15mm Gasgans
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:14 pm
The Gasgans (or Kaskans) were an ancient non-Indo-European people who inhabited the remote valleys of northern Anatolia in modern Turkey, between the Hittite lands and the Black Sea. They were constant enemies of the Hittites, in fact “during the 500 years of their history the Hittites fought many formidable enemies, but none of them was as persistent and evasive as the Kaška tribes of the Pontic ranges”. (Singer, 166)
The Gasgans had no written language (that we know of) and there is no archaeological evidence of their material culture, but we do know some things about them through Hittite accounts. Terms such as “aggressive, wild, barbarian, and “nemesis from the north” are routinely used to describe the Kaska.” (Ibid, 166), so the predominant troop type is appropriately classified as Warband in Triumph!
The 48-point army list used here has one Chariot General, one Skirmisher, nine Warbands, two Raiders, and three Bow Levy, for a total of 48 points.
All the figures are 15mm scale by Khurasan Miniatures.
This army would make an excellent starter for those who are new to Triumph! The figures are clean casts in a good variety of poses, offer a nice variety of types, and do not require conversions to make them historically plausible. They are also simple to paint.
Chariot. This model is too large to fit on a 40mm square base without modification. I cut about 15mm out of the chariot pole and pinned/glued it back together so that I could keep the snake figurehead on the end. This was the only conversion work done for this army.
Warband. The constant close contact between the Hittites and Gasgans makes it likely that there was a merging and blurring of cultural traits (Ibid, 176) so these figures are armed and clothed in Hittite fashion. They are beardless, have long hair, and are wearing kilts and boots in the Hittite fashion. Their shields are a mix of Hittite styles. The animated poses are perfect for a Warband. As for clothing, Mursili II (Hittite king 1321–1295 BC) prays to the Sun-goddess of Arinna describing the Gasgans as "swineherds and linen weavers' (Ibid, 169). Therefore these miniature figures have clothing mostly in natural linen colors.
Raiders. Khurasan makes a very nice “Gasgan Bodyguard Archer” figure set that seems like a good match for the Raider troop type. There is a reference to generals and their bodyguards armed with axes and composite bows found in the De Bellis Multitudinous (DBM) listing for “Zagros and Anatolian Highlanders”. I did not find any other non-wargames references on this so I hesitate to use it, but it does seem like a reasonable parallel to Hittite arms and equipment. Plus these figures were too nice not to use.
Skirmishers and Bow Levy. More great figures from Khurasan.
References
Itamar Singer. Who Were the Kaška? The Argonautica and World Culture II, Phasis: Greek and Roman Studies, Vol 10 (II), Rismag Gordeziani Editor-in-Chief, 2007.
Stillman, Nigel, and Talis, Nigel. Armies of the Ancient Near East. WRG, 1984.
The Gasgans had no written language (that we know of) and there is no archaeological evidence of their material culture, but we do know some things about them through Hittite accounts. Terms such as “aggressive, wild, barbarian, and “nemesis from the north” are routinely used to describe the Kaska.” (Ibid, 166), so the predominant troop type is appropriately classified as Warband in Triumph!
The 48-point army list used here has one Chariot General, one Skirmisher, nine Warbands, two Raiders, and three Bow Levy, for a total of 48 points.
All the figures are 15mm scale by Khurasan Miniatures.
This army would make an excellent starter for those who are new to Triumph! The figures are clean casts in a good variety of poses, offer a nice variety of types, and do not require conversions to make them historically plausible. They are also simple to paint.
Chariot. This model is too large to fit on a 40mm square base without modification. I cut about 15mm out of the chariot pole and pinned/glued it back together so that I could keep the snake figurehead on the end. This was the only conversion work done for this army.
Warband. The constant close contact between the Hittites and Gasgans makes it likely that there was a merging and blurring of cultural traits (Ibid, 176) so these figures are armed and clothed in Hittite fashion. They are beardless, have long hair, and are wearing kilts and boots in the Hittite fashion. Their shields are a mix of Hittite styles. The animated poses are perfect for a Warband. As for clothing, Mursili II (Hittite king 1321–1295 BC) prays to the Sun-goddess of Arinna describing the Gasgans as "swineherds and linen weavers' (Ibid, 169). Therefore these miniature figures have clothing mostly in natural linen colors.
Raiders. Khurasan makes a very nice “Gasgan Bodyguard Archer” figure set that seems like a good match for the Raider troop type. There is a reference to generals and their bodyguards armed with axes and composite bows found in the De Bellis Multitudinous (DBM) listing for “Zagros and Anatolian Highlanders”. I did not find any other non-wargames references on this so I hesitate to use it, but it does seem like a reasonable parallel to Hittite arms and equipment. Plus these figures were too nice not to use.
Skirmishers and Bow Levy. More great figures from Khurasan.
References
Itamar Singer. Who Were the Kaška? The Argonautica and World Culture II, Phasis: Greek and Roman Studies, Vol 10 (II), Rismag Gordeziani Editor-in-Chief, 2007.
Stillman, Nigel, and Talis, Nigel. Armies of the Ancient Near East. WRG, 1984.
