Hello! For those of you curious about the title, that is the name of the 9th-Age sub-continent occupied by various human empires that have had to ward off invasion attempts by the Ogre Khans, and occupations by Highborn empire. Now they have thrown off those shackles, and are carving out a niche for themselves, and the earthly representatives of their gods.

So to sum it up...it's India. It's fantasy India.

For those wanting to read in more detail, check out this exert below:




Now onto the main question, why make a homebrew about this civilisation? Well first, for fun. I like the idea of armies of humans+mythical creatures together in one force, and I also like a lot of military units that were used throughout India. But also I would like to make something fun for people to play with, and to cut my chops a bit in more armybook creation.

Next question, what do I expect from posting this? Well, I hope people will have some fun with this book, and play it. It might be a bit much to expect 100+ pages of support like the Nippon book...but we can dream. Oh! And I would like to post links to companies that make models for this kind of army, if some people really want to get into it.

Is this balanced? I would like it to become balanced...but for now that is not likely. I had to use similar units as a basis for pricing, but that's not going to take into account the many working parts in the army. Which is where you readers come in! Feedback on what's too weak or too strong will really help make this more fun to play with and against. Simple comments, battle reports etc etc. It all helps.

How "finished" is this book? You might open the book and think "wow, there are not that many units in here compared to a LAB". And you are correct. While I do intend to put this army on the rough number of units that other LAB books have, I wanted to first get the armies broad concepts and essentials in the book first, before dabbling outside of it. The same goes for the enchantment sections. Also I have not given the army a hereditary spell yet...I am not good at designing hereditary spells.

Now next question. The Indian sub-continent is a huge place, and there are other human armies in the game, how is this different from playing EoS/KoE/Makhar/Asklanders? And what aspects of India's long military history have been incorporated? Ok, well let's start with where and who. For this I based the armies human units on Western India, namely the plains of Gujarat. Primarily because I have a bit more knowledge of the military there compared to other parts of India, and they so I have more units to pick from. Now onto what makes them different. Firstly I kept away from gunpowder; having this would make the army far too close to EoS. And as for KoE differences...well I wasn't going to stuff the army with 15 flavours of 2+ guys with lances. But rather than go into this in one paragraph, I will be making a couple of posts, breaking down the armies playstyles, and the units in each section and how I *hope* they should be used. So please give me a little time to get those up and running before posting.

But for those wanting to dive right in...DOWNLOAD BELOW

docs.google.com/document/d/1Ck…mygdSWg0/edit?usp=sharing

How does Sagarikadesha play?




The army can loosely be described as a Jack-of-all-Trades army when it comes to unit variety. But in playstyles, it's an army that is mostly focused around combat, with some light shooting, but very limited/expensive when it comes to more heavy artillery.

A lot of the units are fairly fast for their type, but not all. So you can build more defensive lists that focus on grinding the opponent down, or reckless rush-down lists that focus on speed and damage but are lacking in the defense department. Or you can mix and match to your hearts content.

There are several monsters to pick from, chief among them being War Elephants. These are like Taurosaurs; in that they are big, powerful, customisable but expensive.

Armour is plentiful in this army. It won't be top of the range, as the army does not have plate armour, but plenty of units have decent armour saves.

The army does lack true chaff, in that all the light units do other things for the army as well. But if you're desperate for something to chuck away to save a unit, it's there.

Unique Weapons:

Chakram



A weapon that pops up on several units in this book. The chakram is a short-ranged weapon that hits multiple targets at the thrower's strength and with an extra point of AP. This is designed more as something for light infantry and light cavalry to harass with, rather than something you can make into a pure ranged list, due to the limited number of units that can take it, and the low range.

Still, the army does need something for combating lists that are...well...better in combat.

They also function as paired weapons in hand-to-hand combat as well, giving some reason for the unit to get into a fight eventually.

Khanda



A massive heavy sword with a handle just long enough to hold it with both hands, it's not for cutting your opponent but folding them under the weight of its impact.

The Khanda represents the army very appropriately, flexible, but mostly geared towards combat. Various units have it, so do give it a go.

Raj



This is your main guy when it comes to keeping order in the army. The Raj is similar to the EoS Marshal, in that he's a pretty standard human in the stats department. What makes him different though is he is very charismatic, giving him higher discipline than you would expect.

He also has a larger Enchantment allowance. Sagarikadesha is really big on its religion and religious artifacts, so the Raj can carry around more of them.

His mount options are the widest as well, making him very flexible when it comes to choosing his role in the army. He can keep up with most of the cavalry units, chariots or pay out the big bucks and buy an elephant.


Brahman



On the surface, your standard spellcaster with no bells and whistles. But the Brahman is very important, as their focus determines how your army is constructed. The Asura and Deva sections will change based on the paths of magic your Brahman take, so keep that in mind during list construction.

Brahman can be given a horse to help them keep up if you are playing a more aggressive list. Or you can go super defensive and buy them an elephant for maximum protection.


Naga Queen



The more unusual option. Naga are a combat powerhouse choice, and the Queen's many arms give her the ability to use all her combat weapons at once. She is very creepy to look at though, so does not offer much when it comes to discipline.

Naga Queens are for those building more aggressive lists. And she can be made even stronger by providing her with a chariot or elephant mount. Don't think of putting her on a horse though...she will squash the poor thing.

Rajput Infantry



Your mainline infantry. These guys are better trained and equipped than other human equivalents, but that is more due to the Sagarikadesha lacking a true elite infantry unit. So you get a compromise here.

Rajputs can be equipped with spears for a nice anti-cavalry option. Or you can give them the armies signature sword, the Khanda, and turn them into almost the opposite.

They can also be armed with bows, if you are more interested in having a defensive back-line (and killing elves). Although you are limited in numbers for this.


Chakram Throwers



A light infantry unit that is built to handle other infantry. Since their weapons cut through people and into the person behind, these guys are good at whittling down numbers if you are heavily outnumbered, then slinking away to avoid retaliation.

They are very frail though, so keep an eye on them.


Rajput Cavalry



Rajput Infantry...but mounted. Probably about time to talk about the "Elven Crossbreed". To demonstrate in the army that the Sagarikadesha people were once occupied by the Highborn Elves, I decided to show that after throwing the shackles off, some elven horses were kept as spoils of war, and this limited number were crossed with local breeds to create a horse that was faster than the usual human ones. When it comes to this unit, it means Rajput Cavalry have an edge when it comes to charging over the competition.

They can choose from lances or Khanda, so you can go for a more traditional cavalry weapon, or go for something more flexible that works on and off the charge.


Pazu Cultists



A hyper-aggressive unit, these guys you actually want to run out of control. I'm still working out the kinks with this unit, so I would like help testing them.

Desert Horsemen



Your light cavalry option. These guys are fast, albeit lightly armoured even by light cavalry standards. But they can be equipped with a variety of weapons, such as pretty decent bows, chakrams or light lances.

Starting at 8 models, you do get a lot for your points, so try to use these guys to harass and remove problematic units like war machines or light infantry.


Border Guards



A second special cavalry choice. Border Guards are technically large cavalry, but function like standard ones. They are tougher than the Rajputs, but lack armour.

They do have a wide array of weapon options, and don't mind getting stuck in for longer fights due to their resilience and much stronger mount. This pairs well with the camel's lower charge range over the elven crossbreed, but much longer march distance.

The camels also smell. Really really bad. Horses hate them, and so Border Guards are a really interesting anti-cavalry-cavalry option. Even if you hurt enemy horses with bows, they will not like it.

Border Guards make great scoring darts, or large units with a Raj inside. Play them how you see fit.


Ratha



These are light chariots, pretty swift and able to do damage at range and then up close with the Khanda swords. While they do have a decent armour save, they are only res4, so not as tough as other chariots.


Pazu Cultist Cavalry



The same guys as Pazu Cultists, except mounted on the elephant-lion monsters known as Yali. These are much hardier than the infantry version, relying on their high resistance to carry them until they can hit combat. While these guys can go crazy as well, their longer charge range makes them more likely to run off somewhere you don't want them to.


Naga



Naga are similar to Gorgons, but lack the petrifying gaze and Aegis. But what they lack in ranged damage and defense they make up for in combat damage and higher armour thanks to a combination of their shield and hard scales.

These are shock units, built to go in and make a mess of things. But they are more expensive for this.


War Elephant



The main monster of the army. War Elephants are pretty fast, tough and decently hard-hitting. What makes them different is how customisable they are, with the option to make them better offensively, defensively or to give them the only source of artillery in the army. Perhaps 500+ points for a cannon is expensive, but there are few options when it comes to such firepower in the Sagarikadesha army.


Vimana



A strange floating castle. This is what you get if you took the cannon off the Steam Tank, and replaced it with a giant propeller. And really that's kind of what it does. It flies around, and rams into units, hoping to grind them down. The random movement makes it great for defending a flank, but you only get one of them. So choose wisely.

Firstly, a word on Deva & Asura units. These guys do not like each other, and while you can field both in an army, you won't have many of either due to their intense hatred.

But if there is only one of each you want, then you are freely able to do so.

If you want a bunch from one section though, you can alter it via your Brahman's path of magic choices and change the limits.

Asura are malevolent and greedy. They all have Frenzy, and will generally have stats leaning towards offense over defense.

Deva meanwhile are the opposite, with their stats leaning towards defense over offense, and they all have Divine Attacks, to demonstrate their constant fighting with the Asura.

Asura:


Dakini Duelists





Anti-infantry-infantry, these are kind of like Succubi, but angrier.


Rakshasa Prowlers



This is the best standard infantry unit available to the Sagarikadesha army. They fight with claw, horn and halberd, and still have plenty of defense to get them into combat relatively safely.

They are not cheap though, and do get road-blocked by units with parry.


Rakshasa Devourers



The can-opener of the army. Rakshasa Devourers are massive flesh-gorged versions of the previous unit, that wield huge maces into battle. Their strength is immense, matched only by their ferocity and their ability to tear through metal like tissue-paper!


Vrita Serpent



While it has rage, this is not a giant, but a giant snake. The Vrita Serpent is hard-hitting although a bit worse defensively, but combined with rage, this is hardly a major downside.

Its serpentine body means it also does not care about taking damage through terrain. So feel free to charge this monster in with reckless abandon.

Deva:

Garudas



Similar to furies, these are your back-line hunters. Their combat stats are not bad, so they can be used to charge into flanks if you need the assistance or just to hold things up.


Iron Maruts



Exceedingly hardy infantry, Maruts almost don't care about damage. This is your big stop-sign unit, to block things off and tie them up for ages. As despite being as tough as a cement wall, Maruts do not have great offenses, ironically bouncing off armour themselves.


The Preserver



The big guy of the Deva, this is the polar opposite of the Vrita Serpent. The Preserver likes to walk alongside your other units, protecting them with his unique ability (except Asura, he won't help them). He can also assist from a distance with gigantic chakrams. He is not bad in combat either, being very hard to kill, even though he isn't great at hitting targets with his fists.

He can also help a little with magic.


Now for a list of various models/model companies you can use for this army.
Models:

Raj:

Brahman:

Naga Queen:

Rajput Infantry:

Chakram Throwers:

Rajput Cavalry:

Pazu Cultists:

Desert Horsemen:

Border Guards:
Proxywars Harad Camel Riders

Ratha:

Pazu Cultist Cavalry:

Naga:

War Elephant:

Vimana:

Dakini Dualists:

Rakshasa Prowlers:

Vrita Serpent:

Garudas:

Iron Maruts:

The Preserver:

I have not had a chance yet. But feel free to post your ideas if you come up with something before I do.

Thanks, I'm flattered! I figured that some Indian units, weapons and creatures are a bit more unknown. So needed the images more to convey what is going on. Although...I hope people know what an elephant looks like

I had a comment earlier that the limit was too high together, when it's supposed to represent them hating each other. But if people can show how many of both together you can fit in at different percentages, that would be really helpful.

Yes. It's intended that all the bonuses work on all attacks. Granted if it's too much, the Naga Queen can lose options to make her more manageable. Although remember, she will strike last with all attacks if you give her a Great Weapon.


Also a small update. I did a few layout fixes last night, but also moved the Pazu Cultists to core. Because well, they don't do enough that's special and warrants them being there.

Well Sikhs are actually a religion that came about as a combination of Hindu and Islamic attributes, but then were well known for their tenacity later on.

But if you want the concept of a fearless bearded South Asian man, that's the Pazu Cultists.


Also thanks, forgot to fix that last night. Should be done now.


Later today I am hoping to write some sample lists, so people can get an idea of what can be done with this army.

No. That is the biggest hurdle I am having with this army. I have ruled out it being a damage spell. But haven't got much further than that.

I was thinking that something that changes based on Divine Animosity would be most fitting.

The Asura one works, but the Deva one is ironically an Occultism spell that the army has access to. So perhaps a different effect, but the same concept.

Here is a first list I have crafted. I tried to go without opening the Asura or Deva paths. And just to see what the non-divine parts of the army could do. Although I did slip a unit of Garuda in, because they are great hunters.

It's mostly an aggressive cavalry list, with a unit of spearmen at the back to both fall back on, and protect the (rather kitted out) Brahman. Speaking of, I am testing both Keyur and Rudraskha together, in case together they need dominant.

355 - Raj, General, Elven Crossbreed, Halberd (Trishula, Heaven's Piercer), Kavacha, Ward Against Evil, Rod of Battle
485 - Brahman, Wizard Master, Cosmology, Keyur, Golden Arm Rings, Rudraskha, God's Tears
365 - Naga Queen, Battle Standard Bearer, Halberd, Chakram, Vasuki, Scales of a Dragon, Crystal Ball
350 - 30 Rajput Infantry, Spear, Standard Bearer, Musician, Champion
180 - 10 Chakram Throwers
382 - 11 Rajput Cavalry, Lance, Standard Bearer (Banner of Speed), Musician, Champion
210 - 10 Desert Horsemen, Chakram
210 - 10 Desert Horsemen, Chakram
460 - 15 Border Guards, Halberd, Standard Bearer (Banner of Speed), Musician, Champion
510 - 5 Naga, Standard Bearer, Musician, Champion
475 - War Elephant, Sword Tusks
475 - War Elephant, Sword Tusks
200 - Garuda
4492


Problem is, that overlaps with Divination haha! But still, I think we are in the right ballpark.

Also something else on a slightly different part of the hobby...MODELS!

Or rather, model, as I haven't got enough to show for the rest yet.

Specifically, a WIP model of a mounted Raj.



This model is made from 3 different kits, one of which I have had sitting around for a while. But I think so far he's looking pretty good.