Historical HOTT: Islamic Armies
- HOTT Options
- III/25. Arab Conquest. 622AD-660AD
- III/31. Umayyad Arab. 661AD-750AD
- III/33. Early Muslim North Africa & Sicily. 696AD-1160AD
- III/34. Andalusian. 710AD-1172AD
- III/37. Abbasid Arab. 747AD-945AD
- III/63. Ghaznavid. 962AD-1186AD
- III/69. Tuareg. 1000AD-1880AD
- III/74. Fanatic Berber. 1039AD-1529AD
- IV/38. Granadine. 1232AD-1492AD
- Strongholds
All figures, unless otherwise noted, are from Essex Miniatures and are painted by me.
HOTT Options
All of the Islamic Armies may substitute any of the following HOTT alternatives:
 Magician (Front figure from Donnington) |
 Magician (Front figure from Donnington) |
 Cleric: Holy Man whether Iman, Mullah or Prophet (Figure from Dixons) |
 Behemoth: Camels disguised as elephants (Model from Chariot) |
 Behemoth: Camels disguised as elephants (Model from Chariot) |
 Paladin: Dead Saints riding horses and wearing green (Figures from Donnington) |
 Behemoth: Elephant (Painted by Marianne in Sydney) |
 Behemoth: Elephant (Painted by Marianne in Sydney) |
Behemoth: Gigantic djinni or efreet |
 Flyer: Magic Carpet |
Flyer: Flying horse | Flyer: Winged serpents |
 Sneaker: Assassin |
 Sneaker: Itinerant Holy Man (Figure from Dixons) |
Sneaker: Thieves or Raiding parties |
 Lurker: Ambush parties |
 Water Lurker: Corsair Landing Party |
 Water Lurker: Corsair Landing Party |
 Beasts: War Dogs (the Muslims taught this practice to the Christians) |
 Beasts: War Dogs |
III/25. Arab Conquest. 622AD-660AD.
1 Warband General (Prophet)
7 Warband (Arab Foot)
2 Riders (Arab Cavalry)
2 Shooters (Arab Archers)
Alternatives:
1 Cleric General (Prophet)
1 Rider General (Caliph)
3 Riders (Arab Cavalry)
12 Hordes (downgraded Arab Foot)
1 Behemoth (two camels disguised as elephants each with 2
archer crew)
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate or Bedouin Camp
Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA
III/31. Umayyad Arab. 661AD-750AD.
1 Rider General (Caliph)
5 Riders (Arab Cavalry)
4 Shooters (Arab Archers)
4 Hordes (Arab Spear)
Alternatives:
1 Warband (Mercenary Dailami)
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate
Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA
III/33. Early Muslim North Africa & Sicily. 696AD-1160AD.
1 Rider General
4 Riders
4 Shooters (Archers)
6 Hordes (sundry foot)
Alternatives:
Up to 3 Warband
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate
Littoral Terrain: 1 Waterway plus 2-3 BUA, River, either Steep Hills or Marsh, and/or either Woods or Sand Dunes
III/34. Andalusian. 710AD-1172AD.
In 711 to 765AD the racial composition of the army was predominantly Berber, with the except of a small number of Arab Cavalry. Thereafter it could be predominantly Berber, Arab or Negro - just take your preference.
1 Rider General (Arab or Berber)
3 Riders (Arab, Berber, or Negro Cavalry)
5 Shooters (Arab, Berber or Negro Archers or Slingers, or Berber skirmishers
with javelin)
6 Hordes (Arab or Negro Spear or massed Berber foot with javelins)
Alternatives (from 766 AD)
1 Knights (Renegade Christians or Slaves)
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate
Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway
III/37. Abbasid Arab. 747AD-945AD.
1 Rider General (Caliph)
5 Riders (Arab, Khorasanian and/or Ghulum Cavalry)
4 Shooters (Arab or Sudanese Archers)
4 Hordes (Arab Spear)
Alternatives:
1 Warband (Mercenary Dailami)
1 Warband or Blade (Fanatic Swordsmen)
1 Spear (Guard and/or armoured spearmen)
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate
Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway
III/63. Ghaznavid. 962AD-1186AD.
1 Rider General (??)
7 Riders (Ghulum or Arab Cavalry)
2 Spears or Shooters (Ghaznavid Foot)
1 Warband (Mercenary Dailami or Arab Fanatics)
1 Shooter (Arab Archers)
Alternatives:
3 Behemoth (Elephants) *
1 Blades (Arab Swordsmen ??)
1 Shooter (Indian Archers)
6 Hordes (Arab or Indian Infantry, or downgraded Ghaznavids)
* Later Ghaznavid Generals rode elephants, but HOTT doesn't allow this. If you're playing an obliging opponent, then allow yourself an Behemoth General.
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate
Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA
III/69. Tuareg. 1000AD-1880AD.
1 Rider General (on Camel)
11 Riders (Camelry)
Alternatives
2 Warband (Foot warriors)
2 Shooters (Musketeers, archers, slingers)
Stronghold: Circle of kneeling camels.
Dry Terrain: 1-2 Rough plus 2-3 Sand Dunes, Steep Hills, Oasis (Marsh), and/or BUA
III/74.
Fanatic Berber. 1039AD-1529AD.
1 Rider General (Amir)
5 Riders (Berber Cavalry)
4 Shooters (Berber and/or Negro Archers)
4 Hordes (Berber and/or Negro Spear)
Alternatives
2 Spears (Black Guard and/or other elite spearmen)
1 Riders or Knights (Berber Camelry)
1 Knights (Christian renegades)
1 Shooter (Christian renegades)
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate or Circle of kneeling camels
Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway
IV/38.
Granadine. 1232AD-1492AD.
1 Rider General (King and Nobles)
5 Riders (Cavalry)
5 Shooters (Crossbowmen and/or Archers)
2 Hordes (Militia Spearmen)
Alternatives
1 Knight General (King and Nobles armoured in Christian style)
1 Spears (Mercenary spearmen)
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate
Arable Terrain: 1-2 BUA or Road plus 2-3 Rivers, Steep Hills, Gentle Hills, Woods, Road, and/or Waterway
Strongholds
Stronghold: Middle Eastern City Gate
A number of the Islamic armies use a Middle Eastern City Gate as a stronghold, so I built one - very pleased with myself. Stone walls, reinforced gate, stairs, mosque, minaret, little garden shed (oops, I mean street hovel) - all made from plasti-card, the polystyrene packaging of a pesto jar, half a squash ball (yellow dot; deflated), tissue paper, PVA (white glue), and a bit of card from a cornflakes packet. Plus a garrison of 3 men with spears and a street vendor.
The trouble is, 2nd Edition of HOTT reduced the size of a Stronghold so I'll have to make another.
Stronghold: Circle of Kneeling Camels
I had a whole bunch of camels I'd painted up for my Arabic mounted infantry under WRG 7th Edition and DBM. I figured I was actually unlikely to use them for that purpose, so converted to a Stronghold for HOTT.
The trouble is, 2nd Edition of HOTT reduced the size of a Stronghold so I'll have to strip them off and make another, smaller one.
Stronghold: Tent
This is a pretty small Stronghold, being the size of a DBM baggage element, but it does the trick.
Sources
Barker, P., Laffin Barker, S., Bodley Scott, R. (2002). Hordes of the Things [2nd Ed.]. Wargames Research Group.
Saunders, Alan., The Stronghold.