Slitherine

First battle with 5.01 - using Parthian against Late Republican Roman. Unfortunately we were only able to play a handful of bounds but the following points came up:
1. No Parthian shot. A tragedy this for me as the Parthian! I presume it has been considered and rejected but I wonder why as it seems to have been a significant feature of horse archer activity. Or I have failed to work out how to do it!
2. Otherwise the behaviour of the horse archers appeared to be good. Legionnaries not much troubled, support infantry and Roman cavalry much more vulnerable. It felt good.
3. Cataphracts briefly in action against Roman cavalry. The Romans definately struggling. Again a reasonable exchange without the effect of freak dice throws.
4. Charge and evade was working well (except the lack of parthian shot boo hoo) with one bg of Romans catching a bg of horse archers (throwing 6 to horse archers 1). Was I right in turning just the rear rank to fight?

We'll try this again when we hopefully will be able to finish the battle. The non finish was not caused by slowness of the rules but by external factors.

abivor wrote: 1. No Parthian shot.

Not entirely true. We do allow LH to shoot backwards. We chose not to allow it during an evade because of the extra complication of the rules and the unlikeliness that it would achieve enough hits to have any effect.

Thanks Richard - in the heat of battle last night that one escaped me! Having now mulled over my Horlicks for a while I can see it as a deliberate move away from the enemy rather than a frantic scramble to avoid unwanted intimacy with them! Having argued for the Parthian shot I'm now going to wonder if it could be used by LH with any weapon other than bow. Was it feasible for a mounted crossbowman or handgunner etc to use missiles effectively in that way?

abivor wrote:Thanks Richard - in the heat of battle last night that one escaped me! Having now mulled over my Horlicks for a while I can see it as a deliberate move away from the enemy rather than a frantic scramble to avoid unwanted intimacy with them! Having argued for the Parthian shot I'm now going to wonder if it could be used by LH with any weapon other than bow. Was it feasible for a mounted crossbowman or handgunner etc to use missiles effectively in that way?

Good point. I would think not.

rbodleyscott wrote:

abivor wrote:Thanks Richard - in the heat of battle last night that one escaped me! Having now mulled over my Horlicks for a while I can see it as a deliberate move away from the enemy rather than a frantic scramble to avoid unwanted intimacy with them! Having argued for the Parthian shot I'm now going to wonder if it could be used by LH with any weapon other than bow. Was it feasible for a mounted crossbowman or handgunner etc to use missiles effectively in that way?

Good point. I would think not.

Really? I'd have thought it would be easier! Aiming a gun/crossbow and pulling the trigger has got to be easier than making a draw of a bow with the body twisted round. Being an archer myself, it's not something I'd want to try!

However, the "Parthian shot" does seem to have only been used by horse archers - possibly becuase they were in the saddle from a very early age whereas those who used crossbows from horseback were not such natural horsemen.

As for handguns that would be a nightmare before the adoption of the wheel lock mechanism I would think.

Yeah, I guess I was thinking more of a Glock 9mm than the stuff with powder and rattly pipes.

I'm not aware of any art or descriptions of non horse archer Parthian shots - but others may know of oodles of stuff that I know not of. As the rules stand all light horse and light chariots can shoot backwards. Crossbows, handguns, javelins or whatever. It wouldn't I imagine be a big change to limit it to bow - or would it? What do you think chaps?

abivor wrote:I'm not aware of any art or descriptions of non horse archer Parthian shots - but others may know of oodles of stuff that I know not of. As the rules stand all light horse and light chariots can shoot backwards. Crossbows, handguns, javelins or whatever. It wouldn't I imagine be a big change to limit it to bow - or would it? What do you think chaps?

No doubt about it. You are right. this needs to be done.