House Rule for Reducing Heavy Infantry Combat Factors

Many players over many years have noticed and complained about how Ax and Bows
are too weak in close combat, and they often get slaughtered like a hot knife through
butter when facing Bd or side-supported Sp, making it nearly impossible when trying
to reproduce their real life performance in order to get an historical outcome that
matches the ancient battle accounts.

I like to use the following when trying to fix things and find solutions:-
　　1) first admit that a problem exists...
　　2) then find what causes the problems...
　　3) lastly, find ways of fixing the causes.
...and I much prefer simple elegant solutions that fix multiple problems than individual fixes.
And many of the existing problems with DBA 3.0 can be fixed with the following solution...

Reduce the combat factors of heavy infantry when fighting foot
So Bd becomes a CF of 4 v foot, but stays a CF of 3 v mounted.
     Sp becomes a CF of 3 v foot (with +1 for side-support, even when shot at), but stays CF 4 v mounted.
     Pk stays as it is now, but only gets +2 when rear supported v foot, and +1 against certain mounted.
...that’s all.

But in order to make this work properly some other changes will also be required:-
　　The bad going penalty will need to be reduced to -1 instead of -2.
　　Wb will have to lose their rear-support, or they’d be too powerful.
　　And 8Bow will have to lose side-support, or they’d be as good as Bd.
Everything else remains just as it is now.

Here is a short list of some of the things that would be improved:-
　　* Ax, Bows and Ps would be a bit more robust, as the Bd/Sp/Pk would be a bit weaker.
　　* It actually simplifies the rules (Bd are already CF 4 when shot at).
　　* The almost pointless Bd v Bd and Pk v Pk shoving match becomes a bit more decisive.
　　* Cities and Forts are a bit easier to assault (instead of Bd garrisons being immune to CF 3 troops).
　　* Fighting in bad going becomes possible (instead of Sp/Pk/mounted avoiding it at all costs).
　　* Sp would still be CF 4 when shot at (if side-supported in a ‘shield wall’).
　　* Ax would be equal to Bd/Sp when uphill or defending a riverbank (and why shouldn’t they be?).
　　* Wb will still be killed easily by Bd/Sp/Pk when overlapped (so being in column is still a good thing).
　　* It’s roughly what DBMM does (Bd have a CF of 4 v foot in DBMM).
　　* The combat interactions between all other troops, bad going, and foot v mounted will be unchanged.
　　* All foot behaviour would be improved, and more closely match that of the ancient battle accounts.

It even improves the much complained about Pikes: as Pk v Bd has a slightly higher chance of scoring a
double (6 chances out of 36 if the Bd are overlapped, instead of the current 4 chances), it encourages
the enemy to keep some reserves in order to fill in any gaps that appear, thus making it harder and less
likely that the Pk battleline will be outflanked (especially if any Ax present are also able to stand in the
front, at least for a while, and extend the Pk battleline).

Now I know that this is going to be far too radical for many players, but I have playtested it extensively.
However, please don’t take my word for it...try it for yourselves and see the effects with your own eyes.
Then tell me why it is such a bad idea.



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