Avar Noble Cavalry

The Heart of the Avar Army - The Noble Bow-Armed Lancers.

The Avar Nobles were true medium cavalry who could ride in loose order and use bow fire to disrupt the enemy...

...however, they could also form-up into a solid line and deliver a formidable charge.

As the Avar wave crashed westward, many Steppe peoples joined their conquest.

Impetus Unit Type: CL
Base Size: 8cm x 6cm
Special: none
Manufacturers: Essex & Old Glory 15s
Comments:

This collection of miniatures is a true hodge-podge of codes and nations. I've attempted to combine and paint them in such a way as to give the impression of a melting pot of nations united under (more or less) one banner. I really had to scrounge the collection I was given to put this part of my force together - literally every available and suitable cavalry model I had was pressed (and bent, and forced) into service. It's one of those few projects where I have no left-overs. It's a good feeling actually.

The three main units are played as VBU:6 CM Lancers with Comp Bow C. In essence, this means that, as Impetus units, their primary purpose is close combat with their missile capability being more of a bonus to take advantage of when the opportunity arises. The last photo are also bow-armed (you can't see it from the photo) but these are fielded as VBU:5 CM with Comp Bow B. In other words, the bows are more of a primary weapon. Ideally, melee engagement would only take place after a couple of volleys of bow fire.

Combined with the four units of light cavalry in the previous post, this really is the heart and backbone of my Avar army. When I manage to mount a unified attack with all of my cavalry in one turn, the outcome can be quite unsettling for my opponent. In my opinion, every Impetus player should have a fast-moving, bow-armed cavalry army in his collection.

Thanks for reading,
JET

Avar Skirmishing Cavalry

Scourge of the Steppe: The Avar nation was really a conglomerate of many different nomadic peoples.

Impetus Unit Type: CL
Base Size: 8cm x 6cm

Special: none
Manufacturers: Khurasan & Old Glory 15s
Comments: 

So, I was going to take individual photos of all four units from multiple angles... but I didn't. These units function as light cavalry (CL) in my Avar army for Impetus. I should specify that there are a fairly even mix of horses from Khurasan and Old Glory. Most of the riders are from Khurasan's Huns range and their Avar range. Please take my advice and don't buy the Avar cavalry. They are very poor models and the horses were ridiculously huge (i.e. I threw them in the garbage). It's funny because, on the contrary, their Hun models are the nicest 15mm Huns I've ever seen. I was also forced to twist and bend riders to fit on unmatched horses - such is the mish-mash nature of these units. I really had to scrounge through the collection to get enough minis for four units.

I had originally planned to use four riders per base. However, when it came time to start painting I decided to try three, just to get the extra unit. With the Impetus-style diorama basing I think it turned out OK. Although sparse on the base they actually look "correct" galloping out in front of my more densely-based Noble cavalry. And let's face it, one of the cool things about Impetus is that we don't have to use the same basing conventions as our opponents.

I typically field them on the flanks in my secondary commands and use them to harass the enemy and, when possible, to flank slower moving units. The great thing is, if you play them right, you can cause some disorder and a little damage to the enemy and then have them flee before they are taken out themselves. 

Thanks for reading,
JET