"Did the Inca army have uniforms?" Topic

Ok, I'm painting up a bunch of 28mm foundry and TAG Aztecs and Inca stuff, just finished the aztecs and am now doing the Inca. The plan is to be able to morph them a little for most of the civilisations depending on what rule set I use. Currently do DBM with the odd ADLG game

And here's my question, did the Inca army have uniforms etc. From my readings I've found the aztecs didn't at all, they all just seemed to be all mixed up together by illage or city etc. So a novice could be standing next to a priest or a 5 captive veteran. The aztecs only really had a ‘never retreat, fight to the death' type group they sometimes held back in reserve as the only sort of battlefield group (apart from the Speakers/generals own guards maybes ).

The Incas I've found were also organized together as all from the same village, city or clan/tribe/nationality/valley sort of thing, so did they dress in a similar fashion to each other within that group? I found one thing somewhere that said each group all wore something red for instance or a particular design, but nothing as to a uniform that we would recognise today. Apart from the Sapa Incas own personal guards, which I think would definitely be dressed very similarly to each other, did anyone else?

So am asking the collective here. As they are not a common sort of army people run I haven't been able to google any pictures of other peoples lead armies, which is my usual starting point, and am asking as the Incas seemed to a lot more organized than the aztecs with that sort of thing in general so thought it might extend to an army uniform of sorts.

Aynsley

Aynsley

I believe Prescott* mentions some level of style uniformity among members in a unit (at least their headdress), even though the general population had to dress according to their unique traditional clothing.

This is also supported by illustrations made by Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala. I'll have to browse through these plates, but I know I've seen it:

link

Let me see if I can find the actual reference(s) and I'll come back.

In the meantime:
link

Dan
* link
EDIT – Apparently all same tunics within a unit/company:
"Cada compañía llevaba su insignia y el ejército, la bandera o enseña del Inca en la cual iba desplegado el Arco Iris con sus brillantes colores. El uniforme de la tropa consistía en el mismo vestido de la tribu"
issuu.com/ceheesmil/docs/tomo_i
But I also know that there were "factories" in each ethnic region where tunics were woven for the army.

Thank you, that's the way I was leaning, as from what I've read the state provided for everyone, so thought that that would also extend to the army and it's equipment etc.
I had run across one of the links you provided-delving into history. I had painted them up in 5 or 6 batches of 8 or 10 bases of figures ( three figures to a base ).
I've also separated them out a bit by weapon, while not historically accurate it does help for the tabletop as I believe in ADLG the Inca and some of their enemies (chimu and Chanca for example ) need to have swordsman ( or the Inca equivalent ) javelin and spearman types .
No need to find more links CC I just needed to have someone knowledgeable enough to say I was going in roughly the correct direction.
Again thank you. Will post some photos of my efforts.

These are my aztecs waiting to be flocked. Eagle knights in one bunch, even thought they didn't fight as separate units, some rules sets need them to, then spear armed front left with sword types behind them.
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Then my Inca , in their units, again spearmen and ‘swordsman' in separate units with their uniforms , all needing either shields done or spears put in hands and or painted.

link

Sorry, I was detained, but am glad that the info was helpful.

Do let me know if you still need me to track down the specific quotes.

Dan

You my man are a very prolific painter! And talented as well!

You can see my Meso-American Indians here, if they are of any help.

link

Terry

Simple answer is, yes they did.

@aynsley683 very nice painting on both the Aztecs and Inca. You will need to look at Outpost Wargemes Inca figures. They have some extra figures including the Generals (the Apu) and mummies transported on Palanquins. We got Outpost to create these to fill out the abandoned Foundry line. Sculpted to fit the Foundry figures too. (Always fun to spend other people's money, sorry about that!)

link

Also look at the feathered spears from Outpost. These are the spears seen in the Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala illustrations.

@Cacique Caribe I was the one that bought your extra Aztecs a few years back.

Bowmen,
I already have the Inca litter and the sacrifice alter sets, once I get everything flocked will get some more pictures.

Here's a picture of my Conquistador and Inca armies in action at a local convention. Not a good close up but you can see at least some Apu on palanquins within the Inca Army. At the bottom right are some Anti forest Indian allies being charged by Spanish attack dogs.

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Mr.Bowman,
I have completed my South American project and would like to see if they are up to snuff on your part please ?

The Incas I was leaning towards uniforms but needed confirmation from someone more knowledgeable, so I went for small units as you can see. I separated out weapon types in order to conform to any rule set that needed that sort of thing, and had read somewhere that the Incas used spearman types in front of the main army backed up with sword/club types. I did some of the foundry Cholla allies , and these I mixed the weapons, dress and shield design a bit so as to have a small irregular contingent to the army if needed.

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Then I had an Aztec army to do also. Now these I know fought in ‘mixed' formations , all from the same village/city etc. so to speak, a novice could be standing next to a veteran and priest etc. , hence the mix, again I separated them out by weapon types for the sake of any rules requiring that sort of thing-spear and sword/club types.
The eagle warriors should also be mixed in but Phil Barker in his infinite wisdom deemed them heavy foot , I can only imagine he did absolutely no reasearch on the subject, as they would of been mixed in with other troops also from my reading on the subject ( again I separated them out for any rules requiring it ). Then the shorn ones in back there may of been the only complete separate unit on the Aztec battlefield and all should have the yellow or gold suit with back banner but that's the way foundry supplies them.

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Then just for fun I did some Spanish conquistadors, still waiting on some assault group crossbowmen and artillery to go with them.

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Any thoughts Bowman ?
Aynsley

I have completed my South American project and would like to see if they are up to snuff on your part please ?

Not only are they up to snuff, but they surpass my painting! They look beautiful.

Likewise with your Aztecs. Personally, I make them up with higher ranking warriors in front and lower ranked warriors in behind. But these ranks would rotate during the combat so it really doesn't matter.