Slitherine

Mounted with Light Spear on Impact get + against any troops if no other POA. I understand this to mean that this + applies only if if the Impact POA's are equal, i.e. it's a tie breaker.

Just to check my undestanding, what all this in essence means is that this + applies only if the other side has no POA's.

Because there are no situational POA's that can apply to mounted troops in the Impact phase, it would have been clearer if it simply said that; i.e. the + applies only against troops that have no POA's.

Aren't you a better rules writer than the authors w/ your clearer text! In fact you're wrong as mounted in the open get a + against mf and lf. So mounted in the open w/ light spear will get a + against MF and LF who might have an impact PoA like light spear for example.

At impact, mounted troops could be uphill for +, or versus medium or light foot for +, or heavy/scythed chariots (with exceptions) for +, or lance/knightly lance (with exceptions) for +, or heavy weapon versus foot for +...

carlos wrote:Aren't you a better rules writer than the authors w/ your clearer text! In fact you're wrong as mounted in the open get a + against mf and lf. So mounted in the open w/ light spear will get a + against MF and LF who might have an impact PoA like light spear for example.

Ok, I stand corrected.

Thanks for the explanation.

Interestingly light spear armed cavalry are actually better off in POA terms than lancers in some situations.

Consider mounted lancers vs medium foot spear. The mounted get no POA for lance (canceled by steady spear) but do get a POA for mounted vs medium foot. The medium foot get a POA for spear. The net POA is zero.

If the mounted are light spear armed then they will have a POA advantage at impact.

Light spear is not a bad impact option, especially as troops so armed aren't shock troops.