As threatened on the other thread, since I've managed to kick my computer back to life (doubtless temporarily) I'm gonna have to bombard the forum with all the stuff I've been painting of late but not had a chance to put up!
This project started off last spring as a 15mm project, as I wanted to do an ancient army that was uniform and thus (I thought) nice and quick to paint. Since we were playing a lot of Greek stuff at the time, I decided what I really needed was a Spartan force. Dead easy, matching kit, uniform shield design, limited color palette, perfect.
Then I bought the figures and started researching the period... :doh:
I went with Xyston figures, as in terms of sculpting, they are light years ahead of the rest, if slightly more 18mm than 15mm. However, since their range is aimed more at the Peloponnesian Wars, rather than the Persian Wars, the figure packs are somewhat light in guys wearing the "classic" rig of Corinthian helmet and bell cuirass (my chosen aesthetic), and though I was initially happy enough with guys wearing the linothorax, most of the figures are actually wearing later helmets not much associated with the Spartans (who later adopted the
Pilos, or
"stupid pixie hat" which I refuse to paint on grounds of sheer ridiculousness)... Further research revealed that there are significant doubts over whether the Spartans actually used the Lamda as a shield design, and that certainly during the Persian Wars, individual designs, or even just highly polished blank shields, would be the norm. Bugger.
So, in the end, my Army morphed from being a Spartan Army of the Persian Wars, into a Lacedaemonian Army of the Tegean War/Great Earthquake/ Fourth Messinain War. I felt this justified the range of wargear on show, rather than just the "classic" hoplite rig or the later light Spartan rig. The first couple of bases took shape over the course of the year (as seen in one of the tasks)...
Quite pleased with them, though the photos don't do them justice. These guys are Spartiaites, actual citizens of Sparta proper, and as such, the unit will features as many figures as I can muster in Corinthian helmets and bell cuirass, backfilled with those in lesser armour/ more modern helmets. Although many books argue the Spartans never adopted the linothorax or any sort of helmet between the Corinthain and Pilos, my justification is that the Spartans were professional warriors and not stupid, so would probably be willing, at least in some cases, to try more modern equipment if they felt it would give them the edge. It's agrued that this equipment is never seen on any surviving statues; of course it isn't- these represented the ideal of the Spartan fighting man, wearing what they saw as the "proper" kit. Doesn't mean that
no Spartan, ever didn't use the other stuff. An analogy would be WWI memorials in this country; almost all show a "Tommy" clad in 08 Pattern Webbing, as this was the "official" set of the time; however, we know that 15 pattern and even the old 03 pattern was also used, but it's very rare you see it represented on a statue. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence... As "real" Spartans, they will have mainly individual shield designs, with a couple of quite ornate Lamdas to make the point. Will be Spear(S) in DBM terms and function as the army elite.
These will contrast with the
Perioikoi, who will make up the bulk of the force, and will be mainly clad in the more modern, and thus cheaper, wargear; these were free, but still non-Spartan inhabitants of Lakedaimon, who were artisans, farmers, etc, rather than professional warriors. As such, they would have other concerns beyond arms and armour to consider. Their shields will mainly feature the Lamda, as they would be likely to be state-issued, with the odd individual design to add interest. Although not initially expected to fight, following the Great earthquake, and the subsequent reduction in manpower, they increasingly made up numbers in Lakedaimonian armies. Will be Spear(O) in DBA terms and be the bulk of the force.
I may also do a couple of units of
Helot spearmen, the slaves of the Spartans, who would not have traditionally been expected to fight in phalanx, but in later times could be enfranchised as
neodamodes to make up numbers. They will be minimally armoured and have state-issued shields bearing a crude Lamda. Will be basically a tarpit whatever way you look at them, and largely expendable.
Then came Poseidon's Warriors.
Not a subject that I have any major interest in, but John "The Old Hoplite", one of the other gamers that make up our trio, was so enthusiastic about it, it was hard not to get involved (after all, I'd dragged him into Cold War gaming, in which he had no interest)...
As such, I picked up the rulebook, and subsequently some Xyston 1/600 ships at Claymore in the summer, and set to work building a loosely Spartanesque fleet...
This Hemiola formed the test piece (after I totally mangled my first attempt at a Quinquereme), and happy with the look, I set to building some more...
These are the Quinqueremes and Triremes, your sort of standard ship-of-the-line of the day. The flagship is the one with the swanky striped sail and tent at the back for Admiral Papalazarou to sit in...
The fleet so far...
I do like doing sea bases! The other two thirds of the Roaring Northerners have had a few games and enjoyed it; I've yet to be blooded as I'm slow as shit at painting, and since I've got these finished none of our days off have coincided! Once we get a game in I'll take some pictures of it (on the fancy "sea" cloth I have cunningly artificed!)...
Cheers
Iain
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April 19, 2024, 01:16:47 AM
June 13, 2012, 10:19:39 PM