Men O Arms or not?

[Steellegioncpt]

I was typing up an army list the other night and I was wondering if I shuold have some Men at Arms. I was thinking about two blocks of 25 then I will have some archers as well (about 10 skirmishers and 2 groups of 10 archers)

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Well, it all depends on your playing style! Could you post up an army list? Or just tell us what else is in the army? That would help me out in telling on what would be a good idea!

[Admiral Marbles]

Yes, a Bretonnian army pretty much needs these little guys to serve as screens and something to help you get the charge. 2 blocks of 25 sound pretty good, but as ICG said...a points value/list would help in rounding everything out advise wise.

[captian phez]

okay, one thing to say. YES THEY DO NEED M-A-A! the peasents are great screens, and they provide the two different army list ideas, peasant horde and archers of doom!

[Khadhar'phak]

Personally, I only use them as flank holders and to fill out points. The peasent units you REALLY want are the bowmen. And those skirmishers of yours: 10 is NOT enough. I usually take 40 and they can sometimes win me games! (I'll never forget the time I took down a chaos lord at long range with them )

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Yeah, a recurrent theme in the bretonnian armies I have seen is the massed peasent bowmen skirmishing behind the units of Knights. This strategy has always seemed to work just fine in games I have seen bretonnians in.

[Steellegioncpt]

hhmm maybe I should just drop the men at arms and use the 40+ archer skirmishers... Should I keep them in units of 10 and have 4 units or should i go bigger?

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Personally, I would put them in units of ten. That leaves them tactically flexible and much more manouverable.

[Admiral Marbles]

Just remember...if you split up your archers into groups, only ONE can be Skirmishers.
I have found the bowmen to be very very effective as well, cheap, and best of all expendable.
Here's my quick advice...its set up now that the peasants exist solely so you can achieve the glorious charge with your knights, and to make it effective as possible. After I pick my knights point cost I add in the peasants to ensure I have enough targets on the field to keep the knights safe till they can attack, then magic users and items and such. The way I look at peasants are they will probobly only exist as cheap screens and fire support, anything else the rabble happens to accomplish (which does happen from time to time) consider a blessing! They come cheap for a reason good sir!
Ive found The M@A are great when it comes to having moble screens, and they can tie up other's hordes with their many rank bonuses while you crush em from the flanks with Cav. They are quite slow and unless you keep Knights nearby for peasants duty rule, hard to control. The Bowmen can really frighten the enemy: they can shoot so dang far and when used in large amounts you are rolling so many little dice their jaws will drop. However they are only especially useful against hordes of low armored foes, otherwise they wont get too many wounds off before it all goes the outcome of your Knights anyhow.
Hope any of this stuff off the top of my head helps.
For the Lady!

[Luisjoey]

I´m not a Bretonnia player but...

If you play bretonnia you use lots of cavalry... so many enemies won´t move as fast as you.

Meanwhile you arrive your enemy... you better hurl them lots of arrows hoping to bother the other and maybe some routing.

But the Man at arms are to slow for help the cavalry and they can´t do thing in the two first turns... is better bowman.

Use only man at arms if you wanna keep a position and you want to defend a place. but better are the bowmen.