Removing Bonus dice to large warbands

On a 6x4 table Warbands have won entire tournaments and have also been slaughtered by Romans and Crusader armies. They are a very specific weapon that their opponent needs to address.

Charge them first. Get your cavalry in there. Get your army on opportunity and charge them at the completion of their first move in a given activation so you hit them standing still.

Use your tactics to defeat them rather than wondering why their tactics defeat you.

Any army can beat any army in Impetus. What we are talking about is the basic interplay of troop types. As Jim has mentioned in past discussions warband armies in 15mm aren't nearly so devastating when compared to 25mm because the table size is doubled.

Granicus Gaugamela wrote:Use your tactics to defeat them rather than wondering why their tactics defeat you.

I didn't pick you for a disciple of Sun Tzu, GG.
I had you down as more of a Clausewitz man.

Flow like the river.


For what it's worth, I agree with Gaius' observation that any army can beat any other army in Impetus. That's the only way competition play can exist and is one of the strengths of the rules set. And what drew me back to Ancients after more than twenty years.

That said, each army has its flavour, its style. Warbands, Pike/Longbows, Cl-focused - all make it a challenge. As long as an army is not outrageously overmatched, then we have a game and you're always in with a chance.

I fought the Yorkists with Anatolians at Wintercon and pulled a very sanguinary draw. My friend JR's Numidians destroyed a Maximilian Imperial 130-0 and was then trounced by a thuggish Venetian army ( ). These weren't spectacular or imbalanced - it was just the way it fell.

Embrace the diversity, gentlemen.

As Jim has mentioned in past discussions warband armies in 15mm aren't nearly so devastating when compared to 25mm because the table size is doubled. wrote:

Yep, Impetus plays different at 15mm then 28mm unless you have access to a very large table to achieve the same distance/movement ratio. Hard to judge warbands effectiveness under these circumstances unless you include a section on table sizes and rules modification.   

Christopher

I agree it's a bit of a lottery with warbands ( as it should be btw ).
Shorter distance to contact does go in their favour and they can be into you in a jiffy that's for sure.

I think what Gaius's concern is ( correct me if I'm wrong GC ) is the historical match up of Roman v Celts in 28mm on 6x4 tables ? This match up is a little unbalanced at this scale... I can attest to that.

Don't know what can be done though short of doing what GG suggests and plonk a whole lot of cavalry in front of them in your battle line ( don't know how many times that was done )

Take away the rear rank dice for large warbands ? would that unbalance things too far for them when fighting other opponents ? Tough one.

Tarty wrote:
I think what Gaius's concern is ( correct me if I'm wrong GC ) is the historical match up of Roman v Celts in 28mm on 6x4 tables ?  This match up is a little unbalanced at this scale... I can attest to that.

Thin of it as beneficial terrain like a certain legion in the woods, there is a bit of a clearing but the Celts have been able to get close for some reason.

So be it.

Improvise, adapt, overcome.

starkadder wrote:

Granicus Gaugamela wrote:Use your tactics to defeat them rather than wondering why their tactics defeat you.

I didn't pick you for a disciple of Sun Tzu, GG.
I had you down as more of a Clausewitz man.

Flow like the river.

Clausewitz?

The emphasiser of the superiority of defence?

Dear Lord, we shall have to disabuse you of that notion my dear chap!!