Almughavars: pros and cons?

[bertiebeemer]

Chaps

Any thoughts on the main possibilities of how to run the Almughavars as a strike force (within the Later Sicilian I'm thinking, but also open to thoughts on Catalan Company, maybe the relevant Spanish lists too)?

They're all MF. In the Sicilians we get:

Undrilled or Drilled?
Offensive Spearmen or Impact Foot / Swordsmen?
Unprotected or Protected?

For figures, I'll be going with the Eureka ones, which kind of look unprotected offensive spearmen, but I won't hold that against them if needs be.

There's a lot of points to play with, so interested in any thoughts. More points is not always better. Plan is, first and foremost a tasty looking army on the tabletop that I have some affinity with (as always with me), followed by a basic plan of some decent Kn and the Almughavars as the two units that can do the damage. Points and cowardly holding force made up of cheap Defensive Spear and Crossbows.

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Would you think differently with the Catalan Company (as I am a big fan of morphing too, and have plenty of Turks to go with these bad boys)?

Thanks in advance, apologies if this is well known on the forum but the disabled search function makes it quite difficult for novice numpties like me.

Simon

[Ghaznavid]

There are no cons to Almughavars, absolutely none! Assuming that they might have any disadvantages only assures they will never love you, so you won't win with them.
That said I usually run them as protected off. Sp. (so far in Crown of Aragon, Latin Greece and of course as Catalan Companies). Being drilled is a definite boon. Their speed and manoeuvrability often allows them to strike where you want to (or get out of tight spots, something the undrilled Catalans with my Aragonese failed to do on more then one occasion). Being spears + superior make them fairly resistant to mounted in the open and give them an advantage vs. infantry equipped with swords (like dastardly english LBs) ... as long as you can stay steady that is.
With Catalan Company I've come to believe that the Albanians are probably the better option compared to the Turks. Of course historically the Turks are the better choice as they can be fielded during the actual heydays of the Company.

[nikgaukroger]

Impact Foot for them every time for me.

Offensive Spear don't cut it IMO, and lead you to think you can take on mounted in the open when you can't or shouldn't be doing so. Impact Foot keeps you focused.

[MatthewP]

i always take Impact Foot for the Arogonese. Sixteen bases of superior psycopaths. Tough as they come. They can even hang around against armoured cavalry in the open long enough for reinforcements to arrive. In the days before everybody got wise and stopped taking MF bow they were the battle winners. Not quite so useful in the modern game but still great fun to play, just point them in the required direction and let go the leash.

[MatthewP]

And always protected and always drilled if you can get them

[grahambriggs]

I use to love being drawn against these chaps in open competitions using the early Persians. Bless! - they thought they could beat the Immortals. That normally made a big hole in the medieval line...

[philqw78]

I use to love being drawn against these chaps in open competitions using the early Persians. Bless! - they thought they could beat the Immortals. That normally made a big hole in the medieval line...

They can. They come in, normally, smaller BG and there are more of them. When the Immortals can form orb they might be safe. Your opponents obviously fight fair Graham.