Musasir

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FanatiChris
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Musasir

Post by FanatiChris » Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:33 pm

Within the Urartian list in Meshwesh, there is an option for an allied contingent of Musasirians, which was a new group to me, so I turned to Google and learned that Musasir was the name of a Mannean (temple)(city)(kingdom) located on the banks of the Great Zab river between Lakes Van and Urmial that traces back a few centuries before the Urartian list, but which is best known in Assyrian records circa 800-600 BC, when it was a Urartian subject. The actual city was conquered by Ishpuini of Urartu in 800 BC according to the Kelasin Stele. Some scholars suggest that Musasir may have contributed to the ruling classes for what became the Kingdom of Urartu after its founding by Aramu, who united the tribes of the armenian highlights against Assyria in 858 BC. It is also likely that Musasir was one of several semi-independent kingdoms comprising Urartu, whose ruler was accounted for in the stele struck by King Sargon II to commemorate his victory at Khoraspat over "the seven kings of Ararat" in 714 BC

In any event, Triumph treats them as allies to Urartu, but does not give them their own full army list. Perhaps there is no need for one, unless you're cooking up a campaign and need a list for a predecessor of Urartu in that region. Or maybe, like me, you just like to speculate and fill gaps with obscure army lists. In which case, you could create a viable Musasirian list by upping the composition of the Allied Contingent and adding the hometown rabble. For example:

Musasirian (950-610 BC). Invasion: 3 Maneuver: 1 Topography: Hilly (note, prior to 950 BC, this region could be covered by the Hurrian list. Thereafter it is an independent city-state who supported the rise of Urartu after 880 AD until being subsumed)
General Type: Bad Horse or Javelin Cavalry. Battleline Troops: All Light Foot

1-3 Bad Horse (before 800 BC) or Javelin Cavalry (after 800 BC)
3-12 Light Foot
2-5 Bow Levy
2-5 Skirmishers
0-1 Rabble

Or I suppose you could just use the Mannean (Mannaian) Meshwest list.

I look forward to being better educated by well-informed Musasirian scholars.
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David Kuijt
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Re: Musasir

Post by David Kuijt » Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:04 pm

Not a Musasirian scholar, here, but when you say "Triumph treats them as allies to Urartu, but does not give them their own full army list" did you see the button for "Full Army List" below the Option 2: Musasirian Allies option?

If someone was to ask me whether Musasir was represented in Triumph with an army list, I would say yes -- the Mannaian and other Taurus and Zagros Highlanders list is theirs as well. So you certainly don't need to make up an army list to represent them -- their list is:
  • 1 Chariot
  • 1-2 Bad Horse (up to 800 BC)
  • 1-2 Javelin Cavalry (799 BC to 610 BC)
  • 0-1 Horsebow (749 BC to 610 BC)
  • 4-12 Light Foot
  • 2-10 Skirmishers or Bow Levy
  • 0-1 Rabble
DK
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