This army has been a long time in the planning. Specifically, I’ve wanted to get the Samanid option (III/43c). I was thinking of getting it for DBA 2.2 at least as early as 2010 (see here ). Back then the Samanids had the option of an elephant; they don’t now, though this army can morph into Ghaznavids very easily.
What follows is for the Samanids, though I could in time deploy the other two Khurasan armies.
The army arrayed.
The elite of the army is its cavalry, two elements of ghulams and one of noble cavalry, who were equipped similarly. These are Legio Heroica figures from the Syrian army.
The cavalry.
The core of the army is its foot, three elements each of spear and of bow. The bow could be Ps, but I’ve only painted the solid bow. These are Khurasan figures.
The spearmen.
The archers.
The remainder of the army is an element of Khurasanian horse archers, an element either of Turkish horse archers or Dailami foot (4Ax) and an element of slingers (Ps) or peasant levies (7Hd). Of these, I’m likely to favour the 4Ax over the LH and the Ps over the 7Hd. However, the options are available from the Syrian army. All but the horse archers, which are Essex, are Khurasan figures.
Slingers, Dailami foot and Khurasan horse archers.
The camp.
This army can take a number of allies. The most useful are the Central Asian Turkish (III/11b) and the Dailami armies (III/58c). They can even take both of these together. The Turks add more LH (and could be deployed using Syrian Turkomen) and even Mtd-3Bw on Bactrian camels. The Dailami provide more 4Ax (which I have the unpainted figures for).
I also have figures for Indians and Ghaznavid elephants so that I could deploy the other Khurasanian armies and the Ghaznavids.
Hesperiana 