DBA Armies

III/20 SUI & EARLY T’ANG CHINESE 581 AD - 755 AD

This list covers the armies of the Sui and T’ang dynasties. The Sui dynasty was founded in northern China in 581 AD and had reunited the whole country by 589 AD. Initial successes were followed by disastrous wars against Koguryo in Korea 611-614 and rebellions. A new T’ang dynasty re-united China by 623 AD and then extended the Chinese frontier further than ever before. Early armies were based on a well-trained militia, but expansion for the Korean wars caused the foot to deteriorate. Pu-ping “marching infantry” were armed with either spear and shield or pike, and in theory with a bow. We assume that bowmen were often, and under the T’ang invariably, in the rear ranks. Crossbowmen were less used and under the T’ang also had halberds. Cataphracts lacking arm and leg armour are 3Kn. T’ang cavalry were mostly armed in Turkish style with lance, bow and lamellar body armour, and rode unarmoured horses. References: Soldiers of the Dragon C. Peers, Medieval Chinese Warfare 300-900 D.A. Graff, The Army of Tang China K.H. Ranitzsch.

III/20a — Sui Army 581 AD - 611 AD

List: 1 x General (3/4Kn), 1 x cataphracts (4Kn), 1 x cataphracts (3Kn), 4 x Pu-ping (Sp or 3Pk or 8Bw), 4 x Pu-she archers (4Bw or Ps), 1 x Mo-ho Manchurian horse archers (LH) or southern tribesmen (3WDb or Ps) or crossbow specialists (4Cb) or bolt-shooters and stone-throwers (Art)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies:
Allies: III/11b

III/20b — Sui Army 612 AD - 623 AD

List: 1 x General (3/4Kn), 1 x cataphracts (4Kn or 3Kn), 1 x cataphracts (3Kn) or cavalry (Cv), 6 x mass conscripts (7Hd), 2 x archers (Ps or 3Bw), 1 x horse archers (LH) or bolt-shooters and stone-throwers (Art)
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies:

III/20c — T’ang Army 618 AD - 755 AD

List: 1 x General (Cv), 3 x cavalry (Cv), 2 x horse archers (LH), [3 x Pu-ping (8Bw) + 2 x Pu-she (4Bw) + 1 x crossbowmen with halberd (4Cb)J or [2 x cavalry (Cv) + 4 x nomad horse archers (LH)J
Terrain: Arable
Aggression: 3
Enemies:
Allies: II/61d or II/77a or II/8 or III/11b
⚠ Unresolved allies: II/8