Giving ADLG a proper go

I only have the edition of ADLG prior to the current one and other than a couple of games against Paul Dawson I haven't really played many games with these, or the current version of the rules.  However, I got to thinking (dangerous as always) that building a couple or three 120pt armies from my existing troops wasn't too much of a stretch after building a standard DBA Army.  This is also known as rampant expansionism, mission creep or a simple 'ooh shiny complex'.  The only issue I can see is the almost automatic urge to just add a few more options to cover all the bases to build a standard 200pt ADLG army.  Before you know it I could be up to DBM/DBMM figure counts!

The difference between the figure counts is less pronounced with cavalry heavy armies as these use a single base in both ADLG and DBA.  Infantry heavy armies with two bases for heavy and medium infantry in ADLG are where things really show up.  Lets have a look at the difference using a Late Imperial Roman force as an example (because it is somewhere in the middle as a 'combined arms force).

There isn't a great deal in the way of alternatives in the DBA army list for the Western Late Imperials.  Two legionary elements, three auxilia, two light cavalry and two cavalry (which include the general) are mandatory which covers 75% of the army!  The remaining three elements provide options as follow.  Firstly two of Auxilia Palatina or Velites (can be one of each), then lastly one from Clibanarii (3Kn), Catafractarii/Alans (4Kn), legionaries, bolt shooters, Lanciarii (3Bd) or warband .  So optional choices are limited.  For my last three elements I went with options of 1 x Auxilia Palatina, 1 x Velites and 1 x Catafracts (4Kn).  Oh and for what it's worth the Eastern Empires options are even less flexible!

Late Imperial Romans as a 12 Element DBA 3.0 army plus camp

One thing I have noted is that the Late Imperial Roman army list defines Clibanarii as 4Kn and Catafracts as 3Kn, I think this is the wrong way around as most lists show cataphracts as 4Kn which is why I changed them in the last paragraph! 

Late Imperial Romans as a 200pt ADLG force with two commands

Next lets look at the ADLG version, I excluded Foederati (Huns, Goths etc) to make the comparison closer, My selection still only has 12 units. However, it looks bigger as it has separate bases for it's two generals and of course the heavy and medium infantry are double based. What is less obvious is that this army has two commands so it's more like Big Battle DBA, it also has a fortified camp which prevents Light Cavalry raids on it. On top of which it has paid points for special capabilities for some units.

The Final selections were; First command   a brilliant general, 1 x Elite Heavy cavalry (Impact), 1 x Equites Sagittarii Light cavalry, 1 x Elite Cataphracts, 1 x Equites Heavy Cavalry (Impact)1 x Elite Legionaries (Impact, Armour, Missile Support), 1 x Elite Auxilia Palatina (Impact, Missile Support).  Second command, an ordinary general,  2 x Legionaries (Armour, Impact, Missile Support),  2 x Auxilia Palatina (Impact, Missile support), 2 x  Light Infantry Archers.  Plus a Fortified Camp.

 

A better view of the ADLG army

ADLG differs from DBA in that it has a points based army creation system so it has those interesting moments of self doubt about making choices, just like the old WRG ancients army list quandaries.   You know, the should I make those Hun horse archers elite or take a unit of light infantry archers instead kind of thing, rather than the straight 12 element choice of DBA.   It also has special capabilities (as shown above) in some lists.  So the Legionaries above can have armour, missile support and elite status as options. Me being, well, me I have gone for armour and missile support for the Legionaries, impact is mandatory  For the auxilia again missile support and mandatory impact.  The mounted command also took the elite option for it's the infantry reserve.

ADLG has other things going for it too that I like, light infantry and cavalry archers actually shoot at stuff, and units degrade rather than die in an all or nothing way.  Why I haven't used the rules more I really don't know, as I do really like 'chrome' within the rules of a game and the extra figures gives the whole army a better appearance.  

Any way as a result of all of this thinking my painting table is now packed again, after I did really well in November in clearing stuff down.  The western gunfight figures are on the back burner (or is that the left side burner as per the picture), as masses of Baccus 6mm horsemen take centre stage. These are mostly Late Roman/Early Byzantine horse archers and Hunnic heavy cavalry who will be proxying as Byzantine Boukellarioi.  It's a good thing I like painting horses.

I haven't imposed the mess which is my painting table on you for a while!

As you can probably tell I'm having a bit of an upsurge with my painting mojo after a fairly slow year.  I cleared 128 infantry and 30 cavalry figures from the lead pile in November and at this rate will be ahead by a couple of hundred figures compared to January 1st.  Retirement eh, what is it good for?  Well painting teeny tiny soldiers apparently!

Fast Play Pike and Shot - Armies at Edgehill

The first pair of armies are not the greatest fighting forces ever, but they do have some interesting points.  Two different tactical doctrines were used by the opponents Swedish vs Dutch.  Prince Rupert forcing his Uncles army to fight using tactics they didn't really have the training in while Essex stuck with the tried and tested Dutch system.

De Gomme's plan of the Royalist deployment. Parliament's forces are off the top of the plan
(source Royal Collection Trust website)

The Royalist deployment is interesting as it used the four squadron brigade structure (if De Gomme's plan is accurate and there is no reason to think it isn't) which had been tried and abandoned by the Swedes a decade earlier.  This placed one squadron in each brigade to the rear as a reserve of sorts and required some complex drill to bring it forward into action.  As a result up to a quarter of each brigade's manpower may not have been available in the initial attack unless the brigades had time to 'shake their lines out' which in my view wasn't likely.  I take that view due to the Swedes abandoning the four squadron brigade in favour of one with three brigades, which would have been easier to deploy for action and the fact that De Gomme's plan shows just enough space between the front three Brigades to allow the rear two to advance into the line of battle.

 By comparison while he is often considered cautious and conservative in outlook, Essex played to the strengths of his untried army and the experience of his officers.  His brigades deployed in chequerboard formations with gaps in the front line to allow the second line to advance.

The Royalist cavalry were deployed three ranks deep and supported by dragoons for added firepower.  Both wings had a small reserve brigade behind the front line.  This was not a chequerboard formed by individual troops of cavalry but by the larger squadron or regimental formations.

By comparison Parliament's horse where in deeper eight rank formations intended to allow the use of rolling firepower.  Individual squadrons were deployed chequerboard here as well although Ramsey may have abandoned that deployment on his wing and brought the second line up to join the first to minimise the advantage of the longer frontage enjoyed by the Royalist horse.  Like the Royalists they were supported by shot both dragoons and detachments of shot.

It seems that Parliament's forces were better equipped with a higher proportion of musket to pike than the Royalists in the infantry brigades.  I have worked on the basis of Parliament being 2:1 ratio and Royalists being 1:1.  The exception to that is Ballard's Brigade where both Holles' and Ballard's Regiments have detached significant numbers of shot to support the cavalry on their flank these I have reduced the headcount of the main brigade by the number of musketeers deployed as commanded shot and reduced them to a 2:3 ratio.  I have placed a battery of artillery with each army but have not allocated any light guns either to brigades or as stand alone guns, so that is a decision for you to take if you play the game.

The order of battle is drawn from the excellent book Edghill: The Battle Re-Interpreted by Scott, Turton and von Arni.  My version has more information on unit strengths. pike to shot ratios and number of ranks in each formation but I have had to remove this to make the list fit into the blogger format!

Edgehill 23 October 1642
					Unit Statistics
Parliament Army					Confidence	Shooting	Close Cbt
	Dutch formations
	Right Wing		Sir William Balfour
	Sir William Balfour's				Nervous	0	4
	Lord General's				Nervous	0	4
	Fielding's				Nervous	0	4
	Col John Browne's Dragoons				Steady	2	2
	Col James Wardlow's dragoons				Steady	2	2
	Centre		The Earl of Essex
	Sir John Meldrum's Brigade				Steady	4	5
	Col. Charles Essex's Brigade				Nervous	4	6
	Sir Thomas Ballard's Brigade				Steady	4	6
	Reserve
	Sir Philip Stapleton's Brigade			cuirassiers	Steady	0	5
	Left Wing		Sir James Ramsay
	Sir James Ramsay's				Nervous	0	4
	Waller's				Nervous	0	4
	Goodwin's				Nervous	0	4
	Sandy's & Bedford's				Nervous	0	4
	Urry's				Nervous	0	4
	Holles Musketeer Detachment				Nervous	2	2
	Ballard's Musketeer Detachment				Steady	2	2
Independent
	Field Artillery			6 guns	Nervous	1	1
Royalist Army
	Swedish formations
	Right Wing		Prince Rupert
	Rupert's				Keen	0	5
	Maurices				Steady	0	4
	Prince of Wales				Steady	0	5
	Stuarts (King's Lifeguard)				Keen	0	4
	Byron's Brigade (2nd line)				Steady	0	5
	Usher's Dragoons (Dismounted)			3 troops	Steady	1	1
	Usher's Dragoons (Mounted)				Steady	0	1
	Centre		Sir Jacob Astley		loose 1/4 to reserve
	Charles Gerrard's Brigade				Steady	3	5
	Richard Fielding's Brigade				Steady	3	6
	Henry Wentorth's Brigade				Steady	3	5
	Lord Belasyse's Brigade				Steady	3	5
	Sir Nicholas Byron's Brigade				Steady	3	5
	Left Wing		Lord Wilmot
	Wilmot's				Steady	0	4
	Grandison's				Steady	0	4
	Carnavon's				Steady	0	4
	Digby's Brigade (2nd line)				Steady	0	4
	Aston's Horse				Steady	0	4
	Aston's Dragoons (Dismounted)			12 Troops	Steady	2	2
	Aston's Dragoons (Mounted)				Steady	0	2
	Independent
	Field Artillery			6 guns	Nervous	1	1
	The Gentlemen Pensioners			Cuirassiers	Keen	0	3

The battlefield

I used the maps in the Edgehill book to create a simplified version of the battlefield.  I’m ignoring the slope of Edgehill itself by starting the action after the Royalists have descended to it’s base.  I have included some hills on Essex’s side of the field and some field boundaries where these had an impact on the fighting.  All of those features are rough ground.

Welcome to the Battle of Edgehill October 23 1642.