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So I'veput some thought into this, and I feel it's worth it.

If I have a group of eight knights, could I run them in a line of four, therefore gaining all eight rather then only six?


is it worth it?

You only get rank bonus with ranks of 3 (lance formation) or 5 (main rulebook).

Run them in lance, that way 8 can still fight(on the charge) when youre 3 wide.

... what?

I'm not looking for rank bonus. I'm looking for all eight attacking.

The example...

XOX
XOX
XXX

as opposed to

XXXX
XXXX

whom can attack every time?

Actually with 8 it's like this:

XOX
XxX
XXX

The little x means that the rider only is able to attack.

Is it worth giving up +1/2 rank bonus, minimize attacks back and give up the cool "bret-looking" blooks for 2 horse attacks and one lance attack?

IMO, no.

EDIT: One little note, the only ones that could benefit from this is questing knights. They atleast pack a punch from the rear lines and aren't screwed if they don't manage to break the enemy on the charge.

Solon, the problem of running knights in a 4x2 formation is that you lose that +2 rank bonus for one extra attack, which IMHO isn't nearly worth it. Even if you did 8 wounds to a 20 man unit, you probably won't break them thanks to steadfast, and those knights will get stuck in combat.

IMHO, effective Bret formation is the 3x3, or 3x4 in 8th. 8th edition is scaling up the game, and sadly 8 knights won't cut it anymore. Also, 8th is the game of ranks, Because if 20 Chosen kill 15 Goblins from a 40 man unit run in 5x8 (which is a really unwieldy formation, generally called "battle bus"), the goblins have a good chance of staying put thanks to steadfast.

Aren't all those little drawings NINE guys?
It should look like:

X0
XxX
XXX

Yes, a knight must be in the center of the rear rank. Kills are pulled from the outside in, and nothing in the bret book lets you split the rear rank.

7 lances, 6 horses, 1 rank (letting you strip ranks)
As opposed to
xxxx
XXXX
8 lances, 4 horses, zero ranks.

Go 3 wide. Only go wider with grail knights, where the extra attack makes it worthwhile.

-Matt

Actually, there is a rule saying otherwise, under "The lance in combat".

Also, grail knights benefit greatly from the lance, why?
2 attacks a piece and s6 on the charge means that the first round needs to be optimized.

Questing knights on the other hand...

Use the lance formation when moving around the battlefield and charging. Gives you extra ranks, sacrifices almost nothing, gives you more room to move.

If you get stuck in and you still want the extra attacks (from say questing knights) you can reform to 5 wide. Dont bother going 4 wide ever, it is useless.

O, and I would take 5 ranks of knights. Extra attacks and you are going to break anything that isnt stubborn.

Oscarius wrote:Actually, there is a rule saying otherwise, under "The lance in combat".

Also, grail knights benefit greatly from the lance, why?
2 attacks a piece and s6 on the charge means that the first round needs to be optimized.

Questing knights on the other hand...

I thought lances in combat showed who fights, not that you get to rearrange your unit.

For optimizing lance charges in smaller units of grail knights, you go wide.

But I've always run brets with lots of core, 1 max sized special, and smaller rares as flank supporters.
Make sure you can always fit in both trebuchets, and then worry about grail knights. It's the trebuchets that thin down big blocks enough where the lances finish off the steadfast.

-Matt

Oh...so you meant a *single* rank, not another with supporting attacks? My bad.

The "lance in combat" section also handles how you remove casaulties, that is, middle first.

Oscarius wrote:
The "lance in combat" section also handles how you remove casaulties, that is, middle first.

Go to know, I played my brets wrong for ~2 years then. In the end, they were all converted into skeletons and wights anyway.
Hey, now that 2 ranks fight, those black knights can be useful in a "lance" of 3 wide and 2 deep.
I might have to rebuild that army some time.

-Matt