I received a query dealing with the effectiveness of elephants in combat recently. The person was concerned that the cost of the elephants did not seem to be reflected in their combat value.

My thoughts on this are that elephants are a psychological weapon as much or more than anything else. They disorder cavalry. Any foot units charged in the open by them have to take a morale test.

Elephants also have a missile fire capability. They count as firing as a strength of four unit for the modifier. As a target to missiles, they count shielded and have a modifier as well, making them hard to hit.

As far as close combat goes, elephants cannot be 'made' frenzied like other irregulars unless as a result of a morale test. They do, however, receive the d6 roll for charging as well as a +2 for being elephants. Still, they will normally not tear through an enemy unit unless it is disordered or worse.

Elephants will not do well against long spear or pike armed units, as being a mounted unit, the elephants must take the -d6 modifier when attacking these troops. They will cause havoc to cavalry and loose order irregulars. Even Romans are in trouble unless they use a Deploy to fall back and hopefully cause the elephants to fall short and go disordered.

All in all, elephants provide an interesting troop type, albeit an expensive one, but when used with caution and judiciously, they can be quite a handful for your opponent.