Rus WAB blog

[Scotty]

Reading the dulled down Byzan list their Cav are disgusting. Compard to even the Normans.

Luckily they haven't got Ferocious Charge. But they are great at hitting then getting out and hitting again.

They still lack the WHFB affect and will struggle to wipe out Infantry blocks but are still hard cav

[Jonny H]

I'm looking to change my Normans to an army from flanders. My knights lose the ferocious charge but my foot gain shieldwall.

[Scotty]

What's the interest in the Rus then Dave?

[Kiwidave]

Just extending my interest in the area back in time: I already have WW2 Eastern Front, I liked the look of the Rus list in WMA, and so it seemed a natural progression really! Also, it;s something a bit off the beaten track, and will be interesting to research. And I don't think it' s 'power' army, at least until I play it anyway. I may be proved wrong, as the general concensus on the WAB forum is that the B:BTGG book is all A lists, but I suspect that is biased towards the Byzantine and Steppe Nomad lists, as they are rather good....

[Kiwidave]

First outing last night - a bit of a disaster really! I never got to grips with Toby's infantry, and my skirmishers were fairly ineffective. My shooting and combat dice were a bit pants as well, with the only thong I was good at was leadership tests!

The list as it stands needs some tweaking, to make it more viable. I also think that the Rus would benefit from bigger games i.e. 2000 points, as 1200 doesn't give you much!

Overall though, a good learning game, and once I've read and assimilated the rules, things can only get better!

Revised list (1199 points):

Tysiatski (heavy armour, hand weapon, shield, warhorse) 149
- General, Superior Byzantine Cavalry, Drilled
Army Standard Bearer (light armour, hand weapon, shield) 129
- Superior Byzantine Cavalry, Drilled
10 Malaia Druzhina (full command; heavy armour, hand weapons, shields, thrusting spears) 315

22 Varjazi (full command; light armour, hand weapons, shields; 5 double-handed axes) 355

24 Voi (full command; hand weapons, shields (12 with thrusting spears, 12 with bows) 171

8 Slavic skirmishers (bows) 40

8 Slavic skirmishers (javelins, shields) 40

[Toby]

Thinking about the game last night bud, I think you'd have ben better served by placing your Nomad cav in the centre and using them to clear away my Skirmishers before, shooting up my infantry blocks. Obviously hindsight is a wonderful thing

[Kiwidave]

Hmmm - interesting idea! I've never really got the hang of light cav, either with my Empire Outriders or my Gobbo Wolf riders. Maybe I'm better suited to infantry armies!

[Toby]

Light cav operates differently in WAB, especially those with parthian shot and in skirmish. If you kept them out front, but with room to move back, they can easily whittle units down, should they be charged you can fire and flee to behind your units, not causing panic because your skirmished, oh and then you auto rally. The chargers will then be in range of your infantry/heavy cav for a counter charge or more harrassment form the light cav.
Your skirmishers can be used for clearing away your opponents and protecting any troops you want from shooting, mine are cheap and expendable, I assume yours are too.

[Kiwidave]

Thanks for the ideas Toby. My foot skirmishers are either 7 or 5 points each, so fairly expendable! I'll try this next game.

[Toby]

Yep, my guys are only 4pts a model and are crap, but they do the job I want 'em too