Alexander of Epirus - army

[Barritus]

What would be the appropriate list for the army of Alexander of Epirus while campaigning in Italy 334-331BC?

[wayne]

I would say the Alexandrian Macedonian list.

While Alexander the great invaded asia, Alexander of Epirus went west, to Italy in response to a call for help from the citizens of Tarentum.
(He died near Pandosia in Italy, in 331BC, while engaged in war against the Bruttians and Lucanians).

[wayne]

You could also probably use the major state (Greek colony) of Taras in Italy, from the later Hoplite Greek list.

[wayne]

Also, the later Hoplite Greek list, Italiot,  with possibly Taras allies.

[wayne]

When you look at the enemies of the armies in the army list book two, the later Hoplite Greek, Italiot have the #8  Bruttian and Lucanian as an enemy.
So it would seem to be the later Hoplite Greek list is the one you are after.

[Duncan Head]

We don't really know what Alexander's army was like - whether he used the traditional Epeirot irregulars mentioned by Thucydides in the 5th century, whether they'd converted to hoplites, or even whether he had already converted to a Macedonian style. We do have a mention of him fighting at close quarters with sword from horseback at his death (Livy 8.24), and that he enlisted 200 Lucanian deserters, one of whom treacherously killed him. A long time ago (under DBM) I drafted the following for an addition to a Later Hoplite Greek (or Italiote Greek!) list:

Only Taras in 334-330 BC:
Epeirots:
   Convert C-in-c to Alexander of Epeiros - as Epeirot Reg Cv (O) or Reg Kn (F)   1
   Epeirot sub-general - as Epeirot Reg Cv (O) or Reg Kn (F)   0-1
   Epeirot cavalry - all Reg Cv (O) or all Reg Kn (F)   1-2
   Epeirot infantry - all Irr Ax (O), all Reg Ax (O) or all Reg Pk (O)   8-20
   Lucanian deserters - Reg Ax (O) or Reg Ax (S)   1-2
Apulian subject-allies: List - Lucanian, Bruttian or Apulian

Alexander took complete enough control of Taras to be classed as C-in-c; Epeirot and Lucanian troops may not be under a non-Epeirot general. Probably the Kn(F) should be in SBE wedge under DBMM.

I didn't at that time include a hoplite option, but there are Molossian coins showing a blazoned hoplite shield - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Molossi,_Epirus.jpg - so that should be an option.

In short, use the LHG list, choose Taras, and assume some of your hoplites and Cv are Epeirots! That seems to be the best option under the current lists.

[wayne]

With the DBMM army list book#2, the one to use is, the later Hoplite Greek Italiot, with possibly Taras allies.
Reg Cv (O) generals, Reg Sp (I) Hoplites, specialists and mercenaries (Cretans, Slingers, Thracian foot, Greek mercenary cavalry, hoplites, and peltasts).
Also the possible Apulian or Lucanian  troops (Taras allies). Possible, because there was a few hundred, i would probably not use the Taras allies as an option.