DBA Armies

II/4 WARRING STATES & CH’IN CHINESE 480 BC - 202 BC

This list covers all the armies of the Warring States period up to the victory of Ch’in over its rivals in 221 BC. It also includes the Ch’in Empire from 220 BC until its collapse in 207 BC; and then the wars of succession preceding the Han dynasty in 202 BC. Generals and nobility rode 4-horse heavy chariots, each crewed by a driver, archer and halberdier. Massed conscript infantry were stiffened by armoured elite troops, as shown by the Ch’in terracotta army. Early infantry are depicted carrying very long ji-halberds (basically a long “ko” dagger axe with an added thrusting point) or spears, while archers shoot from behind them. Peasants were said to need little training to use these pole-arms, using horizontal reaping strokes against chariots and vertical hoeing strokes against foot. Troops with these long weapons are classed as Pk. After the mid 4th century, the dominant infantry weapon was the crossbow. The spears and dagger-axes used by close-fighting infantry were now much shorter and often used with shields, so they are classed as Ax or Bd, except in Ch’in armies, where a system of promotion based on enemy heads taken produced fanaticism that justifies Wb. References: Ancient Chinese Armies C. Peers, The Art of War Sun Tzu, The Perilous Frontier T.] Barfield.

II/4a — Ch’in Chinese Army 355 BC - 221 BC

List: 1 x General in 4-horse 3-crew chariot (HCh), 1 x chariots (HCh), 1 x cavalry (Cv), 4 x infantry (4Wb), 3 x crossbowmen (3/4Cb), 1 x archers (Ps) or horse archers (LH), 1 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies:

II/4b — Yueh Chinese Army 480 BC - 333 BC

List: 1 x General in 4-horse 3<crew chariot (HCh), 4 x ji-halberdiers (3Pk), 2 x crossbowmen (4Cb) or archers (Ps), 2 x ji-halberdiers (3Pk) or southern tribesmen (3Wb), 3 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies:

II/4c — Chao Chinese Army 307 BC - 202 BC

List: 1 x General in 4-horse 3-crew chariot (HCh) or on horseback (Cv), 1 x 4-horse 3- crew chariots (HCh) or horse archers (LH), 2 x horse archers (LH), 3 x crossbowmen (4Cb), 4 x short dagger-axe (4Bd) or spearmen (4Ax), 1 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies:

II/4d — Other Chinese Armies 480 BC - 356 BC

List: 1 x General in 4-horse 3-crew chariot (HCh), 1 x 4-horse 3crew chariot (HCh), 1 x swordsmen (3Bd) or archers (Ps), 4 x ji-halberdiers (3Pk), 1 x crossbowmen (3/4Cb), 2 x ji-halberdiers (3Pk) or southern tribesmen (3Wb), 2 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies:

II/4e — Other Chinese Armies 355 BC - 202 BC

List: 1 x General in 4-horse 3-crew chariot (HCh) or on horseback (Cv), 1 x chariot 4- horse 3-crew (HCh) or archers (Ps), 1 x cavalry (Cv) or horse archers (LH) or archers (Ps), 2 x crossbowmen (4Cb), 2 x close- fighters (4Ax or 4Bd), 1 x swordsmen or clubmen (3Bd) or archers (Ps), 4 x crossbowmen (3/4Cb) or close-fighters (4Ax or 4Bd) or hasty levies (7Hd) or peasant rebels (SHd)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 1
Enemies: