Wednesday 29 August 2012

The Spartan Phalanx (Lambdas added)

Again after the Basic Impetus battle I figured the 15mm Spartans had also earned their spurs and they too "should have their decals". Thankfully this was a much simpler affair as I used some Veni Vidi Vici for the simple Spartan Lambdas. Just as well as the Spartans are from Chariot Miniatures and have a more rounded shield so the LittleBigMan decals may have been a challenge. The full phalanx is shown below:      


I also decided to be more individualistic with the Spartan helmet horse hairs on the front rank. For several years now I have had a 'mute' dilemma as the first rank as shown below are technically all Spartan 'officers' with a 'traverse crest' (aka the Chariot Miniatures Spartan hoplite front rank pack). I had the historical urge to have one officer a base and paint up a load of other normal Greek hoplites for the rank and file on the base. However I have no urge to make my Spartan army that big (cf, I am a DBA rather than DBM man) or have a lot of painted Spartan officers with nothing to do so I have finally "let it be". I think they look the part with the Lambdas now on (see below):


A longitudinal shot of the Spartan "wall of killing spear" (see below):


A close up of the "yellow/gold" Lambdas (see below). Note: The second rank Spartans are much easier to group together (with their spears pointed up) than the first/second rank combination. On refection or rather hindsight I would have ignored the front rankers entirely and just based up twelve stands of second rankers for the Spartan DBA Army OoB. . 


The six stands that make up the rear/second rank of the DBA Spartan Phalanx, as in half their army (see below):


Again it deemed appropriate for post 480 (Thermopylae) to be Spartan hoplites, though not 300, and yes I do have a stand of helots ;)

2 comments:

David Crook said...

Hi Geordie,

Very nice indeed old chap! I certainly agree re the single angle of spear for the two ranks but having said that the first rank looks suitably menacing.

Impressive....most impressive....

All the best,

DC

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

Cheers David,

The practicalities of wargaming are often forgotten in the enjoyable pleasure of putting the figures and models together

Many a supporting stand can unwittenly decapitate the front rankers

These very Spartans at the weekend were stacked in a column six deep with comedic consequences

My 25/28mm Foundry Renaissance "leveled" Pike literally impale their figurine foes