minipreviews: mercenary, regional and foreign units

[Sparton Matticus]

I like the those units. How many more mercanary units can you put into this mod?

[iglauskas]

Hi, Luciano!

I have a question: are you going to make some special generals/officers preview? And are the models and skins for them already done?

[Luciano B]

Hi, Luciano!

I have a question: are you going to make some special generals/officers preview? And are the models and skins for them already done?

I have some models for the generals but the related skins need to be finalized.

[Leonidas480bc]

I found these PICS of what the Aspis(Hoplon) looked like on the inside.

http://www.larp.com/hoplite/JMhpln2.jpg
Notice the bronze edge on the rim, not all Aspis's had them. Some owners couldn’t afford the bronze sheet that covered the front and rim of their shields. The bronze sheet made the Aspis weight about 18 LBS. Some used leather over the wood core with maybe a bronze lip.
the outside
the inside
For these few the inside of the aspis was reinforced with a L shaped shoulder and forearm guard. This offered better protection than just the wood core and leather facing alone, with the added benefit of reducing the weight.

This is a linothorax, it made from linen and the number of layers glued togeather varied depending on the maker and time period. Many veterans would reinforce the sides and front with scales or plates.

Here we see the way some greeks wrapped leather strips arround thier spears to ensure a firmer grip.

I am searching for a picture of the leather loop that was atached to a Javelin increasing its range. More to come!!

[KALI]

Nice pics keep it up,
always good to have alternative source material. Btw intresting detail on the L_shaped bronze plate.

[Luciano B]

I like the those units. How many more mercanary units can you put into this mod?

...coming soon: Campanian, Sabellic, Illyrian, Celtoligurian and Celtic sets of regional/mercenary units. Also some Epirote and Macedonian units of the army of Alexander the Molossian.

[Idomeneas]

the L bronze sheet was used on the older model of hoplon. since the time after persian wars they used the new model which had a deeper bowl shape.

[Luciano B]

CAMPANI

Campanian light spearmen


Campanian heavy spearmen


Campanian cavalry


Campanian heavy cavalry

[Sparton Matticus]

Another very nice mini preview. This mod seems to be progressing fast. Good job Luciano. I always like reading the historical Information too.

[Argyri]

Hey Luciano,

I´m just wondering if you´re gonna put the whole information about the different factions into the mod since they´re so detailed. Please don´t understand me wrong, I personally would like this feature but would also be happy - in case you are planning to shorten the information within the game - if you put it in an extra document (pdf or whatever) in its original seize. And could you then - as far as possible - name the sources? I like the teaching aspect of this mod...

Kind regards

[Mylae]

to create a .pdf file as a sort of "manual" for use and teaching aspects is a nice idea.
however, it could come just as the last thing, since it requires the ending of the work.
nice idea, however.

[florin80]

Luciano, I have one question. I see that most (I think) of your cavalry(especially the medium) is represented in these previews with a sword in their hand and usually javelins in the other. The campanian cavalry for example. Is this the way they will be represented in the game or will they have a spear for the charge and then the sword for the melee?

[Luciano B]

...in our mod the Italian medium cavalry is often equipped with a pair of throwing spears and a sword. So our Italian medium cavalrymen will be allowed to fire a couple of those heavy javellins (primary weapon) before to fight in close combat with the sword (secondary weapon), usually a curved "machaira", the ancestor of modern sabres.

[VandalCarthage]

Fabulous material mate, and I hate to ask what is probably an oft repeated question (though my admittedly cursory scanning of the preview for images and historical info, hehe, didn't turn it up), but will the player have access to any city-specific units? That is to say, will individual city hoplite forces (from Rhegion, Croton, Taras, Himera, etc, etc, etc) be represented to any extent?

[KALI]

There will definately be some,
eg Syracuse is reprented as a faction so quite alot of city specific units there. Of course we have some Spartans and I think there are Tarentines knocking around somewhere.
I've not got the unit roster in front of me now...but hope this is some re-assurance.

[VandalCarthage]

Since the former and the latter are both factions I presumed that their units represented the hoplites of a number of different cities under their respective hegemonies, particularly since one is merely the leading city of a formal league. To clarify, since Syracuse had already been previewed in a fashion that seemed to confirm that hypothesis; will there be things like "Himeran Hoplites" and "Heraclean Hoplites?" If that's the case, I'll take this mod and play till my thumbs fall of!

[Luciano B]

In the timeframe covered by our mod (late 4th century, 3rd century) the Greek cities of Italy and Sicily relied almost exclusively on mercenaries of varied and mingled origin, so it is difficoult to find references about bodies of citizen hoplites related to each polis like in the classical era. However, we can still introduce some specific units related to the most prominent poleis, with some distinctive features like their own shield blazon. In particular the "Italiote League" was a very loose confederation, and the major components of the league were very often in contrast each other; so some major partners of the league like Taras, Kroton, Thourioi, Locroi and Rhegion may have dedicate units.

[KALI]

I'll be modding them into my game even if we don't go into such detail.
At present the units are simply factional. But I think your query poses an interesting possibility. One that would definitely add to the immersion and that wouldn't be too much work.

[VandalCarthage]

In particular the "Italiote League" was a very loose confederation, and the major components of the league were very often in contrast each other; so some major partners of the league like Taras, Kroton, Thourioi, Locroi and Rhegion may have dedicate units.

That's all I wanted to hear - Magna Graecia has been an intense area of my study of late since as an EB member one of my big goals is to further expand our network of ethnicities (I wrote most of the specific local ones you'll see in our current build). If it's of interest, I know of a number of Sicilian cities that were reported as having fielded their own hoplite contingents for Syracusan armies, and I'd be happy to contribute their references as reported in some of the studies I've composed and read on the tyrants.

[Luciano B]

That's all I wanted to hear - Magna Graecia has been an intense area of my study of late since as an EB member one of my big goals is to further expand our network of ethnicities (I wrote most of the specific local ones you'll see in our current build). If it's of interest, I know of a number of Sicilian cities that were reported as having fielded their own hoplite contingents for Syracusan armies, and I'd be happy to contribute their references as reported in some of the studies I've composed and read on the tyrants.

Thanks a lot for your kind offer.
Feel you free to post here your suggestions and indications.
I'm looking for material to use for the shield blazons of the troops of the different poleis ....maybe you have some useful material on the subject...

Thanks again.