Slitherine

Playing with 11th century armies and trying out FoG we're debating what troops, if any, should qualify as drilled. For instance, would King Harold's (Anglo-Danish) household huscarles qualify? The evidence that I've seen that would suggest that they might. Permanent standing troops that were capable of battlefield manuveur. Equally, from what I've read, Norman milites would have been in constant personal and unit training during this period. On the otherhand, there seems to be a general disposition in the hobby to grade all Dark Age armies as untrained.

Any thoughts?

MarcusBrutus wrote:Playing with 11th century armies and trying out FoG we're debating what troops, if any, should qualify as drilled. For instance, would King Harold's (Anglo-Danish) household huscarles qualify? The evidence that I've seen that would suggest that they might. Permanent standing troops that were capable of battlefield manuveur. Equally, from what I've read, Norman milites would have been in constant personal and unit training during this period.

All the above will be Undrilled in the forthcoming army list book covering the period.

If even Harold's huscarls are Undrilled, then I'm guessing that Drilled status is a matter of doctrine as well as training. That is, troops don't get to be Drilled in FoG unless they trained as units and actually executed complex maneuvers in battle. Is that correct?

rtaylor wrote:If even Harold's huscarls are Undrilled, then I'm guessing that Drilled status is a matter of doctrine as well as training. That is, troops don't get to be Drilled in FoG unless they trained as units and actually executed complex maneuvers in battle. Is that correct?

Based on past comments by the authors, I would say that is correct.

Cheers,
Scott

rtaylor wrote:If even Harold's huscarls are Undrilled, then I'm guessing that Drilled status is a matter of doctrine as well as training. That is, troops don't get to be Drilled in FoG unless they trained as units and actually executed complex maneuvers in battle. Is that correct?

The only effect of Drilled status under the rules is to allow the execution of complex manoeuvres in battle, so yes.

The superior fighting skills and cohesion of huscarls is reflected by their having Superior quality status.

Am I to assume Scott that the Varangian Guard will be rated as undrilled as well? And may I inquire about the future status of Byzantine infantry of the 11th century with regards to drilled/undrilled.

MarcusBrutus wrote:Am I to assume Scott that the Varangian Guard will be rated as undrilled as well? And may I inquire about the future status of Byzantine infantry of the 11th century with regards to drilled/undrilled.

The Varangian guard are drilled, as as Byzantine infantry, though some may be Poor.