Numidian Infantry vs Ancient Horse Archers: 28mm Tactics

By Victrix Limited 28mm miniatures | Published: 2026-11-04

Category: Vergleiche

Compare Numidian Infantry and Ancient Horse Archers for 28mm Ancients. Learn skirmish tactics, army composition, and which unit fits your playstyle.

Quick answer

Choose Numidian Infantry for flexible skirmish screens that can also form up as line troops; choose Ancient Horse Archers for fast, mobile harassment and army-wide mobility. If you want one box to anchor a skirmish-focused force, start with Numidian Infantry; if your plan relies on cavalry maneuver and allies, start with Horse Archers.

How the two units play differently on the table

Numidian Infantry gives you a 24-figure set with arm and head options, plus a choice between round shields for skirmishing and scutum-style shields for formed line duty. That duality means one unit can switch roles between games or even within a campaign, but you must decide during assembly which shield style to model or find a way to swap.

Ancient Horse Archers provides 12 riders with separate torsos and legs, letting you build a uniform cavalry force or vary poses across the unit. The set is designed for Scythian, Parthian, or Sarmatian armies and can also serve as allied horsemen for Persian, Greek, or Macedonian forces. That makes it a strong choice for players who want a mobile contingent that fits multiple army lists.

The key trade-off: flexibility vs speed

Numidian Infantry offers role flexibility at the cost of assembly decisions. You get many poses and shield options, but the unit's tabletop behavior depends on how you build it. Horse Archers offer speed and reach, but their impact is concentrated in harassment and flanking rather than holding ground.

If your meta rewards board control and objective holding, Numidian Infantry's ability to form up as line troops is valuable. If your meta rewards early pressure and disrupting enemy plans, Horse Archers' mobility is hard to match.

When to mix both in one army

You do not have to choose. A combined force of Numidian Infantry as a skirmish screen and Horse Archers as a fast flanking element covers both board control and mobile threat. The infantry can hold objectives or form a reserve line while the cavalry harasses flanks and forces your opponent to spread out.

This approach works best in larger games where you can afford both units and have space to maneuver. In small skirmish games, one unit type is often enough, and doubling down on either speed or flexibility will give you a clearer plan.

Trade-offs at a glance

Numidian Infantry: role flexibility: You can build them as skirmishers with round shields or as formed line troops with scutum-style shields. This lets one box cover two distinct battlefield roles, but you must commit to a shield style during assembly unless you magnetize or buy extra shields. Decide your primary role before gluing shields.
Horse Archers: mobility and reach: Cavalry movement lets you threaten flanks and rear areas early, but horse archers are not designed to hold ground in melee. Use them to harass, delay, and draw off enemy units rather than to anchor a defensive line. Pair them with a solid infantry core to hold objectives.
Army composition: one box or both?: For a small force, pick the unit that matches your preferred style: infantry for control, cavalry for pressure. For larger games, take both: Numidian Infantry as a screen or reserve, Horse Archers as a mobile strike force. If you cannot decide, start with Numidian Infantry for flexibility, then add Horse Archers later.

Product facts

Ancient Horse Archers: Includes 12 Horse Archers with separate torsos and legs. Separate parts let you vary poses across the unit without converting, so you can build a natural-looking cavalry force straight from the box.
Ancient Horse Archers
Numidian Infantry: 24-figure set with multiple arm and head options and a choice of round or scutum-style shields. The shield choice determines whether the unit functions as skirmishers or formed troops, so plan your build around the role you need most.
Numidian Infantry

Which should you choose?

Best for

Players who want one box that can serve as skirmishers or line infantry
Generals who prefer reactive, objective-based play with plenty of model options
Anyone building a Numidian, Carthaginian, or allied army that needs flexible light troops

Not for

Players who want a purely cavalry force with minimal assembly decisions
Those who need fast, hard-hitting shock cavalry rather than harassment units
Gamers who dislike deciding a unit's role at the assembly stage