Packhorse... good Option or waste of influence?

Grumpy Gnome · **Joined:** Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:17 pm **Posts:** 81

So I painted up a pack pony for my Dwarven company as it seems to fit lore wise but looking at the influence cost I am at a bit of a loss as to what it actually brings to the game.

Do creatures count as models for breaking? If so, I suppose that is something.

Putting some climbing ropes and torches on the packhorse for specific scenarios makes sense but is pretty expensive. And the entry does specifically mention bows, so I suppose this could be a way to keep up bow count as archers become casualties. But again, expensive for rare opportunities.

And they can only carry small items... so no storing Dwarven brew.

My wife and I were thinking maybe house rule something along the lines of having a packhorse means not losing equipment when a model dies, sort of an insurance policy to protect expensive rallying horn, healing herbs, etc.

Have you seen a particular use that I have missed? Have you ever even seen anyone use a packhorse in a BC campaign?

Mapper · **Posted:** Sun Jul 05, 2020 5:05 pm

Off the top of my head:

Packhorses
- looks cool as part of a company :-)

- could use similar to a backpack but for the company vs an individual
- should be able to carry more than a backpack
- could carry lembas to be used for anyone in the company
- added burden for the company who has one to defend
- use as an objective for the other company to carry off - similar to the plunder the camp or baggage train scenario
- in the baggage train scenario they don't count towards the break point

Grumpy Gnome · **Joined:** Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:17 pm **Posts:** 81

They do indeed look cool and are a burden to defend.

I think one of the strongest uses is to make Lembas available to whoever needs it rather than just the character carrying it, if you use that house rule. Same with healing herbs to a degree... of you make sure the packhorse does not become a casualty. My wife said she would expect one model to serve as a handler, rather than have the packhorse operate independently... that is the role player in her speaking.

Interesting point about the baggage scenario. I thought I had seen folks use dogs to boost their model count for breaking but I may have misremembered or misunderstood that. We decided today my Raven did not add to my model count during our latest game.

I really appreciate the reply mate!

Mapper · **Posted:** Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:57 pm

Agree with your wife, having a handler for the pack horse. In that case, I would have the handler not count towards your company level of figures and could be minimally armed - basically the horse and handler as one unit.

I hesitated about having the healing herbs also, not sure how to treat that.

Grumpy Gnome · **Joined:** Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:17 pm **Posts:** 81

You are allowed three creatures in a company, one for each hero leader. I suppose the hero for the packhorse is its official handler per es, although they could hand the task over to another for the skirmish I suppose.

In the GW Game horses are not as clever or brave as as wargs and dogs... but I am not sure that fits Tolkien lore. We have debated giving horses the intelligence, independence, and courage of dogs. Whilst I am not very familiar with the abilities of real warhorses I have seen police horses (and police dogs) do some amazing things and would happily have one help me a violent situation. That said I grasp that a packhorse or packpony is hardly a warhorse.

The idea of a packhorse having various equipment options to equip company members as needed works better if there are more equipment options. You might occasionally need a rope or torch but those situations are few and far between. I guess you can store discarded weapons to arm new recuits but it is not common for a model to discard a weapon. Unless of course you house rule promoted models discarding their old profile equipment and therefore allow it to go on the packhorse rather than disappearing. This becomes very cost effective for example if you have Wood Elves losing their Elven Cloaks when promoted to Galadhrim.

The packhorse description is also vague enough that you might construe it to circumvent the rule that prevents warriors and heroes from exchanging equipment. But that is certainly taking a liberty and I think against the spirit of the rules. But maybe I am misunderstanding it all. I have looked at the Johnathan Baker BC rules to see how he handled it. I think he makes it a bit more clear.

Mapper · **Posted:** Mon Jul 06, 2020 5:04 pm

Well, Bill the Pony found his way back from Moria to Bree so I would say that non-warhorses can hold their own :-)

Grumpy Gnome · **Joined:** Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:17 pm **Posts:** 81

Bill is the inspiration for my desire to have a pack pony in my company. Much more interesting than the ponies in the Hobbit.

Packhorse... good Option or waste of influence?

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