DBA Armies

II/58 ALAN 50 AD - 1500 AD

The Alans were the most easterly and durable of the Sarmatian nations, primarily based in the northern foot hills and adjoining plains of the Caucasus mountains, where they became the modern Ossetians. This list starts with their first appearance in this homeland. They were subjugated in turn by the Huns, Khazars, Mongols and Georgians, but always re- emerged. Ammianus Marcellinus described them as “nearly all tall, blond and handsome”. They did not all stay at home, which generated a poetic cliché of “the wandering Alans”. Alan contingents often joined other tribal migrations and invasions, leading to various short lived kingdoms or lesser settlements of conquerors or foederati scattered over the later Roman west and in due course absorbed by neighbouring cultures. Many settled among the Bretons, providing them with mounted nobility, and “Alain” is still a common personal name there. Arrian’s second century “Order of Battle against the Alans” assumes that all Alans will always charge, but will be vulnerable to infantry missiles, which implies that most did not have horse armour. The 3,000 Alans that charged desperately against the Catalan company in the 14th century were mostly light horse. They were accompanied by 6,000 foot, probably mostly armed with (probably woodsmen’s) axes. References: Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome P. Barker, Armies of the Dark Ages 1. Heath.

II/58 — Alan Army 50 AD - 1500 AD

List: 1 x General (3Kn or LH), 3 x nobles (3Kn) or horse archers (LH), 5 x horse archers (LH), 2 x horse archers (LH) or peasant axemen (4Bd), 1 x horse archers (LH) or peasant or camp follower archers (Ps)
Terrain: Steppe if until 400 AD, Arable if from 400 AD
Aggression: 1
Enemies: