Here's some samples of the Bosporan units:
- Bosporanoi Toxotai -
Among the bosporan and steppes people, foot archers are highly regarded. Archery is a key to win battles and training is hard and heavily emphasized. In both sieges and field battles foot archers have proven themselves again and again as decisive. They are to soften up the enemy before the elite cavalry are going to attack. In defence they are entrusted to stop enemy cavalry and infantry attacks. The archers have to shoot as many salvos as possible. For the enemy it is most important to close in as fast as possible and get to close combat, somewhat the foot archers are ill-suited for. These archers are of lower caste, but more respected than common levies.
- Bosporanoi Levy -
These are the peasants of Bosporan society. Called into service (or more probably pressed into it), they use their own equipment, javelins, swords, spears, and are given a good lesson in obedience to their betters before being pushed into a battle line. They are best employed to harrass enemies and thin their ranks with missile volleys before the main battle is joined. They are capable of fighting hand-to-hand, but this is not their strength and against anyone other than other skirmishers they will suffer disproportionate casualties. They carry little war gear other than their weapons, giving them their speed over rough terrain.
- Bosporanoi Psilos -
Bosphoran Javelinmen are fleet-footed, tough skirmishers recruited from the harsh hill regions around the Bosphoran Kingdom. They are best employed to harrass enemies and thin their ranks with missile volleys before the main battle is joined. They are capable of fighting hand-to-hand, but this is not their strength and against anyone other than other skirmishers they will suffer disproportionate casualties. They carry little war gear other than their weapons, giving them their speed over rough terrain.
- Siraces Infantry -
The Siraces were a people who settled around the Sea of Azov in ancient times, excellent horse warriors, like all Sarmatian peoples, they also field excellent infantry. These Infantry are capable of acting as spearmen or going toe-to-toe with other infantry, making them a flexible addition to any battle line. They are good all-round troops. Siraces wear good quality scale armour and carry a good selection of weapons into battle.
- Bosporanoi Doryphoroi -
Bosporan Infantry are capable of acting as spearmen or going toe-to-toe with other infantry, making them a flexible addition to any battle line. They are good all-round troops. Bosporans wear good quality scale armour and carry a good selection of weapons into battle.
- Bosporanoi Legionnaire -
The Bosporans were influenced by cultures around them including the Romans. They equipped, trained and fought in a style similiar to roman legionnaires, thus the "Imitation Legionnaires" described by the Romans were not imitation after all. This fighting style (javelin and sword) is fairly common in the near east. They are a professional corps of fighters who can be expected to stand in a battle line and behave with great courage and equipped with better weapons and armour than levies.
- Bosporanoi Epilektoi Toxotai -
The Bosporans, like their neighbours, the Sarmatians and Alans, employed their archers to good effect, These troops were well trained and fairly well equipped.
-Bosporanoi Basilikon Agema-
Bosporan Warriors are very capable fighters, going toe-to-toe with other infantry, and are very good for creating an opening in a battle line. Bosporans wear good quality scale armour and carry a good selection of weapons into battle.
- Steppe Horse Archers -
Steppe Horse Archers are highly skilled, lightly-armoured horsemen who are both tenacious and skilled in battle. Almost as a matter of course anyone from the steppes learns to ride as soon as they can walk (or before), and to use a bow shortly afterwards. Not to do so is to invite death or enslavement by others, or simply to go hungry. Their equipment is similar to many other steppe horsemen, and cunningly designed so as to work perfectly. They use composite bows laminated from wood, sinew and horn to give tremendous power without needing a large bow or long pull.
- Alan Horse Archers -
Alan Horse Archers are highly skilled, lightly armoured, steppe warriors and, like most steppe peoples, they are tenacious and skilled in battle. As a people the Alans have known many masters, but they keep alive their skills as both horsemen and archers. Indeed, it is these skills that make them valuable additions to the ranks of many armies - warriors this cunning are always worth hiring! Their equipment is similar to many other steppe horsemen: they use composite bows cunningly laminated from wood, sinew and horn to give tremendous power without needing a large bow or long pull.
- Bosporanoi Hippotoxotai -
These men provide often the bulk of the Bosporan army. There ranks are recruited from the men of the steppes. They employ hit and run tactics, relying on speed to get out of harm's way rather than brute force. As with most skirmishers, they are best employed to harrass enemies and thin their ranks with missile volleys before the main battle is joined. They are capable of fighting hand-to-hand, but this is not their strength and against anyone other than other skirmishers they will suffer disproportionate casualties. They carry little war gear other than their weapons, giving them their speed over rough terrain.
- Bosporanoi Kataphraktoi Hippotoxotai -
Bosporan Armoured Archers are steppe warriors, with all that implies about their skills as horsemen and archers! Their armour is heavy by the standards of other horse tribes. Like most steppe peoples they use the compound bow in warfare, a weapon that is ideally suited to horse archers having a short but very powerful pull.
- Bosporanoi Kataphraktoi Hippotoxotai -
Bosporan Armoured Archers are steppe warriors, with all that implies about their skills as horsemen and archers! Their armour is heavy by the standards of other horse tribes. Like most steppe peoples they use the compound bow in warfare, a weapon that is ideally suited to horse archers having a short but very powerful pull.
- Bosporanoi Kataphraktoi -
Bosporan lancers wield the kontos, a two handed lance, very effectively. As horsemen they have few equals; as heavy cavalry they are used to batter lesser enemies into submission.
- Bosporanoi Kataphraktoi Agema -
Bosporanoi Kataphraktoi Agema are the warrior elite among the Bosporan, they wield the kontos, a two handed lance, very effectively. As horsemen they have few equals; as heavy cavalry they are used to batter lesser enemies into submission. The status of an elite among the Bosporans depends as much on being brave, unflinching and merciless as on birth.
- Bosporanoi Hippo-Basilikon Agema -
These soldiers are charged with the protection of the Basileus. In battle, they are a heavily armed and armored elite, to be used at the moment of crisis. These Royal Guards are well trained, better armoured than almost every other soldier in the world, and brutally effective! Few other men can hope to stand against an attack by these super-heavy cavalry. The only thing that they have to fear - and this is true of all cavalrymen - is a unit of stalwart spearmen. Even a fully armoured horse will hesitate when faced with gleaming spearpoints. These men are best used as a mobile 'hammer' to smash slow or static enemy units. They are not suited to pursuing fleeing enemies or driving off skirmishers.
Above and below we have the Bosporan officers, including the King himself!
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Preview V: The Kingdom of Bosporus
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Originally Posted by Lionheart
