C'était il y a 2310 ans...

La carte utilisée pour le projet, Mundus Magnus, allant depuis la scandinavie au nord, l'Irlande à l'ouest, jusqu'aux pays des kushites au sud du nil ou à la corne de l'afrique, en allant jusqu'a l'ouest de l'inde, le nombre de peuples indépendants est presque aussi nombreux de celles des régions de la carte (200). Poir des raisons de limites du nombre d'unités, il ne sera pas possible toutefois, et c'est dommage, de représenter ces peuples par des unités recrutables uniques, mais des unités communes à une certaine aire de recrutement (AOR/ZOR). Ces peuples indépendants ne le sont pas tout a fait non plus, étant souvent dans un lien d'alliance, protectorat, semi-autonomie ou subordination complète vis à vis d'une puissance majeure. Mais c'est un moyen commode de faire figurer toutes les unités "non jouables" du jeu. En réalité, CATW offre environ 450 de ces unités "slaves" (incorrectement dénommés "esclaves" dans le jeu d'origine, par référence simplificatrice et anachronique à la révolte des gladiateurs et de esclaves de Spartacus.

Le terme grec, eu égard à l'époque, "Eleutheroi", les "étrangers", paraissant convenir, ce sont pratiquement toutes les unités du jeu qui sont déclinées en versions "eletheuroi" y compris les unités d'élite. L'accent est très clarement mis sur la difficulté pour une faction régulière de lutter contre ces factions qui les entourent de toute part. Puissantes armées composées notamment de nombreuses unités d'élite, et qui seront une menace pour toute armée traversant son territoire, et retarderont d'autant l'affrontement entre faction régulières. ces "mini-factions" sont innombrables.

This was 2310 years ago...

The map used for the project, Mundus Magnus, ranging from Scandinavia to northern Ireland to the west, to countries south of kushites nil or the Horn of Africa, up to l west of India, the number of independent nations is almost as many of those areas of the map (200). Poir reasons limits the number of units, it will not be possible, however, which is unfortunate, to represent these people by units employ unique, but common units at a certain catchment area (AOR / ZOR). These independent nations are not quite as well, often being in a relationship of alliance, protectorates, semi-autonomy or complete subordination vis-à-vis a major power. But it is a convenient way to include all units "not playable" The reality of the game, CATW will have about 150 of these units both "slaves" (incorrectly referred to as "slaves" in the original game, by reference and simplifying anachronistic in the revolt of gladiators and slaves of Spartacus), and "standard" mercenaries.

The Greek word, given the time, "Eleutheroi", "foreigners" seem to agree, they are almost all units of the game that are broken in versions eletheuroi "including elite units. Emphasis is placed on clare very difficult for a regular faction fight against the factions that surround them from all sides. Mighty armies made up of many elite units and will be a threat to any army passing through its territory, and delaying the confrontation between regular faction. these "mini-factions" are endless.

THE MAURYA :

India is one of the oldest civilizations on earth, going back more than 7,000 years. Although divided from the rest of Asia by the Himalayan mountains, India has for most of its history been fighting numerous and violent wars among itself. During its long history, there could be anywhere from 16 to more than a hundred kingdoms, all fighting each other, making and breaking alliances. In the harsh deserts to the northwest were the fierce Rajput (literally sons of kings) kingdoms, who fought on horseback and camelback. In central India were mighty kingdoms descended from the Aryan invaders who invaded India around 1500 BC. In the jungles to the south were other large and formidable kingdoms, more ancient than the Aryan ones, the original inhabitants of India. In the Deccan Plateau, where the Kingdoms of the north and the south met, were other smaller nations, but with some of the fiercest fighters on the subcontinent. To the east were the kingdoms of Bengal and Assam, to the north was the feared kingdom of Nepal.

Warfare in ancient India centered around the chariot. Indian chariots were nothing like the light, sleek chariots of Egypt. They were massive, made of wood and iron, and intricately decorated in gold. They had four wheels, and typically held two men-the charioteer, and an archer who also had a weapon for hand to hand combat. This archer, standing on the chariot, would be a good six or more feet off the ground, giving him a significant advantage over enemy infantry. Some chariots held more men, the largest could hold seven men. Indian chariots were so large and heavy that they required four to six horses to pull them. Unlike Egyptian chariots, which moved quickly and fired arrows into the enemy ranks, Indian chariots often charged right into melee battle. They crushed enemy soldiers under their wheels, trampled them under the horses, all while the soldier(s) on the chariot fired arrows into them, or fought it out hand to hand.

No description of India’s ancient military is complete without mentioning the elephant. India was the first nation to use the elephant in battle (~1500BC) and the last nation to stop using it in battle (1800’s AD). Wars were frequently fought over territories that had a great deal of elephants. Elephants from the tip of south India and Sri Lanka were the most prized as they were considered the fiercest in battle. Often times, a king’s wealth was measured in how many elephants he owned. A single Indian prince might own more elephants than all of Carthage. According to Kautilya, the army of the Indian emperor Chandragupta Maurya had more than 21,000 elephants. War elephants typically were heavily armored. They had a castle like structure on their back where several warriors and a mahout, who guided the elephant, would be housed. The number of warriors varied anywhere from one to six warriors, and would be armed with an arsenal of weapons, bows and arrows, long lances, javelins, tridents, and a variety of polearms. The elephants themselves had long daggers or swords, sometimes several feet long, attached to their tusks.

The way in elephants were used in battle varied widely as well. One common tactic, used by Porus at the Hydaspes, was to place the elephants a distance apart, anywhere from 40 to 100 feet. These elephants would act like mobile fortresses, where the rest of the army could rally around. Another common tactic, probably the most dangerous and effective one, was to use the elephants to directly assault enemy lines. The elephants would be arranged in a wall formation, and be heavily armored in iron or steel from head to foot. Long steel swords, often coated with poison, would be attached to their tusks. The mahouts would then drive them forward in a coordinated charge, wreaking havoc in enemy ranks. Archers or lancers on top of the elephants would pick off enemy soldiers as well. One king even went as far as to train his elephants to swing heavy iron balls on chains with their trunks. The very sight of a wall of heavily armored elephants charging, whirling huge iron balls with their trunks, their tusks tipped with poisoned swords, the soldiers on the elephant wielding enormous lances, would often cause the enemy to break ranks and flee.

The cavalry of Indian armies is, for the most part, not noteworthy. The cavalry of the Middle Eastern and Arab armies were probably superior. There are exceptions though. The Rajput cavalry was extremely skilled, and man for man, was more than a match for the Mughal cavalry, as they proved several times. They were lightly armored, and moved extremely swiftly. Armed with a light curved sword and a small circular shield, they could charge and fight with incredible speed. Many carried bows and arrows, and were expert archers. The Rajput army was almost entirely composed of cavalry, and were powerful enough that they were able to keep the Muslim forces in check for many years. In the other armies of India cavalry were also used, sometimes in large numbers, but rarely were they equipped with bows and arrows. Their role was either to protect the elephants and chariots, or to charge into melee battle.

The bulk of the Indian army, and most other armies in the world, were the infantry, or foot soldiers. The infantry were equipped with a huge variety of weapons, which differed hugely across India. Probably the most common weapon was the sword, but even this came in hundreds of shapes across India. Indian archers used a bow similar to the English longbow, in that it was as tall as the person using it. However, Indian bows were also recurved. Armies in India were typically larger than those of Europe. It was common to see armies of hundreds of thousands fighting on the battlefield, even thought the kingdoms themselves might be small in size. As infantry formed the majority of the army, a typical battle would look like a sea of infantry and cavalry fighting, while the chariots and elephants stood out.

India was one of the first nations to implement tactics, divisions, and formations. Armies did not simply rush out onto the battlefield; there were commanders who carefully put their massive armies in intricate formations. Some formations were: Chakra (wheel) Vyuha, Suchi (needle) Vyuha, Chayana (hawk) Vyuha and Mala (garland), and Garuda (eagle). Another one I read about recently was the lotus formation, where the archers would be on the inside, and the infantry and cavalry would be arranged like a lotus flower, protecting them.

Their armor differed greatly as well. Some kingdoms, especially in south India wore no armor, because of the extreme heat. Others wore tough sturdy armor, made of interlocking iron, steel, and leather plates. Many warriors wore no armor, but instead wore silk clothing. This actually worked to block arrows, which couldn’t penetrate the silk fibers.
Ancient India has been home to many unique weapons. The world’s first all steel bow was made in India. Some other weapons from the subcontinent are the famous kukri knife, the tiger claw weapon used by assassins, tridents, the long handled mace, swords, axes, and spears of all shapes and sizes.

Patti Kauntika (Mauryan spearmen) : Recrutés parmi les levées des Castes communes (Vaishya), ces combattants assez pauvres mais disciplinés utilisaient une pique de trois mètres en bois de bambou affûté, parfois renforcé d'une pointe de fer. leur bouclier était en peau de raie ou en bois et de grande taille. Faisant partie de la base de toute armée, et même de toute unité de base ("patti"), ces combattants passaient à l'attaque au pas cadencé ou en courant pour renforcer l'assaut des épéistes. Leur équipement était basique, mais ils possédaient le cas échéant une machette pour combattre de près. Leur entraînement était relativement succint, mais ils étaient très bien encadré par des troupes de piquiers lourdes et officiers de la caste des guerriers, les menant et leur permettant des tactiques extrêmement nombreuses et complexes, comme le padma vyuha ou "lotus", le Garuda Vyuha ou l'aigle. Chaque Vyuha comprenait une centre et deux flancs, et deus ailes étirées au besoin. Les unités étaient hiérarchisées, allant du Gulma (45 hommes d'infanterie dont à peu près un tiers de piquiers) à l'Aksauhini, le corps d'armée, comptant dix fois 11 000 hommes d'infanterie (10 Ani kini, soit 110 000 hommes d'infanterie, dont environ 33 000 piquiers. leurs longues piques se révélaient relativement efficaces contre la cavalerie et les chars, moins contre les éléphants.

Patti Kauntika (Mauryan spearmen) : Drawn from the lifting common caste (Vaishya), the fighters fairly poor but disciplined used a spade three meters Bamboo sharp, sometimes reinforced with a hint of iron. shield their skin was skate or wood and large. As part of the basis of any army, and even any basic unit ( "Patti"), the fighters went to the attack or not clocked in order to strengthen the current onslaught of swordsman. Their equipment was basic, but if any had a machete for close combat. Their training was relatively brief, but they were very well supported by local heavy pikemen and officers of the caste of warriors, and leading them to their tactics extremely numerous and complex, as Vyuha or padma "lotus", the Garuda Vyuha or the eagle. Each Vyuha included a center and two flanks, and deus wings stretched as needed. The units were prioritized, from Gulma (45 men infantry which roughly a third of pikemen) in Aksauhini, the Army Corps, with ten men after 11 000 infantry (10 Ani kini, 110 000 infantry men, including about 33 000 pikemen. piques their long proved to be relatively effective against cavalry and tanks, less against elephant.

Kshatriya Kauntika Ksipaka (Archers d'élite/piquiers) : Les Archers d'élite Mauryans sont combattants réguliers entraînés depuis leur plus jeune âge, de la caste des guerriers (Ksatriya). Ils savent manier outre l'arc long de bambou (jusqu'à deux mètres) des Ksipaka (archers), la pique (Kauntika) et disposent d'une épée ainsi que d'un poignard. Combattants endurcis et polyvalents, ils sont parfaitement autonomes et combattent d'abord en arrière-gade, puis selon la formation choisie, peuvent renforcer les troupes de choc ou repousser la cavalerie ennemie grâce à leur cohésion et discipline.

Kshatriya Kauntika Ksipaka (Elite Archers/spearmen) : From the caste of warriors, these elite bowmen enjoyed a special status. This caste was the most honorable before the Brahmans and the Mauryan elite fighters are regularly trained from an early age, to beeing part of the caste of warriors (Ksatriya). They also handle the longbow of bamboo (up to two meters) of Ksipaka (archers), the long thrusting spear (Kauntika) and have a sword and a dagger. Hardened fighters and versatile, they are fully autonomous and fight back in first-gade, and then depending on program, can strengthen the shock troops of cavalry or repel the enemy by their cohesion and discipline.

Asiheti Sainika (Epeistes Maurya) : Les plus solides et expérimentés guerriers levés permi la caste des Vaishya, sorte de classe moyenne civile, étaient armés d'une épée et combattaient au contact, lançant au besoin des javelots légers en canne. Ces épées (Asiheti) étaient de toutes formes, dépendant du peuple dont ils étaient issus, dérivées pour la plupart de simple machettes utilitaires. de bonne qualité et à lame large, leur coups de taille étaient redoutables. Ils se protégaient grâce à un petit bouclier en bois recouvert de peau d'éléphant ou en carapace de tortue. Volontaires et agressifs, ils étaient cependant une proie facile face aux archers adverses.

Asiheti Sainika (Mauryan swordsmen) : The most solid and experienced warriors raised allowed the Vaishya caste, a sort of middle class civil, were armed with a sword and fought on contact, throwing javelins necessary light cane. These swords (Asiheti) were all forms, depending on the people from which they were derived for most of simple utilities machetes. good quality and large blade, the shot size was daunting. They are protected through a small wooden shield covered with skin of an elephant or turtle. Volunteers and aggressive, but they were easy prey to face enemy archers.

Sainika Gaja : Les Elephants de guerre de l'empire de Changragupta Maurya étaient véritablement, comme depuis des siècles, la pierre angulaire de son armée. Ils étaient en très grand nombre et appuyaient de manière très efficace le reste des troupes, légères pour la plupart, et firent une si grande impression sur Alexandre le grand et ses généraux que ses successeurs furent de fidèles clients, emmenant ces grandes bêtes jusqu'en Italie sous Pyrrhus. La grande majorité d'entre eux n'étaient pas cuirassés, mais peints et harnachés de manière somptueuse, de manière à rappeler la magnificence du souverain. Leur efficacité était redoutable contre toute infanterie, même les phalange furent mises en difficulté par la puissance redoutable de ces bêtes, qui emportaient tout sur leur passage. La tour était réservée en général à des archers ou des javeliniers qui pouvaient ainsi "arroser" l'ennemi en toute sécurité.

Sainika Gaja (Mauryan elephants) : The War Elephants of the Mauryan empire of Changragupta were truly, for centuries, the cornerstone of his army. They were in very large numbers and support very efficiently the rest of the troops, for most minor, and made a great impression on Alexander the Great and his generals that his successors were faithful customers, taking up these big beasts Pyrrhus in Italy. The vast majority of them were not armoured, but painted and harnessed so sumptuous, so as to recall the magnificence of the sovereign. Their effectiveness was formidable, even against any infantry phalanx were even put in difficulty by the fearsome power of these beasts, who took everything in their path. The tower was usually reserved for archers or javeliniers that could pepper the enemy in safety.

Kshatriya Turanga (Cavalerie Maurya) : La cavalerie Indienne était une composante essentielle, bien que minoritaire de l'armée Maurya. la proportion de la cavalerie était de un pour dix à peu près par rapport à l'infanterie. (rapports de la bataille d'Hydapses, 323 av.jc, Porus alignait 30 000 hommes d'infanterie pour 4000 cavaliers, 200 éléphants et 300 chars de grande taille (embarquant 6 hommes, des archers, mais ne combatant pas au contact). Ces cavaliers légers portaient des vêtements en soie, de simples cardiophylax en bronze ou en fer, et combattaient au contact avec des lancers de bambou légères et leur épée. La cavalerie maurya était réputée et très rapide. Certaines unités tinrent tête au scythes et beaucoup plus tard aux musulmans.

Kshatriya Turanga (Mauryan cavalry) : The Indian cavalry was an important component, although a minority of the Mauryan army. The normal proportion of cavalry was ten to one for almost compared to the infantry. (Reports from the Battle of Hydapses, 323 BC, Porus had 30 000 infantry men for 4000 horsemen, 200 elephants and 300 large chariots (carrying 6 men, archers, for backing support). These riders were wearing light clothing in silk, just cardiophylax bronze or iron, and fought in contact with throws light bamboo and sword. The Maurya cavalry was famous for beeing very fast. Some head units held the scythians, Indo-Scythians, and much more later Muslims.