Dark Age Scots - 851 - 1099

Resurrecting old topic from the original Forum. Main posts below regarding suitable army list for the above in BI2 - Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Having had a rummage through my books the closest list I can come up with for reference is as detailed below (Composition taken from Wolves from the Sea for FOG)

This is the early Scots Starter Army and I think if I can get the stats right a good basis for a BI army for the same.

Cav 1 Battle Group - 4 bases - Ave, Armoured, Undrilled Cav, light Spear and Swordsmen = CM x 1 (CinC) M 10, VBU 5, I 2, VD 3

Cav 1 Battle groups - 4 bases - Ave, Unprotected, Undrilled Light Horse, Javelins & Light Spear = CL x1 M 12, VBU 3, I 1, VD 2 Javelins

Thegns - 2 Battle Groups - Superior, Armoured, Undrilled, Heavy Foot - Impact Foot, Swordsmen = FP x 2 M 5, VBU 5, I 1, VD 3, Shieldwall

Spearmen - 4 Battle Groups - Ave, Protected, Undrilled, Medium Foot, Offensive Spearmen = FL x 4 M 8, VBU 4, I 1, VD 2 Long Spear

Archers - 1 Battle Groups - Ave, Unprotected, Undrilled Light Foot - Bow = S x 2 M 8, VBU 2, I 0, VD 1, Short Bow B

VDT (21/11)

Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated

Shield wall ruling for Thegns added 13/03/11

Ross

How about

Nr Type M VBU I VD Notes
2 CL - Light cavalry(*) 12 3 1 2 javelin
1 FP - Thegns (*) 5 5 3 3
8 FP - spearmen 5 4 2 1 Long Spear
2 S - Archers 8 2 0 1 Short Bow B
1 S - Javelinmen 8 2 0 1 Javelin

Or replace one CL light cavalry with one CM Cavalry

1 CM - Cavalry (*) 10 5 1 3

Or replace 2 spearmen and 1 S- Archers with 4 FL Galwegians
4 FL - Galwegians 8 4 4 2 Impetuous

Spearmen and Galwegians can form large units

Technically after about 1052 you could replace the CL Cavalry with

CP- Norman Knights (*) 10 6 3 3 Impetuous

I would suggest that if you were building this army, mixing a few Norman figures on the base with some Scots cavalry, who would be adapting their fighting to 'modern' techniques.
By 1099 the Normans had been there for over 40 years, so by the end of the list I think you can justify a unit.

So we are perhaps looking at

Nr Type M VBU I VD Notes
2 CL - Light cavalry(*) 12 3 1 2 javelin
1 FP - Thegns (*) 5 5 3 3
8 FP - spearmen 5 4 2 1 Long Spear
2 S - Archers 8 2 0 1 Short Bow B
1 S - Javelinmen 8 2 0 1 Javelin

Or replace one CL light cavalry with one CM Cavalry

1 CM - Cavalry (*) 10 5 1 3

Or replace 2 spearmen and 1 S- Archers with 4 FL Galwegians
4 FL - Galwegians 8 4 4 2 Impetuous

You can replace four spear with three Thegns

after about 1052 you could replace the CM Cavalry with

CP- Norman Knights (*) 10 6 3 3 Impetuous

Spearmen and Galwegians can form large units
You miust always have at least four spear.

(The stipulation that you must always have four spear is to ensure that someone doesn't end up with an army mainly of Thegns and Galwegians. If you want that, it's probably called Scots Isles)

Jim Webster

Looking at how troops have been graded in the new BI book, (because there have been some slight shifts)
your Cl are probably 3/1/1 javelin and your spearment FL 4/1/2/ long spear (from the current Pictish list)

Your Galwegians are graded the same as Attacotti so are probably about right still

so it largely seems to have stood the test of time