Persian Units from the Achaemenid Empire

[Bakuel]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to announce that I had just uploaded some ancient age Persian units.



http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=11762

Included inside of the zip are alot of extra units as well as the standard axeman-swordsman-horseman etc.

The reason for this is that I LOVE Persia!! But they could also be useful for mods or scenarios as well. The concept art for the units is inside of the attachments and here http://www.dbaol.com/armies/army_28b_figure_1.htm, the units are overall pretty historically accurate. I will probably make some middle age units in the style of the Sassanid Empire later.

Anyway, don't forget to comment, tell me if anything is wrong with the download or the files, what you like or what you don't, or even if the units just hurt your eyes.

 

[MadmanOfALeader]

Those look good! You're quite the unit maker!

I'm looking forward to those Polynesian units and Great People you've said you'd do!

 

[Bakuel]

Thanks MadmanOfALeader! First I want to finish these Sassanid Persian units and some units for the History of Three Kingdoms mod. <- (Which everyone should download and try.)

After that, then I'll probably work on the Polynesian units. As for Great People, I have a Ancient Persian Great General in the works.

 

[The Capo]

I am going to DL this, but haven't had an opportunity just yet. But I am interested in knowing whether or not this set just includes ancient units or if it has both ancient and medieval units? Also are the differences for the Sassanian and Achaemenid going to be very dramatic? Or just minor?

The reason I ask is because I am about to begin working on Version 2 of my mod, and I was going to do flavored units, including all of the ones you've made. I also have an Iranian module and I was thinking I can divy them up among the Persian and Iranian civs so they both look unique if they happen to appear in the same game.

But awesome units, they look fantastic!

 

[Bakuel]

Thanks for the kind words The Capo!
I attached some concept art for the Sassanid units, they will look something like that. The units will also include a crossbowman, longbowman and so on. They will be done in about 2 weeks or so (I'm following my New Years resolution to post units in a biweekly pattern ).
Just a suggestion, but you could manage to make ancient and middle age set out of just these units for Persia if you want to release your mod immediately (even though you would lack crossbowmen and longbowmen) and use Danrell's more Islamic style Persia units for Iran.

Actually I just thought about it, if you wait for the sassanid units in two weeks, it will only be about two more weeks after that till you get your Polynesians units leading to some crazy delay time ... It's all up to though.

 

[The Capo]

That's actually perfect Bakuel, because I haven't started on the mod yet. The first version has been out, but I am going to do a new one since I know a lot more about modding than I did when I made the first version.

I am finish up these modules I'm working on right now, which include a bunch of LHs, and then I am going to START on the mod which should take a month or so for me to finish (hopefully). So according to your schedule I'll have the rest of the Persians by then anyway. And the Polynesians are coming right on time too because I was going to release another module pack along with the mod at the same time, so I can include Polynesia in that one.

Sweet; you're one of the best, if not the best, unit makers out there. Can't wait to see what your next set looks like!

 

[cybrxkhan]

Excellent as always Bakuel! But I hate you for releasing these at distant intervals, because every time I'm done planning with what I need to use, there's always tons of more stuff to implement!

Anyhow, I'm still eagerly awaiting those Mesopotamian/Egyptian/Ancient-Chinese/Greek/Byzantine/Mayan/Zulu/whatever machine gunners and tanks.

 

[The Capo]

Anyhow, I'm still eagerly awaiting those Mesopotamian/Egyptian/Ancient-Chinese/Greek/Byzantine/Mayan/Zulu/whatever machine gunners and tanks.

Ancient-Chinese machine gunners and tanks?

Huh?

 

[cybrxkhan]

Basically re-equipping the Cho-Ko-Nu with a machine gun, or stuffing one on top of a tank. I've been requesting stuff like that from Bakuel for a while now... It's more of a running gag, I hope.

 

[Bakuel]

Ancient Chinese Tanks?


Thanks for the kind words cybrxkhan!

 

[cybrxkhan]

Yay! I'd love to see that in action! (yiou could give the tank some dragon armor, though. )

 

[Walter Hawkwood]

That's TOTALLY marvelous. I've tried to create some historically correct units for Persia to use in our mod, but they look totally amateurish compared to yours. Thank you so much - oh, and if you somehow released Sassanid units earlier (or sent them to me before you make a release), I'd be overwhelmingly grateful, since we were about to rebalance Persia anyway this week, and these units came as an extremely nice surprise.

 

[GeoModder]

Love the unit set here, Bakuel.

 

[mamba]

Nice units Bakuel, I also like the biweekly release cycle

 

[Bakuel]

Thanks GeoModder!

@Walter Hawkwood, Thanks for the kind words Walter Hawkwood! I am very happy that they will be inside of Total Realism!

I will try to finish up the Sassanid units faster but I can't make any promises, its going to be a pretty busy week for me. If I finish up some I will send them along to you however.

@mamba, Let's hope I can keep the schedule for while!
or at least until exams ruin my life

 

[Walter Hawkwood]

Thanks for the kind words Walter Hawkwood! I am very happy that they will be inside of Total Realism!

I will try to finish up the Sassanid units faster but I can't make any promises, its going to be a pretty busy week for me. If I finish up some I will send them along to you however.

Thanks, that's very kind of you. Also, I may note that I'm very fond of the fact that you've made additional units outside of vanilla upgrade line. TR has many added unit classes, and therefore we'll find a place for almost any unit you decide to make.

One more thing, though - the heavy horseman looks very much like he's more hellenic than Achaemenid, although with definite Persian influences - are you sure it isn't Bactrian or Seleukid?

 

[JustATourist]

Quite unique units. Very cool.

 

[The_Coyote]

great units

 

[Zerver]

Thanks for new awesome units, Bakuel

 

[Bakuel]

Thanks for the compliments everyone!

@Walter Hawkwood
The concept art that I used for the heavy Cavalry is in the attachment to this post as well as another pic in the attachment to the first post. As for the historical validity of it, I'm not too sure. I have not found any Greek or Persian art that these artist have based theirs on (unlike the dress of the Persian infantry for example).
On the one hand, in book seven of Herodotus he describes the Persian cavalry as being armed like the infantry (which he describes as being armored with "a coat of mail looking like the scales of a fish"(7.61)). However some of the cavalry "wore devices of hammered bronze or iron on their head."(7.84)
Whatever Herodotus means by that, the Greek seems just as vague as the English (the usually word for helmet seems not to have been used).

However, in the time of Alexander it's not TOO far-fetched to believe that the Persian Noble cavalry started to adopt bronze helmets in the style of the armies of Greece and Asian Minor. Don't forget that many Greek cities where under the control of the Persian Empire in Asian Minor and that other armies in Asia minor also have a history of bronze helmets and armor.
It would be weird if in more than hundred years of occupation Persian armies were not influenced at least a little.