We continue the review of armies available for WRG 7th edition. In addition to material covered in the original Book II, you will also get some of the North American Society of Ancients and Medieval Wargamers (NASAMW) lists updates. Book II armies run from the "classical", or more traditional ancients period, through to the Dark Ages with most ending around 1100. Book II also covers the globe, now having armies from the New World and Cental Asia. Most Book II armies have a unique "feel" that is somehow different from Book I. The many Roman lists now supplant the Successors as the pre-eminent combined arms armies. "Barbarian trash" is also well represented but you see the beginnings of the shift toward close order troops versus the loose order stuff that still predominates. Missile troops increase, especially missile-armed cavalry. The predominately cavalry army really comes into its own in the Book II period, taking on many forms running from the highly maneuverable, good morale Byzantines to the awesome shock value of Tibetan SHC. Book II is only slightly less population the tournament circuit with the Late Imperial Romans giving the pike armies a run for most played. Do not forget the three themes I mention in the Book I article. All still strongly apply here with more emphasis placed on missile fire. You will find it harder to buy figures with future expansion in mind. The Romans change little and are mostly interchangeable. Many of the 700-1000A.D. western European armies also use many of the same figures and many parts of one army appear in another as allies. However, that's about it. The Byzantines change too much over the years but some of the earlier lists might work with similar figures. As in Book 1, no one scale predominates in dictating what army to run. BLEMYE I never saw this list until last year when I saw it twice. It epitornizes the cav/missile theme in Book II. All those HC can have both B and JLS giving thern missile fire and punch in melee. The EHC upgrade also helps in absorbing enemy missile fire but then prevents the unit from skirmishing. The morale is good even without the Irr A upgrade. The elephants are a smart buy, both for causing unease and the ability to attack armored cav and close order infantry. The extreme one-dimensional aspect of this list is its biggest drawback. better armored or wedging cavalry will beat the Blemye cav and when faced by hordes of close order foot, the player can only hope to pin in front and try to set up flank hits. If you do all the EHC and lrrA upgrades, run this list in 25mm due to the small army size, otherwise stick to 15mm to avoid traffic jams and open up some room. EARLY IMPERIAL ROME Definitely the weakest of the "Big Three" Roman armies of Book II yet historically the most successful. The weakness is relative only to the Middle and Late Roman lists and is due to less flexibility in buying the army than in the contents of the list itself. The wedging legionaries have good morale plus the HTW/JLS mix gives both offensive punch and staying power. Woods troops are plentiful but too expensive (LHI auxiliary is too much for woods when LMI would do). The auxiliary archers are a good option for the second or third rank. The required HC is basically only good as a reserve, no B hurts against other Book II cav armies. However, upgraded Sarmatians provide needed multi-armed shock cav. While the Armenian and Asiatic Client allies also have SHC, unfortunately the other required troops when using these all have poor morale. Yet the allies provide the only LC and U. This list should play well in either scale, typical of combined arms armies in 7th. CALEDONIAN/PICTS I've never seen this army played at a tournament but know some people who run it occasionally. This list is the Hittite list of Book II, fun to look at, mediocre on the table. If you go the Caledonian route, you must buy the marginally effective LCh, great for causing unease but little else. The tons of required Irr C LMI is best organized in 36-man blocks but expect to move straight ahead. The unease potential is great, a big drawback. While both the Saxon and Vikings allies provide good troops, neither comes in enough numbers to really make a difference. Run the Picts in 25mm and hope for friendly terrain rolls, otherwise, hang it up. MIDDLE IMPERIAL ROME A very powerful army. The post-Severan MI legionaries with D is a good buy. In wedge and facing other regular infantry, the legionaries can often make them halt movement (or waver test instead) in prep shooting. In turn, if stopped by an impetuous charge, the darts often support shoot the charger's impetuous bonus away. As usual, the auxiliaries provide good rough terrain troops. Wedging Visigoth foot make excellent support units to Roman infantry. The Roman LC is adequate plus regular, usually enough to protect flanks while the infantry closes. Be careful not to buy too many light troops since you can then never seem to have enough legionaries to beat up the other guy. The biggest drawback is the lack of numerous shock cavalry and the legionaires traditional vulnerability to SHC and SHK. You can make this army work in 15mm if you are willing to force march legionaires, otherwise stay with 25mm. Probably the most "finesse" of the Big Three Romans. ANNAMES/CHAMPA A real simple army with three troop types: EL, LMI, and Ll. The numerous LMI give the usual rough terrain advantages but then dictate playing in 25mm despite potential traffic jams. The LI give plenty of screening ability for the elephants and against flanking units. The elephants are the only shock troop in the list and should be deployed carefully. The three troop types work quite well together but you need good coordination. Even with the IrrA and B upgrades, overall morale remains a problem. If your opponent has no K, SHC, ELor HCh, an LMI charge will take out most opponents. Otherwise they must hide in woods or rough and let the elephants do the brunt of the fighting. Take only the Champa option in order to get all eight elephants. SASSANID PERSIANS A very popular 6th edition army rarely seen today. EHC/HC Clibanarii units have both missile and shock value. Morale is also good. A lack of shields (unless going a not too cost effective upgrade to EHC) dictates careful coordination between the Clibanarii and LI (just like the LI/Companion tactics I mentioned in Book I for the pike armies). Fortunately, there is plenty of that to go around. However, such coordination is harder with an irregular army. Plenty of LC also means being able to skirmish and pin opponents. The EL and SHC provide the main shock troops. Lack of good infantry is the biggest drawback, the Irr D MI JLS levy are worthless. Other than the LI, rough terrain troops are virtually non-existent. As with most Book II cav armies, finesse and coordination is essential. EARLY FRANKS just like the Numidians, I hear players say "I'm gonna run Early Franks next time." Still, no Early Franks. The allure is the 120- 250 wedging HTW-armed MI. Woe to the poor infantry unit getting in the way of this mob. Unfortunately, there is little else. The LI skirmishers and Romano Gauls don't come in enough numbers to effectively hold off flank attacks. The Franks should play only in 15mm - too many figures and too much terrain in 25mm will cause problems that outweight the close order foot movement disadvantages in 15mm. Try to force march some of the Mi. Overall, the Franks biggest strength is is biggest weakness: a one-dimensional army. Good cavalry players will generally pin and attack on the flanks while loose order infantry armies will stick to the rough terrain. Also beware of minor water features. You could spend the whole game just trying to get across the defended bank and then probably lose in the process. I guess you could put your foot warriors shoulder to shoulder across the table and slowly march forward. The Early Franks are a good example showing that no matter how potent one-dimensional armies are, a balanced army list will generally win. PALMYRAN One of the few cavalry armies with GOOD infantry. The cataphracts have the usual limitations, only one good charge, 120 pace charge move, small unit size, and no bows. Yet the regular SHC can dodge and dance all over the table, giving you enormous flexibility in picking your attack. Plenty of both regular and irregular LC provide pin units. The Roman option gives those great wedging legionairies for the occasional pike-armed opponent plus you get rough terrain auxiliaries. This is another finesse army that needs careful coordination. A good two-scale army. LATE IMPERIAL ROMANS The most popular Book II army -- it even rivals the pike monsters from Book I in popularity. The reason? Everything. Given enough time, the Roman player will concoct an army to meet any threat. Fighting SHK or SHC, they will skirmish all day, fighting pike, just wade in with legionaries, Visigoths, or Franks, when fighting loose order barbarians they will arm auxiliaries with darts and support shoot you to death. The list goes on. The lack of almost anything required makes the list very flexible. I've heard the Late Imperial Romans called the "Late Imperial Gods". Sort of makes you wonder why Rome ever fell. The list also has gimmmicks. First get rid of the bogus scythed chariot. Our research indicates they came from an anonymous military article written by a mining engineer as a piece of advice to the military and have no known deployment in combat. The next gimmick is the light bolt shooter mounted in a mule cart. All of the Big Three have these. Bought in 2-model units, the 360 degree firing arc is pretty intimidating, especially in 25mm. Flank marching them is another way to unease your opponent. The legionaries morale can be poor to good, again the player's choice. The army works well in either scale but is more popular in 15mm, probably because of the cost. Painting 25mm Romans to meet every threat could run you over $500 in lead alone. I do not feel this list is good for beginners. On one hand you are just part of the big Late Roman crowd of players. Also, you cannot really make mistakes and still win. Finally, the endless options in the list is oftentimes daunting for the beginning players unsure of what to take. HUNNIC A 15mm army due to the enormous load of LC. The LC is outstanding B, JLS-armed stuff that can shoot and melee other lights well. Beyond the LC, there is nothing to recommend this army. Anything not "D" class morale does not come in enough numbers to amount to anything. The Huns cannot assault anything frontally and has precious little to exploit any flank moves. True, missile fire is powerful, but LC is not really effective in a frontal attack even if the opponent is disordered. Expect lots of draws and no wins. MAURIKIAN BYZANTINE Somewhere between the Big Three and the hordes of bow-armed shock cavalry armies lies the Maurikian Byzantines. The Kataphractoi units are very versatile with shock effect, missile power, and the regular troop type allowing good lateral mobilities. You will need it playing this list. Troops are expensive so you will usually be outnumbered, hence the need to move around to confront various threats from every direction. The Skytatoi are a wise buy, especially with darts. I run two 16-figure units - a good reserve or something to rally the cavalry behind. Aside from the shock value of the cavalry, missile fire generally is the difference between winning and losing. Fortunately, everyone has some kind of missile weapon. The Maurikian player can beat most opponents if he never makes a mistake; this army is not very forgiving. Book I pike armies pose problems with elephants and too many figures to effectively move around, one reason to go with 15mm instead. Otherwise, due to its small size, run it in 25mm. Wise terrain pickswill cut down the table size, preventing too many flank moves. WELSH One of the many northwest European Dark Ages "barbarian trash" armies. Weaknesses are the required LMI LTS troops and the inability to mix units (i.e., the LB troops operate separately, the JLS troops operate separately, etc.). Always upgrade the Spearmen to Irregular B, giving them their only chance against cavalry in the open. In fact, charging steady Irr B troops with LTS in the open is somewhat of a gamble for cavalry since unless the waver test shakes the unit, the cav will usually get beaten. Further, it's harder to make the Irr B's go uneasy. Plenty of LB infantry (both loose and open order) enable the Welsh player to skirmish and shoot apart armored targets. The Vikings area wise buy--they come in sufficient numbers to make it worthwhile and you can upgrade all the "C" class troops to "B". As with all irregular loose armies, go in 25mm for the best terrain coverage. That and missile fire covers more area relative to 15mm. TANG Another deceptively competitive list. Lance, bow, shield regular cavalry can move all over the place. The T'u-Chueh light cav is also nice with the B and JLS, plus, this stuff is cheap; the Tang player always seems to have about 200 points more than you. I do not feel the Tibetans come in enough numbers to make them worthwhile. The army's biggest drawback is the overall averageness of the cavalry's morale, plus the too many required "D" class Mi. Every time I see the Tangs lose it's because those "D" infantry blow a waver test. I've seen four units rout in one turn solely because of testing from right to left. Try to keep the "D" foot out of harm's way, using thern to either hit already flanked units or pin units for the cav to flank. A good two-scale list. ARAB CONQUEST An army with some nice parts that never add up effectively. The camels disguised as elephants are a nice gimmick for the umpteenth Seleucid army you meet. Unfortunately, the cavalry missile fire is marginal, as is most of the cavalry. The Spearmen are best bought as MI, you get more movement and access to rough terrain. The Persian EHC is nice but there is not enough. Upgrading most of the army to I rr A will probably win more games than it will lose. I run Arabs in 25mm but see them in tournaments occasionally and only in 15mm. Number of cavalry used will dictate scale. TIBETANS One of the best cavalry armies in Book II. You can run SHC with B and Sh! One point not in the WRG list: you can run the SHC with MC/HC back ranks, something now historically justified. The MC provides crucial shooting benefits and staying power for an otherwise small (8 SHC) unit. Units of 14 work best. God forbid you ever go disordered, weapon factors against those MC usually cause a rout. Buy enough LC in order to give shields to all your SHC. The Nepalese are an option I've seen used most - only smart if you know you will fight Vikings and such , Tibetans have trouble against armies with lots of elephants, so a Nepalese contingent will work in some cases. While I feel the small number of troops dictates playing this in 25mm, I've seen it at conventions only in 15mm - usually winning too. BURMESE A killer army in the pre-errata days of 7th. All those elephants causing all those waver tests. Alas the days of wine and roses are over. Overall this is a very simple army to run - LMI in the woods, EL in the gaps - run over anything that gets in the way. The elephants shock value and overall missile power are the primary strengths. Average morale and unease susceptibility are big weaknesses and the key to defeating the Burmese. I've only seen this army in 25mm, probably wise with all that loose order foot around. NORMANS An army that always does well regardless of the rules edition. The hordes of wedging Irr B HC are the prime attraction here; that and visions of William the Conqueror stampeding over hapless Saxons. Technically this list also includes the Late Franks and Bretons but I've seen only the latter run once at a tournament. Using the Normans eliminates access to the Vikings - the best foot in the list, sorry but you can't have everything. You get just enough LI to either pin opponents or keep people off your flanks. Forced marched Spearmen also take up space and can hold portions of the table while you, William, and your HC galavants off elsewhere. Missile fire is marginal and the LI is often used to absorb enemy fire. The HC is also susceptible to this and should move with care. Skirmishing cavalry armies are very frustrating for the Norman player charging at air for four hours leads to frayed tempers. Better armored and bow armed cav, or either pikes or elephants will cause problems. Your typical Norman cabalarii probably never comprehended an elephant anyway. A two-scale army. MEXICAN Usually played as Aztecs. Using Aztecs is pretty farfetched in my book but so is pitting Sumerians against Teutonic Knights so what the hell. Morale is certainly a bonus here, lots of never uneasy "A" class troops, many of which are regular giving a Roman maniple movement effect. Missile fire is tremendous, everyone can have either a dart or sling. just let those bow-armed cav weenies trade shots with these guys! Then you can add the 2HCW into things and now you can melee with anyone, even standing up to Spanish Celtiberians or Roman Legionaries. I'm surprised I don't see more of this army at conventions, only one guy I know uses it. Aztecs are a good beginners army since it's hard to make a mistake lining up infantry from one edge of the table to the other and dare anyone to come within missile range. A 25mm amy for the usual reasons plus the better table coverage with missle fire. However, don't get too dependent on your As and Bs passing waver tests, that's when you always roll a "l ". Also, Aztec weapon factors against SHK are marginal and if played correctly, knights have a good chance against your foot, a big drawback if the guy running Teutonic Knights knows what he's doing. VIKING Who out there has never either played against or ran Vikings? Not many I guess. The Vikes are always popular. However, this is not an army for beginners - not very forgiving and subtle to run. The Huscarls are the best infantry in the game. If used in six-figure wedges, make the front three JLS, Sh and the back three 2HCW, Sh. Then if you recoil the opponent, expansion moves put the 2HCW figures on the overlap while keeping the shielded JLS-armed Huscarls in contact. An almost unbeatable combination plus they are Irr B to boot! The Bondi need care against unease causing opponents. However, a sacred standard will make them eager if nearby. Always have them moving - getting caught standing usually ends in a Bondi rout. Berserkers with 2SA and Sh are basically human expendables. The most common mistake players make is thinking these nuts can do it alone. All too often they rout with the resulting waver tests stopping the Vikes cold. Berserkers should always attack in support after the Huscarls or Bondi have already engaged the enemy. A Huscarl/Bondi stepped attack on field fortifications is one of the few frontal assault methods vs. wagons and such that works well. A 25mm only list for the usual reasons. Vikes have trouble with cav armies that skirmish and set up flank shots. The ability to wedge troops mitigates the inherent maneuver problems somewhat. VARANGIAN A popular, if inconsistently successful, army in both scales. TheVarangian and Slavaxemen provide good shock infantry. Russ Spearmen, if bought, come in too many required numbers, but can be useful in securing table areas. I mean who wants to frontally close with a 48-man block? Nevertheless, all too often the battle flows around the block then pinning it in front, flanking, and then routing. The Pecheneg option allows plenty of LC. The Varangian list is a good counter-punching army but one that is not too forgiving if mistakes are made. Elephants and HTW-armed infantry will cause problems. KHMER First, let's can the existing list. Refer to the accompanying list. The WRG list is okay, but is really too generic and tries to cover too much time without breaking down into periods. Khmers are similar to the Burmese in that you have loose order troops in rough terrain and elephants in the gaps. However, by making the elephants detachments, you can put two ranks of LHI behind them significantly increasing their staying power vis a vis CPF. Khmers are another expensive army vulnerable to flanking unless you get your terrain rolls, hence play it in 25mm. The infantry does not stand well against HTW but then nobody else does either. Unlike the Burmese, the Khmer list requires some finesse, not bulldozing. PRE-FEUDAL SCOTS On the surface atypical Dark Age barbarian trash army but the number of LC adds an interesting wrinkle. You get the ever present Vikings, still a good buy despite their limited numbers. The Galwegians are very nice, 2HCW and JLS is tough on first contact, especially if Irr A; elephants hate these guys. This army is flexible enough to fight in most terrain conditions, enough skirmish troops exist to allow dancing when facing SHK or SHC. The primary disadvantage is the required 48 Lowland Spearmen, just another name for Hoplite and just as worthless. I disagree with the list's comments regarding prolonged missile fire exchanges. Unless facing Aztecs or Midianite Arabs, this army should hold its own. I lean toward 25mm but 15mm could work as well if you use mostly HC, LC, and LI. NORSE IRISH If there's one Dark Age infantry army better than the Vikings, this is it. Most of the army is Irr B with good melee weapons. Plentyof Ll prevents flanking and absorbs missile fire. The Vikes come in numbers, so buy plenty of Huscads to go along with your wedging Ostmen. The disadvantage is the lack of staying power. If you don't overwhelm your opponent early, you are likely to lose out in a prolonged melee. Yet successive waves of irregular foot charges generally wear out most regular opponents. You always seem to have plenty of peasants to slam into someone. While not as vulnerable to SH K or SHC as the rest of their Dark Age brethren, they need to not get caught by cav at beyond 120 paces. 25mm is the obvious choice but the better morale makes 15mm more viable than other lists. ANGLO DANISH Yet again, Viking Allies. Except this time, the other infantry is close order. A strong defensive army - big blocks of the Fyrd are tough but most players ignore them, concentrating instead on peripheral troops. Always take the Vikings, they give you woods troops to anchor flanks. A 25mm only army since the Fyrd blocks will rarely (if ever) get into combat in 15mm. Force marching 48-man blocks has potential if nothing else than to scare an opponent. Due to its non-maneuverability and if terrain rolls are blown, armies with lots of LI and LC will pin to front and hit on the flanks. KHITAN LIAO A popular 6th Edition army now out of favor. The accompanying NASAMW list gets rid of the worthless 2HCT on the shock cavalry making them more cost effective. You can also have a back rank of HC with lance, bow, and shield. Think of this army as an Oriental version of the Maurikian Byzantine list. Probably the best pure cavalry army in Book II. Elephants and chariots will cause problems as will the Book I pike armies. Yet the Khitans are well suited for lots of lateral movement to set up flank shots. Both the Jurchen and Korean troops are good if you need a little infantry or SHC. Unlike the Byzantines, a good two-scale army depending on how much cav used and how well you coordinate units. SONG CHINESE Once again, refer to the accompanying list. A very defensive army. Do you like ACW artillery parks? Then take the Songs. Put pike-armed MI in between two-model artillery units, throw down caltrops, kick back and let your opponent find a way to bust through. Morale is a severe detriment here. One blown waver test and you could find your whole army gone in one bound. While you have a good number of LC, don't set them out far or your opponent will spend the game picking them off and ignore your artillery and infantry. NIKEPHORIAN BYZANTINE Similar to the Maurikian list but the cavalry has more armor, thus better shock value. Plenty of LC and few required allies make this list almost as potent in straight cavalry as Khitan Liao, more so if you factor in the Nikephorian SHC. Plenty of woods troops come with the Psiloi. Unfortunately the Skutatoi are too fragmented weapons wise to really be worth buying. Also, some are the not useful EHI with LTS. Better to go with Varangians or Russ ifyou need close order foot. Nikephorians can stand with most missile firing cav armies. This is another finesse list, as are most of the Book II cavalry armies. Also good in either scale. EARLY HUNGARIANS A list I see every so often and then only in 15mm. This army is weak relative to other Book II cavalry armies in that its shock cavalry (the Hungarian Nobles) have no bow. Saxon Knights upgraded to EHK provide some much needed armor punch. The numerous LC, many armed with both JLS and B, are a big advantage. The Serb infantry, while not required, is a good buy if you need foot, especially if you put axemen in the front rank with a second rank of JLS-armed troops. Yet again, another touchy army to run and not very forgiving. Conculsion There you have it. Since many entering our hobby are tournament minded, you see that aspect in my commentary. Yet, the above smorgasbord should give the casual player the chance to review other lists plus look at some newer ones which represent current research within the NASAMW. As with Book I, some of these armies are very competitive, some ideal for beginners, and some just different. despite many commonalities, each list has a unique flavor only its own. Book II armies, in a tournament setting, tend to play better against Book I lists. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #55 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1991 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com