Warrior Ancient and Medieval Rules

[D PIPER]

The post for ideas for the dark ages has brought up a question that I have been wanting to ask. Besides Cav that have the special 1.5 ranks fighting are there any players that routinely bring JLS armed cav above the minimum required and if they do why? I understand that JLS armed LC can still scout, shoot, and screen so I can see if this is all you can get it still can be useful. But why would you bring any more than the minimum of the heavier types, unless playing only historical battles. I have only played limited actual games so I feel I may be missing something.

[wargame692000]

As you say JLS armed LC can be useful. It can scout, shoot, charge; and JLS is an effective weapon against one of their primary targets - LI. However heavier JLS armed cavalry is less effective. Without a list rule they only fight in one rank. Therefore they are generally outmatched by L armed cavalry and nearly all reasonable foot. For these reasons most people stick to the minimums.
Having said that, there are uses for JLS armed MC and HC. They are shielded shirmishers (if they have a SH). Therefore they are harder to shoot-up that B armed cav.
They are mounted. Therefore when they charge a loose or open order foot unit, it must test. Placed between units, this can deter enemy LI or LMI from shirmishing in front of frendly close order troops.

Cheers
Paul.

[Noel White]

This probably belongs in "Tactics" now.

JLS regular cav aren't the greatest. L, B is always better. JLS irregulars are even worse.
However, since using Late Achaemenid Persians I have found some uses.

Many players like to play small 2E cavalry units.
If you can catch them unprotected, they are very easy to shoot-up. With a larger (4E+) unit of "regular" JLS cav, you can run up into skirmish, shoot them to oblivion and follow-up with a charge of your own if you've tired them out. Alternately you can evade their obliged charge (hope they don't roll up, or you roll down) and charge them tired, disordered and rallying next turn. If you have something to cover your evade you'll be safer.

Of course, most good players will have some LI/LC protection for their Cav. So these circumstances are both unlikely and hard to orchestrate. Bigger cav units are also hard to get in the right place at the right time.

JLS regular cavalry can also use their skirmish potential to stall infantry advances. Open them up to cover the most ground, and evade when you have to. Not a viable tactic versus bow armed infantry! Irregulars are also pretty useless here, since skirmish formation is very hard to adopt when you can only move 40p, and have to be 40p away (mostly). Really, you'd be better of with LC in both cases.

Usually it's their presence that has the most effect. They make decent (but costly) back-up troops for your LI, and can turn the tide in LI interactions by limiting enemy charge options. Sadly, universally more useful mounted can also fill this roll well.

Noel.

[D PIPER]

I agree with you that there are some uses for this kind of troop. But it seems that there is no reason to take any more than the bare mininums on the lists if there is anything in the way of other cavalry. I try to read as many of the battle AAR's and Lists from the tournaments to at least get some idea how the game plays with out being able to play. It seems to me that most players agree with me because I vary rarely see anything but the minimums fielded in these reports. I may be totaly off base here but that is the impression that I get.

[Mark Stone]