Some Wargaming Thoughts

Wargame armies don't just "appear" from a vacuum, and have to work within the ruleset that YOU are comfortable with. That said, there are a couple of signposts as to how an Elamite army probably should look, relative to its main competition at the time (take the Sumerian/Akkadians as an example).

First, the Elamites probably had more bows than the Sumerians, probably deployed as skirmishers; no mention of these being compound bows, but many references to there being lots of them.

Second, the main line was probably weaker, but more rash, suggesting it was more warband-like. Perhaps 1/3 to 1⁄2 of the main line could be Elamite warbands.

Third, the Elamites generally fought with allies, so about 1/3 to 1/2 of the army is probably allied (and mostly foot in the line, assuming the Elamites provide the chariots and most of the archers, and some warband-like veneer to the main line), but the initial striking power of the army should be the Elamite warbands, followed up with "steady" allied foot. There were several examples where most of the Chaldeans or the Babylonian allies "held back" in battle, often waiting to see which way the wind blew! Elamites from the Zagros Mountains could be Light Infantry types.

Fourth, the easiest (and least contentious) way to simulate the "Elamite Taxi" is to have a LOT of skirmish bow, and light chariots equipped with bow for the most part. That way a slew of Skirmish archers can "support" the chariots, rather than introducing a new wargame unit type.

Fifth, every drawing seems to show a headband of cloth, tied at the back, with the ends hanging down, and none suggest Elamites wore any body armor (except the helmets of the middle-to-later armies, note 21). There is also a distinctive cover top for the quivers, shown in some of the notes.

Sixth, the shields were probably of a woven-reed construction, whatever the size. Simple to make, and quite effective against incoming missiles. There are some suggestions that they would have been cumbersome for hand-to-hand, and may have been dropped once in contact with the enemy.

One of the best ways to field an "unlisted" army is to find a similar set-up (from a different army list), and "co-opt" the list for the army that you'd LIKE to portray. As an example, in addition to the nominal Elamite list in my favorite rule set, I also have fielded them (in non-tournament play) by using the Sea People's list. (note 22). The Sherden Warband can represent one of the other Elamite trio.) This lets us play a "balanced and play-tested" army, while finding a flavor that is closer to what we think is historically accurate.

Closing Thoughts

There are lots of "other" Bronze Age armies out there, beyond the usual Egyptian and Hittite armies, and many of them were serious contenders. My regular sparing partner and I have had a lot of fun with Elamite versus Sumerian battles. The armies are quite colorful and make a refreshing change from the tournament favorites like Romans, or Romans, or other Romans. Hopefully this will entice readers to look into the OTHER titans of the Bronze Age.