Mixed formations

[Godwin]

I was just reading through some old posts ,very old posts, and read that "the first rank of archers fire at full effect in a mixed formation." I had often wondered how you worked it out in an Assyrian/Babolonian army the mixed spear/archer units. As I understand this in a four rank 24-man unit the first two ranks will be your spearmen and the last two the archers and as long as you remain stationary your archers would get nine shots. Please advise if I am right or wrong in my interpretation and if this is incorrect how would you work the spear/archer unit effectivley. Thanks in advance.

[Tommy]

With the Assyrians the Archers can only fire over the first rank of spearmen.

With WAb 2 adding close order bonus the Assyrians now have +2 CR when in two ranks so I woul;d advise fielding your units as 20s in two ranks of 10. Otherwise use the massed archery rules.

[Godwin]

I have never been able to make any sense as to the mixed spear/archer formation for the Assyrians. It seems very ineffective and ineffeciant, one rank of spears and then two ranks of archers and then another rank of spearmen who are basically usless in that position. When facing an enemy formation that moves into charge range do you shoot at them or take the turn re-organize your formation and move the rear rank spearman forward? If you don't then you will fight in one rank only and if you would happen to survive that combat and the spear and shield armed casualties are removed then i suppose they would be filled by the 2nd rank archers who would be fighting shieldless and still only in one rank while the 4th rank spearmen are again usless except for rank bonus. I must be missing something here in my interpretation. As I have mentioned before where I live there are no wargame clubs within like 200 miles that I know of and the only information I get is basically off this forum which I am immensly greatful for. It would seem that perhaps the best formations would be either the four ranks with the archers in the last two ranks using massed archery so six shots per turn or the two rank formation which still seems very vulnerable to me, having only one rank in close combat.

[Axebreaker]

With the Assyrians the Archers can only fire over the first rank of spearmen.

With WAb 2 adding close order bonus the Assyrians now have +2 CR when in two ranks so I woul;d advise fielding your units as 20s in two ranks of 10. Otherwise use the massed archery rules.

Tommy's correct and his advice holds true if you use the Assyrian rule,but I would advise within your club to use the massed archery rule instead with the understanding the supplement is perhaps a little dated as he also suggested.

Christopher