"Dismounting in DBM" Topic

Hello everyone. So I have an army with some Knights (I) that have the option to dismount as Pike (O). I read the rules, and maybe I just missed it or maybe it wasn't clear enough to me, but I was wondering what points I pay for the unit if I start the game with them dismounted as Pike (O). There is a drastic points difference and I don't really see an advantage in dismounting if I have to pay the Knight (I) price.

I feel like I am missing something here. Thanks!

I don't know the answer (I am still learning myself), but I have found great DBM help on the DBM facebook here link

Haven't played in years, but I believe you pay the Knights price. The advantage is the flexibility. If you buy Pikes as a separate unit, they are Pikes no matter who you are playing against. The same goes for Knights, if they did not have the dismount option they would always be Knights whether you needed Knights or not. So dismounting allows you to change your army composition to better match up against an opponent or based upon the terrain. So especially in a tournament where you to use only one list, it gives you flexibility to use either Knights or Pike in this battle depending upon which is more useful for the fight at hand.

If you face Swiss pikes, you will want to dismount and be happy for the option.

You pay the Knight(I) price.

Same as my HYW English that start as Kn(I) 10pts and dismount as Blade(S) 9 points.

You pay the points to gain the flexability.

I think some fan driven version of DBM finally got rid of the mandatory mounted archers for the English – a big point waste.

TomT

As Thomas says it's the Knight price. I used to see a few people, when everyone played DBM before FOG or MM came along, use the medieval Portuguese list as then with the one list you could dismount all the Kn I think for Bd something or other, the main reason the list was so popular was the dismounting abilities, I don't have the list to hand to check though.

Also you may want to look for the IWF clarifications for DBM I think they were done in March 2009 but are still valid as they cleared up a bit of the language in the rules. Will see if I can find them and post a link for you.

PDF link

I think that's it.

Yup, you pay the high price for dismounting… Even if you deploy them as foot.

Thanks for the feedback guys

@Thomas Thomas: The mounted archers was the exact reason I don't ever use the HYW English list. It's pretty much garbage. Bow (s) is already expensive let alone add on another point. Why couldn't they have just made it to where it's an optional upgrade like the mounted ponies in the Scots Common list?

Another question for you all. You all reference DBM 3.1, do any of you all use 3.2? That's the rules set we use because it's what we could find on the Internet. I think it also makes the price of blades and auxilia (s) more fair. Would there be a possibility to publish a DBM 4.0? I feel it would go over quite well if the core concept and rules were kept the same, but updated the publication with better writing, pretty pictures, and some corrections to the rules where need be.

@thecrazycaptain: are you in Austin? I'm just up the road in OKC. Didn't know they had players down there. Wonder how easy it would be to meet up in Dallas for a tournament or something some time?

We use 3.2 , the clarifications still work as 3.2 just changed points and one or two other things you saw.
As to DBM 4.0 some will say that's what MM is, we looked at that at the club and no one liked it.
As to the writing that has been lamented over and over again over the years but as one of the authors says everyone is dim and even 10 year olds could read it as its already clearly written, contrary to every English professor or teacher. Which I believe is part of the reason we have DBA 2.2+, whiich is basically a house set of rules.

I would be very surprised if WRG would agree to a DBM v4.

People who looked at DBMM when it was first released (v1) but haven't had another look may be surprised with v2. WRG will be re-publishing v2 reasonably soon.

In DBMM mounted Infantry can be very useful. An all mounted army can influence deployment for instance.

As for the question, in DBMM as well you will also pay the Kn price, even if you start them off dismounted as Pk.

Cheers,
JohnG

I have used two lists with mounted infantry. My first was the Rus, basic plodding spear wall where you have enough to mount one command.
Now my second was Dynastic Bedioun, now that was fun to use, lots of mounted Bw some mounted Bd(I) with Lh etc. well worth trying, takes time to master it and I still haven't totally mastered it yet.