A Crimean War-Cavalry Rules Revision

I was going to spend most of this post explaining why I’m opting for this revision. If you are new here that's for the very impressive Charge of The Light Brigade (COTLB) rules  Then I realised that would involve a journey from Napoleonic Spain to India and Russia and back to India.  I simply quailed at the length of the repetition of information involved. Above, the Light Brigade minus the 13th Light Dragoons.

We will have some cavalry pic's instead. Turks above French below. I really like these figures.

There is the mechanism in COTLB to replicate the impact of a dashing British Cavalry Charge. Here it is:

“ (a) Plus 3 British Cavalry in line or double line attacking Russian Cavalry.

“ (b) Plus 2 For cavalry charging  or counter charging in double line (lines within 4” of each other). Russian attack column striking infantry or artillery straight on.

This very much reflects the mythology of the Crimean War and is fine if that’s what you want. If you want the history version here is mine:

“ (a) Plus 3 Lancer Cavalry in line or double line attacking in the first round only.  A plus 2 for Heavy Cavalry fighting Light Cavalry in first and second rounds only.

“ (b) Plus 2 For cavalry charging  or counter charging in double line (lines within 4” of each other). Russian attack column striking infantry or artillery straight on.

As you see, a big impact for the Lancers charging home. At first anyhow. After that any advantage is lost. Just as Captain Nolan tells us it should be. Leave your lance in the enemy or on the ground said Nolan.

Captain Godman and his comrades will still enjoy the advantage of being bigger men on larger horses with longer sharp pointed straight swords when fighting Russian Light Cavalry. 

Light Cavalry were smaller men armed with shorter sabres (very sharp) on smaller horses. Godman and indeed all Heavy Dragoons used the point. The Light Cavalry, Russian or otherwise, used the edge. If we consider that the sabres of the British Light Cavalry were routinely blunted by the steel scabbards used we see a problem.

Now we have something that accords with our sources for the Crimean War. Below, the 13th Light Dragoons by Minifigs. With that my Light Brigade is completed.

Should I have piqued your interest for more you can read my Sikh War or Crimean War posts. Should you want to go further get yourself a copy of Nolan on Cavalry. I intend a series of posts on the Battle of Balaclava that I hope you will enjoy.

Now, what haven't I done? There's irregular cavalry, a big topic. Then the fascinating information that horses are much happier going uphill than downhill!  Everyday is a school day. 

I will have to think through the Irregular Cavalry thing. The uphill horses info' intrigues me. Cavalry +1 Charging uphill? Here I note Scarlett's Cavalry moved uphill. 

One more thing. It was not uncommon for the first rank of a cavalry unit to carry lances while the second carried a sabre. The Russians sometimes did this. The idea being the Lancers broke the enemy formation and the sabre armed troopers exploited the chaos.

Next time in the Crimea we will look at the COTLB Infantry Rules. Some clever stuff there.

Also Robert Kershaw’s book 24 Hours at Balaclava has some interesting observations about the British infantry.  We will consider the physical condition of the men and the long term impact of flogging.