Friday, May 1, 2026

15mm Xyston Miniatures Light Infantry

My so called or flexible "Light Division" of mercenary Successors contingent - 2 units of Hellenistic Thracians with 2 units of Cretan Archers and 1 Greek Slingers. I use these units for Impetvs and Command Colors Ancients & for DBA DBMM









Below tables, is how I see these specific units translated between playing ancient wargaming rules sets... :o)
Unit Role & Conversion Table
UnitImpetvsCommands & Colors: AncientsDBA / DBMM
ThraciansFL (Light Infantry) or W (Warband)Auxiliary (A) or Warrior (W)4Ax (Auxilia) or 3Ax
Cretan ArchersS (Skirmishers) or T (Archers)Bowmen (B)Ps (Psiloi) or Bw (Bow)
Greek SlingersS (Skirmishers)Slingers (S)Ps (Psiloi)


Impetvs
Thracians are often classified as FL (Light Infantry) because of their mobility in difficult terrain.
  • Thracians: Can be fielded as "Thracian Peltasts." They usually have a high "V" (Movement) value but low "D" (Discipline).
  • Cretans/Slingers: These are almost always S (Skirmishers). In Basic Impetvs, they act as screens to soften the enemy before your Thracians charge.
  • Tactical Tip: Use the Cretans' range to force the enemy to close in, then counter-charge with Thracians who gain bonuses in "broken" terrain.


Commands & Colors: Ancients (CCA)
Successor scenarios in CCA frequently feature these units as high-utility light troops.
  • Thracians: Best represented as Auxilia (Green circle) for their ability to move and still battle effectively, or Warriors if you want to emphasize their fierce charge with the rhomphaia.
  • Cretan Archers: These are Bowmen (B). They typically have a range of 3 hexes and are vital for checking enemy Light Cavalry.
  • Greek Slingers: Standard Slingers (S). While they lack the range of the Cretans, they are efficient "hit-and-run" units.


DBA & DBMM
In the DBA 3.0 "Successor" lists (like II/16 or II/18), these units fill the mandatory light infantry slots.
  • Thracians: Classified as 4Ax (Auxilia). They are "fast" foot that ignore movement penalties in bad going (woods/hills)
  • Cretans & Slingers: Both are classed as Ps (Psiloi). In DBA, Psiloi are essential for supporting your Phalanx or seizing difficult terrain.
  • DBMM Specifics: In DBMM, Thracians might be Irr Ax (S) (Superior Auxilia) to reflect their deadly weaponry, while Cretans are often Irr Ps (O) (Ordinary Psiloi) or Bw (O) if grouped

My miniatures are mounted on 40mm x 20mm stands. This is the standard for DBA and DBMM. For Impetvs, you can simply place two or three of these stands on a larger movement tray (120mm frontage for 28mm or 80mm for 15mm) to match that wargaming rules "Large Unit block" appearance.......... :o) 


12 comments:

  1. I had always come to think of Cretan archers as bow rather than Psiloi so raised an eyebrow the first time I read the DBMM lists, but can see their logic. It is an interesting comparison when you lay it out like that Phil. Beautiful work on some lovely figures.

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    1. Thanks Lawrence, Historically, Cretan archers were famous as specialist missile troops—arguably the most renowned archers in the Greek world. So it feels natural to think of them primarily as “archers” But DBMM isn’t really classifying by weapon alone, it’s classifying by battlefield role and behavior?....and Psiloi represent loose-order, highly mobile light infantry who skirmish, evade, and harass—javelinmen, slingers, and yes, archers when used that way. :o)

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  2. You have done the figures justice, Phil. Superb work as always! I like your rules comparison too.

    Cheers,
    Aaron

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    1. Thank Aaron! I'm glad the figures and the rules comparison hit the mark. I should have added/comparison of ADLG and Triumph! rules as well... I appreciate your feedback!... cheers!

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  3. Some lovely painting there Phil!
    Cretans - one of those intriguing phrases in the ancient sources "armed in the Cretan manner" - like "armed in the Macedonian fashion"- has produced lots of fixed ideas and some debate.
    I'm also reminded of some of the later Hellenistic rules (esp Seleucid) who relied on Cretan mercenaries - bit of a stretch to see them as all bow armed.
    Neil

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    1. Thanks Neil!.....Your spot on, Cretan mercenaries were far more versatile than just being "guys with bows." While their archery was world-class, they were essentially elite light infantry capable of holding their own against heavy infantry?.... cheers!

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  4. Great looking figures and interesting post.

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  5. Nice brushwork as always and an enjoyable troop comparison between rules. Have you been playing much BI?

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    1. I haven’t been playing a ton of Basic Impetus lately, to be honest. I still like the system for its speed, but my recent games have drifted a bit toward other rulesets ie Command colors ancients, DBA, DBMM, mostly things with a bit more granularity in command and control. That said, every time I go back to Basic Impetus, I’m reminded how good it is for getting a full ancient/medieval battle on the table without bogging down... something else,for extra speed during my solo BI games, missile units do not throw/fire their weapons....it’s not being lazy but may reshape how battles play out. A few things to think through?..... cheers!

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