Byzantine Pythium for LE project

[Nerfix]

Hello

Since there is no Pythium in LE I got the idea to mod it in. Since Pythium represents the East Roman empire a natural evolution of Pythium would be evolution into something of a fantasy Byzantine Empire.

I have so far wrapped up outlines of the concept, including most of their units.

However I lack ideas for light infantry, sacred units and Priest and Mage units since I am not very familiar in byzantine mythology or Orthodox christianity which they practiced. Any help regarding these would be apreciated.

I would also eventually need someone to help me out with the graphics of the mod. Yet again, any help will be apreciated.

What I have so far:

Light Infantry

Peltastoi (Spear, Javelin, Helmet, Leather Cuirass)

Very, very generic.

Medium Infantry

Spathion (Short Sword, Helmet, Skutatoi shield, lamellar cuirass)
Paramerion (Scimitar, Helmet, Skutatoi shield, lamellar cuirass)
Kontarion (Long Spear, Helmet, Skutatoi shield, lamellar cuirass)

The mainstay of the "Byzthium" infantry force. Skutatoi shield was described as teardrop/kite shaped shield. Lamellar cuirass is direct quote from my sources, and I don't know how to represent it in games.

Cavalry

Kataphraktoi (Light Lance, Comp bow, Short Sword, small shield, scale mail)
Psiloi Hippeutes (Comp bow, axe, leather armor, helmet)
Psiloi Katapraktoi (Javelins, axe, leather armor, helmet)

Ahhh, the Cataprachts, the scale mailed fist of Byzthium force. They were apparently very powerful and important in real life. The Psiloi units are light cavalry.

Varangians

Varangian Guard (Heavy Axe, Helmet, lamellar cuirass)

Propably everyone who knows a bit of Byzantine Empire has heard of the Varangian guard, those russoscandian axe toting bodyguards & trusted men of the emperors. Too significant to pass.

Archers

Toxotai (Comp bow, short sword, leather armor)
Toxotai (Comp bow, short sword, light armor)

Composite bowman. Byzantine battle manuals supposedly recommended giving "light armor" to archers, but this of course wasn't possible. I thought of making light armored archers some sort of elite archers.

Commanders

Scout (Comp bow, short sword, leather armor)
Assasin (Short sword, poison dagger, leather cuirass)
Drungarios (Short Sword, Helmet, Skutatoi shield, lamellar cuirass)
Kentarchos (Short Sword, Helmet, Skutatoi shield, lamellar cuirass)
Manglavites (Heavy axe, Helmet, lamellar cuirass)
Catapract Commander (Comp bow, Short Sword, small shield, scale mail

Scout and Assasins are rather run the mill stuff. Byzantine empire was supposedly full of plotting so the assasins fit. Drungarios are 40 man commanders, Kentarchos 120 man commanders. Manglavite is a Varangian commander and Catapract Commander is, suprise suprise, a Catapract commanders.

Comments are apreciated.

EDIT: One idea I had was splitting the "Theurgs" into Priests with Astral and mages with Air/Water/suitable randoms.

[Endoperez]

LA combines priests and magic pretty often, but they rarely are good in both. Something like the Astral equivalent of Anathemant Dragons could be very interesting, however. I don't know about the other paths, but both Death and Blood are probably totally out. If Astral is based around the clergy, the mages won't be as powerful in it. That leaves Nature, and the elements. Three or four out of those, with two (in addition to Astral) with starting level 2, 3 with proper random, seems to be the norm... But it'll be easier to think of that once you get the game. It'll be easier to finish this mod if you do some of the work (writing stats for the units) now that you have lots of spare time.

[Nerfix]

Hmm, Nature magic, interesting, I'll have to think about it. After reading around a bit about Orthodox christianity I am forming an image what the Priests could be like. So that's progress.

But yes, I will write the unit stats ready. Now I only need to think up of mages and holy units.

[Agrajag]

I say you should make the Ancient Hebrew mod before the Byzantine Pyhtium mod

[Nerfix]

Agrajag said:
I say you should make the Ancient Hebrew mod before the Byzantine Pyhtium mod

I think IW is working on something like that themselves.

But if not, I'll make both.

[Daynarr]

Actually, I think IW has plans for BOTH.