Ancients so far

[Stewart 46A]

Martin
My thoughts so far on the game
(not an Ancients player)

Defender depletions –  not many are permanent and units off can normally return before attacker hits

If defender depletions are greater/more permeant then attacker doesn't need compensation D6

A small heavy armoured force usually loses to a large unarmoured force because they cant hold the ground for points,
If they spread out to cover more ground then the Armoured units are outnumbered and destroyed

Opportunity fire for bow units

Fights – I think side with more hits should get extra hits but winner of fight should be on number of casualties
So a small armoured square may get less hits than a large unarmoured force but win the fight on number of casualties

Stewart

[martin goddard]

Good thoughts Stewart

These are obviously very early days.
The rules are only 43% done.

1. Defender depletions. It does seem a lot of work for so few units off table but it does give the attacker an "edge". That edge should help the attacker carry out his attack.

2.The problem with "after saves"  fight resolution is that high quality zones would  trample around a table and be impervious. That would not be historical at all (see Alexander Nevsky at Lake Peipus).

A 4 armoured unit zone versus a 4 unarmored unit zone.
Both achieve 5 hits.
Armoured zone suffers 5 x 1/3 = 1.7 casualties
Unarmoured zone suffers 5 x 1/2= 2.5 casualties.
4 out of 5 times the armoured just win.

Why would anyone use anything else apart from a fully tooled up armoured and veteran army?
Those 300 spartans and chums would have slaughtered the Persian army at Thermopylae.
The 2nd Punic war would have not got going for poor old Hannibal's non armoured troops.

CK will make players use tactical skill to win not "game pick" super armies.
That is a very key aim of the rules.

3. Opportunity shooting.  Possibly a good idea. Opportunity shooting is usually there to give a waiting player a a chance to shoot at fleeting targets. In CK the zones move so slowly (usually 1 zone per turn)  that the shooting opportunity will be there next turn, no problem.


martin