Pict Army Lists?

[Anton]

By way of opposition for my Picts I have British, Angles and Romans.  Mostly painted aeons ago.

Roy's points are worth teasing out a bit more.  The Gauls did have archers and the Romans did form a unit or maybe two of them later.  I was reading recently that for the great assembly at Alesia most of the tribes sent a contingent of around 3,000 warriors. If there were 10,000 archers from all Gaul it would suggest that each tribe had some.

It might be that the light javelin troops were young lads who had just reached the start of official manhood which I think was either at  12 or 14.  They would even at that stage have had years of military training but could not yet stand in line of battle.  They could throw javelins and run fast.  I'd imagine the Picts had some lads like that too.

Back to the spear men this light medium infantry concept could catch on.

[stevenneate]

Did a 25mm Pictish army for SAGA which was delight to build, but in 15mm my experience has been with Dux Bellorum , which is a favourite with me, and "later" Picts.  Dux allows your infantry to be Shieldwall (solid household troops), Warriors (troops who just can't hold their line together) or skirmishers. I reckon this pretty much covers all options.  Shieldwall and Warriors can be Superior (rare) or Ordinary (most) but there is also an option for Levies who are those who reluctantly turn up largely armed with pitchforks and pointy sticks and led by the Village Idiot.

I seem to recall contributing an article and book review on Dunnichen some years back. 

[Imperial Dave]

how did you find DB play Steve especially for dark age 'flavour'?

[stevenneate]

I think Dux Bellorum is one of the best rule sets I have ever played.  Its "secret" is that it sticks to what it wants to represent (its focus) and I feel it has real period flavour. Done a lot of games from Late Romans to Anglo-Saxons and even done Goths etc and it works well. I did a few articles for Slingshot on it previously so have a re-read.

I was a fan of Daniel Mersey's "Glutter of Ravens" that evolved into Dux Bellorum which I felt was an improvement.  The decision making for the players is an aspect I really like as they decide what is important and how they direct their resources (their commander's ability to influence).

I have rebased all my later Romans and Goths from DB elements to 80x60mm bases but this does not detract from using them for Dux Bellorum where the unit is the basis of the army.

Still, for me, the best rule set in the Osprey collection and streets ahead of both DBM and FOG for this period.  Works fine for solo play as well. 

[Erpingham]

Crossing streams again but "Glutter of Ravens" was influenced by DAIS and in turn influenced DB.  I've never read or seen play of GoR but I do wonder whether it also influenced "Battle Ravens"?

I also am a fan of DB - it forms the basis of my home medieval rules at present (in a modified form).  The bit, however, I don't like is Steve's favourite the leadership system, for similar reasons I don't like the DAIS one.

Interesting chatting about rules systems outside the big ones .

[Imperial Dave]

I've got DB and it's another one of those sets I've meant to get to grips with  it have failed. Rereading it now

[Tim]

DB is fun but the Shieldwall can unbalance games. It does take a bit of getting used to. I like it a lot and Picts would fit in superbly.

[Imperial Dave]

well I am painting a whole trenchant of the relevant figures so would seem churlish not to give them a whizz. I may have to order more Pictish figures though....I feel like I may be a bit light in that department....

[Anton]

I have DB too, must have a re read of it.

I've got my solution to using Pict spear men with Comitatus.  I took the Javelin Men category which covers fast moving fairly hard hitting warband types and reversed the attack and defence stats.  It may even work.

[Imperial Dave]

dammit....more Picts ordered!

[Baldie]

dammit....more Picts ordered!

Good lad

[Imperial Dave]

I just cant help myself....so shield patterns for 10mm!

[Anton]

Those 10mm Picts are pretty fine Dave.

In case anyone else is thinking of using Comitatus here are the stat's I've come up with for Pict spears.  As javelinmen they move fast.  They are better defending than attacking. They can be made a bigger unit and form up in depth that brings a combat plus.  They are of average morale. Archers can support in a rear rank. 

I'll have four blocks of spears with the light cavalry operating around them.  The archers will be skirmishing or in the back line of the spears.

The Troop type is Javelinmen/ Attack A2/ Defence D3 / Training and Experience Grade C/  Morale Average 0

I think it might work well enough.

[Imperial Dave]

thanks Stephen, much obliged for the info. I am furiously trying to paint up my DA armies in 10mm now for a variety of rulesets I want to try out

[Anton]

You're welcome. 

I got on a roll and wrote lists for the Britons of the West, the Old North and the lost lands.  Then I got my Picts out and decided that each of the spear bases could benefit from an extra figure.  The question was canabalise or buy more.  As you'd expect I'm buying more.  Then I thought two archers to a base looked a pit puny.  The net result is I'm buying more Picts.  It's the way we are I suppose.

Now I need chariot stats.