In message <000801c48edb$b5a61900$0302a8c0_at_master> "Jane Williams" writes:
>> Donald Oddy
>
>> Flying troops are going to make for very different tactics
>> from the RW particularly when you start getting whole units
>> of them. Not only are there going to be units of skirmishers
>> who throw javlins while flying past and those who use flying
>> to get into position before
>> attacking on the ground but also shock troops charging with
>> lances in the air. Conversely there will be tactics to
>> counter these attacks such as training the rear ranks of
>> units to turn and face enemies landing in their rear or maybe
>> small groups to intecept such attackers.
>
>I read that and thought how sensible it was - and then realised.
>Specialist types of Vanganthi? Units of them??
>
>These are Orlanthi, not modern soldiers. The "unit" is the clan warband.
>Even in a big army, they don't group by troop type, they group by
>bloodline. And it's rare enough for someone to be as specialist as
>"warrior", to specialise in "flying warrior who skirmishes with javelins
>but doesn't land" seems Silly. How many Vanganthi do we think there are
>per clan warband? How many in the tribal warband? How many in the group
>of mates who got together to give some Lunar patrol a kicking? You're
>not going to run out of fingers counting them. You may not even run out
>of thumbs.
Err Jane, Vangarthi aren't the only flyers in Glorantha. Certainly
the Lunars have units of them from Rinliddi and I saw something
recently about Solars levitating. Then there are the wind children
and various intelligent flying monsters.
Yes, in Heortling warfare the few Vangarthi are going to be flying
around hurling javlins and abuse at the opposing warband while
ignoring challenges to "Come on down and fight like a man not a bird."
When the come up against Lunar or other soldiers they'll find their
opponents are trained to counter flyers and it'll be an awful
(possibly fatal) shock.
--
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/