Dismounting

Ghaznavid · Post by **Ghaznavid** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:06 am

I'm wondering how dismounting will be handled in FoG? From what I've read so far it seems like only certain troop types in certain armies are permitted to dismount, but those that can get this ability for free.

shall · Post by **shall** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:16 am

In a much less felxible way.

We found that dismounting really was a battle decision, so its done at the end of deployment not as a choice you can save to late in game.

The general case does seem to be that against certain opponents some troops would start dismounted and finish dismounterd for better or worse.

This also solves the FREE issue as its much less of a benefit.

Hope that helps

Si

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:00 am

So far, in all my many test games I have only seen one incident of dismounting. This was medieval French knights vs Hundred Years War English so pretty realistic. The decision has to be made at deployment time (at the end of deployment) and the French player chose to keep some of his knights mounted. Troops are not allowed to dismount later in the battle.

neilhammond · Post by **neilhammond** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:14 pm

I used Ilkhanid Mongols at Britcon, who are permitted to dismount as foot archers in their army list (which is historical). In the end I didn't dismount any units, although I thought long and hard about it for one game where there was a key piece of terrain I considered holding.

Having to choose to dismount at the start of the game works quite well because it means that dismounting really needs to fit into your overall game plan and isn't just a tactical expedient mid-game.

Neil

jlopez · Post by **jlopez** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:04 pm

I thought about dismounting some of my French knights in the first game but in the end I just couldn't do it...they're just too pretty mounted and anyway walking is for peasants! Who said you couldn't roleplay when wargaming...

Seriously, it's one of the aspects of the rules which I really like. It's one more very important decision to take as it can affect the balance of your army and your strategy. Another important point is that it lessens the value of army lists where you can dismount. In DBM it was a big, free bonus while in FoG it's a minor one and if anything a distraction.

Julian

Ghaznavid · Post by **Ghaznavid** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 2:47 am

First off thanks for the prompt responses.

The main problem aside of the freebie issue I've with dismounting depending on army lists is that the decision to allow or disallow it is often a rather subjective decision based on very limited information. (For example early French knights usually can't dismount because they didn't or so it's said. If so then why are we told by contemporaries that the French are many times better on horse then on foot, while with the Germans it's the other way around? Sounds to me like the did fight on foot at least occasionally and I doubt that was only during sieges.)
That aside I tend to think that under the right conditions and with a sufficiently 'convincing' General most horsemen would dismount.

Well I shall wait and see how it turns out in the end.

There is one other question you might be able to answer me however. Are Hohenstaufen Sicilian or Teutonic Order Knights likely to be able to dismount? (Since I'm playing mainly 6th so far, having dismounted knights is a good idea. I'm less then sure though that I will base those two armies for 6th Ed. so it might be a massive waste of time to paint up some 60 dismounted knights.)

Thanks,

Karsten

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 7:01 am

Ghaznavid wrote:There is one other question you might be able to answer me however. Are Hohenstaufen Sicilian or Teutonic Order Knights likely to be able to dismount? (Since I'm playing mainly 6th so far, having dismounted knights is a good idea. I'm less then sure though that I will base those two armies for 6th Ed. so it might be a massive waste of time to paint up some 60 dismounted knights.)

We have not yet done the Sicilian list, nor the Teutonics before 1300. The Teutonics after 1300 don't have any special dismounting option. I suspect the others won't either.

All armies can dismount (at the end of deployment) if the enemy has field fortifications or battle wagons.

Ghaznavid · Post by **Ghaznavid** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:21 pm

rbodleyscott wrote: We have not yet done the Sicilian list, nor the Teutonics before 1300. The Teutonics after 1300 don't have any special dismounting option. I suspect the others won't either.

I suspected as much, thanks.

rbodleyscott wrote: All armies can dismount (at the end of deployment) if the enemy has field fortifications or battle wagons.

Oh, well... now the questions seems "Do I believe I will face armies that use one or the other often?"... hmmm... Naaah.

Thanks,

Karsten