Just finished painting the bases on these 28mm Lydian pre-Hoplites by Miniature Design Studios.
Really nice figures, I intended to use them for my Early Achaemenid Persian Army, probably fielding them as 2 units of 16 in Hail Caesar, with the option of fielding them as 32 figures in some games. The bases are 40mm x 80mm.
The Lydian kingdom emerged in the region of what is today Western Anatolia based in the city of Sardis, before being conquered in 546 BC by the Persian king Cyrus the Great. Later it became the Sparda satrapy of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
In Hail Caesar the spear armed infantry in the Lydian lists are pre-Hoplites, these are inferior to the Greek style hoplites. The elite of the Lydian army is the cavalry.
I chose to include Lydian pre-hoplites in my Early Achaemenid Persian army as I wanted to create a varied and colourful army for the table top. These are a lower class of infantry (possibly even levy in some games) from the Sparda satrapy. Part of the reasoning in painting some of the shields as ox hide was a nod to the shields of the Trojan War period, and I felt in keeping with a levied subject people in an Early Achaemenid Persian army.
In time I may expand the Lydian element into an army in their own right as there is plenty of scope for wargaming, as allies of the Assyrians and also opponents for my Early Achaemenid Persians.
Though I have Hittites and New Kingdom Egyptians to complete first.
More ancients are likely to appear throughout the coming year.
Fabulous stuff. I'm currently looking to put a 28mm Lydian army into the field but have com up very short on options. Not many companies do the full Bell/Muscle cuirass (Miniature Design company is now OOB :>( ) and it is very difficult for find the elongated Boetian style shields. do you mind of I ask where you sourced the shields from and if you have any suggestions for pre-hoplites in Bell/Muscle cuirass please?
ReplyDeleteApologies for the late reply. I believe that Caliver Books sell the old Miniature Design Studio range, it might be worth contacting them direct.The figures have cast on shields. First Corps also have some Hoplites in bell cuirass which are quite nice. Footsore sell Boeotian shields in their Mortal Gods range. You could look at the Persian shields in the sets from Victrix and Wargames Atlantic for an elongated shield that I think would pass muster.
DeleteThanks, appreciated.
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