Shako Orders of Battle for the First Carlist War (Boina)

Boina is the name I’ve given my Shako variant for the First Carlist War.

Carlist General

These order of battle are for a pick up games in the style of Shako.

Selecting an Army

For each army you must pick

  • the “Core” set of units,
  • as many other selections as you require for the game.

No selection can be picked more than once.

You’ll notice that unlike the OBs in Shako, the core is very small (about 1/4 of a Shako core selection); this is because the armies of the period were very small. The names of each selection, e.g. “Cavalry” are indicative only and are just used to roughly describe the selection. The selections, including the core, have been balanced to ensure each contributes roughly the same amount of fighting power.

Example Selection: The Carlist Elite Selection (2) includes one Skirmisher stand, three Regular Line Infantry, one Elite Light Infantry, one Guards Infantry, and one Heavy Foot Battery.

Carlist Army of the North 1835-39

Pick the Core and as many other selections as necessary.

Carlist
Army of the North
1835-39
Selection
1 Core 2 Elite 3 Dregs 4 General 5 General 6 Cavalry
Infantry
Skirmishers 1 1 2 2 1
Second Rate Infantry 4
Regular Line Infantry 5 3 4 5 5 1
Elite Line Infantry 1 1
Elite Light Infantry 1
Guard Infantry 1
Cavalry
Second Rate Cavalry (MR3/0) 1
General Cavalry (MR4/1) 1 1 2
Artillery
Mountain Battery 1 1 1
Foot Battery 1 1 1
Heavy Foot Battery 1

Skirmisher stands listed are the detached Cazadores and Granaderos from the Line regiments (Elite Line, Regular Line or Second Rate infantry). The numbers here were derived from a proportion of one Skirmisher unit for every four Line; I just wanted to avoid calculating it each time.

Carlist Line Infantry also have the option of fighting either formed or as skirmishers like early Napoleonic French Infantry Regiments. Any Carlist Elite Line, Regular Line or Second Rate infantry battalion is permitted to deploy as skirmishers at the start of the game, to a maximum number of battalions not to exceed 1/3 the total number of battalions.

Elite Light Battalions are the “Guías” Battalions, e.g. Guías de Navarra or Guías de Alava. They operate like Light Infantry but have the Morale of Elite Infantry.

Elite Line Infantry are those Line regiments with a particular martial reputation e.g. 5th Guipuzcoa.

There is only one Carlist Guard Infantry unit, the Granaderos del Ejército.

General Cavalry are good quality Lancers or Hussar Lancers.

Second Rate units represent mass levy including recently raised and very under-strength formations.

Carlists can select one battery to be an Army Gun regardless of army size.

Example Carlist Armies

I wanted to see the what I could form with the painted figures available. All armies are of three selections.

Carlist
Army of the North
1835-39
Example 1 Example 2 Example 3
Selections 1, 2, 3 Selections 1, 2, 4 Selections 1, 2, 5
Infantry
Skirmishers 4 Stands

Guipúzcoa
Alava
Vizcaya
Navarra

4 Stands

Guipúzcoa
Alava
Vizcaya
Navarra

3 Stands

Guipúzcoa
Alava
Vizcaya

Second Rate Infantry 4 Bns

8th Guipúzcoa
1st Aragon
2nd Aragon
1st Castilla

Regular Line Infantry 12 Bns

1st Guipúzcoa
2nd Guipúzcoa
3rd Guipúzcoa
4th Guipúzcoa
7th Guipúzcoa

1st Alava
2nd Alava
3rd Alava
4th Alava

3rd Vizcaya
5th Vizcaya

1st Navarra

13 Bns

1st Guipúzcoa
2nd Guipúzcoa
3rd Guipúzcoa
4th Guipúzcoa
7th Guipúzcoa
8th Guipúzcoa

1st Alava
2nd Alava
3rd Alava
4th Alava

3rd Vizcaya
5th Vizcaya

1st Navarra

13 Bns

1st Guipúzcoa
2nd Guipúzcoa
3rd Guipúzcoa
4th Guipúzcoa
7th Guipúzcoa
8th Guipúzcoa

1st Alava
2nd Alava
3rd Alava
4th Alava

3rd Vizcaya
5th Vizcaya

1st Navarra

Elite Line Infantry 1 Bn 5th Guipúzcoa 2 Bn

5th Guipúzcoa
6th Guipúzcoa

1 Bn 5th Guipúzcoa
Elite Light Infantry 1 Bn Guías de Navarra 1 Bn Guías de Navarra 1 Bn Guías de Navarra
Guard Infantry 1 Bn Granaderos del Ejército 1 Bn Granaderos del Ejército 1 Bn Granaderos del Ejército
Cavalry
Second Rate Cavalry (MR3/0)
General Cavalry (MR4/1) 1 Reg 1st Navarra 1 Reg 1st Navarra 2 Regs

1st Navarra
1st Guipúzcoa

Artillery
Mountain Battery 2 Batt 1 Batt 1 Batt
Foot Battery 1 Batt 1 Batt 1 Batt
Heavy Foot Battery 1 Batt 1 Batt 1 Batt

Cristino Army of the North 1835-39

Pick the Core and as many other selections as necessary.

Cristino
Army of the North
1835-39
Selection
1 Core 2 Dregs 3 General 4 Cavalry 5 Legion 6 Guard Inf. 7 Guard Cav.
Infantry
Skirmishers 1 2 1 2
Second Rate Infantry 1 4 1
Regular Line Infantry 5 3 2 1 6 1
Regular Light Infantry 1 1 1
Elite Infantry 1 1 2
Guard Infantry 2
Cavalry
Second Rate Cavalry (MR3/0) 1
General Cavalry (MR4/1) 1 1 2
Battle Cavalry (MR5/2) (e.g. Guards) 2
Artillery
Horse Battery 1 1
Rocket Troop 1
Mountain Battery 1
Foot Battery 2 1
Heavy Foot Battery 1

Spanish versus Foreign: All units from the table above are Spanish by default. There are only two exceptions Detached Foreign Cavalry and foreign Legions. If you pick the Legion selection you have the choice of British, French or Portuguese.

All Divisions/Brigades will be a single nationality (Spanish, British, French or Portuguese) or a
mix of Spanish with one of British, French or Portuguese. In addition:

  • A mixed nationality Division can have any mix of units between the two nationalities.
  • A mixed nationality Brigade will be dominated by one nationality. Only one unit may be from the other nationality. For example, a British Auxiliary Legion Brigade will be all British, but may optionally include a Spanish unit (e.g. Chapelgorris).

Detached Foreign Cavalry: During 1836-37 and only if the Legion selection is not taken, one regiment of General Cavalry can be foreign (British, French or Portuguese) This specifically simulates detaching the 2nd British Auxiliary Legion Lancers from the rest of the Legion; this unit operated solely with Spanish forces.

British Auxiliary Legion (1835-37). Opting for the British variation on the Legion
selection means the following troops must be classed as British:

  • 6-8 x Regular Line battalions
  • 0-1 x Light Infantry Battalion (British Auxiliary Legion Rifles)
  • 0-1 x Elite Infantry Battalion (British Royal Marines)
  • 2 x Skirmisher stands
  • 1 x General Cavalry Regiment (1st British Auxiliary Legion Lancers)
  • 1-all Rocket Troops, Mountain Batteries and/or Foot Batteries (provided by British Auxiliary Legion, Royal Marines, and/or Royal Artillery).

British Foot Batteries and Mountain Batteries can fire Spherical Case Shot in addition to other round types.

From what I can tell the “Light” regiments of the British Auxiliary Legion fought in the same manner as the other regiments, so I do not count them as Light Infantry in Shako. I have treated the Rifles as real Light Infantry.

Portuguese Volunteer Legion (??). Opting for the Portuguese variation on the Legion
selection means the following troops must be classed as Portuguese:

  • 6 x Regular Line battalions
  • 0-1 x Light Infantry Battalion
  • 2 x Skirmisher stands
  • 1 x General Cavalry Regiment
  • 0-all Foot Batteries

French Foreign Legion (1835-38). Opting for the French variation on the Legion
selection means the following troops must be classed as French. As the French were particularly
neglected, your selection declines over time:

  • in 1835-36
    • 6 x Regular Line battalions
    • 1 x General Cavalry Regiment
    • 2 x Skirmisher stands
    • 0- all Foot Batteries
  • in 1837
    • 3 x Regular Line battalions
    • 1 x General Cavalry Regiment
    • 1 x Skirmisher stand
    • 0-1 Foot Battery
  • in 1838
    • 1 x Regular Line battalion

Second Rate Infantry are National Guard and/or poor quality Line and Provincial units. Spanish regulars are good quality Light, Line, Provincial Units, and Marines.

Elite Infantry can be nominated as:

  • Elite Light Infantry i.e. are volunteers fighting in Carlist style. They operate like Light Infantry but have the Morale of Elite Infantry. The most famous are the Chapelgorris who usually fought in conjunction with the British Auxiliary Legion.
  • Elite Line Infantry e.g. British Royal Marines or a notable Spanish Line Regiment (e.g. 1st El Rey).
  • Light Guards Infantry are the Provincial Guards. These are only allowed if you take the Guards option. Even then they are optional, but you are limited to a maximum of two battalions.

All Guards units – both cavalry, infantry, and artillery – must be organised into Guards Divisions/Brigades, and can not be mixed with other types. Guards include all Battle Cavalry (Guard Coraceros, Granaderos a Caballo, Lanceros, or Cazadores), Guards Infantry (Guard Granaderos), and Light Guards Infantry (Guard Provincial Granaderos or Cazadores). One Heavy Foot or Foot battery can also be counted Guards Artillery, as can one Horse Battery.

Skirmishers are the detached flank companies of the Line regiments (Elite Line, Regular Line or Second Rate infantry). The numbers here were derived from a proportion of one Skirmisher unit for every four Line; I just wanted to avoid calculating it each time. Units without flank companies (eg Cristino Guards, British Royal Marines, British Auxiliary Legion Rifles) do not contribute skirmishers.

The Cristinos can select one battery to be an Army Gun regardless of army size.

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