User blog:Pygmy Hippo 2/Zulu Impi vs. Iberian Caetrati

African warriors don't seem to get as much attention as ones from Europe, Asia, and even North America with three possible exceptions. Egypt, Carthage, and the Zulus but we're looking at the last two's most famous leaders today and more specifically, what infantry they used to forge their legacies with. Whether they were members of their own people or mercenaries, these two tribal warriors had similar weapon sets that they used against the greatest empire of their time.

The Zulu Impi, King Shaka's loyal soldiers who used his tactics to great success after his death against the British!

The Iberian Caetrati, General Hannibal's skilled mercenaries who used underhanded tactics to dominate the Romans!

Zulu Impi
"Up! Children of Zulu, your day has come. Up! And destroy them all."-King Shaka

Primary Combo:Iklwa and Isihlangu

The Zulu's short spear is 41 inches long, weighs 0.9 pounds, is made out of iron and wood, it was capable of thrusting and slashing, and was personally created by Shaka. The Zulu's shield is 20 inches wide, weighs 3 pounds, is made out of wood and ox-hide, could deflect glancing blows, and hook enemy's shields away or knock them off balance.

Throwing Spear:Assegai

The Zulu's light spear can be thrown 60 meters away, is 67 inches long, weighs 1.7 pounds, is made out of iron and wood, and despite being used as a mostly ranged weapon, it could be used for melee combat to stab enemies who got too close.

Blunt Range:Iwisa

The Zulu's throwing club can be thrown at long range, is 31 inches long, weighs 1 pound, is made out of African hardwood, and could be used for clubbing heads at melee distance.

Secondary Melee:Zulu Axe

The Zulu's battle axe is 32 inches long, weighs 2.5 pounds, is made out of iron and wood, and has a half-moon shaped blade for hooking shields and weapons away and the handle could be used for blocking.

Iberian Caetrati
"God has given to man no sharper spur to victory than contempt of death."-General Hannibal

Primary Combo:Falcata and Caetra

The Iberian's curved sword is 26 inches long, weighs 2.5 pounds, is made out of iron and bronze, it was capable of slashing and stabbing, and was personally prized by Hannibal. The Iberian's shield is 12 inches wide, weighs 6.6 pounds, is made out of wood, bronze, and leather, could block seords, spears, and arrows, and had a boss for punching enemies.

Throwing Spear:Soliferrum

The Iberian's heavy javelin can be thrown 30 meters away, is 78 inches long, weighs 7 pounds, is made completely out of iron, and had moldings to keep it in the user's grip before being thrown to penetrate armor and shields with hooks.

Blunt Range:Sling

The Iberian's projectile weapon has a range of 400 meters, 1.4 inch long stone bullets that weigh 0.1 pounds, is made out of flax and leather, and could rival ancient bows in combat.

Secondary Melee:Gladius Hispaniensis

The Iberian's short sword is 33 inches long, weighs 1.9 pounds, is made out of iron and wood, and had a leaf-shaped blade that could cause horrific wounds and grooves in the handle for a better grip.

X-Factors
Armor:The Zulus didn't wear any body armor into battle and relied solely on their Isihlangu shields for protection against enemy weapons. The Iberians wore a short tunic and wide leather belt on their body and some had a bronze heart protector and bronze cap on their heads along with the Caetra shield.

Experience:The Zulus fought other African tribes like the Ndwandwes and the Qwabes but also fought technologically advanced European forces like the Boer Commandos and British army. The Iberians actually fought for both Rome and Carthage although they fought mostly against the Romans in their own territories like Italy, Greece, and Sicily and fought other Iberian peninsula tribes.

Tactics:The Zulus used offensive tactics like the "buffalo horns" formation to encircle and pin enemies with one element while the main one finished them off and one final one to reinforce the army. The Iberians would use concursare fighting to charge and retreat enemies while throwing javelins and shouting at them, supported by ambushes and guerrilla tactics to avoid full contact combat.