Byzantine Horse Archer

 

This figure is the Byzantine Horse Archer that first appeared in the Miniature Figurines 72/73 catalogue as PBC 149.

Both PB ranges were based on Phil Barker's books Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars and The Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome. This figure is taken from illustration 49 in the first edition of AEIR.

The code numbers for the AEIR range correspond to the illustrations in the book plus '100', i.e. illustration 1 is figure 101. 

Cavalry models carried the code number on a tag - long since removed - which can make identification a little harder in some cases. 

I have mounted this chap onto a PBH 65-217 which means that we have the 'double saddlecloth' that is a common feature of this range. Both the rider and horse have a saddlecloth! The PBH horses were soon replaced by the new 'H' and 'A' series horses without saddlecloths which solved the problem. 

As usual with Minifigs horse archers our man is shooting off to the side in an unneighbourly fashion.