A Pictish Army List for Comitatus

Having written a series of articles about the Barbarian Conspiracy I naturally wanted to game the period.  Simon MacDowell’s Comitatus wargame rules came to mind.  Simon has written extensively on the period and Comitatus is designed for the sort of fighting we have been looking at.  It does the job well and the game lollops along with bags of period flavour.  We will walk through a game in another post.

It does not have an Army List for the Picts so we have to fit what we think we know into Simon’s existing troop categories.  Also, reading a discussion on the Society of Ancients Forum, I felt the need to create a troop type for fast moving spearmen who were better on the defensive than in attack. I share it below as it might prove useful to the reader. The 'BW' used stand for 'base width or Javelin Throw' the basic measuring unit of Comitatus.

First of all we need the household of the over king of the Picts. These are all terrifying chaps as you would expect.  I’d suggest one unit only of these fellows. 

Troop type	Number of units	Attack	Defence	Short Range	Long Range	Grade	Morale	Armour
Light Javelin cavalry Comitatus	1	A3	D1	1 BW	-	A	Exceptional +2	None

Next the nobility of the Picts with their retainers.  

 A couple of units or so would do it.  The Picts were quite horsey.

Troop type	Number of units	Attack	Defence	Short Range	Long Range	Grade	Morale	Armour
Light Javelin cavalry	3	A3	D1	1 BW		B	High Morale	None

On to the infantry. Fast moving spear men who are better on the defensive than the offensive.  This is a new troop type but I think it will fit in nicely enough.  I’ve gone for larger 6 stand units, as opposed to the usual 4 stands, to qualify these lads for a ‘depth’ bonus in combat. These part time warriors/farmers were the bulk of the army.  I have six such units each of them is shown on this page.  I'll post the other troop types when I have finished them.  Getting the spears done was the heavy lifting so to speak.

Troop type	Number of units	Attack	Defence	Short Range	Long Range	Grade	Morale	Armour
Javelin men Pict Spear 6 stands	6	A2	D3	1 BW	-	C	Average 0	None

Picts with bows.  These fellows can form line, skirmish or form up behind the spear men to give supporting fire.   

I suggest a unit of them for every two of spears.

Troop type	Number of units	Attack	Defence	Short Range	Long Range	Grade	Morale	Armour
Archers		A0	D1	1 BW	5 BW	C	Average 0	None

Now, there is evidence for quite late use of chariots in Britain and Ireland.  Comitatus does not cater for them so we must be creative.  Chariots have two functions as a missile platform and as a battle taxi. Celtic chariots were not impact weapons. We should bear in mind that according to Julius Caesar British chariots did not require flat ground to operate and caused panic among their foes.  

I intend to rate chariots as Light Javelin Cavalry for mounted combat, shooting and movement, mounted infantry for mounting/dismounting and Shock Infantry for dismounted close combat.  Two stands per unit and two units per army.  I'll count them as armoured (protection of the vehicle, panicking foes etc) while mounted and as unarmoured Shock infantry in dismounted close combat. 

Two chariots to a unit and two units to an army. 

It's a generous interpretation offset by the brittleness of small units and importantly it promises to be fun.

Troop type	Number of units	Attack	Defence	Short Range	Grade Range	Morale	Armour
Chariots Moving/shooting as Light javelin cavalry	2	A3	D1	1 BW	B	High Morale	Yes
Chariot warriors dismounted as Shock infantry	2	A4	D2	-	B	High Morale	No

That’s it.  It gives a swift moving force that majors in good quality light cavalry operating from the safety of mobile blocks of spearmen with the advantage of supporting missilery.  Add some chariots for the early period should you wish .

For my own satisfaction I’ll be doing similar lists for the various British polities, Old North, West and the lost lands of Lloegr in the lowlands, the Irish and Angles and Saxons. Of necessity these will be conjectural and only reflect what I think can be deduced from the sources.They will all appear here alongside the appropriate figures once I have them done.