Camels?

**DefenderofFuture** · 03-01-2008, 00:58

Hey, I noticed there's a lack of mounted Camel units in this mod. Were camel-mounted warriors really rare enough that you consider them not worth including? I know they weren't used nearly as often as Vanilla RTW suggests, but I think, at least among pastoral nomads, that dromedary-riding warriors were common enough to have them as a Eleutheroi option.

**Watchman** · 03-01-2008, 01:04

The only ever use of dromedaries as war mounts in the period concerned I know of would be the northern Arabs, who liked to stick an archer atop one and be a real nuisance to their neighbours. A fine tradition that, as they apparently made no small amounts of trouble already for the ancient Israelites and the Assyrians.

Known to have formed part of the Seleukid skirmish line at Magnesia, too. Seen some talk of "swords four cubits long so they might reach their enemies from their high seat" in the context.

That's it, though. Camelids make lousy war-beasts in general far as I know - too stubborn and temperamental probably, and equipped with a rather inconvenient body geometry.

**DefenderofFuture** · 03-01-2008, 11:06

Well, I know that they were used later in history, perhaps it wasn't until the Arab conquests that use became more common. That makes sense, since it seems that the Arabs were more fond of the animals than anyone else. I know more about the Arab conquests and the medieval period than Antiquity, especially the time the mod covers. I just assumed that since they were used in combat then, they were used in combat earlier. Even in that period, they weren't terribly common, but probably common enough that, should a game take place between the 600s-1200s, it should probably have them at least as an option, though probably not the best one.

**Watchman** · 03-01-2008, 12:05

The Islamic Conquest period Arabs didn't use them as war mounts even that much, AFAIK.

I think you're confusing their actual main military use - transportation and pack animal - with combat use... In the latter the animals tended to chiefly get used as an obstacle to horses, a "cunnin' plan" apparently already employed by Cyrus the Great to distrupt the Lydian cavalry.

**stupac** · 03-01-2008, 19:26

No offense to you, DefenderofFuture, but seems that camel threads are almost as common as LS threads. From what I've read previously, the cost in model slots would make camels totally impractical in putting in the game, especially for their rarity in the period, though even if they were more common it would probably be a toss up due to the technical limitation.