Seeing the Elephant (so to speak)

My new Lydian/Phyrgian cavalry and axemen have finally seen action during today's test game. The report can be found here.

Optional Rules

I managed a quick playtest today and have uploaded a tweaked version of the movement rules. I have also just added some examples of optional special troop type rules. A battle report will follow this evening.

16)     OPTIONAL SPECIAL TROOP RULES

a)      Roman Legions. Each consular legion gets its own general.  If the legionairies are formed in 2 or more lines with each line being 1  rank of companies, then they may retreat or charge through other Roman infantry of the same legion. They also roll 1 extra die when charging or being charged by infantry. (The assumption is that Romans may either use the traditional manipular tactics or form deep in close order to repel cavalry or Barbarians but not both at the same time. Roman generals should choose appropriate tactics for their period.).

b)     Barbarians. German and Celtic tribes in particular had a reputation for fierces charges and a lack of stamina as well as a vulnerability to missile fire. These sorts of armies may declare them selves to be “barbarian” and receive a +1 die per stand in melee if charging or if being charged by infantry but may not rally.

c)      Cataphracts. Fully armoured cataphracts on fully armoured horses are immune to missile fire from all except crossbows, staff slings and artillery. In melee troops fighting them subtract -2 instead of the normal -1 for fighting heavy troops. However, due to the heavy fatigue they subject to, cataphracts take 1 less hit than normal so that regulars are destroyed by 1 hit and elites by 2.In addition, they may not rally hits.

d)     Scythed Chariots and other devices.  Scythed chariots, stampeding herds of cattle and other such stratagems were designed to break up formations rather than killing troops.  For each scythed chariot which contacts an enemy formation, instead of resolving melee, the opposing players each roll 1 die. If the attacker rolls higher then the attack succeeds other wise it is thwarted.  If the attack succeeds, then any company that was in contact with the chariot, including corner only contact, must retreat just far enough that it is not touching any other friendly company. If there were companies behind the retreating companies then these will retreat as well.

The Gathering Resumes

It has been more than 6 months now since the last unit of 25mm Ancients left the painting table. For most of this time, there have been 10 1/2 painted 20mm Phyrgians sitting at the back of my table. For some reason, I'm not sure why, I just couldn't get a feel for them. I haven't been painting much anyway and so I let them slide when I did find the time and energy.

Just before Christmas, I got a sudden urge to convert the whole project to Sassinid vs Romans. Several days of  day dreaming and considering possibilities passed before I remembered that I was going to drain off any Roman impulse into the Prince Valiant 40mm project and began to dig about on the net for info on the Babylonians and Assyrians as a distraction. Worked like a charm, by Boxing Day evening I was relaxed, had time of my choosing and within minutes of starting to apply stripes, it was all good and so the first 1/2 unit of Phyrgians "light" infantry has emerged.

 
Those for an eye & a memory for such things may note that the single figure rebellion appears to have been quelled. I had a few bad moments when I was tempted to emulate the excellent 4 man 40mm sq bases that my 25mm ECW Scots have adopted but in the nick of time sanity reigned and I remembered how useful it can be to have something approaching "hobby standard"  for 25mm Ancients and how annoying it can be to have inconvenient non-standard arrangements. So it had to be single figures or 60mm elements.  My 40mm Prince Valiant figures give me "ancient" singles so its back to elements for the little guys. (Whew, glad I only rebased troops who needed it for other reasons!)

The Lydian infantry musters

At last the dust is starting to settle and I have resumed painting, including the last of the Garrison Phyrgians. Here is the Sardis Regiment in all its splendour. That thicket of spears just cries out for another on each side but they will have to content with existing hoplite allies for now.

The Persian/Mede reorganization is also done leaving me with the Ecbatana Regiment of Garrison Medes:

and the Persians, the Raphum Regiment using RAFM miniatures:

The armies are not up to their full campaign strength yet but I am ready to begin and no substitutions will be allowed. Any missing units can be added as figures are painted.

Starting at Shadows

I should never have read all the way through Shadows in the Desert, at least not until I had finished  my Medes and Lydians. My mind keeps wandering to my waiting Sassinind Clibinari & levy molds and Hinchliffe elephant kits and campaigning in even more remote and romantic lands in the back of beyond.

As an example of bad timing, RAFM is having a 40% off sales on ancients (see link to left) so while I ordered another pack of arab archers to bring my new unit up to 24, and enough Hellenistic cavalry to make the 1st Lydian cavalry regiment,  there are also a dozen cataphracts and a mix of Scythian and Sarmatians coming to make a unit of 1/2 armoured  Saka nobles. (cleverly able to do double duty). I resisted the temptation to add other things I wouldn't mind having and  instead spent the rest of my unhatched eggs on some definitely early troops, some Rose Nubians to mix into my Ethiopeans to bring them up to 24, a regiment of Garrison 25mm Persians in long robes, not the guard yet, just some Persian tribesmen to fight for the Medes, oh and a dozen Garrison clibinari. Oh dear.

Well, never mind, I have only finishing touches and the first 16 Phrygian spearmen will be ready to take the field with the remaining 8 to follow soon. Rebasing and reorganization of the Medes has also begun. Including recycled Valdurian Royal Guards and various barbarians from the north, but excluding new recruits not yet recieved or cast, I have laid out 10 cavalry regiments in various states of disarray from almost table ready to debating stripping and repainting. 2 of these will be on 1/2 armoured horses, possibly a little pre-mature, 4 will be light and 4 medium/heavy. The OB calls for 6 units at the moment but I'm not sure if I can pawn off any on the Lydians as barbarian mercenaries. Only a few of the regiments are amenable to amalgamation into 18 or 24 man units but perhaps I will go back to the idea of fielding two 12 man squadrons  as a scenario "unit" once they are all complete.

  The question is, can I complete enough troops to make it proper to start a mini-campaign within 3 weeks?

Return to Phrygia

Cold Wars is over and done, time for other matters., like closing up the kennel businees and moving, sighhh but there should still be a little hobby time over the next few months and lots of time come fall. So I sat down last night and did a few sample Phrygians. Basing and that nice glossy varnish that  add the finishing touch and bring them to life is missing but here they are amidst friends:

L to R  Mede (slight conversion of Garrison Persian), Garrison 25mm Phyrgian Spearman, Garrison 20mm Phrygian Javelinman, Prince August Homecast 25mm Sassinid Levy.

The Mede is there, well, because he happened to be there when I was taking the picture. I'm pretty happy with the spearman but may relent and do some coloured leather on the breastplate, not sure yet. The 20mm Phrygian, as I expected, looks much better than he has a right to now that he is painted. I'm 90% sure that I'll field this unit as double armed light infantry with 2 handed axe and javelin and discount the armour (ie if the metal breast plate is light, then the leather only is less than light and therefore ignored, its a cruel world). The PA homecast fellow goes well along side the 20mm Garrison and will be used to fill out a unit of some form of Mede levy, because, well because I have the mold, 2 now thanks to the generosity of a fellow gamer and home-caster. Hopefully the squashed head was the result of an imperfect pour and can be bettered with some work. He was hastily done almost 2 years ago.

Right, on to the next 46 figs!

20 meets 25

More filler. Here is one of the 20mm Phrygians beside one of the25's, both primed white.

They both look like they'll paint up well. I'm looking forward to painting both units, the trick will be a simple pattern that looks complicated but is simple to paint and which looks like they are not in uniform and yet look alike. The current plan is a single coloured tunic in one of about 3 shades with different coloured sleeve, again in about 3 shades and trousers with coloured rings in a 3rd, contrasting colour. I won't end up with 24 unique figures but it'll be close.  Both Kannik and Funcken show coloured armour but I have a fondness  for dark brown leather armour with perhaps a bit of bronze. 

The spearman is clearly heavy infantry but I still haven't decided if the javelin types are light infantry with some armour or heavy infantry with javelins and that decison will be made after I paint them.  I am only 10 days away from my departure for my 4,000 km round trip drive to Cold Wars and need to focus on getting my part of the 18thC Charge! ganes ready. Next post on this blog will probably be in late March after my return.