DBMM Book2ArmyLists
DBMM Book2ArmyLists
DBMM Book2ArmyLists
As of 16/08/11
ALLIES
In most cases foreign allied contingents are specified by reference to their own list. Each such allied contingent must include a single general, who (unless exceptional reliability causes them to be specified in the employing armys list as sub-generals) are ally-generals. Their type can be that of the allied contingents lists specified C-in-C or sub-general. Unless otherwise specified in a particular list, the allied contingent can otherwise include only compulsory troop types, and must have at least a quarter of the specified minimum number of elements of each such type. It cannot include more than a third of the specified maximum number of each such type, or 1 element, whichever is greater. In some cases the maximum total number of elements that can be included in the allied contingent, including the general but not baggage elements, is specified. An allied command of less than 10 troop elements cannot have more than 1 baggage element. Allied troops cannot be used outside their own armys date range, and can use only those options specified in their own list for the assisted armys date, and any minima or maxima for upgrades are modified as above. The full allowance of troops listed in the form 0-1 per X can be included for each X element included. An allied contingent cannot include allies of its own. Unless otherwise specified, only one foreign allied contingent of each nationality can be included. Where foreign allies do not have a suitable list of their own, their contingent is specified as an indented sub-list within a nations main list. In this case the minimum and maximum number of elements of each troop type will be as specified in that sub-list. Where ally generals are specified un-indented in a nations main list, such generals are of the same or a closely related nationality. Unlike foreign irregular ally generals, they will never change sides except in a civil war, and may then do so whether regular or irregular. Each such generals command must, unless stated otherwise, include at least a quarter of the minimum number of each compulsory troop type. It can also include non-compulsory types. All elements count towards the total number of each type specified in the list.
NAVAL
Naval elements are included only if they played a significant part in a mainly land battle. Each replaces a land element of the list, of the type or types that follow it within brackets. For example, a Marian Roman quinquireme element Reg Gal (S) @ 6AP [Bd], replaces one of the compulsory or optional Blades elements of the army list, and can disembark that element. The AP quoted is for the quinquireme only. The Blades must still be paid for. Naval elements with no landing troops specified cannot provide landing parties. AP spent on naval elements are wasted if they have no access on to the table. Their landing troops and baggage can still be deployed, being assumed to have disembarked and joined the army prior to the battle. Landing troops, whose number is specified as equal to the number of available vessels, such as marines, seaman or oarsmen, cannot be used unless their vessels have been paid for.
Unpaved roads or frequently used tracks. Large open fields. Orchard or olive grove. Wood. Boggy flat ground. Sunken gully. E Oa M SF Small enclosed fields. Desert oasis. Marsh. Scrub-covered flat ground.
Hills are gentle if their slope gives a significant combat advantage but does not slow men or animals unless there is significant surface cover. Difficult hills have slopes that significantly slow movement, whatever their surface cover. Wooded hills can be steep or gentle. Slopes that do not give a significant advantage or slow movement are treated as flat ground and not represented as hills. The home terrain of an empire is assumed to be that of its heartland or capital, the centre of its power. The home terrain of a migration is that of the last region occupied before entering on the stage of world history. That of rebellious mercenaries is their previous area of operations. Terrain types are restricted to those that are typical of the area. Rarer types are allowed only if they significantly influenced a historical battle or were on a historically used invasion route. An oasis differs from an orchard in being of palm trees with often an under-crop or pool and usually being larger.
NATURAL ENEMIES
The armies that are most plausible historical enemies are listed by book and army number after the permitted home terrain
LANGUAGE
Place names are those in English language histories and may differ from those in a modern atlas. Personal and technical names are those used by the people the list covers or their enemies, except for personal names familiar in their anglicised form such as Philip, Alexander and Pompey. Chinese names are transliterated using the old Wade-Giles system, which (unlike the modern Pinyin system favoured by the Chinese government) enables an English speaker to approximate Chinese pronunciation. Arabic names are transliterated by the usual modern system, but older systems differ in spelling not pronunciation - for example Khalif and Caliph are obviously the same word.
This covers the north-western mountain border tribes of India, such as the Assakenoi and Paropamisdai, from their first appearance in history until incorporation into Greek Bactria. Their best troops were their horse, those of the Paropamisdai being good enough for both Darius and Alexander to brigade them with Arachosians. Their infantry used both long spears and bows against the Macedonians, but climbed hills when overmatched and were out-shot by Macedonian missile troops. Long spears were a favourite weapon of the area in later periods. The infantry of their similarly dressed Bactrian and Gandarian neighbours combined bows and short spears, so Bw (O) is an option. Men armed with short spears and round shields coming from this general area are depicted as tribute bearers at Persepolis and are classed here as Ax (O). Somewhat surprisingly, there is no mention of infantry javelins except when 7,000 Indian mercenaries are described by Diodorus fighting against Alexander with javelins and large but flimsy shields, these presumably being the warriors described by Nearchos as armed with javelins and heavy swords, protected by a long but narrow and light hide shield and fighting in a fairly static style.
Only from 321 BC to 180 BC (Mauryas): Upgrade to regular - Elephant-mounted generals @ 36AP [16+20] if (O) or 40AP [20+20] if (S), chariots to Reg Cv (S) @ 29AP if general, 9AP if not, cavalry to Reg Cv (O) @ 28AP if general, Reg Cv (I) @ 6AP if not, javelinmen to Reg Bd (I) @ 5AP, archers to Reg Bw (O) @ 5AP All/0 Guild troops - Irr Bw (I) @ 3AP 0-4 Upgrade Bge to regular @ +1AP All/0 Yantra - Reg Art (S) @ 10AP or Reg Art (O) @ 8AP or Reg Art (I) @ 4AP 0-1 Wild tribes archers - Irr Ps (O) @ 2AP 0-6 Mountain Indian allies - List: Mountain Indian (Bk 2/2) 0-10 Only from 321 BC to 320 AD: Maiden guard - Reg Bd (I) @ 5AP or Reg Cv (O) @ 8AP Only from 179 BC to 320 AD: Replace chariots with horsemen - Irr Cv (I) @ 5AP Saka mercenaries - Irr LH (F) @ 4AP Bactrian Greek mercenary guardsmen - Reg Sp (O) @ 5AP or Reg Ax (S) @ 5AP Only after 320 AD (Guptas): Replace chariots with lancers on armoured horses - Irr Cv (S) @ 19AP if general, otherwise 9AP Replace Cv (I) with horse archers - Irr LH (F) @ 4AP 0-1 Any 0-3 0-2 All to
This list covers the Indus and Ganges basins and Deccan from the development of a more practical view of warfare than that depicted in the Vedas until the fall of the Guptas. Elephant escorts, advocated in Indian literature, are not mentioned in Poross army. They are best represented by adding 2 Bw (O) and 2 Bd (I) figures to the elephant base. The large clumsy 4-horse 6-man crew chariots classed here as Kn (X) are actually attested (by Curtius) only for Poros when fighting Alexander in 326 BC. Their crew of 2 drivers with javelins, 2 archers and 2 shield bearers suggests that they were intended for close combat. Some got stuck in muddy going and the majority in good going are mentioned only as being out-manoeuvred and all destroyed by Alexanders companions and horse archers. Later rulers are known to have used lighter 4 horse chariots crewed by a driver and 2 archers, classed here as Cv (S). Indian chariotry was used as a main combat arm against all types of enemy troops and operated separately from the horsemen, whose primary tasks were to attack or defend baggage, extend the armys front and protect its flanks, and to pursue a broken enemy or cover a retreat. One favoured deployment was with the elephants in the centre to break the enemys formation, the chariots on both flanks and the horsemen on the extreme wings. No specific tasks were allocated to the infantry not employed as elephant escorts apart from, as an apparent afterthought, making themselves generally useful. It is now generally accepted that the Indian bow was insufficiently powerful and the archers insufficiently aggressive to be classed as (S). Although both the javelinmenand (until the end of the Mauryas) the archers carried a heavy sword used two-handed, they are noted as being reluctant to close with opponents. Although considered able to operate effectively in rough going, this was not so in really difficult going. Rathamasaula are described as hooked and bladed man-pushed carts similar to Roman anti-elephant weapons. The Arthashastra suggests that bullocks could be substituted for chariot horses if these were lacking, or mules, camels and carts for elephants. The only reasonable explanation of the latter is as improvised war wagons. Neither of these desperate expedients are likely to have been necessary for the rich and powerful Maurya. The Mauryan army was mainly of full-time paid troops with state issued arms.
This list covers all the armies of the Warring States period up to the final victory of Chin over its rivals in 221 BC, the Chin Empire from then until its collapse in 207 BC, and the succession wars leading to the establishment of the Han dynasty in 202 BC. It is likely that the troop-types known from the Chin terracotta army were typical of most of this period, and possible that sophisticated armour and weapons, far from being a reason for Chins success, were borrowed from its neighbours after their subjugation. An army may not combine troops specified as belonging to different states, even if an ally-general is used. Note that the state of Yueh was destroyed in 333 BC, and so can never have cavalry. The option to class Chin troops as warband and nongenerals chariots as irregular reflects the fanaticism for individual combat encouraged by Lord Shangs system of promotion by numbers of heads taken. It was certainly no longer in evidence by 209 BC. In the 4th century Chu troops were regarded as of poor quality, but by the later 3rd they seem to have been better than the Chin. It would probably reflect the disaffection rife in Chin armies of the later Empire period (say 215 - 207 BC) to include large numbers of massed levies under allygenerals. Heavy cavalry can always dismount to fight on foot; they may be equipped either with crossbows (possibly associated with them in the terracotta army), dismounting as Bw (O), or with swords and halberds, dismounting as Ax (S).
Only Athenians with Iphikrates as C-in-C from 374 BC to 353 BC: Regrade Athenian hoplites embarked on galleys and/or any mercenary peltasts as Iphikratean to Reg Pk (F) @ 4AP Only Athenians and Spartans before 396 BC: Thracian light horse - Irr LH (O) @ 4AP Only Athenians before 365 BC: Horse archers - Reg LH (F) @ 5AP Only Agesilauss Spartans in Asia and Greece from 396 BC to 394 BC: Upgrade Greek cavalry to Reg Cv (O) @ 8AP Paphlagonian cavalry - Irr LH (O) @ 4AP Paphlagonian foot - Irr Ax (O) @ 3AP Spithridatess Persian deserters - Irr Kn (I) @ 8AP or Irr Cv (O) @ 7AP Mysian foot - Irr Ps (S) @ 3AP Hostages - Irr Hd (I) @ AP Only from 353 BC: Regrade mercenary peltasts as Reg Ax (O) @ 4AP
0-2 per 3 Thracian Ax or Ps 0-2 All 0-6 0-8 0-1 0-6 0 or 4-8 Any
Only Spartans from 415 BC to 371 BC, Thessalians after 380 BC, Athenians after 365 BC, Thebans or Siciliots: Hamippoi supporting cavalry - Reg Ps (I) @ 1AP 0-1 per Greek Cv This list covers Greek city state armies until the mainland states started to replace hoplites by thureophoroi and/or pikemen around 275 BC; and then only the minor Siciliot and Italiot states until 235 BC. It can also be used to cover the entirely mercenary foreign expeditions commanded by Xenophon, Thibron, Aristodemos and Kleonymos, whose high aggression ensures that they are indeed foreign expeditions. An army must include a general of each city contributing at least 6 hoplite, or any Athenian, Theban, Thessalian, Siciliot or Italiot elements. A Phokian C-in-C is allowed only in the Sacred War of 355346 BC and can have no more than 16 non-mercenary elements. Only an army with a Phokian or (in 343 BC) a Tarentine Italiot C-in-C can include a Spartan ally-general, who must command all Spartan elements present, but can also command mercenaries (and if the C-in-C is Tarentine) Italiots. Only a Spartan C-in-C can have a Spartan sub-general. An army with a Siciliot, Italiot or Phokian C-in-C cannot include Thebans or Thracians. Agesilaus Spartans while in Asia cannot have more than 12 elements of Sp (S) excluding generals. An army cannot include both Syracusans and Thebans. All Spartan, mercenary and Siciliot or Italiot citizen hoplites must be upgraded or downgraded if any such are. Hoplites of one city cannot provide rear support to those of another. Greek Cv can be supported by hamippoi. TF not defending baggage must be in a single line connecting 2 difficult terrain features and cannot be placed if invading. Peltasts started as skirmishers given small shields (pelta). Iphikrates gained his reputation commanding these, but late in his career re-armed hoplites serving at sea with longer spears and pelta, and may have extended this to his peltasts. The innovation was short lived, but peltasts later evolved into cheap mobile close combat troops used to support psiloi, seize commanding terrain or as an advance guard. Athenian ephebia were youths conscripted for 2 years garrison duty and trained in drill, javelin-throwing, archery and catapults.
6. BITHYNIAN 435 BC - 74 BC
Warm. Ag 1. S, Rv, WH, DH, SH, GH, Wd, O, V, RF, F, Rd, BUA (or after 265 BC BUAf). E = 1/60, 2/5, 2/6, 2/7, 2/12, 2/14, 2/15, 2/16, 2/17, 2/30, 2/34, 2/48. C-in-C - Irr Kn (I) in single-based wedge @ 18AP, or Irr LH (O) @ 14AP Sub-general - as above Cavalry - up to Irr Kn (I) in single-based wedge @ 8AP, remainder Irr LH (O) @ 4AP Warriors - Irr Ax (O) @ 3AP Javelinmen - Irr Ps (I) @ 1AP Archers - Irr Ps (O) @ 2AP Camp - Irr Bge (O) @ 2AP, or loaded carts - Irr Bge (I) @ 1AP Only before 335 BC: Persian cavalry - Irr Cv (O) @ 7AP Only from 280 BC to 253 BC: Heraklean or other Greek allies - List Later Hoplite Greek (Bk 2/5) or Hellenistic Greek (Bk 2/31) Only from 278 BC: Galatian allies - List: Galatian (Bk 2/30) Only after 265 BC: Regrade generals to Reg Cv (O) @ 28AP Regrade cavalry to up to Reg LH (O) @ 5AP, remainder Reg Cv (O) @ 8AP Upgrade warriors to thureophoroi - Reg Ax (S) @ 5AP Upgrade javelinmen to Reg Ps (S) @ 3AP [can support Cv] European Thracian mercenaries - Irr Ax (S) @ 4AP Trieres - Reg Gal (F) @ 4AP [Ax] or tetreres - Reg Gal (O) @ 5AP [Reg Ax] Only after 179 BC: Paphlagonian ally-general commanding all and only Paphlagonians - Irr Cv (O) @ 12AP or Irr LH (O) @ 9AP Paphlagonian horse - Irr LH (O) @ 4AP Paphlagonian foot - Irr Ax (O) @ 3AP Paphlagonian pack-mules - Irr Bge (F) @ 2AP All All to all Any 0-12 0-4 *1 *2-6 *4-12 0-2 1 1-2 4-12 30-140 8-20 4-10 0-2 per general 0-4
The Bithynians were a Thracian people occupying the NW corner of Asia Minor. The list runs from independence from Persia until Nikomedes IIIs bequest of his kingdom to Rome. A local dynast, Ziboetes, declared himself king in 297 BC. Successive kings increasingly Hellenised the country. Early foot fought with javelins; there is no evidence for long spear or rhomphaia. 2nd century BC stelae show Hellenised thureophoroi and armoured cavalry; one mentions infantry operating with advance cavalry. Persian cavalry were provided against the Ten Thousand. The Galatians were invited into Asia by Nikomedes I for a Bithynian civil war. Paphlagonia was a buffer against Pontus from 179 BC. Minima marked * apply only if Paphlagonians are used. Greek allies can include naval.
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This list covers Campanian, Apulian, Lucanian and Bruttian armies from the Oscan conquest of Greek Italy until Hannibals retreat to Africa near the end of the 2nd Punic war. Like their cousins the Samnites, the Campanians had had a reputation for courage and ferocity in the 5th century. After a few generations of the good life in Campania, if Livy is to be believed, they lost much of their warlike ardour.They were subjected by Rome in 340 BC, becoming unfranchised Roman citizens. Their foot then adopted Roman equipment and tactics but when they operated as an independent legion proved to be less tough. Their cavalry remained effective and formed an important part of Roman armies. The Apulians had even more cavalry than the Campanians. Some Apulians allied with Pyrrhos and subsequently Hannibal against Rome. Lucanians fought for Hannibal against Rome, capitulating in 206 BC. The Bruttians were Hannibals first and staunchest Italian allies, independently raising an army of 15,000 men to attack the coastal Greek cities in 215 BC, which had to be bailed out by Hannos Carthaginians. Bruttian foot fought in the third line with Hannibals other veterans at Zama in 202 BC. We take references to Bruttian bandits as reflecting avocation rather than a distinct troop type.
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32-80 0, or - of above 0-12 0-6 0-2 1 per Gal 1-2 per general 1-2 per Bge (O) All/0
- 0-6 0-3
This list covers Roman armies from the reforms of Camillus until the changes made probably in response to the invasion of Pyrrhos of Epeiros. They are classed as regular because they were organised in uniformly-armed units. They were increasingly kept in the field for long periods and from the war against the rival city of Veii starting in 406 BC were paid while in service. The infantry now usually fought in three lines, the first of hastati armed with pila, sword and scutum and screened by skirmishing leves, the second of principes with long spear, sword and scutum, and the third of veteran triarii armed as the principes and sometimes supported by the enigmatic rorarii and accensi. Rorarii and accensi had officers and standards, so are classed as regular. The rorarii were youngsters and are now usually considered to have provided additional skirmishers. Accensi by their name are servants (justifying the grading of the baggage as regular), but on the one occasion they are mentioned in battle were deployed armed with spears as a reserve and mistaken at a distance for triarii. Livy may imply that this was deliberate deception, so they can optionally be initially depicted as Sp (S) as a Disguised Troops stratagem at a cost of 10AP. Each legion was accompanied by an ala of Italian allies. Latin alae and after 340 BC Campanians were equipped in Roman style, but probably not so others. Although most troops in a levy would have served before, there was an occasion in either 390 or 387 BC on which a hurriedly raised army had not shaken down properly before a disastrous encounter with the enemy. Incendiary pigs and special wagons were a desperate attempt to counter elephants used with little success against Pyrrhos. The wagons were armed with pivoting beams tipped with large blades, spikes or incendiary grapnels and were manned by archers and slingers. Incendiary pigs do not fit the Exp (O) or Ps (X) categories since they are distance weapons, though inaccurate and having a mainly psychological effect. They are instead treated as analogous to hand-launched rockets, except that they cannot affect a target across water. We assume that they are kept tethered by their nose ring until ignited. The usage was of course cruel and inhumane, but blame the Romans, not us. They must be used as an Unusual Troops stratagem at an additional total cost of 10AP. Anti-elephant wagons can also be used as an Unusual troops stratagem, but this is optional due to the greater difficulty of concealment in real life. Although the example of Pyrrhos of Epiros is credited with improving Roman fortified camps, they did exist previously. Roman cavalry fighting the Volscians and Etruscans were dismounted as an aggressive reserve to hard-pressed legionaries. Accordingly, cavalry can always dismount as Ax (S).
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This list covers the western Celts of Gaul and North Italy from the rise of the La Tene culture until the completion of Caesars conquest of Gaul. They are generally graded as Wb (O) to simulate their tribal organisation and aggression. The Gauls living in North Italy (who handed the Romans a series of crushing disasters, the last in 216 BC, and were greatly feared by them.) are described as overlapping their shields and Caesar reports that the Helvetii of Gaul attacked so densely packed that one pilum could penetrate more than one shield, implying that grading as Wb (F) is unsuitable. A typical example of an offensive battle is the Sambre in 57 BC, where the Belgic confederation army made a surprise attack in tribal groups out of woods across the river, catching Caesars Romans unprepared and giving them a hard fight. When Gauls are found on the defensive, it is invariably holding difficult terrain (which in DBMM prevents spontaneous advance). Soldurii were fanatically loyal bodyguards on the Iberian pattern, bound by oath not to survive their leaders death in battle, so are graded as Wb (S), but were probably only found among the Aquitanians, who were of mixed Celtic and Iberian stock. Gaesati were a community of mercenary infantry warriors based in the Alps. They fought naked with considerable dash, but proved very vulnerable to the missiles of skirmishers when attempting to hold a position, so are graded as Wb (F). Minima marked * apply if any gaesati are used. All gaesati must be under the command of a gaesati sub-general, whose command cannot include any other troops. Although chariots had disappeared before Caesars wars, they were important earlier. At Sentinum in 295 BC, when Italian Gauls were allied with the Samnites against Rome, the cavalry were stationed on the flank and the chariots kept in reserve, successfully intervening when the cavalry were beaten. At Telamon in 225 BC, the chariots were on the flanks of the infantry and the cavalry used in a single independent mass, supported by the light troops. The infantry then proved vulnerable to Roman light troops, to which they had no reply. Plashing is the twisting together of branches to make a barrier. If there are insufficient woods, surplus plashing is lost. An army of miscellaneous Germans under Ariovistus was brought in by the Arverni and Sequani against other Gauls in 71 BC, but rebelled, won a decisive victory over a combined Gallic army in 60 BC and occupied part of Gaul until defeated by Julius Caesar in 58 BC.
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This list covers the armies of Philip II and Alexander the Great from Philips reforms to Alexanders Skythian campaign of 329 BC, and that of the regent Antipatros from 334 to 319 BC. It includes the battles of Chaironeia, Granikos, Issos and Gaugamela. The weight of current evidence suggests Hypaspists can be equated to the Macedonians with hoplon shield on the Alexander sarcophagus and did not adopt the sarissa until after the Skythian campaign. A hoplon was found in Philips tomb. Philip and Alexanders old mercenaries were sometimes deployed in difficult terrain, but are not described skirmishing. One possibility is that they were no longer specialists, just men unable to afford hoplite equipment. When on forced marches or in difficult terrain or at sieges, phalangites may have exchanged pikes for javelins as they did at sieges. If this option is used, all phalangites of a command using it must be Ax (O). Philip II had a nasty experience with artillery fighting Phokis in 353 BC, and became a fanatic on the subject, joining the Syracusans and Phokians as the third great artillery power. Alexander used bolt-shooters in a few field battles, notably against the Skythians. Alexander acquired Macedonias first large warships during his conquest of Asia Minor. Philip and Alexander both banned wagons as a hinderance to mobility, though Alexander relaxed this in India.
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This list covers Samnite armies from the foundation of the Samnite league. They fought long and hard against the Romans in a series of wars from 343 BC to 272 BC, and were the only Italian nation whose military qualities the Romans feared. According to Livy they were warlike, brave and resolute even in adversity. Their main strength was in swift moving javelin-armed infantry, organised in cohorts and legions. Grading as (S) reflects not only their reputation but also many of them being armoured. Their preferred tactic was to surround an enemy and pelt him with javelins while avoiding hand-to-hand contact. If possible they would ambush the enemy rather than risk a pitched battle. The wooded hills of their home territory were ideally suited to such tactics. However, they were prepared to fight it out in the open if necessary. Roman allies cannot be used with any other allies. Campanians, Apulians, and Volsci/Hernici can be used together, as can Etruscans, Umbrians and Gauls.
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This list covers the army of Alexander the Great from his invasion of India until its dismemberment after the murder of the regent Perdikkas. The prodromoi had been drafted into the Companions and replaced by Asiatic light horse, and the hypaspists were now certainly pike-armed. Most hypaspists were sent home in 324 and the remainder (now called Argyraspids silver shields) supplemented by a Persian guard of apple-bearer spearmen and archers dressed in a flame-colour (yellow?), scarlet and royal blue uniform. Greek and other mercenaries were progressively left behind as garrisons for conquered territory. A 5th unit of Companions was formed, mostly of Persians. Before his death Alexander was experimenting with a mixed phalanx comprising 3 ranks of Macedonians with pikes, then 12 ranks of Persians with bows or javelins, then a final rank of Macedonians with pikes. Alexanders death before his expedition to Arabia meant that it was never used in action. Instead, Persians were recruited into pantodapoi pike phalanxes with Macedonian and Greek officers and file leaders. They were sufficiently unproven at this time to be downgraded to (I). Triakonters and a few larger galleys were used on the Indus and accompanied the army home along the coast. Alexander ordered the construction of a fleet of hexeres in Phoenicia in his absence, but the project was mostly abandoned after his death. These were larger than any other warships of the time and may have been intended for use against Carthage. He was also considering a fleet of even larger hepteres to be built at Babylon, together with a navigable canal to get them to the Persian Gulf. The minimum marked * applies only if the army is led by the King or his Regent. The armys base is taken to be Babylonia (or Bactria?). Alexander relaxed his ban on baggage and followers after his Persian campaigns and a camp can include the royal tent, pages, tame philosophers, courtesans, sutlers and soldiers women and children.
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This list represents the armies of all the Asia-based early successors to Alexander after the murder of the regent Perdikkas in 321 BC, except Ptolemy and Seleukos. The most important of these were Antigonos One-Eye, his son Demetrios the Besieger, and Antigonos great enemy Eumenes. Xystophoroi were lancers equivalent to Alexanders Companions. Argyraspids were the old hypaspists re-enlisted by Eumenes despite their advancing age. Eumenes new hypaspists were probably other remnants of Alexanders phalangites collected from satraps guards. Pantodapoi were mostly Asiatics with Macedonian and Greek officers and file leaders. The (I) option reflects the possibility that language disparity (or more likely a sense of inferiority) reduced their effectiveness. The Macedonian phalangites of this the list were new recruits from Macedonia, not Alexanders veterans. Demetrios became King of Macedon in 294, but was a lazy and unpopular ruler and was expelled 6 years later. Eumenes was not Macedonian but Greek, and had been Alexanders military secretary. He was regarded by the other Successors as not one of us and too clever by half. He turned out to have exceptional military talent, but became the victim of treachery in 316 when despite winning a battle he was handed over to the loser (Antigonos) by the Argyraspids in exchange for their captured baggage! Eumenes and Demetrios (who although innovative, charismatic and immensely popular with mercenaries gives the impression of being slightly bored by conventional warfare) are perhaps marginal candidates for Brilliant status, so upgrading to this is optional. Siege or sea towers can only be deployed if the enemy has PF and their own army has no elephants.
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Lysimachos became governor of Thrace when Alexander died, and later took over Macedon and western Asia Minor. Thracians can be from the areas he controlled or subjects of an allied Thracian prince. This is the ideal army for a paranoid player who thinks his troops hate him, since Lysimachos worked extremely hard at being unpopular. One of his best moves was to slaughter his own Illyrian mercenaries whose baggage had been looted by the enemy, in case this had made them discontented and prone to desert! He was regarded by his contemporaries as a villain and a barbarian, yet was obviously an able politician and general. He was defeated and killed by Seleukos in 281 BC and his sons could not retain control. He had divided Demetrios elephants with Pyrrhos after they expelled the former from Macedon. The 800 Lykians and Pamphylians that deserted from Lysimachos to Antigonos in 302 BC were probably a captured Antigonid garrison choosing to return to a more popular employer. After 301 BC Lysimachos was the legitimate ruler of Lykia and Pamphylia so we assume his new recruits were more reliable. The alliance between Lysimachos, Seleukos and Kassandros that defeated Antigonos at Ipsos in 301 BC cannot be simulated with the usual restrictions applying to allied contingents. Instead, each ally contingent supplies the indicated number of elements from its full list (Kassandrids using Kassandros options although he was not present and the Seleucids all their elephants), but only 1 general for the Kassandrids and 1-2 for the Seleucids. Since they had chosen to put themselves under Lysimachos command as they thought him the best tactician, these are treated as sub-generals, not ally-generals, and their troops can be split as desired between the generals. This alliance cannot include naval elements or other allies.
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This list covers the armies of Macedonian Egypt from the death of Alexander to the deaths of Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius. African elephants of the small forest species were tamed after the line of supply for Indian elephants was blocked by the Seleucids. The army was mostly of military settlers and mercenaries, native Egyptians being too unreliable to be trusted except in emergency. The non-Egyptian population of the capital, Alexandria, was prone to riot. At some time after Pydna in 168 BC, some troops may have been equipped in Roman-style as imitation legionaries. However, few of the depictions identified as imitation legionaries show armour and none show pila or gladius, so possibly depict ordinary thureophoroi. Cretan and Pisidian peltast regiments were javelin-skirmishers with helmets and small round shields. Caesar reports that the army of his day largely comprised brigands and ex-pirates from Kilikia and Syria, exiles and runaway slaves. The Gabinian legionaries left behind by a previous Roman expedition had once been good troops. The C-in-C can always dismount as Pk (S) or any 1 sub-general as Pk (O). The provision for a river simulates a fordable branch of the Nile delta.
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0-6 Any 0-
Only Former Chin from 351 AD to 394 AD: Upgrade C-in-C to Reg Kn (F) @ 31AP 0-1 Upgrade ally-generals to sub-generals - Reg Kn (F) @ 31AP 0-2 Replace armoured tribal infantry with Chinese cavalry - Reg Kn (F) @ l 1AP 0-4 Replace unarmoured tribal infantry with Chinese conscripts - spearmen or halberdiers - Reg Sp (I) @ 4AP, remainder crossbowmen - Reg Bw (I) @ 4AP 8-36 Chinese conscript skirmishing archers - Reg Ps (O) @ 2AP 0-1 per 6 Reg Sp and Reg Bw Camp defences to protect baggage - TF @ 1AP 0 or 1-2 per Bge (O) Hsien-pi allies - List: Hsien-pi, Wu-huan, Pre-Dynastic Khitan or Hsi (Bk 2/61) [may include regular infantry] Hsiung-nu allies - List: Hsiung-nu or Juan-juan (Bk 2/38) Only Former Chin from 357 AD to 385AD Downgrade C-in-C (as Fu Chien) to Inert general @ reduction of 75 AP Only Former Chin in 383 AD: Chinese mass levy - Irr Hd (O) @ 1AP 0-12
The Chiang were a group of tribes on the hilly western borders of China, stretching from Szechwan and Kansu into Tibet. They were never united, and fought both for and against Han China. The Ti of northern Szechwan are often associated with them and may have been related; both are sometimes thought to be related to the Tibetans. (The Ti of this list are not the same nation as the Ti of the Early Northern Barbarian Book l list.) Chiang and Ti fought mostly as infantry. Their weaponry is described as bows, spears, swords, short knives and armour. 4th-century AD Chiang and Ti troops are said to have scattered easily, suggesting that they did not fight in close formations. They had some horsemen, since the Han recruited Chiang cavalry and some Ti cavalry are attested under Former Chin, but it is not clear how they fought. They may have fought as nomad-style horse archers or closer to the Chinese style. It is probable that 4th- century AD Chiang adopted the cataphract equipment used by the Hsien-pi and some other tribal cavalry in N. China. In the 2nd century AD, Hsiung-nu groups frequently assisted Chiang rebellions. As some Chiang infiltrated into Han territory in north-western China, local Chinese joined Chiang revolts in l l l AD and, along with Hsiung-nu and others, in 184 - 214 AD. One Ti group founded the kingdom of Cheng-Han in Szechwan (302 - 347 AD), the first barbarian kingdom to be set up on Imperial soil as the Western Chin collapsed. It was eventually reconquered by the Eastern Chin of southern China. Another Ti clan set up the Former Chin dynasty (351 - 394 AD), which briefly ruled all northern China. Its king Fu Chien failed in an attempt to conquer the south in 383, and the kingdom collapsed soon after. Other Ti and Chiang states, successors to Former Chin in the north, were Later Chin (384 - 417 AD) and Later Liang (385 - 403 AD). The partly fictionalised Chronicle of Fu Chien describes a huge army of low quality troops levied by the Former Chin for the battle of the Fei River in 383, which also included a large number of ethnic Chinese cavalry levied from the rich and the nobility. An account of an earlier Former Chin battle describes cavalry officers with Chinese names charging repeatedly to close quarters with no concern for their flanks and capturing standards.
22
Only Nabataea from 250 BC to 106 AD: Upgrade sub-generals to Reg Bd (O) @ 27AP Any Upgrade other generals and cavalry to all Reg Kn (F) @ 31AP if general, l 1AP if not, or all Reg Cv (O) @ 28AP if general, 8AP if not All Upgrade archers to Reg Bw (O) @ 5AP 0-12 Upgrade horse archers to Reg LH (F) @4AP 1 per 2 Reg Bw Only Nabataea in 31 BC: Ptolemaic allies - List: Ptolemaic (Bk.2/20) [can include non-compulsory troops] Any from 126 BC to 225 AD except Nabataea or Emesa: Upgrade generals and cavalry to cataphracts - Irr Kn (X) @ 21AP if general, l 1AP if not Parthian allies - List: Parthian (Bk 2/37) Only Hatra from 116 BC to 225 AD: Cataphract camels - Irr Cm (S) @ 8AP Only Hatra from 100 AD to 240 AD: Bolt-shooters - Reg Art (O) @ 8AP Naphtha and scorpion-pot hurlers - Irr Ps (X) @ 6AP Only Hatra fram 200 AD: Stone-throwers - Reg Art (S) @ 10AP Only Hatra from 235 AD to 240 AD: Roman auxiliaries - Reg Ax (O) @ 4AP Only Characene: Northern Arabian nomad allies - List: Later Pre-Islamic Arab (Bk 2/23) Only Emesa from 51 BC to 72 AD: Upgrade generals and cavalry to cataphracts - Reg Kn (X) @ 33AP if general, 13AP if not Upgrade sub-general to Reg Ax (S) @ 25AP Guard infantry - Reg Ax (S) @ 5AP Any 0-1 2-4 Any
This covers most of the Aramaic-speaking, but Parthian and Hellenistic influenced, Arab-ruled city states of Syria and Mesopotamia. It includes the Nabataean kingdom 312 BC - 106 AD, the Arabayan kingdom of Hatra l50 BC - 240 AD, Edessa 150 BC - 197 AD, Singara l47 BC - 198 AD, Characene/Mesene 127 BC - 222 AD, Adiabene 126 BC - l l5 AD, and Emesa 126 BC - 72 AD, but not Palmyra, which has its own list. The Nabataeans defeated Antigonids, Maccabees and Seleucids, burnt the remnants of Cleopatras fleet and fought fiercely against Herod the Great. The kingdom was centred on the rock-city of Petra and was renowned for its wealth, derived from myrrh, frankincense and bitumen. The majority of Nabataean troops were archers and some at least were regulars, since one officer from the period of the Kingdom had the title qntrynd - centurion - and several are known with the Greek titles strategos, chiliarchos and hipparchos. On annexation, Nabataea provided at least 6 cohortes equitatae for the Roman army, some at least of which were sagittarii and had their cavalry component also armed with bows. There are also several inscriptions that refer to cavalry companions and one to a chiliarch of the Hephaestions, suggesting Hellenistic-style xystophoroi rather than Parthian-style cataphracts. Camels were not much used except for baggage, scouting and possibly trade route protection. Stampeding camels were used by King Obodas against the Judaean infantry of Alexander Yannai. Allied contingents supplied by Nabataeans to other nations can include camel mounted scouts, and need not include any infantry unless the total number of elements in the allied contingent exceeds 12 including baggage. Emesa was always willing to help out the Romans with an allied contingent of 1,000 cavalry and 2-3,000 mainly archer foot, especially against its neighbours. Hatra was defended by an exceptionally powerful force of artillery. Since there is no record of its use in the field, it can only be used from PF. The cataphract camels used by the Parthians in 217 AD may have been Hatrene. A Hatrene allied contingent can therefore include Cm (S).
23
The Rhoxolani were among the earliest of the Sarmatian nations to contact the classical world, and were late in converting to the armoured lancer. This list covers the early period when most of them relied on bow and light spear.
24
This list covers the Bosporan kingdom of the Crimea from the civil war of 310 BC untii its fall to the Huns, excluding a period of Mithridatic rule after which it joined the Roman sphere. It consisted of a Hellenized Skythian aristocracy ruling Greek colonies. Minima marked * or ** apply if any troops so marked are used. Art (F) were once used to lure a Gothic army into an ambush.
25
This is the army of Pyrrhos of Epeiros, rated by Hannibal as the best general of all time, but also the origin of the term Pyrrhic victory. He reorganised Epeirot infantry into Macedonian-style phalangites and was probably responsible for the spread of shield use among Hellenistic cavalry, having become familiar with the use of shields by his Tarentine allies. This was not compatible with the long xyston formerly used by Epeirot and Macedonian cavalry. However, Plutarch describes him still personally using the xyston in his later battles. Italiotes are from the Greek cities of Italy, which invited him to protect them from the Romans. Oscans are Bruttian, Lucanian or Samnite native Italians. Minima marked * apply only if any Oscans are used.
26
This list covers Armenia from its foundation as an independent kingdom until Heraklios established Byzantine control in 627 AD towards the end of the last great Byzantine war against the Sassanids; and Gordyene from after coming under Parthian influence around 147 BC until subjection by the Sassanids around 225 AD. After the failure of their attempt at empire under Tigranes the Great, the Armenians survived by playing off their Roman and Parthian or Sassanid neighbours against each other. Exasperation with their slipperiness may have been the cause of the kingdoms partitioning between Rome and Sassanid Persia in 386 AD. The Roman half had a Roman garrison but the Sassanid part was ruled semi-independently by a Persian marzban. The installation of a fire-altar in 571 or 572 AD led to a revolt which was put down with difficulty, but sapped native support. The last involvement of an Armenian allied contingent on behalf of the Sassanids was in 604, after which unified Armenian native forces carried on a semi-guerilla war against the Sassanids independently of the Byzantine army. The Hiberians were the extrovert inhabitants of present-day Georgia. Their infantry were especially prized by Armenian kings. Albanians were neighbours of the Hiberians and are described as having cataphracts and psiloi, and as armed with javelins and bows, no mention being made of lancers. Shields were thureous, and helmets, like those of the Hiberians, were covered in beast skins. A contemporary Albanian general attacked Pompey with a javelin.We suggest using cataphract figures but with lances cut away or cut down. Armenian cataphracts were probably replaced by armoured horse archers under Sassanid influence, since, while the Notitia Dignitatum includes units of Parthian, Persian and Palmyran clibanarii, the only Armenian cavalry unit is of noble sagittarii, and in 373 AD an Armenian king and his bravest men are described charging while pouring in arrows like a shower of sparks. An Armenian ally-generals command in this army, or an allied contingent taken from this list, can include Hiberians and/or Albanians and need not include otherwise compulsory foot. An allied command taken from this list cannot be Tigranes. He felt far too importantfor that and sent minions instead. He would have been a very bad subordinate. As C-in-C he discouraged advice and lost his crucial battle against the Romans because his practise of punishing bearers of unwelcome news severely reduced his situational awareness. Hun allies cannot include their subjects. Gordyene was ethnically mostly Kurdish and is remarked upon by Pliny as an example of Hellenisation, which had turned the barbaric Kardouchoi tribesmen who fought Xenophon into civilised Gordyeneians, noted constructors of artillery. Phalangites and imitation legionaries must be in the C-in-Cs command.
All/0 All
Tien is the area around a highland lake in the remote south-west of China. Chuang Chiao, a general of the Chinese state of Chu, proclaimed the independent kingdom of Tien circa 295 BC. In 109 BC the Han emperor Wu Ti sent an army against the king of Tien who submitted peacefully and became a client ruler. Tien was incorporated as a province in 45 AD. Kun-Ming is a plain bordered by mountains to the north with a mild climate and renowned fror horseand cattle rearing and cereal growing. Its people were the Tiens less civilised enemies, distinguished by long pig-tails. Apart from rich weapon finds in graves, our main source for the warriors of the kingdom are dioramas of bronze figures in 60mm scale which were used to decorate the lids of bronze vessels. Axemen had a variety of disk, crescent and dagger axes and some wore cumbersome armour. Pikemen are depicted with long weapons thrusting two-handed, some with shields. Cavalry in battle scenes are depicted armoured and with sword and spear. Some in other art are unarmoured but may be huntsmen or herders. Nomad influence cannot be completely ruled out, however, hence the option for horse archers.
27
This list covers the branch of the Celts that went east through the Danubian plains and invaded Greece, causing many upsets before they settled down in central Asia Minor. They defeated several armies based on pike phalanxes, fighting naked and displaying fanatic fervour and indifference to wounds, but proved unable to cope with javelin-armed skirmishers in difficult terrain. Their own few skirmishers were normally used to support their cavalry. Galatian fanaticism waned after their initial wave of conquest was brought to a halt by Pergamon 241 - 228 BC. In the battles of l89 BC they still fought naked, but mostly stood to receive attack and broke quickly, convincing their Roman opponents that they had deteriorated. This does not apply to the more adventurous spirits who went abroad as mercenaries. These retained their fearsome reputation. Galatian cavalry can always dismount as Wb (S), as at Mount Magaba in l89 BC. Minima marked * apply if any Greeks are used. These represent the Thessalian and Aenianian nobles and followers recorded as joining the invasion of Greece in 279 BC. Aenianians probably provided javelinmen and slingers, Thessalians cavalry and peltasts. Minima marked ** apply only if any Pisidians are used. Captured Seleucid scythed chariots are described by Lucian in a battle against the Seleucids in 273 BC. There must be at least twice as many light chariots as scythed chariots. They cannot be used with Pisidians. Kappadokians and Paphlagonians helped against Rome in l89 BC. The tetrarch Diotarus was made king by Pompeys settlement of the east; and in 51-50 BC he joined Ciceros Roman army bringing 30 cohorts armed in the Roman style and 2,000 cavalry. In 47 BC, he sent 2 legions (20 cohorts) but only 100 cavalry to fight alongside the Romans against Pharnaces of Pontus, but they did not fight well. The Galatian legions were reformed into the Roman Legio XXII Deiotariana when Galatia became a Roman province in 25 BC. Allied contingents from this list after 63 BC cannot include Wb.
28
This list covers the period during which the mainland Greek states progressively abandoned the traditional hoplite, first for peltasts carrying the long shield called the thureos, then for Macedonian-style pike phalanxes. It ends with Greece a Roman province. Boiotia adopted the thureos about 270 and changed to pikes about 245. The Achaian league used the thureos till 208 before changing to pikes. Sparta started to change directly from hoplites to pikes in 225. The Greek states do not seem to have upgraded their fleets to the new penteres, but produced some tetreres. Incendiary pigs were used on one occasion to frighten elephants. Except that they cannot affect a target across water, they are treated as if hand-launched rockets. Athenian, Achaiaii, Boiotian, Eleian or Spartan troops must be commanded by a general of their own nation. Aitolians in other states armies can be either mercenaries, or allies under their own general. The minimum marked * applies only if an Aitolian allied command is used, in which case the contingent can also include thureophoroi, to a maximum of l element per 2 elements of javelinmen. Aitolian javelinmen are always irregular. The only recorded use of artillery in a field battle was by Machandis of Sparta who when fighting Philopoimen deployed a line of engines in front.
29
2-6 1-3 per 2 Ax (S) and Sp 0-12 1 All All All 0-8 0-1
This list covers Carthaginian armies from just after the war against Pyrrhos of Epeiros until the destruction of Carthage by the Romans. Numidian allies from 213 to 203 can include Syphax and his Roman-trained infantry, but not Masinissa. Hannibals army in Italy from 218 to 203 cannot include Numidian or Spanish allies, Celtiberians, artillery, or more than 2 elephants in 218, any from 217 to 216, or 1 from 215. Spanish Ps (S) can give rear support to Spanish Cv. Livys tale of 6,000 Macedonians fighting at Zama is Roman propaganda fiction. Whether Libyans and veterans should be classed as Sp or Bd has been hotly disputed. The historical evidence is inconclusive, but classing them as Sp produces more historical deployments. Poeni is the Carthaginians term for themselves and is used here for native troops as opposed to subjects and mercenaries. At Trebia in 218, Hannibals Gallic foot were stationed in a single sector and fought under tribal leaders and next year were criticised for bad march discipline and lack of stamina., so are classed as Wb. By Cannae in 216, they were in small controllable units interspersed with Spanish as a flexible defence, so that classification as Ax is necessary to produces historical results. At Zama in 202, inadequately trained elephants were used as an expendable front line, and recently recruited Gallic foot and Ligurians are said to have attacked with great enthusiasm and to have resented lack of support by the Libyans and Poeni of the next line.
30
This list, based on Polybios, covers the Roman wars with Carthage, Macedonia and the Seleucids. The exact time of the change from the Camillan system is unknown, but we have set it at the last year of war against Pyrrhos of Epeiros, on the assumption that it may have been in response to the new problems posed by an opponent with pikemen and elephants. The option for a Roman ally general represents both consuls being present and commanding on alternate days. We assume that Latin allies are indistinguishable from Romans, but that other Italian allies fought in traditional looser formation. Legions now fought in four lines, with leves/velites in front, then hastati, principes and triarii. In the 2nd Punic war two legions were recruited from slave volunteers after the Roman defeat at Cannae in 216 BC, and 6,000 debtors and convicts were armed partly with Gallic weapons captured at Telamon. At the battle of Beneventum in 214 BC, freedom was offered to any slave who took an enemy head. These proved a mistake, as the bravest, having killed an enemy, stopped fighting to cut off his head, and were then unable to take further part for fear of dropping their prizes. Fortunately the Roman commander noticed, and declaring that they had already proved their valour, ordered them to drop the heads and attack. Up to 4 elements of slingers and 4 of Cretans can be used with any allies. Numidians, Aitolian allies, Pergamene allies, Rhodians and Ligurians can be used together; otherwise only one nationality of non-Italians other than Ps (O) can be used. Velites can support Roman or Italian allied Cv. Aitolian allies are chosen as specified for an Aitolian allied contingent including only LH (O), Ax (S) and/or Ps (S) within the Hellenistic Greek list, and not in the usual manner. Bd (I) cannot provide rear support for Bd (O).
31
This army represents the army of Pergamon from Eumenes Is assumption of independence until the defeat of Aristonicus revolt after Attalos III bequeathed the kingdom to Rome. Achaian allies cannot include Pk. The ex- Seleucids are settlers from Lydia and Phrygia, taken over after the battle of Magnesia. Minima marked * apply if any ex-Seleucid troops are used. Peltasts at Magnesia were probably of the old lighter type.
32
This list covers the Greek states in Bactria and India from Diodotoss revolt against the Seleucids and establishment of an independent Bactrian kingdom, until the fall of the last Greek state in India. The Bactrian revolt was subsequent to the adoption of the thureophoros in the Seleucid army, and the thureophoros appears in Bactrian art. It is likely that colonist infantry were now similarly armed. A Bactrian army raised by Euthydemos in 208 BC to foil an attempted Seleucid reconquest consisted entirely of cavalry. The Greek cavalry were probably originally standard Hellenistic lancers, adopting the bow later in response to enemy horse archers and elephants. A Graeco-Indian coin depicts a rider in Greek armour with a bow, but also a short spear carried in his quiver. This could have been shortened to fit the available space, but the method of carriage makes it unlikely to have been long enough to be classified as a lance. Another cavalryman in Iranian dress is depicted on a silver dish with a cased bow, but using a long lance in both hands as his primary weapon. This could be one of the Iranian nobility, but has also recently been interpreted both as a Chionite Hun and as a Sassanid Persian, both of whom occupied Bactria in the 4th-5th centuries AD. A find of cataphract equipment in a government armoury dates to around 150 BC. More than half the non-allied elements of a Graeco-Indian army must be of non-allied Indian troops including any elephants. Minima marked * apply only if any infantry or elephants are used.
33
0-12 0-21
This list covers Parthian armies from the foundation of the Parthian kingdom to the replacement of the Arsacid dynasty by the Sassanid Persians, and also the vassal states of Media-Atropatene from 300 BC to 225 AD, Elymais from 147 BC to 205 AD and Persis from 141 BC to 220 AD. The Armenian ally general is assumed to be a puppet that the Parthians are trying to put on the throne. The Seleucid allies represent the captured army of Antigonos Sidetes, used against the Skythians after his death. It changed sides. Sarmatian allies were hired for an intervention in Armenia in 35 AD, though they failed to link up. A large force of other allies did join and may have been Dahae, who also took part in a civil war from 39 AD to 41 AD. Armenians, Seleucids and Sarmatians, cannot be used together or with city troops. Labienus Romans combined with the Parthians in a last desperate throw in the Roman civil wars at the end of the republic. The fully armoured cataphracts mounted on horses whose head, neck, chest and sides were similarly protected by metal armour, were the most impressive part of the army. The armys strength lay in the combination of these with light horse archers. The least successful Parthian armies were those using most cataphracts and fewest horse archers. A Sassanid triumphal sculpture shows the defeat in 224 AD of Parthian dignitaries who are fully armoured in cataphract style, but mounted on apparently unarmoured horses. Close examination shows that horse armour is in fact depicted. Cataphract camels used in 217 AD were probably Hatrene. Foot were used only in defending cities or in mountainous areas. Of these Media Atropatene bordered Armenia. Hyrkania bordered the Caspian, which because it offers no sea access to invaders is classed as a large lake. Persis borders the Persian gulf, but its coast is impractical for shipping, so it also has no sea access. Its neighbour Elymais had a port, so has. City garrisons, militia and other city dwellers can only be deployed by a defender who has placed a fortified BUA. The Suren were one of the great families of Parthia, who, after the reconquest of Parthias eastern provinces from the Saka, took over management of the eastern provinces, then co-operated with the Saka in conquering various Indian and Bactrian Greek territories. At the start of the 1st century AD, Gondophares declared himself king, and the kingdom survived in defiance of Parthia until conquered by the Kushans. Indo-Parthian options cannot be used with any allies except Saka. Minima marked ** apply only if any Indo-Parthian option is used.
34
Only Southern Hsiung-nu after 312 AD: Upgrade Cv generals and nobles to Irr Kn (X) @ 21AP if general, l l AP if not, or Irr Kn (F) @ 19AP if general, 9 if not All/0 Only Juan-juan: Upgrade Cv generals and nobles to Irr Cv (S) @ 19AP if general, 9AP if not Only Juan-juan from 545 AD to 552 AD: Gk allies - List: Central Asian Turkish (Bk 3/11) The Hsiung-nu established rule over other nomad tribes in the 3rd century BC. Their empire was weakened by Han Chinese attacks in the 2nd century BC, and broke up after a civil war about 50 AD. The northern horde was forced by Hsien-pi attacks to migrate west in 91AD and may have been ancestors of the Huns. The southern horde survived to found several kingdoms on Chinese soil, starting with the Former Chao (304 - 329 AD). Three clans recombined as the Juan-juan in 308 AD and formed a large steppe empire until conquered by their former Gok Turk allies 552 - 555 AD. Surprisingly, most major battles against the Chinese were fought at home on the steppe. Minima marked * apply if any troops of that origin are used in that time period. All
35
This list extends from the Carthaginian expansion into Spain until the last Spanish revolt against Roman rule. Assistant generals are classified as allies because large armies were made up from coalitions of tribes. Celtiberians were acknowledged as more warlike than other tribes and often served them as mercenaries. Most tribes foot comprised around two-thirds long shield scutarii to one-third round shield caetrati. The Lusitanians were an exception, using only caetrati, although some of these wore armour and greaves, and may therefore have been equivalent to other tribes scutarii. Spanish Ps (S) can give rear support to Spanish Cv. Celtiberian Cv can always dismount as Bd (F), other Cv as Ax (S), LH as Ps (S). Flaming ox-wagons successfully broke Carthaginian lines on one occasion, leading to the death of Hamilcar Barca, Sertorius was a disaffected Roman who fought successfully against Sulla and Pompey. He was a masterly tactician specialising in surprise and ambushes exploiting wooded hills and according to Plutarch introduced Roman weapons, formations and signals. The 53 cohorts of Roman exiles under the treacherous Paperna that joined him maintained a separate command and camp and are treated as an allied contingent.
36
This list covers the Han dynasty from victory in the civil wars after the fall of Chin, until the warlord Tung Cho effectively seized power at court. Minima marked * apply if any mounted troops except generals classed either as Cv or Kn are used. Minima marked ** apply if any infantry, chariots or artillery are used (and must be used before 150 BC). All-cavalry forces, usually depending heavily on tribal auxiliaries, were often used in the steppes from about 150 BC. Some spearmen used halberds descended from the long dagger-axes of the Warring States period. They are classifed as Sp because these were primarily long weapons used to keep off cavalry, were used with shields, and the point was more important than the edge. Mixed formations of spearmen and crossbowmen were occasionally used, as by Li Ling against the Hsiung-nu in 99 BC, but the two types were more usually used separately. Infantry seem to have been of variable quality; some were well-equipped and competent, others were conscripted from convicts or vagabonds and did not perform well - hence the (I) option. Regular Cv can always dismount; up to half the cavalry elements in the army can be armed with crossbow or bow and dismount as Bw (O), the rest with sword or halberd and dismount as Ax (S). Dependent state cavalry were levied from various minor settled states and lesser nomad tribes of the northern frontier and western regions, such as the Chiang. The Han suffered several major peasant rebellions, notably the Red Eyebrows and the Green Woodsmen around the end of the Western Han, and the Yellow Turbans after 184 AD. Peasant rebels are graded as Hd (S) because they had to be very desperate men to revolt at all. They cannot be used with chariots, artillery, southern tribal or dependent state troops, nor any allied contingents. Minima marked *** apply if any southern tribal troops are used. They cannot be used with dependent state troops, or with any allied contingents. Stonethrowers are man-powered engines; bolt-shooters can be weapons shooting multiple arrows. Yang Hsuan cannot use allies, or more than the minima of Cv or LH.
37
This covers the armies of southern India from the rise of the kingdoms of Cholas, Pandyas, Satiyaputras and Kerelaputras until final conquest by Vijayanagar in 1370 AD, and those of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) until the introduction of firearms. Horses were hard to come by in the south, but elephants more plentiful than in the north. Chariots with 2 or 4 horses and crew of 2 are still mentioned in an epic account of the battle of Kalingam in l ll0 AD, but not in mundane records. We assume at most a few noble enthusiasts. Cavalry had bows or spears. The best foot were swordsmen, but javelins were also used and spears favoured on shipboard. Archers are described shooting down cavalry. Greek women were preferred for the maiden guard, being bigger as well as more exotic. The Sangam age before 300 AD was the Tamil heroic age, with kingdoms and feudal lordships almost constantly engaged in cattle-raiding and fierce internecine wars. Warriors inspired by huge drums borne on elephants went into battle garlanded by flowers and ate slain enemies. The Tamil kingdoms were next dominated by the Kalabhras; then from 575 AD to 897 AD by the Pallavas. A new Chola dynasty founded in 846 overthrew the Pallavas and in 920 conquered the Pandyas, exiling their last king to Ceylon. They lost power from 950 to 980, then regained it, establishing an empire extending to the Ganges, Ceylon, the Andamans and the Maldives, and invading Sumatra. The Pandyas regained independence from l l90. The last Chola king died in 1279. The Chola army was organised into permanent regiments, and their literature stressed the value of training and practice in manoeuvre. Left hand troops were probably conquered vassals. Tamil dress was a knee-length kilt and a shawl, sometimes body armour and small red wooden shield. Hair was worn long or as a scalp- lock. Wild tribes dressed in skins, grass skirts and bark-cloth. They were usually skirmishing archers, though one Sinhalese ruler once issued some with spears, with unknown effect on their behaviour. Chavers wore only loincloths oiled their bodies and shaved their heads. Sinhalese armies consisted of paid royal troops, including many Tamil and some other mercenaries, and a very numerous bow-armed militia who may have been responsible for the abysmal reputation abroad. Sinhalese elephants were smaller but fiercer than others. Horses were difficult to obtain. Large hide shields are attested protecting disembarked troops.
38
This list covers the period from initial revolt against the Seleucids until the death of John Hyrcanus. The varied classification of the guerillas reflects the contrast between the shrinking of the army from 3,000 to 800 men on sighting the enemy at Elasa, and a generally high state of morale fostered by religious enthusiasm. Later battles imply the presence of more solid troops, described as phalanxes (probably used to mean bodies of formed infantry rather than pikemen, which are first doubtfully attested under Jonathan). The Jewish regulars here are described in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The infantry comprising the mass of the army are in 3 large divisions formed 7 ranks deep with 12 foot spear and long shield. They start the battle by advancing by ranks to throw javelins in a trumpet-ordered volley, continuing until 7 volleys have been thrown. We take them as equivalent to standard Hellenistic thureophoroi. There is also a reference to interpenetrating slingers. Two types of cavalry are described, the older men being in heavy cavalry stationed on the armys wings, and the younger in unarmored units with bow and javelin supporting each infantry division and each side of the camp. The text covering the heavier cavalry is corrupt, but appears to mention body armour for man and horse, helmet, greaves, small shield and 12 foot spear. Prayer, exhortation and troop direction by blasts from sacred trumpets (1 set called trumpets of massacre) figure prominently. The great standard is 14 cubits long, standards of the camps 13, unit standards 10. The armys main heraldic symbol seems to be an ear of wheat, so this might appear on the standard, but there was a great deal of writing on them as well. Minima marked * or ** apply only if any troops so marked are used.
This list covers the armies of the kingdom of Commagene from the secession of the Seleucid governor Ptolemaios until the kingdoms annexation by Tiberius, and then from its restoration by Caligula until its final demise under Vespasian. Commagene sided with Parthia during Pacoruss Western expedition, but subsequently became a client-state of Rome, often contributing troops. During the Jewish revolt, Antiochos IV led his young Macedonian-style bodyguard personally. Rearmed hoplitai were most probably imitation legionaries. An ally contingent drawn from this list need not include Pk unless the C-in-C is Pk.
39
This list covers the three major slave revolts against the Romans in Sicily and Italy. The Sicilian revolts were marked by extreme rivalry and treachery between slave commanders; Spartacus seems not to have had this problem. Diodoruss account suggests a strong Hellenistic Asian background to the first revolt (First Servile War). He mentions axemen and slingers, but not the use of horses or captured equipment. The option marked * represents the elite bodyguard of the slave-king Antiochos, who all suicided rather than surrender, and applies only if Antiochos is C-in-C. They must be in his command. The second revolt (Second Servile War) made good use of cavalry, as well as captured arms. Gauls and Germans formed distinct units in Spartacuss force, and probably fought in their native style. All the slave revolts were marked by extreme fanaticism by the slaves, for whom surrender would bring death by execution or in the quarries and mines. Unfortunately for figure-converters, Plutarch says that Spartacuss gladiators threw away their gladiatorial equipment as soon as they captured Roman arms - presumably they felt it would be too humiliating to wear any longer. However, an odd gladiator figure on each base could be rationalised as a die-hard expert and serve to identify the elite elements. Classification of the majority of the ex-slaves as Hordes (S) represents the combination of desperation and shortage of arms. Plutarch mentions the use of herdsmen and shepherds as skirmishers. Whether Spartacus should be graded as Brilliant is perhaps doubtful, though he was certainly an original commander given to stratagems. The upgrade is therefore optional.
40
The Kushans were originally one of the five Yueh-chi clans who occupied Sogdia and overran the Bactrian Greek kingdom shortly before 130 BC. In the 1st century AD the Kushans conquered the other clans and established the Great Kushan empire over northern India, eastern Iran and much of central Asia. The Kushans became Sassanid vassals in 262 AD, revolted in 356 with Chionite help but were defeated in 358, revolted again in 370 and established their independence by 390 under Kidara, again with Chionite aid. The Chionites settled among the Kushan and became known to the Romans as Kidarite Huns. This new Little Kushan state lost its northern territories to the Sassanids after a defeat in 468, but remained in being south of the Hindu Kush until it fell to the Hephthalite Huns sometime after 477. Frescoes from a Yueh-chi palace at Khalchayan show a cataphract cavalryman and several horse archers, looking very like Parthian types. Figures equipped as Hellenistic phalangites are shown on the rare Macedonian soldier type of Kushan coin, suggesting that remnants of the Bactrian or Indo-Greek forces were incorporated in early Kushan armies. Minima marked * apply if any Indian troops are used. Mountain troops are from IndoIranian border countries such as modern Afghanistan.
41
0-3
42
This list extends from the accession of Mithridates the Great to the throne of Pontus until the final defeat of his son Pharnaces. Having been provoked into war by the greedy governor of the Roma province of Asia (the former Pergamon), Mithridates decided to go for broke, invading and conquering Roman Greece, instituting an organised slaughter of all Roman citizens (with special attention to tax officials) and executed the greedy governor by pouring molten gold down his throat. This programme rallied nearly the whole of Greece to his side and enabled him to create a second phalanx from freed slaves of the Romans, distinguished from the existing brazen shields by not having gold and silver decorated equipment. He did not initially command his army, at first leaving it to the competent professional soldier Archelaos. His original army did not stand up to Sullas veterans of the Social War and was quickly bundled out of Greece. He then reformed the army on Roman lines, reorganising the infantry as imitation legionaries. and from 84 BC commanded it himself, displaying some talent. Defeated again by the brilliant Lucullus (he was very unlucky with his opponents), he once more pulled himself up by his boot straps with aid from a contingent of 4,000 men sent by Tigranes of Armenia to supplement 4,000 of Mithridates own in a re-occupation of Pontus after Lucullus invaded Armenia, only to be defeated again by Pompey in 66 BC and flee to his Bosporan sub-kingdom. There he raised a new army, based according to Appian around 36,000 freemen and slaves trained as legionaries; with the intention of marching round the north-west coast of the Black Sea and invading Italy in alliance with the Gauls. This was too much for his remaining subjects, however, and a revolt by his surviving son and successor Pharnaces in 63 BC led to Mithridatess suicide at the hand of a loyal Celtic officer. Pharnaces re-occupied Pontus from Bosporus during the Roman Civil War, but was then equally unlucky and made a spectacular victim for Caesar. The minimum marked * applies only if any brazen shields or ex-slave phalangites are used. It is not known whether the large contingent of cavalry from Armenia Minor (by then a vassal province of Pontus) commanded by Mithridates son Arkathios in the initial phase of the 1st Mithridatic War included cataphracts. If so, they can be treated as an Armenian allied contingent. Although ultimately defeated by the Romans, Pontic armies won several victories over lesser Roman generals, only coming unstuck against the big four. The earlier armies used standard Hellenistic tactics, though making full use of their scythed chariots and superior cavalry; indeed defeating the Bithynians with only these and light infantry near the River Amnias in 84 BC, Archelaos having joined battle without waiting for the phalanx to arrive. Appian describes the effect of the successful scythed chariot charge: The army of Nikomedes was terrified at seeing men cut in halves and still breathing, or mangled in fragments, or hanging on the scythes. Overcome rather by the hideousness of the spectacle than by loss of the fight, fear disordered their ranks. In later battles against the Romans scythed chariots proved less effective, but continued to be used right up until the final defeat of Pharnaces. According to Caesars biographer, Pharnaces customary deployment comprised a single main battle line, with three lines of reserves strengthening each wing, and the same in the centre. Against Domitius he protected the flanks of his infantry with ditches, the cavalry being deployed outside these.
43
44
45
This list covers the armies of the later Hasmoneans and Herodians from Pompeys sack of Jerusalem until Augustuss annexation. The spear bearers could have been Hellenistic style xystophoroi or Roman style lanciarii. It has been fairly convincingly postulated that the three Thracian cohorts and three Thracian alae of the Roman army of Syria in 88 AD may have been Herods old Thracian units. Judaean and Idumaean infantry were also organised as cohorts, possibly as imitation legionaries. Judaea could not field a large army without assistance from allies, which is reflected in the lists maxima. Rome regularly intervened in Judaean affairs and a Judaean allied contingent under Antipater saved a Roman army from defeat in 47 BC. An allied contingent from this list can include cavalry and light horse. All the legionaries of a Roman allied contingent can be downgraded to raw Reg Bd (I) @ 5AP. The Parthians intervened in a Judaean civil war during the great western expedition of Pacorus. Romans cannot be used with Parthians. Religious mob cannot be used with rioting mob or Romans. Celts, Germans or Thracians cannot be used with Parthians, bandits or more than 2 elements of mercenary thureophoroi. A bandit general can only control bandits. Herod the Great requisitioned ships to aid Agrippa in the Black Sea. Itureans lived intermingled with Arabs in the Lebanese hills and are one source of bandit allies. However, they are not merely bandits by professian, but by tribal tradition, hence are given a higher rating. They later provided the Romans with auxiliary archers.
46
Dacia was always a source of raids into the lands south of the Danube, but became a greater menace under two ambitious kings, Burebistas and Decebalus. This list covers armies from the accession of the former until the death of the latter. Although Julius Caesar was planning a campaign against the Dacians at the time of his death in 44 BC, the first serious Roman punitive expedition was by Domitian in 85 AD, repeated equally disastrously in 87 AD. A minor success was scored in 88 AD, but raiding continued, necessitating two major wars under Trajan in 101 - 102 AD and 105 - 106 AD, ending in annexation. Remnant tribes continued to give trouble at least until 380 AD as Carpi or Carpodacae. The part of the army that made most impression on Roman minds were the Dacians and Bastarnae armed with the falx, a murderous curved blade on a long haft swung twohanded and probably identical to the Thracian rhomphaia. The minima marked * apply if more than 5 elements of Bastarnae are used. A Bastarnae general must control all and only Bastarnae.
This list covers British armies of The Island of the Mighty south of the Forth-Clyde line from Julius Caesars expedition until final pacification. The prestige arm was light chariotry which Caesar describes driving around, hurling javelins and disordering opponents by the noise of their wheels and terror of being struck. Tacitus also refers to noisy manoeuvreing and Dio describes them breaking up groups of enemy by deliberately running into them. Crew frequently dismounted to support cavalry. Accordingly, charioteers can always dismount as Wb (S). Cassivellaunus is said by Caesar to have mustered 4,000 chariots and dismissed most of his infantry. However, the Romans all agree that the strength of a British army lay in its infantry rushes. The pony-riding cavalry are described in a document from Vindolanda as contemptible little Britons and as lacking swords. The tribes of the South-West were especially fond of the sling. Retreat was hindered at Boudiccas defeat in 61AD by families and their wagons. Sacrificing druids and screaming women opposed Suetoniuss invasion of Anglesea in the same year. A Roman force intervened in at least once in Brigantia in favour of Queen Cartimandua. It need not include legionaries; and no British ally generals, or more than 20 elements of slingers, nor any Bge (S) be used. Both Cassivellaunus and Caractatus were charismatic leaders who ran successful semi-guerilla campaigns against the Romans over an extended period. Whether they deserve Brilliant status is perhaps uncertain, so this is optional. BUAf are hill forts.
47
This list covers Irish armies (then usually called Scots) of The Island of the Blessed, from the time of Caesars invasions of Britain until Irish methods changed in response to Viking raids and settlement. The first actual Roman contact with them was probably in 81 AD, when Agricola was requested to help an Irish ruler regain his throne. Such interventions may have taken place under Hadrian and again in the 4th century, since Irish legends mention CuChullains opponent, the wizard Clan Calatan (which in P Celtic would be Palatan) and his 27 sons, all of whom together formed a multiple Siamese twin with 28 heads, 56 arms and legs and throwing a simultaneous volley of 28 spears! This sounds very like a distorted oral account of drilled Auxilia Palatina intervening in a civil war. On a somewhat stronger historical footing, a deposed king of Tara, Lugaid Laga Mac Conn, fled to the King of Britain in 186 AD and with his help regained his throne in 195 AD. He was killed by Cormac Mac Art in 226 AD, who then built a large fleet and raided extensively, presumably in Roman lands, possibly out of irritation with Roman interference. Only the C-in-C can command such Romans. A Roman fortified coastal site has in fact been found north of Dublin. The large number of ally generals reflects the divided state of Ireland throughout the period. A sub-general can be the High Kings heir, or a champion such as CuChulain who should be represented by a small dark-haired warrior and red-haired driver in a chariot drawn by 1 gray and 1 black pony. The option to have CuChulain as a charismatic brilliant general with the hero light burning on his forehead allows him to heroically add to his combat dice. It is possible that he is mythical; and one of the date ranges given derives from a historical novelist, but if Ireland cannot be romantic, who can? He cannot be used with Romans. Irish sea raiding was a major pest during the 4th century, and settlements were also made in Pembroke and Galloway, the latter becoming the kingdom of Dal Riata and bequeathing their tribal name to the future kingdom of Scotland. Saint Columba was given the main credit by contemporaries for the Ui Neill victory over King Diarmait in 561 AD, decisively outpraying Saint Finnian on the other side. Irish infantry equipment was lighter than that of the other Celtic nations, comprising a short light sword, a small shield and light javelins. In later eras, they specialised in skirmishing from difficult terrain despite rather heavier arms, so there is no reason to suppose they fought differently in this earlier period. Irish legal texts identify 3 classes of warrior - Kings and nobles (probably in chariots), prosperous freemen possessing shields, and poorer freemen not expected to have shields and only called up in emergencies. Fianna or diberga were were independent professional warrior bands of devotees of pagan warrior cults, sometimes of young nobles passing the time between fostering and inheritance as bandits. They were noted for their savagery and should be depicted with their hair shaved in front and in long plaits behind. The occasional decrepit elderly general may still have been carried in a chariot up to the end of the period, but most would have fought on foot to add punch to the battle line. The minimum marked * applies only if any chariots except those of generals are used. Generals and other charioteers can always dismount as Ax (S). The idea of riding horses on the battlefield would not catch on for several hundred years yet among the Irish, though the exiled warband of Rheged might have brought theirs over from 682 - 709. Plashing is the interlacing of branches to make an obstacle. If there are insufficient wood edges, surplus plashing is lost. For Attecotti, see the notes to the Pictish list.
48
49
Only in other western armies: Spanish slingers - Irr Ps (O) @ 2AP 0-4 Symmachiarii: German clubmen - Irr Bd (F) @ 5AP, or British [probably Caledones] - Irr Wb (F) @ 3AP, or Mauri - Irr Ps (S) @ 3AP, or Palmyrans - Irr Ps (O) @ 2AP 0-1 of each type Only in eastern armies: Judaean client allies - List: Late Judaean (Bk 2/51) Nabataean, Edessan or Emesan allies - List: Arabo-Aramaean (Bk 2/22) Commagene client allies - List: Commagene (Bk 2/44) Armenian allies - List: Early Armenian and Gordyene (Bk 2/28) Only in eastern armies after 100 AD: Dromedarii camelmen - Reg LH (I) @ 3AP 0-15 0-15
0-2
This covers the period from Augustus reorganisation until the defeat of Albinus by Septimius Severus. There are no brilliant generals in this era, brilliance being politically unsafe. Augustus set the tone by declaring Better a safe commander than a bold. This is the period of the rectangular semi-cylindrical shield and lorica segmentata popularly thought of as legionary equipment, though these were not used throughout and not universally. Sub-standard legions (usually eastern) are mentioned only when being rudely shaken-up by a vigorous new commander arriving in an expected war zone. Auxiliary units were now uniformly equipped and drilled. Classing the C-in-Cs bodyguard as Ax (S) represents a provincial governors lanciarii. A few alae of contarii/catafractarii were formed by Trajan and Hadrian. These lacked horse armour, but were armed with a long contus. Most equites carried shields and shorter spears and javelins. Equites of mixed cohortes were identically equipped, but not expected to be as efficient. They were usually combined into ala-sized units in battle. Dromedarii were first raised by Trajan and used as border scouts. Claudius used elephants and camels in the invasion of Britain in 43 AD, represented here by a single element including both but counting as elephants. Each legion now had its own permanent artillery establishment and artillery was used both in field battles as well as in sieges. Vespesians 3 legions had 150 or 160 of all types. Although its cavalry is quite good, the strength of this army lies in its legionaries, with the proviso that the legionaries can be swept away by warbands, and it is best to
50
51
This list depends heavily on Josephus account of the earlier rebellion. The various Jewish leaders were mostly at daggers drawn, and often fought each others men simultaneously with the Romans. Even classing them as allies may be too kind. Palestine was a very divided society. Judeans did not accept that Galileans were proper Jews and both hated Samaritans. The 3 major religious sects disagreed on most issues and also had internal dissension. The main leader of the first rising was Simon bar Giora who controlled 10,000 men, assisted and hindered by 2 feuding factions of Zealots providing 8,400 more and 5,000 Idumeans mainly interested in loot. The early part of the rising saw great masses of rebels ridden down by Roman cavalry flank charges. Josephus implies that there may have been proper weapons for only half his supporting irregulars. He wrote that it was impossible to bring the regulars up to Roman standards in the time available, because of their preoccupation with theft, banditry, looting, fraud and rejoicing in friends misfortunes. Sicari were bands of fanatic terrorist dagger men. Zealots were fierce but ill-disciplined sectarians who looked down on the rest of the army and disobeyed orders. Minima marked * apply only if one of the generals is Josephus. Troops so marked cannot be used unless in his own command. Minima marked ** apply only if any Zealots are used. The option to regrade masses to Ax (O) reflects a decrease in fanaticism in the face of disaster and shrinkage through desertion, with the remainder now fighting effectively from a distance with javelins, but reluctant to close with Romans. This army was historically good at holding fortifications but vulnerable to Romans in the open. It might be very effective in hilly terrain. Shimon Bar Kochba was the recognised single leader of the later revoit and surviving letters to his subordinates are clearly couched as orders. Although the Zealots as an organised sect had been extirpated at Masada, zealotry with a small z remained a perennial feature of Jewish rebellions.
This list covers the armies of the Caledones from their first serious conflicts with the Romans until their defeat in the campaigns of Septimius Severus. These had a similar effect on the Caledones to that of William the Conquerors Harrying of the North on Northumbria in the 11th century AD, but over a much greater area and duration, ravaging their heartland for 4 years. The Caledones differed from the British tribes south of the Forth-Clyde line in apparently not using cavalry or slingers. Roman monuments from the area show warriors naked to the waist or all over, with sword and either short rectangular or normal sized oval shields. Tacitus account of Agricolas battle of Mons Graupius in 84 AD (the only open battle of which we have a description), mentions only chariots and warband, the latter inferior in close combat against Roman auxiliaries due to their overlong pointless swords, which prevented them from fighting in close formation, and small shields. The chariots were left unsupported to perish alone, while the warband, instead of charging, sat ineffectually on high ground throwing showers of javelins until attacked. It was these errors, typical of wargaming beginners that doomed the army, rather than its innate qualities. Its commander was described as one of their many leaders.
52
Only Hsien-pi from 300 AD to 431 AD: Upgrade Cv generals and nobles - Irr Kn (F) @ 19AP if general, 9AP if not, or Irr Kn (X) @ 21AP if general, 11AP if not All Only Mu-jung Hsien-pi from 300 AD to 431 AD: Regrade Kn generals and nobles as double-based Irr Kn (I) @ 18AP if general, 8AP if other front rank element, 7AP if rear rank element Spearmen or halberdiers - Reg Sp (I) @ 4AP Crossbowmen - Reg Bw (I) @ 4AP Skirmishers - Reg Ps (O) @ 2AP Women mounted on oxen - Irr Hd (O) @ 1AP Only Khitan, Hsi and other successor tribes after 350 AD: Upgrade generals and nobles to Irr Cv (S) @ 19AP if general, 9AP if not Only Mu-jung Hsien-pi in 369 AD: Former Chin allies - List: Chiang and Ti (Bk 2/21) The Tung-hu split up into the Hsien-pi and Wu-huan, living in Manchuria. The Wu-huan were closer to the Chinese border and were loyal allies until their disappearance around 316 AD. The Hsien-pi were united in the mid-2nd century AD by Tan-shihuai, who defeated the Hsiung-nu and briefly dominated the Mongolian steppe. Generally, however, they were disunited, in feuding clans such as the Mu-jung, Yu-wen, Tuan and To-pa. They set up kingdoms in China in the 4th century AD, the last of which fell in 431. Their steppe descendents include the Khitan before their amalgamation into the Khitan-Liao centralised monarchy from 907 and the Hsi before their absorption by the Khitan-Liao around 1000. We assume that the cataphract cavalry adopted in the 4th century were similar to those of the Northern Wei dynasty founded in 386 AD by the To-pa in China. These are all depicted on armoured horses, but some riders had unarmoured lower legs and lower arms and carried bows as a secondary weapon in addition to their lance, so are classed as Kn (F), while others were more completely armoured and are classed as Kn (X). Whether the lighter- armoured riders had a separate tactical role or filled in the back ranks of the more fully protected and whether the latter are sufficiently armoured to be classed as cataphracts is uncertain, so all these interpretations are allowed. However, on one occasion in the 4th century, the Mu-jung clan of the Hsien-pi is reported to have chained together 5,000 elite cataphract archers in a square formation in an unsuccessful attempt to resist shock cavalry, which is best simulated as double-based Kn (I). The Former Yen state of the Mu-jung (337 AD to 370 AD) was the first barbarian state to raise Chinese-style infantry. These were led by Chinese officers. Minima marked * apply if any regular infantry are used. The women mounted on oxen (and possibly horses) advanced carrying poles to simulate standards and throwing dust from bags into the air to hide the reality and spread panic and confusion., as a False Reinforcement stratagem.
53
6-20
This list covers Ethiopian and Horn of Africa armies from the foundation of the Axumite empire until the conquest of Gran the Left-Handed. Little armour was worn except for helmets. Spears were short and accompanied by javelins, a short sword and large round hide shield. Abyssinian swordsmen usually used a long straight cutting sword and sometimes discarded their shields to wield them two-handed, but some instead used the enormous sickle-shaped shotel, intended to hook over an opponents shield. The Dembus is described as an iron mace, staff or club. Only l elephant element can be used. Camels were chiefly employed for scouting. The proportion of cavalry increased with time. Most were Shara and Galla tribesmen typically armed with a short spear and two javelins but often no shield, riding scrubby ponies. Shields were prized by those who did have them and those of men who had distinguished themselves in battle were embellished with silver or a lions mane. Some nobles substituted mail for a shield, but this does not affect classification. Artillery and hand firearms were not introduced until the 1530s. The Byzantine caraboi used in 522 transported both Abyssinians and Nobades.
54
0-1 0, or 6-12
After the Han dynasty lost real power, China was dominated by rival warlords. The survivors were Tsao Tsao, who deposed the last puppet Han emperor and proclaimed the kingdom of Wei in the north in 220 AD; Sun Chuan, king of Wu in the south-east; and Liu Pei, king of Shu Han in the south-west. This Three Kingdom period saw Wei conquer Shu Han in 263; Ssu-ma Yen seized power and proclaimed the Tsin (Chin) dynasty in 266, and conquered Wu in 280. This Western Tsin dynasty broke up in civil wars and aAer 304 barbarian peoples set up their own kingdoms in N. China, leaving Tsin survivors to set up a new Eastern Tsin regime in the south. Chinese generals classed as allies represent the shifting alliances of the rival warlords at the end of the Han, and of the rival princes in the Tsin civil wars. Most cavalry carried lances; some had bows, but whether with lances or instead is unclear. Horse-armour is occasionally mentioned, but cataphract tactics were not copied from the nomads until after the loss of the north. Infantry spears and crossbows were used in separate bodies, though sometimes in close cooperation. Close-fighting infantry were mostly spearmen, but halberds are mentioned in the sources and shown in paintings. However, they seem to be primarily thrusting weapons used with shields, so are classed as Sp. Spear-throwers are based on tomb-figurines, some armoured, of infantry apparently throwing short spears. Some look non-Chinese, and may be foreign auxiliaries. Some dare-to-die volunteers were given double armour and are classed as Bd (O), others stripped their armour off to charge faster! The Pk are north-western rebel troops using the formidable long spear. Tsao Tsao defeated them by using wagon-barricades to avoid a frontal fight. Field fortifications were very important, as was river warfare. Minima marked * apply only if any troops so marked are used.
55
1-3
Only from 242 AD: Replace armoured auxiliary infantry with unarmoured - Reg Ax (O) @ 4AP All Visigoths and/or Germans/Franks - up to Irr Wb (S) @ 5AP or Irr Kn (F) @ 9AP, remainder Irr Wb (O) @ 3AP 0, or 8-12 Sarmatians - Irr Kn (F) @ 9AP 0-4 Only after 253 AD: Replace Moors with equites lllyriciani - Reg LH (O) @ 5AP Equites Illyriciani - Reg LH (O) @ 5AP Only from 285 AD: Regrade legionaries as detached lanciarii - Reg Bd (F) @ 6AP Auxilia Palatina - Reg Ax (S) @ 5AP Only eastern armies before 386 AD: Armenian allies - List: Early Armenian and Gordyene (Bk 2/28) All 0- 0- 0 or 4-12 0-48
This list covers armies from Septimius Severus until the fall of Licinius. It runs concurrently with the Late Imperial Roman list until 324 as Constantines rivals continued to use the old system. The lorica segmentata and auxiliary mail are last depicted on the Arch of Severus and many auxiliary infantry it shows in battle are unarmoured. There is no credible evidence for the replacement of pila by thrusting spears, or for Caracallas show Macedonian phalanx ever fighting. In Arrians 2nd century Order of Battle against the Alans, the legionaries are 8 ranks deep with the first 4 ranks using pila and 4 more throwing lancea overhead. Under Diocletian, lanciarii still belonged to their parent legion but were often deployed as a separate vexilation. A lanciarius is depicted on a tombstone unarmoured with a small round or oval shield and carrying 5 large javelins. The most senior Auxilia Palatina unit is depicted with the prefix IO for Iovani, so must have been raised by Diocletian. Severus had upgraded the former mixed cohortes equitae to alae. Equites lllyriciani appear when Gallienus expanded the cavalry and included not only Illyrians but similar light horse, such as Moors, Scutarii and Legionary Promoti. Catafractarii were still lancers in mail corslet on unarmoured horses, but sometimes now depicted with a shield. Clibanarii were fully armoured lancers on armoured horses, probably first raised by Severus Alexander after 227 AD from Parthian refugees. Maxentius had clibanarii who had probably deserted from Galerius army in 307. These were destroyed at Turin, so are not the cavalry depicted routed at the Milvian bridge. Zosimos says Palestinian clubmen were used by Aurelian to counter Palmyrene clibanarii. Both Constantine I and Constantius II are later described as defeating clibanarii at Turin with legionaries wielding heavy clubs, so it is possible that Aurelians clubmen were legionaries stationed in Palestine.
56
0-12
2-5 6-8
This list covers the Vandals from their first appearance until Gaiserics consolidation of their African conquests and construction of a fleet. During this time, they crossed the Rhine into Gaul in 406 AD, continued on with their Alan and Suevi allies across the Pyrenees into Spain in 409 AD, were driven out by the Visigoths and finally crossed to Africa in 428 AD, taking Carthage by treachery in 439 AD.
57
This list covers the Ostrogoths or Greuthungi (men of the steppes) from arrival in the Ukraine until the organisation of their Italian kingdom. Like the Visigoths, their traditional garment was an animal skin coat. The most famous achievement of the Gothic cavalry was the victory of Adrianople in 378 AD, when they charged into the rear of a Roman army already engaged to its front. This victory is ascribed by many modern authors to the Gothic use of both heavy lance and stirrups, neither of which they in fact had! Spears and javelins were their main weapons, while the stirrup was not introduced to the west by the Avars until 200 years later. Kn dismounting to attack fortifications or war wagons or defend fortifications do so as Wb (S). They can always do so to crew Bts. The Ostrogoths were vassals of the Huns between 441 and 454, and were forced to supply them with allied contingents. The Heruls came from the marshy lands around Lake Maeotis and were renowned for their swift-footed light infantry. Their cavalry were said by the eyewitness Procopius not to have worn metal armour or helmets, but to be protected only by shields and thick jackets. They charged furiously hurling javelins, on one occasion at a different enemy unit to that they were ordered to attack. The slaves that accompanied them were not allowed shields until they had proved themselves brave. He also comments that for a Herul not to give himself over to treachery and drunkenness is so unusual as to merit abundant praise. The Sciri are identified by leading authorities from Gibbon onwards as variously Huns, Goths and Alans! They were neighbours of the Ostrogoths and Heruls and are assumed by us to be similar. The Taifali were associates of the Visigoths, but apparently mainly cavalry. They are most noted for Ammianuss remark, The habits of the Taifali are gross and indecent. A Roman cavalry unit recruited from them, together with one probably of Sciri, served under the Comes Britanniae. Radagaesus army of 40l - 406 was mostly of Ostrogoths, but also included Rugi, Suevi, Vandals, Burgundians and Alans. As they represent separate tribes, Wb (O) cannot provide rear support to Wb (S) and vice versa. Bittuguric Hun remnants joined the Ostrogoths in 488 and migrated to Italy with them. Heruls and Sciri provided a high proportion of the foederati in the Patrician Roman army, and Heruls are found in the Early Byzantine army. Allied contingents of any of the nations covered by this list need not include infantry, but can include wagon laager. Herul raiding boats in 455 had crews of 55 men.
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This list covers Pictish armies from the campaigns of Septimius Severus until the union of the Picts and Scots under Kenneth MacAlpin. We take Pict to comprise all those peoples of Ancient Scotland originating north of the Caledones, including the broch builders named by archaeologists for some inscrutable reason proto-Picts. Pict means painted, and a Late Roman poem makes it plain that this refers to tattoos. Their name for themselves was Cruithni. They were a coastal people, probably spreading out (as Nennius reports the Irish of his day saying) from the Orkneys, (which have a far higher density of brochs than the mainland) to northern and north-westem parts of what is now Scotland. After Septimius Severus broke and largely destroyed the Caledones, the Picts expanded into the power vacuum left and raided Roman Britain, often by sea. This is last mentioned (by Gildas) as the reason for Vortigern importing Saxon mercenaries. From then on, the fought mainly defensively against Scots and then Northumbrians. When they stopped using chariots is uncertain, but there are quite late Roman references to chariots in northern Britain. The traditional Picts of folklore were skirmishing archers hidden in the heather, and carved stones show several archers or crossbowmen, one on the St Vigeans stone crouched with a hooded cloak pulled up for concealment. However, the warriors most often depicted are light horsemen with javelins and small round shields. The next most common are foot armed with a broad headed thrusting spear. Under half of these also have small round or square shields and one on the Aberlemno stone is shown thrusting two-handed with his shield slung at his back. A much smaller number of foot, some at least of whom are shielded, have shorter throwing spears or fight with small axes. We postulate that lowland Caledones remnants assimilated in time to the Pictish system, but that the inhabitants of the highlands remained javelinmen up to Viking colonisation. Picts, Saxons, Scots Irish and Attecotti combined to raid Britain in the Barbarian Conspiracy of 365 to 368. Attecotti were especially savage and dreaded raiders and mercenaries, who St.Jerome wrote in 393 he had seen in his youth (probably in Gaul 365-370) indulging in canibalis prefering the haunch of the shepherd to his sheep, and who emigrated from Northern Ireland to Caithness, Man and the Hebrides. Tu-ata-cotye is the tribe of Cat in an Ulster dialect, one of the tribes of the Firbolg of Irish legend, who are said to have painted themselves and to have used a deadly barbed throwing spear of unusual weight. Sufficient Attecotti were captured by the Romans for 4 auxilia palatina to be recruited from them in the reign of Honorius (392 - 423). Insufficient is known to justify a separate list for Attecotti. They are not heard of after 406. Pictish raids on Roman Britain often outflanked Hadrians Wall by sea and the power of the Pictish fleet is mentioned with awe in the Irish annals of Tigernach. Whether their vessels were leather-covered curraghs like those of the Scots-Irish, or plank built, is disputed. BUAf represent coastal brochs.
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This list covers the Sassanid dynasty of Persia from their revolt against the Parthian Arsacids until their extinction by the Arabs. Aggression is high because the dynasty regarded itself as the heir to the Achaemenids (disregarding the intervening Seleucids and Arcacids) and claimed all territories these had ever owned, including most of the contemporary Eastern Roman empire. The earliest depictions of Sassanid nobles show mail-shirted kings and princes armed with both heavy lance and bow charging at the gallop on horses completely armoured in leather or felt. By 550, the King was not allowed to fight in battle and if present occupied an elevated golden throne, accompanied by the massive Kaviani banner, allegedly the apron of the blacksmith who founded the dynasty emboidered in gold, silver and gems. He must have been a big man, since the banner was 22 feet by 15 feet and mounted on a heavy tripod mast. The strength of the army lay in self-equipped armoured horsemen called asavaran (asawira in Arab sources). These were recruited from nobles and the country gentry (dekhans). They were organised on a feudal basis except under Khusrau I (531 - 579), whose transformation of the army into a standing centrally-paid force after the nobility was weakened by the Mazdakite revolts was collapsing even before his death, pay being first supplemented and then replaced by feudal fiefs. How far central organization and pay improved army control, logistic support or skill in manoeuvre is disputable, so upgrading of these features is independent and optional. We postulate that a limited number of Parthian-style
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The Burgundi differed from the Franks and Suevi in using light javelins instead of francisca, angon or bebrae. Crushed by the Huns at Roman instigation in 436 AD, they were settled in eastern Gaul as foederati. Their kingdom there was conquered and absorbed by the Franks in 534. The Limigantes also used javelins and fought in close wedge, but their cavalry were light skirmishers. They were subjects of the Sarmatians until they rebelled in 334 and were destroyed by Constantine I in 359.
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This list covers the whole period of Palmyran independence. Palmyra was an Arab trading city on the route to Parthia. It became a Roman dependency in the 1st century AD. In the 2nd century it became a colonia and its ruling family provided several senators. Palmyrene troops were integrated with the Roman army in 224. In 260, the capture of the Roman emperor Valerian by the Sassanids gave the Palmyran ruler Odenathus his opportunity. After inflicting severe loss on the returning Sassanids and putting down a usurping Roman general, he was given command of the eastern Roman army by the western emperor Gallienus. He recovered the lost territory, marching as far as Ctesiphon, but was murdered in 267 AD. His widow Zenobia occupied Egypt and Asia Minor, and proclaimed her son Roman emperor in 271 AD. She was defeated by Aurelian in two epic battles in 272 AD despite cataphracts giving the Romans a hard time. The list is based on literary sources and on finds from Palmyra and Dura. The literary evidence for cataphracts is confirmed by the cataphract graphiti at Dura and the two Dura horse armours. The Dura synagogue frescoes show two kinds of light horse, one uniformed and charging with lances, the other horse archers lacking spears. They also depict swordsmen in mail shirts, 3 with mail hoods, 10 bareheaded, with a close parallel in the defenders entombed in the collapsed mine wearing mail shirts, bare-headed and with similar pink or unpainted plank shields, and may be a militia equipped in wealthy city Arab style. Archers were well respected and used in large numbers, both regular units and irregulars being attested. Palmyran Ps can support any Bd or Ax. Palmyra was especially well provided with artillery, but did not use it in the field. Accordingly, it can only be used from PF.
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During the Han dynasty, China had conquered most of Korea. After the collapse of the dynasty, the Korean tribes coalesced into the Korean Three Kingdoms; of Koguryo in the North, Silla in the South-East, and Paekche in the South-West. They fought each other in varying alliances, but with little real results. Paekche, in the South-West of the peninsula, and with good overseas links to China, was the culturally most advanced of the Three Kingdoms. It also had close dynastic and cultural links with Japan. Paekche fell in 660 AD to a two-pronged attack, a naval invasion by Tang China co-ordinated with an overland move by Silla. The army organization is known to have consisted of three tiers; guard units stationed at the capital, permanent provincial troops and militia. The equipment of Southern Korean cavalry is somewhat enigmatic. A statuette from Kaya shows a cavalryman with shield and short spear on an armoured horse. A Silla figurine shows an armoured cavalryman on an unarmoured horse, but his weapons are missing. The Japanese learned cavalry techniques from Paekche, becoming armoured horse archers. Koguryo sources also depict enemy cataphracts identical to their own. The list attempts to cater for all possible interpretations of this evidence. Items marked * apply only if any Japanese are used. A Japanese ally general must command all and only Japanese. Like the other Korean states, Paekche made heavy use of field fortifications. Koguryo and Silla allies cannot be used together. Kaya was the area between Paekche and Silla in the far south of Korea that never quite consolidated into a kingdom and was conquered by Silla in 562 AD. Its troops are assumed to be similar to those of Paekche, but irregular. Paekche and Silla allies cannot be used together.
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Located in the South-East corner of Korea, Silla was the most backward of the Korean Three Kingdoms. However, during the 7th century, it was fortunate to have excellent rulers, diplomats and generals, who made the most of the opportunities offered by Chinese ambitions in Korea. The rival states of Paekche and Koguryo were destroyed with Chinese help, but when Tang China tried to impose its rule over Silla, Silla was able to rally the people of Paekche and Koguryo under a common flag and to fight the Tang forces to a standstill. In 678 a peace treaty was concluded, which left Silla in control of most of the Korean peninsula, nominally a vassal of China, but de facto independent. The evidence for Southern Korean cavalry equipment is discussed in the notes to the Paekche and Kaya list. Silla had several elite regiments, of which the Chong heavy cavalry and the Red Banner infantry, armed with Great Spears distinguished themselves in the wars of the 7th century. Hwarang Flower Boys were a body of young nobles renowned for their splendid dress and their reckless heroism. One modern painting shows them as light horse archers, on what grounds is unknown. Other sources describe them as lancers. Chinese allies cannot be used with Korean allies. Koguryo and Paekche allies cannot be used together, or Paekche with Kaya.
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This list covers the Roman army from the reforms of Constantine I until the accession to power of Aetius. Note that the reforms did not extend to the east until he defeated his last rival in 324 AD, so it overlaps the Middle Imperial Roman list. The reformed army has been considered since Gibbon wrote his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to have been much less efficient that its predecessors. This view has been reversed as yesterdays wargamers joined the ranks of academics! Its main innovation was the formation of first central and then regional field armies to support the frontier defences. Legions were now optimised for fighting barbarian warbands and cavalry. Their pila were first supplemented and then replaced by lighter throwing spears with greater range. These were in turn supplemented by multiple lead-weighted throwing darts (martiobarbuli) of range such that they could partially replace archery. The short gladius was also replaced by a longer sword. The large 10 cohort legion of earlier days was replaced by a much smaller 1,200 strong body probably originating in detachments (vexillations) taken from the frontier legions. The field force legions needed to be supported by elite cavalry and infantry. Rather than denude the frontiers of the old auxiliary cohorts and alae, these were provided by cavalry units, equipped much like the old ones but called vexillationes and new elite infantry units called auxilia palatinae. The latter carried the same new long range throwing weapons, long sword and big oval shield as the legions. Legionaries are depicted in art with muscle cuirasses and pteruges, and auxilia as unarmoured. Some modern authors choose to disbelieve the art and assume that both wore mail corselets. There are a few representations of mailed soldiers on foot, but these could be dismounted cavalry. The wood carving from Egypt referred to under list 55 shows both mailed and muscle-cuirassed Romans on foot. Vegetius, writing between 383 and 450 (most probably around 390), confuses previous with contemporary military practise, but does says that most foot are now unarmoured, that legion service was less popular with recruits because of the heavier equipment, and refers to light-armed men with shields, javelins and martiobarbuli as just as almost all soldiers seem to be armed today. A few of the auxilia were entirely archers. Legions and probably other auxilia included a proportion of supporting archers, since overhead archery is mentioned in battle accounts and archery equipment is found by archeologists in forts not occupied by an archer unit. The continued existence of lanciarii as such is improbable. Constantine seems to have amalgamated all his into a special elite advanced guard legion (Bd) which became the armys senior infantry unit. However, Vegetius describes light infantry with javelins and darts, or with slings, staff- slings or bows, who sally out through legionary ranks. As time went on, the original palatina legions and cavalry of the field army were joined by others with the slightly lower status of comitatensis and then, in emergency, by promoted frontier infantry units with the still lower rank of pseudocomitatensis. Some cavalry vexillations were the old type mailed javelin-throwing cavalry, others were light unarmoured javelin-throwing Illyricani, yet others light horse archers. Especially heavy lance armed cavalry were called catafractarii and clibanarii. The distinction, if any, between catafractarii and clibanarii is still a little uncertain. All clibanarii units were originally recruited from eastern peoples, and most catafractarii from western. The latter were originally ordinary equites who adopted the long contus instead of the usual lancea, javelins and shield. Libanius credits Constantius II with creating a large number of cataphract units with armour even heavier than the Persians with even the horses being armoured. The likely method of achieving this would have been by upgrading existing catafractarii in line with those clibanarii already in existence. They would then be functionally identical, both being fully armoured lancers on fully armoured horses. Constantine Is original army seems to have had neither type. The next evidence of catafractarii in the west is as garrisons in Gaul from 312 and these may have been remnants of Maxentiuss units. Ammianus describes the equites catafractarii cavalry that they call clibanarii present at Constantius IIs entry into Rome in 357 as all masked, furnished with protecting breastplates and girt with iron belts, so that you might have supposed them statues polished by the hand of Praxiteles, not men. Thin circles of iron plates, fitted to the curves of their bodies, completely covered their limbs; so that whichever way they had to move their members, their garment fitted, so skilfully were the joinings made. In his description of Julians battle of Argentoratum in the same year, he variously describes the same single body of cavalry as catafractarii and as clibanarii. Claudians account of the assassination of Rufinus describes fully armoured men on metal armoured horses. Both Constantine I at Turin and Constantius II at Singara are reported to have defeated clibanarii with legionaries wielding heavy clubs. The Notitia Dignitatum includes coloured shield emblems for all units of the western field armies and the infantry of the eastern field armies. A recent suggestion that most were invented by monkish copyists has little to recommend it. Cataphract scythed chariots were advocated for use against Persia by a Roman inventor now ascribed to the reign of Valentinian I and Valens. Some of the other inventions he advocates did see use, and the 3 types of chariot illustrated look very much like a sequence of experimental prototypes as practical problems were (probably unsuccessfully) addressed. The apparatus geared to the chariot wheels to automatically whip the hind quarters of the (fully armoured) horses has an obvious conceptual flaw... The standard warship was now the dromon (runner) developed from an original used on the River Po. These were single banked and much smaller than the later Byzantine warships of the same name. The Goths who fought for Theodosius I at the Frigidus in 394 did so under Roman generals. Whether they fought in native style or were formed into new auxilia palatina is uncertain, but the Notitia has units of the latter called Tervingi, Visi and (several) Theodosiani of the right date. In his Panegyric to Theodosius, Pacatus Drepanus says of them They marched under Roman leaders and banners as Romans, those who before had been our enemies, following the signa against which they had stood...Goths and Huns and Alans answered the roll call, changed guards and rarely feared to be reprimanded. There was no tumult, no confusion, no looting in the usual barbarian way. Minima marked * apply only if any troops so marked are used.
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Only northern dynasties: Cataphracts - Reg Kn (F) @ l 1AP or Reg Kn (X) @ 13AP Chinese subject heavy cavalry - Reg Cv (O) @ 8AP Horse archers - Reg LH (F) @ 5AP Levy swordsmen, Reg Bd (I) @ 5AP or spearmen, Reg Sp (I) @ 4AP Archers/crossbowmen - Reg Bw (I) @ 4AP or Reg Ps (O) @ 2AP [Ps can support Bd or Sp] Pug-nosed armoured archers - Reg Bw (O) @ 5AP Downgrade Bge to Irr @ 1AP less. Light boats - Irr Bts (O) @ 2AP, or boats protected by oxhides, Irr Bts (S) @ 3AP [Sp, Bd, Bw] Horse-transports - Irr Shp (I) @ 2AP [Cv, LH] Juan-juan allies - List: Hsiung-nu or Juan-juan (Bk 2/38), or Turkish allies - List: Central Asian Turkish (Bk 3/11) Only northern dynasties before 557 AD: Downgrade generals to Irr Kn (X) @ 21AP or Irr Kn (F) @ 19AP, cataphracts to Irr Kn (X) @ l 1AP, or Irr Kn (F) @ 9AP or horse archers to Irr LH (F) @ 4AP Only southern dynasties: Cataphracts - Reg Kn (F) @ l 1AP or Reg Kn (X) @ 13AP Heavy cavalry - Reg Cv (O) @ 8AP Horse archers - Reg LH (F) @ 5AP Swordsmen, Reg Bd (F) @ 7AP or spearmen, Reg Sp (O) @ 5AP Downgrade raw swordsmen to Reg Bd (I) @ 5AP or raw spearmen to Reg Sp (I) @ 4AP Archers or crossbowmen - Reg Bw (O) @ 5AP or Reg Bw (I) @ 4AP or Reg Ps (O) @ 2AP [Ps can support Bd or Sp] Southern tribal fighters - Irr Wb (F) @ 3AP Southern tribal archers and crossbowmen - Irr Bw (I) @ 3AP or Irr Ps (O) @ 2AP Elephants - Irr El (O) @ 16AP Bamboo-and-paper lions - Irr Cm (X) @ 9AP Pits for use as Hidden Obstacle stratagem - FO @ 2AP Light boats - Irr Bts (O) @ 2AP, or boats protected by oxhides, Irr Bts (S) @ 3AP [Sp, Bd, Bw] Towered war junks - Irr Shp (S) @ 4AP [Sp, Bw] Horse-transports - Irr Shp (I) @ 2AP [Kn, Cv, LH, Bge (O)] Only southern dynasties from 409 AD to 416 AD: Ox-drawn wagons with pavise, large crossbow and archers - Reg WWg (O) @ 10AP Downgrade WWg as wagons used as an improvised diversionary force and with smaller crew to Irr WWg (I) Only southern dynasties from 418 AD: Treadle-powered paddle-wheel boats - Reg Gal (F) @ 4AP [Sp, Bw] Only southern dynasties in 423 AD: Chained wagons - all Irr WWg (I) @ 4AP, or all TF @ 2AP
Any 2-5 2-5 0-7 16-24 Any 16-24 **4-8 **2-4 0-1 0-4 0-5 0-6 0-2 0-6
This list covers the native Chinese southern dynasties from the establishment of Eastern Tsin (Chin) in 317 AD until the Sui conquest of the south, 589 AD; and the Northern Wei dynasty founded in 386 by the To-pa clan of the Hsien-pi (which unified north China, conquering the other barbarian kingdoms) and its successor dynasties until the Sui seized power in 581 AD. All cataphract cavalry rode armoured horses, but some had unprotected arms and lower legs, and carried bow as a secondary weapon in addition to their lance; others were more fully protected. The Hsien-pi list explains classification. The option to make early northern cavalry irregular recognises that the To-pa did not turn into a regular Chinese-style army overnight; in particular, troops stationed on the northern frontier were attached to their old nomadic way of life even while the capital was becoming more Sinicised, and the Western Wei regime (535 - 557 AD) was at first dominated by To-pa traditionalists. Bamboo-and-paper lions were used in 446 to defeat Cham elephants. The Eastern Tsin general Liu Yu several times used WWg with mantlet, large crossbow, archers and a crew of 20 to compensate for the Southern Dynasties shortage of cavalry. In 416, he supplemented these with a diversionary force of improvised wagons with only 7 men each to establish a bridgehead over a river and distract the enemy from his main force crossing elsewhere. In 423, a marching force moved in a hollow square protected by chained wagons.How these should be classified is uncertain. Pug-nosed archers are based on tomb-figurines with distinctive equipment and facial features, who may represent a particular ethnic type or military unit. Northern dynasties infantry were generally poorly armed and trained, but raised in huge numbers by large scale levies. Nomad allies include Juan-juan factions allied with Northern Wei during a Juan-juan civil war, Turks, allied with Western Wei against the Juan-juan, and Juan-juan refugees, settled on the frontiers by the Western Wei after the loss of their empire to the Turks. Armoured elephants were used once by Liang against the Western Wei. Minima marked * apply only if foot are used, those marked ** only if any troops so marked are used.
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This covers western Hunnic armies from first contact with the Alans in 374 AD until the remnant states of the Hunnic empire were absorbed by the Avars, and also the eastern, possibly unrelated, Chionite and Hephthalite or White Huns, the Chionites from their first intervention in Kushan Bactria in 356 until their destruction by the Sassanids in 468, the Hephthalites until their western elements amalgamation with the remnants of the Juan-juan to form the Avars after 558 and the loss of their Indian empire circa 570. The western Huns are described by Sidonius as A roaming multitude from Skythian clime, teeming with savagery, frightful, ravening, violent, barbarous even in the eyes of the barbarian peoples around them. Any other folk are carried upon horseback, this folk live there. Shapely bows and arrows are their delight; sure and terrible are their hands. Firm is their confidence that their missiles will bring death and their frenzy is trained to do wrongful deeds with blows that never go wrong. Priscus, a visitor to Attilas court with an eye for detail, does not mention any stratification of class, but some Huns are known to have used long lances and worn metal armour, making them de facto nobility. It has been suggested that Atttilas iron rule produced a state of obedience justifying regular status, so this is allowed as an option. Attilas allies included Ardaric, King of the Gepids, Valamir, King of the Ostrogoths, and a host of lesser chieftains of conquered peoples. An immense horde of Sciri earlier accompanied Uldins failed attack on the eastern half of the Roman Empire in 408. Minima marked * apply only if any subjects except Alans or Sciri are used. As they represent separate tribes, Wb of one tribe cannot provide support to Wb of another tribe. The minimum marked ** applies only if any Sciri or Heruls are used other than Sciri allies in 408. The Chionites included a proportion of apparently unarmoured men with long lance as well as bow, and a prince is attested as wearing a corselet. Otherwise, they looked very similar to Parthian horse archers. They minted coins marked OIONO. The ditch used by the Hephthalites to destroy Peroz and his Sassanid army in 484 is best represented by a Hidden Obstacle stratagem. The Hephthalites in India are reported by a Chinese traveller to have had 700 elephants each crewed by 10 halberdiers and with a sword fastened to its trunk. The Sabir drove the Oghurs and Onoghurs west from Central Asia to the Black Sea region about 463 and moved to the steppes north of the Caucasus and to the Volga by 515, raiding across the Caucasus. They were later part of the Volga Bulgar confederacy. They surprisingly provided both Byzantines and Sassanids with mercenary infantry described as exceedingly ferocious and rapacious. How these were equipped is obscure. Agathias calls them hoplitai, but Procopios describes Sabir shooting rapidly at a fortress and surprised with only bows in their hands by a sortie - possibly dismounted cavalry. Sozomenus earlier describes a Hun leaning on a long shield. They were good at sieges, teaching an early Byzantine army how to make a ram out of unsuitable material.
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This list covers the Visigoths from the establishment of their Tolosan kingdom in south-western Gaul, though its extension into Spain, 469 - 478 AD, and the loss of the Gallic provinces to the Franks in 507, to the Islamic conquest; and then the vassal kings Aquila (711-713) and Ardo (713-720). Bucellarii were the nobles well-armoured followers. Gardingi comprised minor royal officials, lesser gentry and followers in more traditional Gothic equipment, but now relying more on skirmishing with javelins than on a fierce charge. The initial settlement gave the Visigoths control of the former Roman garrison. These degenerated into city militia, but can still be traced up to the end of this period. Ps (O) archers can give rear support to Sp and Ax of the same nationality. After 621 foot were increasingly recruited from conscripted slaves. The army was finally crushed by Berber infantry in 711, according to a later source after both wings deserted on the battlefield. Visigothic allied contingents need not include otherwise compulsory foot. The Byzantine allied contingent sent by Justinian I to assist Athanagild in a civil war made extensive conquests in Spain, but then kept them. Byzantine allies need not include any infantry. The minimum marked * applies only if any Basques are used. Only the C-in-C can command Basques.
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This list runs from the accession to power of Aetius until the Ostrogothic move to Italy, which destroyed Odovacars western army, and ended the easts dependence on barbarians. It is a period in which generals struggled not to become emperor, but a puppet emperors C-in-C with the title of Patrician. As well as the armies of the central governments of east and west, it aiso covers the western Roman kingdom of Soissons created by the rebellion of Aegidius, last magister militum per Gallias, against a barbarian government in Rome in 461 AD, and conquered by the Franks in 486. Legions had given up first place to unarmoured auxiiia with big shield, spatha, javelins and darts, supplemented at least in the west by fast moving exculcatores (squashers). Foreign cavalry methods were considered superior and an influx of Huns recruited into regular units after the break-up of Attilas empire in 454 may have finally led to the bow replacing the javelin as the main mounted missile weapon. The change was complete by the start of the Early Byzantine list. The last mentions of clibanarii/catafractarii are in Claudians account of events of 395, and by Vegetius. Many Germanic barbarians were recruited into regular mounted and foot units, but these were increasingly supplemented by foederati under their own leaders. The traditional view is that these remained irregular troops fighting in their native styles, but it is equally probable that Roman organisation, equipment, clothing, and to a
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This list covers the Vandals from Gaeserics consolidation of their African conquests until the Byzantine reconquest. At home, the Vandals seem to have turned themselves entirely into an aristocratic cavalry, but Gaiserics construction of a large navy also enabled them to raid extensively overseas, their greatest feat being the capture and looting of Rome in 455 AD. A contemporary wrote: Some land their well trained steeds from hollow boats; some don the meshed mail and helmets of like hue to themselves [rusty after sea voyage?], some get ready their shapely bows and the arrows made to carry poison on their iron tips. Now the embroidered dragon speeds hither and thither, his throat swelling as the zephyrs dash against it. Non-allied Moors were only employed overseas for raiding from ships. The Alans had been absorbed before the Byzantine reconquest. Wargamers that adopt the unfortunate King Gelimers indecisive style of leadership and over-complex deployment will probably emulate his disasters, but those with King Gaeserics combination of cunning and aggression will certainly frighten opponents. Gelimers camp was so wealthy that the Byzantines that looted it all wanted to retire to live a life of ease (but were prevented by unsympathetic commanders). Fugitives from the camp were on foot. There is no mention of any transport other than slaves.
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