Fresh off the Painting Table

Over the next few months I will be play-testing my revised Comitatus rules. One battle I wish to play is Dasymon (aka Anzen or Amorion). This was a clash between the Byzantines and Arabs in 838. Our group has most of the figures we need but one contingent is missing — the Khurrami Persians who fought on the Byzantine side.

The Khurramis were a Persian religious sect that mixed Zoroastrianism with Shia Islam. Known as the “red wearing ones” they were bitter enemies of the Abbasid Caliphate. My unit is therefore painted in various shades of red with complementary colours of green and yellow.

The figures are a mix of Gripping Beast, Footsore and Perry. The Khurramis were most likely heavy cavalry archers. As they were fighting with the Byzantines some have Byzantine equipment alongside Persian and Arab kit.

The leader of the Khurramis was Nasr who converted to Christianity and was baptised as 'Theophobos' and then fought alongside the Byzantines at Dasymon. This is his Comitatus. The figures are Gripping Beast Persians and Byzantines.

I decided on a blue and orange colour scheme for no better reason than it looks good. As Theophobos had converted to Christianity he would not necessarily have worn the red clothing associated with the Khurrami religious sect.