Whilst I’m on this love of plastic quest....

[Tim Haslam]

I know 1st Corps and Foundry produce some pretty nice Scythian models, I already own some in fact.
I’m just wondering if these new Persian plastics from Victrix, soon to be expanded with armoured and unarmoured cavalry box sets, could possibly work as Scythian?
The only thing I can see is the headdress not being padded and upright?

I’ve not got any Victrix Persians yet, or indeed Wargames Atlantic versions, have any of you guys got an idea if there are spare head options on the sprue?
Online pictures are not clear.

Cheers.

[Fremitus Borealis]

The Wargames Atlantic Persians have, roughly, three million spare heads. Not sure how "Scythians" any of them look really, but I imagine some could do in a pinch.

[armchairgeneral]

I expect you have seen this. Not sure when they will be available.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rgdgaming/28mm-hard-plastic-satyrs-and-scythians/description

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rgdgaming/28mm-hard-plastic-satyrs-and-scythians/posts/3169419

[Tim Haslam]

Interesting...

[Jjonas]

Sacae, Scythians, Dahae, Getae, Massagetae. "Scythians" kind of sprawl from the far east of Kazakhstan to the Danube. Different tribes wore different hats.
The Sacae (or Saka) wore the pointy hat with lappets called the kyrbasía. As seen on Persepolis reliefs:
https://iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-ii#prettyPhoto[sidebar]/11/
(you will need to manually cut and paste this link to get the [sidebar]/11/)

The other groups as labeled by the Persians are shown here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saka#/media/File:Xerxes_detail_three_types_of_Sakas_cleaned_up.jpg

From wikipedia:
"For the Achaemenids, there were three types of Sakas: the Sakā tayai paradraya ("beyond the sea", presumably between the Greeks and the Thracians on the Western side of the Black Sea), the Sakā tigraxaudā ("with pointed caps"), the Sakā haumavargā ("Hauma drinkers", furthest East). Soldiers of the Achaemenid army, Xerxes I tomb detail, circa 480 BC."

Saka described at:
https://iranicaonline.org/articles/haumavarga

Also the Scythians wore the V-neck tunic with a belt.

These hat details are not available readily in 28mm. None of the plastic figures offered have the hats (but there is always the possibility of after market resin heads for Victrix).

However given that none of the current heads works and the tunics are not correct for Saka- I would say for infantry one must wait.  The tiaras with open faces might be able to be converted to tall hats, but the other important details are lacking in 28mm.

Old Glory has 25mm Saka infantry with the V-necks and the Sakā haumavargā style caps- but these are very small and not their best efforts in terms of poses.


AFAIK there is no reasonable Sacae foot archers available in 28mm available except the 1st Corps, the Warlord metal ones (I found ropey, but accurate).
https://www.warlordgames.com/webstore-greeks-scythian-mercenary-archers/

Even the 1st Corps are wearing more of the Eastern Sogdian style outfits and hats and have half bare heads.
https://i2.wp.com/1stcorps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SCY16.jpg?fit=900%2C537&ssl=1

Vendel armored ones now available from Thistle & Rose. Even still they have floppy pointed caps, and not the really tall cone heads one might prefer for their Marathon Sacae marines.

Thistle&Rose the two lower left have the hats as shown above. The rest can be adapted. The overlap of the tunic could be added easily.

[Tim Haslam]

Very concise, as usual Jeff.
Thanks

Looks like I’m putting this on a back burner for now then.
Although I do like the idea of the alternate heads idea, I know it’s worked for other historical theatres.

Cheers

[Fremitus Borealis]

AFAIK there is no reasonable Sacae foot archers available in 28mm available except the 1st Corps, the Warlord metal ones (I found ropey, but accurate).
https://www.warlordgames.com/webstore-greeks-scythian-mercenary-archers/

I actually like the look of those, but I'm afraid that like a lot of minis on the Warlord site, these appear to have vanished off the face of the Earth.

[Tim Haslam]

I too like the old Immortal range of figures that WG now sell.
However they are quite small and diminutive.

[Fremitus Borealis]

I too like the old Immortal range of figures that WG now sell.
However they are quite small and diminutive.

Yeah I suppose that's why many of those figures aren't available; they probably just bought remaining stock and never manufactured new ones.

[AdamPHayes]

I have a handful of saka archers in my oldest Greek archer units. They are the old QT / Amazon Miniatures figures, now sold by Wargames Design Works

https://wargamesdesignworkshop.co.uk/product/scythian-foot-archer/

[Fremitus Borealis]

I have a handful of saka archers in my oldest Greek archer units. They are the old QT / Amazon Miniatures figures, now sold by Wargames Design Works

https://wargamesdesignworkshop.co.uk/product/scythian-foot-archer/

Hmm interesting... I don't recall hearing of that range, or distributor for that matter. Luckily (?) I'm less tempted than usual just because they don't have many pictures up on the website 

[AdamPHayes]

Hmm interesting... I don't recall hearing of that range, or distributor for that matter. Luckily (?) I'm less tempted than usual just because they don't have many pictures up on the website 

They’re a bit of a mixed bag tbh. You do have to pick and choose as many do show their 1980s heritage. Tge great thing they had was multipart figures, so you could make up your own selection of heads, bodies and weapons. Allowed me to build an Etruscan army by mixing Roman, Greek and Italian components, back before plastics made conversions so much easier...

[Admiral Alder]

I know 1st Corps and Foundry produce some pretty nice Scythian models, I already own some in fact.
I’m just wondering if these new Persian plastics from Victrix, soon to be expanded with armoured and unarmoured cavalry box sets, could possibly work as Scythian?
The only thing I can see is the headdress not being padded and upright?

I’ve not got any Victrix Persians yet, or indeed Wargames Atlantic versions, have any of you guys got an idea if there are spare head options on the sprue?
Online pictures are not clear.

Cheers.

Both the Wargames Atlantic and Victrix sprues give about twice the number of heads as bodies - I used the Gripping Beast Dark Age Warriors to absorb these and make troops in tunics and trousers suitable for Persian, Macedonian, or Successor levies of Asia Minor.

[Askellad]

I converted some plastic stuff for my scythian

[AdamPHayes]

Those are very nice! What are all the donor figures?