Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules

[Ewan McNay]

Thought that it might be useful to report my thought processes as I threw together a list for the mini in NJ this last weekend (aar to come in a sec).

Approach - a couple of influences from the list rules, in that Allies should be avoided even more than usual, and the amazingly effective ditched palisade is available; hmm. Don’t think that I have ever bought fortifications yet. I shall ponder when I get close to 1200. Probably not, because I expect to be more numerous and hence not in favour of cutting down the field, but we’ll see. Finally, my initial reaction is that I can’t have IrrA because I require regular LC; I could actually wordsmith that (the LC would not be being *upgraded* to regular but simply taken that way). Hmm again - that actually strikes me as the valid reading; I think that my initial impression was wrong. Another thing to consider after buying other stuff, and do I really want an IrrA CinC in a one-general army?! The Allied general special rule is a problem, but I think that the list really needs the Saxons… ok, this is not as simple as I expected.

Maybe I do. Let’s see how it costs out.

OK. Compulsories:

CinC (see above) in 2E IrrA EHC unit @ 175 (note that the CinC has no option for being regular HC despite the bodyguard being such - errata?)

2E Cav IrrB 79
2E Cav Reg D 64 (again slightly arguable, but the list clearly states that the Reg D option is a *down*grade; the Reg C and Reg B lines are clearly out, to my mind)

LC 38, 38, 38, 38 (not compulsory, strictly)

Saxon Ally in 4E, half HI HTW IrrB: 96 + 28 + 2* 12 = 148
4E ditto 105, 105

4E City Levies RegD (1E C) LMI JLS, Sh 62
6E Bowmen 58, 58
4E Reg D LI JLS, Sh w/ 1E Reg C 36, 36, 36

What does that cost thus far? 1114. We seem to be pretty close already: need some more bulk/terrain guys, and so 4E more Reg LMI JLS, Sh at 62 takes us to 1176. Check on units: we have 17, which at 1200 is just fine.

Do I see a role for the palisade? No.
Am I happy with the IrrA CinC? Yes, I think so; nice to have a vaguely-shock mounted unit, and he’s not going to be forced to fight.
Am I happy relying on a Saxon Ally-general? No, but no choice if I want the Saxons.

So - 20ish points to spend. I think I would reallly like to bulk the Saxons slightly; 1E of rear-rankers is 12, so I can afford 2E (1 for each of 2 units) as a partial 3rd rank, making a total of 1200, my max exactly.

This is a better list at 1600 but I’m not unhappy. If I have enemy elephants I’ll be delighted; if I have enemy pointy-stick foot I will be pretty happy; if I have massed enemy knights I will have to dance and outnumber. Should be decent at picking a spot and aiming the Saxons at it, I hope, while dancing elsewhere. I would like a LI B unit, and for the HC to be L-armed, but too bad. I would like to have something other than the close foot in the Saxon command - again, too bad.

Pending time for improvement, this is where I end up, I think:

2E EHC CinC
2x2E HC JLS, Sh
4x2E LC JLS, Sh
2x4E Reg LMI JLS, Sh
2x5E and 4E H/MI Saxons
3x4E LI JLS, Sh
2x6E Reg LMI B

I could drop the Saxons, gaining 358 points to buy more Romanised Brits (the irregular barbarian option is not my thing, although it is viable): a second EHC unit is 97, but after that it’s really more troops for the sake of more troops. Even with the 1/3 chance of unreliability, I think that the Saxon strike force is the way to go… and in fact that only gets more true at e.g. 1600, where trying to buy only natives gets *really* tedious!