Here's some samples of the Kushan units:
- Indian Longbowmen -
The Kushans used their Indian subjects to boost their ranks. The Kushans relied heavily on infantry archers, and the bow was one of the dominant weapons of their army. The Hindu version of the longbow was composed of metal, or more typically bamboo, and fired a long bamboo cane arrow with a metal head. Unlike the composite bows of Western and Central Asian foes, bows of this design would be less prone to warping in the damp and moist conditions often prevalent to the region. The Indian longbow was reputedly a powerful weapon capable of great range and penetration and provided an effective counter to invading horse archers. Iron shafts were used against armored elephants, and fire arrows were also part of the bowmen's arsenal. India historically has had a prominent reputation for its steel weapons. One of these was the steel bow. Due to its high tensility, the steel bow was capable of long range and penetration of exceptionally thick armour. These were less common weapons than the bamboo design and found in the hands of noblemen rather than in the ranks. Archers were frequently protected by infantry equipped with shields, javelins, and longswords.
- Kushan Foot Archers -
Kushan Foot Archers fight on foot with compound bows. These bowmen are a recognition of this fact, and are effective enough under most circumstances. They are by no means line infantrymen, and will succumb quickly in hand to hand combat, but they are still steppe people and are therefore very effective and deadly archers.They use composite bows laminated from wood, sinew and horn to give tremendous power without needing a large bow or long pull.
- Kushan Skirmisher Infantry -
Kushan Skirmishers are recruited from amongst the young and low-status members of a tribe. They use their own equipment, javelins and a shield, 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.
- Steppe Foot Archers -
The Kushans used the peoples of the Steppes to bolster their armies. While any sensible person from the steppes prefers to be on a horse there are occasions in battle when an infantryman has more utility than a cavalryman. These bowmen are a recognition of this fact, and are effective enough under most circumstances. They are by no means line infantrymen, and will succumb quickly in hand to hand combat, but they are still steppe people and are therefore very effective and deadly archers. They use composite bows laminated from wood, sinew and horn to give tremendous power without needing a large bow or long pull.
- Indian Skirmishers -
The Kushans used their Indian subjects to boost their ranks. These infantrymen are recruited from amongst the young and low-status members of society. They are very handy for screening the army prior to battle and giving missle fire once melee has started. They are also good support for elephants.
- Kushan Spearmen -
Kushan Spearmen are recruited from amongst the young and low-status members of the Kushan Empire, especially from the northern regions of India and the steppes. They use their own equipment, usually nothing more than a spear and a shield and are given a good lesson in obedience to their betters before being pushed into a battle line. These men are worth bringing to a battle, as they can provide a solid anchor for a battleline when fighting cavalry, even if they are vulnerable to attack by missiles or swordsmen.
- Kushan Infantry -
Recruited from the northern regions of India. Armed with sword and Javelin, and heavily armoured, they are a very effective heavy infantry unit.
- Kushan Axemen -
Recruited from the northern regions of India. These troops are armed with the deadly two-handed axe, the Sagaris. A sagaris is an ancient Iranian (or Persian) shafted weapon used by the horse-riding ancient North-Iranian Saka and Scythian peoples of the great Eurasian steppe, also by the Western and Central Asian peoples: the Medes, Persians, Parthayans,Indo-Saka, Kushans, Tocharians. Mossynoeci, and others living within the milieu of Iranian peoples, and according to Aristarchus of Samothrace, by the legendary Amazons. The weapon was a kind of battle-axe, collected from Eurasian steppe archeological excavations and depicted on the Achaemenid cylinders and ancient Greek pottery and other surviving iconographic material as a long-shafted weapon with a metal head, with an either sharp(ax-like) or blunt (hammer-like) edge on one side and a sharp (straight or curving) 'ice-pick'-like point on the other.
- Indian Heavy Longbowmen -
The Kushans used their Indian subjects to boost their ranks. The Kushans relied heavily on infantry archers, and the bow was one of the dominant weapons of their army. The Hindu version of the longbow was composed of metal, or more typically bamboo, and fired a long bamboo cane arrow with a metal head. Unlike the composite bows of Western and Central Asian foes, bows of this design would be less prone to warping in the damp and moist conditions often prevalent to the region. The Indian longbow was reputedly a powerful weapon capable of great range and penetration and provided an effective counter to invading horse archers. Iron shafts were used against armored elephants, and fire arrows were also part of the bowmen's arsenal. India historically has had a prominent reputation for its steel weapons. One of these was the steel bow. Due to its high tensility, the steel bow was capable of long range and penetration of exceptionally thick armor. These were less common weapons than the bamboo design and found in the hands of noblemen rather than in the ranks. Archers were frequently protected by infantry equipped with shields, javelins, and longswords.
- Mercenary Kushan Infantry -
These troops will serve any master, for a price! Recruited from the northern regions of India. Armed with sword and Javelin, and heavily armoured, they are a very effective heavy infantry unit.
- Mercenary Kushan Axemen -
These troops will serve any master, for a price! Recruited from the northern regions of India. These troops are armed with the deadly two-handed axe, the Sagaris.
- Mercenary Indian Heavy Longbowmen -
These troops will serve any master, for a price! The Hindu version of the longbow was composed of metal, or more typically bamboo, and fired a long bamboo cane arrow with a metal head. Unlike the composite bows of Western and Central Asian foes, bows of this design would be less prone to warping in the damp and moist conditions often prevalent to the region. The Indian longbow was reputedly a powerful weapon capable of great range and penetration and provided an effective counter to invading horse archers. Iron shafts were used against armored elephants, and fire arrows were also part of the bowmen's arsenal. India historically has had a prominent reputation for its steel weapons. One of these was the steel bow. Due to its high tensility, the steel bow was capable of long range and penetration of exceptionally thick armor. These were less common weapons than the bamboo design and found in the hands of noblemen rather than in the ranks. Archers were frequently protected by infantry equipped with shields, javelins, and longswords.
- 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.
- Kushan Horse Archers -
Kushan Horse Archers are highly skilled, lightly-armoured horsemen who are both tenacious and skilled in battle. 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.
- Indian Light Cavalry -
The Kushans used their Indian subjects to boost their ranks. Javelins are one of the most basic weapons, a long wooden shaft, tipped with a point of bone, stone, or most desirably steel, these weapons can also serve as makeshift spears when the need arises. Skirmishers 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.
- Kushan Cavalry -
Recruited from the northern regions of India. These troops are armed with a lance and mace.
- Kushan Cataphract -
Kushan Cataphracts are heavily armoured rider on armoured horses. Few can withstand their ponderous lance charge!. These heavy cavalry are not the answer to every tactical problem. They are superb for breaking enemy formations, but they cannot be used for more 'traditional' cavalry duties such as pursuit and screening. They are an iron fist inside a spiked iron glove, ready to deliver their commander's punch to the enemies' collective throat!
- Kushan Bodyguard -
These soldiers are charged with the protection of the Emperor. In battle, they are a heavily armed and armoured 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. 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.
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Preview VII: The Kushan Empire
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Originally Posted by tomySVK
