One of a series of very influential pictures from The Art of Warfare by David Chandler. The figures are of course Peter Gilder's Sassanid army which I once had the pleasure of seeing in person (from the public side of a barrier).
Its been about a score of months since I began this Lydian-Mede War. It has lurched along uncertainly and more slowly than hoped for with few figures painted and almost as many Greek-Persian battles as Mede-Lydian ones. There are many external factors but clearly once my initial excitement over finally having a unit of Garrison Phrygians was over, what I needed to paint up were not what I had wanted to be painting and even without the high proportion of Greeks, it didn't feel as exotic and fantasy-ish as I hoped. So, once I have fudged a battle of Thymbra this fall, I am going to declare the campaign over.
Luckily, nothing that has been done has been wasted. The Phyrgians, Thracians and the best of the Greeks will be incorporated into the Persian army as subjects and mercenaries. Turning my eyes east in search of a new campaign, my eye has fallen on Hyrkania. (or Hyrcania) (yes there was an historical Hyrkania as well as the Hyborian one). A fertile outpost on the edge of the vast steppes, fortified with a long frontier wall studded with forts, this province on the shores of the Caspian Sea saw invasions and rebellions enough for any wargamer. The fact that we know so little about it is even more to the good. I haven't worked out the details but I intend to pit a post Cambyses polyglot, multi-racial Royal Persian army against a Rebel King with Saka, Drangian and various barbarian allies.
My problem is getting on with things apart from Ancients - always had an urge to do Charles Grant's battles from the Ancient War Game, nearly got all the Greek and Persian troops done for Plataea, really only need to get the Immortals together. Mind you, 120-130 of the figures I'll use will be the original ones he used anyway....:)
ReplyDeleteRe Gilder, as I recall Sassanids were his favourite Ancients army, certainly the one I remember he used most in the Nationals. He did use a Welsh army once. Never got to play him, did act as umpire once in the Nationals.
Rob