DBA Armies

II/61 HSIEN-PL T’U-YU-HUN, WU-HUAN, PRE-DYNASTIC KHITAN & HSI 90 - 1000 AD

The Tung-hu split into the Hsien-pi and Wu-huan living in Manchuria. The Wu-huan were closer to the Chinese border and were loyal allies to the Chinese until their disappearance around 316 AD. The Hsien-pi were united for a while in the mid- second century AD by Tan-shi-huai, who defeated the Hsiung-nu and briefly dominated the Mongolian steppe, but were more usually split into feuding clans. They set up kingdoms in China in the 4th century, the last of which fell in 431 and their steppe descendents included the Khitan before their amalgamation into the Khitan-Liao centralised monarchy and the Hsi before they were absorbed by the Khitan Liao around 1000. The T’u-yu-hun kingdom (later Khanate) was founded by Hsien-pi who conquered local Hsiung-nu and Ch’iang tribes in modern Quinghai in 285 and became rich on “silk-road” traffic. The cataphract cavalry used by all these nations are assumed to be similar to those of the Northern Wei dynasty founded in 386 by the T’o-pa in China, who are all depicted on armoured horses and with lance, but some with only lance had armoured limbs (4Kn) and others had unarmoured limbs but added a bow (3Kn). Whether the latter formed the rear ranks of the former or had a different tactical role is uncertain, but on one occasion in the 4 century, the Mu-jung clan of the Hsien-pi is reported to have chained 5,000 elite mounted archers in a square to resist shock cavalry. On another, large numbers of women mounted on oxen carrying fake banners and throwing dust in the air from sacks were used to simulate cavalry and are deployed represented by knight or cavalry elements, then exchanged in their side’s second bound for hordes element. Reference: Imperial Chinese Armies C. Peers, The Perilous Frontier T.]. Barfield.

II/61a — Wu-huan, T’u-yu-hun or Hsien-pi Army 90 AD - 316 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv), 2 x nobles (Cv) or horse archers (LH), 8 x horse archers (LH), 1 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Steppe
Aggression: 1
Enemies:

II/61b — Mu-jung Hsien-pi Army 300 AD - 431 AD

List: 1 x General (4Kn), 2 x nobles (4Kn or 3Kn), 4 x horse archers (LH) or chained cavalry (6Cv) or dust-throwing women with banners mounted on oxen (7Hd), 2 x Chinese-trained close-fighting infantry (4Bd), 2 x Chinese-trained archers (4Cb), 1 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies:
Allies: II/21c

II/61c — Other Hsien-pi or T’u-yu-hun Army 317 AD - 431 AD

List: 1 x General (4Kn), 3 x noble cavalry (4Kn or 3Kn), 5 x horse archers (LH), 2x horse archers (LH) or T’u-yu-hun Ch’iang subjects (3Ax), 1 x archers (Ps)
Terrain: Steppe
Aggression: 3
Enemies:

II/61d — Khitan or Hsi Army 350 AD - 1000 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv), 2 x nobles (Cv), 8 x horse archers (LH), 1 x skirmishers (Ps)
Terrain: Steppe
Aggression: 2
Enemies: