Historical Overview Section
The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were a sub-group among the Sarmatian tribes first mentioned in Middle Republican Roman literature in the first century and were described later as a warlike people that specialized in horse breeding. Ammianus Marcellinus considered the Alans to be the former Skythian Massagetae: "iuxtaque Massagetae Halani et Sargetae", "per Albanos et Massagetas, quos Alanos nunc appellamus", "Halanos pervenit, veteres Massagetas"; he stated that "Almost all of the Alans are tall and good looking; their hair is generally blond, and their eyes are frighteningly fierce", and elsewhere, "The Alans were a tall, blond people"
By the beginning of the 1st century, the Alans had occupied lands in the northeast Azov Sea area, along the Don and by the 2nd century had amalgamated or joined with the Yancai of the early Chinese records to extend their control all the way along the trade routes from the Black Sea to the north of the Caspian and Aral seas. The written sources suggest that from the second half of the 1st to 4th century the Alans had supremacy over the tribal union and created a powerful confederation of Sarmatian tribes.
From a Western point-of-view the Alans presented a serious problem for the Late Republican Roman and then Patrician Roman Empire, with incursions into both the Danubian and the Caucasian provinces in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. They also frequently raided the Parthian empire. Flavius Arrianus marched against the Alani in the first century and left a detailed report (Ektaxis kata Alanoon or 'War Against the Alans') that is a major source for studying Roman military tactics, but doesn't reveal much about his enemy.
Around 370, the Alans were overwhelmed by the Hunnic Huns. They were divided into several groups, some of whom fled westward. A portion of these western Alans joined the Germanic Early Visigothic and Early Vandals tribes and and Sueves in their invasion of Dominate Roman Gaul. Settled in Gaul, the Alans of Orléans played a critical role in helping the Romans to repel the invasion of Attila the Hun leader at the Battle of Chalons. After the fifth century, however, the Alans of Gaul were subsumed in the territorial struggles between the Lombard Franks and the Later Visigothic tribes, and ceased to have an independent existence. Other groups went into Spain taking advantage of the power vacuum created by the incursion of the African Vandals. In 417 an Alan king, Attaces, was killed in battle against the Later Visigothic Visigoths, and the Spanish Alans chose to become subjects of the African Vandal king Gunderic. Most of the Alans went to North Africa with the African Vandals in 429. Later Vandal kings in North Africa styled themselves Rex Wandalorum et Alanorum ("King of the Vandals and Alans"). Yet more Alan tribes moved northeast and settled among the Early Slavic tribes, later assimilating into the Slav population. In the seventh century the Serbs and Croats migrated into the western Balkans, supposedly at the invitation of the Early Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, and settled there among earlier Slavic migrants to become ancestors of the modern Serbs and Croats.
Using the army in ADLG
- You need good Generals, and a plan not to get pushed off the board
- Drop the LH back out of 4 MU to get a 0 AP rally action
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Army Lists
Sample army lists for this army
Alicante 2024
Fortified Camp
3 LH Bow
1 HCv Bow Elite w/Ordinary General
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2 LH Bow
4 HCv Bow, Competent Included
2 MCv Bow Elite
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4 HCv Bow (1 is elite)
2 LH Bow
2 MCv Bw Elite
Brilliant General
108 Alan: Folorn Hope USTT 2020
Brilliant General
6 Horsemen Heavy cavalry impetuous Elite
2 Horse Archers Medium cavalry bow ------
2 Horse Archers Light cavalry bow ------
2 Light Infantry Bowmen Light infantry bow ----
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Competent
3 Horse Archers Medium cavalry bow
4 Horse Archers Light cavalry bow
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Ordinary
2 Horse Archers Medium cavalry bow
3 Horse Archers Light cavalry bow
200 Points
Corps 1 (Ordinary)
- 5 Horsemen * Heavy cavalry impetuous
- 4 Horse Archers * Light cavalry bow
Corps 2 (Ordinary)
- 5 Horsemen * Heavy cavalry impetuous
- 4 Horse Archers * Light cavalry bow
Corps 3 (Ordinary)
- 5 Horse Archers * Light cavalry bow
- 3 Horsemen * Heavy cavalry impetuous
- 1 Light infantry Light infantry bow