Aventine Early Byzantines! Extra Heavy, Heavy and Medium Infantry

[pallard]

Of course yes he did! The great conflict that put both empires to the bridge of collapse, the real cause of islamic success later on. But I was thinking of early post-egirian times.

[Atheling]

Of course yes he did! The great conflict that put both empires to the bridge of collapse, the real cause of islamic success later on. But I was thinking of early post-egirian times.

I don't have any info on Aventine's plans and I don't know if they would expand the Early Byzantine range beyond the Sasanian-Byzantine Wars.

I hope they do!

[Aventine]

Adam and I have talked on the expansion of the range, better to get this section completed and see what we can add to it. The last lot will take the larger shield(the one on the first unit) as well as a round Goth type so lots of options.

Kneeling pose ready tomorrow so we can add units and a shield wall deal.

Cheers
Keith

[Atheling]

Adam and I have talked on the expansion of the range, better to get this section completed and see what we can add to it. The last lot will take the larger shield(the one on the first unit) as well as a round Goth type so lots of options.

Kneeling pose ready tomorrow so we can add units and a shield wall deal.

Cheers
Keith

Thanks Keith. I bet that news has made quite a few folk very happy.

This is probably the most exciting range of mini's I've seen in a long time. The spearmen are the best example of a shieldwall being replicated (with some discipline) in miniature that I've seen!!

[Aventine]

BYZ11 Kneeling pose





Unit Deal UD103 the shieldwall





I have asked Adam to do the unarmoured spearmen and archers next.

Cheers
Keith

[Shahbahraz]

Thanks Kieth 

They look fantastic.

As I was saying, it's fantastic to having an Early Byzantine range that's dedicated enough to have dismounted Bucellarii! Highly impressive and actually much needed as the Early Byzantine 'nobility' did dismount to fight as can been seen at the Battle of Solachon 586CE to mention but one.

Scroll half way down the Wiki page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Solachon

If anyone wants to read more I can highly recommend buying a copy of John Haldon, The Byzantine Wars which has been back in print for a while:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Byzantine-Wars-John-Haldon/dp/0752445650

The book concentrates on the military efforts of the Byzantine Empire and is chock full of very useful diagrams of how the battles went. almost a step by step in as far as we can understand.

Very nice, but unfortunately Haldon suffers from a common flaw in period of lack of non-Roman/Byzantine sources. His work on the battles has issues because of this. We're very fortunate to have easy access to translations from Syriac, Middle Persian, etc.

Interestingly, if you have access to Academia, there is some very interesting work on the Sasanian army coming out of Poland.

For example: A Synopsis of Sasanian Military Organization and Combat Units, Siedlce-Tehran 2018.

[Atheling]

Very nice, but unfortunately Haldon suffers from a common flaw in period of lack of non-Roman/Byzantine sources. His work on the battles has issues because of this. We're very fortunate to have easy access to translations from Syriac, Middle Persian, etc.

Interestingly, if you have access to Academia, there is some very interesting work on the Sasanian army coming out of Poland.

For example: A Synopsis of Sasanian Military Organization and Combat Units, Siedlce-Tehran 2018.

Thanks Shahbahraz, I will look into that when I can find the time

Keith,

These are a dream come true! 

I'm going to have to work out how I'm going to do a four deep rank shieldwall, most likely in units of 28.

Oh, one last thing, will you be doing 'rank and file' archer types for the shieldwall?

[Aventine]

Adam is going to add unarmoured archers along with the unarmoured spear.

We will also be covering the light infantry.

Cheers
Keith

[Atheling]

Adam is going to add unarmoured archers along with the unarmoured spear.

We will also be covering the light infantry.

Cheers
Keith

That's great superb news!

I promised myself that under no circumstances was I going to do more than one project at a time. What can the odd unit of Justinian/Heraclean Byzantines painted in between, just to break the monotony do? 

Order incoming today mate.

[The Inscrutable Dr. Huang]

I like these much better than the previous extra heavy figs.

[Atheling]

I like these much better than the previous extra heavy figs.

The dismounted Bucellarii? I really like them. They look the part.

Also, they're essential for battles such as Solechon when they were forced to dismount to steady the line.

[pallard]

Atheling
Would you give dismounted bucellarii the large skutatos shield or only the small one? I'm still thinking of the possibility of using these heavies as antesignani or whatever you call first-last lines sub-officers drawn together in front of the main infantry blocks, as was sometimes the case, at least "in the book".
Philippe

[Atheling]

Atheling
Would you give dismounted bucellarii the large skutatos shield or only the small one? I'm still thinking of the possibility of using these heavies as antesignani or whatever you call first-last lines sub-officers drawn together in front of the main infantry blocks, as was sometimes the case, at least "in the book".
Philippe

Personally, for the project I have in mind; large shields.

I'm thinking of doing Solachon 586CE.

There's a wiki article, which while brief isn't too bad and will explain my choice here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Solachon

I'm going on the John Haldon, The Byzantine Wars book, which I have been told is out of date, which may be fair comment as the last time I used a Justinian army in anger was at the Beyond the Golden Gate Warhammer Historical Campagn Weekend, in Lenton, I think 2005!

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

I know there is plenty of debate over how long spears were employed, but to me this pose looks awkward.  This wouldn't put me off buying the figures as they are absolutely stunning. 

[Aventine]

I am interested in what others think of the spear length, I have replaced the cast weapons with wire spears and shortened them to what I think looks far better.



Officers for first unit/block.


Cheers
Keith