Also 2 sketches for the first Persian figures. The first set will comprise 3 unarmoured spearmen, 3 unarmoured archers and 2 slingers plus appropriate command figures. The next Persian infantry set will be armoured spearmen and archers.
The Persians will primarily be used as Later Achaemenid Persians that fought Alexander the Great and were led by Darius III. However, they can also be used as earlier Persians, in particular in the armoured infantry set will include appropriate shields such as Spara and some alternate heads.
Before we get a deluge of messages both the Norman and Persian ranges will include cavalry but this will take us quite a while to complete. We are also considering Persian chariots.
On the basis of their Greeks and Romans, I suspect these will become the new benchmark for Persians.
Wonder if there's any tutorials on how to paint 'em. I fancy having a go at flowery/stripey clobber, but...I kept my standard Persian levy rabble foot in fairly dull drab colours, off whites and browns. The better infantry units got some colour to them with the "guard" (immortals and satrap's household troops) wearing uniformed colours and patterns.
Do you do each unit with a kind of unifying tone, or mix 'em up as a rabble????
Show me real minis?
We’re pleased to bring you some more product info regarding the upcoming release of the Persian light infantry. As you can see, the Persians shown here represent Later Achaemenid Persian troops that fought Alexander the Great and Xenephon and took part in the numerous Persian civil wars. They can also be used in Asiatic Successor armies after Alexander’s empire broke apart.
The spearmen figures can be used as skirmishers, Takabara, Kardakes or Satrapal guards with all the equipment options available in the set. The set will also include sling arms and sling ammunition bags. As shown in the sketches, this allow gives you the option of making the Persian spearman into slingers.
Once these are completed, we will move on to 4 archer poses and then the command figures. After that it will be armoured infantry. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates. The release date will be revealed soon.
The plan is to have a mix of scale, padded and Linothorax armour. A few with some Helmet options for Hoplon and Sparabara shields. So yes you will be able to use them as Early Persian armoured infantry up to Late Achaemind Persians.
So it seems their Persians are based off late era.
Does that mean no Sparabara? I've read accounts that by Alexander's time the Sparabara are done away with, but surely Victrix would include the iconic rectangular shields to make them to pit against their Greek lines? I see various troop types and options with these light infantrymen, so I am wondering if they release them with armoured infantry or archers. If not, I hope they make shield packs because it would be quite strange not to have Sparabara!
Happy these guys can be turned into slingers though. That's one thing I can't make with the war-games factory dudes!
How much work might it be to convert them into Bactrians or Kushans, I wonder?
Also attached is a sketch for the first Persian officer figure. He is in a standing pose, as are the first Persian standard bearer and Musician. The next 3 command figures will be in more active poses. This is so we can have appropriate command for the more static archers and the more active spearmen. The officer is wearing a coat called a Kandis over his shoulders. Often worn much like a cloak. He will also have a couple of head options, one of which will be an ornate Attic helmet as officers and Nobles would often wear Helmets as well as the traditional Persian cap.
More updates to follow.
Needs optional Sparabara shields!
In post #1 in this thread, Victrix mentions that they are doing Spara shields, is that the same thing?
PRODUCT UPDATE: PERSIAN RENDERS
Here are some renders of the first Persian officer/standard bearer. He wears a scale cuirass and the Kandys cloak/coat over his shoulders. There are two head options, one wearing the traditional hood and the other a Greek style Attic helmet. He also has a choice of hand weapons and shield options.
He looks really nice and bodes well for when we get on to the other armoured infantry and cavalry.
PRODUCT UPDATE: PERSIANS
Here are renders for the first Persian standard bearer which can also be used as an armoured spearman. Very suitable for early Persian infantry or later Satrapal guard or Apple bearer.
The sketch is for a more active armoured musician figure for the command frame. There will be 3 active and 3 more static poses for the command so they work with both the more aggressive and active spearmen and the more static archers.
PRODUCT UPDATE: PERSIANS
This is the second Persian officer in a more dynamic action pose. He has the option of Persian hood or Helmet and choice of weapon arm or standard bearer arm.
As well as leading Persian infantry he would not look out of place leading Pontic troops under Mithradates.
One more figure to go before we start working on the Armoured Persians
Due to be released in Summer 2020
PRODUCT UPDATE: PERSIAN RENDERS
You will also notice the Persian Standard Bearer which is the final figure for the command frame
Here are the first two renders of the armoured Persians. One in scale armour and one in Greek style Linothorax armour.
These are suitable for both early and late Achaemenid Persians from the invasions of Greece by Darius I and Xerxes to the fall of Darius III.
Up next are another two archers, a Spearman and a Spara.
We should be starting on the first of a few Persian cavalry sets in March.
:-*There is an illustration somewhere, I think Peter Connolly - Greece and Rome at War possibly an Osprey on the Persians which shows a file of Persian archers with a sparabara at the front and a leader at the rear of the file.
The former has the large reed "pavis" spara, spear and hand weapon.
Archers with bow, bowcase and hand weapon, possibly also a pelta or small round shield.
Leader with bow (in case), spear and if memory serves correctly a whip!
Ignoring the latter, I'd base these guys up in mixed units spear to the front and bows at the rear. I'd have the leader off set to the back left or right (especially for unit bases like Impetus). If you're worried that later Persian units weren't sparabara type formations with hoplite type spears replacing the spara then it would be two ranks of those per base and a separate base of archers. Having units of just archers would be useful for sets with big units too.
If you want them meleeing then a mix of swords, axes, spears etc all together wouldn't be uncorrect. It's down to your preference and choice of rules at the end of the day.
That was my understanding of how a Persian archer unit worked as well. They were mixed units with the spearmen and a large shield up front, backed by several archers. For some reason a Spara armed trooper in front of a file of 9 archers comes to mind, but I would need to go back and find my source.... John Warry and Warfare in the Ancient World maybe?
I think this kit could easily create that look.
The large wicker (pavisee) barricade was more a protection from missiles than as a barricade to heavy infantry.
Maybe a single line of spearmen holding pavises was a psychological barrier for the archers standing behind them rather than a physical deterrent for the enemy?
That's the one. Excellent book if you can get your mitts on it Harry.
Ah, I was referring to the one line of spearmen as opposed to the sparabara.
I cannot see one rank of spearmen deterring anything that came at them on two legs, or worse four. This is just not how spearmen fight defensively IMHO. You need ranks or you may as well just get stuck in with your sword.
Here we have some images of the beginnings of the unarmoured Persian cavalry set. This is the first figure of 4 body and horse variants with lots of head and arm options.(https://scontent-bru2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/89514702_1824771304325422_6264762069585756160_o.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_oc=AQnkApna2nfwy3rfPrPyPIm_4nP75r9ZNKHqzZHXAw-V6UR_TxInKbPWJ6odVYQ0qhTk5-xyJG2HZ2H8Tq3WioYD&_nc_ht=scontent-bru2-1.xx&oh=9ab73379e94d120399479dea7673c57e&oe=5EA4D5E5)
The figure can represent Persian cavalry from the early to the late Achaemenid empire. The inclusion of the bow case makes these early Achaemenid cavalry as they were armed with javelins, hand weapons and bow. The later Persian cavalry were armed with javelins and hand weapons. The Early Persians would spend time peppering the enemy at distance with archery fire and close with them once they were weakened. The later Persian cavalry would charge and hurl their javelins and then close with hand weapons such as swords and hand axes.
Numerous head options are being included to represent native Persian but also to portray the various nationalities and colonist cavalry that made up the vast Persian army.
Heavy cavalry will follow this set and we will be doing horse archers and half armoured cavalry.
There's always room for one more!
PRODUCT UPDATE: PERSIAN CAVALRY RENDERS
Here we have the final Persian un-armoured cavalry figure. This figure has the additional option of a cloak to make him into an officer figure.
All riders fit all horses and many of the arms are interchangeable between all figures.
This makes for a very dynamic set of Persian cavalry, covering troops from the early Achaemenid empire of the 5th Century to later Achaemenid cavalry that fought the civil wars and Alexander. They could easily be used in Alexandrian Successor armies and the forces of Pontus.
We will be starting sculpting the Persian heavy cavalry next. These will have a mixture of scale, Linothorax and quilted armour. Extra heavy cavalry with horse armour will be a separate set.
There might be a bit of a delay getting these tooled due to the World Health crisis, lots of companies have shut down for a period of time and that includes the people that do our tooling.
This will cause a backlog for tooling and production. We will keep our sculptors busy with new projects so that when things start to get back to normal there will be a glut of new sets to look forward to.