"More Questions on Successor Horse" Topic

I'm continuing my progress towards a completed Raphia OOB. At this point, I'm to basing.

I have final decisions to make on Successor Horse and how to differentiate them.

I have 3 basic types -

Agema/Companions (Heavy Cav) – lances, no shields

Thessalians (Heavy Cav) – lances?, shields?

Then I have the other horse, which I will call Egyptian and Seleucid horse.

The Raphia Scenario for Great Battle of History designates these horse as Light Cav with Javelins. Other sources indicate lower quality Heavy Cav.

The new Victrix Successor box talks about Successors with Javelins, and then 3rd Century starting to use shields.

Thoughts on which I should put on shields, and which I should use Javelins?

Any final thoughts

Just general impressions, companions are well armored and shieldless with long lances (kontos). I always thought that Thessalians were an Alexandrian thing and not part of Successor armies. Seleucid would also field shieldless pre cataphracts and their light cavalry would have a Persian/Asian look as well as including horse archers. Ptolemaic would be more Greek looking with mercenary horse (Tarantine/Galatian?).

My Tarantine cav unit has shields as the research that I was able to find described them as carrying those, at least in other parts of the Mediterranean world, so I assumed they would have shields if hired out for a Successor army. The javelin armed cavalry could be some of the allied contingents, which were from a variety of local cultures. I've added a unit of Persian horse archers and am working on a unit of Persian heavy cavalry to add some flavor to my Seleucids.

The good thing is that it would be hard for anyone to prove you wrong! Most of what we know focuses on the Greek contingents as authors of that time rarely commented on any of the allied or local forces.

I read nothing of horse archers in Polybius or Bar Kochva.

It could be the GBoH game author is just making them LC with Javelins to provide a more distinct differentiation from the Companions aside from just a morale type boost.

The cav on the Ptolemaic right were labeled Thessalian horse though, those non-elite on the right being egyptian citizen horse best I can tell.

I should have said I'm using Persians for the horse archers that the Seleucids had as they're probably the closest in appearance. Maybe not at Raphia, but there were Dahae at Magnesia and they had access to other units from the surrounding area. The big question is what size where the units, which is definitely unanswered.

You may want to contact Simon at the Big Red Bat Cave. He has put on Raphia games at several shows including Salute:

link

Simon has been huge help to me on things. I'm varying things a bit with the Javelins

Suggestions on an appropriate Javelin 28mm fig line for the 200 BC timeframe?

You may already be aware but I believe Aventine Miniatures, Pyrrhic Cavalry, although shown with lances, can be ordered with javelins and shields.

Yes, I emailed with Keith and think that's the way I'm going to go.