Karl Laskas - Jan 12, 2008 8:10 pm (#5670 Total: 5671) Playing World at War: Eisenbach Gap; 1960; Battles of the Ancient World; Twentieth Maine; The Ten Thousand BSO The Ten Thousand Richard, I picked up a copy of your game, The Ten Thousand, and enjoyed it. Nicely done. I have a question, though. The rules suggest that the chariot was an outdated weapon system, but I found a very effective use for them in play. I am wondering if the following effect is intentional, or if I missed some important rule. As Ataxerxes, position the chariots opposite the Spartans. Advance with them into missile range and fire. If the Spartans come out to attack, use the retreat before combat ability to escape. Annd if the Spartans don't attack, whittle them down with missile fire. Is there any rule I missed that makes this tactic impossible? If not, is there any riposte that defeats this tactic? Richard H. Berg - Jan 13, 2008 7:13 am (#5671 Total: 5671) A "veritable foodie with proven tasting credentials" who says he'll try to be nicer, if you try to be smarter. >"As Ataxerxes, position the chariots opposite the Spartans. Advance with them into missile range and fire. If the Spartans come out to attack, use the retreat before combat ability to escape. And if the Spartans don't attack, whittle them down with missile fire. Is there any rule I missed that makes this tactic impossible? If not, is there any riposte that defeats this tactic?" You're using chariots the way they were used 1000 years before this battle . . . the best use possible for this weapons system: mobile archers. Not sure whether Artaxerxes envisioned their use that way in this battle . . . and had Cyrus had sufficient light cavalry he would easily have neutralized the chariots (as eventually happened historically lo those many years ago). But, historically, the use of archers against heavily-armoured hoplites was not that effective, so i suggest you apply a -2 Armor Protection Rating against Fire for the Hoplites. In addition, allow light cavalry to attack/shock chariots with a +1 DRM . . . and, while we're adjusting, change the Shock DRM chart to indicate Heavy Cavalry attacjking Chariots do so with a DRM of +2, not -2. And wait for the detailed chariots rules in CHARIOTS OF FIRE . . . RHB