Art De La Guerre

[rcornwell]

Hi,

I've been playing around with Maurikian Byzantines, partly inspired by a biography of Heraclius that I reviewed some years ago and wondered what people think of this?

Strategist (Heraclius) - Included
3 Elite Heavy Cavalry Bow Impact
3 Medium Cavalry Bow Impact
1 Light Horse Bow
1 Javelinmen
1 Light Infantry Bow

Ordinary - Included
1 Elite Heavy Cavalry Bow Impact
3 Medium Cavalry Bow Impact

Brilliant Ghassanid Arab Ally
3 Camels Bow
3 Javelinmen
1 Light Horse Javelin

20 Units
Initiative 4

All the best


Richard

[deuf8881]

My list :

Corps 1 : Strategist (Maurice)
4 Heavy cavalry bow impact
2 Bowmen
1 Javelinmen
2 LI javelin 

Corps 2 : Ordinary included
1 Heavy cavalry bow impact elite
2 Medium cavalry bow
2 Light cavalry bow

Corps 3 : Sassanid ally brilliant
1 Heavy cavalry bow
2 Cataphract elite
1 Light cavalry javelin
1 Medium spearmen mediocre 
1 LI javelin
1 LI bow
1 Elephant

22 units 
Initiative 4
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[Commodore]

[babyshark]

[Hazelbark]

I don't think you get enough out of the ally to use it in this configuration.

[rcornwell]

[knightfast]

Not sure if it helps but I kept mine fairly simple:

Brilliant CinC
2 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
2 Heavy Cavalry impact elite
3 Javelinmen
1 Light Foot bow

Competent Sub General
4 Heavy Cavalry impact bow
3 Light Cavalry bow

Competent Sub General (included)
4 Heavy Cavalry impact bow

19 Units
Initiative 3

Don't really think any of the allies add much to a list which is already fairly rounded and capable of managing most situations fairly well. Also found HC more resilient than MC would have been given the higher volumes of shooting in the earlier period (especially other bow armed cavalry).

[rcornwell]

How about this?

Strategist CinC
2 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
2 Heavy Cavalry impact elite
3 Javelinmen
2 Light Foot bow

Competent Sub General (included)
1 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
3 Heavy Cavalry impact bow
2 Light Cavalry bow

Ordinary Sub General (included)
1 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
3 Heavy Cavalry impact bow

19 Units
Initiative 3

[babyshark]

I have been experimenting with Maurikian recently, and really enjoy the army. It zooms around the table, but it doesn't have much staying power.

Have you considered running the javelinmen as light infantry javelins and the light infantry bow as LMI bowmen? I have found real value in the longer shooting range of the LMI. Also, I think each corps should have a unit of LH to help them keep skirmishers honest.

Marc

[muz177]

Any reason for Maurikian compared to Thematic or Nikephorian.?

[gelin]

[babyshark]

[rcornwell]

Final version:

Strategist CinC
2 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
2 Heavy Cavalry impact elite
3 Javelinmen
2 Light Foot bow

Competent Sub General (included)
1 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
3 Heavy Cavalry impact bow
2 Light Cavalry bow

Competent Unreliable Sub General (included)
1 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
2 Heavy Cavalry impact bow
2 Light Cavalry bow

20 Units
Initiative 4


It occurs to me, that maybe the third command does't need the impact and that a Khazar ally would be useful.

Strategist CinC
2 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
2 Heavy Cavalry impact elite
3 Javelinmen
1 Light Foot bow

Competent Sub General (included)
2 Heavy Cavalry impact bow elite
2 Heavy Cavalry impact bow
2 Light Cavalry bow

CompetentAllied General (included)
1 Heavy Cavalry bow elite
3 Medium Cavalry bow
2 Light Cavalry bow

20 Units
Initiative 4

[Mark G Fry]

Personally I think the Nikephorian is a much better Byzantine army - only to be eclipsed by the later Komnenan.

Yes - you have compulsory infantry in the Nik - but it's pretty good infantry, as HF spear - bow in mixed units can be deadly against cavalry and if you are going to buy the Javelinmen you have infantry anyway. The Javelinmen are good in bad terrain but that assumes there is any and with a Strategist you can move a lot of it out the way or remove it.

The Nik cavalry are much better - in that you can have 8 HC elite impact bow if you want + a host of none elite HC impact bow as well.
Also you have 2 Cataphracts elite as infantry killers.
Plus the allies are (IMHO) better - the Russ can be very powerful - equally the Georgian can add extra impetuous 'punch' if required.

However, the original question was about Heraclius and his army.
I also suggest it depends upon the scale you are playing at. In 15mm the final army you propose is very small and could get swamped and out shot by larger cheaper cavalry armies - Central Asian Turks and Pechnegs especially - in period.

I'm personally loathed to have an all cavalry army at this period - especially in 28mm - (& TBF the Javelinmen are pretty one dimensional - great in terrain and against exposed Elephants, but hopeless against quality HC or HF). If you come up against an army like the Russ all those HF spear can just walk you off the table. Likewise you probably need something to deal with a Sassanid Cataphracts and the dreaded Elephants & Daylami combination or an army with a mix of HC and Bowmen.

Where I saw a Maurician do well (in 28mm) was at Devizes competition last year - but it was a very balanced force from what I can remember.

[rcornwell]

Thanks for the comments.

Versus Sassanids or similar, skirmish the death star and try and overwhelm the cavalry. The Byzantines have more and have impact. If the Sassanids evade too much then the death star's flank is hanging in the air.

Vs Rus or similar. Try and get round the flanks or kill the softer bits. If necessary let the spears charge into the cavalry. Even if the spears haven't taken a shooing hit it's 1 v 1 with the cavalry having armour and furious charge. If it doesn't go well, disengage and try again.