Slitherine

I'm building a Classical Indian army and can't decide whether to go with light or heavy chariots. I'm going with the undrilled version, so I'm going to be pretty cumbersome. The Heavies provide a good shock element to the army, but the lights provide some desperately needed mobility to protect flanks, plus they are a bit cheaper.

gozerius wrote:I'm building a Classical Indian army and can't decide whether to go with light or heavy chariots. I'm going with the undrilled version, so I'm going to be pretty cumbersome. The Heavies provide a good shock element to the army, but the lights provide some desperately needed mobility to protect flanks, plus they are a bit cheaper.

What I would do is keep the heavies and use the LH and LF as flankers, just a thought I must say your being brave doing an indian army. How many Elephants are you going to use.
Dave

the LH and LF

What LH and LF?

I think I am favoring Heavy chariots. They can hold off of a lot.

I am playing with a list of 10 elephants. You need as many as you can get i think.

At 650 pts, 6 heffalumps, at 800, 12 heffalumps.
1 IC, 2 TC
4 BG - 6 MF Undrilled, Unprotected, Average, Bow, Swordsman
2 BG - 6 MF Undrilled, Protected, Average, LSpear, Swordsman
3 (@650) or 6 (@800) BG - 2 Elephant, Undrilled, Average
1 BG - 4 Cav Undrilled, Unprotected, Average, LSpear
1 BG - 6 LF Undrilled, Unprotected, Average, Bow
1 BG - 4 HCh, Undrilled, Superior, Bow

The MF archers deploy with the IC in a line with 1 or 2 BG of heffalumps between each BG. The MF LSp/Sw deploy in a support position behind the main line. The Cav with a TC supports one flank, the Chariots with a TC cover the other, the LF try to support the chariots. Then we die like dogs.
There is no good reason to pay for armor for the cav. They are there to try to chase off LH or LF. In a fight vs real cav they are going to be totally overmatched anyway, so why waste the points.

Elephant BGs are best brigaded in pairs. As a default formation, subject to changes as needed, I suggest a brigade at each end of the archer line, with a BG of Elephants in the middle (5 BGs in all). Heavy chariots covering the Elephants at one end, one MF on the other. The other MF and Cav can go behind the center. If I could bear to give up the chariots I would take more Elephants.

I was severely hurt by having Undrilled archers once since they failed wheels and turns and got shot up and flank charged. Mauryas with Drilled troops works better but it squeezes points.

I took the Cavalry as Poor to save points and they nonetheless got in some good charges, including flank charges on pursuers, but Average would make them more useful for rear support and more serviceable otherwise.

philqw78 wrote:

the LH and LF

What LH and LF?

Page 34 bottom of page
Forst tribesmen LF Bow up to six bases
Horse archers only from 179BC Bow swordsmen up to four bases

david53 wrote:

philqw78 wrote:

the LH and LF

What LH and LF?

LF Bow up to six bases
Horse archers only from 179BC Bow swordsmen up to four bases

Exactly. Too few to be able to clear other LH/LF or hold/slow flanks. They would just be picked on by other Lights who would see them as easy AP.

the LH have swords so that gives them an advantage, I have found bows effective at getting rid of lights since they are almost impossible to charge and contact let alone hold them down until something else can help to eliminate them. Lights are the greatest pain in the butt in the rule system, or so I have found anyway. LIght horse archers are good run up shoot and flee troops. I say grab them while you can.