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Old 10-01-2018, 02:38 PM   #1
kentreuber
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Shieldwall?

Are there any rules for shieldwalls (e.g., overlapping shields).
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Old 10-03-2018, 10:12 AM   #2
JohnPaulB
 
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Location: Portland, Maine
Default Re: Shieldwall?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kentreuber View Post
Are there any rules for shieldwalls (e.g., overlapping shields).
I did a search in New ITL and didn't see any.
I also did a rough search in these threads and didn't come up with anything, but that might be my poor search ability.

One of the benefits I would give a Shieldwall is enemy spears can't reach the second rank.

I would make a new skill called Shieldwall, which also give the ability to make a Testudo
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Old 10-03-2018, 01:11 PM   #3
kentreuber
 
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Default Re: Shieldwall?

I also thought about the making it part of the "Shield Expertise" talent.
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Old 10-03-2018, 04:05 PM   #4
Skarg
 
Join Date: May 2015
Default Re: Shieldwall?

If you want ideas for house rules for it, you could do a web search or search the TFT email list archives at braniac.com. It was discussed and written up by TFT fans there at least once over the past decades.
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Old 10-03-2018, 06:36 PM   #5
Chris Rice
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
Default Re: Shieldwall?

What about something simple like:

"If your figure has a friendly figure in its side hex with a large or tower shield, add 1 to its armour protection. If there is a friendly figure in both side hexes, add 2."
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Old 10-03-2018, 06:47 PM   #6
platimus
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: behind you
Default Re: Shieldwall?

I'm wondering what effects of a shieldwall are desired to be simulated?
Because you could just put 2 or more guys with shields next to each other and let them Defend against any attacks that try to go through their hexes. Maybe there's some other effect of a shieldwall that I'm not aware of?
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Old 10-04-2018, 04:17 PM   #7
Jack O'All Trades
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Default Re: Shieldwall?

A common suggestion on the TFT Braniac email archive was to just allow warriors with the appropriate skill to share protection of their shield with each other when they were side-ways adjacent (there were attempts to formalize this in the consideration with hex-weirdness).

I always thought it would make more sense to grant Shield -1, as a small shield (thinking of Bucklers) cannot really be used this way, while something larger (larger round shields a la Vikings, kite shields, etc) can, and it seems about right that having someone on either side would double the effect of such a shield, and make a Tower shield extremely effective (3 + 2 + 2 = 7 hits blocked).
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Old 10-04-2018, 04:23 PM   #8
Skarg
 
Join Date: May 2015
Default Re: Shieldwall?

Other considerations include:

* What hex-shapes can get this effect.
* Does it require a talent, or does a talent improve the effect?
* Does forming a shield wall impair your own ability to attack, defend or dodge?
* How fast can a line of shield walling figures move while maintaining the wall, and in what directions?
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Old 10-04-2018, 05:43 PM   #9
platimus
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Default Re: Shieldwall?

I think you guys are thinking too hard about this. It's 2 or more guys adjacent to each other with shields. They already benefit from the protection of occupying an adjacent hex of each other's space. That's one less hex that can be occupied by a foe. If you've got 3 or more guys, the guys in the middle get a little more of this protection than the guys on the end because they have 2 less hexes that can be occupied by a foe. The guys on the ends only have their "attack surfaces" reduced by 1 hex.

If you have enough shieldmen to form a circle--or semi-circle against a barrier (or V-shape)--they get even more protection. The "awesomeness" of a "Shieldwall" is in the formation. The "physics" of this are already modeled with normal TFT mechanics on a battlemap.

How fast can they move while maintaining this formation? I'd say as fast as the slowest man. Again, the basic TFT mechanics already model this quite well.

Last edited by platimus; 10-04-2018 at 05:47 PM.
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Old 10-04-2018, 11:07 PM   #10
Chris Rice
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
Default Re: Shieldwall?

Quote:
Originally Posted by platimus View Post
I think you guys are thinking too hard about this. It's 2 or more guys adjacent to each other with shields. They already benefit from the protection of occupying an adjacent hex of each other's space. That's one less hex that can be occupied by a foe. If you've got 3 or more guys, the guys in the middle get a little more of this protection than the guys on the end because they have 2 less hexes that can be occupied by a foe. The guys on the ends only have their "attack surfaces" reduced by 1 hex.

If you have enough shieldmen to form a circle--or semi-circle against a barrier (or V-shape)--they get even more protection. The "awesomeness" of a "Shieldwall" is in the formation. The "physics" of this are already modeled with normal TFT mechanics on a battlemap.

How fast can they move while maintaining this formation? I'd say as fast as the slowest man. Again, the basic TFT mechanics already model this quite well.
That is an interesting excellent point. I think I agree with your assessment.
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