Islamic Army Lists for HOTT

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I quite like using HOTT for historical armies. Here is my current thinking on Islamic Armies of the Reconquista for HOTT.

All figures, unless otherwise noted, are from Essex Miniatures and are painted by me.

HOTT Options

All of the Islamic Armies may substitute any of the following HOTT alternatives:

Magician
(Front figure from Donnington)

Magician
(Front figure from Donnington)

Cleric: Holy Man whether Iman, Mullah or Prophet
(Figure from Dixons)

Behemoth: Camels disguised as elephants
(Model from Chariot)

Behemoth: Camels disguised as elephants
(Model from Chariot)

Paladin: Dead Saints riding horses and wearing green
(Figures from Donnington)

Behemoth: Elephant
(Painted by Maureen in Sydney)

Behemoth: Elephant
(Painted by Maureen in Sydney)

Behemoth: Gigantic djinni or efreet

Flyer: Magic Carpet

Flyer: Flying horse

Flyer: Winged serpents

Sneaker: Assassin

Sneaker: Itinerant Holy Man
(Figure from Dixons)

Sneaker: Thieves or Raiding parties

Lurker: Ambush parties

Water Lurker: Corsair Landing Party

Water Lurker: Corsair Landing Party

Beasts: War Dogs (the Muslims taught this practice to the Christians)

Beasts: War Dogs

III/25. Arab Conquest. 622AD-660AD.

1 Warband General (Prophet)
7 Warband (Arab Foot)
2 Riders (Arab Cavalry)
2 Shooters (Arab Archers)

Alternatives:

1 Cleric General (Prophet)
1 Rider General (Caliph)
3 Riders (Arab Cavalry)
12 Hordes (downgraded Arab Foot)
1 Behemoth (two camels disguised as elephants each with 2 archer crew)

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate or Bedouin Camp

Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA

III/31. Umayyad Arab. 661AD-750AD.

1 Rider General (Caliph)
5 Riders (Arab Cavalry)
4 Shooters (Arab Archers)
4 Hordes (Arab Spear)

Alternatives:

1 Warband (Mercenary Dailami)

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate

Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA

III/33. Early Muslim North Africa & Sicily. 696AD-1160AD.

1 Rider General
4 Riders
4 Shooters (Archers)
6 Hordes (sundry foot)

Alternatives:

Up to 3 Warband

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate

Littoral Terrain: 1 Waterway plus 2-3 BUA, River, either Steep Hills or Marsh, and/or either Woods or Sand Dunes

III/34. Andalusian. 710AD-1172AD.

In 711 to 765AD the racial composition of the army was predominantly Berber, with the except of a small number of Arab Cavalry. Thereafter it could be predominantly Berber, Arab or Negro – just take your preference.

1 Rider General (Arab or Berber)
3 Riders (Arab, Berber, or Negro Cavalry)
5 Shooters (Arab, Berber or Negro Archers or Slingers, or Berber skirmishers with javelin)
6 Hordes (Arab or Negro Spear or massed Berber foot with javelins)

Alternatives (from 766 AD)

1 Knights (Renegade Christians or Slaves)

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate

Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway

III/37. Abbasid Arab. 747AD-945AD.

1 Rider General (Caliph)
5 Riders (Arab, Khorasanian and/or Ghulum Cavalry)
4 Shooters (Arab or Sudanese Archers)
4 Hordes (Arab Spear)

Alternatives:

1 Warband (Mercenary Dailami)
1 Warband or Blade (Fanatic Swordsmen)
1 Spear (Guard and/or armoured spearmen)

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate

Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway

III/63. Ghaznavid. 962AD-1186AD.

1 Rider General (??)
7 Riders (Ghulum or Arab Cavalry)
2 Spears or Shooters (Ghaznavid Foot)
1 Warband (Mercenary Dailami or Arab Fanatics)
1 Shooter (Arab Archers)

Alternatives:

3 Behemoth (Elephants) *
1 Blades (Arab Swordsmen ??)
1 Shooter (Indian Archers)
6 Hordes (Arab or Indian Infantry, or downgraded Ghaznavids)

* Later Ghaznavid Generals rode elephants, but HOTT doesn’t allow this. If you’re playing an obliging opponent, then allow yourself an Behemoth General.

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate

Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA

III/69. Tuareg. 1000AD-1880AD.

1 Rider General (on Camel)
11 Riders (Camelry)

Alternatives

2 Warband (Foot warriors)
2 Shooters (Musketeers, archers, slingers)

Stronghold: Circle of kneeling camels.

Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA

III/74. Fanatic Berber. 1039AD-1529AD.

1 Rider General (Amir)
5 Riders (Berber Cavalry)
4 Shooters (Berber and/or Negro Archers)
4 Hordes (Berber and/or Negro Spear)

Alternatives

2 Spears (Black Guard and/or other elite spearmen)
1 Riders or Knights (Berber Camelry)
1 Knights (Christian renegades)
1 Shooter (Christian renegades)

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate or Circle of kneeling camels

Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway

IV/38. Granadine. 1232AD-1492AD.

1 Rider General (King and Nobles)
5 Riders (Cavalry)
5 Shooters (Crossbowmen and/or Archers)
2 Hordes (Militia Spearmen)

Alternatives

1 Knight General (King and Nobles armoured in Christian style)
1 Spears (Mercenary spearmen)

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate

Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway

Strongholds

Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate

A number of the Islamic armies use a Middle Eastern City Gate as a stronghold, so I built one – very pleased with myself. Stone walls, reinforced gate, stairs, mosque, minaret, little garden shed (oops, I mean street hovel) – all made from plasti-card, the polystyrene packaging of a pesto jar, half a squash ball (yellow dot; deflated), tissue paper, PVA (white glue), and a bit of card from a cornflakes packet. Plus a garrison of 3 men with spears and a street vendor.

The trouble is, 2nd Edition of HOTT reduced the size of a Stronghold so I’ll have to make another.

Stronghold: Circle of Kneeling Camels

I had a whole bunch of camels I’d painted up for my Arabic mounted infantry under WRG 7th Edition and DBM. I figured I was actually unlikely to use them for that purpose, so converted to a Stronghold for HOTT.

The trouble is, 2nd Edition of HOTT reduced the size of a Stronghold so I’ll have to strip them off and make another, smaller one.

Stronghold: Tent

This is a pretty small Stronghold, being the size of a DBM baggage element, but it does the trick.

Tent

References

Barker, P., Laffin Barker, S., Bodley Scott, R. (2002). Hordes of the Things [2nd Ed.]. Wargames Research Group.

Saunders, Alan., The Stronghold.

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