Ancient Army Update List

By Rob Mosca

This list will attempt to fill the hole left by WRG in its current series of Army lists for 3000 B.C. to 1485 A.D. What is covered herein are the armies of prehistory, colloquially called The Stone Age. With the advent of this new list, players can extend the current 6th Edition back to 1,000,000 B.C.

Players should consider this list as the gospel and can, if they wish, foist them upon the incredulous in the hope of giving sportsmanship a swift kick in the pants. Players specializing in gimmick armies and those who can't be bothered reading boring reference books will find, perhaps, new armies to spray paint and fight with. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to provide additional lists for the interested player. Each list took several minutes to invent from thin air, and we just can't be bothered to do any more. All armies listed are B. B. 1 (Before Book 1).

1. AUSTRALOPITHECLISMOM0 ERECTUS (1,000,000 B. C. to 40,000 B.C.)

    C-in-C as LI, IPW @ 100 points 1
    Ally-General on foot as L 1, 1 PW @ 75 points Up to 3
    Hunter-Gatherers "Irregular D" LI, IPW @ 1 point 200 to 1,000
    Fast Evolvers "Irregular A" LI, IPW @ 3 points Up to 10

    Irregular command factors @ 25 points Up to 50

This early Hominid had just begun the "Pebble" culture in Southeast Africa. A group this large imagines the mass migration of groups of early tribes due to some ecological disaster. The IPW weapon class represents rocks for bashing, bone or wooden clubs and early hand held tools. At first glance, an army of shieldless, irregular "D" light infantry with just an IPW would seem to be worthless, and the playerr would be right. It is.

2. NEANDERTHAL (40,000 to 10,000 B. C.)

    C-in-C on foot as LI, J LS @ 100 points 1
    Ally-General on foot as LI, J LS @ 75 points Up to 3
    Hunter-Gatherer "Irregular D" LI, IPW @ 1 200 to 500
    Hunter-Gatherer "Irregular D" LI, JLS @ 1 20 to 100
    Tribal Hunter "Irregular C" LI, JLS @ 1 Up to 50
    Extra to Equip:
    Tribal Hunter with atalatal, "D" @ 1 Up to 10
    Mighty Hunters "Irregular A" LI, JLS or 2 HCW @ 3 points 10 to 50

    Irregular command factors @ 25 points Up to 25

This represents the classic, Stone Age army of the midupper Paleolithic Age. Purists not wishing to fit outside the historic period will find themselves limited to herds of wooly Mammoths and the occasional Saber Tooth Tiger. Several manufacturers produce "caveman" figures in their fantasy lines. These can be used if the player does not wind wincing as he paints.

3. CRO-MAGNON (40,000 to 10,000 B.C.)

    C-in-C on foot as LMI or LI, LTS @ 100 pts. 1
    Sub-General on foot as LMI or LI, or J LS @ 50 pts. Up to 2
    Ally-General on foot or riding wooly Mammoth as EL w/J LS @ 75 pts. * Up to 1
    Religious group of chanting Shamans @ 85 pts. Up to 1
    Tribal Hunters "Irregular C", LMI or LI, LTS @ 2 pts. 100 to 500
    Tribal Hunters "Irregular C", LMI or LI, J LS @ 2 pts. 100 to 500
    Extra to equip:
    Hunters with "D" @ 1 point Up to 50
    Tribal Hunters "Irregular C" LI, B @ 2 points Up to 15
    Mighty Hunters "Irregular A" LMI, 2HCW, or LTS @ 4 pts. 10 to 50
    Non-Hunters "Irregular D" LI, IPW @ 1 point Up to 500
    Standing army "regular D" HI, 2HCW or S @ 4 pts. 10 to 100
    Herd of stampeding Mammoths @ 65 points Up to 4

    Irregular command factors @ 25 points Up to 25
    Regular command factors @ 10 points Up to 2

I suggest when playing with Stone Age armies, that players limit themselves to 200-500 point armies, as current theory (see Wobst) suggests tribal bands of 175-500 people. - D- are atalatals, 2HCW, large clubs used for dishing out concussions, LTS are derived from cave paintings showing spears being used with two hands, perhaps with Clovis points. This is supplemented by cinemagraphic evidence of Cro-Magnon tribesmen fighting in this manner; notably - "1,000,000 Years B.C." "The Lost World" and "I Was a Teenage Caveman." Enhanced tribal cooperation in hunting is the reason behind "C" classification. An army using LTS is assumed to have Victor Mature as general, though female players may opt for Raquel Welch and old codgers, for Lon Chaney Jr.

Troop types marked "*" simulate the cartoon cavemen of Bedrock. These Hanna-Barbarians are assumed to be wearing tortoise shell helmets and body-armor. Optimum tactics is to have a herd of stampeding dinosaurs run amok during an earthquake while the rest of the army mills about in confusion.

4. PROTO-HISTORIC (10,000 to 1,000 B.C.)

    C-in-C mounted on horse as MC with JLS, or with B or JLS in 4-horse heavy chariot with Irregular B crew of unarmed driver, or on foot as HI,
    MI or LI w/J LS @ 100 pts. 1
    Sub-General on horse as MC with JLS or on foot with J LS as HI, MI or LI @ 50 pts. Up to 2
    High Priestess of Earth Deity cult, attendants, followers and old King to be sacrificed @ 85 points
    Maiden Guard "Regular A" JLS or B @ 5pts.* 10 to 20
    Other Guards "Regular B" MI, JLS or LTS @ 4 pts. 10 to 20
    Warriors " Irregular C" MI or LI, JLS or LTS @ 2 pts. 50 to 200
    Warriors " I rregular D" L 1, 1/2 JLS, 1/2 B or S @ 1 pt. 10 to 30
    Extra to make any of the above MI to HI @ 2 points or 1 pointUp to 50
    Extra to equip with shields @ 1 point Up to 50
    Warriors on Domesticated Horse "Irregular C" LC, B @ 4 points Up to 30
    2-Horse Light Chariot with "Irregular B" crew of unarmed driver and one with JLS or B @ 16 pts. Up to 4
    Elephant with "Irregular D" crew of unarmed driver with J LS @ 35 pts. Up to 1

This Indo-European army is an amalgamation of the many early agricultural societies of the late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages. Troops marked "*" may only be used with accompanying High Preistess. Maiden Guard may not be used with other guards or LC chariots and elephants may not be used with LC, or LC with MI. Heavy infantry is for use with a lost continent army such as Atlantis.

5. GIGANTHROPUS AND B.H.M.'s (Big Hairy Monsters)

    General made of stone, quarried in Cardiff @ 100 1
    Extra for U. F.O. to be seen over battlefield counts as religious experience @ 85 pts. Up to 1
    Yeti "Irregular D", Mi, SS or 2HCW @ 1 pt. 1
    to 50 Bigfoot "Irregular D" HI, SS or2HCW @ 2 pts. 1 to 50

    Up to 1001 rregular command factors @ 25 points 15
    Assorted Giant Apes and Big Lugs "Irregular A" HI, SS, 2HCW @ 15 points 1 to 5

This list represents gigantic decendents of and various throwbacks of our present day homonids. Small numbers represent sightings. Major archeological evidence for this army comes from an artist's rendition of an eyewitness report published in the National Midnight Star. Sometimes referred to as the Skunk Monster, all units count as disordering horses. SS weapon counts as stronger members hurling large rocks. D class morale stems from comparative shyness, although they (BHM's) have been known to attack. BHM's count all terrain as clear. Optimum tactics include having the army run through the snow, leaving large numbers of mysterious tracks to baffle the enemy. For more aggressive players, have "A" class units peek into windows at night, alarming typical mid-western American families, and forcing them to take an immediate morale test.


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