Assyrian

Historical Overview Section

Assyria had been a tributary of the Mitanni until they in turn collapsed under pressure from the Hittite Empire , enabling Ashur-uballit I (1365 BC – 1330 BC) to again make Assyria an independent and conquering power. When even the Hittite Empire collapsed from onslaught of theie some-time Phrygian Allies?, Babylon and Assyria began to vie for regional dominance.

Tiglath-Pileser I is often regarded as the founder of the first Assyrian empire. In 1120 BC, he crossed the Euphrates, capturing Carchemish, and defeated the Mushki and the remnants of the Hittite Empire — even claiming to reach the Black Sea. He advanced to the Mediterranean, subjugating Phoenicia, where he hunted wild bulls. He also marched into Babylon twice, assuming the old title "King of Sumer and Akkad", although he was unable to depose the actual king in Babylonia, where the old Kassite dynasty had now succumbed to an Elamite one.

Using the army in ADLG

• Post 890 you do start to get into serious Heavy Impact Chariot territory
• The Mediocre MCv are pretty poor, but in this theme as long as they can keep away from enemy bowmen their ability to skirmish off opposing foot or HCh is not to be underestimated - nor is their utility as a fast movinig proper unit to look for enemy flanks.
• Adding 'support' is maybe not as much a waste of points as it can be in later lists, as with non-Impact HCh roaming around it could allow your MF to do OK
• The Mixed bow/spear units are a nice to have, making them a touch less vulnerable in combat than the speedbump bow option
• You can do a pretty reasonable Assyrian list here with 6 HCh and 6 LCh but you wind up with only about 4 medium infantry if you go that way. 4 HCh is the minimum you should consider
• The LCh can be used to simply eat up space. They are fast, they shoot and they can’t just be ignored. So the enemy has to devote four “real” units to countering them and you may well get a couple of attrition points from shooting back at worst. If the enemy have foot bows however suddenly the LCh are the attrition point risk at least as much as the foot. Just don’t let the foot bows get mugged by the chariots which they will happily do.
• Do’t bother with the lone mediocre LC bow. It really has no point. If there were two of them you can buy two for the initiative bonus but a lone LC just isn’t going to achieve much and is a worse screen for the foot/HCh than a LI
• Splitting the HCh into two commands gives more flexibility - they can still operate together anyway.
• Make sure your HCh aren’t getting shot at, if they start -1 they risk failing.
• ake sure their flanks are secure, having to peel off 1-2 HCh to cover your flanks is a waste. Even if you have to sacrifice something else to make this happen it is worth it. LI sit in front of the HCh until they charge if the HCh are at risk of shooting even if the LI are killed.

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

A listing of who supplies what can be found in my 15mm Suppliers directory. You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site

• Essex Miniatures - of course
• Old Glory Assyrian Range
• Magister Militum (includes former Chariot ranges)
• Museum
• Minifigs UK
• Lancashire Games

Useful Links

User-contributed links about this army. Add links in this format:

• name of link description of link

as an example

• Arab Conquest Arab Conquest army on Fanaticus

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
2nd place, 15mm Roll Call 2024
Ordinary Included
4 Chariots with 2 horses Light chariot armour bow Elite
==
Brilliant
4 Chariots with 2 horses Light chariot armour bow ------
1 Light Cavalry Bow Light cavalry bow Mediocre
1 Levy Levy ------
2 Pethalle Cavalry Medium cavalry bow ------
==
Brilliant
4 Asharittu Warriors Medium swordsmen impact support Elite
5 Light Infantry Bow Light infantry bow ------
2 Arameans Javelinmen Mediocre

Zorick Assyrians, USTT 2018
Brilliant
2 Elite Ch
2 Asarittu Warriors Elite
2 Hpshu Warriors
2 Javelinmen (LI)
1 Aramean Javelinman
==
Ordinary Included
2 Elite Ch
1 LI Sling
==
Brilliant
4 LCh
2 Impaxt MF Elite
2 Hupshu Mixed
2 LI Bow

Corps I Brilliant CiC
2 Elite HCh Impact
2 Elite MSw Impact
2 ½ MSw + ½ Bowmen
2 LI Javelins
1 Javelinmen

Corps II Included Ordinary General
2 Elite HCh Impact
1 LI Sling

Corps III Brilliant General
4 LCh Bow
2 Elite MSw Impact
2 ½ MSw + ½ Bowmen
2 LI Bow