Shielding and spear support.

LordoftheBrownRing · **Posted:** Sun Dec 18, 2016 10:30 pm

In this game should someone be able to shield with spear support? Why or why not?

Steven bonnar · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:35 pm **Posts:** 95

No.
Plenty other ways to increase ways to win the fight

LordoftheBrownRing · **Posted:** Sun Dec 18, 2016 10:57 pm

What would you say to the fact that many armies through history employed this exact tactic?

Maybe if you have support while shielding it should change?

Steven bonnar · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:35 pm **Posts:** 95

So you'd get 3 attack dice to win fights but only a single attack to kill off the enemy?

LordoftheBrownRing · **Posted:** Sun Dec 18, 2016 11:44 pm

Steven bonnar wrote:

So you'd get 3 attack dice to win fights but only a single attack to kill off the enemy?

I'm asking you. Would you be OK with two dice to win the fight and one to wound?

Wan Shi Tong · **Posted:** Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:35 am

Sure, it makes sense on a practical level but so did Brutal Power Attacks and look at how big of a shift in the meta that turned into. There is a reason Troke and the gang let people support two-handed weapons now but neglected to change shielding to be the same and why you cant have a shielding guy fight in the same combat with a friendly that isn't shielding. Why don't you consider all the effects of this change in mechanics on the game and write a persuasive essay for us?

polywags · **Posted:** Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:44 am

Pretty sure you can't, but I think thematically sure. It would be a big buff to higher fight armies that just need the extra dice to a 6 or will win on ties ect.

jdizzy001 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:40 am

No. Shielding isn't meant to be an offensive tactic. It is meant to buy time and rally forces.

Steven bonnar · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:35 pm **Posts:** 95

LordoftheBrownRing wrote:

Steven bonnar wrote:

So you'd get 3 attack dice to win fights but only a single attack to kill off the enemy?

I'm asking you. Would you be OK with two dice to win the fight and one to wound?

It already happens in game.
Thorin's oaken shield,

But no I believe adding additional strike rules while we have plenty other options already in game to win fights isn't required,

Now if you could bash with a shield .

Commissariat · **Posted:** Thu Dec 22, 2016 4:54 am

Bashing with the shield is... fighting normally unless you can increase your number of dice but deal one die....but....

I think from a thematic sense, sure. Game wise, I do not think Shielding with spear support is necessary. You already have the feel from having spears behind shields in the first place: taking advantage of the higher defense in front for shooting and negating a possible wound by having a combatant unable to be targeted.

Once you enable spears to support you have people shielding with 6 guys to get a single model X to strike which can potentially be a problem in the world of Might and possible future insta-death dudelings. Not that this is a strong point to push here.

Adding rules for the sake of rules for theme* doesn't always sell for me. However, if you can show an improvement to game balance and mechanics by adding this change that would prove that it is a needed change... That's a different story. That being said, I do not see it being necessary for the game.

* I am a sucker for thematics, but I also follow the idea of "Do we really need it"

LordoftheBrownRing · **Posted:** Thu Dec 22, 2016 6:25 pm

Sure maybe we don't need it but it's dumb the way it is now. What is the guy supporting with the spear doing?

Standing there ? Stabbing his own shield? It makes no sense. He's doing absolutely nothing in order for him to not be able to stab. I'd be happier for them to make a rule where you can't spear support shielding troops than the way they have it.

Tezzy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:42 am **Posts:** 160

It could be interesting as an army special rule, when they revise the LotR profiles. Perhaps Gondor? Or more perhaps simply one of their elite units.

jdizzy001 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2016 6:36 am

That isn't a bad idea. I would be fine with the citadel guard or fountain court guard possessing a rule which allows them to attack over a shield wall.

Commissariat · **Posted:** Fri Dec 23, 2016 8:11 pm

LordoftheBrownRing wrote:

Sure maybe we don't need it but it's dumb the way it is now. What is the guy supporting with the spear doing?

Standing there ? Stabbing his own shield? It makes no sense. He's doing absolutely nothing in order for him to not be able to stab. I'd be happier for them to make a rule where you can't spear support shielding troops than the way they have it.

Effectively they did say "you can't spear support shielding troops" by making them irrelevant if someone is shielding.... I think they assumed it goes without saying. If you don't get benefits from supporting someone shielding, don't try.

Faction rule? Sure. Everyone else? Just be mindful of where you are putting your spears when you have the choice.

Dikey · **Joined:** Tue Feb 03, 2015 10:19 am **Posts:** 508

I think that a rule that allows to support with spears while the other one is shielding will be quickly abused, and make the game long and annoying

Shielding and spear support.

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