Thursday, March 31, 2022

Byzantiad Army Lists - PW Nomenclature

I thought here I would 'redo' the army lists in terms of the troop types described in the previous posting, with strength points.  I have found occasion since first publishing it to modify the EXCEL table in my previous posting.  Otherwise the Army lists have simply been copied across from the earlier posting, and relisted in Portable Wargames 'Byzantiad' format.


 Byzantine Provincial (Thematic) Army:

1 x Commander: Provincial Governor/ Strategos with Thematic Heavy Cavalry unit - 3SP 
2 x Thematic Heavy Cavalry regiments - @2SP = 4SP (one may be 'poor')
1 x Protected Bowmen - 2SP
1 x Bow Light Horse - 2SP OR 1 x Cavalry - 2SP
1 x Loose Order Spear/Javelins unit - 2SP OR  Lance/Bow Light Horse - 2SP

6 units, 13SP

Byzantine Imperial (Tagmatic) Army:
1 x Commander: Domestic of the Schools (δομέστικος τῶν σχολῶν) with Tagmatic Heavy Cavalry - 3SP (elite)
2 x Tagmatic Heavy Cavalry regiments - @2SP = 4SP 
2 x Protected Bowmen regiments - @3SP = 6SP
1 x Lance/bow light horse - 2SP

6 units, 15SP

Byzantine Imperial (Tagmatic) Army:
1 x Commander: The Emperor with 1 Tagmatic Heavy Cavalry unit - 3SP (elite)


1 x Tagmatic Heavy Cavalry regiments - 2SP 
1 x Cataphract regiment - 3SP (elite)
1 x Varangian Guard Close Order Spear regiment - 3SP (elite) 
1 x Protected Bow regiment - 2SP
1 x Lance/Javelins Light Horse - 2SP

6 units, 15SP

1. Lombard/ Norman
1 x Commander: King or Duke with Charging Cavalry = 3SP (elite)
2 x Charging Cavalry @ 2SP = 4SP
2 x Spearmen @3SP = 6SP
1 x Bowmen - 2SP

6 units, 15SP


Normans ... or maybe Lombards.


2. Bulgar Empire:
1 x Kavkhan, OR the Tsar if objective is conquest or defence of the realm with Heavy Cavalry = 3SP (elite)
1 x Heavy Cavalry= 2SP
2 x Close Order Spearmen @3SP = 6SP
2 x Bow Light Horse @2SP = 4SP

6 units, 15SP

3.Pechenegs:
1 x Commander: Khan with Noble Heavy Cavalry - 3SP (elite)
4 x Bow Light Horse @2SP = 8SP
1 x Bowmen @2SP OR War Wagon @3SP

6 units, 13-14SP

4. 'Kievan' Rus
1 x Prince of Kiev with Axemen @ 4SP (elite)  or Heavy Cavalry @3SP (average)
4 x Close Order Spearmen @ 3SP = 12SP
1 x Close Order Spearmen @ 3SP or Axemen @ 3SP or Bow Light Horse @ 2SP

6 units, 17-19SP

5. Abasgians/ Georgians
1 x Commander: Prince with Charging Cavalry - 3SP (elite)
1 x Charging Cavalry - 2SP
2 x Close Order Spearmen @ 3SP = 6SP
1 x Bowmen - 2SP
1 x Bow light Horse - 2SP

6 units, 15SP

6. Bagratid Armenian

1 x Commander: Prince with Charging Cavalry - 3SP (elite)
1 x Heavy Cavalry - 2SP
1 x Bow Light Horse - 2SP
2 x Close Order Spearmen @3SP = 6SP
1 x Bow Light Infantry - 2SP

6 units, 15SP

7. Seljuk Turk
1 x Commander: Sultan with Heavy Cavalry - 3SP (elite)
4 x Bow Light Horse  @2SP = 8SP
1 x Bow Light Horse or Bowmen or Bow Light Infantry - 2SP

6 units, 13SP



8. Fatimid Egyptian
1 x Commander: Appointee of the Fatimid Caliph with Heavy Cavalry - 3SP (elite)
1 x Heavy Cavalry - 2SP
2 x Protected Bowmen @ 2SP = 4SP
1 x Loose Order Spearmen - 2SP
1 x Bow Light Horse - 2SP

6 units, 13SP


Bulgars? ... or Abasgians?


One might observe from this list that some armies are more formidable - at least in aspect - than others.


Something about Campaign 'moves'.

I'll really have to 'wing it' to start with.  But here's the general scheme.

1. 'Political moves'.  
This is where allegiances and hostilities are determined.  At present, the plan is to roll for these whenever a particular campaign 'ends'.  I have to admit, the criteria for 'ending' a campaign might not be clear cut!  These 'moves' will represent about 1 month's events.

2. 'Campaign moves'.  This is generally an invading force moving from battlefield to battlefield along the connecting lines.  The defending forces will be assumed to have marched up betimes to face the invaders.  I have given the 'Barbarians but one army, but in fact they might sometimes have two: an invading force and a defending force, depending upon events.  These will represent about 1 week's events.

In general, 'Campaign Moves' are suggested by the progress of battles, not of army movements. 

It is possible that some distance restriction will have to be placed upon the availability of defending forces, especially Byzantine Imperial.  However, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the Imperial Army based in Constantinople could intervene within about a month in Italy if called upon.  


A point about shooting.

Just today someone in the facebook group (The Portable Wargame) asked about adding +1 to dice rolls for shooting without moving.  Not having considered the matter, I was, upon reflection, inclined not to do so, mainly on the grounds of scale.  I have also more than half an idea I forgot to add this factor in my recent 'raid' campaign games (though I did use other modifiers). 

6 comments:

  1. Interesting read re troop types and shooting.

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    1. Remember: these lists are specifically for the FP3x3PW games. However, around this time, double armed and mixed armed were pretty nearly the norm. Having said that, there seems to be some indication that archery skills were gradually declining, and fading out of use. On the other hand, the Abasgian (Georgians as they later styled themselves) heavy cavalry, whose bows and arrows were used mainly in hunting at the period we are looking at, gradually became double-armed or mixed armed horse. However, I would suggest that classing them as Heavy Cavalry rather than 'charging cavalry' (Kn(F) in DBM terms) lies really outside this time period.

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  2. Hi Ion,

    I suspect each army has its own charm & unique characteristics that “make it what it is”. Yet, for many and varied reasons, we often end up favouring one in particular.
    Like women - enough said 🤣

    Cheers,

    Geoff

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    1. One of the attractions of this period, Geoff, is the disparity among the belligerents - from the light horse of the Pechenegs and Turks, to the almost 'all foot' armies of the Kievan Rus; the reliance on shock by some armies, mobility by others, and stoicism by others still. Of course the Byzantines will in many respects be the favourites; they were at the centre of it all.

      I have to admit this is pretty fictitious, though. The year 1000AD was in the middle of the long reign of Basil II, instead I have supposed that the Emperor has just been invested in the purple at the end of that year, and the 'campaign' begins in March or April, 1001.

      Cheers,
      Ion

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  3. This is all fascinating stuff for a period I'm singularly ignorant about. I can see I might have to buy some more toys, particularly as you can do all Byzantine combinations with a few DBA size armies.

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    1. Marin -
      Indeed you can. The Pechenegs and Normans are fairly distinctive, and I really do need to fudge the Fatimids, but DBA itself would be fine for a campaign like this.

      Having said that, I was a deal more ambitious when I started on my Byzantine Army...!
      Cheers
      Ion

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