Just as a conversation piece.
What armies would be included in a 1st century BC to 3rd century AD of the Roman empire set of game rules.
I used the Phil Barker book for the main inputs.
Gauls
Britons
Germans
Picts
Scots/Irish
Dacians
Sarmations
Parthians
Pontics
Armenians
Jews
Palmyrans
Spanish
Any favourite armies there?
martin :)
Parthians definitely.
Germans certainly.
Dacians probably.
Palmyrans possibly.
In that order.
Also:
Numidians and Berbers
Possibly Ptolemaic Egypt
Commagene
Arab
Slave revolts
Neil
Those slaves are always revolting Neil.
martin :)
Could also include Hunnic armies, Goths and Visigoths (who were displaced by the Huns).
Saying that I just happen to have a large Hunnic Army! :)
Derek
I'd thought Goths, Visigoths and Huns were all a little later, but am more than happy to be corrected.
I believe the Romans brought elephants to Britain, so that will be fun.
I would like to do a Gallic / British army (I already have many of the figures to paint), and am enjoying the prospect of a return to Ancients in due course.
Simon
I am sure Derek's huns can be used as one of the armies. Possibly Palmyran?
martin :)
What I found with the Hunnic army is it can cover almost 2000 years of history as I found during my spell playing FOG. Little difference in the troops. Just loads of mounted archers and a scattering of Cattaphracts.
Derek
Alans.
John
I think they are Derek's and not Alan's. (Ho Ho?)
The cavalry armies in this period would be those to the east. e.g Armenians (sort of), Parthians and Palmyrans. Of course the Romans had cavalry too, including Moors and similar from Africa.
This is only a general chat, so actually choosing an army matters not very much.
My thinking is of Rome in its ascendancy. Say up to 282 AD? (maybe reduce this to 202 AD) Rome rising to it's highest point. Fighting the nations who had their own empires. These are the days when Rome had most of its armies clothed and equipped in the Roman fashion. Not many foreign equipped allies .
The BC bit is to cover the Roman civil wars and the great expansions.
There is a temptation to just cover the Roman civil wars but that would attract very few players I feel.
Too big a period gives armies that are "out of step" with each other .
I see no problem with pushing into a restricted area. Rather than the all encompassing competition aimed rule sets which are very popular. A smaller era might be publishing suicide but what if?
martin :)
My faves from your list are Picts and Mithridates / Pontic.... (a favourite, with pikemen and scythed chariots, or 'pretend Roman' heavy foot), and maybe Britons and Parthians.
A couple of others from the designated time period that might be of interest-
Illyrians (troublesome hill tribes 🤭)
Galatians
Blemmye on the southern borders of Egypt.(good cavalry, archers and supports).
Nabataea (was v popular in DBM days, I think).