"Picts" Topic

I have a Pictish army bought back in the day when DBMM ruled my ancient and early medieval gaming activities. There are the usual troops chariots, cavalry, loads of spearmen and some archers.

I'd be interested in how the various army lists folks use classify the Picts and in views in general on the army.

All replies gratefully received.

My take:
Agricola (Mons Graupius etc) Picts should be fast warbands with a good amount of chariots and light cavalry. Maybe even a medium cavalry or two thrown in for warlords. Some archers but probably of skirmish types. Plenty of javelins and slingers.

Early Dark Ages through say 600AD: Fast or heavy warbands. Again no long spears. Chariots become an exception rather than the rule. Maybe reserved for warlords. Light and medium cavalry again. Archers with the possibility of crossbows picked up and possibly copied from the Romans. Also javelins and slingers. Still unformed skirmisher types.

Later Dark Ages to the end: Replace fast warbands with long spears. Chariots are now gone. Higher proportion of medium cavalry to light cavalry. Crossbow/slinger/bow skirmisher with the possibility of formed missiles.

Osprey's "Pictish Warrior" link gives a good overview of the Picts.

As well, study the Aberlemno Stones for more ideas.

Cheers Joker, I was lucky enough to see the stones earlier in the summer. Sketches were made. I have the Osprey too.

Lucky man! I've never even been to Britain proper! Just through the airport. One day.

BTW, one other source. Glutter of Ravens by Outpost Wargames Service and written by Dan Mersey. Great one stop shop for all things Dark Age Britain. He does a statistical analysis of Y Gododdin which is very relevant to the Picts.

Yeah it was great. Dan is interesting right enough and was interested earlier than most.

The Picts and the Scots by Lloyd and Jenny Laing

The Picts and Scots at War by Nick Aichtison

Surviving In Symbols by Michael Carver

Just a few books in reverse order.

Glutter of Ravens is very good too. Personally, I don't think much of the Osprey Pictish Warrior book, the Strongholds of The Picts is a lot better.

Thanks Tarleton.

I have not seen the Lloyd and Laing what do you think of it?

Aichtison was nothing new to me some stuff everyone quotes and no analysis.

Agree about the Pictish Warrior one – nice illustrations though.

The Osprey isn't great, unfortunately the various Museum publications focus on non-warlike aspects of the culture.

And just FYI, there is no evidence that the Pictish crossbow was copied from the Romans. If you are going to visit one place in Scotland, suggest Forfar, not far from the supposed site of Dunnichen – loads of stones.. many of which (or copies thereof) are in the local Forfar museum The Aberlemno one is just the most famous.

Not relevant to the OP, but, to other posts:
Here is a collection of Pictish soldiers and hunters on Pictish stones
Hilton of Cadboll Stone with hunters on horse and foot, Cadboll, Ross And Cromarty, Scotland, 7th or 8th century
Birsay Stone with Picts with spears and square shields, Orkney, c. 700
Scoonie Stone with a hunting scene, with the hunters on horseback and with a dog pursuing a stag, Scoonie, Fife, Scotland, 8th century
Papil Stone with bird-men with hatchets, Burra, Shetland, Scotland, 8th-9th centuries
Aberlemno 2 Stone with a battle scene, Aberlemno, Angus, Scotland, 8th-9th centuries
Aberlemno 3 Stone with a hunting scene, Aberlemno, Angus, Scotland, 8th-9th centuries
Woodwray Stone with mounted hunters, Angus, Scotland
Gellyburn Stone with figures of men and animals, Murthly, Perthshire, Scotland, 9th century
Pictish Crossbowman on the Drosten Stone, 9th century
Kirriemuir 2 stone with 2 mounted hunters, Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland, late 9th/early 10th century
Kirriemuir 3 stone with a Pictish cavalryman, Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland, late 9th/early 10th century
Bullion Stone depicting a horseman with sword and shield drinking from an ox horn, Invergowrie, Angus, Scotland, early 10th century
Dull Stone showing horsemen and warriors, Perthshire, Scotland, c. 900 – 950
Ardchattan Stone with a small figure of a Pictish warrior with spear and lobed shield, Ardchattan Priory, Argyll, Scotland, 11th century
Benvie Stone with two Pictish horsemen, Benvie, Scotland

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

That Pictish crossbowman is definitely going to get eaten by a boar.