Plastic Persians revisited

[Jjonas]

I have been able to post the final version of these at

https://ancientbattles.com/Wargames_Atlantic_Persians_28mm/Wargames_Atlantic_Mardian_Archers.html

I was able to incorporate many of your excellent questions and comments. Thank you for the help and comments.

[WuZhuiQiu]

Amazing work, Jeff, especially those shields! The arrow shafts look good, too - might bristles from scrub brushes or similar provide another option? Finally, why did you use laminated card for the standard? And thanks for the outline tutorial!

[Jjonas]

Finally, why did you use laminated card for the standard? And thanks for the outline tutorial!

You are welcome, I hope the steps inspire folks to find their own preferred painting methods. I have made bowstrings out of melted sprue, but they never last for gaming figures. My guess is the arrows will be very fragile in games. One reason why I did 13 is that if I use the standard bearer I can keep the model notching one provided in the kit safe in the glass case.

I get a lot of promotional printed cards in the mail, often coated (laminated). I repurpose some of them as paint palettes and sometimes as small flat items. Plastic card is better but I often run out The seemingly never ending supply of clear coated cardstock takes the paint and doesn't warp. So really its just because it does not warp and is stronger than paper. These particular banners were created out of thick felt, so they did not wave in the breeze and explains why when depicted they seem to wobble independently like stiff cards. Achaemenid Persian standards were also a square about 30 cm across atop a pole 2-2.5m long. Mine may be a bit large. My design is just made up from ideas from Persian designs, but the most common one is the two color (often depicted as black and red). Wargames Atlantic has some that can be printed:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0078/4764/1186/files/Peter-Dennis-Persian-flags-noscale.jpg?v=1588853595

Persian banner:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61034/61034-h/images/i_070.jpg

[Cyrus1]

Great work Jeff! Any Victrix on the painting desk?

[Jjonas]

Yes. I have a sprue of Victrix Persians to compare and contrast, thanks to my Swedish Connection.

[Tim Haslam]

It appears to me that WA have gone with a multi purpose box set, whereas Victrix have been quite specific and already have 4 separate sets with 2 cavalry on the way.

[Fremitus Borealis]

It appears to me that WA have gone with a multi purpose box set, whereas Victrix have been quite specific and already have 4 separate sets with 2 cavalry on the way.

I can't wait for those cavalry, I just hope they've solved the scaling issue.

[Jjonas]

I'm somewhat iffy about the Victrix cavalry myself- the size of the Macedonian cavalry jumbo men on jumbo horses kept me from painting more than one.

I am pursuing another cavalry project that I dug out of the closet full of figures. These old metal Cappadocians by Newline are getting reinforcements from Thistle & Rose Persians (from the old Vendel line). I am fussing with heads and horses. I also have some Casting Room metal Persians ready to paint also- so there are a lot of older gooder figures in the queue as far as Persians go!

[aphillathehun]

Sorry if I missed it, but did you ever do a review of the Victrix Persian infantry?

I hope the Victrix cav isn't ginormous.

[Jjonas]

Sorry if I missed it, but did you ever do a review of the Victrix Persian infantry?

I hope the Victrix cav isn't ginormous.

Sorry, Persians fell off my "to do" list. Currently I have been cleaning out my Roman collection. It was clean these up and game with them, or give them the Marie Kondo boot.
So that is taking quite a while, but I have game planned with them. We will see how much joy they actually will spark. I do want to get those sprues done.

[aphillathehun]

I saw a notice that the V armored cav is shipping.  Hopefully someone will receive theirs soon and post some size pics of them.

[aphillathehun]

No one here has bit on them?

[bigredbat]

I bought a sprue of the infantry and also found them a little too large for my needs, so for cavalry I'm using Thistle and Rose and Foundry Casting Room. I'm very taken with the Wargames Atlantic infantry.

[Jjonas]

No one here has bit on them?

I'm going to pass. Too big. I learned that from the Companion cavalry set. Simon (BigRedBat) and I have similar tastes- I too am going with my Old Vendel (with newer Thistle and Rose additions), and Casting Room, because A) metal B) fit with my collection. And as much as I enjoy plastics- the sprues pile up in bin boxes because I detest assembling them. Do I learn- no. But this time I have not pulled the trigger of Victrix. Plus the shipping costs are ridiculous- plastic figures are supposed to be a bargain, what was I thinking?

[bigredbat]

The Victrix look very impressive- well thought out and sculpted with lots of conversion possibilities. If I was starting Persians afresh I'd be tempted to do a whole army but as with Jeff, they don't fit in with what I already have.