Ignore the pike bonus? No way. No matter how well-crafted the armor, the
pikes will split it open like a can opener. The only way to prevent this
is to make the armour so thick (and consequently so heavy) that the
horses are unable to gallop (i.e., no charge rating for the unit).
There's a reason why you don't charge pikes...

Besides, you already gave them +1 defence which makes them tougher for
the pikes to crack. I would also give them +1 to charge (they're using
the same weapons to charge as in melee, and the extra weight will make a
difference when hitting a line).

Did you remember to reduce their movement rating too? That barding is
anything but light, and full plate is considerably heavier than
plate-reinforced chain and shield normally worn by knights.

The muster cost for this unit would be (if the going rate of 2000gp for
a suit of full plate armour is correct and assuming 100 knights per
unit) over 100GB (1GB per man just for the full plate, and this isn't a
modern industrial world; it doesn't get cheaper when you buy in bulk).
Then you have to figure the cost of barding, probably another 25 or
50GB. Any regent with this kind of cash to *spare* is probably having to
put down revolts left and right.

That's just muster cost. Maintenance generally runs about 1/3 to a half
of the unit's muster cost. Even figuring 1/3 (which isn't likely) the
maintenance cost for this unit each domain turn is going to be something
on the order of 40GB (it takes a lot of smiths to keep 100 suits of full
plate armour in good repair). Then there's replacement horses; carrying
all that weight takes a toll, and heavy warhorses should cost at least
1GB per four (training them takes forever).

Using the argument that you're just recruiting the men, who already own
their own equipment, will save on muster cost but not on maintenance
costs. Still, try to find 100 people who own their own set of full plate
armour during the Renaissance....that's like trying to find 100 people
in a small area who drive Ferraris.

Build one unit of these knights and I'll have my archers and pikes tear
them apart for less than one tenth the muster and maintenance costs.
Granted, on a one-for-one basis the knights might be able to stand up to
the pikes and could certainly handle the archers. Put them up against a
combined stack of pike and archer and the knights are toast.

Jonathan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John [SMTP:RickardsJ@cardiff.ac.uk]
> Sent: Monday, January 26, 1998 4:30 AM
> To: birthright@MPGN.COM
> Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Question for Birthright
>
> > Another question , what happens when you armor 200 knight
> > with Full plate , barding , lances , weapons and shields
> > with dwarven made eq , anyone knows the actual stat change
> > on the WarCards?
> I'd give 'em +1 Defence, +1 Melee (no bonus to charge, the difference
> between 400lbs of armoured knight and warhorse hitting you at full
> pelt with a lance and 400lbs of armoured knight and warhorse hitting
> you at full pelt with a dwarven lance ain't gonna be that much).
> Maybe some other special benefit, like ignoring Pikemen's special
> ability due to their superior armour. Now that I think about it,
> there were some rule for this in Legends of the Hero-Kings, although
> they were for infantry. Can't remember what they were, though.
> Anyone?
>