ASSUMPTIONS/GOALS

A This army rarely is more than a glorified pirate/raiding force.
B There should be a marked lack of missile weapons.
C The morale should be capable of ranging from brittle to the fanatical.
D There should be more of their own men in this list than are found in other lists.
E This was a separate kingdom and should have its own characteristics and not be a clone of the Vikings.
F Discipline/control should always be a potential problem.
G Most of these people will be the elite and in it for the booty; not the levy defending the hearth and home. 

Changes

This list should be divided into two eras; early and late.

Early

GALL GAEL

These guys were pirates/rovers from Ireland or the Western Isles as to be distinguished from the Fiongall -Fingall= Norwegians=white or fair foreigners and the Dubhgall- Dhugall- Danes = black foreigners. The Gaelic title of Righ Fhiongall means the King of the Fiongall and frequently is used to refer to the Lord of the Isles. As both the Vikings and the Norse Irish can have 15, I think the Lord of the Isles could scare up 15 with the cloak of respectibility. Also to update the list from 6th edition to 7th edition I would incrcasc the number for all throe lists to 24.

V1K1NGS

The later Franks, Norse Irish and Anglo-Danish qualify for 22 huscarles and anywhere from 48 to 64 bondi, up to 32 archers and 12 berserkers.

I would think the Isles/Highland list should be allowed 41 huscarles. I would break them down as follows; 24 huscarles the same as the other lists, another 5 to form a bodyguard unit and 12 to represent the "home boys." Bondi should be increased to 72 and berserkers to 12, just like the AngloDanes. I would limit the bowmen to 24. The bodyguard unit should be capable of being mounted, the bondi should be capable of being upgraded to LHI and as in the Pictish, Slav, Welsh and the later Franks lists. I would allow morale upgrades to "b".

GALWEGIANS

Only in the IsleslHighland and the Scots Common lists are the Galwegians limited to being javelineers. In all other lists the Galwegians can be mounted. I would allow them the weapon choice found in other lists and allow them horses.

IRISH

There are basically three Irish troop types; gallogliachs, bonnachts and kerns. The Norse Irish have the Ostmen. I would change the permitted Irish to be 24 gallogliachs, 12 kerns, 48 bonnachts and 12 Ostmen plus a bodyguard of up to 7 of either gallogliachs, bonnachts or Ostmen.

ISLESMEN

The number of. men should be increased. I would suggest 264, plus 5 per General, as that would permit a totally Isles force. Second, I would allow the conversion of up to 48 of these to light infantry and up to 1/2 of the light infantry to have a bow. I would allow 1/4 of all LM to be upgraded to LHI as well as all bodyguard elements and I would allow up to 1/4 to be irregular "a".

HIGHLANDERS

I would increase the number to 144, plus up to 5 per general. I would allow 48 light infantry with up to 24 bowmen [Douglas's bowmen at Methven]. I would allow all Highlanders to be mounted on ponies. I would allow all to be upgraded to irregular 'b", and up to 1/2 to have three weapons [javelin, 2 hand cutting weapon and shield). Finally bodyguard units could be upgraded to LHI. I found it interesting that there actually was/is a word to refer to these irregular troops that were found in the Highlands. I wonder whether this was a term that referred to any violent person [punk) or someone of a definite military bend [mercenary].

RESTRICTIONS

Restrictions as found in the Norse Irish list. Gallogliachs and Gall Gael's could not be used together. Vikings and Irish count as allies and each "grouping" must have at least one general.

LATER

First, only the Irish, Islesmen and the Highlanders are available. The Irish no longer have Ostmen but pick up 12 more kerns and 24 more gallogliachs. The Highlanders could upgrade up to 12 to LHI and the Islesmen could have up to 12 heavy infantry and up to 12 as close infantry. Close order infantry could be mountedi

The Difference between my New and Improved Listand the Old Dilapidated List

Besides a general increase in the size of all contingents and a general increasing in those who can have horses, them are 24 Gall Gaels. All Vikings and Highlanders [only a 12% increase from the old list[ can now all have irregular "b" morale. The Islesmen now have light infantry [an increase from 0% of the total Isles force to 1596] and some irregular "A's.". The Irish troops now match the troop types found in other Irish lists. Finally the Islesmen get a limited increase in armor.

The later list seriously restricts troop selection but allows a few more Irish, with another increase in armor for both the Islesmen and the Highlanders and it would permit the Islesmen close order infantry. 

OBSERVATIONS

As much as I hate to say it, except for a little tinkering the current list catches the proper "feel' for this army. To create the cussed/independence problem, the garner should buy "lotsa" generals and dice for each. The one concern I have is the bow power. There is evidence for the bowmen with the Vikings, the Islesmen and the Highlanders. But even with the restrictions, it is possible for a missile-loving commander to field 110 bowmen: 24 Islesmen, 24 Vikings and 62 Highlanders (24 LI and 38 LMI). However one should note that these bowmen appear in three different groupings and presurnes purchase of every possible Highlander. So army size will limit this problem.

SCOTS ISLES / HIGHLANDS # 128

Gall Gaels and gallogliachs cannot be used together.
* means mandatory troop when that grouping is used.
Only the Vikings pay attention to their raven banner.
All groupings must have at lest one of their own generals. The C-in-C does not count as a general for this purpose. Though the generals are bought as sub generals, treat them as allies and roll for all of them. On a 1 or a 2 he is unreliable, 3 or 4 is bold, and on a 5 or a 6 he is rash. The C-in-C must roll and on a 6 is rash.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Scots Isles Highland Army List

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