Here's some samples of the Carpi units:
Vaigas Ðruχtiz
Vaigas Ðruχtiz are compound Dacian and proto-Germanic words translating loosely as "fast or rapid warband", an allusion both to their speed and lightly armoured nature. These skirmishers represent an important arm of the Carpi infantry host; a lightly armed and armoured but highly maneuverable and speedy group of warriors whose sole purpose is to press on ahead and pepper the enemy with hails of javelins and other throwing projectiles. Like other levies and warbands of the Carpi, they are likely to have been called to arms by the leading noble of their tribe or district. These men, while often poor and sedentary in nature, consisting perhaps of hunters, farmers, peasants and raiders alike, will have been primarily composed of young and inexperienced warriors (for their nimbleness, stamina and fleetness of foot) and as such will have made up in speed, excitement and the will to prove themselves what they lacked in training and equipment. Conversely, a general may also find them reckless and even lacking morale if the battle does not go their way.
Due to their role as skirmishers, most will have been armed with nothing more than a shield and a few throwing javelins, and perhaps sporting a small seax or knife as a backup weapon. Leather boots known as xshumka may have been worn beneath loose fitting felt or wool saravara trousers, through some may have worn only tunics to aid in their agility. They would not have worn armour, again due to the restrictions these impose in speed and endurance. Their shields will have been smaller than those of other warbands to conserve weight, round, and made of oak and other materials such as reed, and covered with leather and backed with felt and painted over in richly decorated floriated, braided, geometric and planetary designs. A clutch of sturdy javelins will have been carried, with spearpoints being either made of iron, bone or even as simple as a fire-sharpened wooden points.
While these may be eager to prove themselves and eager still for the plunder and loot that follows battle, a wise commander will know their strength lies not in the melee battle but used in conjunction with other carpi infantry and cavalry, in a supporting role, skirmishing ahead of the lines or in encircling manoeuvres at the flanks, being especially useful in ambushes and at running down retreating enemies due to their speed. In a protracted melee, their greenness will show sooner, rather than later.
ArHwō Skutjanz Carpiani
ArHwō Skutjanz Carpiani are compound proto-Germanic and Dacian words translating as "arrow marksmen of the Carpi" or "Carpi arrow-shooters". While their name may make these men sound somewhat more impressive than they actually are, these archers drawn from the poorer, sedentary and peasant classes of Carpi society, those men so destitute so as to be unable to afford more expensive weapons, and especially those familiar with archery, most of which will have inhabited the steppe plains by the foot of the Carpi mountains. In many cases, they would be mainly composed of serfs and slaves, though also forest dwellers and hunting folk, giving them somewhat of an edge in ambush and stealth tactics. In times of war, these men would have been called up and grouped into warbands, with the purpose of supporting the cavalry and infantry forces of a Carpi host. It is possible such men were levied according to a system described by Lucian as “on the hide” whereby subject tribes and communities of the “georgi” or agricultural and settled farmers provided levies of men according to their means, such as spearmen, bowmen or lightly armed horsemen.
These men would have sported simple garments, such as a tunic over felt trousers due to the cold and mountainous climate, arm-guards and a knife, small seax or axe as a backup weapon. Their bows would have been compound of self-bows, made of several varieties of wood and glued together, though a significant part could also have been the powerful composite recurve bow favoured by the Scythian, Sarmatian and later Hun horsemen due to their contact with these peoples on the European steppe. These bows would have been more complex, constructed of laminated materials such as wood, sinew and horn, using iron, bronze and bone tips, as narrated by Ammianus. Arrows would have sported three feather flights, with some arrow shafts being painted in bright colours such as black, red, white and blue. It is quite possible some arrowheads were dipped in poison for extra lethality.
Being unarmored and sporting only the most basic training, they are best employed in a supporting role, from a distance, in flanking manoeuvres or in ambush situations and never used in close combat where they will be torn to pieces by pretty much all types of cavalry and infantry pitched against them.
Baidas Dribas Aināz
Baidas Dribas Aināz are compound Dacian and proto-Germanic words translating loosely as "Frigthening, Restless Ones" or "Repulsive Wild Ones" - known to us more commonly known as “berserkers”, representing an ancient, rare and dying (in the West) European warrior tradition. These men are the precursors to the later Norse “Hamrarmmr”, meaning “those who change form” or “enter a state of wild fury” and “shapestrong”. Yet, the attributes they describe – a state of wild, reckless rage employed by a small cadre of nearly superhumanly built men who more often than not wielded equally huge weapons – are timeless through the ages.
Being closely related to their north-western Germanic cousins, the Ulfheðnar or “men clad in wolf skins” the Hamrammr represent a warrior class akin to the older “berserker” bands of the Celts, Germans and Galatians, such as the Gallic Gaesatae (said to be Hannibal’s favourite mercenaries) and the Tindonatae of the Galatians, both of which reportedly fought nude and under a drug induced fury, being impervious to pain. Such traditions are not confined to Celto-Germanic or even Indo-European culture, having Eastern equivalents in southeast Asia in the form of the Amoks. What these warriors do share in common, besides their fearsome reputations, are their skill in weaponry, whether sporting swords, axes or spears, their signature fighting style – a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury – and a reckless disregard for pain and their own lives. Historically, most were said to achieve this state either through a combination of drugs, alcohol or mental conditioning (or all three) in addition to working themselves into a rage before battle. Whatever the case, these men were fanatical, bloodthirsty warriors who were as likely to inspire awe in their allies as they were dread in their enemies.
Here, the Hamrammr represent a class of warriors available to the Carpi due to their privileged position between Celtic, German and Dacian worlds (cultures historians often debate the Carpi shared to a large extent) and also their geographical position at the foot of the Carpathian mountains and east and south of both Germania and the Baltic respectively, both areas known to produce such fearsome warriors. To the Carpi, these men would have been outcasts, exiles, criminals, religious fanatics or simply warriors and nobles of all rungs of society, young and old, seeking to prove themselves in accordance to extremely ancient customs. These men will have spent many years surviving in the wilderness, be it in swamps or dark forests or rocky mountains, and will have as a consequence become very vicious, efficient and arguably quite mentally ill due to their isolation from regular society. Through the aid of both pitch and dye, they display their zeal by blackening their shields and bodies, appearing more as shadows and phantoms than men to their enemies and striking with an innate ferocity and wide-eyed and screaming at their foes. Some take on the symbol (and often the pelts!) of wolves, seeking to emulate them as proud, vicious and cunning beasts, howling and stalking their prey, even altering not only their aesthetic and also their mental state to give themselves an edge in combat. The more peculiar and perhaps disturbing habits of these men (as Tacitus describes of one group) can be witnessed in the drinking of the blood of enemies, perhaps even their own blood, possibly cannibalism, self-mutilation, and of course: howling.
Wearing only felt or woolen trousers due to the cold climate (some even opting to go fully naked) and sporting simple shields made of yew planks glued together and painted over, and a weapon of choice – usually a heavy iron sword or axe – these men are best pointed towards the enemy and unleashed into a state of blind rage as shock troops whose only purpose is to carve and hack a bloody hole in an enemy line, splitting men in half from skull to breastbone, with little regard for the concepts of pain, fear, mercy or restraint. Many were said to fight on with their bare hands, biting down on shields and attacking their enemies tooth and nail, in addition to being impervious to both “fire and iron” – probably an allusion to their resistance to pain and great stamina and endurance.
Given these very particular and peculiar traits, Hamrammr would have been rare, expensive and difficult to replace to a Carpi warlord and as such should be used accordingly, at critical moments in battle and against the right enemies.
Ðruχtiz Carpiani
Ðruχtiz Carpiani are compound proto-Germanic and Dacian words translating loosely as "warbands of the Carpi" or "Carpi warbands". While these men would traditionally form the backbone of the infantry forces of any Carpi host, a large part will have been reluctant warriors at best; peasants, pressed slaves and farmers, or “georgi” recruited to fight by their lords and nobles in a system described by Lucian as “on the hide”. The remainder, however, will have been volunteers which, though poor and within the bottom rungs of Carpi society, will have been eager to make a name for themselves, and keen on the prospect of battle, plunder and the loot that followed.
Therefore, they will not have been uniformly armed and armed. Most probably will have sported no more than leather boots, known as xshumka, loose fitting saravara trousers held up by rawhide thonging, belts of varying thickness and length with shield straps, a tunic, spear and shield. The wealthier may have worn some form of padded felt or dearskin leather or horn scale corselets, and fewer still may have yielded swords and axes, the former being a weapon traditionally reserved for nobles, their entourages or other “noteworthies” – though given the richness of iron within the Carpathian mountains and their Geto-Dacian ancestry, swords will have been more prevalent than in other tribes. Shields will have been of varying lengths and shapes, in keeping with the Carpo-Dacic tradition, though primarily oval, made of oak and other materials such as reed, and covered with leather and backed with felt and painted over in richly decorated floriated, braided, geometric and planetary designs.
As such, these men may be called upon to hold the less vulnerable parts of a Carpi line, and while many will be accustomed to a form of warfare through incessant, low intensity squabbles with neighbouring tribes and occasional raids, they are not professional soldiers and their morale and training is of questionable quality. While their spears will afford them some use against light and medium cavalry, their lack of experience in much of anything larger than a skirmish over farmland may cause their ferocity to dissipate in the face of prolonged hand-to-hand combat with well-ordered, or even professional, soldiery. They are accustomed to short skirmishes and decisive charges, and so are best used in similar roles.
Balos Sica Vagas Ðruχtiz
Balos Sica Vagas Ðruχtiz are compound Dacian-proto-Germanic words translating loosely as “Great Sica Wielding Light Warbands” – light here denoting their relative lack of armour compared to other men of their class and status. While a Sica is known to denote a short knife or sword, in other contexts it is taken to mean simply any bladed weapon and so here it has been paired with the term “balos” meaning “strong, large or great” to indicate the falx, a two handed, vicious, cruelly curved blade capable of severing limbs and causing horrible wounds with a single, crushing blow, the native name of which does not survive.
Far from being peasants, farmers or other “part-time” fighters, these men will have been the warrior class of the Carpi tribe, being those most accustomed to raids, warfare and plunder – against either neighbouring tribes, marauding Sarmatians or even Rome itself – and thus making war their way of life, and loot, recognition and glory their means both for wealth and their own continued existence. As such, this band will have been made up the young, skilled and relatively well trained and experienced men of the tribe for the most part, though also quite possibly veterans and lesser nobles.
They sport leather boots reinforced by felt or fur leggings, thick woollen trousers and tunics and belts which are more indicative of their status as warriors (and their limited wealth) being both more colourful and ornate than usual, with simple caps of fur or felt. A further indication of their relative wealth is the armour they wear, in the form of either simple leather gherkins, padded felt corselets or horn or boiled leather scale armour. These would be light enough to enable the wielding of their two-handed weapons, while also providing moderate protection against incoming arrows and other projectiles, to which they will have been especially vulnerable during a charge. Small axes or knives are carried, in addition to a shield slung over their backs. Their primary weapon however is the deadly falx, originally derived from the Thracian Rhomphaia and something of the archetypal Dacian weapon. It was said to be lethally effective, causing gaping wounds and severing limbs, cutting through armour with ease, and was the only weapon known to have caused the Romans to specifically modify their armour whilst on campaign (during Trajan’s Dacian Wars), reinforcing helmets with iron cross bars, and giving legionaries both greaves and manica bronze arm guards protecting the vulnerable sword arm, a testament to this weapon’s effectiveness.
They are best used as shock troops against enemy infantry, and best kept away from skirmishers or missile infantry where their slung over shields will be a serious drawback. However, their training, fierceness and light armour mean they are able to hold a line, if supported properly by other Carpi forces.
Balos Sica Gadulingaz
Balos Sica Gadulingaz are compound Dacian-proto-Germanic words translating loosely as “Great Sica Wielding Companions” – the latter denoting more of a “retinue” and the status of veterans and lesser nobility these men would have enjoyed. While a Sica is known to denote a short knife or sword, in other contexts it is taken to mean simply any bladed weapon and so here it has been paired with the term “balos” meaning “strong, large or great” to indicate the falx, a two handed, vicious, cruelly curved blade capable of severing limbs and causing horrible wounds with a single, crushing blow, the native name of which does not survive.
These men would have been a step-up from their poorer and more lightly armoured Balos Sica Vagas Ðruχtiz (the Great Sica Wielding Light Warbands) in the sense they were wealthy enough – either through repeated campaigns or ties to nobles and lords, perhaps even forming part of their retinue – to afford their own armour in the form of mail reinforced iron helmets and chain mail or hardened, studded leather corselets, in addition to sporting iron swords as backup weapons together with their shields. Such protection will have afforded them the staying power of true heavy infantry, if not the mobility and stamina of those poorer than themselves.
Yet, their years of experience in warfare – being true warriors and highly disciplined and trained, unlike peasant, farmer or other “part-time” levies – mean these men can stand up to other heavy infantry and should form up the most critical parts of the Carpi line. As experienced and conditioned men, they will have been less likely to be reckless and eager to prove themselves, having already done so. Their primary weapon is the deadly falx, originally derived from the Thracian Rhomphaia and something of the archetypal Dacian weapon. It was said to be lethally effective, causing gaping wounds and severing limbs, cutting through armour with ease, and was the only weapon known to have caused the Romans to specifically modify their armour whilst on campaign (during Trajan’s Dacian Wars), reinforcing helmets with iron cross bars, and giving legionaries both greaves and manica bronze arm guards protecting the vulnerable sword arm, a testament to this weapon’s effectiveness.
While they are perhaps less effective as shock troops (due to the weight of their armour) and the sense of self-preservation honed over many campaigns, these men should perhaps be employed in areas where they are most likely to face equally well trained and armoured opponents, where their own armour and armour piercing weapon may be used to their advantage and where their experience and elan may carry the battle where brute strength alone and zeal may not.
Ðruχtiz βasterniskā
The Druxtiz Basterniskā (Bastarnae Warband in proto-Germanic) were an ancient Germanic tribe – known as the Barstarnae – who travelled far to the east, settling in lands near the numerous tribes of the Getai, around the eastern Carpathian mountains and the Dnieper river, with one tribe – the Peucini inhabiting a large island (Peuce) on the mouth of the Danube. Their name derives from Basternāz (Bastarnae), which can mean “Those who use Bast” (materials for litter/wagons) in their own language, or possibly “the bound men” or “those who bind”.
Here, the term “auxiliary” is used loosely to denote a warband of men loyal to the Carpi, either through gold, tribal bonds and oaths or the simple lust for battle, grouped together to fight in the Carpi line of battle. Being mountain dwellers for the most part, they would have worn thick woollen trousers dyed in a number of colours extracted from plant dyes, such as madder red – the colour of blood and as martial a colour as any. Boots will have been of leather and oil hardened, with some wearing fur leg bindings bound in leather thongs to protect the legs against rocks and undergrowth. Some will have worn simple tunics while others fought bare chested as a sign of bravery, though animal furs remained popular with Germanic warriors. Here, they fight with a mix of weaponry, from the deadly falx wielded two handed and able to hack men in half, down to iron tipped spears and axes. Some may have carried javelins or fought in a lighter supporting role. Shields, those that made use of them, will have been made from a variety of local hard woods, most commonly cut into planks, bound together with glue and painted over, with bosses being of either bronze or iron.
These men would have been used on the battlefield as shock troops, being experts at hiding in forests and the general type of guerrilla warfare expected from tribes inhabiting the Carpathian Mountains and nearby regions. They were highly prized for their skill in battle, quickly earning a reputation as mercenaries and men bred for battle – being enlisted by a number of Macedonian kings in their wars against Rome. Carpi generals would be wise to use these men in situations that favour their fighting style, maximising the use of their deadly weapons and lightly armoured nature.
Balos Ðruχtiz
Balos Ðruχtiz are compound Dacian and proto-Germanic words, translating loosely as “strong or great warband”. This is to distinguish them from their poorer and less well equipped (and experienced) “Vagas Ðruχtiz”, which though far more numerous, cannot match these professional warriors in terms of wealth, martial elan, equipment and staying power. As such, these men form not only a vital element of the Carpi battle line but also a rare commodity – arms, armour and above all – experience - being expensive and time consuming to maintain and more expensive still to replace!
While the term “warband” is used here, they are best thought of as grouped retinues of nobles and lesser nobility grouped together for fighting purposes. They will have been composed of men both young and old, but all uniformly wealthy, experienced and possibly related by blood to Carpi royalty. Some may have scavenged their arms and armour from plunder or dead enemies, but most will have earned these as gifts from their lords or through demonstrations of bravery and valour though numerous campaigns and battles, further reinforcing their cohesion as a unit and their lust for battle. They are dressed in the mountainous fashion of the Carpi, with long Scythian saravara trousers, sturdy leather boots with fur or felt leggings, sporting iron mail corselets, some of which may have been reinforced over with leather or bronze plates adorned with tribal designs, and a simple iron helmet of the Spangehelm design, another favoured Sarmato-Dacian piece of equipment which would become especially popular in later centuries among Germanic tribesmen. They wield a long spear, of ash or other hard woods, with an iron butt and point. The shield is stout and possibly reinforced with bronze or iron strips, also making use of a pointed iron boss popular among Daco-Germanic tribes which could also be used as a weapon in a punching motion or during a counter thrust.
While eager for battle and to prove themselves to their lords and kinsmen, they understand their role as heavy infantry and leave the reckless impetuousness for battle to their more lightly armed and greener countrymen. As the cream of the Carpi nobility and warrior classes, they are best employed against similar troops, and in critical parts of the battle line where their martial prowess and heavy arms and armour may carry the day, and will be especially useful against cavalry due to their long spears and staying power.
Balos Zuras Gadulingaz
Balos Zuras Gadulingaz are compound Dacian and proto-Germanic words which translate roughly as “great shining companions” – the shining referring to the fineness of their arms and armour, but also their wealth, prestige and elite status as members of the Carpi royal guard or kingly retinue. These men will have been made up mostly of older, highly experienced Carpi royals, nobles, blood relatives and veterans and warriors handpicked for their extreme skill and prowess in battle and being deemed worthy of standing side by side with the Carpi nobility. They will have sworn blood oaths to defend their nobles and as such will have been extremely zealous and expected to fight to the last.
As the nobility and retinue of Carpi royalty, they will have been housed, fed, supported and equipped by their King and as such will have been dressed, armoured and armed and armed only with the best. Here they are shown wearing the traditional saravara trousers of Scythian origin together with leather boots and leg wraps. Their tunic may have imitated either Sarmatian or Roman designs and as such will have been of fine quality and possibly embroidered or fringed at the edges in fine materials. As armour they sport an iron scale corselet which may have been silvered, and some may have worn thigh guards which would become more prevalent in later centuries, either or hardened boiled leather or simple mail construction stitched to a leather backing. Belts will have been ornate and dyed in rare and expensive colours as befits their status, and their long swords will have been of the finest quality, with blades possibly being patterned given the quality of Dacian iron and iron-smithing craftsmanship, with hilts finished in precious stones or gilded in gold or silver. The helmet is of the traditional Germanic Spangehelm type but much more elaborate, made of iron but decorated in gilded copper, sporting a plume befitting their status, reinforced with a mail neck backing. Their shields will have been equally complex and elaborate, drawing from Dacian tradition, edged and reinforced with bronze, making it both heavier but more deadly, especially with the pointed boss which could also be used as a weapon.
Accompanying the Carpi king wherever he went, these men are best positioned at the head of the army and should either be the first to charge – a suitable display of valour and courage to the rest of the host – and can be expected to hold their own against the best of infantry pitched against them. They may suffer against missile and cavalry forces, but in hand to hand combat, their zeal, experience, valour and equipment make them the most formidable warriors available to the Carpi.
Mezenai Arpoxai Carpiani-Syrmatae
Mezenai Arpoxai Carpiani-Syrmatae are compound Thracian and Scythian words, loosely translating as “Carpi-Sarmatian horse riders”. Here, the word Syrmatae possibly refers to how the Schytho-Sarmatians referred to themselves, or at the very least how they pronounced their own name, as referenced by earlier Greek authors. The Carpi were known to possess quite a large nomadic and semi-nomadic population (up to one third), and they would regularly cross vast territories on the steppe, going both East and West depending on the shifting seasons to water their horses. As such, they will have come into contact with local Sarmatian tribes, at this stage mostly Roxolani and Alani in nature.
Thus, either through inter-marriage and tribal assimilation into the Carpi, mercenary pay or the simple prospect of raiding and plunder, these men have thrown in their lot with the Carpi and many will indeed be Carpi themselves, being simply nomadic and having taken up the steppe way of life. Here, they are depicted with traditional Schyto-Sarmatian arms and armour, representing the wealthier class of lords and nobles. Their horses are the fast and nimble steppe ponies, which though not heavily protected with scale armour as some of the more Eastern horsemen tend to be, make for flighty and fast mounts. Their riders sport corselets of either bronze or iron scales, though Pausanias (a 2nd century A.D Greek writer) relates a story of how scales could be made from bones and horse-hooves to resemble those of a pine cone and were equally effective at protecting their riders. Such armour may also have made use of iron mail given their contact with more Western tribes, also a feature of their Spangehelm type helmets, some of which may have been gilded or sported elaborately decorated cheek-pieces. Most will have made use of the accurate and deadly composite recurve bow, supplemented with long and well-crafted cavalry swords, usually with a ring shape pommel. Others will have made use of the extremely long two-handed “kontos” lance, made of strong cornel wood and developed for the sole purpose of the charge expected from shock-cavalry which these men will also have been adept at.
These horsemen will have been both rare and expensive, and as such should be used cautiously by a Carpi commander, at key moments in the battle when a devastating charge is all that separates victory from defeat. The horse-archers will likewise fare well against armoured opponents if used from a distance, but will eventually be whittled down by repeated enemy arrows and so should be supported by other Carpi forces.
Skabas Mezenai
Skabas Mezenai are compound Dacian and Thracian words, translating loosely as "quick or flighty riders/horsemen" here representing the lighter cavalry forces of the Carpi host. These men will have been composed from a variety of backgrounds and tribes that together made up the Carpi. Being able to afford horses they will have been moderately wealthy, some may have also been nomadic or semi-nomadic for which horses will have been necessary for their way of life. For this reason, their horses can be of both the smaller steppe pony type or the larger Germanic breeds, which are heavier and somewhat slower. The riders themselves are made up of primarily young and able warriors, lesser nobles, squires and cattle raiders, accustomed to warfare on a regular basis though most likely quick raids and small scale battles make up the bulk of their experience – and as such, these men can be both reckless and flighty should things not go their way in battle.
As cavalrymen expected to ride long distances, they will have worn long woolen trousers to protect their thighs from attrition, simple tunics befitting their status, and will have ridden on a four horned hardened leather saddle. For any number of reasons, either because they cannot afford it or because of the light way of warfare they have chosen, these men do not wear armour, and the few that though sport no more than a light corselet of iron mail or hardened boiled leather scale, and perhaps a helmet of simple construction – the ubiquitous Spangehelm type or some derivative. Shields will have been lighter than their infantry counterparts to aid in mobility, and weapons will have been made up of a variety of javelins and throwing spears, very light and carried in bulk with a variety of spear points, to be used primarily in the skirmishing role. Some may have afforded simple swords though a longer cavalry spear will have been their primary weapon.
These men form a vital element of the Carpi host in that they should be used primarily for skirmishing and attrition against their foes. Pitting them against spear armed infantry or anything other than light cavalry will most certainly result in a slaughter, though they will also prove themselves adept at pursuing routing foes and other screening duties.
Balos Mezenai
Balos Mezenai are compound Dacian and Thracian words loosely translating as “great riders” or “strong horsemen” – here representing the medium and heavy cavalry forces of the Carpi. These men would have been made up from the richer strata of Carpi society, the nobles, minor royals, their squires and entourage but also experienced riders and horsemen rewarded by their lords with steeds, arms, armour and mounts. As such, they will have been an elite within the Carpi not only in terms of wealth and prestige but also in experience and for their staying power in their ability to wage war effectively on horseback.
While the Carpi occupied mountainous terrain, a large part of their tribal dominion extended towards the steppes and so their mounts (and respective riders) will have been made up of a mix of Germanic, Dacian and Scytho-Sarmatian breeds, such as the quick footed pony, but also heavier boned Germanic types able to carry more weight. They will have performed well in the shock role, and their riders are armed and armoured accordingly. Being the elite, they can afford the best and so don either scale or mail iron corselets, elaborate Spangehelm helmets, elaborately decorated and reinforced with mail, and their bridles and horse trappings will have been equally luxurious – with some being cast in gold or painted over with silver. As shock cavalry, some will have carried long lances fit for the purpose while others will have sported elaborate long swords for cavalry combat, the richer being pattern welded and perhaps sporting ring pommels in the Sarmatian fashion. Shields will have been smaller for mobility though no less useful, with reinforced iron or bronze bosses and a variety of symbols and designs adorning them, ranging from braided, geometric and planetary designs. As horsemen, long woolen saravara type trousers will have been standard to protect against chaffing, but befitting their status, their four horned saddles will have been more elaborate than usual, perhaps making use of fine Schytho-Sarmatian cloth dyed in a variety of colours.
As lancers and heavy cavalry, they will perform well where brute force is required or in a melee against other cavalry forces, though it need not be said they will perform badly against stout, spear armed infantry. Yet, if positioned away from faster, mounted missile troops and used wisely throughout the battle, they will show their worth as the cream of Carpi nobility and mounted warriors in most engagements.
Zuras Gadulingaz Mezenai
Zuras Gadulingaz Mezenai are compound Dacian and Thracian words loosely translating as “shining companion riders” or “shining companion cavalry” – here representing the mounted bodyguard of the Carpi king. These men would have been made up from King's immediate inner circle - sworn nobles, his squires, and his entourage of warriors, family members and other royals, all sworn to protect him to the last under oaths and ties of blood and patronage. As such, these men will have been both the finest and most experienced of the Carpi cavalry forces, resilient on the field of battle and incredibly driven - both for the safety of their lord, but also the wealth and prestige their position secures which can only be achieved if their kingly patron still draws breath! Such a relationship will have guaranteed them only the best in terms of steeds, arms, armour and mounts. As such, they will have been the elite within Carpi society and warrior tradition.
While the Carpi occupied mountainous terrain, a large part of their tribal dominion extended towards the steppes and so their mounts (and respective riders) will have been made up of a mix of Germanic, Dacian and Scytho-Sarmatian breeds, such as the quick footed pony, but also heavier boned Germanic types able to carry more weight. Their proximity to these fierce horsemen (in addition to their conflicts with Rome) will have given Carpi lords and kings an appreciation for cavalry warfare and as such this chieftain is portrayed as fighting from horseback where he may better direct his host, but also put the weight of an entire charging horse behind his sword arm as he charges down the enemy, surely a spectacle worthy of his status. Being the elite, they can afford the best and so don either scale or mail iron corselets, elaborate Spangehelm helmets, elaborately decorated and reinforced with mail, and their bridles and horse trappings will have been equally luxurious – with some being cast in gold or painted over with silver. As shock cavalry, some will have carried long lances fit for the purpose while others will have sported elaborate long swords for cavalry combat, the richer being pattern welded and perhaps sporting ring pommels in the Sarmatian fashion. Shields will have been smaller for mobility though no less useful, with reinforced iron or bronze bosses and a variety of symbols and designs adorning them, ranging from braided, geometric and planetary designs. As horsemen, long woolen saravara type trousers will have been standard to protect against chaffing, but befitting their status, their four horned saddles will have been more elaborate than usual, perhaps making use of fine Schytho-Sarmatian cloth dyed in a variety of colours.
As the definitive heavy cavalry of the Carpi, this chieftain and his men are best used as shock cavalry and will perform equally well against other similar cavalry in the melee. It goes without saying stout, spear armed infantry will be their undoing, and also faster, more nimble (and possibly mounted) missile troops will render them from a distance, but if caught up close a slaughter will ensue. If used wisely and supported by other troops, this chieftain and his guard will show their mettle and valour in battle even against great odds.
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