A Cunning Plan: Trample

[Autochthon]

Interesting reponses so far...

So perhaps Trample would be for units unusually bulky for their Unit Size?

And in real life, most trample-capable animals were trained to overcome their natural reluctance to step on squirming bodies - maybe add a Morale Check to enable?

And, if we treat Trample like a four-legged body slam, that would require the Trampling unit to stop, or at least move at a slower speed.

There is a certain intuitive sense behind this though...a bunch of Size 2 Monkeys shouldn't hold up a Size 4 Chariot, should they?

[OmikronWarrior]

You're not the first one to ask if the Trample Mechanic could be changed. Though, such questions deal with how to find an appropriate counters to mass generic tramplers, i.e. Caelum cranking out 4 or 5 mammoths a turn and having an unstoppable "critical mass" of tramplers. A Pretender or other SC with said ability is much less worrisome. It can ultimately be countered with Horror Mark and the fact that there is only one trampler. My own proposal made a morale check against the total length of weapons in the square it was trampling, with amounts over 10 being doubled like Preciscion. If the check failed the unit attacked with whatever weapon it has. The math was fairly pleasing in outcomes.

[cleveland]

Hi, I'm new to all this, so apologies if my comments are off the mark.

It seems to me that trampling effectiveness should rely primarily on the SPEED of the attacker.

Carthage's war-elephants were tough (thick hide + immense strength + 10-foot tusk + terrifying appearance), but could be overwhelmed at a standstill. However,a single elephant at full steam could annihilate the most disciplined phalanx. Didn't matter if the phalanx had spears, or pikes, or bazookas; at 30mph, it was simple bowling-ball kinetics.

On the other hand, imagine a chariot pulled by a donkey (war-donkey?). The overall size of the chariot hasn't changed, but you ain't trampling nothing. Horse = speed = effectiveness.

[cleveland]

Actually, staring at my own post, what's really most important is KINETIC ENERGY...~Mass * Velocity ^2

Let trampler_ke = (trampler_size)*(trampler_actionpoints)^2

If trampler_ke > some critical value, and trampler_size > tramplee_size, squish.

[thejeff]

Speed is figured in, faster tramplers can trample more times. Not quite as you suggest, since it doesn't affect the individual trample, but it has a similar effect on the battle.