Loose Archer

[Kokor Hekkus]

Would it be reasonable that loose unprotected archers should have the option to run if charged.

[Agoz]

I think the biggest issue is that you could then use them to draw out forced charges.

[Simon Meg-Meister]

One I will stick on the consideration list.

S

[Jilu]

it was discussed a few years ago i think.
I like the idea, but would surrounding units not see this as units running away and maybe think these are routing?
it would have to be restricted to certain type of shooters, not all shooters.

Maybe it would be better to give unprotected foot shooters a sort of  fleet of foot option so they ran fall back a bit further away?

[accard]

What historical examples are there of this occurring?

[ShrubMiK]

Sounds like...skirmishers?

[daveparish]

Agree with ShrubMik. Archers who move around are represented by SUGs. I think you could make a much better case that archer TUGs are already too mobile. Is there much evidence for archers firing while steadily withdrawing (which they can with M13 moves)?

[Jilu]

okay but is there much evidence of archers staying to die quick?

[LawrenceG]

Well, here's some evidence of archers not staying to die quick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Benevento#Battle

[pynner10]

As a person who is new to both the game and this level of military history, it isn't super clear to me why one group of archers would stand and fight and others wouldn't in the same army, unless the stand and fight type also had melee training or melee equipment of some kind?

My thought would be to add an characteristic to TUGs that would allow them to not hold the line (ie run away or skirmish). I think the reduced mobility of TUGs will still give a skirmishing archer a place in an army. And you could use the characteristic the price out the usefulness of it.

[LawrenceG]

TUG archers do have  "melee training or melee equipment of some kind" sufficient to give them +2 vs SuG archers.

Just not enough to give them a + vs other TUGs.

[grahambriggs]

okay but is there much evidence of archers staying to die quick?

Marathon. Plataea.

[LawrenceG]

okay but is there much evidence of archers staying to die quick?

Marathon. Plataea.

They had close combat capabilities. Even so, when things started going badly, they didn't stick around to die, they ran away.

The difference between archers classified as TuG and archers classified as SuGs is not that SuGs can run away.

Both can run away. The difference is SuGs can come back after they have run away. TuGs just keep going.

[badhabum]

Both can run away. The difference is SuGs can come back after they have run away. TuGs just keep going.

TUGs are just broken :-)

The main problem of unprotected loose order bows is they are pretty fragile vs any shooty opponent

[LawrenceG]

The main problem of unprotected loose order bows is they are pretty fragile vs any shooty opponent

And their second problem is they are pretty fragile vs any close-combaty opponent.

Other than that, they're fine.