DBA Resource Page

Variant Armies

DBM to DBA Armies
(Vol. 1, Book III, -- Armies From 500 AD -999 AD)

By Bernd Lehnhoff
Translated by Mike Stelzer

The following is an English translation of the DBM to DBA army conversions done by Bernd Lehnhoff using the first edition DBM army lists. Elements marked "*" are historically appropriate for placement of the General. The Hordes troop type is indicated for those who use the Horde variant rule, otherwise convert to Spear or Auxilia as indicated. Note that Hordes conversions marked Ax6 and Sp8 are represented by Lehnhoff as double based elements that receive no support and cannot be supported by other units. They only count as one unit for play and victory purposes.

[ Book 1 ] [ Book 2 ] [ Book 3 ] [ Book 4 ]

  1. Central Asian States(500-1000): 6 Cv3* or 6 Kn3*, 2 LH2, 4 Bw3 or Ps2.

  2. Burma (500-1043): 2 Cv3*, 6 Ax3, 4 Bw3 (Bow and crossbowmen).

  3. Late Sassanid Persian (531-637): 5 Cv3*, 1 LH2, 1 LH2 or El, 2 Hd(sp8), 2 Hd(sp8) or [1 Ax3, 1 Ps2], 1 Ps2.

  4. Middle Indian Hindu (545-1565): 2 El*, 2 Cv3 or (Rajput 747-1300) 2 Kn3, 1 Bd3, 3 Bw3, 1 Ps2 or (Vijayanagar, 1336-1565) Art (rocketsor Bombards), 2 Ps2 or (606-647) 2 Sp4, 1 Hd(ax6).

  5. Central Asian Turkish (550-1330): 3 Cv3, 6 LH2, 3 LH2 or [1 Hd(sp8), 2 Ps2].

    6. Also see: Later Uighur

  6. Christian Nubian (550-1500): 1 Cv3*, 1 Cm3*, 1 LH2, 1 Cm3 or LH2, 6 Wb3, 2 Bw3 or Ps2.

  7. Avars (553-826): 4 Cv3*, 2 LH2, [5 Cv3, 1 LH2] or {(558-631) 3 Ax3, 1 Ps2 (Slavs), 2 LH2 (Bulgarian) or [1 Ax3, 1 Ps2 (Slavs)]}.

  8. Early Bulgarian (559-1018): 3 Cv3*, 3 LH2, [3 Cv3, 3 LH2] or [(obligatoryafter 675) (before 812) 4 Ax3 or (after 812) 4 Sp4, 2 Ps2 (Slavs)].

  9. Tibetan (560-1065): 6 Kn4*, [2 Sp4, 2 Bw3, 2 Ax3 (Tibetan andHimalayan)] or [2 Cv3, 4 LH2 (Nomads)] or [(640-730) 5 Cv3, 1Ps2 (Nepalese)].

  10. Khazar (568-1083 AD):

    Khazar (738-965): 2 Cv3*, 3 Cv3 or LH2, [5 Cv3 or 5 LH2] or [3 Cv3 or 3 LH2, 2 LH2, 1 Hd(sp8), 1 Ps2, 1 Ps2 or Sp4 (Guards)]. Within any one group of Cv3 up to 2 can be exchanged for LH2.

    otherwise: 1 (before 738) Wwg* or (after 965) Cv3*, 1 Cv3, 1 LH2 or Cv3 (Burta etc.), 5 LH2, 1 Sp4 (Guards) or LH2, 2 Hd(sp8), 1 Ps2.

  11. Maurikian Byzantine (575-650): 1 Kn3 (Optimatoi), 5 Cv3*, 4 Cv3 or [2 Bd4 or 2 Sp4, 2 Ps2], 2 LH2.

  12. Breton (580-1072): 6 Cv3*, 3 LH2, 1 Cv3 or Ps2, [2 Cv3 or LH2] or [1 Hd(ax6), 1 Hd(ax6) or (only 590) Wb4 (Saxon)].

  13. Pre-Longbow Welsh (580-1099): 1 Cv3*, 8 Wb3, 1 Ps2, 2 Wb3 or (from 1075) [1 Bd3, 1 Ax3 (Irish)].

  14. Sui Dynasty China (581-623): 1 Cv3*, 1 Kn3* or Kn4*, 1 LH2, 2 Sp4, 1 Bw4 or Ps2, [1 Cv3, 1 Kn3 or Kn4, 1 LH2 or Wb3 (southern barbarian), 2 Sp4, 1 Bw4] or [1 Bw4 or Ps2 or Hd (sp8), 5 Hd(sp8)]. All Knight (Kn) must have the same number of figures.

  15. Early Italian Lombards (584-774): 3 Kn3*, 3 Kn3 or 3 Cv3 (Retinue), 4 Bw3 or Ps2, 2 Sp4.

  16. Mayan (600-1546): 8 Ax3*, 1 Ax4, 1 Ps2, 2 Ax3 or [(988-1461) 1 Bd4*, 1 Ax3 or (from 1283) Bw3] or [(after 1461) 1 Ax3 or Bw3 or Ps2, 1 Bw3 or Ps2].

  17. Middle Japanese Clans (600-900): 1 Cv3* or [(626-645) Bd4* or Bw4*], 4 Cv3, 6 Ax3, 1 Ps2 or Bw3 (Emishi mercenaries).

    (Note: The Emishi may have been LH)

  18. Khmer (605-1400): 1 El*, 1 El or Bd3, 1 Cv3, 4 Ax4, 1 Bw3 or Ps2, 2 Ps2, 2 Ax3, 1 Ax3 or (after 1170) Art.

  19. Cham (605-1400): 2 El*, 1 Cv3, 4 Ax4, 1 Bw3 or Ps2, 1 Ps2, [1 Ax4, 1 Ps2] or (after 1170) [1 Cv3, 1 LH2].

  20. Anglo-Saxon (617-1014): (before 700) 2 Wb4* or (after 700) 2 Sp4*, 8 Sp4, 1 Sp4 or Hd(sp8), 1 Ps2.

  21. Early Tang (618-753): 3 Cv3*, 2 LH2, [2 Cv3, 1 Cv3 or Kn3 or Kn4, 4 LH2 (Moho, Turkish)] or [1 LH2 (Moho, Turks) or Wb3 (Southern Barbarians), 4 Sp4, 2 Bw4 or Ps2].

  22. Arab Conquest (622-660): 1 Cv3* or Ps2, 4 Wb3*, 2 Wb3 or (after 638) Cv3, 1 LH2, 1 LH2 or (after 638) Cv3, 2 Bw3 or Ps2, 1 Ax3 or Ps2.

  23. Early Serbian (627-1180): 2 Kn3*, (before 798) 4 Ax4 or (after 798) [2 Sp4, 2 Sp4 or Ax4], 3 Bw3, 1 Ps2, 2 Hd(ax6) or [1 Kn3, 1 Bw3].

  24. Croatian (627-1089): 2 Kn3* or Cv3*, 5 Ax3, 1 Ps2, 4 Hd(ax6) or [1 Kn3 or Cv3, 2 Ax3, 1 Ps2].

  25. Rshtuni Armenian (639-717): 2 Cv3*, 1 LH2, 6 Ax3, 3 Ps2.

  26. Carolingian Frankish (639-888): 5 Kn3*, 1 Kn3 or LH2, 4 Sp4, 2 Ps2.

  27. Thematic Byzantine (650-963): 6 Cv3*, 1 LH2, 2 Pk4, 2 Bw4 or Ps2, 1 Ps2.

  28. Magyar (650-997): 2 Cv3*, 6 LH2, (before 896) 4 LH2 or (from 896) [1 Cv3, 3 LH2] or (likewise from 896) [2 Sp4, 1 Ax3, 1 Ps2 (Slavs)].

  29. Umayyad Arab (661-750): 3 Cv3*, [4 Sp4, 2 Bw3] or [3 Sp4, 3 Ps2], 1 LH2, 1 LH2 or Ax3 or (only Syrian) Ps2.

  30. Volga Bulgars (675-1237): 4 Cv3*, 3 LH2 (Nomads), 1 Hd(sp8), 1 Ps2, [1 Cv3, 1 LH2, 1 Hd(sp8)] or [2 Wb3 (Ugrian) or 2 Ax3 (Finns), 1Ps2].

  31. Early Muslim North Africa and Sicily (696-1160): 2 Cv3*, 1 Cv3 or Bw3 or Ps2 (Arab), 3 LH2 (Berber), 2 Ps2 (Berber) or Ax3 (African), (before 711) 4 Ps2 or (from 711) [2 Sp4, 2 Sp4 or Ps2] (Berber).

  32. Early Andalusian (710-765): 2 Cv3 (Arab), 4 LH2 (Berber), 6 Ps2 (Berber).

  33. Feudal Spanish (711-1144): 2 Kn3*, 1 Kn3 or (after 950) Cv3, 1 LH2, 4 Sp4, 4 Ps2.

  34. Nan-Chao China (728-1253): 3 Cv3*, 4 Pk4, 2 Bw4 or Ps2 (archers), 2 Bw4 (Crossbowmen), 1 Wb3 or Ps2 (Southern Barbarian).

  35. Abbasid Arab (747-945): 3 Cv3*, 1 Cv3 or LH2, 1 LH2, {(before 836) [4 Sp4, 2 Bw3] or [3 Sp4, 3 Ps2]} or (from 836) 6 Bw4, 1 Ax4 (Dailami) or Wb3 (muttauwia).

    36. Also see: Later Abbasid

  36. Early Indian Muslim States (751-1206): 4 Cv3*, [(before 833) 2 Sp4, 2 Bw3 or Ps2 (Arab)] or [(from 833), 1 Bd3, 1 Ps2, 2 Bw3 (Hindus)], 1 Bd3, 1 Ps2, 2 Bw3.

  37. Late Tang Dynasty (753-906): 2 Cv3*, 1 LH2, 1 LH2 (Turkish) or Wb3 (Southern Barbarian), 2 Bd3, 2 Sp4, 2 Bw3 or Ps2, 2 Sp4 (levies) or Hd(ax6) (peasants).

  38. Middle Andalusian (765-1172): 1 Cv3*, 2 LH2, 1 LH2 or Kn3 (Christian Soldiers), 1 Ax3 or Ax4 or Ps2 (African), 4 Sp4, 3 Ps2.

  39. Later Italian Lombard (775-1076): 3 Kn3*, 1 Kn3 or Hd(ax6), 6 Sp4, 2 Bw3 or Ps2.

  40. Viking (790-1280):

    Viking: 3 Bd3* (Huscarl), 1 Wb3 (Berserker), 6 Bd3 (Hird etc.), 1 Bd3 or (after 850) Bw3 or Ps2, 1 Ps2.

    Leidang: 1 Bd3* or (after 1070) Kn3*, 1 Bd3, 1 Bd3 (Hird) or Wb3 (Berserker) or Hd(ax6) (Thralls), 6 Bd3 (Hird), 2 Bw3 or Ps2, 1 Ps2.

  41. Dog Peoples and Pueblo Cultures(800-1692):

    Prototoltec (before 930) or Protoaztec (before 1325): 1 Wb3*, 10 Ps2 or Ax3, 1 Ps2.

    others: 11 Bw3* or Ps2*, 1 Wb3 or Bw3 or Ps2.

  42. Later Wends (804-1218): 1 Cv3*, 8 Ax3, [1 Ax3 or Ps2 or (804-1056) Bd3 (viking), 2 Ps2] or [(after 1056) 1 Cv3, 2 Bw3].

  43. Sha-to' Turks (808-922): 3 Cv3*, 3 LH2, 1 Ps2, [(before 884) 2 Cv3, 2 LH2, 1 Ps2] or [(from 884) 1 Bd3, 2 Sp4, 2 Bw4 or Ps2 (Chinese)].

    44. Also see: Five Dynasties (Southern) and Ten Kingdoms (Northern) China

  44. Tahirids Khurasanian (821-873): 3 Cv3*, 2 LH2, 1 LH2 or Wb3 or Hd(ax6), 2 Sp4, 2 Bw4 or Ps2, 2 Ax4.

  45. Later West Slav (830-1003): 1 Cv3*, 8 Sp4, 1 Kn3 (Frankishand Swabian) or LH2, 2 Bw3.

  46. Late Uigher (840-1330): 2 Cv3*, 4 LH2, [1 Cv3, 2 LH2] or [1 Bw3 or Ps2, 2 Sp4], 2 Sp4, 1 Bw3 or Ps2.

  47. Early Mongol (840-1218): 3 Cv3*, 9 LH2.

  48. Scotland (846-1124): 1 Cv3* or Wb4* or (after 1052) Kn3*, 1 LH2, 1 Wb4 (Thegns), 4 Ax3, 3 Wb3 (Galwegian) or Ax3, 2 Ps2.

  49. Norse Irish (846-1260): 1 Ax3* or (only 1014) Sp4* or (only 856-1014) Wb3, 6 Ax3, 1 Bd3 (Ostmen), 4 Ps2.

  50. Pecheneg (850-1122): 1 Cv3*, 9 LH2, 2 Ps2 or 2 Wwg.

  51. Rus (860-1054): 1 Cv3* or Bd4*, 8 Sp4, 2 Ps2, 1 Ps2 or (after 968) LH2.

  52. Later Khurasanian, Saffarids (861-1003) and Samanids (901-999): 3 Cv3*, 2 LH2, 2 Sp4, 1 Bw4 or Ps2, 1 Ax4, [(Saffarid) 1 LH2, 1 LH2 or Wb3, 1 Bw3 (Indian) or Ax4] or [(Samanid) 1 Cv3 or El, 1 Bw4 or Ps2, 1 Ax4].

  53. Egyptian Tulunid (868-905) and Iqshidid (935-969): 4 Cv3*, 2 LH2, 4 Bw4, 2 Ps2.

  54. Bagratid Armenian (885-1045): 2 Kn3*, 1 Cv3, 1 Cv3 or LH2, 1 LH2, 2 Sp4, 2 Sp4 or Hd(ax6), 2 Bw3 or Ps2, 1 Ps2.

  55. Norman and West Frankish (888-1072): 5 Kn3*, 2 Sp4, 2 Ps2, [2 Kn3, 1 Ps2] or [(only Aquitanian) 1 Kn3, 1 LH2, 1Ps2] or (only Sicilian 1061) 3 Ax3 or Ps2 (Greek).

  56. East Frankish (888-1106): 4 Kn3*, 1 Cv3 (Thuringian, Saxon, Bohemian), [(before 933) 2 Sp4, 2 Sp4 or Kn3, 2 Sp4 or Hd(ax6) (peasants), 1 Ps2] or {(from 933) [1 Kn3, 2 Sp4, 2 Sp4 or Hd(ax6) (peasants), 2 Ps2] or [6 Kn3, 1 Cv3]}. Before the break all Kn units may dismount asBd4, the General must always be mounted.

  57. Dynastic Bedouin in Syria and Mesopotamia (890-1150):

    Mossul (890-1001): 2 Cv3*, 2 Cv3 or LH2, 4 LH2, 2 Ax4 (Dailami), 1 Ps2 or Wb3 (Bedouin).

    Aleppo (945-1008): 4 Cv3 or LH2*, 4 LH2, 1 Cv3 (Kurds), 2 Wb3 (Bedouins), 1 Ps2 or [(before 965) Cv3 (Khurasani) or LH2 or Wb3 (Gazi)].

    others: 3 Cv3* or LH2, 6 LH2, 2 Wb3, 1 Ps2.

  58. Early Samurai (900-1300): 3 Cv3* [or dismount asBw3*], 4 Bw3 or Bd3*, 4 Ax3, 1 Bw3.

  59. Five Dynasties (Southern) and Ten Kingdoms (Northern) China(907-979):

    The Shato Dominated Dynasties (923-951): 2 Cv3*, 2 LH2, 1 Ps2, 1 Bd3, [4 Sp4, 2 Bw3] or [3 Sp4, 3 Ps2].

    Other Northern Dynasties (907-923) and (951-979): 2 Cv3*, 2 LH2, 2 Bd3, 2 Sp4, 2 Bw3 or Ps2, 2 Sp4 (levies) or Hd(ax6) (peasants).

    Ten Kingdoms: 2 Cv3*, 1 LH2, 2 Bd3, 2 Sp4, 2 Bw3 or Ps2, 2 Sp4 (levies) or Hd(ax6) (peasants), 1 Wb3 (Southern Barbarian) or (only Southern Han 907-971) El.

    60. Also see: Khitan-Liao

  60. Khitan-Liao (907-1125): 2 Kn3*, 2 Cv3, 2 LH2, [2 Kn3, 2 Cv3, 2 LH2] or [1 Ps2 (Khitan), 2 Bd3, 2 Bw4, 1 Art (Chinese)] or [1 Bd3, 1 Bw4, 4 Hd(sp8) (Chinese)].

    61. Also see: Five Dynasties (Southern) and Ten Kingdoms (Northern) China
    Also see: Qara-Khitan

  61. Koryo Dynasty Korea (918-1392): 3 Cv3*, 1 LH2, 3 Sp4, 3 Bw4, 1 Sp4 or Wwg, 1 Bw4 or Art.

  62. Buyid and other Dailami Dynasties (927-1090): 2 Cv3* or [1 Ax4, 1 Bw4 or Ps2], 1 Cv3, 6 Ax4*, 2 Bw4 or Ps2, 1 LH2.

  63. Toltec (930-1168): 11 Bd4*, 1 Ps2.

  64. Vietnam (939-1527): 1 El*, 1 Cv3*, 1 Bd4 or [(before 960) Bd3 or Sp4], 1 Ax4, 4 Bw4 or Ps2, 2 Ax3, 2 Bw3 or Ps2.

  65. Dynastic Kurdish (950-1085): 9 Cv3*, [1 Cv3, 1 Cv3 or LH2, 1 Cv3 or Hd(ax6)] or (only Annazids) 3 LH2 (Bedouin) or [(only Marwanids) 1 LH2, 1 Hd(ax6), 1 Hd(sp8)].

  66. Northern (960-1127) and Southern (1128-1279) Sung Dynasties China: 1 Cv3*, 1 Cv3 or (before 979 and after 1250) LH2 or(after 1054) Wwg, 2 Bd4, [2 Bd4 or Hd(sp8)] or [(after 1250) 1 Wb3, 1 Ps2 (Southern Barbarian)], 4 Bw4, 1 Ps2, 1 Art.

  67. Early Polish (960-1335): 3 Cv3* or (from 1200) 3 Kn3* or (from 1242) [2 Kn3*, 1 Kn3 or LH2], 4 Sp4, 4 Bw3 or Ps2, 1 Ps2.

  68. Ghaznazid (962-1186): 4 Cv3*, 1 Cv3 or (from 1001) El*, 3 LH2, 2 Bw4 or [1 Sp4, 1 Ps2], 1 Ax4 (Dailami) or (from 1001) Bw3(Indian), 1 Ax3 or Bw3 or Ps2 (Afghani) or Wb3 (Ghazi).

  69. Nikephorian Byzantine (963-1042): 3 Cv3* (Kavallarioi), 1 Cv3 or LH2 (Kavallarioi), 1 Cv3 or Kn4 (Kavallarioi or Kataphraktoi), 4 Bw4 (Skutatoi and Archers), 1 Bw4 or (after 988) Bd4 (Varangians), 2 Ps2.

  70. Fatimid Egypt (969-1171): 2 Cv3*, 1 LH2 (Bedouin), 2 Bw4, 2 Ps2 (Berber), 1 Ps2 or Bw4, 2 Bd4 or Wb3 (swordsmen or tribesmen), [(before 1077) 1 Cv3, Bw4] or (after 1077) 2 Bw3 (Armenian).

  71. Hsi-Hsia (982-1227): 1 Kn4*, 3 Kn3, 2 LH2, 3 Bd4, 3 Bw4 or Ps2.

  72. Early Hungarian (997-1245): 1 Kn3*, 1 Cv3, 5 LH2, [1 Kn3, 4 LH2] or [(before 1102) 1 Kn3, 1 LH2, 2 Sp4, 1 Ps2] or [(after 1102) 4 Sp4, 1 Ps2].

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Last Updated: July 10, 1999

Questions, comments, suggestions welcome. Send them to Chris Brantley at brant@erols.com.