Jingals in TMWWBK

[fastolfrus]

I was considering The Men Who Would Be Kings for a Chinese setting and wondered if anyone else has done so and if so how you classed Jingals and crews?

Also, anyone had any thoughts on Maoris?

[sjwalker51]

Boxer Rebellion is our next project and, of course, jingals have to feature for both the Boxers and the Chinese Regulars. Still playing with the rules for them but I’m thinking about using them as weak field artillery with Stand To as the only free action - a 5-figure unit (2x2 plus a leader), Firing with 2 dice per crew on 5+ (range 12/24”) and reducing cover by 1 level.

Most of my Maori games have used Sharp Practice, which gives more options when classifying the different troop types but I’ve got as far as drafting some MWWBK unit types and characteristics.

Depending on period (1840/60’s) I’d class the Maori as Irregular Infantry with obsolete rifles. For the later period, give them better firepower at close range to represent the Tupara double-barrel guns (but Fire 4+ might be too powerful). Definitely give them Fieldcraft but probably not Fierce, as they were usually beaten in melee by the British.

[EnclavedMicrostate]

I've contemplated using TMWWBK for the Taiping, for which jingals would naturally feature. My inclination is to have full-sized jingal units, which act more or less as Irregular Infantry with Obsolete Rifles and which are Poor Shots (this being in a context where most non-European troops will be using Antiquated Muskets anyway); I could see the case for going up to Modern Rifle range and in fact I may well alter that eventually. I personally wouldn't have them reduce cover however.

In fact, to further specify, I'm planning on having units not be single-weapon affairs but instead represent company or even battalion sized units with mixed equipment. In the Taiping army in particular, jingals and polearms were used together, so I would have a unit that has Fighting 5+, but Firing 6+, with the Obsolete Rifles range.

[OB]

I've thought about this one too.

At very close range jingals could be deadly at longer distances they were fairly inconsequential.  Standard Chinese military practice was to field mixed units of swordsmen and jingals.  Tactically they were skirmish units intended to disrupt enemy troops.

The general idea was a fast moving unit that could be protected in melee by the swordsmen.

Against cavalry they formed a circle of shielded men from inside which the jingal loaded and fired.   

If things went well the jingal fired at very close range and the swordsmen (big shields) set about the disorientated target.

European troops tended to shoot them down before entering dangerous jingal range.

[fastolfrus]

Thanks chaps, some good ideas