I love Pistoliers!

[The Plastic Surgeon]

Ok so I'm doing an Empire Army and the background is that it is pretty much a mercenary army retained by a mysteriously wealthy Border Prince. So schemes wise its anything goes but the overall style I want is one of Spanish Conquistadors and Pistoliers, LOTS of Pistoliers!

So I'd like some help in making a list that has at least 20 Pistoliers in it, no knights except maybe for a token unit modeled like heavy cavalry to fit in with the theme and state troops would be mainly halberdiers and at most 1 unit of swordsmen. I also love war machines but they're secondary.

Advice anyone?

Also not afraid to go large on this army to fit in all the toys... competitive but flavoursome.

[npullan]

How many points?

Because I think you need at least 1 cannon with all those pistoliers.

So if it is sub 2K, then I would say take 1 cannon and two units of 10 pistoliers.

If it's over, you get a little more wiggle room.

And based on your theme I would assume that Warrior Priests and Flagellants are out right?

[The Plastic Surgeon]

Correct, no Warrior Priests or Flagellants.

Let's say we're making 3 lists.

1) 2000pts
2) 3000pts
3) Unlimited but legal!

[Aldramelech]

Look to the 30 years war and the French wars of Religion (Catholic vs Huguenot). The two sides used large amounts of pistol armed cav but in very different ways. The Catholics used units called Rietier, Heavy armored pistol armed cav that used their firepower from a distance before moving into combat. The Huguenots had "Millers" who would discharge their pistols as they charged headlong into contact. Both were backed by small units of Gendarmes, Super heavy Knights.
For Infantry the Catholics used Tercios, huge formations of pike with detachments of handguns, the Huguenots used handgun only units.

[The Plastic Surgeon]

Interesting references there Aldramelech. I'll have to take a look into those.

Pike with detachments of handguns sounds like my thing.