So what's all this about Maurice? Well, as the sub-title says, this is a set of wargames rules for "War in the Age of Gentlemen and Philosophers, 1690-1790". I'm currently using it for my Seven Years War games.
I strongly recommend it and I'd suggest buying the complete set of Book and Cards which are listed at $56.00 on the Author's website:
http://www.sammustafa.com/honour/maurice/
I have been asked some questions about my SYW army and how it fits in with Maurice. Let me explain.
The Maurice basing convention for infantry for all nations (including lights, Jaegers, etc), in 28mm scale, is 4x 2"x2" bases with 6 figures of the same unit per base. So 24 figures constitutes a Battalion.
In the past, I was collecting 12 figure or 15 figure units for my SYW collection. For the Combined Grenadiers, that would be 2x6 figure units or 12 total of 2 different Regiments to maintain the right proportions.
When my Will, Jeff and I discovered Maurice, I had a problem. My 12 figure battalions were only half the size of a recommended Maurice battalion. They also looked too puny, based on small, 3 figure, thin Litko bases.
What I decided to do was to take each 12 figure unit, re-base it as 1/2 of a full size Maurice unit on the thick 2"x2" Litko bases and combine 2 of such units to form a Maurice-sized unit. I essentially brigaded the two undersized battalions. This created a "unit" with too many standards (and those of unrelated regiments,) but it enabled us to quickly start playing Maurice.
With my new "Black Hussars Miniatures", I am building 24 figure units. As a test, I initially only commissioned 12 of the IR17 von Mantueffel's from Leuthen Studios, but quickly ordered up the second 12 figures because I liked what I saw. Any future units will be 24 figure units from the outset.
In the case of my Grenadiers, they will ideally be 2 x12 figure Grenadier companies, combined into a four base 24 figure grenadier unit. So far, for IR13 von Itzenplitz, I have 12 figures on order. I need to order the second half of the combined unit.
IR13 von Itzenplitz Grenadiers
Even if I use different rule systems in the future, I think the Maurice conventions will be more appropriate
Jeff has a very entertaining 3-part account of our first Maurice battle on his Squad Painter blog:
