Art De La Guerre

[Mark G Fry]

I was just wondering about Stakes.

The info on Stakes on page 20 states that "Stakes have no effect on enemy foot troops" (which is fair enough). Although - see below*.
However, do enemy troops have an effect on Stakes - taking the situation where a unit that has deployed Stakes, is then hit frontally by a unit of enemy foot (for example).
Do the Stakes remain in place and are still just as effective after each combat has been completed, assuming that the unit that has deployed the stakes wins each combat and destroys all the attacking enemy?

The rules only state that Stakes are lost if the unit that placed them moves, is routed or is forced to conform as a result of flank or rear attack - assuming that the stakes are still deployed at the time of the attack. So I am assuming that multiple combats can potentially be fought with a diverse range of enemy unit types (including elephants) and the Stakes will remain as good as new (so to speak) as long as the defending unit keeps winning the fight & doesnt move away.

* in the army lists Caltrops are stated to have the same effect as Stakes. Here I might beg to differ, in the fact that whilst most infantry will quite happily avoid something as obvious as a Stake (even when charging) a Caltrop is a very different manner. In fact we specifically read historically of Romans using Caltrops against foot units (other Romans in a civil war) as well as mounted units. Personally I think that Caltrops probably behave (from a rules perspective a bit more like a portable 'obstacle' - like pits for example - than Stakes. Just a thought.

Cheers
Mark
_________________
'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

[KevinD]

I think you are right that if a unit with stakes deployed defeats its frontal attacker, the stakes remain there (unless the unit pursues, etc.) regardless of whether the attacker is foot, mounted or elephants.

Regarding the use of caltrops against infantry:
1. Were they effective or not really have much effect? Do the sources say? How widely were they used in field battles? (Not signs or as camp defenses.)
2. Are Timurid caltrops similar to Roman ones?
3. Do we have any information regarding how the Timurid ones actually performed in battle?

[Hazelbark]

[Mark G Fry]