Early Carthaginians

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Historical Overview Section


Carthage was founded in 814 BC by Phoenician settlers from the city of Tyre. Between 280 and 275 BC, Pyrrhus of Epirus fought Carthage in Sicily after being asked to help free the island from Carthaginian dominance. The war ended inconclusively after the Sicilians decided Pyrrhus' rule was no better than Carthage.
The First Punic War (264 BC - 241 BC) was fought partly on land in Sicily and Africa, but was also a naval war to a large extent. The struggle was costly to both powers, but after more than 20 years of war, Rome emerged victorious

User-contributed links about this army:

Using the army in FoG

  • The risk with the army is not to let it get too bitty. There are lots of options, but they can leave you with a piecemeal force incapable of doing much at all.
  • Building a plan around the sacred band is a solid and easy start, and supplementing them with African Spearmen is the obvious way to go. You then start to think about adding Greeks, but that may prove to be just too many protected troops to work - once they meet a determined armoured or shooting enemy they can get beaten up quickly.
  • Charios are called Poeni after the Cockney Rhyming slang "a bit pony", and thats for a very good reason. Over priced and hard to use. Avoid unless you go for 8+ and build a plan around getting lucky.
  • Again the impact foot Gauls look tempting, but are nowhere near as cool in practice.

Allied Contingents

  • Libyan, Late : Date restrictions Before 500 BC Book: Immortal Fire Page: 24 - 10 Light Chariots? Well, in period they can frighten enemy Cavalry & LH…
  • Numidian - Numidian or Early Moorish : Date restrictions From 340 BC Book: Rise of Rome Page: 38 - The LH arent that good, but the LF being allowed to be in BGs of 4 makes this ally quite compelling as at 16 points per unit they can boost your unit count and replace your own LF in the battle line


UK Tourney results

10 / 10 Early Carthaginian Britcon 2008 25mm (open)
18 / 20 Early Carthaginian Warfare 2008 15mm (RoR, IF, LT)
23 / 25 Early Carthaginian Roll Call 2008 15mm (IF)

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

Image Image Image Image


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



Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
800 ap - Not in march order:
1 Heavy Chariots HCh - Superior Drilled - Light spear - - 4
2 Heavy Chariots HCh - Superior Drilled - Light spear - - 4
3 African Spearmen HF Protected Average Drilled - Offensive spearmen - - 8
4 African Spearmen HF Protected Average Drilled - Offensive spearmen - - 8
5 Numidians LH unprotected Average Undrilled javelins Light spear - - 6
6 Numidian or spanish LF LF unprotected Average Undrilled javelins Light spear - - 8
7 Corsicans MF Protected Average Undrilled Light spear - - 6
8 Baleric Slingers LF unprotected Superior Undrilled sling - - 6
9 Sardinian Archers LF unprotected Average Undrilled bow - - 4
10 poeni foot MF Protected Average Drilled - Light spear Swordmen - 6
11 campanians MF Protected Average Drilled - Light spear Swordmen - 6
12 sacred band hf Armoured Superior Drilled - Offensive spearmen - - 6
13 other foot hf Protected Average Drilled - Offensive spearmen - - 6
. CinC TC - - - - - - - 1
. TC TC - - - - - - - 1
. TC TC - - - - - - - 1
. TC TC - - - - - - - 1



The following list was used at Warfare 2008

  • 6 Offensive Protected Spear - Poor
  • 6 Offensive Protected Spear - Poor
  • 6 Light Foot, unprotected, JLS - Poor
  • 6 LH Numidians, LJS - Average
  • 8 Medium Foot Protected Average Light Spear
  • 8 Medium Foot Protected Average Light Spear
  • 8 HF Protected Offensive Spear, Average
  • 8 HF Protected Offensive Spear - Average
  • 4 Heavy Chariots, JLS, Drilled, Superior
  • 4 Heavy Chariots, JLS, Drilled, Superior
  • 6 Cv, Greeks, Armoured Average Drilled JLS, Swordsmen
  • 8 MF Spanish Impact Foot Swordsmen Average Protected
  • 4 Generals


The army relied for its punch on the 2 units of heavy chariots supported on their flanks by the average spear and cavalry, with the poor spearmen deployed as baggage guards and to cheer on the rest of the army. The 3 units of MF provide a very decent rough terain force.

Name of Army / Date
800 ap Early Carthaginians

  • 4 chariots Hch - Superior drilled - light spear -
  • 4 chariots Hch - Superior drilled - light spear -
  • 6 greek cavalry Cv armoured Average drilled - light spear Swordmen
  • 4 numidian s lh unprotected Average Undrilled javelins light spear -
  • 8 sacred band hf armoured Superior drilled - offensive spearmen -
  • 8 africans hf Protected Average drilled - offensive spearmen -
  • 8 africans hf Protected Average drilled - offensive spearmen -
  • 8 spanish mf Protected Average Undrilled - impact foot swordmen
  • 6 baleric slingers lf unprotected Superior Undrilled sling - -
  • 4 sardinnian bowmen lf unprotected Average Undrilled bow - -
  • 6 numidian javelinmen lf unprotected Average Undrilled javelins light spear -
  • 6 corsicans mf Protected Average Undrilled - light spear -
  • . TC TC - - - - - -
  • . TC TC - - - - - -
  • . TC TC - - - - - -
  • . TC TC - - - - - -

  • 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

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