DBA Ituraeans (or was that Nabataeans...?) II/22(a)

This was the first army I painted when I started up wargaming again last year. The paint scheme was simple so they turned out ok, but I think I've improved a little since then. They were bought to be the foil for my Seleukids - and have a surprising success rate. The figures are 15mm Xyston, the tent is Baueda.

I wanted to run an army of Ituraeans, an Arab group who controlled the Beqqa valley and much of the surrounding highlands (Lebanon, Antilebanon, Gaulan, Auranitis, Trachiontis etc) during the later part of the Hellenistic period. The historical sources are all rather hostile, but its quite clear that they were a major power of the Levant in the 1st century BC. From c.115-20 BC, the Ituraeans fought and allied with the Seleukids, Hasmonaeans, Nabataeans and autonomous cities, to a lesser degree against the Romans, and almost certainly with Emesa and the nomadic Arabic Skenitai. They are one of the more important states to be considered not important enough by WRG to warrant their own army list.

I have opted to run them as Nabataeans to keep the army 'legal' in DBA terms. The troop composition is appropriate enough (the Ituraeans were famed as irregular bandits and archers) and the Hilly terrain works as well.

1x3Kn, 1x2LH, 1x4Bd, 2x3Ax or 2Ps, 2x4Bw, 5x2Ps.

The Nabataean list allows for the 5 psiloi to be run as bows, but against the Seleukids, that makes the army far too powerful. The 2 bows are more than enough to make for an interesting battle.

The tetrarch and his nobles along with some scouting light horse.

Heavy peltasts/imitation legionaries and the regular bows.

Some of the psiloi, bow armed and javelin armed (who can be run as auxilia).

The unimpressed looking camp followers - I liked the idea of the chap with the club hiding behind the angry looking woman...