Hepthalite Hunnic

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Historical Overview Section

The Hephthalites or White Huns were a Central Asian nomadic confederation whose precise origins and composition remain obscure, although stories that they were invented and simply added to Wikipedia by a wargamer who wanted to use Elephants with his existing Western Hunnic army are unfounded (probably).

They were first mentioned by the Chinese around AD 125, as one of many similar tribes living outside the Great Wall. However further west their impact was significant, and they displaced the Scythians and conquered chunks of Sogdiana and Khorasan around the beginning of the 5th Century AD. After the Skythian or Saka tribes were despatched thet decided on having a go at the next team up, the Sassanid Persian Empire. In Persia, they were initially held off but around AD 483–85 they succeeded in making Persia a tributary state for a short period, until after a series of wars in the period around AD 503-513 they were driven out. The Sassanid Persians then struck back and the Hepthalites were ocompletely defeated in AD 557 by Khosru I.

The Hephthalites further East set up a capital at Bamiyan and continued to exert pressure on India's northwest frontier. They pushed ever further Eastwards, and by the end of the fifth century were a kay factor in hastening the disintegration of the Gupta Empire. . They temporarily overthrew the Gupta empire but were eventually driven out of India in 528 by a Hindu coalition. After the sixth century, little is recorded in ancient India about the Hephthalites, and what happened to them is unclear; some historians surmise that the remaining Hephthalites were assimilated into the population of northwest India and Pakistan

Using the army in FoG

Combining Elephants and Light Horse is a tricky business, but luckily the way disorder works in FoG your armoured cavalry can operate next to your elephants with impunity, creating a block of troops that enemy cavalry will find very hard to deal with indeed.

The risk with the army is that it ends up very small once elephants and armoured shooty cavalry are combined, and the key decision is whether to even bother with much infantry at all.

Interestingly, the option for superior unarmoured bow/sword cavalry is an unusual one, and in combination with an IC may allow you to use them as effective skirmishers in their own right - operating in a single rank of course - as they will still be able to drive off most LH, whilst being a lot cheaper per base frontage than opposing LH types.

But, 2 lots of nobles at 72 points each, at least 4 elephants at 50 points per unit, 12 LH and the compulsary foot minima and an IC + at least 2 TC's is 601 points before you start, not leaving much for any other troops although you are at least at 9 units already. Maybe 2 more elephants, 3 more LH units and either upgrade some of the LH to cavalry, or boost some LH up to 6's ?

UK Tournament Results with this army

User-contributed links about this army:

Allies

No permitted allies

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

Nearly everyone has Huns in their ranges, but given no-one knows much about this lot, you could use most steppe warriors of this era frankly. Some manufacturers specific huns are subsumed into generic Eastern/Eurasian steppe armies ranges. See lists such as the Classical Indian, Indo-Greek and Graeco-Bactrian for other suitable troops including Elephants.
You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site

Image Image Image Image Image

Core Troops


Which troops are absolutely needed for this army, and what are your thoughts on how to organise, paint and buy them.

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
900 AP lists for 2-list competition, where using the Starter Army was mandatory.

  • C-in-C IC - - - - - - C-in-C 1
  • Sub-commanders TC - - - - - - - 2
  • 14 Nobles Cv Superior Undrilled Armoured Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 15 Nobles Cv Superior Undrilled Armoured Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 2 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 3 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 4 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 5 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 6 Elephants El Average Undrilled - - - - - 2
  • 7 Elephants El Average Undrilled - - - - - 2
  • 8 Elephant escprt halberdiers MF Average Undrilled Protected - Heavy Weapon Heavy Weapon - 6
  • 1 Indian levy foot MF Poor Undrilled Unprotected Bow - - - 10
  • Sub-commander TC - - - - - - - 1
  • 9 Elephants El Average Undrilled - - - - - 2
  • 12 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 13 Horse archers LH Superior Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 10 Horse archers LH Superior Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 11 Horse archers LH Superior Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4


Version 2

  • C-in-C FC - - - - - - C-in-C 1
  • Sub-commanders TC - - - - - - - 2
  • 14 Nobles Cv Superior Undrilled Armoured Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 15 Nobles Cv Superior Undrilled Armoured Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 2 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 3 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 4 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 5 Horse archers LH Average Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 6 Elephants El Average Undrilled - - - - - 2
  • 7 Elephants El Average Undrilled - - - - - 2
  • 8 Elephant escprt halberdiers MF Average Undrilled Protected - Heavy Weapon Heavy Weapon - 6
  • 1 Indian levy foot MF Poor Undrilled Unprotected Bow - - - 10
  • Sub-commander FC - - - - - - - 1
  • 9 Elephants El Average Undrilled - - - - - 2
  • 12 Horse archers LH Superior Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 13 Horse archers LH Superior Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 10 Horse archers LH Superior Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4
  • 11 Horse archers LH Superior Undrilled Unprotected Bow - Swordsmen - 4


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