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Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
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Author:  Son of Éomund [ Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
As my buddy and I have been working on our Fourth Age supplement to recreate battles during the Age of Men, we have used some alternate ideas for Cavalry that I wanted to share.

The rules for cavalry in SBG are a bit lackluster to say the least. There have been numerous ideas sported by members of this forum which we have tried out (additional attack, increased wounds, etc.). Here is what we have been working on to give cavalry a needed boost and give players more strategic options during list design and gameplay.

We wanted to introduce 3 classes of Cavalry: Heavy, Medium and Light (I know... very original). Each class would have the following changes:

Heavy Cavalry (Dol Amroth Knights, Easterling Kataphracts, essentially any model on an Armored Horse): Movement = 8", Defense = 6, automatic strength 3 hit on charge.

Medium Cavalry (Riders of Rohan, Knights of Gondor, Serpent Guard): Movement = 10", Defense = 5, automatic strength 2 hit on charge.

Light Cavalry (Rohan Outriders, Khandish Horsemen, Harad Raiders): Movement = 10" (possibly 12"), Defense = 4. When a Light Cavalry unit is charged you may attempt to flee up to 3" away from the enemy. Roll a D6 and compare against the model's Courage (-1 to the roll if the model has Expert Rider). If the result is less than or equal to the model's courage the test is passed and you may move the model up to 3" away from the charging model. If failed your opponent may complete his charge move as normal. (We have considered the option to shoot during the retreat for models armed with bows/throwing weapons).

The goal here was to strength cavalry units as well as give tactical options for players with each. In our play tests so far we have mixed feelings on these proposed changes.

Along the same lines we wanted to apply the same changes to infantry granted not to strengthen them but to give greater tactical variety.

Heavy Infantry: Movement = -1" (Dwarves ignore)
Infantry: no changes
Light Infantry: ??? Maybe give a bonus for move and shoot???

Any thoughts would be appreciated here.

Many thanks!
Author:  pokyha [ Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
sounds interesting. I like the idea of giving units a heavy, medium and light classes and them all having different strategies around the selective class.

This will benefit some units and make others worse.

Like Easterlings with bows now would take longer to move to shooting positions due to their slower move.

I like the expert rider giving -1 to the roll although only Rohan outriders will benefit from it. It would be nice it you could think of another advantage that expert rider could have to make heroes, Elves and Rohan all gain an advantage while mounted.

Also what about Heroes do they fall into these classes?
Author:  Son of Éomund [ Sat Sep 06, 2014 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
Heavy Infantry would include any model equipped with Very Heavy Armor. Infantry would include any model equipped with Armor or Heavy Armor. Light Infantry ergo would be be foot models without armor.

Hero's on foot would follow the same philosophy unless otherwise stated in their rules (Maybe the hero has Mithril armor and therefore would ignore such impairment of movement).

Overall infantry movement wasn't the issue that needed fixing, but we wanted to give models with thick armor a slight disadvantage. The -1" to movement has appeared to work out in the test games we have played thus far.

As I have said before these rules are to be used with my Fourth Age supplement and in doing so I have manipulated and added a few additional rules. I always found it odd that Khandish Horsemen didn't have Expert Rider and given the changes we have suggested for different cavalry classes we thought it would give the Evil faction some additional tactical flexibility by adding the Expert Rider rule to their profile thereby providing Evil forces their own version of Light Cavalry.

Another option for the Expert Rider rule would be to ignore the -1 move and shoot penalty while mounted.
Author:  pokyha [ Sun Sep 07, 2014 7:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
Sorry but you didn't answer the question. Do heroes fall under the heavy, medium and light Calvary classes?

I like the ignore -1 move and shoot penalty. Works well and make taking mounted calvary worth it.
Author:  SuicidalMarsbar [ Sun Sep 07, 2014 10:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
Problem with this is that it places even more importance on the already crucial priority roll; whoever wins priority not only gets charge bonuses but also instant str1-3 hits (the equivalent of a turn of perfect shooting with 100% of your models).

While I like the essence of it, I feel cavalry already have huge advantages that are well balanced.
Author:  pokyha [ Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
I disagree, if most cavalry units are reduced by 1 or 2 points they would be well balanced.
Author:  Son of Éomund [ Mon Sep 08, 2014 3:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Alternate Cavalry Rules/Heavy Infantry
Quote:
Sorry but you didn't answer the question. Do heroes fall under the heavy, medium and light Calvary classes?


My apologies. I thought you were referring to just heroes on foot. The answer to your question is yes, Hero's would fall under these rules as well.

If they can equip an armored horse then they become Heavy Cavalry, Horse = Medium Cavalry, etc. I don't know of any hero that would be classified as Light Cavalry, but I might have missed one.

Quote:
Problem with this is that it places even more importance on the already crucial priority roll; whoever wins priority not only gets charge bonuses but also instant str1-3 hits (the equivalent of a turn of perfect shooting with 100% of your models).

While I like the essence of it, I feel cavalry already have huge advantages that are well balanced.


Cavalry have advantages, yes, but that is the way they should be! Cavalry in war was a significant advantage (Mongols, Parthians, Sarmatians, Carthage, etc.). In the games that my friend and I have played using these alternate rules it has forced us to put priority in shooting at the opponents cavalry to either kill the rider or knock them off their mounts and position our own cavalry to match the opponent or provide effective counter charge support for infantry lines. If anything try out the changes to see what you think.
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