Macedonian and Successor Elephants

 

Here are four 15mm Macedonian and Successor Elephants that I've just finished painting. In the photos above of early ellies with pikemen astride, the middle one is Xyston which I just painted, while the other two, by Gladiator Miniatures and Essex Miniatures, were done some time ago. In the photos below the later armoured Seleucid elephant in the middle is by Xyston while the other two are Forged in Battle. To finish there's a shot of my Seleucid Successor infantry and cavalry.

Mitanni Maryannu 4

 

Here are four more Mitanni Maryannu chariots, 15mm this time. Figures are by Gladiator Miniatures and Chariot Miniatures. Unfortunately these are no longer available with the closing of Fighting 15s and Magister Militum. I had a hard time fitting the crew into the chariots, something I remember from my last batch of these figures. There are very limited options now for metal 15mm Biblical figures with Essex Miniatures and Old Glory 15s being the main ranges left.

Hittites versus Gasgans Chariots Rampant Game

 

Gasgan attackers deployed on the left,
Hittite defenders on the right

Gasgan force

Hittite force

The two sides mostly advance

Gasgan guardsmen, light infantry and slingers

Gasgan light infantry and archers

Gasgan chariots, light infantry and slingers

Last Tuesday afternoon I played a solo Chariots Rampant game with my 15mm Hittites taking on my recently painted Gasgans/Kaskans. The Gasgans were the attackers and had a slight points advantage but the Hittites had more chariots. The two sides advanced and after a couple of turns, were in shooting range. The Hittite chariots charged the Gasgan guardsmen who were warrior infantry, armed with bow and two handed axes.

The guardsmen retreated but then charged the Hittite chariots in their turn. The guardsmen failed a courage test and routed. The Gasgan light infantry then charged the half strength chariots and wiped them out. It was getting pretty messy in the game, the shooting activations were definitely less risky than combat. When the last Gasgan light infantry unit failed its courage test and routed, it was victory for the Hittites.

Shooting commences

Hittite chariots charge the Gasgan guardsmen

Gasgan guardsmen charge the chariots in their turn

Gasgan light infantry destroy
half strength Hittite chariots

Shooting is less risky than combat!

Gasgan light infantry charge Hittite spearmen

Hittites are victorious

Gasgan Infantry

 

Slingers

Guardsmen and archers

Gasgan warriors

Group shot with chariots

Above are some 15mm Gasgan or Kaskan infantry that I've just finished painting. The figures are all by Khurasan Miniatures. I now have enough figures, with the two chariots I painted earlier in the month, to try a Chariots Rampant game against my 15mm Hittites. Below are some photos of the Warlord 28mm Gasgan/Kaskan warriors I painted a few years ago. 

Warlord actually have quite a few later Anatolian highlander packs with at least two packs of warriors, as well as packs of archers, slingers and javelinmen. For the chariots you could use their light Hittite chariots and swap or convert the crew. These figures are more fully clothed with fleeces, pelts and cloaks which seems more likely as the Pontic Mountains region where they lived is at a high altitude and snow can occur even in the summer months. The highest peak there is Kackar Dagi 3,397 m (12,917 ft) and would have been covered in snow in the winter!

Gasgan Chariots

 

Here are two 15mm Gasgan or Kaskan chariots that I've just painted. The figures are by Khurarsan Miniatures. The Kaskan tribes from the Pontic mountains to the north were enemies of the Hittites and a constant source of trouble who sacked Hattusa, the Hittite capital, on at least one occasion. Not much is known about them apart from references in Hittite clay tablets.

Hatti versus Hanigalbat Chariots Rampant Game

 

Side view of the table

Hittite force deployed

Mitanni force deployed

Hittite attackers advance

Mitanni chariots suffer casualties from shooting

Hittite chariots on the left flank
are destroyed by shooting

Hittite chariots

Hittite spearmen and guardsmen

Hittite spearmen and skirmishers

Last Saturday afternoon I played a solo Chariots Rampant game out in the shed with my 15mm Hittites and Mitanni. I've just been reading Trevor Bryce's latest book Hattusili, the Hittite Prince Who Stole an Empire, it's a fascinating read, highly recommended, quite a bit of it is speculative but very interesting none the less. Writing about Suppiluliuma I (1350-1322 BC) he says:

he undertook the biggest challenge of his reign - the annihilation of Hatti's arch enemy, the kingdom of Mittani. After a long, hard-fought war lasting almost two decades, Suppiluliuma succeeded in demolishing the kingdom, rounding off his conquests by capturing the last Mittanian stronghold, the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates. We are now in the year 1326 or thereabouts. A rump kingdom called Hanigalbat was all that remained of Mittani, and Suppiluliuma promptly converted it into a Hittite puppet state.

Trevor Bryce, Hattusili, the Hittite Prince Who Stole an Empire, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2025, p.17.

In my game the Mitanni chariots suffered early casualties from shooting but on the other flank the entire Hittite chariot unit was destroyed by shooting. The Hittite guardsmen charged the Mittani spearmen but retreated battered and at nearly half strength. On the Mitanni left flank the Hittite chariots charged and destroyed some skirmishers forcing the Mitanni spearmen to retreat and protect their flank. The Hittite chariots charged the spearmen but were forced to retreat, at this stage the game was evenly poised. The Hittite guardsmen and spearmen then both routed after failing courage tests. The Mitanni had repelled this Hittite attack.

Mitanni spearmen and skirmishers

Mitanni chariots and skirmishers

Mitanni spearmen and archers

Hittite guarsdmen charge Mitanni spearmen

Hittite guardsmen retreat battered
and nearly at half strength

Mitanni spearmen on the left
retreat to protect their flank

Hittite chariots charge the Mitanni spearmen
but are forced to retreat

The battle is evenly poised

Hittite spearmen and guardsmen rout,
the Mitanni have repelled the Hittite attack