Skirmisher issues

[furstyferret]

Hi folks,

A friend and I are new to WMA and played our first game the other night. He used Carthaginians and I used Britons. As such, we both has a mix of infantry, skirmishers and mounted skirmishers.

During the game our foot skirmishers met in the middle of the table and mine came off worse, taking enough damage to render them pretty ineffectual for the remainder of the game. What we noticed though was that my opponent’s skirmishers were able to stall my infantry for the remainder of the game while his infantry wandered off in another direction. Every time I charged, he evaded, meaning I could only advance about 10cm a turn. I was also able to do the same against his heavy cavalry. He would charge my mounted skirmishers and I would evade, meaning he could only advance very short distances.

From what we could tell, we were playing the skirmisher update rules correctly, but they just seemed to prevent an actual battle from taking place, resulting in a pretty boring game. Does anyone have any thoughts on how we can do things differently?

Craig

[Edmund2011]

In my games that has not happened so much as skirmishers usually are not a big part of the armies compared to core units. How many points and sk units you were playing?

What you describe can happen, causing trouble to advance non-sk units. Try to do two charges in the same turn so they can not evade, or use missile to disrupt them. Or directly advance through another part of the field, if possible.

Try to play more than one game between the armies, as some times the "sk vs sk battle" can lead to different game situations non boring.

The sk rules updates you are using are these, right?:

http://wm-selector.appspot.com/resources/WarmasterAncientsUpdate28.pdf

[jchaos79]

Skirmishers should confront skirmishers, usually as a change of volleys or sk charges to clean each others during the main body of the army take positions in the firsts turns of the battle.

If an army run of skirmishers and the other still have a significative number of skirmishers they could take advantage to them (to disrupt movement not to win the battle eliminating the enemy)

The idea of skirmishers is bother the movement of the enemy. They are not intended to harm the enemy.

The best way of hitting skirmisher is with skirmish cavalry. Or attacking with a skirmish, in the same turn as enemy is fixed fighting with your skirmish you can charge with a regular unit to destroy the skirmish.

Edmund ask and interesting question: How many points and sk units you were playing?

What I didn not try is fighting with/Agianst skirmishers armies.

[furstyferret]

Thanks for the replies.

It was possibly a rare situation where his skirmishers came off significantly better but he wasn't prepared to commit his infantry that led to our experience.

We were using the correct update and the role for skirmishers. The game was around 1250 points, we both had 6 units of skirmishers, I had 5 cav skirmishers and 2 chariots, he had 5 Numidians.

I'm glad it's not a problem others are experiencing as I'd like to keep playing these rules.

[jchaos79]

Let us know about your games and experience with sk, even some shots would be great for the pleasure of seeing your army!

[Jyornan]

You can make a brigade of three core units and one skirmish unit.  Charge with the skirmishers first and lock the enemy in combat. Since skirmishers cannot evade skirmishers of the same troop type. Then massacre them.

Works well for Romans fighting against  Celtiberians etc.





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