RFCM

The battle day for 2026 is on Sunday 26th in Newbury.

Cost is £12 per person.

The battle day is a really good day out.
This date might not be good for some players.

The battle is Cunaxa.
Persians v Persian+greeks.
An interesting and important battle.



The format is to be there for the whole day and play the game twice. Using CK rules of that is OK.  Other ancient rule sets will have a game there too if that suits folk better.


Last year Simon, Miles, Nigel and martin went.
If you are interested  we can organise it here.

We might either play the game using 1 table with 4 players or two tables with more than 4 players?
We will  need late Persians and Greeks.
If you have 5 or 10mm armies then that is fine too.

I think we can run this with 2-8 players.
I will create (hopefully)  a new late Persian range to accompany this day.


Players for CK Cunaxa Sunday 29th March 2026.

1. martin
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

I will book tables  in a couple of weeks time.

martin :)

Players for CK Cunaxa Sunday 29th March 2026.

1. martin
2. Miles
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Players for CK Cunaxa Sunday 29th March 2026.

1. Martin
2. Miles
3. Simon
4.
5.
6.
7.

1. Martin
2. Miles
3. Simon
4. Sean
5.
6.
7.

That was quick.
Well signed.
Better plan those Persians.

martin :)

I'd better get an Osprey book on the battle if there is one  ;D

I've ordered the Osprey on the Greek and Persian Wars and the Conn Iggulden book, Falcon of Sparta which features Cunaxa.

I'll be buying some Hoplites to make a start. From early research, the battlefield is fairly plain.

1. Martin
2. Miles
3. Simon
4. Sean

Questions
1. Two tables if more than 4 want to play?
2. Use CK rules?  Last year we used CK and Longships.
3. Practice the game?
4. Any special items wanted for the game?

I will not  book anything for a few days in case others want to join in.


martin :)

For two tables we would need 4 armies. I can certainly paint one in that time. Buying and painting two is possible but a rush.

The day is only 3 months away and one of the armies hasn't been sculpted yet  ;D

Playtesting can use anything, but it would be nice to use a full Peter Pig army on the day. That sounds a lot of work for you Martin!

It seems the Persians used Eygptian pikemen, which I find interesting. And scythed chariots which I imagine will be a complicated sculpt for you Martin  :D

This will now be my focus for painting for the next three months. Looking forward to it.

If anyone has it, there is a summary of Cunaxa in the old WRG book on the Armies of the Greek and Persian Wars. Unfortunately mine is long gone. There may be a copy of the Anabasis in the Penguin Classics series.

Thanks Andy, I'll see if I have it in the library (the loft).

I can join the fight

1. Martin
2. Miles
3. Simon
4. Sean
5. Stewart


Stewart

This is all shaping up very quickly.


1. martin
2. Miles
3. Simon
4. Sean
5. Stewart
6. Nigel


I think we can meet and beat the challenge.
The two armies are later Achaemenid Persian.
Pronounced "A keem a nid". That is vital for the day (?)

The armies are Crown Persian and Rebellion Persians for want of better titles.
Crown and rebel.
For the purposes of the day. Some very rough numbers.
We can use the CK list. Free on the PP website.

Crown army. Bigger. Attacker. 40% cavalry. 30% regular infantry. 30% Levy, chariots and others. These numbers include skirmishers.

Rebel army.Smaller. Defender. 30% cavalry. 30% Greeks. 40% regular and levy. Maybe chariots? These numbers include skirmishers.

Roughly.
For a pair of  armies combined we need . 5 Hoplite units. 12 cavalry units. 7 auxiliary units. 7 close order units. 6 foot skirmisher units. 6 cavalry skirmisher units. 1 chariot unit. 4 Generals.

This would obviously double for two games.

I have enough hoplites and accompanying skirmishers for both games.
I think we can use various stuff from our own other armies to fill the ranks.

What we need to do (suggestions).
Priority 1. Persian cavalry. All shieldless. Some with lance. Some with bow case.
Priority 2. Persian foot troops. Troops with smaller shield and possibly bow case.
Priority 3  Persian foot troops. Large shield only and bow only types. Close order.
Priority 4  Scythed chariots 3 models per unit
Priority 5  Generals


martin :)
 

Martin

Would

Egyptians be ok?
Were there pike units?
Romans as hoplites?
Mongolian cavalry?

Stewart

Egyptians could be used as Egyptian hoplites (good enough).
Hoplites. We have plenty. Carthaginian foot would do just fine.
Possibly 1 pike unit ( Very long spear foot).
Skirmish cavalry. Anything will do.
Skirmish foot. Anything will do.
Auxiliaries anything will do.

The main task is for there to be shieldess cavalry. 9+ units per table.


martin :)

I take it these would be classed as later Achaemenid Persians?

Cavalry and scythed chariots are hardest to proxy with other figures. Happy to paint up an army for one of the two tables. Maybe two armies if I can get the focus!

I'm happy to play with your new figures, Sean  :D

Simon

Yep, later Persians.

We need the chariots, as they are an important part of the visual.
I reckon that cavalry are the main "need".
Shieldless armoured with longer spear leg armour and horse armour.
Shieldless with javelin, spear and possibly bow case. Armour would often be covered by colourful over shirts etc.
I will make these cavalry first.
Tight scheduling but we can try.
I will get  a time line started.

martin :)   

martin

What do you want me to do ? Figure wise ? Scenery wise ?
Mats how many do we need ?
Miles

Quote from: martin goddard on December 09, 2025, 08:53:54 PMYep, later Persians.

We need the chariots, as they are an important part of the visual.
I reckon that cavalry are the main "need".
Shieldless armoured with longer spear leg armour and horse armour.
Shieldless with javelin, spear and possibly bow case. Armour would often be covered by colourful over shirts etc.
I will make these cavalry first.
Tight scheduling but we can try.
I will get  a time line started.

martin :)   

martin

Actually, it was a mix of early (Sparabara) and later (EHC) troop types. No Immortals reported but would be around king. Even later Persian cavalry may have carried shields - colonist type.

Neil

Thanks Neil. Really interesting. I've read a couple of articles that state sparabara were still in use, though not quite to the same degree as earlier periods. They have been lighter armed troops with archers behind.

The Society of ancients have asked for details for the battle day 29th March Sunday.

I will book two tables for CK games.
I was a bit embarrassed last year by having to cancel a table.
Thus, can you confirm (add "confirmed")on this thread that you will be coming  (of course emergencies do arise and that is an accepted risk).

1. martin- confirmed
2. Miles
3. Simon
4. Sean
5. Stewart
6. Nigel- confirmed

thanks


martin :)

1. martin - confirmed
2. Miles
3. Simon - confirmed
4. Sean
5. Stewart
6. Nigel - confirmed

Simon

Miles
3. Simon - confirmed
4. Sean
5. Stewart - confirmed
6. Nigel - confirmed



v

Updated

1. martin - confirmed
2. Miles
3. Simon - confirmed
4. Sean
5. Stewart- confirmed
6. Nigel - confirmed

thanks

martin :)

Updated

1. martin - confirmed
2. Miles - confirmed
3. Simon - confirmed
4. Sean
5. Stewart- confirmed
6. Nigel - confirmed

Miles

Quote from: Sean Clark on December 10, 2025, 07:19:44 PMThanks Neil. Really interesting. I've read a couple of articles that state sparabara were still in use, though not quite to the same degree as earlier periods. They have been lighter armed troops with archers behind.

Sorry Sean, missed this.

The time of the battle falls between the early Persian Wars period and the later Alexander invasion, hence the theory that there was a transition in the armies. Duncan Head postulates that the Sparabara were replaced by "Takabara" peltast types, with Greek mercenaries providing heavy infantry.
Note the Persians are defined by their shield type, much like the Greeks (our sources being Greek or the few representations in statues, monuments and the Alexander mosaic).

Xenophon at Cunaxa talks of facing Egyptians with heavy wooden shields and "gerraphoroi" -"gerra" has been identified as a "wicker" shield - hence the theory that Sparabara spear and bow combination troops were present, the earlier Persian Wars sources referring to "gerra" shield barriers.

Aside from these, the only other Persian troops described are the scythed chariots and Cyrus' bodyguard wearing Greek helmets and leg / horse armour. Tissaphernes' cavalry are described as "white armoured" - a Greek spolas or did the armies have an identifying colour? Red for Cyrus, White for Artaxerxes?
Paphlagonian cavalry are mentioned but not described. Later lots of Persian archers and slingers are mentioned and the various hill tribes encountered described, sometime fancifully.

Neil

I know have eye surgery booked for Fridy 27th March amd will not be able to drive for a week afterwards.

Of course, this being the NHS, surgery may be cancelled for any number of reasons. However, I will need to withdraw from participation for now, pending change in circumstances. 

Many apologies.

Very sorry to hear about your upcoming operation, Sean, and hope that it's not too gruesome.

Looking on the bright side, this should be one more thing that won't clash with this year's WWW  :)

And, as you say, if things do get delayed then maybe you'll be able to join us after all?

Simon

Hi Sean
Hope it all goes well
Catch up at a battle day some time

Stewart

Does the current C&K army list (#14) for the Persians merit some tweaking, since all cavalry are Unarmoured?

Could there be an option for, say, up to 3 units to be upgraded to Armoured?

Simon

https://www.peterpig.co.uk/Conquerors%20and%20kings%20%20V96%20ARMY%20BOOK%20%20February%202026.pdf

Version 96 has had a re work.
Should be fine.

martin :)

Sorry Martin, but your link below (and that on the website) both take me to version 95 of the Army lists, where there are as yet no armoured cavalry.

Simon

Please confirm army list 14 or 15?

14 has u Armored cavalry
15 has the option for armour

Stewart

Good Q Stewart

Army 15. later Persian.
This is the army that fought Alexander the great.

Army book February version.

martin :)

Ah - that was a very good question, Stewart  ;D

I now see the option for armoured cavalry in army list 15.

However, I can still only see Army Book 95 (albeit dated 8th February 2026) :)

Simon

I think army book 96 has not been uploaded yet but it will not affect those Persians

martin :)

1. martin - confirmed
2. Miles - confirmed
3. Simon - confirmed
4. Weymouth Mike- confirmed
5. Stewart- confirmed
6. Nigel - confirmed


martin :)