English Archery Unit Size

[AustinS]

Hi all,

First time player here (never played a game, just painting up for the moment). I am really excited and trying to recreate the Lancastrian Wars of King Henry V (thank you Shakespeare). I have the updated rules and the HYW supplement. Looking at the Late Chevauchee army list something struck me and I just need to get clarification before I start basing and start making mistakes. The English Archery ability dictates that an English Longbow unit must contain at least 8 bases/stands, two rows deep. Cross referencing the base swordpoint rules it states that foot skirmishers must have a base of 80mm x 40mm....... so what I gather from this is that a minnimum size unit of Longbows with the English Archery Keyword would be 320 mm x 80 mm? That is a very very large presence on the board. It almost seems unreal. With stakes I am sure it looks even more magnificent. Considering there would be several of these unites in an English army the board will have to be wide to accomodate those common troops and then the uncommon troops. Again, I know I am complaining but it just seems very impressive for a 28 mm figure game. I am more used to playing 15mm to 20mm games.

For a 1v1 game this may not seem all that weird but I want to introduce Swordpoint to my friday game group that typically plays 5v5 (1500 point Might of Arms games). I still want to bring more people to the game and so will trudge on, but before I start buying new bases, is my comprehension of the rules above correct? Judging by pictures of painted armies in the suppliment it is hard to determine if the are 80 mm x 40mm so I just want to be sure.

All the best,

AustinS

[MartinG]

The archers will not usually be skirmishers so should be on 40mm x 40mm bases; a unit of 8 bases will therefore be 160mm x 80mm, much more manageable!

[AustinS]

Thank you for that clarification, I was starting to get confused.

Looking into the other lists in the supplement such as the Scotts Common Army on page 25, it adds the skirmisher keyword for archers in the description below it. Whereas the english longows do not have the skirmisher keyword but are considered formed infantry in open order. Hence, as you mentioned the 40 mm x 40 mm base.

I think I understand it better now. Of course if anything I mentioned above is incorrect please let me know.

Thank you again.

[Wayne Richards]

HI Austin - all infantry in any list are considered to be "Close Order" unless their description lists them as being "open order" or "Skirmishers".

Regarding the special rule "English Archery" in the HYW supplement, this only applies to formed troops and not skirmishers. Likewise the special rules should only be used within the supplement.

Cheers W.

[AustinS]

Hi Wayne,

Thank you for defining those special rules and close/open order parameters. The difference between ordered infantry and skirmishers was an initial confusion I just took for granted as whenever you think of a skirmisher you think of a guy with a Sling a javelin or a bow. I think I have been playing to many ancient oriented games and the consistency of that eras unit designations are stuck in my head. Moving into Medieval times, the terms and unit roles has been very new to me. But it is starting to make more sense as even archers brought swords and spears and for the English as I am now discovering used them as infantry from time to time when the action got close and heated. Fascinating dynamic that I thought I initially understood, these rules are really surprising me for how in depth they are. A tangent I know, but a thankful one.

-Austin-