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Originally Posted by hal
Since I'm going on "suspicion" based on reading about medieval battles and the like, I would suggest that if you use the concept of having your unit fall out, get the weaponry/supplies required to take on a different function than that of a normal military unit - that you might want to use a three turn penalty. What you're suggesting is happening is this:
Phase 1: Fall out of battle line and move into column formation.
Phase 2: Move to resupply point, which for a logistical unit is likely at the baggage train or offset from the battlefield so as to avoid it being over-run.
Phase 3: Fall out of column order to line up and grab their gear
Phase 4: Line up in column order (for marching that is)
Phase 5: move back to location for battle.
Phase 6: fall out of column order and reorganize into battle order.
Phase 6: advance back into battle.
Those phases are of interderminant order, but depending on how many men are involved in doing this, I'm guessing you will lose the better part of an hour at the very least. Mind you, I'm basing it only on what I've read and I am not a history expert on battlefield conditions etc. It just doesn't pass the "Smell" test so to speak. If you feel that this is acceptable - then go for it :)
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Why are you assuming that new equipment is needed to perform a new role?
Men in mail and with spears can perform any role from Light to Heavy Infantry without changing gear at all. Sure, they'd be unusually well equipped Light Infantry, but that's okay.
And in GURPS terms, putting a spear and shield down and Readying a crossbow won't take more than a few seconds.
What baggage train are you talking about? These are small units of men who carry their own baggage and the closest thing they get to a baggage train under patrolling circumstances is their pack which they drop several paces behind their lines. A squad sometimes acts as reserve and guards these packs.
Even if they were fighting in a field army with a baggage train you can be certain that no proper officer would allow them to stash the few pounds that padded bag, crossbow and bolts represent in the rear. Those stay with each platoon if there is a chance they'll act as missile troops.
Note that even if you assume that the gear is stashed in the rear, the six-phase drill that you assume is still excessive. Why form a column when marching behind your own lines? If a unit of infantry that has not yet engaged and is not threathened needed to re-equip with crossbows in a hurry, what's stopping them from falling out for formation, running to the back and fetch gear and then form up again once that's finished?
They stash their own gear, each person is responsible for knowing where it is and it's not necessary to be in formation when fetching it. If they train for this manuever, it is easily possible to keep the crossbows seperate from the rest of the gear and send a few runners to fetch only those mules with crossbows and bolts on them.
Imagine if no unit could send runners for extra ammo unless they were formed up in column!
And that is if we assume that the extra weight is too much to carry. Given that patrols are usually less than a day and they carry little food on the road, even with the addition of the crossbow and bolts, this unit actually has less gear than a Roman legionary. It might well be that in pure combat efficiency, ten more pounds of mail per person would be a better investment. But they have to perform other duties than front-line warfare and for patrolling or small engagement it often suits them to be missile troops.