Slitherine

Ok I dont understand the use of these troops (one equipeted with offensive spear) or at least the MF option if i go with the heavy foot option they work like hoplites right? but why would any one take them in the medium foot option what situation would that bennificial ? am i missing something? Patrick

pyrrhus wrote:Ok I dont understand the use of these troops (one equipeted with offensive spear) or at least the MF option if i go with the heavy foot option they work like hoplites right? but why would any one take them in the medium foot option what situation would that bennificial ? am i missing something? Patrick

Mark Sieber and I discussed thureophoroi at length recently regarding their basing, what historical reasons might apply for choosing MF over HF, and the game benefits.

Game wise thureophoroi based as MF move faster, and more importantly, are only disordered by difficult terrain. Thus they remain steady, denying sword bonus to enemy troops they face in close combat such as Roman legionaries or Gallic warbands. MF thureophoroi can move quickly into uneven and rough terrain, and could be used in reserve behind the main battle. With an attached commander, if they remain more then 6 MUs beyond the enemy they would have a second move which would allow them to move 8 MUs each turn, in effect fast marching to a flank to meet a threat or create one.

Cheers,

Dale

They are just spearmen that move faster but are not disordered by rough terrain. Whole armies are based off of MF Spear like welsh and early pictish

They are well hard in rough terrain

... and (as I have found out with MF hypaspists) they are not that bad in the open either.
Unlike others, MF with offensive spear are not "lance bait" when in the open. They still negate many of the enemy +s.
Compare also MF with heavy weapon, who are still killer in the rough, but have a quite a few things to fear in the open.

pezhetairoi wrote:... and (as I have found out with MF hypaspists) they are not that bad in the open either.
Unlike others, MF with offensive spear are not "lance bait" when in the open. They still negate many of the enemy +s.
Compare also MF with heavy weapon, who are still killer in the rough, but have a quite a few things to fear in the open.

Being drilled never hurts either

Dale

They are great at hammering into LF and beating seven shades out of them.

Especially when you roll a 6 and your opponent rolls a 1 when you work out random movement in a charge.

Scrumpy wrote:They are great at hammering into LF and beating seven shades out of them.

Especially when you roll a 6 and your opponent rolls a 1 when you work out random movement in a charge.

let's not forget hammering other MF in the rough. i try to always take a unit of MF O.Spear if i can.

I´d only use non-shooting MF if they were drilled. Forget about Off spear. That´s a good point, but the key is DRILLED. They´re use is to get tactical superiority, maneuvering better and faster than undrilled MF or HF.

daleivan wrote:
Game wise thureophoroi based as MF move faster, and more importantly, are only disordered by difficult terrain. Thus they remain steady,

Disordered troops are not steady IIRC.

nikgaukroger wrote:[

Disordered troops are not steady IIRC.

You do recall correctly (page 133)-- I failed to communicate clearly

I meant to write since MF are only disordered in difficult, they remain steady in uneven and rough. I found this out a while back while thinking through the ways my Late Republican Romans could use terrain to their advantage against pikes

Cheers,

Dale