Best opponents for "ancient" skirmishes?

[Kommando_J]

Question for all you gents in the know, inspired by this thread i'd fancy painting up  a small raiding force, my question is what ancient nations would be most suitable for a small raiding/skirmish force?

One problem i've seen is that most ancient battle are bog massed rank/everyone equipped the same affairs, I just want to paint up a small diverse force for fun/possible gaming that is historically accurate as well, i could paint up a bunch of legionary's, a centurion. auxiliaries and praetorians but in reality such a force would probably have never happened.

[Mad Doc Morris]

Most armies of Antiquity employed specialised skirmishers. Just think of Greek peltasts or Roman velites. Also there were troops used to fight in open order/loose formation; e.g. Late Roman limitanei quite frequently raided settlements beyond the Empire's border in guerrilla mode.
There are also numerous tales of rear or advance guard actions, night assaults or seaborne raids covering the whole period. Almost anything is imaginable, and I wouldn't bother too much if there's evidence for a particular force composition or not.

Who's to say that, to stick with your example, there was no covert action during the Dacian Wars to capture an enemy commander, to free Roman captives, to burn down a sanctuary or simply terrorize the locals – which involved praetorians and auxiliaries under the command of a grizzled veteran centurion?

[julesav]

Classic (not in the historical sense!) 'petit guerre' matchups are Roman auxiliaries vs Picts, Celts or Dacians. These are also easily available to purchase in plastic giving ample room for personalised conversions.

[Kommando_J]

Looking at the ranges, part of me says do Macedonians as foundry and warlord do Macedonians, both sculpted by Steve Saleh, does anyone know how they scale?

I notice among the foundry collections are a collection called ''GREEK OR MACEDONIAN MERCENARIES''

I knew Greece employed many mercenaries didn't know there were Macedonian mercenaries too(am I reading that title wrong?) a roving mercenary band would be ideal, plus I can use them for some mythical skirmishes once the Broken Legions rules are released.

Otherwise any other ideas for a roving mercenary band? What nations fielded the most/widest varieties? I'm thinking probably a Greek state or Persians, am I wrong?

[rumacara]

If you like the following idea it may not me so ahistorical and may be the start of some small project.
A band of warriors/mercenaries who come from several nations gathered for a specific mission/adventure.
It gives you variety and the chance to try several diferent painting types to choose from. The enemies can be everyone.

[pocoloco]

Celts, they fought as mercenaries and against themselves and with themselves against others

And as it happens I have extra Warlord Games plastic Celts sprues... let me know if you are interested, I can send one full sprue so you can have a go at it.

[WillieB]

Perhaps a bit early but how about a band of Sea People raiders?
They could fight against Mycenaeans, Trojans, Hittites, Egyptians and anything Greek and Egyptian mythology could come up with. Very colourful too!

[Longstrider]

It's a question I've pondered on and off for a few years.

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely to me to be the case that there'd have been that many instances in which a handful of auxiliaries, a contubernium of legionaries, a centurion and a chap on a horse would wander off to go have a little dust up in a countryside village in Pontus where they're met by 12 locals in full phalangite panoply and some youths with a fistful of sling bullets.

But it seems we could either a) ignore that and just have a fun game with nice figures or b) imagine that our skirmish games are happening around the time and the place of big set-piece battles.

Maybe we've zoomed really close in on a file of hoplites on the left flank who can't see their mates in the next file over because some hairy horsemen have managed to drive a wedge in and there's a lot of dust and by Zeus it's started to rain, so now they have to deal with the cavalry and find their proper place in the phalanx again. Some peltasts are chucking sticks at each over on their side, so they can't go that way.

Or that one contubernium had a really shoddy leatherworker so their sandals are all coming part, and anyway the woods are scary so maybe they can book it and find a nice inn back in the Gallia before they join the inevitable column of retreat. They just have to sneak out of camp and avoid the sentries - but luckily Caius overheard the password for today - and then hope that the Germans haven't gotten round behind the marching column too. But Lucullus might be more loyal to the army than his 'friends'.

[has.been]

Most armies sent out teams to forage or find out about the enemy. Plenty of games to be had there.
I saw some nice postcards when visiting Hadrian's wall. Things such as a couple of supply carts heading to a Roman outpost guarded by a dozen or so Auxiliaries, which are being attacked by Picts. 
The last stand of a few soldiers to buy time for their comrades.
Some velites trying to take out one elephant which has been separated from the main battle line.
The British Museum has some gorgeous Assyrian reliefs about their Lion hunt.
I hope this gives you some ideas.

[Kommando_J]

I'm preferably interested in doing a historical force that I could perhaps grow/use in games.

Thank you for the generous offer pocoloco but to be honest neither Celts or Romans really 'pop' for me, I was briefly interested by the Dacians...but the order I made to warlord was rejected and I don't want to buy a couple of box sets when I'll need less than half the miniatures at the outside.

''Unfortunately, it seems unlikely to me to be the case that there'd have been that many instances in which a handful of auxiliaries, a contubernium of legionaries, a centurion and a chap on a horse would wander off to go have a little dust up in a countryside village in Pontus where they're met by 12 locals in full phalangite panoply and some youths with a fistful of sling bullets''

This is my problem, nicely put, you don't see many praetorians/royal guards/other elite divisions fighting skirmishes.
I like the idea of either a small ''tribal'' raiding force or a roving band of mercenaries less ''rules and regulations'' like the band from this link http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=83399.45

''Perhaps a bit early but how about a band of Sea People raiders?''

Not a bad idea, that kind of time area is the ballpark i'm interested in, i've never painted up any Mediterranean/middle eastern miniatures it's always been northern/european forvces and i'm after a change.

[cram]

Rome against the Spanish/Celtiberian's.

[NickNascati]

I've been playing a lot of Song of Blades and Heroes.  I find it works quite well for small engagements between groups of 12 - 20 figures, maybe 15 Hoplites and 5 Psiloi.

[julesav]

Any of the tribals would be a good option as they were nearly always conducting low level warfare against one another. Famously the Greeks reckoned that the Thracians would've conquered the world if only they could stop fighting one another. In the Hellenistic era Greek states went for 'Thureophoroi' en masse, earlier 'peltastoi' and 'psiloi' skirmished for every city state so that would give you options.

[Patrice]

I don't see any problem there. You can always imagine some reason why a small group from any army finds itself isolated and has to fight enemy skirmishers, etc. It happened in all wars (even in Napoleonic, which are not renowned for it). 

[rumacara]

How about a cilician pirates gang?

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=75462.0