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Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Wellington on 15 June 2021, 02:31:30 PM

Title: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Wellington on 15 June 2021, 02:31:30 PM
A question for the Hive Mind

I'm painting the excellent Assanids from Aventine at the moment. The wicker shield s of the infantry are modeled after the shield found at Dura Europos.

http://warfare.tk/Ancient/Shield-Dura-Europos-Yale.htm

How would you you use them, Peak upwards or downwards?

https://aventineminiatures.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/53_89_131/products_id/662

https://aventineminiatures.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/53_89_131/products_id/663
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Atheling on 15 June 2021, 03:01:18 PM
That's a bloomin' good question!

Have you asked Keith at Aventine?

Or, I can mail Phil Hendry and ask him?
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Codsticker on 15 June 2021, 04:08:57 PM
I would go peak down as that is how the shield is presented in the photo in the first link as well as how the Aventine minis are holding them in the shop photo.
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Wellington on 15 June 2021, 04:14:01 PM
That's a bloomin' good question!

Have you asked Keith at Aventine?

Or, I can mail Phil Hendry and ask him?

Didn`t ask Keith. Bothered him to much in the past  lol
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Atheling on 15 June 2021, 04:26:07 PM
Didn`t ask Keith. Bothered him to much in the past  lol


Bother him! He won't mind at all. Keith's one of the most affable people I have ever had the pleasure to talk to  8)
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: dadlamassu on 15 June 2021, 04:27:53 PM
The answer is probably that nobody knows.  The Aventine photos show both point up and point down.  A trawl of internet photos shows point up and point down. 
(https://aventineminiatures.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/P1060376-800x600.jpg)

(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4Hqn13ptmD8/WYBpZguTDXI/AAAAAAAACFo/rlIF9xAka_sCz26aXe1neuVnqA9hulYdwCPcBGAYYCw/s400/20170731_162022.jpg)

Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Wellington on 15 June 2021, 05:52:20 PM
He thinks point up too, but nobody nows for sure.

Thanks for your feed back
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Atheling on 15 June 2021, 06:00:41 PM
He thinks point up too, but nobody nows for sure.

Thanks for your feed back

That statement is true of most of ancient history and warfare. Why are our Imperial Romans always decked out in red for example?
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Renaud on 15 June 2021, 07:36:25 PM
It makes more sense to use it with the pointy end upwards. Except for mounted troops, for whom the kyte shield was invented, you want to deflect hits on the top of the shield, hence the pointy end. See assyrian and egyptian shields.
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Atheling on 15 June 2021, 08:09:45 PM
There is some evidence that the shield in question was sometimes used as a Spara and not a shield as such.

I would just model them in the way you please based on how you interpret the evidence on how they were used etc. :)
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: WuZhuiQiu on 17 June 2021, 01:26:24 AM
Point up has parallels in the use of admittedly smaller ancient Chinese shields, too.
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: aphillathehun on 18 June 2021, 01:53:31 AM
Aventine Sassanids are awesome.
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: bluewillow on 27 June 2021, 02:40:49 PM
Point up and down are portrayed in images, I have mine flat down though for stationary defensive positions

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yR0NpsDLFb4/XgjjMBWUVxI/AAAAAAAAUTg/zMHq_cy1e4QF3irOHiTmHWH_DIBW9WRdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/2BFDA230-B05C-44BD-BFA7-FC286F2AC873-7960-0000058BBC2F5ABC.jpg)

Cheers
Matt
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Atheling on 27 June 2021, 04:50:46 PM
I spoke to Keith during the week and the answer is..... da da da da da darrrrrrrr..... probably the flat end at the bottom :)
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Codsticker on 28 June 2021, 05:50:17 AM
Too bad there isn't a photo of the back of the shield in the first phot; location of the handle may give a clue.
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Wellington on 28 June 2021, 12:04:00 PM
As Keith suggested I use them pointy end up. Makes the most sense to me.

@Codsticker
They have no handle
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Atheling on 28 June 2021, 12:19:37 PM
As Keith suggested I use them pointy end up. Makes the most sense to me.

@Codsticker
They have no handle

Me too. :)
Title: Re: Aventine Sassandid Wicker Shields - How to use?
Post by: Wellington on 28 June 2021, 12:25:20 PM
Wickershield pointy end upwards and elefants pointy things forward