Mycenaean Lion Rampant

I wrote a blog about how Lion Rampant might work for the Bronze Age and then discovered it was redundant as people had been doing it for years.  So, let’s get on to the meat.  I have embryonic Mycenaean, Sea Peoples, Libyan and Hittite armies.  They never got finished, although most of them are painted.  They are now being transformed into LR retinues and hopefully much fun will ensue.

The big debate here is about chariots, what type, what tactics, how does it all work?  If you’re up on this sort of thing you will know Drews argues that chariots are almost always mobile missile platforms.  The battle winning combination being the swift chariot and the more powerful and longer ranged composite bow. Well maybe, but the Mycenaean evidence is not conclusive.

If you are a Society of Ancients member you will be informed by Ian Russell Lowell.  He sees the minimal chariot unit as a pair and likens them to fighter pilots.  They duel with their opponents, prevail and then despatch their lesser pedestrian enemies at leisure.  I find this very credible.  

Anyhow, rating chariots correctly is key to reflecting Bronze Age warfare.

I’m going to try a couple of approaches which you can read about here as I progress.  They will either work on the table or not. I’m going to try out spear armed chariots and the battle taxi theory too. You can judge how I get on.

Meantime this page shows my Mycenaean Retinue so far.

All Museum Miniatures 15mm should you fancy getting some.