Hi everyone! Today's post is dedicated to my first unit of Sassanid infantry, the Sassanid levy infantry by Hät.
According to Roman authors such as Ammianus Marcellinus (an ancient historian from the 4th century BC), the majority of the Sassanid infantry was composed of Paygan, a conscript force recruited among the peasants of the Sassanian Empire. These mean were poorly equipped, and with a very low morale, thus not very effective against the Roman legionaries on the battlefield.
Hät released this set in 2013, a very long time after the first drawings became visible on their site (the cataphracts and the elephants are still awaited). The figures are nice and the number of poses large enough to build interesting units.
These figures don't look like peasant levies, in my opinion, because they are much too well armed - too many iron swords in particular. But they are nice enough, and rather easy to paint, so I am happy with the result.
What do you think of them ?
J'aime beaucoup ce genre d'unité (même si, effectivement, avec des armes plus variées et moins 'chères', ça aurait été encore mieux)...Chouette boulot!
RépondreSupprimerMerci! Quelques conversions seraient en effet nécessaires pour rendre ces "paysans" plus crédibles, mais ça prendrait du temps... à voir.
SupprimerA stout bunch of fellows! It would be nice to see HaT complete the range some day...
RépondreSupprimerThank you! Nice, indeed, but what we already have is enough for a start, and much better than nothing :)
SupprimerVery nice lite infantry! I think you can even improve them a bit, adding some more zoroastrian symbolics on theis shields!
RépondreSupprimerThank you! Good idea, but is it accurate ? Would you have any info on this subject ?
SupprimerIf you care a lot about historical credibility, I think that will be inaccurate. But could you actually imaging a man who goes to fight and probably, to painfull death without any protective symbolics on his armor, especially in those archaic times? See this picture, I think that is nice idea how it can might seem: https://i.imgur.com/iPYCWj2.png
SupprimerNice illustration, and good point, all the more since we know that the use of religious symbols existed in the Roman army. So no evidence, but quite a possibility. Thank you for the idea :) Now I have to find some documentation about Zoroastrianism.
SupprimerIf so (and if you make another banch of their army in another post with your splendid painting)could you notice a link? I also interested :)
SupprimerDone! I will mention my sources in the next post regarding this subject (even if speculative).
SupprimerVery nice work sir, I really like the way you paint fabric.
RépondreSupprimerThank you! Just one rule: no plain white :)
SupprimerI like them a lot. Your first photo shows how good they will look as a 'unit'.
RépondreSupprimerRegards, James
Thank you James. Yes, I still have 24 of them to paint, it will look much better in the end.
SupprimerPhil
RépondreSupprimerReading with interest. I also have a fair sized Sassanid 1/72 army and yours is one of the few similar posts I have seen. I have made extensive use of the Zvezda cataphracts - even converting them to foot Saravan. All the best...Tony
Hello Antonio, what you write me is highly interesting, are your figures on display somewhere on the web ?
SupprimerI think they look apppropiatte: crude White clothes, simple shields and little else...they are poor Levy men
RépondreSupprimerThank you Sceavus. Right, but these swords !? they are rich levy men (with a poor armor, that's true).
SupprimerHat just followed straight on this picture of Angus McBride in an old Osprey book about Parthians and Sassanid Persians:
Supprimerhttps://ar.pinterest.com/pin/260997740892228297/
These kind of Ancient reconstructions in Osprey books were always controversial
Thank you Sceavus! Yes, I have this book, bought a long time ago. I love Angus Mc Bride, but I keep on thinking that peasant levy didn't go to war with a sword. Of course, some of them might have swords, but they should be the exception, certainly not the rule. Anyway, I like these figures, and won't spend time removing swords for the next units :)
SupprimerSome were on the HAT forum a couple of years ago
RépondreSupprimerNot on other forums - could email you photos direct if you wish
Regards... Tony
I will have a look at once :)
SupprimerIs your pseudo Tonymather on Hät forum ? If yes, now I remember seeing your figures, very very nice! Your conversion for the general is just perfect !!!
SupprimerAlso Zenobia and Palmyra. Sassanid shields are from Aventine Minatures - wicker shields They look really good
RépondreSupprimerOh, I would love to paint a Palmyrean army - I asked Linear A to produce some, wait and see ;-)
SupprimerGot a few infantry figures designed and made for me by Hagen Miniatures Coif helmet. Similar style to their Roman third century infantry set
RépondreSupprimerExcellent! You really should have a figure gallery somewhere, your work is very inspiring.
SupprimerYes I’m Tony Mather!
RépondreSupprimerGreetings from Ecosse
Oh, I like these a lot!
RépondreSupprimerThank you Jonathan!
SupprimerFantastic work Phil as ever! You have brought out the best in these figures
RépondreSupprimerThank you Tony!
Supprimer