Historically Accurate Slavic Battle/Army Formations

[Brucha]

In my desire to play as the Slavs in the early campaign, I wish to accurately reflect a Slavic army of the period. After all the years of playing Rome Total Realism, I have come to appreciate keeping my armies historically accurate - not loading my stacks with nothing but elite troops. I do ask for some help so that I can accurately reflect my armies in the game.

Early Slavic armies were mainly infantry (that is until around the 5th Century when Hunnic influences led to a more cavalry-based system), specifically light, fast-moving infantry designed for ambush and hit-and-run attacks. However, the early campaign falls into the period of the Slavic tribes falling under the rule of the Huns, so this would the time frame in which they slowly began to adopt a more Hunnic way of fighting (as far as the increased use of horsemen in battle).

My thoughts on army composition would be to have - at least during the early part of the campaign - the bulk of my troops to be the lighter, skirmisher infantry, with very low number of more elite troops (like Druzina and some of the more powerful Slavic infantry) and few - if any - cavalry. I would also want to keep my ability of seiging down to the basic levels, nothing more than battering rams for seiges, and certainly no artillery.

As far as battle formation ideas, I am at a loss on this subject. I believe it would a simple formation structure, with the lightest skirmisher/missile troops in the front ranks, followed by the average Slavic warrior bands, with the general and elite troops (ie, Druzina or the like) in reserve. Cavalry, if any, would be deployed either in the rear as well or on the flanks.

The one mistake I want to avoid is to naturally adopt Romanized fighting techniques and tactics, which I have become so familiar with while playing Rome Total Realism. I do realize that playing with these restrictions puts an even harder level of difficulty for such a faction as the Slavs in the early campaign, but this will definitely make my play that much more enjoyable.

Any thoughts or suggestions on these matters would be appreciated.

[demagogos nicator]

i aprepreciate your efort to play with Slavs accurate i had played the slavic campaign in the similar way in basic Flagellum dei (7.04) until i stoped because of premanent ctds

[Brucha]

i aprepreciate your efort to play with Slavs accurate i had played the slavic campaign in the similar way in basic Flagellum dei (7.04) until i stoped because of premanent ctds

Thank you, demagogos, it is my curse from all the years of playing Rome Total Realism!

After some reading through my library, as well as searches of both the internet and the forums here, I have developled a tenative idea for battle formations which I will detail below.

In all the formations detailed below, I am working from the premise of an army consisting of war chiefs and their retinue of warriors and followers grouped together into a single force, but fighting as seperate "divisions" in battle. As I am restricted in having 1 general being designated as the overall commander, I will assume that he would be the most senior chief overseeing the battle and not a "king".

Using a Traditional Germanic Offensive Battle Line

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The first system of formations would be taken from typical Germanic tactics, involving an army of mainly infantry. This composition would represent an invasion or conquering force rather than a typical Slavic rading force.

The main idea centers around the concept of war chiefs and their retinue of followers - an army would consist of 1-3 war chiefs or generals. Each war chief would contain a retinue ratio of 1 bodyguard/elite infantry unit per 2/3 missile/skirmisher infantry units and 3/4 spearmen/axemen/swordsmen units. Thus a war chief standard would include:

1 war chief general unit
2 bodyguard/elite infantry units
3 spearmen/axe/swordsmen units
2 missile/skirmisher units

The trio of war chiefs would form up side by side, thus 1 chief on the left, 1 on the right and the last cheif in the center, with the commanding cheiftain in the rear (the most senior war cheif in overall command). Each war chief would array his forces identically in seperate columns side by side:

xxx chieftain general

xxx xxx bodyguard/elite

xxx xxx xxx spear/ax/sword

xxx xxx missile/skirmishers

xxx cavalry

The general and elite would hit the enemy line first, with the spear/ax/sword units in support to push deeper or move around to hit the flanks. Cavalry kept in reserve to overrun broken foes.

Using a Traditional Germanic Defensive Battle Line

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The same concept as above: 1-3 war chiefs with personal retinue of troops but more combined into a single force. Use an 8/10 ratio of spearmen/axemen/swordsmen infantry units in a forward tight line or crescent formation. Place the forward units with gaps so that the second rank can move through their ranks to the front. Mix with this front line the 1-3 minor war chief generals. Put the overall chief general behind the spear wall, along with 2 bodyguard/elite infantry units, with 2-3 units of missile/skirmisher infantry behind them in a third line. Finally, 1-3 units of cavalry either on a far flank or in the very rear, to be used/brought up to harry the enemy flanks.

As the enemy attacks, send up the general and elites through the spear-wall gaps as a decisive counter-attack.

Using a Traditional Slavic Hit and Run Ambush/Raid Battle Line

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This formation is more difficult for me to determine. Follow the same chief retinue as above, but this attack would rely on ambushing the enemy on the strategic map and not a typical set-piece battle. The troops involved would consist of mainly fast-moving missile and skirmisher troops with less of the elite and medium infantry. The goal here would be a fast moving attack centered around surprise and speed. I think it would consist of 1-3 chiefs leading a retinue of 2-3 missile skirmisher units, 1 bodyguard/elite unit and 1 cavalry unit.

This time, the light troops would form the front ranks along with the chief, with the elite in the second rank. The overall general in the rear with the cavalry to exploit opportunities or flank the enemy. Use of terrain will the key to success in this formation, as well as speed.

Using a Traditional Slavic Hunnic-Influenced Offensive Battle Line

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Still implementing the 1-3 minor chief retinue with a composition of 1/4th to 1/3rd being cavalry - a mix of mounted nobles, steppe cav and skirmisher cav. Thus a composition of:

1 general
1-3 minor generals
2 noble cavalry units
2-4 skirmisher/steppe cavalry units
4 archer/skirmisher infantry units
8 spear/ax/sword infantry units

Form the troops with a central rank fo spearmen/axemen/swordsmen, behind them ranks of missile/skirmisher infantry and behind them the overall general. On both flanks, place the cavalry and minor chiefs.

I wished to detail these formations to get feedback and ideas as to the historical nature, so any and suggestions or criticisms are appreciated and expected.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Add some screen shots of this and post it in the composition of historical armies thread on the IB main page!

[Brucha]

Add some screen shots of this and post it in the composition of historical armies thread on the IB main page!

I believe that is one one the threads that I used to design those formations, so I am unsure of what new information I could add that thread. Specifically, I used the idea of the Germanic formations from what SeniorBatavianHorse covered in that thread, albiet somewhat modified to fit a Slavic army.

What I am more interested in is whether or not these formations would be too historically inaccurate.

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

Maybe something like the gothic emphasis on cavalry with the core of infantry

[Brucha]

Maybe something like the gothic emphasis on cavalry with the core of infantry

In fact, I designed the Slavic Hunnic-Influenced Battle Line from a Gothic formation with an emphasis on cavalry, so that particular formation will certainly work for the later parts of the campaign. As quoted in the Composition of Historical Armies thread (when SeniorBatavianHorse is speaking about a post-Adrianople Gothic army) :

So, to sum up, after Adrianople, look to your cavalry and wait. Wait, hold them back, move them around, flaunting your enemy, use the shield-burgh to bring them down upon you - and then pour out across the battlefield like a hot stream of metal and slam all your cavalry in one desperate charge to turn the battle! Be taunting. Confuse your enemy with the display of the cavalry. And then turn like a dragon onto his weak spot and show him no mercy....

Now I need to determine what my earlier hit and run formations would look like. I don't feel quite certain about using a Germanic-influenced battle line. That formation seems too infantry-heavy for Slavic warfare, even before the inclusion of Hunnic cavalry tactics into Slavic culture. I might opt for the second Slav formation I laid out, the Hit And Run Battle Line. That seems to me to be the best representation of a Slavic set-up for battle. There are records of large battles involving northern tribes of Slavs during this timeframe to use as resource material. Much of which is written about details smaller raids and the like.

[Brucha]

I re-designed my battle formations to three types that I believe will portray early Slavic forces. Each of these formations will follow a similiar concept of a confederation of war chiefs and their personal retinue. I am confined by the game to have one general present to be the head general, but the composition would be as explained above - a group of chiefs banding together with no true central command or authority. Of course, a small enough army could very well be represented by a single chieftain...

I think that early Slavic armies would be less than a true invading force and more a raiding force, bent upon capturing a small settlement to pillage or as a retalitory ambushing force against enemy forces in their lands. Thus, my armies would not be prepared for a true invasion in a Roman Gallic Wars sense.

Slavic Raiding Force Composition
The first of three compositions would consist of smaller, fast-moving warbands bent upon looting and pillaging rather than outright conquest. Each force would consist of multiple independent war chiefs (from 1 to 3 generals, not including the general in overall command), with each war chief accompanied by his tribal band marshalled around the chief's banner - these troops would be the personal troops of each war chief.
Each chief would assemble a ratio of 1 bodyguard/elite infantry to 3/4 missile or skirmisher units and 2/3 medium infantry. This would represent the warband gathered round a single chief's banner upon the battlefield. A chief's retinue then could be interpreted as:

1 war chief//general
2 Venedi or Drouzhina Infantry
3 Slav Raiders or West Slav Raiders
2 Slav Spearmen
1 Slav Cavalry Skirmisher

Three war chiefs (for example) would form a main frontal line of three seperate columns (one center, right and left on the field), and each column would be composed as:

xxx cheiftain general -front rank
xxx xxx xxx Raiders- second rank
xxx xxx Slav Spearmen
xxx xxx Drouzhina or Venedi
xxx Slav Cavalry Skirmisher

The attack would rely on ambush on the startegic map and not a typical set-piece battle. The goal here would be to perform a fast-moving attack centered around surprise, the use of traps and terrain, and speed. The fast-moving infantry raiders sweep over the enemy before they have the time to form up into proper battle lines, with the cavalry on the flanks to harrass and stall the enemy's response. The goal is to overrun enemy positions with the raiders, then finish off the disrupted enemy with the heavier infantry in the rear.

Slavic Defensive Shield-wall Composition
Using the ablve concept of 1 or more chiefs and their retinue of troops, but this composition is purely for defense - a defensive shield-wall employing a static front of warriors against an advancing enemy force.
The war chiefs would be positioned once again in their traditional sperate columns as above, but in a tighter line with gaps between the individual units. The individual war chief's retinue could include:

1 war chief//general
2 Venedi or Drouzhina Infantry
8 Slav Raiders or West Slav Raiders
2-3 Slav Spearmen
1 Slav Cavalry Skirmisher

In this formation, the front rank would include the Raider units and general, with the spearmen and Venedi or Drouzhina behind. Cavalry would be positioned either on the far flanks or in the very rear.

The raiders form the main defensive line whose goal is to harrass and slow down the enemy as long as possible. As the lighter raiders pin down the enemy, the cavalry sweep the flanks and, when the moment is right, the Spearmen, Venedi and Drouzhina pour through the gaps in the front line to launch a crushing counter-attack.

Slavic Composition With Cavalry Emphasis
Once again the same composition of independent war chiefs and their retinue, but now the force is far more organized and less independent or tribal nature, with more of a sense of centralized formation overall:

1 general
1-3 minor generals
2 Alan Noble Cavalry
2 Slavic Skirmisher Cavalry
2 Steppe Warriors or Steppe Horse Archers
1-2 Venedei Infantry or Drouzhina
4 Slav Spearmen
8 Slave Raiders or West Slav Raiders

The main front line would hold the Raiders as a screening/delaying force, alternating between holding the enemy and pinning them down for counter-attacks by the heavier infantry and spearmen behind them in the second rank. The general would be positoned in a rear third rank.

The cavalry would be positioned on the rear flanks, either divided equally between the flanks or concentrated on a single rear flank. It will the light cavalry's job to move out in front of the main line along the flanks to harrass and hopefully pin down the enemy line by their advance and to sweep other cavalry or skirnishers from the field. The Alan cavalry and generals will be the decisive hammer blow to crush the enemy with a massive charge on the flanks while the main infantry line pins the enemy down in the center.