This page collects information and resources to help DBA gamers interested in fielding "Armies of the Americas" from the large, well-organized empires of the Aztecs and Incas, to the elusive Moundbuilders of North America, and their various foes.

The official "American" DBA Army Lists

III/22. Maya
III/41. Dog Peoples & Pueblo Cultures
III/58. Toltec

IV/9. Eastern Forest American
IV/10. Mound-Builder American
IV/11. North-Western American
IV/19. Tarascan or Toltec-Chichimec
IV/29. Tupi
IV/53. Mixtec or Zapotec
IV/63. Aztec
IV/70. Chanca
IV/71. Chimu
IV/72. Amazonian
IV/81 Inca

Unofficial "American" DBA Army Lists

Unofficial or "variant" lists are not sanctioned for use in regular DBA tournaments, however, in many cases, you can represent one army by using the official list of the other. Variants are also provided for use in DBA campaign gaming and to add color to personal gaming.

North America

• Inuit/Eskimo
• Plains Indians

Central America & Carribean

• Caribs/Arawak
• Coluacan (use IV/19)
• Tlaxcalan (use IV/19)
• Totonac (use IV/19)
• Otomi (use IV/29)
• Chiapas
• Huaxtecs
(use IV/63)
• Chinantecs

South American

• Guarani (foe of the Tupi and Inca)(or use IV/29)
• Araucana (Mapuche) (foe of the Inca)

European Invaders

• Spanish Conquest (variant)
• Vikings (III/40b)
• Welsh (III/19c)

In the Spring 2001 issue of Time Portal Hobbies, Rudy Scott Nelson provides background and proposed DBA army lists for North American Indians (via MagWeb link, subscriber only).

Indians in the Brazilwood: 16th Century Conflict in the Americas, by Ian Health, and courtesy of Foundry, provides background on the Tupi.

DBA Period/Variant Rules

Steven Thomas' DBA in the New World, is an adaptation of DBA covering the Spanish and Portugese conquests in the Americas.

Campaigns

In addition to the Aztec Empire campaign provided in the DBA rule book, the following are suggested campaigns featuring the full range of American armies:

• Empire of the America's: Mound-Builders (IV/10), Pueblo Cultures (III/41), Aztecs (IV/63), Mayas (III/22), Inca (IV/81), Tupi (III/29)

• The Empire of the Aztecs (c.1490): Aztecs (IV/63), Tlaxcala (IV/19), Tarascans (IV/19), Mixtecs (IV/53), Zapotecs (IV/53), Chicimec (III/41).

• Rise of the Mississippians: Cahokia (IV/10), Natchez/Muskogee (IV/10), Lanape/Iroquois (IV/9), Cherokee (IV/9), North-Western American (IV/11), Anasazi (III/41).

• The Empire of the Incas: Inca (IV81), Chanca (IV/70), Chimu (IV/71), Mapuche (IV/71), Guarani (IV/72), Amazonian (IV/72)

The following blank maps can be used to develop DBA-style campaign maps:

• Mesoamerica (small)
• Mesoamerica (medium)
• Mesoamerica (large)
• South America (small)
• South America (large)

Finding Suitable Miniatures For Your DBA Army of the Americas

• John Garvey's South American Wargames Site (including 15mm Figure Review).

• Rudy Scott Nelson's Tips on Finding Appropriate Minatures for Ancient North American Indians.

• David Kuijt's Aztecs and Enemies features shots of David's Aztec army, his amazing scratch-built temple, and links to other sites of interest.

• Essex has an extensive Aztec range, including figures suitable for Otomi (AZ10-11).  The best suited 15mm figures for Chicimec/Dog Peoples and Pueblo Cultures are the Essex Aztec Common Warriors (AZ13-AZ16).

• Eureka Miniatures has an outstanding range of 28mm Aztecs and a small range of 15mm Amazonians, and an outstanding range of 15mm and 28mm Hawaiians with 15mm North West American Indians and Moundbuilders on the way.  Here is a shot of Eureka's Moundbuilder Great Sun litter by Paul Hannah.

• Gladiator has an highly detailed range of 15mm Mayans, Tlaxcallans (suitable for IV/19 Tarascan or Toltec-Chichimec), Mixtec/Zapotec, and Aztecs carved by master Josef Ochman.

• Falcon UK has an extensive range of Armies of Central and South America (including Aztecs/Mexica, Maya, Inca, Chimor, Andeans and Tupi).  Check the catalogs at Quartermaster.

• Falcon USA's 15mm French and Indian War range includes a blister of "Indians w/native weapons" (i.e. no muskets), which are recommended by Rudy Scott Nelson for NE Woodlands Indians tribes.

• Gallia Miniatures's 15mm American Frontier range to the theme list of figure suppliers. It is geared toward the 18th century eastern Indian-fighting period and includes "Eastern Forest" Indians with spears, clubs, bows, and tomahawks.

• Grumpy's Miniatures offers South American Tupis, which are available through East Riding Miniatures and Eureka

• The London War Room is launching a collection of 28mm American Indians (1200-1800 AD) starting with Tupi and Apache (with spears and stone-headed axes).

• Miniature Figurines (MiniFigs) offers a range of 15mm Aztecs and Incas, including specialty figures such as Otomi, Tlaxcallan, Quecha, Colla, and others, as well as a chieftain in litter.

• M.Y. Miniatures (Mick Yarrow) offers an Ancient American Indians range.  According to Michael Sims:  "The Indians were designed for IV/9 Eastern Forest American and are naked, apart from a loincloth. There are just three packs in the range: Warband, Bows and Command. All come with various weapons and a couple of different poses, including a shaman holding aloft a severed head."  The Ancient Americans range also includes Inuit/Eskimos.

• Outpost Wargames Services has released a range of 28mm Aztecs.

• For Eastern Forest Indians, also look for Indians armed with traditional weapons (i.e. no guns) from French & Indian War and Seven Years War ranges available from Falcon UK, Falcon USA, Essex (SYF33), and others.  Similarly, Irregular's AWI range includes Mohicans.

• Naismith Miniatures sells Aztecs, Mayans and Incas, and has a viable chief with litter, as well as Inca war dogs.

• Tin Soldier Miniatures has a range of Aztecs.

• Bolt Action Miniatures carries the 15mm llamas (done by Simon Bargery/Bend Sinister Miniatures) with and without packs.

Special Terrain Pieces for Your DBA Army of the Americas

For inspiration, here are artists renderings of the Aztec capitol at Tenochtitlan, the Moundbuilder's capital at Cahokia, whose main temple mound was bigger than the largest Egyptian pyramid, and a Chaco Canyon Pueblo in the American Southwest.

• Miniature Worldmaker sells a flexible Meso-American temple compound that is designed for use as a DBA BUA.
• Grendel's 25mm Historical Scenics range includes some interesting Aztec and Olmec pieces suitable for camp and BUA scenes.

Historical/Wargaming References

There are several titles available through the De Bellis Bookstore that may be helpful in learning more about pre-Modern warfare in the Americas, especially Ian Health's Armies of the Aztec and Inca Empires, Other Native Peoples of the Americas, and the Conquistadores (Armies of the Sixteenth Century) (Foundry Books, July 2001). 

Also available are the following Osprey references:

• American Plains Indians (Men-at-Arms 163)
• American Woodland Indians (Men-at-Arms 228)
• Aztec, Mixtec and Zapotec Armies (Men-at-Arms 239)
• American Indians of the Southeast (Men-at-Arms 288)
• Tribes of the Sioux Nation (Men-at-Arms 344)
• American Indians of the Pacific Northwest (Men-at-Arms 418)
• Aztec Warrior 1325-1521 AD (Warrior 32)

Karl Gaarsoe offers up some recommendations on books covering SW American Indian Warfare.

Darryl Smith moderates a PreContact Yahoo Discussion Group for Armies of the Americas wargamers.