48 Point Armies

[Bill Hupp]

Settling down to seriously build out and convert a large number of armies, I have begun to realize that:

1- 48 point armies can be practically impossible to get to for ceratain combinations of troops types and
2- I should not turn my hobby time into an attempt to get it to come out exactly ( a hard thing emotionally for an old accountant to accept.)

The change in Warriors to being 3 points has really emphasized this as I go through and create more compliant T&R barbarian armies. Taking 12 stand bararbian armies at 4 points/stand = 48 points to 12 x 3 = 36 point armies, you do need to add another 4 stands of warriors.

I am getting pretty comfortable with 46-47 point armies and I am looking forward to the battle cards helping there (although point systems should't drive everything.)

I am thankful I can still do this in my head for the most part (altough it helps to have a spreadsheet when done in large numbers and for complicated armies.)

More to help with new player the preception than anything else, I was thinking about giving armies that are short a point or two, some kind of simple true-up point, like 1 reroll per game.

Bill

[David Kuijt]

Settling down to seriously build out and convert a large number of armies, I have begun to realize that:

1- 48 point armies can be practically impossible to get to for ceratain combinations of troops types and
2- I should not turn my hobby time into an attempt to get it to come out exactly ( a hard thing emotionally for an old accountant to accept.)

I have the same sort of fixation on completeness, but I would point out some things.

The point system is an attempt to measure a real-world phenomenon that is far more complex than can be measured in buckets of 1, 2, 3, and 4 points (plus battle cards, which can add a bit more).

To make this clear to you, let me point out that the value of one Horsebow within an army depends upon a large number of variables. A single Horsebow is more valuable than 4 points in an army without any other fast stands. One Horsebow is much less valuable than 4 points in an army with 10 other Horsebow.

In an army with 11 Horsebow and one Skirmisher, what is the most valuable stand? The one stand that, if you forget to field it and leave it at home, makes the biggest impact upon your chance of winning the battle? I'll give you a hint -- it isn't a Horsebow. So a 47 pt army with 11 Horsebow and one Skirmisher will be stronger than a 48 pt army with 12 Horsebow.

[Bill Hupp]

point system is an attempt to measure a real-world phenomenon that is far more complex than can be measured in buckets

Right, just like one 6-1 roll, or one roll of 1 for command points, or 1 overlap can change the outcome of a game.

But even this simple linear model is still a big improvement over a system with 12 stands of equal value and frontage.

The big advantage of a simple system is that you can collect and organize armies to play with more easily. Which should help get people started more easily or let them collect and play more armies across history.

Bill

[David Kuijt]

The big advantage of a simple system is that you can collect and organize armies to play with more easily. Which should help get people started more easily or let them collect and play more armies across history.

That's the hope, exactly.

[Michigan Larry]

You mean you do not have to have exactly 48 points...JK