Undrilled Offensive Spears - BG Sizes

Caliph · Post by **Caliph** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:47 am

I'm thinking about mixing my Superior, Offensive Spear BG sizes.

I have options with the sizes of the BG's and was wondering how effective mixing the BG sizes, and the depth of their deployment, would be. I am thinking along the lines of resiliance and wearing down opponents that may be better armoured. Specifically, BG's of 4 in 4 ranks, 6's and 8's in 3 ranks. Also, if necessary, sacrificing smaller BG's as delayers.

For example, I could deploy them, from left to right, a BG of 6, a BG of 8, a BG of 4, an BG of 8, a BG of 4, a BG of 6 on a total frontage of 12 bases. If I deepened the 6's or 8's to 4 ranks the frontage would be about 10 bases.

What do you think? If you had the option, would you take them in 4's, 6's or 8's or in combination?

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:19 am

I assume we are talking Arab Conquest here.

If so BGs of 8 seem to be pretty effective. I would be nervous running a BG of 6 protected spear in 2 ranks. If you lose a base it makes things less than ideal.

BTW, it looks from your details that you are in Oldham. Have you tred the MAWS club? We have five or six tables of FoG most Monday nights and FoG is growing in popularity on the Sunday meetings now.

Caliph · Post by **Caliph** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 10:26 am

Yep, Arab Conquest & using the Jund as spearmen and/or cavalry lancers.

I'll be there Monday.

grahambriggs · Post by **grahambriggs** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:26 am

My views:

8s. Handy for the ends of the line because of enemy shooting. I find three wide with two in the back rank to be ideal. That gives you a resilient unit that can take punishment yet still fight well. It makes it worth committing a TC to them to make them tougher.

6s. I don't like this size for protected OS. You can't really go 3 wide as base losses kill you too quickly. So you end up two wide, three deep. Which is a bit more expensuive on frontage than the 8s. Also, assuming your line has to fan out a bit (not many opponents will fight 3 deep spear toe to toe), they do suffer a bit when overlapped. However, when wedged betwee two eights they can work.

4s. Handy for rear support and would be good 4 deep if wedged between 8s but very vulnerable if the line splits up. Good for BG count I suppose.

david53 · Post by **david53** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:25 pm

Caliph wrote:Yep, Arab Conquest & using the Jund as spearmen and/or cavalry lancers.

I'll be there Monday.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAWS-list/

If you go on there you can ask for a game as hammy says theres lots of FOG players.

Dave

ethan · Post by **ethan** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:39 pm

I would take them in 8s and buy cavalry in 4s to dismount as rear support (note that the cavalry when taken as average have the exact same AP costs as superior spears - which is what they dismount as).

philqw78 · Post by **philqw78** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 4:43 pm

david53 wrote:
Caliph wrote:Yep, Arab Conquest & using the Jund as spearmen and/or cavalry lancers.

I'll be there Monday.
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/MAWS-list/

If you go on there you can ask for a game as hammy says theres lots of FOG players.

Dave

Though if you listen to others on this forum you will find lots of girly LH players, oh,... and Hammy, who is crap.

dave_r · Post by **dave_r** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 5:20 pm

Especially at 900 points.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the results of the latest round of the Northern Doubles are now up

http://www.maws.org.uk/

Follow the Northern Doubles link and look at the third round

philqw78 · Post by **philqw78** » Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:26 pm

Someone got the first round scores wrong.
Me and Paul scored 16, Mick and Neil 9.