[Preview] new Armenians

**AqD** · November 01, 2008, 09:44 AM

New Armenians

New unit roster! Several of the following units will also have an AOR or mercenary counterpart that can be recruited by any faction occupying Armenia. In next version the provinces of Armenia will become an important area for getting high-end auxiliary units, for both of cavalry and infantry.

There will be no big change in campaign, except for that new units will be much more expensive and your position may be a bit difficult due to high cost and low income..... Anyway, even if you fail the mission as Armenian king and get wiped out, your Nakharar lords and azat nobles would continue to live happily and their military training would certainly not be wasted

Hayastan Droshag (Armenian Standard)

Core Units

Aspet Hetselazor (Knight Cavalry)

Cavalrymen drawn from Armenian "Aspet". Aspet means the head of house in Armenian fedual system and they're responsible for providing the cavalry wing in times of war - very similar to Knights in medival europe!

The Aspet Hetselazor are armed like old persian satrap cavalry, with scale armour, javelins and long thrusting spear adopted from Macedonians. They could skirmish or charge into weakened infantry, or even fight head-on against other heavy cavalry such as Sacred Band and Hetairoi.

Nakhararakan Aspet (Royal Knights)

Heavy cavalry provided by Armenian Nakharar fedual lords, i.e. your generals. They are something between fully-armoured cataphracts in later period and the reformed persian heavy cavalrymen after Alexander's invasion: with full body armour, partial horse barding, heavy 'kontos' lance and longsword for close-combat.

The unit is represented as general bodyguard, which have been changed in this mod to become leading cavalry unit rather than core bodyguard. Such units are usually formed by high nobles or royal families and cannot be directly recruited or hired; They are upkeep-free and smaller than recruitable cavalry in unit size.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Zrahakir Aspet (Cataphracts)

Parthian-influenced cataphracts provided by Armenian Nakharar ("first-born") nobility.

Armenians were famous for their cataphracts ever since the type of super-heavy cavalry came into use. These cavalrymen are highly valued and considered one of the best in antique period. During the Roman-Parthian wars, they provided allied cataphracts for both sides, and in the Sassanian period they were even accorded a status similar to the elite "Savaran" of the Persian army.

PS: The unit also has an AOR version, "Armenii Epikouroi Kataphraktoi" in Eastern AOR

Ayrudzi Netadzik (Horse-Archers)

Ayrudzi (Light Horsemen)

Malhazutyun Tiknapah (Royal Guard)

The Malhazutyun are royal guard of the Armenian King. They're extremely heavy armoured spearmen, equipped with large apis and long spear for over-arm use. Those men are like living iron statues, slow but invulenerable to all missiles and most melee weapons - ideal for taking down cataphracts

Azaku Mardig (Azat Warriors)

The unit is what Romans called as "Imitation Legionaries", drawn from Azat ("free men") lesser nobles who are willing to fight on foot and able to afford expensive armour. They are very capable infantry and proved to be more than an even match to Legionaries or Thorakitai. However, there were few nobles in Armenia who can afford expensive arms and are willing to fight on foot. Instead of holding the line, they should be used to exploit weakness in enemy formations or put in siege battles as assault infantry to capture the walls and towers, like Hypaspitai in hellenistic armies.

Azaku Netzadik (Noble Archers)

Elite foot archers picked from Armenian nobles. They wear expensive dyed clothes, mail, and equip themselves with the best composite bow - said to be deadly within 200 meters! For close combat they use a simple but effective axe, which gives them advantage against other skirmish troops.

Rhamik Nizagamartik (Medium Spearmen)

'Rhamiks' are the middle-class among Armenians. Unlike the poor levies or dirty axe-wielding hillmen, they can afford better arms and smart enoguh to train themselves like Persian Sparabara, the famous type that was constantly beaten by greek hoplites and arguably one of the most useless units in history.

Anyway, these men are real soldiers, well trained and paid to hold the line - a special and rare ability among eastern infantry units! They may not able to kill anyone, but you can count on them not to break and run as long as the general is still breathing.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Auxiliaries and Mercenaries

Kaukasioi Toxotai (Caucasian Archers)

Archers from Caucasia mountains. It's yet another eastern archer unit armed with composite bows, but carry axe as secondary weapon. Not skilled axemen like Persikoi Phyletai or Kurtioi Pelekephoroi, but it makes them more useful after running out of ammo.

Iberiai Machairophoroi (Caucasian-Iberian Swordsmen)

Local warriors in Caucasian Iberia, or modern-day Georgia. Little is known about these men, except for their equipments: javelins, short swords, and the shield thureos introduced by Galatians. It's possible that they use javelins as a precursor weapon, throwing before charge to cause panic and break enemy formations.

Armenioi Epikouroi Kataphraktoi (Armenian Auxiliary Cataphracts)

Auxiliary or Allied cataphracts from Armenian Nakharar nobility. From their apperance you could know they're one of the best cavalry units despite of the 'auxilia' status. They can easily beat almost every other cavalry/general units, including Hetairoi, Gallic nobles, Sacred Band, Iberian Scutarii, ...

The unit is only available to foreign factions after they build royal stables in Armenian regions - they don't sell themselves as mercenaries because the recruitment cost would be too high (reaching 10k denarii..)

Armenioi Eleutheroi Hippeis (Armenian Noble Cavalry)

Generic noble cavalry from Armenia. They're cheaper and lighter than Aspet Hetselazor, but still effective as heavy cavalry or skirmisher.

Armenioi Hippakontistai (Armenian Skirmish Cavalry)

Mercenary/AOR version of Ayrudzi

Armenioi Hippotoxotai (Armenian Horse Archers)

Mercenary/AOR version of Ayrudzi Netadzik

Credit: Thanks EB, Rise of Empires and Wonderland for those native Armenian names

**lelouchx99** · November 01, 2008, 02:42 PM

Awesome as always

**AqD** · November 02, 2008, 08:19 AM

UPDATE: the original Aspet Hippeis skin is moved to AOR; new skin is added - they should look a bit heavier and more "elite" now

**lelouchx99** · November 02, 2008, 09:15 AM

Gimme gImme giMME

**AqD** · November 03, 2008, 12:29 AM

Armenian Royal Guard:

Other new units will come next weekend. It's time to work...

**jakobh94** · November 03, 2008, 12:43 AM

Very nice units! I love the Armenian royal guard, the sheild, the armour, everything.

**AqD** · November 03, 2008, 06:07 AM

Thanks!

PS: the shield is a magic orb I found on filterforge site

**jakobh94** · November 03, 2008, 02:14 PM

**AqD** · November 05, 2008, 12:57 AM

Made last night... Look too dark (damn hillman!

) Perhaps I should dump it to eastern AOR?

**Borys the Beast** · November 05, 2008, 05:19 AM

For me its okay, no too dark but raw and thought

Some eastern mercenaries looking like this - thi is a goo idea.

**AqD** · November 05, 2008, 08:34 AM

Thanks!

BTW I found an old EB thread with many armenian names (in their own language!)

**HeroSK** · November 07, 2008, 07:00 AM

Great work! Congratz!

However, it is really hard to find this thread even for me since I have been watching you since your work at Rome Workshop forum.

**AqD** · November 07, 2008, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by HeroSK

Great work! Congratz!

However, it is really hard to find this thread even for me since I have been watching you since your work at Rome Workshop forum.

Thanks. BTW I already made a new sig linking to this thread - you won't miss it anymore!

Added the medium spearmen Rhamik Nizagamartik

It has some more details I learned from EB's great models, although you wouldn't really be able to see them in game