Shield Wall fighting

[johnmarron]

I'm considering using Runequest (MRQ2) to run a game based on Bernard Cornwell's "Saxon" series, set in late 9th c. Britain. A lot of the combats in the series take place during battles, with both sides using Shield wall formations. Here are my ideas on how to handle this with the rules:

Make "Shield Wall Fighting" a combat style available at character generation, that covers use of shields, and any small or medium 1-handed weapons.

In combat, allow fighters in the shield wall to spend CAs as reactions to parry attacks against companions on either side in the shield wall.

Assign a penalty (-10%? -20%?) to strikes that are not thrusts or simple overhand cuts/bashes.

My knowledge of actual historical shield wall combats is pretty much nil, but I'm sure there are some folks out there who probably have first hand re-enactment experience with shield walls, or at least know a lot more about it than I do, and I'd love to hear from them.

Thoughts?

John

 

[Jujitsudave]

Cornwell's books are awesome and as soon as I saw "Shield Wall" in the title I knew there would be a reference.

I'd say go for it. I have Roman Legionnaire fighting in mine.

 

[soltakss]

You could also use the shields as cover, so rather than parrying with a shield, which can open up the formation, you can let the shield absorb some of the damage or force opponents to use called shots to hit unshielded locations.

People on either side could also support someone who has been injured (again from Cornwell's Arthur series, someone in a shield wall takes a blow to the head, passes out but is held up by his comrades, passed to the back while someone moves to take his place).

You would need rules to break the sheield formation. Berserkers and attack dogs are used in Cromwell's books, but you could use anything that is big, angry or extremely violent.

Gloranthan shield walls had pikemen with longer spears/pikes who could attack from the second rank. There is also some magic that gives the person to your side a bonus to remain standing/stand fast as long as you do the same.

 

[Jujitsudave]

You could instead of making it a combat style, make it a combat action.

1 CA and uses the skill weapon + shield. Must be flanked by shield bearing allies on either side.

When the CA is spent, the character uses the highest skilled flanking ally's combat skill to parry, regardless of his own skill level. In addition, if he fails his parry roll, a flanking ally can expend a CA to retry the parry.

 

[hector]

You may find some inspiration here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33BWMw07YiA

 

[tarkhan bey]

I'm a big fan of Cornwell's Arthurian and Saxons tales. From reading them, I just think that actually parrying in the shield wall would be well nigh impossible(although I may be wrong).
I like Soltakks idea of choosing extra locations for the shield and that it acts like armour points on those locations. In my Viking game, I am going to say that a Viking shield can provide its armour points as extra armour points to three adjacent locations, one of which must be the shield arm itself.
I imagine the shield wall fight to be a lot of grunting and pushing by heavily armoured men trying to get in the occasional blow under the shield with a seax, while those in the rear ranks would attack over the top with spears.
I remember reading somewhere about using the beards on viking axes to pull shields away (pin weapon?).

 

[Ultor]

The Chaosium and Avalon Hill RQ had special rules for phalanx fighting with a two handed spear. Under those rules any blow that hit the left arm, chest or abdomen actually hit the shield and had to penetrate the AP of a hoplite shield (9pts in the AH edition) before transmitting damage to the armor then body beneath. There were also special hit location charts. I don't think they had any rules for helping out the person to your right, though.

I'd also give certain weapons like the pilum a bonus against phalanx/shield wall fighting.

 

[Antalon]

I have adopted / adapted the rule for Legionnaires in the Monster Coliseum:

Shield Wall – combat stance
If three or more professionally skilled (RQ Core:33) characters are close together they can form a Shield Wall, with shields overlapping to form a tough defensive barrier. This costs a CA for each character joining the wall. If a Shield Wall is formed then the shield’s armour points are added to the shield arm, chest and abdomen hit locations. In addition, a character’s SIZ is treated as 3 times greater for the purpose of resisting Knockback or the Bash manoeuvre and a +20% bonus to resist the Trip manoeuvre. However, Movement is halved and whilst the characters continue to fight in the shield wall they can only use the Bash, Choose Location and Impale Combat Manoeuvres, reflecting their limited agility. It is customary for a second rank with Very Long reach thrusting weapons to attack those in front of the Shield Wall.

I've not playtested these yet, or seen whether they are helpful to PCs in tactical situations.

Antalon

 

[Jujitsudave]

That sounds reasonable.

 

[HalfOrc HalfBiscuit]

I have adopted / adapted the rule for Legionnaires in the Monster Coliseum:

Shield Wall – combat stance
If three or more professionally skilled (RQ Core:33) characters are close together they can form a Shield Wall, with shields overlapping to form a tough defensive barrier. This costs a CA for each character joining the wall. If a Shield Wall is formed then the shield’s armour points are added to the shield arm, chest and abdomen hit locations. In addition, a character’s SIZ is treated as 3 times greater for the purpose of resisting Knockback or the Bash manoeuvre and a +20% bonus to resist the Trip manoeuvre. However, Movement is halved and whilst the characters continue to fight in the shield wall they can only use the Bash, Choose Location and Impale Combat Manoeuvres, reflecting their limited agility. It is customary for a second rank with Very Long reach thrusting weapons to attack those in front of the Shield Wall.

I've not playtested these yet, or seen whether they are helpful to PCs in tactical situations.

Antalon

Not quite sure I see the logic for excluding some other CMs - why not bypass armour, bypass parry, maximise damage? I assume bleed is out because you're only allowing thrusting weapons - although you don't state that explicitly? Similarly, I'd imagine you require size L or larger shields, or would you allow a shield wall of bucklers?