Sample Polemos English Civil War Army Lists

This section contains some sample army lists for the period taken from the Polemos rules book.

Armies of the ECW were not the same and their composition, experience and leadership varied widely. Accordingly you will not find a ‘typical’ Parliamentarian or Royalist army. The army lists provide a way of generating armies from a number of different years and theatres of the ECW as well as a description in Polemos terms of the armies present at some of the larger actions of the war. These are interpretations in game terms – your interpretation may differ.

Using the tables

The initial table in each section establishes the numbers of Brigades for each arm based upon a major battle from each year. Some of these such as the Edgehill and Naseby armies will require large number of bases. As a result we offer a choice of size of action ranging from Large to Small.

The subsequent tables use a D10 to determine the morale, strength and armament of Foot Brigades and the morale, strength and tactics of Horse Brigades. The number of dragoon bases in a brigade are the number of dismounted bases.

Key:

Bde = Brigade
Arms M = Mixed foot
PH = Pike heavy foot
SH = Shot heavy foot
S = Pure Shot
Tactics T = Trotters
G = Gallopers
Morale R = Raw
T = Trained
V = Veteran
E = Elite

Below the tables is the historical composition of the relevant army at the chosen action. This identifies the historical size of the army in Polemos terms, the identity of the General and Officers and their characteristics. Where possible the commander and composition of the brigades of horse and foot are given. Unless otherwise stated, all officers are classed as Good and Average. Armies are normally described with their left wing, centre and then right wing. The listed brigades were not necessarily deployed in that order in the command. The name of each Brigade (or brigade size formation) are in plain text with the number of bases in parentheses (for example Dalbier (2)). The names of any identified constituent regiments are in italics. In some cases, especially with Horse, the ‘brigade’ is in fact a large regiment.

General information on the appearance of the Foot is appended to each army list. Coat colours are given only for a specific year when we have an appropriate written source. Despite all our best efforts some of these sections are all too brief! There was no equivalent to even this limited standardisation for Horse.

Oxford Army – Newbury 1643

The entire army was better equipped than that of a year ago. However, muskets were still in short supply. Even more crucially, so was gunpowder. The battle could have been a much bigger success for the Royalists had it not been for the lack of powder available to them by the end of the action.

In this battle the Royalist army formed up without a left wing of Horse with Byron’s brigade placed in the centre. Should you wish to have a more conventional deployment then Wilmot be may be pressed into service as a wing commander

There were no dragoons or artillery in measurable or effective numbers.

(i) Random Composition

(ii) Historical Basis: Medium Army

Overall Command – Charles I Stuart (Poor)

Centre – Patrick Ruthven, Lord Forth

*The regimental make up of these brigades is conjectural.

Right Wing – Prince Rupert (Good))

(iii) Coat Colours

Once again the information is unclear. We are informed that some regiments received issues of red and some of blue clothes (coat, breeches and monteros). Unfortunately we don’t know which regiments got what. What we do know is that Darcy’s, Charles Gerard’s and Lunsford’s/Rupert’s were dressed in blue. The Lifeguard may have had red. It is also possible that Percy’s, Pinchbeck’s, Dyve’s and Pennyman’s may have had white/grey coats as they were all northern regiments.

Essex's Army – Newbury 1643

The Earl of Essex found himself with a much depleted and diminished number of foot soldiers. Only 12 of the original regiments remained intact and many of these were under-strength. In order to bolster the army Essex was granted the use of a City Brigade of five London Trained Band regiments. There were [negligible] numbers of dragoons and [only] light guns.

(i) Random Composition

One Brigade of two bases may be designated as Cuirassiers.

(ii) Historical Basis – Medium Army

Overall Command – The Earl of Essex
General of Horse – Sir William Balfour (Good)

Left Wing – Colonel John Middleton

* The attribution of these regiments to brigades is conjectural.

Centre

*The regiments are accurate their allocation to brigades is conjectural.

** The London Trained Bands are regiments each divided into two battalia because of their large size.

Right Wing – Sir Philip Stapleton

(iii) Coat Colours

The clarity of the 1642 issue disappears in 1643. We know that red and grey coats were used to clothe the Foot, but no idea as to which regiments received which colour. It is all too possible that both colours could be seen in the same unit.

The Trained Bands were not uniformed, and all would have taken the field in their civilian clothes. The members of the Red and Blue regiments were recruited from a higher social class than the auxiliaries. Large numbers of their rank and file would have sported buff coats thus giving them a degree of uniformity.