ally for sassanid

micron · Post by **micron** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:13 am

Hi

I'm searching a good ally for my sassanid army , i still try the huns but i don't need more light horse or cavalry whith bow ( i don't know if the ephtalite can have some elephants in their list...)
I would like some lancer shock cavalry not cataphracts , i know that the alan ally can have one Bg of lancer whith Light horse.
I read some books and see that the middle arménian were arm whith bow and lance but which one do they use most ???
How do you play them in fog , like sassanid whith bow , lancer like alan or a mixt like byzantine cav ???
Your comment are welcome.
Thanks

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:10 am

Hepthalite Hunnic does include elephants but only 1 BG in an ally

If you want cavalry lancers your only real option is Alans who can have a fair few.

Middle Armenians are very much like Sassanids so if you want variety they are not the way to go.

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:22 am

The Sassanid army is very well balanced, colourful, varied and doesn't really need any allies.

Why do you want allies?

shall · Post by **shall** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:04 am

Its so hard to get rid of that "unfreindly huns at 15 inches" addiction

Indeed at RBS says I suspect the Sassanid runs very nicely (better) without allies as the core troops are very nice indeed. TS has used it 3 times in test games against me and never with an ally.

Si

micron · Post by **micron** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:07 am

I really think that the army is good but lacking impact , many time we see that the decision coud have been shorter whith good schock troops.
I only take the elephants , i find them better and cheaper than the cataphracts actually i only try whith two Bg but i plan to take the maximum available plus the hephtalite ally.
The problem is that they are not too well manoeuvrable this is why i looking for lancer cavalry.
The daylamis seem really good too for boosting the shock impact of the army but are very expensive , i will try in the following weeks.
Try to find the perfect combination of troops is very interesting and fun but very hard to achieve......
But i will find.........

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:39 am

I used my Sassanid army the other day. 800 points.

I had

4 TC
3 BGs of 4 cataphracts, lancers, swordsmen
4 BGs of 4 armoured cavalry, bow, swordsmen
3 BGs of 4 light horse, bow
2 BGs of 6 LF Bow

I did not seem to lack shock troops or lancers.

I think you may possibly be underestimating the disadvantages of allied contingents - not least that it is incredibly risky to put your ally general in the front rank in combat because if he dies his contingent is toast. (As nobody else can bolster any of them). Hence, if you do find a suitable ally contingent with cavalry lancers, you won't be able to use them to full effect anyway.

Better, IMO, to make full use of the troops available to the Sassanid army, with good C&C to get the most out of them.

Moreover, I find that the Sassanid army is one of my quickest armies for getting results.

micron · Post by **micron** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:48 am

3 BGs of 4 cataphracts, lancers, swordsmen

This is more than the available one in the tester list ????
If my memory is good they are limited to one BG of four to six elements ???
Idem for the light horse limited to heigt elements.

Maybe my list is wrong ???

shall · Post by **shall** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:49 am

Yes risking an ally is ... well risky. Best if one that fights well without a general in the front rank.

At least on BG of cataphracts in every one of Terry's armies. I think he had 6 in a BG and 2 Bgs of Elephants

Si

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:50 am

micron wrote:
3 BGs of 4 cataphracts, lancers, swordsmen
This is more than the available one in the tester list ????
If my memory is good they are limited to one BG of four to six elements ???
Idem for the light horse limited to heigt elements.

Maybe my list is wrong ???

The list has been quite extensively reworked since then - however, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Legions Triumphant is out to find the exact details, but obviously more catafracts are allowed

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:06 am

nikgaukroger wrote:The list has been quite extensively reworked since then - however, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Legions Triumphant is out to find the exact details, but obviously more catafracts are allowed

Yes, the above list is legal.

micron · Post by **micron** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:23 am

AARRgghh !!!!!!

All this time lost testing a wrong list

Now i must wait june , i hope the book will not be late we organize a competition in lyon the week of the 21th june.

Now i understand why you don't need ally , thanks

I need to buy some news figures now , my wife gonna be crazy.....