This is the first of the spotlights articles for 2023 changes. Let’s start with the largest change, that being the classification of Western Horse. European horse was originally split into either ‘Horse’ or ‘Western Horse’, we have now divided that up further into Horse, Solid Horse and Linear Horse. The classification for the new types are as follows –
Solid Horse
Horse squadrons in close formation, often in deep ranks. Solid Horse make deliberate manoeuvre to maintain cohesion. Solid Horse discharged pistols prior at impact and attempt to use inertia to disrupt their opponents.
For example, cavalry trained in the Dutch style in the Thirty Years war.
Linear Horse
Horse in shallower formations, where the ability to rally back or reinforce by squadron was advantageous. Linear horse is subdivided further dependant on being Formed or Drilled (more on that later)
For example, cavalry trained in the Swedish style in the Thirty Years War
Linear horse have no restriction on table formation width. Solid Horse however is limited to being 2 wide at all times. The close proximity of the solid horse formation does have a benefit. These types are reliant on disrupting their opponents with pistol fire. As such during the charge phase Solid horse throw an additional black dice to their normal charge dice.
Another change, is the ability of cavalry now to ‘Shove’ their opponent. As shove is where an ‘S’ or ‘Skull’ is rolled on the combat dice which confers and additional bonus of adjacent file combat. This shove is typically a characteristic of solid horse. It its either gained through the ‘shove’ characteristic itself or via the characteristic ‘shock. (Those familiar with the 2022 rules, Shock is simply Elan renamed)
As with all these things its best to illustrate with an example.
Solid Horse is a major type in the Thirty Years Wars and those types have now been greatly expanded. Horse sections for many armies now have many more options
Next time we’ll look at how Linear Horse changes over our period.
