What's a good quailty "steam roller" army?

[JCgoose]

Hey

I am helping a friends start up with FoG. His looking for an inexpensive army with relatively simple tactics (pushing forwards) and is forgiving to a new player. I'd suggested LRR or something with a lot pikes/mostly Sup HA troops.

Any suggestions would be welcome

Cheers
Jon

[footslogger]

LRR maxed out with legionaries. Something with a lot of spear might also be good (Arab Conquest)? Or maybe something with a lot of knights (foot sloggers are not fans of these kinds of armies).

[JCgoose]

I think his going for more inf than knights or Cav. I'll take a look in to Arab Conquest and try and do up a LRR list he might like.

[expendablecinc]

forgiving foot:
classical greek with 50/50 armoured/protected undrilled hoplites and drilled mercs for the wings.

mounted:
My personal favourite Latin Greek - inspired by duggans novel "Lord Geoffry's Fancy"

Anthony

Hey

I am helping a friends start up with FoG. His looking for an inexpensive army with relatively simple tactics (pushing forwards) and is forgiving to a new player. I'd suggested LRR or something with a lot pikes/mostly Sup HA troops.

Any suggestions would be welcome

Cheers
Jon

[WhiteKnight]

what about anglo-danish or viking? Anglo-danish with all that armoured stuff would be "cheaper" to buy as it may require fewer figures? Dailami, too, after my experiences at Attack '09! More manouverable than HF (but more vulnerable in the open), and although the point cost of them is high, at only 3 figs to a base, the money cost is low!!!

Martin

[JCgoose]

forgiving foot:
classical greek with 50/50 armoured/protected undrilled hoplites and drilled mercs for the wings.

mounted:
My personal favourite Latin Greek - inspired by duggans novel "Lord Geoffry's Fancy"

Anthony

Hey

I am helping a friends start up with FoG. His looking for an inexpensive army with relatively simple tactics (pushing forwards) and is forgiving to a new player. I'd suggested LRR or something with a lot pikes/mostly Sup HA troops.

Any suggestions would be welcome

Cheers
Jon

I'll have to grab a copy of that book!

[daleivan]

I like Classical Indian for steam rolling, maxing out on the elephants and perhaps adding some Hchs. But the supporting troops aren't very streamroller-ish, so YMMV

Dale

[JCgoose]

I like Classical Indian for steam rolling, maxing out on the elephants and perhaps adding some Hchs. But the supporting troops aren't very streamroller-ish, so YMMV

Dale

YMMV?

[daleivan]

I like Classical Indian for steam rolling, maxing out on the elephants and perhaps adding some Hchs. But the supporting troops aren't very streamroller-ish, so YMMV

Dale

YMMV?

Your Mileage May Vary



Dale

[JCgoose]

ah fair enough, well I am putting a few different lists I've knocked up to him and I'll see how he goes.

[jlopez]

I would probably suggest an Arab Conquest army for the superior spearmen and that way, as he gets used to FOG, he will be able to use lots of other arab lists by expanding his army little by little. However, 4 figures to a base isn't cheap specially if he's getting them painted professionally. A Later Polish will be a lot smaller but I'm not sure how effective or forgiving it will be given its size.

Julian

[azrael86]

'Early' Later Swiss (halberdiers with some pike, not all pike) are pretty straightforward and pricey. Although if you have pike then later they can morph to armies with more flexibility, like German or Burgundian.

The problem with foot is it won't cover the table unless it is cheap, but then it is expensive in terms of figures...

[lawrenceg]

'Early' Later Swiss (halberdiers with some pike, not all pike) are pretty straightforward and pricey. Although if you have pike then later they can morph to armies with more flexibility, like German or Burgundian.

The problem with foot is it won't cover the table unless it is cheap, but then it is expensive in terms of figures...

Use 20 mm plastic figures on the 25 mm base sizes.

[spike]

Early Spartan

Superior, Armoured, Drill, O-Spear @ 13pts per base (up to 36) will "steamroll" + lots of Armoured drilled average hoplites (@10 per base) too and some supporting troops

Plus points
Basic tactics, manouvreable, tough as old boots in close combat, difficult to shoot up unless it is facing longbow (not historical)
Minus points
Its slow, can be a bit narrow, no significant numbers of quality terrain troops and the supporting troops are rubbish (poor LF with javelin and cavalry with only light spear)

Spike

[Scrumpy]

I like the Fanatic Berbers, some excellent HF ( pro sup dr - os/ds sp ) which can have LF backing, some good cheap cavalry & camels or knights to aide them and some Lh to boot.

No decent MF, but some good LF to take the difficult terrasin.

[footslogger]

'Early' Later Swiss (halberdiers with some pike, not all pike) are pretty straightforward and pricey. Although if you have pike then later they can morph to armies with more flexibility, like German or Burgundian.

The problem with foot is it won't cover the table unless it is cheap, but then it is expensive in terms of figures...

Use 20 mm plastic figures on the 25 mm base sizes.

What an outstandingly bad idea?

[lawrenceg]

'Early' Later Swiss (halberdiers with some pike, not all pike) are pretty straightforward and pricey. Although if you have pike then later they can morph to armies with more flexibility, like German or Burgundian.

The problem with foot is it won't cover the table unless it is cheap, but then it is expensive in terms of figures...

Use 20 mm plastic figures on the 25 mm base sizes.

What an outstandingly bad idea?

Less figures needed to fill the table than 15 mm, figures are cheaper in money terms than metal, they are usually better physically proportioned than metal, they fit on the bases more easily than the 28 mm monstrosities that currently prevail, they are lighter and more robust.

What's bad about the idea?

[Skullzgrinda]

'Early' Later Swiss (halberdiers with some pike, not all pike) are pretty straightforward and pricey. Although if you have pike then later they can morph to armies with more flexibility, like German or Burgundian.

The problem with foot is it won't cover the table unless it is cheap, but then it is expensive in terms of figures...

Use 20 mm plastic figures on the 25 mm base sizes.

What an outstandingly bad idea?

He is looking at an economic solution. It wouldn;t be my choice either but it would be a way to save money. When people suggest plastics for ancients I always think of those awful Airfix Romans, with leather jerkins and the geometric, Egytian tomb painting style poses. Things have come a long way but since then, but I still think of plastics as sad. Purely a matter of taste though.

[footslogger]

Use 20 mm plastic figures on the 25 mm base sizes.

What an outstandingly bad idea?

Less figures needed to fill the table than 15 mm, figures are cheaper in money terms than metal, they are usually better physically proportioned than metal, they fit on the bases more easily than the 28 mm monstrosities that currently prevail, they are lighter and more robust.

What's bad about the idea?

Ugly?

Please, just don't show up at a 28mm competition with this kind of crap. What you do on your own game table is fine with me....

[paulburton]

If you think that 20mm plastics are ugly I recommend taking a look at the Caesar Miniatures output. Nice levels of detail compared to the HaT Nubians I have (I am collecting Biblicals - much cheaper than 28 mm chariot era armies). I have done the Nubians, Libyans and Sea Peoples (DBA sized armies) plus the Chariots for the Libyans, Sea Peoples and Egyptians are primed (for the last year - no painting time with a baby in the house) and the Egyptian foot are bought.

I am planning to buy a load of Aztecs or Incas next time I go to a show ready to do a Mesoamerican army.

Haven't seen any figures but the newer HaT and Zvedza have had very good reviews.

Plan is to have enough troops for a New Kingdom/Libyan Egyptian army which can convert into a campaign game on the Civilisation game board.

Yes 28mm are the Rolls Royce of figures - my GB Roman-Brits are my pride and joy. But the current crop of 20mm plastics are a welcome addition.

As for infantry steamrollers - Romans, Pikes or Armoured Spears all seem good. Heavily Armoured Knights are hard to stop unless you are Pikes. I suggest picking an army because you like it as there are counters to most troops types.