Early Armenian

HomePage - The Rise of Rome - Storm of Arrows - Immortal Fire - Legions Triumphant - Swords and Scimitars - Eternal Empire - Decline and Fall - Wolves from The Sea - Swifter Than Eagles

Historical Overview Section

Armenia was originally a semi-autonomous province of the Late Achaemenid Persian Empire which passed to the Macedonian Empire after Persia's conquest by the Alexandrian Macedonians. From 301 BC Armenia passed into the sphere of influence of the Early Successor Seleucid Empire, but maintained a considerable degree of autonomy under its native rulers. Antiochus III the Great of the Later Seleucids got bored with the idea of autonomy and decided to suppress the local dynasty under Xerxes, who surrendered accepted Antiochus sister Antiochis as a wife. She later murdered Xerxes - ouch!. But, as the ((Later Seleucid)0 Empire unravelled at the edges as they fought the Late Republican Romans, Parthians and Later Macedonians Armenia snuck under the radar and became yet again an independent kingdom from 190 BC to 66 BC, and was a client state of either the Roman, Parthian or (Sassanid Persian)) empires until AD 428.

At its zenith, from 95 to 66 BC, Armenia extended its rule over parts of the Caucasus and the area that is now eastern Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. Tigranes the Great 95 BCE–55 BCE (also called Tigranes II and sometimes Tigranes I) was the king when the country became, for a short time, the strongest state in the Roman East. After it became a Roman province, Armenia was often a focus of contention between Rome and Persia. The Parthians forced Armenia into submission from 37 to 47, when the Romans retook control of the kingdom. The Sassanid Persians occupied Armenia in 252 and held it until the Romans returned in 287. In 387 the kingdom was split between the East Roman Empire and the Persians. Western Armenia quickly became a province of the Roman Empire.

Useful Links

User-contributed links about this army:

• Early Armenian DBA Figure Gallery for this army - from Fanaticus
• Early Armenians DBA Figure Gallery for this army - from Fanaticus
• Armenian History external site with detail on this era
• put the link text readers will see in here write some more detail about the link here

Tactical Tips

Using the army in FoG

• This one falls somewhere between a normal horse archer and cataphract army, and a horde of rubbish army.
• A lack of steppe terrain means the foot will have somewhere to hide, and they can bulk out numbers, but really the cataphracts are needed to fight as nothing else in the army is that solid.
• No-one is quite convinced that the extra troops avaliable for Tigranes make it a worthwhile option, especially as the faux legionaries are only protected - making them little more than drilled Gauls
• Khosov I may be a better choice with allies that can either add solid foot (Romans) or enhance the cavalry (Alans and Parthians)
• With a limited number of very cheap foot to pad it out, and less Cataphracts its hard to see why you'd take this army in preference to the Parthians

Allied Contingents

• Early Armenian (Khosrov I's anti-Sassanid coalition Only) Roman, Principate : Date restrictions 226 to 228 Book: legions Triumphant Page: 6 - 4 legions, 4 auxilia, 4 cavalry as a minimum make this expensive but tough - and all 3 are useful. Make the legions as good as you can afford if you are taking them, and don’t be distracted with the other optinal troops. Adding LF to legion and Auxilia BGs is a good way to use up spare points
• Early Armenian (Khosrov I's anti-Sassanid coalition Only) Alan, Early : Date restrictions 226 to 228 Book: Legions Triumphant Page: 41 - Lots of charging Superior Lancers (and plenty of LH bw/Sw to help them) gives this army another dimension
• Early Armenian (Khosrov I's anti-Sassanid coalition Only) Kushan or Parthian - Parthian : Date restrictions 226 to 228 Book: Rise of Rome Page: 56 - Up to 8 cataphracts and 24 LH is a good addition
• Early Armenian (Tigran the Great Only) Media Atropatene : Date restrictions 83 BC to 69 BC Book: Rise of Rome Page: 59 - Up to 8 cataphracts and 24 LH is a good addition
• Early Armenian (Tigran the Great Only) Arab, Early : Date restrictions 83 BC to 69 BC Book: Rise of Rome Page: 60 - Well, it has no minima, so you can choose between uninspiring LH and Cv, Poor Bw armed camelry, and some very average Lt Sp/Sw MF. Hoorah!

UK Tourney Results

6 / 10 Early Armenian Luncarty Doubles 2008 (RoR)
8 / 16 Early Armenian Godendag 2008 Doubles (RoR)
7 / 16 EARLY ARMENIANS Scottish Open 2008 (open)
10 / 14 RR15 Early Armenian Northern League 2008 R4 (open)

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

Other manufacturers have related ranges - most people carry some Scythian horse archers and some cataphracts. This is teh Parthian selection, which is probably pretty similar to Armenian. Check out the relevant Roman or Greek pages for other troops. A full manufacturers listing is on my 15mm suppliers page.

You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site

• Essex Miniatures - 1 cataphtact, 4 horse archers in the Parthian range, but may other suitable figures in other ranges
• Donnington - 3 cataphracts, 4 horse archers, some officers and also cataphract camels, plus troops in other ranges
• Old Glory 15's, Cataphracts, horse archers and command packs
• Lancashire Games - 2 horse archers, 23 Cataphracts
• Peter Pig - Parthian range
• Irregular Miniatures Parthians as well as Sassanind/Palymran ranges
• Minifigs Parthians as well as Sassanind/Palymran/Armenian ranges
• Viking Forge Horse archer and Cataphracts !
• Outpost Wargame Services Horse archers, cavalry and command packs.
• QRF Models Some archers, javelinmen and light horse in the the Feudal Castings Hellenistic Greek range will work well.

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army

Name of Army / Date

• Using asterisks inthe edit mode creates a bulleted list in the actual site
• This is a lot easier to do than easier than setting up tables
• For FoG I suggest listing your army in order or march
• with troop desctiptions on each line, for example
• 4 HF Armoured Average Drilled Impact Foot Swordsmen
• 8 LG Undrilled Unarmoured Poor Bowen
• Dont forget to include your Generals !!!

Include any notes you want here, including comments on how to use - or play against - the army.

Remember to leave a line before you copy the above section as a template for your own list

eBay Listings

UK Bookstore