A really stupid idea? (With HaT Andalusians…)

[AdamPHayes]

Funny you mention Sarmatians,

https://spoonybardiche.blogspot.com/2013/12/pancerni-officer.html

Nice conversion.

[AdamPHayes]

I completed a unit of cavalry using the GW Riders of Rohan.



I am finding new reasons all the time why this is a terrible idea but the actual look of them as 9th - 10th C. Byzantines I am okay with. Particularly for the more remote forces who do not look like a newly beatified saint in an icon, on the best of days. Next test will maybe trying these miniatures as a more prestigious Tagmata unit (gasp!)

More blather / pics here: click

[AdamPHayes]

A second unit of cavalry completed as a smarter, higher quality Theme unit or even a Tagmatic guard unit...



More pics and blather here (click)

Reasonably happy with these, not too much conversion needed and they look the part. The issue  I am currently wrestling with is finding appropriate light infantry for the army. The size and slightness of the sculpts is difficult to match up with other ranges. Any suggestions welcome; otherwise I am looking at choices including converting something of the right size, sculpting my own and casting them up or finding a 3D model that can be resized to match...

[armchairgeneral]

They look excellent 

[Rick]

Have you looked at some of the 1/72nd scale miniatures? I know many of the plastic 1/72 figures will be a bit too small, being 1/76 in reality, but there are some manufacturers who do them, as well as some of the older 25mm figures, perhaps?

[Mikai]

I know that the Gripping Beast Plastics are in a fitting size. I got some sprues and noticed that they are the same size as the old Rohan warrior line. I planned to use them as light infantry variant for them, the Dark Age warrior set might suit you too.

The second sprue set I got which are also of fitting size is the Saxon Fyrd set from Warlord games. Would be another product line at which you can look up the plastic kits.

[armchairgeneral]

I found the Crusader Miniatures Byzantines a bit smaller than their other ranges so they might be worth a look?

https://www.crusaderminiatures.com/list.php?cat=4&sub=9&page=1

[Sardoo]

As a wise man once said, “It’s not stupid if it works.” 

[AdamPHayes]

Some useful suggestions, there. I believe some of the Warlord ancient Greeks are quite skinny, so might form the basis of a conversion if Gripping Beast plastics don’t work… It’s the slim proportions that are the main stumbling block to a lot of nice possibilities (I like most of the Crusader ranges) so heftier 1/72 figures might be a good source of recruits worth a look.

[AdamPHayes]

Three units so far. Now I need to look further afield for other types for the army  (and enemies?)



Started to do some comparisons here (click)

[AdamPHayes]

I took a closer look at some Hat 28mm plastic El Cid figures as recruits for my Byzantine army. (Click here)

Some real possibilities here I think. Certainly worth painting up a unit to see how they look.



LEFT: GW Rohan spear  RIGHT: HaT Andalusian javelin chucker

[swiftnick]

How about the Hinchcliffe Byzantine range? Old school 25mm will be short and slight.

[AdamPHayes]

How about the Hinchcliffe Byzantine range? Old school 25mm will be short and slight.

Not a bad shout. The older figures are a bit small and to be frank pretty awful. The more recent versions (we’re still talking 40+ years…) are a tiny bit chunkier but match up quite well to the size of the GW Rohan. They don’t compare as well for style and detail but that is to be expected.


Above (left to right): Hinchliffe, GW, older Hinchliffe, GW, Minifigs

I painted a few of the HaT Andalusians too as a comparison - click here
https://wargamesworkbench.blogspot.com/2025/08/hat-andalusians.html

[AdamPHayes]

This pic gives a fair impression of how the HaT 28mm El CID range compare up against tge Rohan figures.



They are not as good sculpts as the HaT 28mm Napoleonic offerings (different sculptor?) I am going to have a play with the cavalry set and some other plastics next, to see how much work is required to convert them into convincing Byzantines.