Dog returns to its own vomit

That's from Proverbs 26:11; further proof that I am in touch with my religious side.

So, following yet more lack of interest in my views on Piquet I have decided to revisit the subject. I think my opinion can best be summed up as:

Piquet works best when

• the majority of command and control issues (such as force composition and deployment) are carried out prior to the game starting i.e. outwith the card/initiative system completely. 
• during the game c&c is limited to existing plans degrading - or occasionally working better than expected - or to the impact of local commanders rallying troops, fighting in the front line or, and this is especially prevalent when I play the Italian Wars, dying.
• units typically use ranged fire independently at targets of direct threat to them
• melee (or the close range fire simulated by melee in Piquet) is the primary cause of units retreating or worse
• units with two different weapons - typically a missile weapon and a melee weapon - can use them at the same target; or where units with one weapon can use them against different targets - such as guns firing HE or AP.

It works least well when

• c&c is a major in-game factor (issues such as enemy dispositions becoming better known , artillery spotting, air support and so on)
• units fire and move in co-ordinated support of each other and to deny movement and firing opportunities to enemy units
• where ranged fire is the primary means of attack and where melee/close assault is an exception)
• where the game is significantly about relative maneouvre (e.g. air warfare or fleets in the age of sail)
• where units have two weapons designed to be used against different targets - such as tanks with both a main gun and machine guns

 I have contrasted Ancient and WWII applications because they, er, offer the biggest contrast. However some of the problems do crop up in Horse & Musket. Piquet played straight doesn't lend itself to artillery barrages at the beginning of battles or indeed to battalion guns. And then there is the  Napoleonic equivalent of denying the enemy opportunities to move or fire, namely the presence of cavalry forcing infantry into square. Now personally I think that Piquet does deal with this perfectly adequately. If you don't put them into square when you get the chance (in other words when the card is showing and you have the initiative) then you're going to get ridden down and it serves you right. However, it's quite clear that many gamers prefer to tweak it to allow a bit of extra c&c (in the from of 'hasty squares') because they believe there is a flaw that needs addressing.