Slitherine

Are these guys worth it in a small army of 650pts? If so, how big should the BGs be? I'm assuming 12s with a general.

Also, how many BGs of Poor pike is the minimum to make them any use on the table? If they are in 12s would the 2 BGs allowable be enough? I'm keeping in mind here that whilst one general can accompany a Poor pike BG to soup it up to Average, at least one BG will be on its own so staying as Poor.

Even Poor pike seem to have more punch than the only viable alternative of Average Imitation Romans who are not Skiiled Swordsmen and are only Protected. (Actually a lot of these guys were ex Roman slaves, freed from chain gangs on Roman estates, they really HATED the Romans and performed quite well on the battlefield before superior Roman arms and training finally told).

Any opinions chaps?

I can recall a long time ago someone giving the opinion that poor pike in 10s was a good bet, 5 bases deep. I guess like a 12, they need to lose 4 bases to autobreak and you can maintain their fighting formation with losses from the 5th rank, so you save a few points? I think in a Pontic force these might be just as or more cost effective than the imitation legionaries.

Martin

Well as I've always gone for 3 x 8 base Bgs of Average pikemen in the Ponbics, including at 650, my answer would be take them as Average

If you use them, put them in more than 8s. 12s sounds good so the general can make them brave. Or 10s deployed 2 files wide might be tough. It does kind of depend what's going to be next to them though - you really don't want them overlapped as overlap=CHT=problem for poor troops.