Historical Overview Section
In the Old Elamite period (Middle Bronze Age), Elam consisted of kingdoms on the Iranian plateau, centered in Anshan, and from the mid-2nd millennium BC, it was centered in Susa in the Khuzestan lowlands. Its culture played a crucial role during the Persian Achaemenid dynasty that succeeded Elam, when the Elamite language remained among those in official use.
Knowledge of Elamite history remains largely fragmentary, reconstruction being based on mainly Mesopotamian (Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian) sources. The history of Elam is conventionally divided into three periods, spanning more than two millennia. The period before the first Elamite period is known as the proto-Elamite period:
Proto-Elamite: c. 3200 – c. 2700 BC (Proto-Elamite script in Susa)
Old Elamite period: c. 2700 – c. 1600 BC (earliest documents until the Eparti dynasty)
Middle Elamite period: c. 1500 – c. 1100 BC (Anzanite dynasty until the Babylonian invasion of Susa)
Neo-Elamite period: c. 1100 – 540 BC (characterized Assyrian and Median influence. 539 BC marks the beginning of the Achaemenid period.)
It was under the Shutrukids (c. 1210 – 1100) that the Elamite empire reached the height of its power. Shutruk-Nakhkhunte and his three sons, Kutir-Nakhkhunte II, Shilhak-In-Shushinak, and Khutelutush-In-Shushinak were capable of frequent military campaigns into Kassite Babylonia (which was also being ravaged by the empire of Assyria during this period), and at the same time were exhibiting vigorous construction activity—building and restoring luxurious temples in Susa and across their Empire. Shutruk-Nakhkhunte raided Babylonia, carrying home to Susa trophies like the statues of Marduk and Manishtushu, the Manishtushu Obelisk, the Stele of Hammurabi and the stele of Naram-Sin. In 1158 BC, after much of Babylonia had been annexed by Ashur-Dan I of Assyria and Shutruk-Nakhkhunte, the Elamites defeated the Kassites permanently, killing the Kassite king of Babylon, Zababa-shuma-iddin, and replacing him with his eldest son, Kutir-Nakhkhunte, who held it no more than three years before being ejected by the native Akkadian speaking Babylonians. The Elamites then briefly came into conflict with Assyria, managing to take the Assyrian city of Arrapha (modern Kirkuk) before being ultimately defeated and having a treaty forced upon them by Ashur-Dan I.
Using the army in ADLG
- You have 2 different lists here, and you're trading off having some Heavy Chariots against less bowmen and a more skirmishy army with the first appearance of horsemen in the book.
- Up to 6 Impact Swordsmen in the first period are quite a potent force to go hunting enemy foot with.
- Taking 6 of the Bowmen as LF in the early period feels almost mandatory, as 12 is otherwise a very big and expensive target
Useful Links
User-contributed links about this army. Add links in this format:
- name of link description of link
- The ADLG Database showing all of the results of this army in official competitions held since 2009 s
Army Lists
Sample army lists for this army
Beachhead 2023
2 LFBow
2 Bowmen
4 LCh Bow
2 Poor Javelinmen
Competent General
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Competent Bedouin Ally
4 Medicre Camels
2 Mediocre Bow with stakes (tethered camels)
2 LCm Bow Medicre
1 LI Sling
2 LI Bow
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2 LCh Bow
2 Bowmen
2 Mediocre Javelinmen
3 LF Bow
1 LH Bow Mediocre
Ordinary General