Slitherine

The Early Achaemenid Persian list has both crescent shield spearmen (MF, protected, light spear) and crescent shield archers (MF, protected, bow) to represent troops which eventually replaced the earlier sparabara, and provides the option to mix them in 50/50 units. The crescent shield spearmen are also present on the Later Achaemenid list but the crescent shield archers are gone. Was there some specific reason for including the former troop category in the Later Achaemenid list and not the latter? While I recall seeing information in the the classical sources ( Arrian or Xenophon?) that seems to indicate that the light spear had replaced the bow as the predominant cavalry weapon, I don't recall anything similar indicating that Persian foot had in general dropped the bow in a similar way to the cavalry. Having used some of the crescent shield spearmen in my latest Late Achaemenid lists, it would be nice to be able to get them as mixed units instead.

Chris

They did it just to annoy you Sir !!