I had a few questions about the rules

[igirisujin]

Hello Everyone,

I have been trying to find a set of rules that I could get my head around and the Peltast and Pila rules look fine for the most part except there were a few points I could not fathom. If anyone can help I would be very grateful.

1) What is the difference between extended and open order? One seems redundant as I have read it but I could have missed something really basic.
2) In the definition of regiments it specifies them as twenty figures plus two officers, which in close order, four figures to a base, should rank up in a three wide two deep formation, I just can not see how that works out. Any help would be appreciated.
3) Is the difference between close order and very close just an aesthetic one? And as above I can not see how the number of men including the officers can make the formation describe in the book.
4) What is the point of pikemen? The rule says that they can fight three ranks deep but a very close order units formation is supposed to be two ranks deep. So this ability only seems of use if you are caught in column of march.

Thanks for your time,
Igirisujin

[daivid]

Jan 12, 2011 13:31:32 GMT igirisujin said:

1) What is the difference between extended and open order? One seems redundant as I have read it but I could have missed something really basic.
2) In the definition of regiments it specifies them as twenty figures plus two officers, which in close order, four figures to a base, should rank up in a three wide two deep formation, I just can not see how that works out. Any help would be appreciated.
3) Is the difference between close order and very close just an aesthetic one? And as above I can not see how the number of men including the officers can make the formation describe in the book.
4) What is the point of pikemen? The rule says that they can fight three ranks deep but a very close order units formation is supposed to be two ranks deep. So this ability only seems of use if you are caught in column of march.

1) I agree, open order seems to be the worst of both worlds. They can't withstand charges but don't get the extra protection from missiles that extended order has. I suspect Tony included them as an afterthought because the WRG rules of the time had a similarly
based troop type. As most individually based armies today are based for Warhammer Ancients, I think it best to ignore open order.
Personally, I use 15mm so make them compatible with FOG. FOG does have "Medium" troops which are equivalent to Open order. However, the number of figures on a base for FOG is irrelevant so I put 4 figs on a base to make them close order by Peltast and Pila definition.

2) My units are normally 4 elements of 4 plus a pair based together plus two individually based figures. This allows a unit to be drawn up in two lines of ten.

3) I have decided to ignore very close order because none of my troops are based that way. It is not merely aesthetic as in melee very close order troops will have more figures in contact and therefore more dice throws

4) Columns in P&P are more field columns than march columns - there are none of the disadvantages of being "caught in column" that you find in some rules. Tony clearly intended Pike to fight in column.

This is my reading of those ruies. You have picked up on the points that have already struck me as the most open to interpretation. It was because Tony Bath is no longer around to give his verdict that I set up this forum so we can agree among ourselves what the best interpretation should be.

Daivid

[igirisujin]

Thanks for the reply I will take it all on board when I play my first solo game. I am going for 10mm as I have very little space to game in. I have increased the unit sizes from 20 to 22 as it makes forming them up much easier. I will try to finish painting up some figures, I have some samurai on the go and following that will be some Romans for them to fight, once they are done I will try an post how it went.