All this raving about armies and tactics and are Gloranthan armies as good as pre-gunpowder RW armies is getting me down. Gloranthan armies can't really be compared to pre-gunpowder armies because of magic. All G armies use it heavily, and if WB&RM is any indication, its effects are devastating, and much more to the point than such puny weapons as pikes and arrows. It always seems to boil down to whose magic is buttkickinger (or whatever). I would say G armies use magic like modern armies use air support, artillery, rapid deployment forces, etc. I would say that bunching your guys up into phalanxes or testudi just makes them ripe for the Crater Makers (frex). A good tactic would be to charge your enemy with cavalry, get them to form square, then unleash hot magic death on them, huddled in their nicely packaged mass. IMG battles tend to be decided by the actions of heroic individuals, performing actions that turn the tide one way or the other. Sure, tactics that make best use of available weapons make the most sense, but I know I'd certainly factor the potential of spirit-death-from-above, or the earth opening up beneath my troops feet, into my tactical doctrine. I'd also be inclined to target my best magic to wipe out my enemy's priests, sorcerers, and other magic-slinging bad news. If I can take them out, the rest is only mop-up. Sure, you can't account for every possibility. Just know your enemy, study him and his tactics, and learn what he's likely to do to you on the battlefield. The armies that are flexible, and which have the mightiest warfare magic, or the toughest war gods, will usually do better. All IM(not so)HO
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