American Indian units

I've been designing a few scenarios from the French and Indian War, and I wanted to get some input from players about Native American Indian fighting styles. For example
www.commandsandcolors.net/tricorne/forum...9-july-1755.html#278

I've more or less decided that the American Indian units should be Light troops, since this matches what I know about their fighting style, their skill with terrain, cover and missile weapons, but the question arises whether they should get Sabre hits in close combat or not. American Indians definitely had close combat weapons, knives and axes, and practiced scalping, but if Continental Light units don't get sabres, nor Hessan Light, is it more to do with Tactics than armament.

Assuming that this is so, is their any historical narratives that American Indians charged or chose Close Combat attacks aside from ambush attacks?

Did American Indians have any unit differentiation? My understanding is that they all fought very similarly, and that war bands were comprised of tribal males who undertook no special martial training. It is possible that the better warriors were banded together around a renown warrior to form a crack unit, something close to a Ranger type unit. However, I haven't read anything like this, and as far as I know American Indians of the period kept no written records (that have survived if at all), but might be part of an oral tradition.

In short.. what unit types should represent American Indians?

Thought a bit about this as I have painted up a tribe of 15mm Indians to use for figure-based Tricorne. Light Infantry feel right as their tendency is to shoot and I think any hand-to-hand ability is similar to Americans. Makes them effective against Militia and Provincials. There's an argument that their units might even be reduced to 3 blocks/stands so no plusses for being at full-strength (arguably) but that might make them too ineffective and brittle. Chieftains (as officers) are useful and effective enough as war leaders in the game without "upgrading" the chief's picked-troops as Rangers (this is a bit "gamey" for me).

the advantage of a "Ranger" type unit is that it is an "Elite" class unit, which makes the Command Deck a bit more useful to the French & Indian player.

These are home made Indian rules for units in the French & Indian War scenarios.
British Allied Indians

 Chief

French Allied Indians

 Chief

The Indian Units are straight up Light Units without modification, but a few generic limitations
1. Indian Chiefs use the Clan Chief rules from Jacobite Rising.  www.commandsandcolors.net/tricorne/the-game/jacobite ...
2. Indian units cannot be ordered by any card with "Line" in the card Title. (e.g. Line Command, Line Volley).
3. Indian Units do not hit on sabre rolls in melee

Seems a fair representation and approach Mark. The Clan Chief rule is a good choice. Acting as straight forward Light Infantry seems to work where I have tried it. Shoot, use the woods (or fortifications) and avoid a fight unless the enemy are weakened.

Opens up scenarios beyond the AWI as well (Wabash 1792 and Fallen Timbers 1794 for example).

I am still loving this game!

Have been toying with some Indian rule variants. Still like some/many of these as standard light infantry. I have some others who I consider more poorly armed (with respect to firearms), so I have them "clumped" them to act more like Jacobite Highlanders (but without the charge bonuses). Basically, they are light infantry who hit on swords but do not get the light infantry move-and-shoot bonus.  

I'm thinking of the battle of Fallen Timbers, with Indians in light fortifications.
 

I always thought native Rangers might be the Close combat alternative
www.commandsandcolors.net/tricorne/the-g...ranger-infantry.html

maybe as (2)-1-0  like the Highlanders
 

The Ranger unit is pretty lethal, even though I've only now realised it can attack like a Highland unit (thanks for pointing this out, I had not noticed!).

A rating of 2-1-0 is a good suggestion and what I was working towards, with no "Highlander" bonus of course.  Perhaps keep the two-hex move if they can make contact as well. They won't come out of the woods unless a charge can strike home. Indians were averse to taking losses unnecessarily due to their limited manpower.  I also want them to have the power to evade a charge for similar reasons.

Perhaps I need to do a few more try-outs to see what works in the context of a battle. 

And I haven't thought yet what to do with Roger's and Butler's Rangers and other similar such formations. The Ranger stats might make them too lethal?

ozzie wrote:

And I haven't thought yet what to do with Roger's and Butler's Rangers and other similar such formations. The Ranger stats might make them too lethal?

Doubtless this is something scenario specific, but in a general sense they seem very much like Light Infantry to me. Roger's Rangers ultimately became the Queen's Rangers fighting for the British in AWI, and Roger's then formed the King's Rangers. The Queen's Rangers are the Ranger unit in the Brandywine scenario.