Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules

[Mark Stone]

OK, prior to Historicon I mentioned that the best way to cut down the frontage
of the table was by use of a minor water feature. I also noted that you have to
be careful about using minor water features for fear of creating a line on the
table that neither side wants to cross. I've finally taken a few minutes to
illustrate what I'm talking about, and how it works.

In the "Files" section for the group you'll find a new folder called "Minor
Water". In this folder are four illustrations, dealing with the four possible
die roll outcomes of rolling a minor water feature. The illustrations are:
- minor_water_2.png: how to place if you roll a 2
- minor_water_3.png: how to place if you roll a 3
- minor_water_45.png: how to place if you roll a 4 or 5
- minor_water_6.png: how to place if you roll a 6

First some assumptions. I'm assuming just for the sake of argument that you feel
your army can comfortably cover about 2/3 of the table's frontage by occupying
some mix of open, brush, and hills. There's nothing special about 2/3; if your
army holds less frontage, than adjust placement accordingly. I'm also assuming
you have one throw away unit -- a 2 stand unit of LI would be ideal -- to place
on the side of the table you _don't_ want to occupy.

Now some background on why minor water feature as opposed to some other terrain
choice. Most significantly, minor water features get placed before other
non-water terrain features, so you definitely get a chance to roll for it
before being pre-empted by your opponent's terrain picks. Second, your odds of
success are very high: you have a 5/6 chance of getting it if you aren't in
your home climate, and you're guaranteed to get it if you are in your home
climate. As we'll see, _any_ roll that gets you a minor water feature will
enable you to achieve you desired aim. Finally, minor water features make marsh
a much more interesting terrain pick. If you get a marsh at all, it can be in a
flank sector _or_ along a minor water feature. So a minor water feature turns
your successful marsh pick into something like an "any" roll for placement.

The key to minor water features is that a vertical section of water feature --
one that runs parallel to the table flanks -- is almost impossible to cross
against even moderate opposition. Wheeled vehicles can't cross at all, and
elephants, mounted, and close order foot will be able to cross only with great
difficulty and considerable risk. Loose and open order foot can cross, but only
slowly, and against a unit actually defending the edge of the water feature they
aren't going to be very happy.

The problem is these same constrictions apply to horizontal sections of a water
feature -- sections that run parallel to the table rears.

Thus in placing a minor water feature, you want to maximize the impact of
vertical sections while minimizing the impact of horizontal sections. This
simple guideline dictates why each illustration is the way it is. Let's have a
look:

On a roll of 4 or 5: OK, this is the easy case. You run the minor water feature
down the inside edge of an entire flank sector, and if you need to further
narrow the frontage you have a marsh extending into the central sector from
there. Put your throw away unit on the flank side of the water feature, and have
it do everything it can to delay the enemy advance.

On a roll of 6: Run the minor water feature across all sectors of your forward
zone. Start with the minor water feature up along the center line until you've
covered as much frontage as you _don't_ want to fight on. Then run the water
feature back to just in front of your rear zone and continue across; this is
the frontage you _will_ fight on. The key is to get your army across the water
feature on Bound 1. With a couple of units force marched to create space, this
actually isn't too hard. And remember, at the end of Bound 1 all those units
that (a) got completely across the water feature, and (b) were disordered by
crossing it become steady once again. So on Bound 2 you're good to go. Your
throw away unit should be force marched to the center line behind the most
forward part of the minor water feature, and either defend it or fall back in a
delaying action.

On a roll of 3: Here the minor water feature runs through your rear zone. This
is neither as problematic nor as useless as it seems. Run the water feature
across the very back of your rear zone, except at the point to which you want
the frontage narrowed (2/3 across in our example). Then run the water feature
forward in a small loop, and immiediately back again. You'll need to
successfully roll for marsh now (probably making that your next two picks).
Then stick a marsh projecting forward from the forward loop in the minor water
feature. Your army sets up on the side of the marsh you want to defend, and
your throw away unit sets up in the marsh.

On a roll of 2: This is the trickiest. The water feature goes across all sectors
of the enemy forward zone. You're going to place the feature as a mirror image
of what you did on a roll of 6: along the center line where you _don't_ want to
fight, and then running back to just in front of the enemy rear zone where you
_do_ want to fight. On your flank sector where you don't want to fight you'll
probably want some additional clogging terrain: hill, woods, or marsh. Now you
have to be very careful how you set up your army. You do not want to create
even the appearance of attempting to pin the enemy behind the water feature.
You want him to feel like he can safely cross and get his army in good order
before engaging you. That means absolutely no force marchers on your part along
the frontage you want to fight on. You also should strongly consider deploying
your army there along the _back_, rather than the front of your rear zone. On
the flank where you're trying to cut frontage it's a different story. Force
march your throw away unit here, and make sure the unit is in a visible
position.

That's all there is to it, really. So all you "frontage-challenged" armies, get
those strips of blue felt ready.


-Mark Stone

[John Murphy]

Mark, an interesting discussion of this with some ideas that, having
not seen them implemented before, I would not have thought of. Very
good with the diagrams too.

I was waiting for this one, however I do have a few questions.

First, when you pluck down one of those options that pretty much
needs a marsh to make it work, doesn't that basically tell the other
guy just exactly where to put his open area or road before you get
the chance? And the marsh is not as easy to get as the minor water.

It is also, perhaps, worth noting that several of these options do
not offer any security at all against flank marchers.

What if you are out-scouted _and_ need to do something like this?

Now those "throw-away" 2E LI units are not going to scare anyone and
the opposition is (a) going to have the option to set up right on
the centerline against the water feature where you do not want to
fight and (b) know that to cross it all he has to deal with is a 2E
LI unit 240p back on the other side. Not going to stop him, right?

Also, you are really talking about quite a bit more investment in a
force-marched light screning force than just one 2E unit, since in
at least one case you are also depending on force-marched lights to
give you room to advance to a point where you can use the vertical
sections as flank cover. That can start to look like 4-5 2E units
(or worse, er, I mean more) which starts to be enough points that
you are now getting sucked into a "battle of the lights" - which, if
you had the troops to win, you probably do not need a frontage-
cutting terrain strategem to begin with?

That said, I am sure it works because (a) you usually post stuff
that does and (b) lots of players seem to agree this is the best
approach. But in some aspects, especially an army perenially out-
scouted, it is still a bit murky to someone of my limited brain-
power.

And, of course, it is not like I know of a better way anyhow.

I dunno, just idle dull thoughts in an attempt at an engaging
response. If just way off please ignore.

[Mark Stone]

--- On June 28 John Murphy said: ---

>
> First, when you pluck down one of those options that pretty much
> needs a marsh to make it work, doesn't that basically tell the other
> guy just exactly where to put his open area or road before you get
> the chance? And the marsh is not as easy to get as the minor water.
>

The only case where you absolutely need some additional terrain is when you get
the minor water feature entirely in your rear zone. Your opponent has to have
picked an open space, succeed in getting the roll for it, and decide he has
nothing better to do with it than pre-empting your marsh. Even then you can
still park the marsh in a flank sector (since he _isn't_ putting his open space
there). My guess is that a diagonal line from the "loop" in the minor water
feature in you rear zone to the edge of the marsh (say the loops is towards
your left and you put the marsh in your right flank) would be a narrow enough
frontage to defend, and a line you would be able to set up along.

>
> It is also, perhaps, worth noting that several of these options do
> not offer any security at all against flank marchers.
>

Flank marches are a problem, but only on one flank; there's always one flank
you're ignoring. Presumably you have some kind of reserve anyway. If a unit has
to peel off from the reserve to deal with a flank march, so be it. Few setups
avoid this problem anyway.

>
> What if you are out-scouted _and_ need to do something like this?
>

Outscouting doesn't change very much. Suppose you are outscouted and get the
minor water feature across your forward zones. I still think a couple of force
marchers will buy you space to get your army across the minor water feature on
Bound 1.

Probably the hardest case is if you get the water feature entirely across his
forward zones. Then you really are looking for some additional terrain help on
that flank to make sure he can't take the fight there. Requires some finesse,
but it's still doable.

>
> Now those "throw-away" 2E LI units are not going to scare anyone and
> the opposition is (a) going to have the option to set up right on
> the centerline against the water feature where you do not want to
> fight and (b) know that to cross it all he has to deal with is a 2E
> LI unit 240p back on the other side. Not going to stop him, right?
>

It's all about timing. No, your throw-away unit is not going to stop him
forever. But you can slow his advance from march move pace to approach move
pace, and if you make a counter or two it will be several bounds before your
throw-away unit is displaced. Then it will take him another couple of bounds to
begin to close in on your flank. So we're talking 5 or 6 bounds of action in the
middle easily before your flank begins to be a real problem. If I can't get
something decisive to happen in 5 or 6 bounds then I deserve to lose.

>
> Also, you are really talking about quite a bit more investment in a
> force-marched light screning force than just one 2E unit, since in
> at least one case you are also depending on force-marched lights to
> give you room to advance to a point where you can use the vertical
> sections as flank cover. That can start to look like 4-5 2E units
> (or worse, er, I mean more) which starts to be enough points that
> you are now getting sucked into a "battle of the lights" - which, if
> you had the troops to win, you probably do not need a frontage-
> cutting terrain strategem to begin with?
>

You do not need 4-5 2E units. You can do it with 3. One of them is your
throw-away unit on the refused flank. The other force marches 240p in from the
other flank, 2E wide and 1 rank deep. 480p from _that_ unit is another force
marcher, also 2E wide and 1 rank deep. Thus just those two units creates a zone
that is 240p + 120p + 480p + 120p + 240p across where your opponent's marches
will be halted. That's 1080p, or roughly half the table.

Using 100YWE as an example, you can get 3 2E units of Welsh, Reg C LI LB, for a
total of 66 points. That seems like an imminently worthwhile investment to me,
and most compact armies (Swiss, Free Company, etc.) can get something
comparable.

And there is no "battle of the lights" here. Of your 3 LI units, one is a
throw-away: it will counter and/or retire/evade until it is killed. The other
two are simply holding space until the rest of your army advances forward to
meet them. At that point they'd be well advised to retire back and then be
repositioned via march moves to your weak flank, to further delay once your
throw-away unit is killed. This kind of pullback and redeployment takes some
finesse, but it is doable and a skill well worth practicing. Seldom in Warrior
do interior lines of communication prove to be an advantage. But a compact army
with regular light troops can use interior lines to good effect.


-Mark Stone