Preview of the Cumans

[King Kong]

Hi all,

Due to the new map extensions in the next SS version, I've spontaneously decided to add the cumans as a new "placeholder" faction.
Note that due to my lack of time at the moment this faction uses many already existing units and besides some little recolouring I havn't made new skins for them (maybe some small improvements will be made).
Many units are using skins of Disgruntled Goat Russian texture and many shield designs are from MADTAO's Lithuania mod.

The Cumans

Starting Position

----steppes of southern Siberia and northern Kasachstan ---



Strength & Weakness

Strength: Extremely good Horsarchers and formidable cavalry
Weakness: Lacks heavy infantry and good spearmen

(Temporary) Unit Roster

Archery Range

Peasant Archers


Nomad Archers

Dismounted Cuman Nobles

[/CENTER]

Barracks

Javelinmen

Dismounted Tartar Lancers

Cuman Tribesmen

Cuman Axemen

Pecheneg Heavy Infantry

[/CENTER]


Cossack Musketeers

..................

Stables

Cossacks

Kazaks

...............


Cuman Horse Archers

Tartar Lancers

Pecheneg Cavalry

Cuman Noblemen

Cossack Gunners

...one or two more new units may follow....

Suggestions (especially unit names) and feedback is very welcome, of course!
(Though I probably can't make completely new models since my milkshape trial version is over . Some may be possible though)

A little, but actually very important request:
I've tried to research historical settlements for the Cumans in the region of nowadays Kasachstan and south-eastern Russia but except Kazan and maybe Jaiksk I havn't found any in this region. (see attachment)

Help would be much appreciated!

[DrunkNIrishMan]

Suh-weet. Good work as usual KK

[y2day]

Your the greatest KK

Will research the Cumans but for now I must go! Its quitting time here at work. That means it's time to go home and play SS

[firekiller]

thought the faction limit was reached if not ad berbers plz plz plz plz

[republic_bohemia]

I like it,good job King Kong.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Excellent, I love using cuman horse archers.

East is the way to go!

[Quark]

King Kong

Yippee - I dont suppose they will be pagan will they

Info
These may be of great help
http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/pages/C/U/Cumans.htm
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=128525

Shield
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumania

Units
Vlach Javelin men
Cossack Gunners - No No No, I dislike this unit anyway, but the way to go would be to evolve them into the Mongols through the campaign script and an event, then use the Mongol units. That way you save a faction slot as well.
Kipchak image: http://www.byzantines.net/byzcathculture/images/batukhan.jpg
Magyars + Cumans: http://www.kolumbus.fi/rauno.huikari/magyar_viseletek.htm
http://www.jewish.ru/tradition/actual/outlook/2006/01/cuman.jpg
http://io.com.ua/541906 (it seems that there is a lot of info, if you speak russian and check out Polovci)


Map
The problem of settlements for a nomadic people :hmmm:. However these might help
http://s155239215.onlinehome.us/turkic/btn_GeographyMaps/AD1237%20KipchakKhanate.gif
http://home.tiscali.nl/~t543201/web-mongol/mongol-maps/mongol-kaart3.jpg
http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/img/KoestlerMap13tribe.gif
http://www.elib.hu/01900/01955/html/index799.html

Karcag, Hungary: may be to far west

I would have to do some research on individual settlement names as not my area, sorry I can't be more helpful.

[mailor]

Ha, I can't believe it! Thanks a lot for your great work! Looks awesome so far!

[Inhuman One]

The Cuman axemen could perhaps just be woodsmen to save up a slot, they seem to be the same after all exept for the name.

If they are such good horse archers, they might need another dismounted archer, one with a little more armor.

[Echad]

Nice choose, as I dropped my Kievan Rus' campaign due to fighting mostly only rebels...

The Russian/Ukrainian name for Cumans, Polovtsy, comes from the word "Wheat Field", I read, that this is probably due the yellow skin... They should definetely be more like Mongols, than Russians. Pagan, of course.

One suggestion: please do not make their color theme brown-blue-yellow, as it is already for both Novgorod and Kievan Rus'. Yellow-brown are steppe colours, so they are alright, but please no more blue, or e will have all right part of a map in blueish colours!

About historical regions - they were nomadic, so anything you make should'nt be a mistake...

P.S. Really like this masked design, waht unit is it basen on? It makes me shiver...

[Oberhut]

Is this for the late or the early campaign ( or both )?

[RichiN]

Yet again you give the people more then they can dream of!

I got to say I am not a fan of eastern factions but I can't say anything else then awesome skins, gives me a another reason to go even further east with my Teutonic Knights

[whhyy]

@ KK

Ask Ahiga from BC, he'd know.

[King Kong]

Thanks DrunkNIrishman, y2day, Fuzz, mailor, republic bohemia & RichiN!


Hi firekiller,

thought the faction limit was reached if not ad berbers plz plz plz plz

"Official" word on this: There won't be an America in SS 6.0!
Berbers are currently not planned...


Hi Quark,

Info
These may be of great help

Thank you mate! This is more than helpful!
I knew I could count on you!

Vlach Javelinmen: sounds very nice!
map links: Great!
Banner: Great, I think my current one is wrong.
Other info: very interesting!

btw, why don't you like cossack gunners? Have you already seen them in action?
Of course that's just personal preference but I love them and I have read that cossacks occasionally used mounted gunners in history...


Hi Inhuman One,

The Cuman axemen could perhaps just be woodsmen to save up a slot, they seem to be the same after all exept for the name.

Actually the cuman axemen model is very different from the woodsmen.

If they are such good horse archers, they might need another dismounted archer, one with a little more armor.

I think the Dismounted Noblemen have enough armor...


Hi Echad,

The Russian/Ukrainian name for Cumans, Polovtsy, comes from the word "Wheat Field", I read, that this is probably due the yellow skin... They should definetely be more like Mongols, than Russians. Pagan, of course.

One suggestion: please do not make their color theme brown-blue-yellow, as it is already for both Novgorod and Kievan Rus'. Yellow-brown are steppe colours, so they are alright, but please no more blue, or e will have all right part of a map in blueish colours!

Thank you, that's some interesting information and a good suggestion!
I wanted to give them some other colours anyway...

P.S. Really like this masked design, waht unit is it basen on? It makes me shiver...

The body is from the eastern late Bodyguard...
Besides, I'll try to give some more units face masks since I've read that they came from the cumans and Khwarizmians.


Hi Oberhut,

Is this for the late or the early campaign ( or both )?

For both...


Hi whhyy,

Ask Ahiga from BC, he'd know.

Good idea, thanks! will do that...

[Quark]

King Kong
Cossack Gunners - I don't like them, because they do not belong in the era, simple as that. If the campaign went to 1600 they would be fine, firearms are one of the main reason why I think the game period is to long and you need an early/late split to deal with the different technologies, factions, culture, map etc that you have to deal with. There is no way that the world of the 1100's is the same as that of the 1500's.

[whhyy]

I do think they're a bit strange. But there are many cannons that ain't in the time period.

[Sir Nicholas Altman]

It's great having many factions but it really slows up the game. You wait to long for the turn to finish. So I must dissagree with these step pirates being introduced into the best mod ever. King Kong you know you are still the man. And if you could fix that Croat axeman that would be amazing .

[hellfire15]

Originally Posted by King Kong

"Official" word on this: There won't be an America in SS 6.0!

completelly awesome!! freeing up unit and faction slots. best choise you ever made!(exept maybe for adding in the templars)

[numerosdecimus]

King Kong, if you could create a campaign script with the Khwarezmian Empire and the Timurids you could save yet another faction slot and you could choose Bohemia or Burgundy.

However, I don't agree in creating a campaign script by transforming the Cumans into the mongols, the K. Empire and the Timurids yes, but not this one, unless it would indeed make some historical sence.

Btw way King Kong, if possible, also try to make a campaign for the templars in the early age campaign game in order for them to transform into the kingdoms of Jerusalem(with some of your original Knights Templar faction units ).

And finally King Kong, I must say I'm extremely happy with your new faction choices, keep up the amazing work!

To Quark:

Don't forget that the Cumans technically existed until the 16th century. That's why I don't think we can merge them.

[Son of Mao]

Can you give all the boyar-ish units the Tsar's guard face mask instead?

Since you have can not do models anymore, Can you use a few of the unused ones form the Lithuanian Mod to make this faction feel more fresh, new and unique?