Hello,

I have a quick question about peltast equipment; specifically, if the three javelin limit applies to them as well. With their missile rating at 4, I feel like that would severely hamper their effectiveness. We've played a few games (Olympus vs Aegyptus) with the unit capped at three shots and the peltasts tend to under perform.

Alternatively, I could misinterpret their role; rather than being a dedicated missile unit, are they meant to close in, throw javelins, and then get in combat? If so, then I'm just not using them correctly.

Thanks!

I've waited to see if there's be any answers after I came back. I decided to try and start discussions.

Think about the physical restrictions on actual peltasts. Javelins aren't small, so it would be hard to carry many. Peltasts could throw on the move to disrupt an enemy, and then close as light infantry. Slingers and archers were dedicated ranged attackers, but javelins are throw as you close weapons. I think the Roman plum was one of the best examples; they had a soft iron head and shaft, so they could hurt a person, or stick in shields or armor and then bend. That made them even harder to remove, which could really mess with shield use once close combat ensued. Not everyone used softer tipped javelins, but they were popular for centuries for that same reason. Wargods doesn't add fiddly rules for things like stuck javelins, but it does treat them as the throw and close weapons they normally were. Buy archers or slingers for dedicated ranged attacks, and use your javelins as limited supply disruption weapons for closing light infantry, as they were actually used.

To answer the original question, I think you are reading the rules correctly and the three javelin limit does apply to the Peltasts.

Your issue maybe in the way you are playing the Peltasts. They are there to protect the flanks of the phalanx, to drive off enemy skirmishers and to take rough terrain. As Gimp points out, they are not a missile unit, so if you fire off the javelins at long range in the opening turns, or take speculative pot-shots at the enemy phalanxes, then you probably won't get value from them. I also found them tricky to play for the first few games, as it isn't always obvious what to do with them.

Ammunition supply was a real problem in ancient battles, also for archers and slingers. The nicest mechanic I saw for this was in the old Fantasy Warriors game, where missile troops had a total of five volleys they could fire (and once they were gone they were gone), but allowed to "darken the skies" by firing two volleys on the same turn. This requires a certain amount of bookkeeping (FW had tokens that were kept by each unit), but creates more interesting tactical opportunities, and avoids the phenomonen that you sometimes see in Wargods where players park their Basti archers on a convenient hill and then just spend the whole game firing at long range at whatever comes into their line of sight, even if the chances to hit are minimal.