Simple Armies

MARVIN_THE_ARVN · Post by **MARVIN_THE_ARVN** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:39 am

Hi,

Im a new player to the ancient/medieval period (So one success for FOG's attempt to get new players interested in the period) and my knowlege of the period is limited to what interests me and what wikipedia has online

Im thinking about starting some armies and wondered if anyone could give me some advice as to how easy these armies would be to play with.

I was thinking about a greek hopalite army-I assume Athens-Undrilled average troops-Numbers advantage
Sparta-Drilled superior troops-Small elite army
Thebes-Drilled Average troops-Middle ground
Can these armies have Cavalry? I was thinking about a Spartan Army due to less figures to paint.

I also have an interest in the Crusades and would fancy an Arab army, maybe with crusader allies at first. Do any armies of this period use Camels? I think camels are cool

Ive also been thinking about a Viking army

Many Thanks

Conrad

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:58 am

Any of those Greek armies should be relatively easy to play with as they are based around a single troop type - Offensive Spears - which is also an effective troop type. All of them can have a bit of cavalry and light troops so that you have some flexibility.

Vikings will be similar - but the list book won't be out this year.

Arab armies of the crusades period did not use camels other than as logistic support - the armies are more difficult to use than Greeks but good fun and rewarding IMO.

rtaylor · Post by **rtaylor** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:10 pm

I played against a Scots Isles and Highland army last night. It had 4 BG of Islemen (8xHF, protected, undrilled, offensive spear), 4 BG of Highlanders (8xMF, protected, undrilled, Bow*, impact foot, swordsmen), and 1 BG of LF bowmen to break up the monotony a bit. They defeated the center of my knight-and-pike army with numbers, terrain, positioning, and an IC. And this was in spite of the fact that I got the matchups I wanted (pike vs. spear, knights vs. impact foot).

The list has only one other troop type, by the way.

marshalney2000 · Post by **marshalney2000** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:46 pm

My experience with the Scots Isles is that you can win big but if things go wrong it can equally collapse rather quickly around you.
John

rtaylor · Post by **rtaylor** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:51 pm

marshalney2000 wrote:My experience with the Scots Isles is that you can win big but if things go wrong it can equally collapse rather quickly around you.

Sounds like a typical warband army then.

MARVIN_THE_ARVN · Post by **MARVIN_THE_ARVN** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:13 pm

Thanks Nik,

What armies/periods would have camels as a troop type? and in what role? Bows/Skirimish types or any formed up cav types?

Thanks

Conrad

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:36 pm

Asking Nik about camels is a bad idea, he already has a reputation as the deleter of all things smelly and spitting from another set of rules. If you are not careful he will do the same to this one

That said I don't think there were many armies that made widespread use of camels for warfare.

MARVIN_THE_ARVN · Post by **MARVIN_THE_ARVN** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:42 pm

Thanks for the warning hammy!!

The thought of a formed up line of camels charging across the desert amuses me.

Conrad

rtaylor · Post by **rtaylor** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:05 pm

I still have nightmares about the Nabatean Arab(?) camel-mounted machine guns (2 bowmen/camel!) in Warrior.

pezhetairoi · Post by **pezhetairoi** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 5:59 pm

That would be Midianite Arab.
I agree, they are ridiculous in Warrior. A terror at Biblical theme tournaments.
In this game they will probably be rather ineffective, as they should be.

Other Camel Armies ...

Parthians used some cataphract camels for a very short time. They are in the "Rise of Rome" book.
I think the Huns had some Bactrian Camels, and Cyrus' Achaemenis Persians used some against the Lydians.
Nabatean Arab armies used some as caravan guards/scouts etc.
No other all-camel armies I'm afraid/relieved, but some armies used them as gimmicks or supporting roles.

bertalucci · Post by **bertalucci** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:26 pm

My memory fades but either East or West Sudanese armies used camels on-mass.
A few javelin men, a lot of archers and herds of stampeding cows!

Unfortunately no armour to speak of.
My first ever army!
It took me 3 years to find out that it was not my fault that I kept losing.

I'll have to try them again with FoG.

A few armies with Bedouin tribes are also usually blessed with them.
A much better option as the rest of the troops are usually better quality, including the now well trained (Drilled) Sudanese Archers.

Great multi use troops as they span from biblical times to the 1500's.

Irregular Minatures 25mm are splendid.

Bert

shall · Post by **shall** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:20 am

If you are starting out thenr eally start with the Greeks Its an excellent army.

Go for Spartans and you get a nice mix of superior and average armoured hoplites if you take the early period. Very tough stuff frontally. Perfectly good in Bgs of 6.

You can have some LF javelinmen and 1 or 2 BGs of cavalry. In my 800pt design its 1 BG of Cav, 2 of javelinmen and the rest are hoplites for a true Marathon line.

Si

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:04 am

For the camelophiles out there here are some of the armies that have camels:

Seleukid - small Poor BG
Ptolemaic - small Poor BG
Parthian - catafract camel BG

Christian Nubian - quite a lot but not the greatest troops in the world (don't think DBM Cm(S) here)
Arab Conquest - the disguised ones, again not great and a small BG

Scrumpy · Post by **Scrumpy** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:43 am

People have missed the mighty Tuaregs, what will they be ?

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:49 am

Scrumpy wrote:
People have missed the mighty Tuaregs, what will they be ?

Are there any accounts (or hints given the likely source material) of proper battles with Tuaregs in the period FoG covers as opposed to raids, etc. or battles in later periods?

My current impression is there aren't any - like the Beja case - but there may be some out there.

Current list policy is to stick to "proper" armies - although Richard has hinted at some sort of sweeping up after the list books are published to see if anything should be added.

MARVIN_THE_ARVN · Post by **MARVIN_THE_ARVN** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:32 pm

Thanks for the replies and info everyone!!!

What book will the Christian Nubian list be in?

What is the major difference between the Greek City Lists? Or did I hit the nail with the first post? Im still not 100% sure which City to go for

Si, how many blocks of hopilites do you have in your army?

Conrad

shall · Post by **shall** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:37 pm

7 Bgs of Hoplites

4 of Spartans drilled superior
3 of undrilled other hoplites average

Organised in 8s for the ave undrilled and 6s for the Spartans - so 24 frontage of hoplites = about a metre. Plus light troops for the flanks.

Si

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:53 pm

My Thessalian list had 9 BGs of 6 bases of armoured average hoplites and a sack full of light troops to boot.

MARVIN_THE_ARVN · Post by **MARVIN_THE_ARVN** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:45 pm

Thanks for the info.

Just got back to the fort and finally got to get my hands on the book I ordered, Just had a very quick scan. First impressions are good.

Conrad

Quirkworthy · Post by **Quirkworthy** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:48 pm

shall wrote:If you are starting out thenr eally start with the Greeks Its an excellent army.

Go for Spartans and you get a nice mix of superior and average armoured hoplites if you take the early period. Very tough stuff frontally. Perfectly good in Bgs of 6.

You can have some LF javelinmen and 1 or 2 BGs of cavalry. In my 800pt design its 1 BG of Cav, 2 of javelinmen and the rest are hoplites for a true Marathon line.

Si

Sorry to jump in here, but you say that the Greeks would be a good starting army even though they're almost completely one unit type. In the rules it suggests (tip on p151) that you should avoid such monocultures as 'this can lead to a one dimensional battle plan that is easy to predict and therefore counter'.

So what am I missing?