Plugging Some Gaps

PBC 26 Persian Unarmoured Cavalryman

My intention with this blog has always been two-fold: firstly, to record - partly for my own satisfaction - my progress on collecting and refurbishing some old early 70s armies that I either owned or lusted after in my youth (I was a peculiar boy); and secondly, to create a reference catalogue of bare metal photographs of the two ranges that mostly attracted my interest at the time (the 1972 PB ancients). 

I've reached a point now where I've photographed most of the bare metal I could lay my hands on. The Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome (AEIR) series still has a way to go, it was a bigger range and to be honest my enthusiasm is mostly for the armies of the Principate  and their foes - i.e. the first couple of centuries AD. 

The Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars (AMPW) series is almost complete though. Checking through, I've assembled a few painted examples from old armies to cover the obvious gaps for now.

PBC 25 Persian Armoured Cavalryman

I was a little surprised that some of these models had never been photographed in metal. I suspect it's because I've got so many already painted I've never worried about adding more and hence never managed to find unpainted examples or models that needed stripping. Some of these are painted to a standard such that I would strip them tomorrow if I'd bought them on e-bay, but being painted by my teen self - and some of my friends - they exude a certain nostalgic tug as they are. 

The first couple of cavalrymen are Persians from the army I started collecting to oppose Richard Halliwell's Macedonians. I don't think it ever gained enough mass to fight a proper battle, and when Hal decided to switch to Seleucids he bought most of my collection from me to incorporate into that army. Note the authentic Humbrol flesh pallor.

 

PBC 35 Arab Seleucid Camel Rider

The Arab Camel Rider was a popular addition to most Successor armies and I have a good-sized unit to which this chap belongs. Note the huge sword - supposedly necessary to reach enemies grovelling about on the ground as you lope past. Very sensible. 

PB 18 Persian Infantry Officer
with Standard

The Persians were favoured with two different standard bearer designs of which this is your usual infantry type, the other (missing in action) was the army standard shaped like an old-fashioned Persian shield. More of that pallid flesh paint - how are you going to overcome your foes looking so grievously unwell I ask? 

PB 21 Persian Archer

This is the Persian archer - all the Persians have this 'three-lappet' cap. It's a 'Persian thing'. 

PB23 Armenian Archer

Armenian Archer - very similar to the Persian aside form his hat and beard. 

PB 16 Javelinman

Amazed I've never had one of these in bare metal - it's the Greek Javelinman with crescent shaped shield. Nice little figure he is too.

PB10 Mercenary Peltast with Thureos

Once again I can't believe I've never managed to photograph one of these in metal. It's the Peltast with Thureos (that's the name of the type of shield he carries... despite the fact that Peltasts are called Peltasts because they carry a shield called a 'pelta'... but I digress).

Pretty much every Successor army of the day included some of these, so its one of those figures that turns up again and again second-hand. I have quite a few too. That's probably why I've never sought out any more. One of those classic WRG 'Light Medium Infantry' (LMI) types that never existed in reality but made a useful contribution to the game. 

Nice figure. Must have been a right pain to cast. 

PB8 Greek Mercenary Hoplite

And another one that I have so many of! Possibly the least attractive Hoplite model ever made by anyone ever! Hardened enthusiast of Minifigs that I am, even I find it impossible to summon the courage to paint any more of these fellows. One of the most annoying things about these models is that it's almost impossible to rank them up one behind the other. When you do, you'll find it's equally impossible to line up the bases with the opposing unit in combat. On top of that, the shield is really rather nasty, not quite round, not quite convex, and lacking the rim that characterises a hoplon. Still - here he is - and he has lots of mates. Lots. 

PB 14 Cretan Archer

Yup it's the Cretan archer - illustrated by Phil Barker wearing what one of my friends called a 'gardening hat' and therefore dooming every Cretan archer model in every manufacturers' range since to go so adorned. Everybody had these, and they were available to most contemporary armies too, so they turn up on the second-hand market all the time. Standard Minifigs archer pose - nothing wrong with that - and a figure that is certainly undemanding when it comes to paint. 

Many games were played with these. The tradition at our wargames club was that anyone moving them would be obliged to break into The Archers theme, with which everyone else would join in more-or-less in tune... dada dada da da daaaa... dada dada daa daa... It's a serious business this wargaming lark. 

PBC 37 Successor/Late Roman
Heavy Cavalryman

I have a nicely painted unit of these that I completed a while back, but on this occasion I've dug out one of Richard Halliwell's Successor Heavy Cavalry. These were employed as the General's bodyguard and mostly hung round the back looking important. The horse is one of the updated ancient A series affairs that replaced the PBH horses. 

Although described at 'late' Roman he's only 'late' in terms of the Roman army described in AMPW - of course. 

PBP1 Alexander Mounted

Alexander the Great doing service as army general for Hal's Seleucids. Another fairly common find and easily recognised by the 'lionskin' headgear. Proper PBH horse this time. I do prefer the earlier horses - and the older S Range horses - to the later, larger H and A range versions that replaced them. 

PBC 36 Successor/Italian Light Cavalryman

Successor Light Cavalryman with massive shield! The heavy cavalry figure also has the same shield and you do have to wonder how you can ride a horse, throw javelins and carry that thing all at the same time. 

PB22 Persian Slinger

Another Persian - this time a slinger. Typical slinger pose and otherwise dressed identically to the bowman.

I notice I am still missing a few. Here's the list. 

PB19 Persian Royal Standard Bearer

PB20 Persian Infantry of the Cardaces

PB28 Indian Javelinman

PB30 Indian General

PB42 Roman Standard Bearer

PBC31 Elephant Javelinman

PBC34 Seleucid Light Cavalryman

Some of these were definitely part of the original armies that we once owned, but who knows to where the winds of fate have blown them? I recently got my hands on a unit of Indian Javelinmen only to discover once I'd stripped them that they were recasts - probably fifty year old knock-offs! These do turn up sometimes and it's certainly not easy to tell once figures have been covered with lashings of paint and bases have been buried in Tetrion!