The Question of Frenzy

Irregular armies are not as maneuverable as trained armies are, but they do have one big advantage. They can attempt to make their charges frenzied. The only problem with this is that it is not just decided upon and done, each unit must pass a morale test in order to become frenzied.

Irregular units with charge orders that are not fanatics or already frenzied may try to roll a d10 to pass their morale with no modifiers. This can result in your charging unit adding as much as +3 to its close combat charge modifiers if the frenzy attempt is successful. But if the unit fails to pass its morale test, it will be in terrible shape, halted and sitting in place at best. If your opponent is charging you as well, he will be hitting you as you sit there unable to countercharge.

Veterans have the best chance of making a frenzied charge, they can only fail on a roll or 1 or 2. Poor quality units will fail on a 4 or less, a 40% chance of failure. My own rule of thumb is that if I have a very good chance of winning without a frenzied charge, like having HC warriors with lances against loose order foot armed with various, I'll forgo the frenzy. If my HC are veterans, however, I'll probably give the frenzy a shot. If your unit is a 'forelorn hope' and has a fair to poor chance to win anyway, you might as well give them a speech and try to get them worked up into a frenzied charge.

And in the End….

I hope that this section will help new players with deciding on how best to use their armies. Again, it takes plenty of trial and error to come up with successful tactics, and what works against one enemy may not work at all against another. Playing Medieval Warfare will be a learning experience, one you will enjoy while seeing and working around the limitations of command inherent in this period of history.

As you experiment and discover the strengths and weaknesses of your army, keep a notebook of your tactics, your battles and what you have learned. Often, you will find yourself referring back to a report of a previous battle to glean some information about what worked and why. Above and beyond that,read some historical accounts of your army and the commanders that led the armies into battle. This can provide you with new ideas to try as well as giving an actual personality to your leaders.

Do not hesitate to email or write to me with any rules questions or concerns. I want these rules to be a fun experience for all of those who play them. If I succeeded in this, than that is fantastic.

More Tactics in Medieval Warfare

Introduction
Offensive Tactics
Defensive Tactics
Units: Using Them Effectively
Frenzy and Conclusion