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Post by paddy649 on Nov 2, 2017 23:40:38 GMT
Following posts covering Scythian and Early Swiss Armies I can now reveal my true colours and showcase my Indian armies. I say "armies" because the origins of these figures is a 20+ year old WRG 7th Edition Poros' Classical Indian Army designed to go up against my Alexandrian Macedonians. In recent months I have rebased them and added to them to make I/10 Pre-Vedic Indian, II/1 Republican Indian and II/2 Mountain Indian to add to the existing II/3 Classical Indian armies; and I am just a few LCh short of a I/23 Vedic Indian Army.
The figures are all from Magister Militum, Chariot Miniatures range which I chose 20 years ago because they were then the best on the market and because I was a member of Tring Wargames club where Ged, the founder of Chariot Miniatures, was a member and regular opponent. I promised him that I'd buy and paint up one of his armies for him to display but never managed to get them to him at any show before I left the club and he sold the company. However, even 20 years later they remain lovely figures and a comprehensive range. One minor issue is that the bows can be a little brittle - but if you can spot the repairs in any of the following photos I'll be impressed.
Why Indians? Well in my book playing ancients allows me to follow in the footsteps of my ancient heroes: Alexander, Julius, Genghis, Attila, Henry V etc plus it allows me to wargame with elephants. Indians allow me to play against Alexander, had lots of elephants, were easy to paint fast and looked very nice. The fact that Indians were a very strong DBA 1.0 army was a happy happenstance but even in DBA 3.0 and all the rules designed to reduce the effectiveness of elephants in combat, these guys do pretty well on the table. However, regardless of that they are good-looking, charasmitic and fun - which is enough for me!
So here goes. Starting with Poros' Classical Indian Army II/3a:
The Full Army
Poros and friends
Heavy Chariots
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 2, 2017 23:42:49 GMT
Cavalry
Longbow
Psloi and Auxilia
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 2, 2017 23:53:20 GMT
Finally the II/3 Classical Indian Army with the LCh option.
The Full Army Light Chariots (yes I know these have 3 crew rather than 2 crew but that allows them to double for Republican Indian Chariots as well)
Enjoy! I'll post the next Indian Army (Mountain, Republican or Later Classical) in a few days time.
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Post by goragrad on Nov 3, 2017 1:27:45 GMT
Very nice!!
Purple says 4 horse, three crew for Republican. Do you have a better reference?
I have been demoting the extra javelinmen and archers from the various manufacturers to the ranks of foot sloggers. Might have to reconsider.
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 3, 2017 14:44:23 GMT
Goragrad,
Thanks - No the Purple book is good when it comes to Indian Chariots. As I said all these stem from a WRG 7th army which was full of 4 horse 6 man chariots and so what I cut away to make LCh or 4 horse 4 man chariots was a choice. I can add the spare horses back to these LCh bases to make these Republican Indian HCh (which I only really need to do if fighting BBDBA or Republican Indian Civil Wars) or just use 2 more of Poros' ones and accept that they shouldn't have outriders.
Paddy
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Post by ronisan on Nov 3, 2017 17:49:06 GMT
Hello paddy649,
beautiful! Well done!
Cheers, Ronald.
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Post by goragrad on Nov 3, 2017 18:44:54 GMT
Thanks paddy649, am putting crews in 7 lights and a heavy and putting them on bases with 7 more heavies and 5 lights primed for painting. Good to know that I won't have to acquire more lights at this time (although a recent purchase of some second had figures has left me with 29 of the Minifig chariot horses and about 10 of their chariot crews).
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 7, 2017 19:10:02 GMT
So now from the II/3 Classical Indians to the II/2 Mountain Indians.
This time only one Elephant, but some Light Horse, 2 Ps, some 4 Ax javelinmen and some 3Pk elements. The only elements that are significantly different from the Classical Indians posted earlier are the pikemen - which are just the Magister Militum (Chariot Miniatures) Indian Spearmen with their short spears drilled out and substituted for longer Xyston pikes.
The Full Army The Fast Pike
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 7, 2017 19:37:41 GMT
The Mercenary Guildsmen (Javelinmen)
The General's Elephant and Light Horse
The Bowmen (Psloi)
So far I have had a lot of fun playing this army but only limited success especially in the open where it is outmatched by most armies. Its aggression is low but higher than other Indian Armies - which despite being tropical have the troops types for far more open terrain. So in Indian civil war games this army often faces massed elephants and Heavy Chariots on a billiard table and gets stuffed. For me it its lack of Cavalry means it doesn't pack a decent punch and I'm not the biggest fan of 4Ax in almost all circumstances. However, it seems to do well in lots of broken terrain where the fast pike can rapidly concentrate against isolated elements (especially shooters) swing the balance while the General's elephant rules the channels between terrain pieces, while the LH work the flanks and rear. I'm not certain whether substituting the mercenary javelinmen for another 3 Ps and really closing the terrain down isn't the better option for playing this army. While I do have the additional Ps elements, butI didn't photograph them when I had the toys on the table.
If you are tying this post up with earlier posts about the fastest DBA armies to paint - this one does pretty well at a mere 36 elements (with the 5 Ps option) or 42 (with the 4Ax option). Regrettably the elephant just tips the balance making this army just a little slower to paint than the Pre-Vedic Indians.....but this one's got an Elephant General which is always fun. However, as you can see very little duplication with the II/3 Classical Indians with only the Elephant General, one unit of Ps and 1 unit of 4Ax. So if you intend building 2 armies from a common core this one will cost you a hefty 9 extra elements and the conversion of the 3Pk elements to boot.
Hope you like.
Paddy
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Post by martin on Nov 7, 2017 20:48:35 GMT
Looks very nice, paddy.....going on from your comment in the last paragraph, did you paint up a separate pre-vedic Indian army, or does it use the Mountain Indian Chariot Miniatues 3Pk? Martin Wondering which figs would suit the Pre-Vedics....
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Post by goragrad on Nov 8, 2017 10:46:19 GMT
Another nice army Paddy.
For my Pre-Vedic and Vedic Indians Martin, I am using the Minifg Z-82 Archer from their Barbarians and Other nations. They don't have the man nun. Don't know how appropriate that is, but at least they will have a visible difference.Of course for my Mountain 3PK I am using the Minifig Javelinmen from that line so that confuses things...
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Post by paddy649 on Nov 8, 2017 16:56:29 GMT
Martin, No when I play Pre-Vedic Indians I use the same figures I use here - so they are Chariot Miniatures.....BUT I do have separate armies for Classical, Mountain and Republican Armies in my Indian box (below) so I can play 3 way Indian Civil wars or table a decent army for BBDBA. (You will note too many Elephants (I like Elephants), too much Cavalry and not enough Light Chariots to do the Vedic Indians....I'll need to make good that shortfall sometime.)
So for my pre-Vedics I recycle the 3Pk from the Mountain Indians, the 4Bw from Classical Indians and the Psloi from both. If I use the 2 x 3Ax option (and I seldom do) these are the are the same figures as the Mountain Indian 4Ax but based differently....although these are currently bases as Ps.
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Indians
Nov 11, 2017 10:16:33 GMT
via mobile
Post by Haardrada on Nov 11, 2017 10:16:33 GMT
Nice eye-candy Paddy...you've done some great work on those armies.
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