End of Antiquity Campaign: The First Crusade (612 - 710)

[Clueless Frog]

Forgive me, the video isn't functioning. Let me suggest that you may go for a Dhow instead of using Lenj since Sassanids have extensively recruit sailors from Oman and that makes Dhow a better choice than Lenj.

[Caudillo87]

Forgive me, the video isn't functioning. Let me suggest that you may go for a Dhow instead of using Lenj since Sassanids have extensively recruit sailors from Oman and that makes Dhow a better choice than Lenj.

Well I do know that dhows were no match for roman dromons and heavy galleys and that the Arabs only amassed a fleet after they conquered the eastern Mediterranean. So based off of this I'll still add them but it will take three lenjs to battle one dromon. I'm not saying the Persians had poor sailors they just didn't have superior war galleys.

[Clueless Frog]

[tomySVK]

Excellent update and great signature banners made by Caudillo87 and Joar

[Clueless Frog]

After doing some research on the Lenj, I found that it would be better to use Dhow instead of Lenj because Dhow's history was longer than Lenj especially Dhow have many types of ship from light to heavy and even some Dhow like Sambuk was loanword derived from Middle Persian sambūk.

[Clueless Frog]

They use Arab Dhow but due to the limits of Arab Dhow their military operations against Constantinople was repelled and thus result their ultimate defeat in this two decade long conflict. But there is something I notice that in the book Dhow Cultures and the Indian Ocean: Cosmopolitanism, Commerce, and Islam it mentioned that the founder of Sassanid Dynasty recruit a handful Azdites Arab from Oman to be navigators and sailors and most of all he formed a navy from these people.

[Gäiten]

IMHO giving that the Sassanians captured the shipyards of the Levantine, Cilicia and Egypt itis very likely that they continued to build Roman designs that try to crashstart constructing ships unknown to the Mediterranean.

[Clueless Frog]

IMHO giving that the Sassanians captured the shipyards of the Levantine, Cilicia and Egypt itis very likely that they continued to build Roman designs that try to crashstart constructing ships unknown to the Mediterranean.

So that means they just build Roman Galley instead of using other unknown design like Dhow.

[Caudillo87]

Yes

[Caudillo87]

Optimates







Battle Photos

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Optimates were an elite cavalry regiment formed by men from the best Germanic elements within the Foederati. Formed by the Emperor Maurice Tiberius they are one of the best cavalrymen available to the Roman Army and will only be recruited in Constantinople.

Credits:
Leif_Erikson for his Round Shields
Rusichi and Absinthia for Primary Materials

[Rampante-Cid]

Optimates







Battle Photos

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Optimates were an elite cavalry regiment formed by men from the best Germanic elements within the Foederati. Formed by the Emperor Maurice Tiberius they are one of the best cavalrymen available to the Roman Army and will only be recruited in Constantinople.

Credits:
Leif_Erikson for his Round Shields
Rusichi and Absinthia for Primary Materials

Excelent WORK! They are awesome!

+Rep

[Heathen Storm]

Optimates







Battle Photos

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Optimates were an elite cavalry regiment formed by men from the best Germanic elements within the Foederati. Formed by the Emperor Maurice Tiberius they are one of the best cavalrymen available to the Roman Army and will only be recruited in Constantinople.

Credits:
Leif_Erikson for his Round Shields
Rusichi and Absinthia for Primary Materials

Wonderful work mate. However being a Germanic unit wouldn't it make more sense to have them recruitable in Italy, rather than Constantinople?

[Giorgios]

Wonderful work mate. However being a Germanic unit wouldn't it make more sense to have them recruitable in Italy, rather than Constantinople?

I'll quote you part of their unit description to answer that query!

"Historically, although some have suggested that this unit originated with Goths defeated and resettled in the Roman Empire by Stilicho centuries earlier, it is more likely that they were Ostrogothic elites who joined the Romans after the destruction of their kingdom. The Optimates unit was created by Tiberius Constantine to serve on the Persian front, much as Justinian had recruited defeated Vandals to fight in the East. They became a highly valued component of the praesental army. The Strategikon says that foreigners unskilled with the bow should fight with shield and lance, and as Goths the Optimates probably preferred the use of lances and swords.

The Optimates were predominantly Arians, but they were allowed the privilege of open practice of their religion, and they were allowed to have a church in Constantinople which John of Ephesus reports caused anger among the citizens of city. The Optimates were permanently billeted in Bithynia in the seventh century. They survived the upheavals of the Persian and Arab invasions, and were part of the elite field army of the Opsician theme. However, they were split off from the Opsikion theme by the Emperor Constantine V after that army supported his rival, Artabasdos. Thereafter, the Optimates had their own theme, the theme of the Optimatoi. But they no longer provided armed troops. Instead they formed a corps of 4,000 mule-drivers with their animals, which provided the baggage train (touldon) of the imperial tagmata in Constantinople."

[_Tartaros_]

Instead they formed a corps of 4,000 mule-drivers with their animals, which provided the baggage train (touldon) of the imperial tagmata in Constantinople."

whow, where they punished or did they get fat over the years?

[Wallachian]

Beautiful units!

[romano britones]

Just out of interest, will there be a rebel Roman faction for usurpers or for breakaway territories from the empire?

[Stath's]

great as always!!

[Gäiten]

Excellent models and skins!

[Caudillo87]

Exactly, the exarchs will be able to recruit something similar in their cities that will be the best cavalry unit in the west similar to the scholae palatina.

[Heathen Storm]

Ahhhh. that makes sense. Thanks guys