Hordes variant

This variant idea is mainly directed at DK because he mentioned that when he fields an army that has hordes he deploys all the hordes he can get. (Sort of a voluntary handicap?) I wondered what he (and the DBA community) thinks of counting points as a variant. Any normal element is 2 but a horde is 1. So the number of hordes permitted is doubled. In terms of historicity I like the idea because horde-class foot generally did clutter up the battlefield. But then you'd probably have to tack on other HOTT-style rules such as buying in more hordes...

Originally Posted by Ecdicius

Any normal element is 2 but a horde is 1. So the number of hordes permitted is doubled. In terms of historicity I like the idea because horde-class foot generally did clutter up the battlefield. But then you'd probably have to tack on other HOTT-style rules...

You may need to consider adding this corrolary to your house-rule: Destroyed Horde elements count only as 1/2 element lost. Otherwise, your games might devolve into turkey-shoots on Hordes.

Originally Posted by Ecdicius

This variant idea is mainly directed at DK because he mentioned that when he fields an army that has hordes he deploys all the hordes he can get. (Sort of a voluntary handicap?) I wondered what he (and the DBA community) thinks of counting points as a variant. Any normal element is 2 but a horde is 1. So the number of hordes permitted is doubled. In terms of historicity I like the idea because horde-class foot generally did clutter up the battlefield. But then you'd probably have to tack on other HOTT-style rules such as buying in more hordes...

Interesting, but if I was going to do that I'd also reduce their combat factors to +2 vs. foot, take away their impetuous nature, and make them recoil. Something like that. Plus what Paul said -- have them count as 1/2 element for victory.

Originally Posted by Paul A. Hannah

You may need to consider adding this corrolary to your house-rule: Destroyed Horde elements count only as 1/2 element lost. Otherwise, your games might devolve into turkey-shoots on Hordes.

Of course, against a knight-heavy army it'll be a turkey shoot on the hordes anyway, but at least at a 1/2 element each the game will last longer.

Have to admit that I think one of the strengths of DBA is that it doesn't have a points system. If I really wanted one I would be more drawn to DBMM100 or DBM100.

In an Italian tournement on middle ages we tried the following house rule for hordes:

1. hordes are not destroyed if beaten by shooting
2. +3 combat factor against mounted

I did not play in it, so cannot comment if that was effective. Anyhow a player with Communal Italian (2 Hd) placed second in a torunement dominated by Medieval German and Polish (0 Hd).

My personally preferred house rule for Hd would be to replace all destroyed if beaten results by recoils. The idea is that Hd represent a lot of troups... after you have destroyed the one in front you have to destroy also the ones behind and that takes time. So a Knight stand may need a while before doubling the Hd.

That's very radical, but it worked well in the few games I tried: Hd do what they are expected to do: occupy space. And Kn prefers to fight against other nobles than against the poor countrymen against which there is no glory to gain.

Attilio

I have run some Mongol/Tamerlane era campaigns where each winner of a battle is given an additinal horde for his horde total. loss of hordes do not count as lost elements. Players are encouraged to put their captive hordes out front to absorb the brunt of the enemy horse. -paul

How about: you can afford to lose one extra element before reaching breakpoint for each surviving horde.

OR

What if hordes could not be flanked or overlapped. This would represent their massive numbers.

I say this because hordes were usually horded. They were protected and used to swell the numbers, but not expected to contribute on the battlfield.