Slitherine

Hi there.

New FoG player here, I have a ton of Steppe type horsemen lying around who have been gathering dust during the DBM LH/Cv drought. Now that there is finally an opportunity to ride the steppes again I am stuck on which army to pick. Mongol Conquest, Mongol Invasion, Later Horse Nomad or Tartar? Which is better and how would you guys advise I structure the list?

Thanks

lonehorseman wrote:Hi there.

New FoG player here, I have a ton of Steppe type horsemen lying around who have been gathering dust during the DBM LH/Cv drought. Now that there is finally an opportunity to ride the steppes again I am stuck on which army to pick. Mongol Conquest, Mongol Invasion, Later Horse Nomad or Tartar? Which is better and how would you guys advise I structure the list?

Thanks

Paint them all and play them all I say. Fig will mix for any of these.

As a general principle many say any army with a single BG of heavily armoured knights is always better.
Alternatively a bG or two of elephants (timurid) is a cheaper option and then you have a frontal answer to lancer cav and knights.

Any shooty mounted army can always use a cheap BG of 4 firearm troops as well (timurids again?).

Any army that can get steppe is also handy although you might find you like to go 2nd anyway

Drilled cavalry is more forgiving but expensive so perhaps a mix of half/half with the drilled guys armoured and the undrilled one loitering in line formation so they can evade.

I'd suggest starting with one of the ones that has steppes as a terrain option as you want to learn how shooting in the open can work. I'd also start off with straight cavalry and light horse as your troop types for the same reason. Drilled cavalry is very much worth the extra cost (LH don't care about drilled).

Expect your first half dozen games to be a somewhat frustrating period of flicking through the book to find the right rule but bear with it!

thanks guys

don't forget Yuan Chinese,

azrael86 wrote:don't forget Yuan Chinese,

Very different. They have foot support.

Bleh...foot, why would anyone want plodders in their army

lonehorseman wrote:Hi there.

New FoG player here, I have a ton of Steppe type horsemen lying around who have been gathering dust during the DBM LH/Cv drought. Now that there is finally an opportunity to ride the steppes again I am stuck on which army to pick. Mongol Conquest, Mongol Invasion, Later Horse Nomad or Tartar? Which is better and how would you guys advise I structure the list?

Thanks

I like you started my FOG playing days by taking a mongol army so heres a few tips that i picked up.

The choice between the Conquest and the Invasion is down to the enemies you will face one being Eastern and one Western ie Cats/Medium foot or Knights/Heavy foot.

Right some people say losing the PBI is better so you move first I'm not to sure about this. By wining you get to pick Steppes which most Infantry armies are not to Keen on.

So command structure take IC and 3 TC's
4 x BGs of Armoured Drilled Bow/Sword Superior
7 x BGs of Unprotected Light Horse Bow/Sword Average
1 x Unfortified Camp

Take the LH as average cause your IC will give a plus +2 against shooting taking them superior would be great but the points are too much.

The army is small but highly mobile, its hard for the enemy to pin you down unless they are also using a Steppe army.

With this army cause your dependent on shooting to win the game you must have paticence, get up close to the enemy and get as many bounds of shooting in don't feel you must charge with your Cavalry till you have at least disrupted the enemy.

As to tactics Place place a couble of BG of LH right up to the table edge one flank in from them place all the Armoured Cavalry and place the remainder of the LH to skirmish the middle and far flank of the enemy. Push the LH right down the table edge get behind the enemies flank push forward the Armored Cavalry and overwhlm hopefully the enemy flank. The factor of winning with any Steppe army is to take your time don't worry about getting pushed back there have been times i have had to wait till i was 6 to 8 inchs from my base line before the breakthrough occoured.

thanks a ton. I was playing some games with Mongols last night and won against the HYW English (he got 1 AP and I got 15, how does one score that?) , I went with

1xIC, 2x FC
3x Cv/Arm/Drilled/Sup/Bow/Sword
8x LH/Unprotected/Drilled/Sup/Bow/Sword
Unfortified Camp

I preffer the LH as Superior, I really think the re-rolls help a lot and I have'nt needed more than 3 Cv yet. That said, I am new to the game so I will give your list a try.

lonehorseman wrote:thanks a ton. I was playing some games with Mongols last night and won against the HYW English (he got 1 AP and I got 15, how does one score that?) , I went with

1xIC, 2x FC
3x Cv/Arm/Drilled/Sup/Bow/Sword
8x LH/Unprotected/Drilled/Sup/Bow/Sword
Unfortified Camp

I preffer the LH as Superior, I really think the re-rolls help a lot and I have'nt needed more than 3 Cv yet. That said, I am new to the game so I will give your list a try.

It all depends on how many BGs your opponent had.

Superior is fine but in your taking then as such drop the IC to a TC it'll give you more points to use

lonehorseman wrote:thanks a ton. I was playing some games with Mongols last night and won against the HYW English (he got 1 AP and I got 15, how does one score that?) , I went with

1xIC, 2x FC
3x Cv/Arm/Drilled/Sup/Bow/Sword
8x LH/Unprotected/Drilled/Sup/Bow/Sword
Unfortified Camp

I preffer the LH as Superior, I really think the re-rolls help a lot and I have'nt needed more than 3 Cv yet. That said, I am new to the game so I will give your list a try.

I have not run superior LH yet, but the average will indeed let you down over and over. I think the average LH are fine as skirmisher auxillaries, but if they are the backbone of your army you must win the shootouts, the cohesion tests or both.

All too often the average lose both.

Skullzgrinda wrote:I have not run superior LH yet, but the average will indeed let you down over and over. I think the average LH are fine as skirmisher auxillaries, but if they are the backbone of your army you must win the shootouts, the cohesion tests or both.

All too often the average lose both.

True, but the point is that it doesn't matter, because if LH drop a cohesion level you can easily pull them back out of range until they have been bolstered.

This is the main reason why many people prefer Average to Superior LH for Mongols. It is very much a matter of choice however, there is no overwhelmingly best option.

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The other thing which I don't think has been stated above is that it is important to concentrate your shooting on a few enemy BGs. You won't achieve much by shooting 1 BG on 1 BG all across the battlefield.

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And don't worry about trying to get Steppe terrain. You don't need it.

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And don't be afraid to send a flank march. Your LH can keep the enemy occupied until the flank march arrives. But don't send LH on a flank march, send Cavalry. LH cannot do much to the enemy even if they arrive behind his flank.