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Post by mthrguth on May 22, 2023 13:11:49 GMT
Snowcat,
Why do LH only move the same as cavalry in DBA? Wouldn't the looser formation enable them to move faster? if LH moved 5 in DBA then supported LH could actually charge bows, supported with a quick kill, to charge bows from beyond shooting range.
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Post by mthrguth on May 22, 2023 13:10:11 GMT
Stevie,
Letting LH move for 1/2 a pip, immune to bow fire, ignoring corner to corner overlaps sounds like a 'super troop' to me, but strangely, ONLY if the army has a low aggression so that they can get a billiard table board.
For Kn vs. LH in DBA the quick kill looks tasty, 6/36, But the knight has a 9/36 chance of killing the LH. So the quick kill does not actually balance out combat factor differential.
I've seen many players forget that LH also gets LH support in DBA.
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Post by mthrguth on May 22, 2023 13:02:10 GMT
Dear Snowcat,
The other advantage of the Triumph classification is that you need fewer figures for a cavalry army where the 3 figure DBX cav now becomes 2 figure Jav Cav.
Note that Jav Cav like the Numidians regain their 'historical' advantage over early Republican Roman cavalry in Triumph UNLIKE IN DBA. In DBA the LH would be 2 against 3 for Roman cavalry; but early Republican cavalry are 'bad horse' in DBA and only fight at a factor of 2.
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Post by mthrguth on May 22, 2023 12:47:14 GMT
Dear Snowcat,
Jav Cav are mounted 2 to a base in Triumph, but still can represent what DBA 3.0 would define as cavalry, the majority of ancient horsemen, primarily armed with javelins or bows but combining these with sword or lance who charged when that would serve better to follow up an advantage. In Triumph they have more mobility than they do in DBA, and are not destroyed when doubled by infantry, except by bows. So, they are not just DBX light horse but DBX light horse AND many DBX cavalry types.
Numidian LC and similar are given the same combat factor against foot as standard DBA 3 figure cavalry; debatable, but ask the Romans at Cannae. In other words, Triumph is allowing javelin/sword armed cavalry classed as 'LH' in DBA to close up to attack infantry when the infantry appears to be a good target; and not to just continue throwing javelins from a distance.
Horse Bow are mounted 2 to a base in Triumph, but could represent either DBA light cavalry fighting with bow, or 3 figure cavalry from DBA fighting primarily with bow. Why the extra factor against mounted? Ask the African Vandals or anyone who rode against the Mongols.
Why only a 2 against infantry for Horse Bow instead of 3? Because horse bow attrition against formed foot did occur, but takes time; Romans at Chalons or Parthians at Carrhae. In Triumph the horse bow do not die to close formation foot except bow, even when doubled. They can destroy most foot (with a defense of 3) on a 6-1. If they get an overlap then the odds increase to 6-1, 5-1 or 6-2 (triple the odds). So still very effective if the infantry have had to 'break ranks.' Bow are at least marginally less powerful in Triumph because Triumph eliminates the mass firing of bows at individual targets.
Triumph also allows some bow armed cavalry which did so historically to halt and fire mass volleys using the 'Shower Shooting' card.
The combat results table and board size also influence how 'cavalry' fight in Triumph. Horse Bow have lost their 'quick kill' against knights. But Knights in Triumph do not kill horse bow even when they double them. They drive them off in 'Panic.' Mounted in Triumph have an advantage because opponents contacted in flank do not turn to face, but fight at -1.
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Post by mthrguth on Apr 25, 2023 16:34:02 GMT
Dear Les 1964,
I don't know the formula. The DBMM books list allow 12 Early Byzantine allies for the MOors; the minimum number of bases for Moorish troops is 40; so that would be 23% of a total force including only minimal Moors, perhaps a little short of 25% of a DBA alliance. But, it would be more than 25% of the points. The Vandal allies only have 8 elements.
But, the later Thematic Byzantines have no restriction to numbers in 681 AD. They could max out at 8 superior cavalry, 2 bows, 4 spears and a couple of light infantry so about 16 elements; about 28% of a combined force element, not point, wise.
By comparison, looking at 1/52 Early Hoplite Greeks it appears that 8 Athenian Hoplite allies can be added to a Thessalian army starting with 24 hoplites in DBMM, or less than 25%. The Athenians also appear as a DBA ally.
If the Vandal and Byzantine allies are not enough to be a separate allied contingent then perhaps they should appear just as troop options; as occurs in many lists.
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Post by mthrguth on Apr 24, 2023 14:44:36 GMT
The Byzantine and 'Vandal' allies of the Moors are also in the DBMM books apparently.
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Post by mthrguth on Apr 24, 2023 12:20:56 GMT
Evidence for Byzantine allies of a Berber king in about 682 AD: Gibbon writes, Uqba, "this Mahometan Alexander, who sighed for new worlds, was unable to preserve his recent conquests. By the universal rebellion against muslim occupation of the Greeks and Africans he was recalled from the shores of the Atlantic." On his return, a Berber-Byzantine coalition under the berber king of Altava known as Kusaila ambushed and crushed his forces near Biskra, killing Uqba and wiping out his troops.
Then, adds Gibbon, "The third general or governor of Africa, Zuhayr, avenged and encountered the fate of his predecessor in the Battle of Mamma. He vanquished the native population in many battles but he was overthrown by a powerful army, which Constantinople had sent to the relief and liberation of Carthage."
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Post by mthrguth on Apr 24, 2023 11:43:46 GMT
Briefly, the Byzantine rebel commander in North Africa was defeated by Germanus at Scalae Veteres in 537. His Moorish 'allies,' failed to provide his army with support, in fact, joining the opposing Royalist Byzantines under Germanus.
Somehow, Stotzas survived for another 7 years. He and his remnant troops, now allies of the Moors, delivered the decisive flank attack at Thacia/Siccaveneria in 545 CE, during which Stotzas was killed.
It is not known whether these troops would have been remnant Vandals and Heruls or Byzantine cavalry, all were present in the army of Stotzas in 537.
This is documentation that the Moors should have some access to Vandal/Byzantine allies in 545.
There is also likely evidence of Byzantine remnants allied with Moors opposing the Muslim conquest of North Africa in 681 AD. The Moorish leader at the time was the color pagan, Jewish, Queen, eunuch, sorceress, The Kahina.
She even has her own 'Biography,' and statue in Baghai, Algeria.
ABDELMAJID HANNOUM, Colonial Histories, Post-Colonial Memories: The Legend of the Kahina, a North African Heroine, Studies in African Literature (Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2001). Pp. 235. $59.95 cloth
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 17, 2023 17:15:27 GMT
I would like to buy the elamite, bedouin, remaining Eastern Roman and Nuestrian armies.
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Post by mthrguth on Mar 1, 2023 14:26:39 GMT
The base depths in DBA for close order foot allow plenty of space for multiple lines. The combat factor of 5 versus 4 or even 3 for other types of foot is accounted for by use of line relief tactics and pila in the Roman army.
The old Ancient Empires rule set by Scotty Bowdin attempted to simulate line relief tactics, but had to go to a very small scale. A counselor army of about 500 figures! Yeah.
Packing in rear support was also not always a good idea. Cannae-where there was also not much evidence of line relief tactics in action.
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Post by mthrguth on Jan 25, 2023 23:30:45 GMT
play DBA 1.0 or 1.1.......When blades could not close the door on pikes in 1 move.....
Sarcastically yours,
MG
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Post by mthrguth on Jan 10, 2023 15:06:35 GMT
Replying to Tony Aguilar, Face of Battle;
It is interesting that the MODERN variant; and several of the scenario books, and even the American Codex for Face of Battle are all available on wargamevault, but not the original ww2 rules!
NUTS and FINAL COMBAT look like unbelievably detailed ww2 skirmish games. I don't have the gray matter for it myself......
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Post by mthrguth on Jan 7, 2023 22:20:37 GMT
Dear Curtis,
PM me if you see this message. I'm between you and PA; might be able to share some costs sometime.
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Post by mthrguth on Dec 31, 2022 15:45:23 GMT
I need some 15mm horse archers in your style!
I still have your early vikings, franks and ostrogoths. They've never complained about their current home I trust.
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Post by mthrguth on Dec 17, 2022 14:11:46 GMT
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