Williamite Warfare

A Proto-linear system

Army Building
Early & Late Franco-Dutch Wars 1672-78 (V.1) The following notes are to give players an idea of how many points they might be looking to expend or the size of army they may be looking to build. As discussed previously, due to national characteristics of this period, the figure cost in points is not consistent across nationality, nor are the size of the foot battalions. In other words, at an equal points cost, the French will have more troops and of a higher quality than their Dutch competitors. All calculations are in keeping with Williamite Warfare: Basing Conventions but can be adjusted for any troop scale.

A French Example
Foot
A Veteran battalion of foot at 46 figures including 12 armoured pike (light armour) costs 484 points; an equivalent at Steady quality costs 284 points and a Raw battalion at 204 points. Thus a brigade of say two (2) Raw, one (1) Steady and one (1) Veteran battalion would cost a sub-total of 1176 points. This gives us a starting point and using this as our maximum foot allowance of 60%, we can calculate from here that the total points cost for such an army will be 1960 points so lets call it a round 2000 points.

Horse
Looking to field as much Horse as possible (sensible stratagem in this period) we would need to purchase about 1000 points to achieve a relative maximum of 50% but would allow little artillery or command. Given the size of the battalions (36 figures on average) it would be prudent to work on one demi-squadron per battalion, so thats eight (8) squadrons of six (6) horse for our four (4) battalions of foot. Remembering that 1/3 need to be Dragoons, the calculation might look something like what follows. Five squadrons of Horse: Three (3) squadrons of six (6) pistol armed Steady Trotters (88 points per squadron) plus a coronet (+16) in one squadron as they are all of the same regiment, one (1) squadron of six (6) pistol and carbine armed Steady Cuirassier Trotters (106 points) and one (1) squadron of six (6) pistol armed Steady Gallopers (100 points) for a sub total of 486 points. Three squadrons of Dragoons: One squadron of eight (8) Steady Dragoons (120 points) and two (2) squadrons of eight (8) Raw dragoons (88 points per squadron) no musicians or optional extras. With a Dragoons sub-total of 296 points, together with 486 points of Trotters and Gallopers, our total French Horse cost comes to 782 points.

Staff
With a total of 1958 points already expended, well allow ourselves an overrun of eight (8) points and buy a Brigadier to command this small army.

Williamite Warfare
A Proto-linear system

Postscript
So, whilst 2000 points gives us a tidy little army of low to middling quality for the French, what it doesnt leave us is any spare points to purchase artillery of any kind or any Specials or at least not if you spend them like I did in this exercise. Dropping a battalion or a couple of squadrons will free up a couple of hundred points to buy yourself a battery of Battalion Guns and Cannon each, or even a Firebrand to stiffen up the resolve of one of those raw battalions of foot. Of course, theres nothing that says you have to limit yourself to a measly 2000 points!