Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules

[Martin Williams]

I've always thought elephants behave a little to predictably. Where is the wacky fun of stampeding elephants shooting off in all sorts of directions killing friend and foe alike as we see in accounts of historical battles? I particularly dislike the way elephants halt in response to shooting CPF (like a shielded close order infantryman!?). This just doesn't seem right for these notoriously panicky animals. Perhaps as an X-rule elephants could test wavering for any reverse (eg lost combat, shot for 2 etc) and instead of shaking if failed enter a new state known as "stampeding" where there movement becomes random in direction and distance. Obviously thare are a great many details that need working out here. How to randomise the direction? what state do the elephants fight in while stampeding? Is a stampeding elephant a cause of unease to everyone? what do the crew of a stampeding elephant do (ie can they shoot? fight? at what factors?)

Just some initial thoughts

Martin

[jamiepwhite]

For what it's worth, several of the recent Derekcon's here in northeast Florida have been experimenting with letting RA calvary charge impetuously when the unit decides to do so. This seems to have worked reasonably, the RA calvary isn't overwhelmingly powerful but opponents have to watch the elite units due to their speed, maneuver, and shock. RA HC or EHC is most common, but I tried some RA LC also that was also a lot of fun.

RA foot is harder to balance. Perhaps one option would be to let RA foot units charge impetuously also. This would make for a consistent X rule at least, all RA units may charge impetuously if desired. Have to think about how impetuously charging pike would behave, but RA charging impetuously wouldn't bend the rules too much.

Letting RA foot recover from disorder like companions do would be another option.

Thanks,

Jamie White

[Kelly Wilkinson]

Actually, I feel that FHE has already made a rule that would fit for all Reg A foot units that only the Romans get. It would really help the Reg A's to be able to counter charge impetuous foot and any mounted. Certainly this would keep many of these said units from performing poorly as they so often do against troops of lesser training and stature. It also would be nice to give "A" troops a +1 on all combats to include shooting. Something like this would make the purchase of such troops more valuable to a tournament player like myself. I've never understood why "D's" shoot as well as "A's,B's ,or C's." But that was a Phil Barker thing and not something that the FHE guys were responsible for.

Kelly

[Noel White]

Adding a +1 to all combat would be a very clear advantage for all Reg As.
Though I'm not sure that Reg A foot would best be represented by increasing their killing power -- that seems more the department of Irr A.

Maybe there is some other way to show better training and high morale.
I think it lies somewhere in the realm of disorder and waver tests. Some of these units allegedly held their ground to the last -- Spartan Hoplites, Theban Sacred Band....
If we could make them better at holding on ... I think that would be the key. (For Reg A foot)

It is my opinion that what makes one unit better at holding on over another is coheasion. Through better training/experience unit-mates learn to trust each other's abilities and courage. This reduces the likelyhood of mass panic (the main cause of routs) and permits the unit to keep holding the line. The men stay in place, fill the gaps of the fallen and suffer less for it -- they retain unit coheasion.

In Warrior, this is represented by the effects of disorder. If these effects are reduced or are harder to incurr we might have a better representation of Reg A.

In the big picture, if you had a unit you could rely on (99%) not to break for a quite few turns, we might see Reg As deployed in games like they were often deployed in real battles -- at crucial points in the line that needed to stay solid.

Sorry, I 'm talking too much.
Tell me what you think.

Noel.

[Noel White]

Adding a +1 to all combat would be a very clear advantage for all Reg As.
Though I'm not sure that Reg A foot would best be represented by increasing their killing power -- that seems more the department of Irr A.

Maybe there is some other way to show better training and high morale.
I think it lies somewhere in the realm of disorder and waver tests. Some of these units allegedly held their ground to the last -- Spartan Hoplites, Theban Sacred Band....
If we could make them better at holding on ... I think that would be the key. (For Reg A foot)

It is my opinion that what makes one unit better at holding on over another is coheasion. Through better training/experience unit-mates learn to trust each other's abilities and courage. This reduces the likelyhood of mass panic (the main cause of routs) and permits the unit to keep holding the line. The men stay in place, fill the gaps of the fallen and suffer less for it -- they retain unit coheasion.

In Warrior, this is represented by the effects of disorder. If these effects are reduced or are harder to incurr we might have a better representation of Reg A.

In the big picture, if you had a unit you could rely on (99%) not to break for a quite few turns, we might see Reg As deployed in games like they were often deployed in real battles -- at crucial points in the line that needed to stay solid.

Sorry, I 'm talking too much.
Tell me what you think.

Noel.

[Kelly Wilkinson]

Actually Noel,

Reg A's should be the best available and having a +1 all the time for combat for battle hardened Elites should not be a problem. Especially for the best of the best. Saying that doling out damage is for fanatics only is ludicris. Most bodyguards are picked men from the best units because of their fighting ability and steadfastness which sets them apart from other veterans. But I suppose you will not be convinced of that, so I'll drop it here.

[Noel White]

No worries, man.
I see your point too.

Noel.

[jamiepwhite]

TO keep in the spirit of A troops being tougher and to be the reverse of IA sort of, how about if RA always add 1 if the net die roll is minus or even? You would get this kind of effect

ROll RA unit RA unit with general
-3 -2 -1
-2 -1 0
-1 0 +1
0 +1 +1
+1 +1 +1
+2 +2 +2
+3 +3 +3

This way the RA troops don't have the shock value of IA but they usually will be a little better than other units.

Jamie