Musket Firepower

[LuciferM]

I've finally gotten to the point in the campaign where the AI has finally produced full stacks to take on my glorious French push to the Rhine. It has successfully transitioned from constant sieges to constant field battles, which I love. My usual tactics with gunpowder, however, revolve around emphasized musketry. It's a bit hard to pull off in 1648 as I can witness pike blocks get shot to pieces, but only a couple of men die per volley where as 10 more would actually be hit. This puts a dent in my tactics of using guns to rack up bodies, as the enemy pikes can usually walk through my relentless volleys and actually start taking apart my firing lines (the AI has figured out that sending single units up one at a time doesn't work out). I have essentially needed to make more pike oriented armies with muskets as the supporting element to actually get decisive victories. Shouldn't massed volleys of musket fire be absolute murderers? As I stated, I now have to use pikes offensively instead of as the support against melee and cavalry. I'm fine with how I need to adjust my tactics with how things work, but it still confuses me.

[Turtler]

I've finally gotten to the point in the campaign where the AI has finally produced full stacks to take on my glorious French push to the Rhine. It has successfully transitioned from constant sieges to constant field battles, which I love. My usual tactics with gunpowder, however, revolve around emphasized musketry. It's a bit hard to pull off in 1648 as I can witness pike blocks get shot to pieces, but only a couple of men die per volley where as 10 more would actually be hit. This puts a dent in my tactics of using guns to rack up bodies, as the enemy pikes can usually walk through my relentless volleys and actually start taking apart my firing lines (the AI has figured out that sending single units up one at a time doesn't work out). I have essentially needed to make more pike oriented armies with muskets as the supporting element to actually get decisive victories. Shouldn't massed volleys of musket fire be absolute murderers? As I stated, I now have to use pikes offensively instead of as the support against melee and cavalry. I'm fine with how I need to adjust my tactics with how things work, but it still confuses me.

For what it's worth, I haven't had this sort of problem. Find ways to maximize the frontage of your firing lines against the enemy's pikes, and get good at maneuvering the Pike and Shot elements of your army as you need it. It also helps that I usually haul around some artillery, which I find helps hammer the pike spams from even further away.

As for whether massed volleys of musket fire be absolute murderers..... Yes and No. They were by far one of the greatest forces on a field battle of this era, but they were not enough to carry the day by themselves in any sense of the imagination. A lot of pikemen were heavily armored enough to at least make a shot far from a certain kill/incap, were inaccurate enough that outside of drilled troops they could be ineffective. So I think it largely depends on what units you're using and especially how they are organized.

Speaking of which, what is the average organization chart of your armies? I know how I organize my French ones, and I adore their many unique units (including musket ones).

[Gigantus]

The solutions you are offering are pretty much the tactics that were involved during this time, I believe Geoffrey has addressed this well in his thread. It's not called 'pike and shot' for nothing.

[Turtler]

The solutions you are offering are pretty much the tactics that were involved during this time, I believe Geoffrey has addressed this well in his thread. It's not called 'pike and shot' for nothing.

Indeed; I have my disputes with him about that manual (which I will pick back up ASAP), but that is not one of them. though my method of organization is usually different from most of the examples he gives, though they are still valuable.

When playing Western/Non-Imperial factions, I usually resort to an alteration of the Danish and Swedish styles. Mostly "find an elevated ground, park musket and artillery on it, Pike downhill below it, and cavalry screens to the side." At which point they can open up on the enemy below and try to force them to engage on my terms. If that doesn't work I have my other strategies, but since when would I reveal all at once?

Still, I also make a point to widen and thin out the shot (both muskets and cannons) as much as possible, so I can maximize the amount of solid, lethal balls blasting downrange at any given point. That will whittle down the enemy (who are generally using Imperial style formations). Pikes I also usually widen out to a lesser extent, so that they can outflank and envelop the thick, narrow pike columns. and do a lot of damage. Though of course, I adjust as need be.