Neo-Assyrians versus Neo-Babylonians Midgard Game

 

Neo-Assyrians deployed

Neo-Babylonians deployed

Neo-Elamite allied cavalry and infantry
on the Neo-Babylonian left flank

Neo-Babylonian infantry and
Chaldean archers in the centre

Arab camel riders, Neo-Elamite kallapani
and skirmishers on the right flank

Neo-Assyrian cavalry, chariots and
Sab Sharri auxiliaries

Neo-Assyrian infantry, guard cavalry and skirmishers

Arab camel riders are keen to get in bow range!

Neo-Elamite cavalry advance

Earlier today I played a solo Neo-Assyrians versus Neo-Babylonians Midgard game out in the shed. I already had the army lists and armies organised, it was going to be a wet day, so it was just a matter of getting the figures, table, mat and terrain out. I added a dismounted trait for the Neo-Elamite kallapani so they could dismount as formed archers in one move. Every single unit in the game was armed with missiles. Most of the infantry were mixed spear and bow, the Neo Assyrian infantry were more heavily armoured than the Neo-Babylonian infantry, who were only armour two rather than three.

The Neo-Babylonians were the attackers and advanced, eager to get in bow range. The Neo-Assyrians also advanced and destroyed a unit of Arab camel riders with withering bow fire. The Neo-Elamite kallapani dismounted and on their right flank the Neo-Assyrian chariots and cavalry charged the Neo-Elamite cavalry. Back on the Neo-Assyrian left flank the guard cavalry charged the Neo-Elamite kallapani who were eventually destroyed. In the centre the Neo-Babylonian infantry charged the Neo-Assyrian infantry. The Neo-Assyrian chariots and cavalry were destroyed by the Neo-Elamite cavalry but in the centre the Neo-Assyrian infantry won the combat to narrowly win the game. 

Side view

Cavalry are in mounted bow range

Neo-Elamite kallapani dismount as foot archers

Neo-Assyrian chariots and cavalry charge

Neo-Assyrian guard cavalry charge
the Neo-Elamite kallapani

Cavalry and chariots slog it out

Neo-Assyrian chariots and cavalry are destroyed

Neo-Assyrian guard infantry (Qurubuti)
win the combat in the centre, Neo-Babylonians
lose their final reputation token

Aramaean Infantry

 

Here are some Aramaean javelin men that I've just finished painting. Figures are by Warlord Games but unfortunately no longer seem to be available. I will use these figures as allies for my Neo-Babylonians and Neo-Elamites. I have 15mm Aramaean, Israelite, Arab and Neo-Assyrian armies with Essex, Red Copper and Museum Miniatures as I want to refight the Battle of Karkar or Qarqar 853 BC.  In this battle the Neo-Assyrian army of Shalmaneser III fought the combined forces of Damascus, Hamath, Ahab of Israel, Que, Musri, Irqanata, Arvad, Usanata, Shian and Gundibu, an Arab chieftain, led by Hadadezer of Damascus, also known as the 12 Kings Alliance. This was a huge army comprising 3940 chariots, 1800 cavalry, 65000 infantry and 1000 Arab camel-riders. Shalmaneser claimed to have defeated them and slain 14000 enemy soldiers but his opponents held on to their thrones and he was forced to campaign again in the area several more times in the following decade.

Neo-Elamites

 

Happy New Year to everyone for 2024!

Here are some Neo-Elamites that I've just finished painting. They were both allies and enemies of the Neo-Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians at various stages. The figures are all Eureka Miniatures. The only other 28mm Neo-Elamite ranges that I'm aware of are the Warlord archers which I have and the Steve Barber Models range as well, which are very nice but no Kallapani (the mule drawn carts with archers) as yet. Eventually I hope to refight the Battle of Til-Tuba or River Ulai which was fought against the Neo-Assyrian forces of Ashurbanipal in c. 653 BCE. There is a very interesting short British Museum YouTube video discussing the six panels of reliefs depicting this battle from Ashurbanipal's palace in Nineveh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpe7fevbReA

Just before Christmas I went on a short mountain biking trip to Beechworth with Peter and Hans using our e-mtbs. We did the Epic Indigo loop between Beechworth and Yackandandah (lots of climbing in the second half) and the Diggers' Loop the following morning before driving back. Here are a few photos.

Starting out

A rest before the final climb

Wallaby Mine equipment

A koala resting up! The base of the sapling is
visible in the previous photo. 

Ashurbanipal - King of the World, King of Assyria.

 

Here is a Neo-Assyrian King, on campaign in his chariot, that I've finally finished painting. He is supposed to be Ashurbanipal, the last great Neo-Assyrian king who ruled from 669 to c. 631 BC. Figures and chariots are by Wargames Foundry. A great book to get if you're interested is I am Ashurbanipal: king of the world, king of Assyria edited by Gareth Brereton a publication which accompanied the 2018 and 2019 exhibition at the British Museum.

 

Neo-Assyrian Sab Sharri

 

Here's two mixed spearmen and bowmen units of Neo-Assyrian Sab Sharri from the archives. They're also a mix of ranges with mostly Foundry command in the front rank, a Hinchliffe officer and spearmen and Eureka bowmen in the rear ranks. 

One of my most useful reference books for this period and earlier is the WRG book by Nigel Stillman and Nigel Tallis, Armies of the Ancient Near East 3,000 BC to 539BC, which is unfortunately out of print. I read on the Society of Ancients forum recently that this will be back in print soon, perhaps with an updated bibliography like Duncan Head's classic Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars 359 BC to 146 BC. Good news for all the biblical fans out there!

Later Sargonid Assyrians versus Kimmerians Mortem et Gloriam Game

 

Side view with Assyrians left, Kimmerians right

Opposite end

Assyrian left flank

Assyrian centre

Assyrian right flank

Kimmerian right flank

Kimmerian centre

Kimmerian left flank

Last Tuesday afternoon I played a solo MeG Pacto game out in the shed. The Later Sargonid Assyrians took on an all cavalry Kimmerian force. This was my first MeG game with these armies, it was all a bit hit and miss, trial and error! The Kimmerian left flank optimistically charged the Assyrians early in the game, the noble cavalry broke in combat, while the horse archers retreated. The noble cavalry did managed to break the opposing Assyrian cavalry. On the Assyrian left flank the chariots and cavalry charged. The Kimmerian nobles eventually broke and one of the horse archer units evaded repeatedly until almost driven from the table. Meanwhile in the centre the skilled Kimmerian horse archers whittled away at the Assyrian Kisir Sharuti and Sab Sharri infantry. In the end they destroyed the entire centre and broke the Assyrian army.

Armies advance

Shooting starts

Kimmerian left flank charges

Combat doesn't go well

A retreat and a rout

Assyrian left flank charges

Horse archers evade, nobles countercharge

Assyrian cavalry charge again

Assyrians break in the centre