"DBA 2.2 clarification" Topic

Page 22, Rear support factors, do spears get to use a second rank of spears AND Psiloi in support
One more, I was reading that chariots, especially heavy chariots, emphasized shooting, if so, shouldn't there be distant shooting factors?

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Chariots shot at very short range, like horse archers, so use of bows would be reflected in combat outcomes, recoiling or fleeing instead of being destroyed when losing

Yes, both support factors apply. 5 Spears with a Psiloi in the pocket is a strong fighting block.

With the ground scale of DBA, only massed volley fire troops have ranged combat; the skirmishers and mounted missiles are all rolled into melee.

Been a long time since I played 2.2, but I don't think the rules text allows both support bonuses. Quote:

"…Spears add +1 if in frontal combat vs Knights or Spears, if in either case they are supported by a friendly element of the same type lined up directly behind and facing the same direction, and neither supported nor supporting element is in bad going.

Spears, Blades, or Auxilia add +1 if fighting mounted troops or Warband… while supported by a single friendly element of Psiloi lined up in contact directly behind them or directly behind a friendly element of the same type in side edge and front corner-to- front corner contact with them."

I don't think the lead Spear element can have both a supporting Spear AND a supporting Psiloi "directly behind" them.

Never mind, I just figured out what miniMo was describing. A single Spear backed by a Psiloi, flanked on either side by double-ranked Spears. OK, yeah that's perfectly legal (and quite potent against the applicable foe types).

Eumelus and miniMo, thanks, sounds like a potent formation. However, after posting my original question, I was rereading a section on pages 112-113 regarding possible game variations. On page 113, is a sub-section titled "Battles With 7th Edition Armies", in a section talking about provisions for rear support, it states: Blades, spears, auxila or bows +1 if a single 2nd to 5th rank is of bows or bow armed psiloi. And I also saw a sentence below that that says: Knights, cavalry, or light horse +1 for a single extra rank of psiloi or of bow armed cavalry or light horse, that'll give the mounted arm a little more kick!