28mm Blemmyes?

[Tim Haslam]

Has anyone ever tried to field troops from the Blemmye?
If so, what figures have you used?
Could they be kit bashed from plastic kits?

Thanks

[Tim Haslam]

Perhaps the Perry Sudan range? Obviously leaving out the gunpowder weapons!

[dadlamassu]

Blemmyes? 
i have been looking for suitable 28mm figures too. 
https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-africa/blemmyes-headless-men-ancient-and-medieval-mythology-003082

https://justhistoryposts.com/2020/04/22/mythical-creatures-the-headless-blemmyes/

[SJWi]

The only sources I have for Blemmyes are the venerable WRG book "Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome" dating back to 1981 and the Osprey MWW243 "Rome's Enemies 5; the Desert Frontier". The WRG book says that their armies were mainly archers with some cavalry and a few elephants. The archers are shown in either a plain tunic or kilt, and the cavalry with bronze scale, a small buckler and javelin. Given these descriptions I don't see the Perry Sudan range as very useful. I guess Nubian archers from Egyptian ranges could be used minus the feathers, or alternatively head-swap Greek psiloi archers wearing tunics.     

[Vanvlak]

The only model I ever recall seeing was a really old Tzeentch chaos warrior, who did have his head in his chest, but has nothing else in common with depictions of the headless ones, or Akephaloi. Searching 'blemmy 3D print file' turns up a couple of results, if you have access to printing.

[dadlamassu]

A Google image search yielded a 4th Century Blemmye and based on this the Mahdists may be a starting point:

Nubia- Archer from the Blemmye Tribe IV Century AD." Artist P. Glodek.
"Enemies of Rome - Nomads. Nubia- Archer from the Blemmye Tribe IV Century AD." Artist P. Glodek.

[SJWi]

Dadlamassu, agreed. That's the sort of warrior shown in the Osprey book. The only issue with Mahdists is that most figures are spearmen or with firearms. Beyond my conversion skills to give them bows!   

[Tim Haslam]

Thanks guys.
I’ve been looking in those books too!
I’m not after the ‘fantasy’ version, , but it is fascinating.

Maybe Victrix Numidian heads on Greek archer and light cavalry bodies?

[Emir of Askaristan]

The Osprey "Rome's Enemies (5) The Desert Frontier" discusses them and their background and has a colour plate (from which the illustration above seems to have been based). There's also a photo of a carving which I've included.

Given the pace of change in southern Egypt, northern Sudan etc and that the Blemmye language seems to be the ancestor of Beja. That geographical area is also that of the Kingdom of Axum and there is a later showing the court of the Axumite King with two visiting Arabs. His people look very similar to Beja figures, albeit with more colourful robes.

So all in all I think 28mm colonial Beja/Hadendoa would be a very good start. Headswaps with earlier Nubian or Berber figures or Ethiopian figures might give you some variety.