Would You Throw Your Tomahawk?

[mikedemana]

If I was chasing down a retreating foe, you bet I'd wing it at him if my gun were empty, but if I were charging in I'd want it in hand.

I agree. We have to remember that if an enemy is finishing loading their musket, and you know you won't beat them to that stage, why not? You have to remember the relatively long reload times in this period -- especially in skirmish warfare when you are in each other's face.

I also agree 100% with the silliness of a Roman Legionary-style "unit" throw of tomahawks prior to contact. In fact, "units" of 6 men all moving together, shooting together, and marching together is a distortion of scale. I call it the Warhammer effect. People like playing games where one model equals one person. But they also want units. So, they create games with these 6 and 12-man units wheeling around on the tabletop like real units composed of many times their number would.

Just my two cents on this...

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com
http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/

[Mindenbrush]

I adapted M&T for King Philip's War and in the Equipment section of each troop type I listed their weapons, Indians and 'Rangers' all carry a ranged weapon and 2 hand weapons - knife & tomahawk.

I added a rule that if you threw your hand weapon you had to force the target to retreat from that position so you could move up to retrieve your weapon but you could only do that when your 'card' came up and that was your action for that 'card'.

I can see why one would throw a knife or tomahawk during an attack as it is meant to distract your opponent - he/she is likely to concentrate on the weapon coming their way at that moment, I believe the Highlanders used to throw their pistols during a charge?

[zippyfusenet]

I believe the Highlanders used to throw their pistols during a charge?

I've read that too. But their primary melee weapon was their broadsword, they didn't usually fight with clubbed pistols.

[Arlequín]

Bearing in mind that most peoples' weapons were personal property back then, would you really throw a (relatively) expensive pistol (even a cheap one would be expensive to the average Highlander) and risk somebody else having a windfall find? I know post-battle brawls were common, but I always imagined they were over women, whiskey, or cards, or other less important things, rather than "Hey that's my pistol in your belt!"

One-on-one life or death tactic of throwing your pistol or tomahawk I can see, but a mass throwing of weapons is bound to end in a punch-up when it comes time to recover them.