Essex DBA army packs

Medieval Armies DBA Page

Composition of Essex DBA Army Packs

Like many figure manufacturers, Essex sells a number of DBA army packs. Included with each pack is a simple list of the Essex figure codes used to create the army pack.

This figure code information may be useful to people interested in purchasing Essex figures. For one thing, the DBA pack usually does not include all options for a given DBA army. If you know what figure codes are in the army (and have access to an Essex catalog which describes the figure codes) you can use the information to determine the composition of the pre-packaged army. That will allow you to buy the additional packs of figures necessary to field all options for that army.

There are other reasons that the information might be useful. Some armies span period of great change in armour and weapons. The Early Imperialist DBA army, for example, runs from 1100 to 1450 AD. In AD 1100 armies were using kite shields, simple helms with nasals, and mail. Heraldry hadn't really developed yet. In 1275 (half-way through the Early Impy period) horses wore full cloth barding covered with heraldry, knights wore flat-top great helms and long heraldic tabards. And by 1450, the end of the Early Imperial army list, many horses were fully armoured in plate, and men-at-arms could be outfitted in full white harness (plate armour from head to foot). Naturally enough, when you buy an Early Imperialist DBA army, you might want to know whether you are getting a version from 1100, 1275, 1450, or anywhere in between -- the figures will look nothing alike!

Finally, the figure-code information can be useful as advice in what figure packs to use in composing your own DBA army for a given period. Perhaps the most precious resource for us, and the most difficult to find, is advice on what figure codes are appropriate for a given army, and what ones are not. Although there are some pitfalls, and care should be used, still the list of figures that Essex uses to compose a given DBA army pack serves as reasonable advice on what Essex figure codes are appropriate. Whether it is picking an appropriate command pack for your Sub-Roman British (SXA1 from the Saxon range is the inference given below in the army list) or figuring out what Light Horse figures would work for your Early Imperial Equitaes Mauriae, the information below might be useful.

Warning!

This information is typed directly off the lists that came supplied with Essex DBA armies. It is likely that the composition of Essex army packs is sometimes changed, as new figure codes are created, old ones remoulded, or as the DBA army lists change. Further, many of these lists seem to be a little out-of-date: the Viking list shown, for example, describes many of the Viking units as Warband (which they may have been in DBA1.0), not Blades (as they are listed in DBA1.1).

Errors in transcription are possible, even likely. Some of the data was scanned, and scanners are notorious for hard-to-catch minor errors. Other errors are also possible -- at least one DBA pack seems to have the wrong number of figures (where a full DBA army couldn't be made from it). I have also spotted other oddities. For example, army #75 is clearly made to be army #75a (Early Saxon); there is no listing for army #75b (Middle Anglo Saxon). I am told that this corresponds to the difference between the army listing from DBA 1.0 and that from DBA 1.1, although I don't possess DBA 1.0 to verify the information.

I have entered this information exactly as it was received. This may include some errors. If you spot any errors, please contact me. I hope this information will be useful, and I'll attempt to keep it accurate, but don't consider it to be the gospel truth.

I'd like to thank (in alphabetical order) Chris Brantley, Steven Goode, Robert Hammond, Larry Nellinger Jr., Ian Schofield, Konstantine Triambelas, Colin Troup, Colin Van Dongen, and Jim Wright, for their assistance in creating this compilation.

Without more discussion, here is the information I have so far on the composition of some DBA army packs. The text below is verbatim from the army list sheet, including any explanatory text. Note that numerous Essex DBA army list compositions are missing; if you can help me fill any gaps please contact me at kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu

Essex DBA Army Pack Index

#1 Sumerian & Akkadian
#2 Old/Mid Kingdom Egyptian
#3 Nubian
#4a Early Libyan
#4b Early Syrian
#5 Midianite Arab
#8a Hyksos
#8b Early Canaanite
#9 Hittite
#10 Mycenean & Minoan
#11 New Kingdom Egyptian
#12 Assyrian
#14a Sea Peoples
#15b Later Canaanite, etc.
#18a New Babylonian
#18b Elamite
#18c Mede
#20 Libyan Egyptian
#21a Early Indian
#21b Kushan
#23 New Assyrian
#24a Early Hoplite Greek
#24b Early Spartan
#24c Early North Greek (1)
#24c Early North Greek (2)
#25 Skythian & Hsiung Nu
#26 Illyrian
#27 Thracian
#28a Early Achaemenid
#30a Tullian Roman
#31a Early Carthaginian
#31b Later Carthaginian
#32 Later Hoplite Greek
#33 Later Achaemenid
#34 Syracuse
#35 Gallic
#36 Alexandrian Macedonian
#37 Alexandrian Empire
#38a Antigonid
#38b Eumenid
#39 Lysimachid
#40 Macedonian Successor
#41a Early Seleucid
#41b Late Seleucid
#42a Early Ptolemaic
#42b Late Ptolemaic
#43 Pyrrhic
#44 Armenian
#45 Galatian
#46a Camillan Roman
#46b Polybian Roman
#47 Hellenistic Greek
#48 Pergamene
#49 Later Macedonian
#50 Bactrian Greek
#51 Parthian
#52 Spanish
#53 Numidian
#54 Han Chinese
#55a Early Rhoxolani, etc.
#55b Bosporan
#55c Late Sarmatian
#57 Early German
#59 Marian Roman

#60 Ancient British
#61 Scots Irish
#62 Chinese Border Nomads
#63 Blemye or Nobades
#64 Early Imperial Roman (1)
#64 Early Imperial Roman (2)
#65 Moorish
#67 Caledonian & Pictish (1)
#67 Caledonian & Pictish (2)
#69 Mid. Imperial Rome (1)
#69 Mid. Imperial Rome (2)
#70 Early Goth
#73a Early Sassanid
#73b Later Sassanid
#74 Early Frankish, etc.
#75 Early Saxon, etc.
#76 Palmyran
#77a Late Roman (West)
#77b Late Roman (East)
#79 Hun (1)
#79 Hun (2)
#80 Later Visigoth
#81 Patrician Roman
#82 Sub-Roman British
#83a Medieval Hindu
#83b Moslem Indian
#84 Vandal
#85 Gepid or Lombard
#86 Early Byzantine
#87 Early Bulgar
#88 Italian Ostrogothic
#89 Slav
#90 Avar (1)
#90 Avar (2)
#91 Maurikian Byzantine
#92 Welsh (1)
#92 Welsh (2)
#93 Khazar
#94 Ghuzz
#95 T'ang & Five Dyn. China
#96 Arab Conquest
#97 Tibetan
#99 Thematic Byzantine
#100 Arab Empire
#101a East Sudanese
#102a Later Frankish (1)
#102a Later Frankish (2)
#102b Breton
#102c Norman
#103 Andalusian
#104 Feudal Spanish
#105 Aztec
#106 Viking
#107 Magyar
#108 Russ
#109 Pecheneg
#111 Pre-Feudal Scots
#112 Norse-Irish
#113 Anglo-Danish
#114 Khitan Liao
#115 Ghaznavid
#116 Sung Chinese
#117 Nikephorian Byzantine
#118 Fatimid Egyptian

#119 Early Hungarian
#120 W. Sudanese
#121 Georgian
#122 Early Polish
#123 Communal Italian
#124 Seljuk Turk
#125 Berber
#126 Papal Italian
#128 Scots Isles & Highlands
#129 Early Russian
#130 Cuman
#131a Early Med. Scandanavian
#131b Later Med. Scandanavian
#133 Comnenan Byzantine
#134 Anglo-Norman
#135 Sicilian
#136 Early Imperialist
#137 Feudal French
#138 Early Crusader (1)
#138 Early Crusader (2)
#139 Medieval Syrian
#140 Scots Common
#141 Later Crusader
#142a Early Serbian
#142b Later Serbian
#143 Ayyubid Egyptian
#144 Anglo-Irish
#145 Feudal English
#146 Khwarizmian
#147 Later Bulgar
#148a Prussian or Estonian
#149 Later Polish
#150 Inca
#151 Teutonic Order
#152 Romanian Frank
#153 Theodoran Byzantine
#154 Mongol
#155 Grenadine
#156 Navarre
#157 Post Mongol Russian
#158 Mamluk Egyptian (1)
#158 Mamluk Egyptian (2)
#159a Ilkhanid
#160a Early Ottoman
#160b Later Ottoman
#161a Early Swiss
#161b Later Swiss
#162a Knights of St. John/Cyprus
#162b Knights of St. John/Rhodes
#163 Low Countries
#164 Medieval Irish
#165 Catalan Co.
#166 Later Hungarian
#167 Later Imperialist
#168 100 Y.W. English
#169 Italian Condotta
#170 Medieval French
#171 Medieval Spanish
#172 Free Company
#173 Early Burgundian
#176 Hussite
#177 Scanderbeg Albanian
#178 French Ordonnance
#179 Wars of the Roses
#180 Burgundian Ordonnance

Essex Army Pack Composition

#1 Sumerian

#2 Old and Mid. Kingdom Egyptian

#3 Nubian

#4a Early Libyan

#4b Syrian

#5 Midianite Arab

#8a Hyksos

#8b Early Canaanite

#9 Hittite

#10 Mycenean and Minoan

#11 New Kingdom Egyptian

#12 Assyrian

#14a Sea Peoples

#15b Later Canaanaite, etc.

#18a New Babylonian

#18b Elamite

#18c Mede

#21A Early Indian

#23 New Assyrian

#24a Early Hoplite Greek

#24b Early Spartan

#24C Early North Greek (1)

#24C Early North Greek (2)

#25 Skythian

#26 Illyrian

#27 Thracian

#28a Early Achaemenid Persian

#30a Tullian Roman

#3la Early Carthaginian

#3lb Later Carthaginian

#32 Later Hoplite Greek

#33 Later Achaemenid Persian

#34 Syracusan

#35 Gallic

#36 Alexandrian Macedonian

#37 Alexandrian Emp.

#38A Antigonid

#38b Eumenid

#39 Lysimachid

#40 Macedonian Early Successor

#41a Early Seleucid

#4lb Late Seleucid

43 Pyrrhic

#45 Galatian

14 AGB6 Wb.

#46a Camillan Roman

#46b Polybian Roman

#49 Later Macedonian

#50 Bactrian Greek

#51 Parthian

#52 Spanish

#53 Numidian

#54 Han Chinese

#57 Early German

#59 Marian Roman

#60 Ancient British

#61 Scots Irish

#62 Chinese Border Nomads

#64 Early Imperial Roman (1)

#64 Early Imperial Roman (2)

#67 Caledonian & Pictish (1)

#67 Caledonian & Pictish (2)

#69 Mid. Imperial Rome (1)

#69 Mid. Imperial Rome (2)

#70 Early Goth

#73a Early Sassanid

#73b Later Sassanid

#74 Early Frankish

#75 Early Saxon
[Ed. note: this seems to correspond to figures to compose army #75a, not #75b]

#76 Palmyran

#77a Late Roman (West)

#77b Late Roman (East)

#79 Hun (1)

#79 Hun (2)

#80 Later Visigoth

#81 Patrician Roman

#82 Sub-Roman British

#86 Early Byzantine

#87 Bulgar

#89 Slav

#90 Avar (1)

#90 Avar (2)

#91 Maurikian Byzantine

#92 Welsh (1)

#92 Welsh (2)

#95 T'ang & Five Dynasties China

#96 Arab Conquest

#99 Thematic Byzantine

#100 Arab Empire

#101a East Sudanese

#102a Frankish (1)

#102a Frankish (2)

#102b Breton

#102c Norman

#104 Feudal Spanish

#106 Viking

#107 Magyar

#108 Russ

#109 Pecheneg

#111 Pre Feudal Scottish

#112 Norse Irish

#113 Anglo Danish

#114 Khitan Liao

#115 Ghaznavid

#116 Sung Chinese

#117 Nikephoran Byzantine

#118 Fatimid Egyptian

#120 West Sudanese

#124 Seljuk Turkish

#125 Berber

Two separate makeups for this army pack have been reported; I list them both below.

#128 Scots Isles & Highlands

#133 Comnenan Byzantine

#134 Anglo-Norman

#135 Sicilian

#136 Early Imperialist

#137 Feudal French

#138 Early Crusader (1)

#138 Early Crusader (2)

#139 Medieval Syrian

#140 Scots Common

#141 Later Crusader

#143 Ayyubid

#144 Anglo-Irish

#145 Feudal English

#146 Khwarizmian

#147 Later Bulgar

#149 Later Polish

#150 Inca

#151 Teutonic Order

#153 Theodoran Byzantine

#154 Mongol

#155 Grenadine - note that this seems to be short 4 Lh figs.

#156 Navarrese

#157 Post Mongol Russian

#158 Mameluk Egyptian (1)

#158 Mameluk Egyptian (2)

#160a Early Ottoman

#160b Later Ottoman

#161a Early Swiss

[Ed. Note: the DBA1.1 list gives no pike elements to this army]

#161b Later Swiss

#162a Knights of St. John (Cyprus)

#162b Knights of St. John (Rhodes)

#163 Low Countries

#164 Medieval Irish

#166 Later Hungarian

#167 Later Imperialist

#168 100 Y. W. English

#169 Italian Condotta

#170 Medieval French

#171 Medieval Spanish

#172 Free Company

#173 Early Burgundian

#176 Hussite

#177 Scanderberg Albanian

#178 French Ordonnance

#179 War of the Roses English

#180 Burgundian Ordonnance

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What's New

Nov 26, 1999. Added #34 (Syracusan) thanks to Colin Van Dongen.

Feb. 1, 1999. Added listings for #15b, 146, 149, 155, 156, 157, 176, and 177, thanks to Ian Schofield.

Jan. 26, 1999. Added listings for #101a, #104, #118, #120, #125, #136, #137, #138-1 and #138-2, #141, and #143, thanks to Colin Troup.

Jan. 20, 1999. Added alternative listing for #128, and new listings for #140 and #144, thanks to Colin Troup.

Dec. 21, 1998. Added most currently offered Essex army packs to the index. Added pack compositions for many of the rest of the armies available: 1-44, 52, most of 100-180 (big gaps in the range 118-143).

Page Created: December 18, 1998. Armies 45-99 covered.

Please contact David Kuijt at kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu with any comments or corrections. You are free to use the information on this page in any way you like.