The Might of Assyria

[Inhalaattori]

The Assyrian army of the 8th century B.C. was comprised of at least 150-200 thousand men and was the largest standing military force that the Middle East had witnessed to this time. An Assyrian combat field army numbered approximately 50,000 men with various mixes of infantry, chariots, and cavalry. In modern times the size of an Assyrian field army was equal to five modern heavy American divisions or almost eight Soviet field divisions. When arrayed for battle the army took up an area of 2,500 yards across the front and 100 yards deep. The Assyrian army was also the first army to be entirely equipped with iron weapons.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/gabrmetz/gabr0009.htm

Why is Assyria not in civ3. I just wonder.

 

[Stefan Haertel]

Why is Assyria not in civ3. I just wonder.

Because the Babylonians are in. You just can't have two civilisations that are so close to each other. And in terms of civilisation, Babylon was higher advanced. It's not all about military, after all.

 

[Inhalaattori]

Yes. There are many militaristic nations in civ3. it would have just been fun to play as assyrians. Their UU could have been some kind of chariot, i suppose so.

And when they choose the Hatti with UU: 3-man chariot, the Assyria was out of the question.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Tentatively moved to Conquests... fr History.

Another great move by XIII!

 

[Louis XXIV]

Originally posted by Stefan Haertel


Because the Babylonians are in. You just can't have two civilisations that are so close to each other. And in terms of civilisation, Babylon was higher advanced. It's not all about military, after all.

Babylon and Sumer are in the game.

The Assyrians have many scientific advancements, were the first to use mass quantities of iron, invented the compund bow, which was used by all other Middle-Eastern civilizations afterwards (The Babylonian Bowman was invented by Assyria). They were masters of siege warfare.

Here are a few more things they invented:

-keys and locks were invented in Assyria
-the sexagesmil system of keeping time was developed in Assyria
-it is in Assyria where the first paved roads are used
-the fisrt postal system was developed in Assyria
-the first magnifying glasses
-the first university (Nisibis)
-the first libraries
-first plumbing
-the flush toilet
-the first battery
-the first guitar
-the great medical school at Gundeshapur
-the first aqueducts
-the first arch
-the worlds first and oldest church (the church of the east)
-the first imperial administration, of dividing land into territories administered by loal governors that would report to the Assyrian king.

As for an Assyrian unit, it wouldn't have to be limited to a Chariot. Although they were very effective at Chariot warfare, at the begining of the iron age, they were among the first to recognize a change in tactics, and changed themselves. They would use mass formations of heavily armored foot archers (Since the bowman is already in the game, this idea isn't possible). They also changed their speed troops from chariot-based to Horse Archers. These Horse Archers could harrass the enemy from a distance, and retreat while firing.

In civ3, the Assyrian UU should be a Horse Archer. Its stats would be 2.1.3, 30 cost.

I don't like the fact that Assyria won't be in the game, because I think they are a great civilization that is just as influential as the Babylonians, Sumerians, or Hittites. They had the most powerful army until the Persian Empire. And their siege techniques were so good that they could not be improved apon.

http://xenograg.isauras.com/excerpts/war/assyria.php
http://xenograg.isauras.com/excerpts/war/assyria2.php
http://xenograg.isauras.com/excerpts/war/assyria3.php
http://xenograg.isauras.com/excerpts/war/cavalry2.php
http://xenograg.isauras.com/excerpts/war/siege_warfare.php
http://xenograg.isauras.com/excerpts/war/early_iron_age.php

 

[Tathlum]

The thing I remember most about the Assyrian Military is the Ruthless and disciplined infantry. They had combined units of slingers/archers and Spearmen, long before persian immortals. They also had very cool distinctive armour. A flavour annimation or a sperman instead of swordsman for Iron age would be cool and since you mentioned seige warfare how about a seige engine UU? (coz there arn't many).
I'd rather see Assyrians than Hittites who are only realy there coz of Kadesh

 

[Oruc]

Nope!

 

[Beloved Warrior]

Assyria should be in, especially since Babylon and Sumer are in. They deserve it, plus they would be fun to play as.

 

[god_money]

The Assyrians are also responsible, according to the psychohistorian Jaynes, for the origin of subjective consciousness
as we know it today, rusultant from distant trade centers
bordering other bicamerial civilizations.

I'm plan to replace Babylon with Assyria, as the peak of their
empire is farther from the soon-to-be introduced Sumerian &
Hittite empires, in my personal mod.

 

[Xen]

as for a UU... well,who ever said that a hoseman replacement had to be a horseman...it could be a heavey 4-horse assyrian chariot...that, would be cool

 

[Falcon02]

Originally posted by Xen
as for a UU... well,who ever said that a hoseman replacement had to be a horseman...it could be a heavey 4-horse assyrian chariot...that, would be cool

I could be wrong, but I think the Assyrians were bigger on "riding" horses into war as apposed to Charioting.

 

[Xen]

depends on what era, they were an empire during the time horses werent riddin on at all, I belive (I'll be posting an aAssyrian article in the history forums once I gather enough information, and this topic, if i remember, will be addressed in that article )

 

[Louis XXIV]

The Assyrians were big on Chariot warfare, but the fast, two Horse Chariot. When they switched to Cavalry, they kept the Chariot as a symbol of status. But the 4 horse chariot was big, bulky, and slow. It was not an effective weapon (No matter how impressive it looked).

Tathlum, you seem to remember the Assyrians pretty well (at least according to what I've read/heard about them).

They used a formation of Spearmen in front of Archers that was similar to the Spanish Tercio.

Although I like the idea of a siege engine, not many people do. So, I think this might just not be worthwile.

 

[Xen]

I thin ka seige engine would be neat as h*** ,

a cool one would be a seige engine witha a real ATTACK/DEFENCE, giving the assyrians the real edge in seige warfare

 

[Louis XXIV]

BTW, these screenshots are almost proof that Assyria won't be in the game in any form (scenario, or otherwise).

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civ3conquests/screens.html?page=24

Look at the Assyrian city of Nineveh in the upper left.

And this one mentions Phoenicia, Babylon, Sumer, Mycenea, Hatti, Egypt, and Medea.
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/civ3conquests/screens.html?page=23

On an interesting note, the Phoenicians are Expansionist. I would have assumed them to be seafaring (especially when they didn't expand much, except for their colonies, such as Carthage). But, then again, I guess Expansionist would be a more useful trait in this kind of scenario.

 

[Xen]

I dont see why the Phoenicians get expansionist- it should be seafaring, after all, they only conqoure NO ONE in there home area, there colony of Carthage was the tough guy in the familly....

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

Sad thing is, Babylon is in almost solely because of Hammurabi's code of laws, but he just copied them straight from King Lilibama of Eshnunna (an ancient non-Sumerian citystate neighbouring Assyria to the southeast and Babylon to the northeast) and changed penalties from fines in most cases to amputation and mutilation. Assyria is far more deserving.

More of their inventions include the aqueduct (waaay before Romes' and the 360 degree circle

 

[thestonesfan]

Babylon was a great civilization, I think - but Assyria was probably a bit more impressive. I'd put them in instead of the Hittites.

How would a Siege Engine(battering ram) work in Civ3, though?

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Originally posted by Louis XXIV


Babylon and Sumer are in the game.

The Assyrians have many scientific advancements, were the first to use mass quantities of iron, invented the compund bow

Actually the compound bow was invented by nomadic peoples from far up in the Central Asian Steppe. The Assyrians were just the first in the fertile crescent region to employ it.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Originally posted by Xen
depends on what era, they were an empire during the time horses werent riddin on at all, I belive (I'll be posting an aAssyrian article in the history forums once I gather enough information, and this topic, if i remember, will be addressed in that article )

This is true, horsebreeding had not yet developed to the point were horses could effectively carry saddled men on their backs very well.