Shooting, formations, artillery - Questions and thoughts

[jdesmond]

Salutations, gentlefolk !

In pre-gunpowder combat, a unit good in combat is likely to be a unit that puts the maximum number of men with sharp pointy objects into a given frontage. The drawback is that such a unit is easier to hit with missle weapons, and a casualty from bow or ballista more likely to disrupt the formation than units fighting in looser formations.

So, Triumph has a '-1 if being shot at' modifier for elite foot, heavy foot, and raiders. Question: Why does that not apply to spears and pikes ?

Second: Units shot at by artillery defend with 'vs foot' factor - so 'shoulder to shoulder' units are harder for arty to stop or kill, while units fighting in loose formation are easier targets for arty ? This does not seem logical ?

Dyspeptically yours, John

[David Kuijt]

Look at the combat factors, John. Don't look at the -1 in isolation. Elite Foot are often armed and armored identically to Spear -- but are +1 combat factor against foot (which is what Artillery and Archers fight as) over them. The -1 just means that Elite Foot and Spear function identically when standing as targets to distant fire. Same for Raiders versus Light Foot -- Raiders usually have the same equipment and formation (open) as Light Foot, but there is no reason for them to be BETTER against missile fire than Light Foot are.