battle of Blenheim unlike the French dragoons there is no mention of the British dragoons dismounting or firing their firearms while mounted.This leads me to believe that the British and Dutch dragoon regiments should be classed as "Blades" and I also have my doubt's if the Erbprinz dragoon's although Hesse Kassel followed the same tactic as the horse regiments in the British army.

Regards.........Ray.

Ray, I agree with you about the tactics but I would still class the British dragoons as bullets because their horses would have been inferior to those ridden by the horse regiments, best wishes, Simon

Hi Simon,

No disrepect to you, but all British cavalry used the same breed of horse which was the "Hunter" be they for the Horse regiments or the Dragoon regiments.They never used foreign horses and this is why Cardogan's Horse and Hay's Dragoon regiments were only a single squadron strong at Blenheim as they couldn't ship the horses over in time for the battle.
The only differance was the horse colouring, the Horse regiments tended to use black and dark brown, where as the Dragoon regiments tended to use lighter browns.Musician's rode greys and officers would usually ship a few of their own horses from their stables in Britian.
Hay's Dragoon's would later become the Scots Greys and yes even in this period they rode grey horses.
I suggest we leave this now and maybe someone else can confirm my thoughts on this matter e.g. Iain Stansford author of "Marlborough Goes To War" or Barry Hilton my learned friends.

Regards........Ray.

No problem Ray, I was just going by Barry's description of bullets including all dragoons except Swedish and thought I'd read somewhere about the dragoons horses being cheaper than the regiments of Horse mounts so assumed they would be smaller etc.
Best wishes, Simon

Steve,

Did you think dragoon regiments rode "My Little Pony" type horses???
I think Barry needs to have a hard think about classing all dragoons as "Bullet".
Dragoons seem to have had a duel role at the beginning of this period, but as time went on would follow the tactics of their other horse regiments charging at the gallop with sword in hand.
An example of this is the Jacobite dragoons, O'Neill's fought dismounted using their firearms at the Boyne where as Luttrell's charged with sword in hand at Aughrim only one year later.
At Blenheim four french dragoon regiments fought dismounted and defended prepared positions between the village of blenheim and the river danube, but british and dutch dragoons fought mounted and used the same tactics as their horse regiments.It all depends on the roll they were given at the time either defending a position or attacking.
As for everything else Barry has put in his text for BLB2 I'd agree on the time periods and classification of cavalry.

Regards...........Ray.