Monday 16 January 2023

BenF: 15mm Persian 'Apple Bearer' Royal Guard (53 pts)

 Well, this challenge has been a bit slow for me to start this year. Between a new role at work, the silly season, and arranging an upcoming game at CANCON as well as my 4 year old'd birthday, hobby time has been a little thin on the ground. 

I have, however, managed to kick start my painting with this base of Achaemenid Persian royal guard from Forged in Battle's excellent 'War and Empire' range. My last year's challenge focused almost exclusively on building up my Achaemenid army, and while they've won a surprising number of games during 2022, I did feel like I needed to add this iconic unit to round off the army. The royal guard fought at Gaugamela, and also are mentioned at Cunaxa. I gave the usual gaudy Persian pyjamas a bit of a semi-uniform look as I imagine befits the royal guard, and I also added a mounted general in suitably ornate dress haranguing them into action. They get the strange name from some unusual spears, which apparently had an apple sized counterweight at the non-pointy end. The shield decals from LBMS really make them. 




While I do have plans to revisit the Achaemenids at a later date to add a few more cavalry bases, (and maybe even expand the Skythian troops to a full army), the addition of the royal guard give me pretty much any option i'd ever need in a large game of Impetus 2 or Sword and Spear. And I think my 3/0 brushes need a bit of rest from painting fabric decorations. I'm also hoping that this exotic unit from faraway locales will bag me the 'World Cinema' bonus.

I'm also going to enter this as the start of my 'Squirrel' side duel. This challenge, I aim to finish up some bits and pieces of long term projects, including 6mm Napoleonics, 32mm Star Wars 3D Prints, some 20mm Ardennes Germans and Yanks, tiny little 2mm terrain pieces, perhaps a smattering of 15mm Andalusians and whatever else can distract me from the task at hand. 

14 foot and 1 mounted 15mm figure should net me a grand total of 

14 x 15mm foot @ 2 points = 28 points

1 x 15mm mounted @ 4 points = 4 points

World Cinema (Green) bonus = 20 points

Total = 52 points

Next up i'm working on some teensy 6mm Napoleonic Russians.


Lovely stuff Ben, I had to check twice to make sure that these were 15s and not 28s.  The colour palette you've gone with really works and does give them a mostly uniform looks.  Also love the mounted officer.  Your transfers came out very well, I just don't have the skill or patience for that fiddliness in 28s let alone 15s.

Well done and looking forward to the defenders of Mother Russia against thee Corsican Tyrant.

16 comments:

  1. Fantastic! I remembered your Persians from last year and these are just as brilliant! Perfect way to finish off the Persian army.
    Cheers JezT

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  2. Really amazing work. I am working on some 15mm Sassanids for my Thursday entry and I don't think I have the eye or the hand for the detail you have put into these figures- really impressive.

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  3. Absolutely brilliant Persians! They look great!
    Best Iain

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  4. I'm impressed with the detail that you paint these tiny models

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  5. Impressive work for 15mm, Ben! :)

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  6. Oooh! First all the colours from Darrell in 28 and from you in 15! Monday is very colourful indeed, brilliant stuff and your brushes can get a well deserved rest.

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  7. 15mm! Ben, I dislike the color red and absolutely love the shade you achieved here. I am jealous of the detail you tested out of these small fellows too. The shields with the decals are impressive, but the attention you gave the troops overall is outstanding!

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  8. These li'l dudes look fantastic, well done!

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  9. Such a luscious colourful palette Ben.

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  10. Just beautiful, especially as they're 15mm

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  11. Fantastic work on these 15mm beauties, Ben! What a fine complement to your existing army, great job!

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  12. Stunning brushwork, Ben. I like the addition of the mounted officer in the unit. I've done this with my Italian Wars and Napoleonics and think its a good way to add some character to a formation. Well done.

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  13. You say the shield transfers make them - I reckon the painting is more outstanding particularly considering they're in 15mm!

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  14. Fabulous looking unit Ben, hard to believe they are 15mm.

    Cheers
    MattW

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  15. Lovely bright colours, great work on these 15s!

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