War Wagons (Slingshot)

[Erpingham]

The wooden panels are drawn from real images - they can be seen in the Nuremberg examples we examined earlier in the thread.  It may come down to how sturdy the underlying structure is.  We assume they are all heavy plank-sided wagons, but baggage wagon of the time could be open framed or have wicker panels between the frames, both of which would need reinforcement if modified for war-wagon use.

The crenellations and loopholes may be a retro-fit from later developments e.g. type seen in the famous Hausbuch illustrations, which were more specialised.



Note incidentally the baggage wagons with their built up wicker sides.

[Erpingham]

This article may be of interest.  Doesn't say a huge amount we haven't covered on Hungarian examples but there is some stuff on Ottoman use.

[Dangun]

A poll: should war wagons be allowed to move after deployment?

[Patrick Waterson]

A poll: should war wagons be allowed to move after deployment?

I would say yes, provided their troop quality was above average.

This is something of an abstraction, based on the reported ability of Hussite war wagons to act offensively and in particular Zizka's breakout at Kutna Hora.  Ordinary/average war wagons in most armies can be presumed to be parked at deployment in such a way that they have no option but to stay there (inspanned etc.).  Superior war wagons can remain harnessed up for movement or can be re-harnessed during the action; their crews know what they are doing and their officers can direct the necessary movements.

[Mark G]

That would entirely depend on your game scale.

[Duncan Head]

A poll: should war wagons be allowed to move after deployment?

Depends on the wagon. The Roman anti-elephant wagons moved to counter Pyrrhos' elephants, according to Dionysios (20.2.4):

When the king had ordered the elephants to be led up to the part of the line that was in difficulties, the Romans mounted on the pole-bearing waggons, upon learning of the approach of the beasts, drove to meet them.

[Erpingham]

Noticed this while looking at late medieval infantry.  Interesting for the amount of Bohemian tactical manual of Vaclav Vlcek quoted, which I don't think was discussed earlier.