I was just reading over your DBx article in PA 101. Interesting that you are the author also the writer of the ed notes? A split personality:) Anyway, I am not good with numbers so did not follow the whole piece, but did wonder about the quote below re. DBA: "A band of Mad Wends charges a stand of English longbows (though I miss the advantage of longbows over other bows in DBA): The move is the same as bow range so the fire occurs when the two sides are adjacent, but with no negative effect on the firer." I think you might not understand the move and fire mechanics or I do not understand your comment. The move of the Wends (Warbands?) is the same as the range of bows -- 200paces in game terms. Also, indeed, there is no difference among any types of bows in the scale of the game. But the bows may shoot at the Wend anywhere between that range and when the two sides are adjacent. That is also to say, the Bow may not shoot if the two elements are touching (is this what you mean by adjacent) in close combat. Typically in the Wends' bound, the Warband will move to a point somewhere within the Bows range, say just at 200p. Then both sides can shoot, so Bows get a shot off at 3+2 to 2+2 (In first edition Warband had a +3 factor vs. foot, in the revised version they went to a +2 but got a +1 for second rank in close combat). If Bows double Warband, then it is removed, if only score higher then Warband recoils a base depth. Then it is the Bow's bound and it can move or not. Perhaps move closer so a winning shot will push the Wend back beyond charge distance and give the Bows another shot when the Wend charge in their bound. Or back out of charge range; "Wend, do you feel lucky today?" If still in range the Bows shoot again. Now the Wend get to move and if not recoiled and the bows still where will make contact, then there will be close combat -- with no shooting allowed. This is all to say that the bows will get 1 or probably two shots off at the Wend before close combat. There is no shooting once elements are in contact for close combat. Maybe none of this makes any difference to your argument but I wanted to send my thoughts on your statement along. CHV: I was assuming one shot at some point in the move with the aim (pun intended) being to hold them off from combat. I think that is what happens in your example. Back to Perfidious Albion #102 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com