Band of the Red Hand Debate

**McFungos** · 07-30-2005, 17:15

I agree with Andreas about the potential of a overwhelming number of new units for the Dragon faction.

For the band of the Red Hand Band, i think by limiting the production of its units to Tear or/and Caihrien would be the best choice available.

it's a difficult matter of balancing the big choice of units for a Dragon player.

to summarize :

- Conquered nation unit
- Basic dragonsworm
- Aiel units
- The Red Hand Band
- One power user units

For the Red Hand Band ma preference would be :
- more expensive than standard unit
- less men per unit
- less unkeep per unit

The Red Hand Band use tactics and a composition not seen since the Trollocs wars, that for the price of training.

The Band often fight outnumbered, so less man per unit

The Band is financed in part by its nobles members and has a superior supplies organisation that for the lesser unkeep.

About Talmanes, Naleasan and Dearid, i prefere them as ancillary.

**Andreas** · 07-30-2005, 17:20

Hmm, the compostion of the band is exactly like that of any other army, they just work better together. The Legion, on the other hand, is unique in it's apperance with infantry without pikes.

**McFungos** · 07-30-2005, 20:07

The composition of the Red Hand Band is the closiest to the one used during the trollocs wars, with 1 bowmen for 2 pikemen.
It won't change anything to the Band's units appearances but we must put some incentives to have 1 bowmen unit for 2 of pikemen.
The Band have a higher proportion of bowmen and crossbowmen than any other soldiers groups in Randland.
That in addition of the better coordination of the Band's units make it one of the best force in Randland.

**Myrddraal** · 07-31-2005, 03:05

Your right McFungos, exept they have a preference for crossbows in the Band. I don't think anybody mentioned bows anywhere. But basically in the fights against the Seanchan, the Band are used to ambush with crossbows. I'm fairly sure there is specific mention by a Seanchan character of the men dressed in blue and hail after hail of bolts decimating his troops from the undergrowth...

**McFungos** · 07-31-2005, 08:03

Yes, you are right about crossbows.

I remember Mat complaining about the lack of crossbows in the Band.

**Andreas** · 07-31-2005, 18:42

No, the band isn't involved there. It is the Legion. I think some things are messed up here... We have the legion of the dragon, commanded by bashere armed with shields and crossbows(3 crossbows per shooter, and two reloaders IIRC) and we have the band, a unit with ordinary horses, pikes and bows controlled by Mat currently in Murandy under Talmanes command, figthing for Mat who fights for Rand, and they are ordinary troops with better morale and better commander then other troops. Pikes and bows have been combined before, but Mat has more structure. It is important to make a difference between the Legion and the Band. The Legion is devoted to rand, the band to mat (and the two rivers men to perrin). The band has both archers and crossbows(but not many enough in mat eyes.). You see the difference? The Band is ordinary troops with another way of orginazation, while the Legion is a troop type never seen since the trolloc wars.

Edit: And IMO, the band isn't one of the best troops, they just have the best commander in the world. Right now, I would say they would perform poorly. When Mat left, soldiers deseted them.

**McFungos** · 07-31-2005, 23:19

Clarification :

The Band composition is as close to the one used during the Trollocs wars and no other units in Randland do that, thanks to Mat memories.
The differences are better combined arms uses and a higher percentage of bowmen and crossbomen.
A such composition of army was used since The Compact of the Ten Nations to the end of the The War of the Hundred Years and have proved its worth a countless of time.
But what is very unlikely is a wide spread of this composition of army.

The legion of the Dragons is something very new altogether and have no link to anything done before in matter of military organisation.
The effect is that the legion is untried espacially against Trollocs fists.
But the legion strength is his number of men.

I want a Dragon faction player to feel thoses differences that to have a effective Band he must spend time building and upgrading stable, archer range and other barrack and that he can't count to have more than a banner ( 20 units) of the Band.
In other hand the player will have the opportunity to build more easily a near unlimited quantity of legion units knowing their experimentals and untried status.