tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post5262796037888443716..comments2024-03-28T16:45:38.307-04:00Comments on Tell Me A Tale, Great Or Small...: Armies of Middle Earth SBG: Standard Infantry FormationsTiberiushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01032927898313675650noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-10906523721765341562022-06-01T05:44:24.689-04:002022-06-01T05:44:24.689-04:00n the medieval times, Viking soldiers acquired the...n the medieval times, Viking soldiers acquired their <a href="https://drakkavikingshields.com/collections/viking-shield" rel="nofollow">viking shield</a> popularity. Today, there are lots of individuals worldwide who've an enduring passion and attention to weaponry and gear which were usually used throughout the dark ages.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-12149474806543099402019-06-14T20:10:54.226-04:002019-06-14T20:10:54.226-04:00That’s a good catch. Inter-faction I think it only...That’s a good catch. Inter-faction I think it only impacts Galadhrim and Isengard (spear orcs and Uruk pikes), but for alliances (I’m thinking Gondor-Fiefdoms in particular), it could be a real nuisance. :-PRythbrythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15752701636123291424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-59998626254624796212019-06-14T11:26:51.979-04:002019-06-14T11:26:51.979-04:00It's your friendly neighborhood rules grump ag...It's your friendly neighborhood rules grump again, haha! :)<br /><br />They changed the rules for supporting units with pikes. Page 85: "A pike-armed model can Support a friend Engaged in close combat by being in base contact with another pike-armed model that is already doing so (note they must both be pikes; neither can be a spear."MinutemanKirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05902870619498668989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-63555216793293763302019-06-12T09:11:18.835-04:002019-06-12T09:11:18.835-04:00There is also a bit of rock-paper-scissors element...There is also a bit of rock-paper-scissors element to this as well, that doesn't come across in the numbers I ran. If you throw each of these formations into a head-on-fight with any of the other formations, the pike block is going to come out on-top almost all the time (they almost always have equal-or-higher fight values, with D6 front rank units and are rolling at least three dice to win the fight). Spear supports have a chance on a frontal assault (two dice aren't better than three, but they're better than one, especially if you have a banner), while single attacks (mass infantry, viking shieldwalls) much less so. Which leads to a pretty obvious lesson, I think: don't throw those formations into a frontal assault on a pike block.<br /><br />The advantage those two formations have is numbers (mass infantry, and even Viking shield walls, tend to cost at least no more than--if not quite a bit less than--the units in a pike block) and mobility (pikes have to keep a static, deep formation, while models armed only with hand-to-hand combat weapons are incentivized to move around). If either of those formations can surround the pike block--even on just two sides--they can start stripping models out of those frontal assaults into one-on-one fights on the flanks (or even the back of the formation, ideally). They'll still have to win duels and crack the defense of the formation, but for Uruks and Galadhrim in particular, there will probably be traps galore which will help with the killing.<br /><br />A cheap, mobile standard shieldwall (like, orcs with shields backed by orcs with spears, at about the same cost for a pair as a single pikeman) could potentially do this very effectively (since at least some of those peeled off one-on-ones would become two-on-ones). So could the scenario--missions that split forces apart aren't the best for pike blocks (or really any force that depends on consistent formations).Rythbrythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15752701636123291424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-58895676489531020352019-06-12T08:40:45.238-04:002019-06-12T08:40:45.238-04:00We've been spammed! Does that mean we've h...We've been spammed! Does that mean we've hit the mainstream?Rythbrythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15752701636123291424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-45951357178365701622019-06-12T08:39:25.437-04:002019-06-12T08:39:25.437-04:00This is very true. There are also plenty of infant...This is very true. There are also plenty of infantry units who can fight in multiple ways--high elves with spears and shields come to mind, since they can surround with shields (Viking Shieldwall), spear support each other (standard Shieldwall), or go two-handed with their elven blades in a pinch (mass infantry formation) potentially with spear supports behind them (mass supporting infantry). That kind of flexibility can really help to confuse an opponent, or to take advantage of an opening during the fight phase.Rythbrythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15752701636123291424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-69939980228718366012019-06-11T07:38:57.217-04:002019-06-11T07:38:57.217-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.monagrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11644028075924948882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-74823598537743074372019-06-11T07:37:52.255-04:002019-06-11T07:37:52.255-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.monagrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11644028075924948882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2010239046857689405.post-44926001388482398412019-06-10T12:32:22.914-04:002019-06-10T12:32:22.914-04:00A great intro write-up to understanding different ...A great intro write-up to understanding different kinds of infantry formations - I will add that sometimes, though, you'll see some armies that "should" prefer one type using another for different reasons. Best example is Tavros' Moria Goblins tend to use an infantry-horde formation instead of a shieldwall because a) it's faster to move all those Goblins, and b) because they're Goblins and that's what they do. Eventually they resolve into a shieldwall, but on the approach, this might work pretty well. You also tend to see this when someone has an area-of-effect range attack (be that from a siege engine or a fire-breathing dragon).Tiberiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01032927898313675650noreply@blogger.com