Slitherine

Everybody else seems to be getting hints on their favourite armies so they know what to paint, so I thought I'd ask a few general questions about the upcoming Empire of the Dragon Tibetans.

1. Will I be able to keep my cataphracts, or will I have to buy some less well armoured blokes or re-base the ones I have to 3's? If any, how many will I be able to keep and how many might be Cav?
2. Should I buy some without bows on the figures so I don't mistakenly think they may be Bw* lancers (Cat or Cav)?
3. Should I base my dismounted cataphracts as HF or MF? Are they Off Sp or not? Should some of the figures on the base be shooting/carrying bows to match with capabilities they may or may not have?
4. Are there any other troops besides cataphracts or lancer cavalry?*



*Not just in the Tibetan army, anywhere really?

philqw78 wrote:Everybody else seems to be getting hints on their favourite armies so they know what to paint, so I thought I'd ask a few general questions about the upcoming Empire of the Dragon Tibetans.

1. Will I be able to keep my cataphracts, or will I have to buy some less well armoured blokes or re-base the ones I have to 3's? If any, how many will I be able to keep and how many might be Cav?

You will be able to use all your catafracts as catafracts.

2. Should I buy some without bows on the figures so I don't mistakenly think they may be Bw* lancers (Cat or Cav)?

You know you're not getting Bow* 'cos I've told you before ...

3. Should I base my dismounted cataphracts as HF or MF? Are they Off Sp or not? Should some of the figures on the base be shooting/carrying bows to match with capabilities they may or may not have?

HF - a quick perusal of your historicla references will answer the rest of your question (have to leave you guessing about something )

4. Are there any other troops besides cataphracts or lancer cavalry?*



*Not just in the Tibetan army, anywhere really?

Hard though you may find this to believe, but yes

I have Khitan Laio cataphracts and have a load of loose bows along with them (Essex about 15 years ago) and was wondering if I should fit them or not. Looks like I have my answer.

Spartacus wrote:I have Khitan Laio cataphracts and have a load of loose bows along with them (Essex about 15 years ago) and was wondering if I should fit them or not. Looks like I have my answer.

Fit the bows. Khitan cavalry are graded as Cavalry, Bow, Swordsmen under the rules.

And don't cut off their other weapons - as we have tried to emphasize, these rules are not equipment based but based on fighting styles. The fact that they are graded as Bow, Swordsmen does not mean that they don't also have lances, halberds, Swiss army knives etc.

In fact they were supposed to have: Nine pieces of iron armour, saddle clothes, bridles, armour of leather and iron for the horses, four bows, four hundred arrows, a long and a short spear, a club (mace), a halberd, small banner, hammer, awl, knife and flint, a bucket for the horse, a peck of dried food, a grappling hook, a felt umbrella and two hundred feet of rope!

However, they fought in standard steppe cavalry fashion and hence they are graded as Cavalry, Armoured, Bow, Swordsmen. (We don't give them umbrella capability either - but maybe we will in the Campaign supplement ).

philqw78 wrote:Everybody else seems to be getting hints on their favourite armies so they know what to paint, so I thought I'd ask a few general questions about the upcoming Empire of the Dragon Tibetans.

1. Will I be able to keep my cataphracts, or will I have to buy some less well armoured blokes or re-base the ones I have to 3's? If any, how many will I be able to keep and how many might be Cav?
2. Should I buy some without bows on the figures so I don't mistakenly think they may be Bw* lancers (Cat or Cav)?
3. Should I base my dismounted cataphracts as HF or MF? Are they Off Sp or not? Should some of the figures on the base be shooting/carrying bows to match with capabilities they may or may not have?
4. Are there any other troops besides cataphracts or lancer cavalry?*



*Not just in the Tibetan army, anywhere really?

Thought I might just ask would the Tibetan Cataphracts be drilled or not? and are there a lot of LH Bow in this army.
Dave

Dammit. No mention of the fire syphons on my Khitans

Hard though you may find this to believe, but yes

Yes I remember now Nik.

There are 3 other troop types.

There are LH and LF that are used to support Lancers

and the troops other people use.

rbodleyscott wrote:

Spartacus wrote:I have Khitan Laio cataphracts and have a load of loose bows along with them (Essex about 15 years ago) and was wondering if I should fit them or not. Looks like I have my answer.

Fit the bows. Khitan cavalry are graded as Cavalry, Bow, Swordsmen under the rules.

And don't cut off their other weapons - as we have tried to emphasize, these rules are not equipment based but based on fighting styles. The fact that they are graded as Bow, Swordsmen does not mean that they don't also have lances, halberds, Swiss army knives etc.

In fact they were supposed to have: Nine pieces of iron armour, saddle clothes, bridles, armour of leather and iron for the horses, four bows, four hundred arrows, a long and a short spear, a club (mace), a halberd, small banner, hammer, awl, knife and flint, a bucket for the horse, a peck of dried food, a grappling hook, a felt umbrella and two hundred feet of rope!

Actualy that is only part of the equipment list for the 15 year old recruit as he becomes a 'regular soldier'. - He also brought a forager (same equipment list), three horses each and an unarmoured 'orderly' (who didn't fight).

However, they fought in standard steppe cavalry fashion and hence they are graded as Cavalry, Armoured, Bow, Swordsmen. (We don't give them umbrella capability either - but maybe we will in the Campaign supplement ).

And the regulars didn't fight in standard speppe fashion. The Liaoshi describes the battlefield tactics in detail.


rgds,

Tom..

sorry it's late I just came back to the fora.

david53 wrote:

philqw78 wrote:Everybody else seems to be getting hints on their favourite armies so they know what to paint, so I thought I'd ask a few general questions about the upcoming Empire of the Dragon Tibetans.

1. Will I be able to keep my cataphracts, or will I have to buy some less well armoured blokes or re-base the ones I have to 3's? If any, how many will I be able to keep and how many might be Cav?
2. Should I buy some without bows on the figures so I don't mistakenly think they may be Bw* lancers (Cat or Cav)?
3. Should I base my dismounted cataphracts as HF or MF? Are they Off Sp or not? Should some of the figures on the base be shooting/carrying bows to match with capabilities they may or may not have?
4. Are there any other troops besides cataphracts or lancer cavalry?*



*Not just in the Tibetan army, anywhere really?

Thought I might just ask would the Tibetan Cataphracts be drilled or not? and are there a lot of LH Bow in this army.
Dave

During the Empire there were several units serving for pay, as garrison troops in fortresses. Such battlefield descriptions as we have mention drums flags etc (same as Chinese and most steppe cavalry) so drilled is not entirely out of the question.

As an aside the descriptions we do have of the heavy cavalry mention them charging downhill at a gallop, loosing arrows as they carge and targeting enemy cavary. Perhaps cataphract isn't the correct troop type for them?

Tom..