Re: Setting Spears

From: Bryan Thexton <bethexton_at_...>
Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 18:29:57 -0000

I never said that cavalry never charged home with lance or sword, I was just talking about usual tactics when faced with heavy infantry. Certainly peoples with good horses who were used to fighting fairly poorly disciplined foot would have found the charge to be invaluable, and doubtless both they and other peoples did use charges against heavier and more disciplined troops at times.

Let me try and re-phrase to get to the rules point I was trying to get at: If a body of infantry holds formation and has good depth and reasonable density, it can stand up to a frontal cavalry charge with a good chance of success. If it breaks, the cavalry will most likely totally route it and cause severe casualties until and if the infantry rallies.

Therefore, without worrying about detailed issues of comparative length of the pointy things that the two sides are carrying or trying to come up with the most precise historical analogy, it seems to me that the initial contest comes down to is the cavalry's ability to terrify vs. the infantry's willingness to stand firm. Add bonuses or penalties to either side for their confidence in their equipment and/or tactics.

Depending on the result of that contest (normally a simple contest, I'd think), I'd choose the winning side as the first actors, and probably assign other modifiers.

> And even in those cases arrows and javelins were generally used
before. Why not
> use the main superiority you have over foot sloggers: the mobility?
>
> I would think this is how Grazelanders, Pentans, Praxians, etc.,
do.

Yes, I think I said much the same thing. But Glorantha is a strange place, and no doubt someone will end up playing the stand of an Orlanthi shield wall vs. the charge of the rhino riders, or some such thing!

--Bryan

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