by Bushi » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:51 pm
I think that it is a bit complex and very impractical. You are combining several different tactics in fashions not suited for them.
1) Your chargers' weapons consisting of javalins and Great greatswords would be hard pressed to make an effective launch with the javalin, then manuever the greatsword into position, and try to inflict casualties instead of being giant meat shields, all the while in large, bulky clothing that could hinder their range of movements.
2) The shield wall has 20 people, in 2x10 or 4x5, or 1x20.
1x20) Your line is too thin to overrun your opponents after your shocktroopers have hopefully dissassembled their line
2x10) This is a little better, you have some depth, and certain blue swords could reach infront of the front rank with some positioning, but you would lose that when you engage the enemy
4x5) Your troops are not carring spears or pikes of any kind that you have stated, so your back two ranks are idle, waiting to be flanked, and then the shieldwall is neutralized due to the tiny front
3) Your phalanx is a 3x3 block, too tiny. The phalanx is a supporting charger, wrong. a phalanx's best job in this environment should be to maintain a kill zone for your troops, then supported by skirmishers and ranged combat. The phalanx will be overwhelmed by the lack of man power when it is flanked.
4) Your elite units in the rear are sitting on their hands until the shield wall is breached, destroyed, flanked, or otherwise neutralized. if they support the phalanx, they will be quickly encircled as they try to pass through the enemy lines. give them bows to fire while they are advancing, or javalins to support the strikers.
if anything do this
E - elite
P - phalanx
S - strikers (point men)
W- shield wall
F - foe
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
SSSSSSS
SSS
WWWW EEEE EEEE WWWW
W P P P P P W
P P P P
Yay for my artistic talent...
Now, i have tried not to change your units much, but have the shields cover the sides, bent in a little perhaps, and the elite units forward of the walls and phalanx. Give your troops range capability of some kind, all of the troops, and if you still want the strikers to move in to break a line, follow a couple yards behind the strikers, and volley i guess javalins so that you arent carrying around extra weight, and then follow up a few seconds after the strikers hit. this way, you are providing support for the strikers, and you are detering your opponents from encircling the strikers. Against other spiky opponents, train your strikers to split in half, and encircle the opponent, and then volley your main force's javalins into the heart of your opponent.
By the way, all of this is pure conjecture. I am a strategist by trade, and a novice to this style of combat like you are, so take all of this with a grain of salt if you have the patience to read it.
The future is all around us, waiting in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of the future, or where it will take us. We know it is always born in pain.