Combat Participants

Olympia: The Age of Gods PBEM (Oct 4 2000)

## 5.6: Who Participates in Combat?

To be used effectively in battle, the Olympia fighting units (such as soldiers, archers, etc.) must be commanded. Any noble can possess a large number of fighting troops; not every noble can use them in battle. Similarly, any noble can be given fighting animals (such as dragons, minotaurs, etc.); whether they can control them under battle circumstances is a different question.

Young nobles receive basic training in small group combat. This permits them to control up to 10 men when attacking another unit. To control more men in a battle situation, a noble must use Control Men in Battle [1107], a subskill of Combat [1100]. Each use of this skill takes three days and increases the number of men a noble can control in battle by one.

If a noble owns more men than he can control, he will use the men with the highest total attack + missile + defense values, or in the case of a tie, the men with the higher attack + missile value. Any men he cannot command will not be involved in any way in combat. In particular, a noble does not "replenish" lost men from the men he cannot command.

If a noble owns fewer men than he can control, he will not ``borrow'' additional men from a stack mate.

Controlling men on defense is somewhat easier, since they have a natural motivation to save their lives. For this reason, a noble can always control 20 more men on defense than he can on the attack. An untrained noble can defend himself with 30 men.

Garrison commanders have the training to control 20 men on the attack and 40 men in defense.

Non-player units (such as elves) generally have no limit on the number of men (or beasts) they can control in battle.

Controlling fighting animals in battle is considerably more difficult, and untrained nobles cannot use any animals in battle --- whether on attack or defense. To control animals in a battle situation, a noble must know Use Beasts in Battle [1195], a subskill of Combat [1100]. Each use of this skill takes seven days and increases the number of animals a noble can control in battle by one.

There is no bonus for the number of animals that can be controlled on defense.