1st Phase complete, Persian army on parade. Phase 2, update 19th Oct

[Tim Haslam]

Well just over 100 hours of painting, over the last three months has got the initial army finished.
I’m using it for WAB, my all time favourite game warts n’all.

Phase 2 includes more Spara, Kappadokians, Skythians, more elaborate command and North Africans. Maybe Egyptian marines too.

First up, the whole army.
Then Babylonian levy with a Satrap to stiffen the morale.
More levy this time Median bowmen.

[Tim Haslam]

Next,
Camp followers and sailors rushed into combat with a pointy stick!
Midianite Arabs out for plunder.
Persian Sparabara unit, ready to block out the sun with arrows.
Persian light troops.

[Tim Haslam]

Next,
The Immortals with army standard in there too.
Persian heavy cavalry.
Carians
Persian slingers
General and his baggage camels

[Tim Haslam]

Many thanks to suppliers and manufacturers of,
Victrix
Wargames Atlantic
Blitzkrieg miniatures (and Mario the sculptor)
Crusader Miniatures
Gripping Beast
Casting Room Miniatures
Newline miniatures
Relic miniatures
Veni Vidi Vici
Black Tree
The War Office, Milnrow, Manchester

[Jjonas]

Wow! A laudable effort. It is not easy to find all the variety needed to achieve the "army of nations" look that is the signature of a Persian host. You have made a great dent in it though. Lots of clever mixing and matching to increase the variety. It is nearly impossible to finish a Persian army. Mine started in 1972 with 20mm Scruby figures. Then 25mm killed them off. Luckily I still use my 25mm with modern day behemoths, because nobody makes the levies like Minifigs and Garrison did back in the day. Now we get regurgitated base army figures over and over again. Vendel still has some outliers. It is a never ending project.
Great mix. Thanks for sharing your major opus! Hope they can hold their own in WAB2.

[Easy E]

Very cool and ambitious! 

My Persian army will not be nearly as diverse and cool.

[Pattus Magnus]

That’s inspiring! I have a pile of Achaemenid Persian figures, but have been putting off painting them. Seeing yours makes me want to drag them out and get to work.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Tim, you are killing me mate. I have wanted a Persian army for quite some time and have a bunch of sprues waiting in my workshop but I just never find the time. Your army looks brilliant! I am green with envy. 👏🏻

[Tim Haslam]

Thanks guys.

Yup, I’m beginning to see this will be an ever growing project!
The figures for phase 2 are already taking it over 5000pts in WAB terms (2800pts) being the ‘norm’

I’ve got some good ideas running for the minor races.
One unit is already on the paint bench.

As for gaming success, meh, not too bothered.
As long as I give my opponent a bloody nose as he grinds me into the dust, I’m happy.
It could be a quite powerful army if I cherry picked from units listed.
That wasn’t my brief.

[armchairgeneral]

Great looking army 

[AdamPHayes]

Love the camel having a little sleep!

[Wellington]

Brilliant!

Especially all the non-median and non-persian troops!

[FierceKitty]

Good and muddled, as they should be. Two challenges: i) double-mounted Arabs are recorded several centuries earlier in the context of a final solution campaign. Is there evidence they existed by Achaemenid times? ii) Some of those lights are wearing the bulbous Sassanid Persian cap. Apart from the question of whether it existed or is a misinterpretation of a turban (I go along with the former), would it have been worn six hundred years before the time it's recorded in?

I hope you'll have some hoplite mercenaries? I always find the Persians seriously need them against Hellenic opponents.

[Tim Haslam]

Thanks ever,
The army is based around Battle of Thymbra in 546bc
With Cyrus at the head of the army.
According to what we know mounted camel riders were used, as were baggage camels with infantry based behind them. It was a tactic that seemed to work, in that it caused fear in the Lydian cavalry.
Hence the seated camels in my photos. In WAB I can place them with an infantry unit which then causes fear in enemy cavalry.

As for the felt or cloth? hats, I’m only going off what references I have I’m afraid.
But agreed very similar to later Sassanid head gear.

[Tim Haslam]

I do have some of the later Persians from Foundry and hoplites too.
So you never know this army may morph into an army ready to repel Alexander himself!