Rebalancing for LH Armies

I was re-reading the first page of this thread last night, and found myself agreeing in principle with much of Sicadi's proposals re LH deployment and changing LH to Cv(F).

Having recently watched one of Tony Aguilar's game vids featuring Magyars vs Lombards in which the Magyars always seemed the underdog needing big lucky dice rolls combined with narrowing their frontage to succeed, I thought of how another rule system handles horse archers and came up with a sort of amalgamation that in theory seems to give LH that bite they currently lack.

Rather than turning LH purely into Cv(F), I'm thinking this:


This would go with the added rules that all LH can benefit from: if the attacker, they can choose the larger board; and flee from doubled results from shooting (except to their rear). I'd also consider adding Sicadi's proposal for LH to deploy anywhere on their side of the table.

It should mean that horse archers can now compete against other troops with more effect (more like Cv), without narrowing their frontage to gain benefits they arguably should already have, but are still more brittle than Cv, and still use LH combat outcomes rather than Cv outcomes.



Like all things, the idea needs thorough play-testing - but theoretically with this adjustment I'd take those Magyars and Mongols (and all the other horse archer armies) out hunting. 

Something I've read numerous times for LH armies is "don't throw a 1 in your first bound".

So here's another idea that assists with that first bound. It does not assist successive bounds. It represents enhanced opening deployment/movement capabilities as a result of outscouting the opponent.

If army has 3-4 more LH than opponent, +1 PIP first bound, up to normal maximum of 6.
If army has 5-6 more LH than opponent, +2 PIPs first bound, up to normal maximum of 6.
If army has 7-8 more LH than opponent, +3 PIPs first bound, up to normal maximum of 6.
If army has 9-10 more LH than opponent, +4 PIPs first bound, up to normal maximum of 6.
If army has 11-12 more LH than opponent, +5 PIPs first bound, up to normal maximum of 6.

You can change the numbers, but it's essentially a way to assist armies with significant numbers of LH to avoid a disastrous start against opponents they would have outscouted. (That last point is debatable depending on specific adversaries and terrain.)

An alternative way to do a similar thing is to allow Paddy's idea of LH moves cost 1/2 PIPs, BUT IN THE FIRST BOUND ONLY.

I love the idea generation snowcat!

Although I would ask, why not just go with 1/2 PIP for all LH groups in all bounds, and including up to the 2 subsequent moves? Remember that 2nd and 3rd moves can't end up <= 1BW away, so they can be swirly but not swirly deadly

It's a pretty dirt simple, elegant solution, and as far as I can tell doesn't destroy the game at all, but still gives those LH armies the mobility they are craving.
It also scales with LH heavy armies, without giving them artificial pips (i.e. you still have to roll high PIPs, but just not THAT high anymore)

A valid point but LH would still be limited 1 move plus 2 subsequent moves. And you couldn’t get within 1BW on the move over the first, just as RAW. If you roll a 6, more LH would be able to move, and they wouldn’t be as constrained by groups.

I would have to test this with a 12 LH army vs slugs to really see the effect.

Good point on the CV snowcat.

At this time I am just looking at the 1/2 pip LH element/group as a means of improving the performance of LH armies. Really have a problem with giving them a base CF equal to CV.

Just getting my nephew back up to speed with DBA (hadn't played in over a year, so RAW), therefore haven't gamed it yet.

As I previously noted though, to me any adjustment to LH movement or CF has to be run against the armies that evolved to deal with them - particularly the mixed CV and LH heavy (if not entirely mounted) armies of the Chinese. As noted in the army lists, those were the armies that took the battle to the steppe tribes on their home turf.