2026 Proposed Amendment - #4.5 - Foot Long Spear

[SteveO]

Should medieval spear armed troops (that are currently classed as Long Spear)  be so much more effective against CL/DC mounted in impact than other similarly armed troops from an earlier period? Both spear and PA are still pretty decent vs such mounted.

I would add that I remain sceptical that a densely packed medieval warband fighting with 'short' spears is better able to cancel mounted charge claims than a densely packed phalanx fighting with 'long' spears.

[Munster]

I see this as beginning to break the rules into different periods that are not compatible with each other, much like the issues with ReG. The rules as they stand play fairly well with armies from 5000 BCE to 1600 CE with no major issues, precisely because we don't fuss whether or not a spear used in 3000 BCE is different from one in 1500 CE, and assume that the soldier would use them appropriately.

If we go down this path, then I fear you will further splinter the player group, and others may move back to rules where they don't have to worry too much what army their friend brings, they can still have a game.

ReG has struggled to take off here in Australia, precisely because the forces between books are not really compatible with playing against each other.

[nikgaukroger]

A fair point on periodisation. However, I don't believe this is the start of a process to introduce more such classifications; we've (authors) certainly not discussed any that I can recall.

[Munster]

A fair point on periodisation. However, I don't believe this is the start of a process to introduce more such classifications; we've (authors) certainly not discussed any that I can recall.

It may not be deliberate, but it is the outcome of the proposals when taken as a whole.

The rules as they stand work well across periods. They effectively assume that the troops have agency, and will use their weapons (spear/bow/horse etc) as effectively as that weapon can be used against any opponent. Thus hoplites can effectively fight against heavy cavalry (which they never historically had the opportunity to do so) as effectively as a professional spearman in the middle ages, this means that I can fight across periods.

What you are proposing breaks this (similarly with some of the other changes). Whilst you may fix a perceived problem (hoplites should not be an anti-cavalry weapon) you will create other problems and risk breaking the game

If you want such a major change (and some of these are quite major not clarifications) I would suggest playtesting a full V2.0 recognising that V1.x works pretty well, and that tinkering will never satisfy everyone and constant tinkering may drive away your player base.

[LawrenceG]

Should medieval spear armed troops (that are currently classed as Long Spear)  be so much more effective against CL/DC mounted in impact than other similarly armed troops from an earlier period? Both spear and PA are still pretty decent vs such mounted.

I would add that I remain sceptical that a densely packed medieval warband fighting with 'short' spears is better able to cancel mounted charge claims than a densely packed phalanx fighting with 'long' spears.

I think most medieval infantry with a spear is classified as "short Spear" possibly with shieldwall. Not many are long spear, at least in the lists I've looked at with a view to using.

[Rino]

Hi,

Does this amendments on long spear applies as well on mounted long spear?

Has the budget for mounted long spear be revised accordingly?

Thx for the confirmation Nik and Richard

[lionheartrjc]

Hi,

Does this amendments on long spear applies as well on mounted long spear?

Has the budget for mounted long spear be revised accordingly?

Thx for the confirmation Nik and Richard

No it doesn't appy to mounted long spear - no changes have been applied to mounted long spear.