Tuesday 11 December 2012

If...


Spartans loved to provide a terse "laconic" reply to any question.  One of my favourite examples (from Wikipedia) is from the time of the invasion of Philip II of Macedon. With key Greek city-states in submission, Philip turned his attention to Sparta and sent a message: "If I win this war, you will be slaves forever." In another version, Philip proclaims: "You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city." According to both accounts, the Spartan ephors sent back a one word reply: "If." Subsequently, both Philip and Alexander avoided Sparta entirely.

The above (clickable) photo is of a unit of Spartans I've just expanded and re-based.  Most of the minis were excellently painted by my friend Nick Speller.  Their previous basing (by me) never really worked; they proved very challenging to rank.  I got around this by increasing base depths, and multi-basing into 8's.  This unit includes all the miniatures in attacking poses, and will form the right hand unit of the phalanx.

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I've now completed this mini-reorganisation of my Spartans, and now have three units of 36.  Sometime post Raphia, I'll add another unit.  Now I'll get back to the men with longer pointy sticks...

14 comments:

Jonathan said...

I always get excited to see Greeks arrayed so spectacularly as this. Great work!

Cyrus said...

Great looking Spartans Simon.

WarRaptor said...

Those are really nice looking.

Curt said...

Wow, gorgeous unit. Well done sir!

Handgrenadealien said...

I always liked the perhaps apocryphal story of a Spartan Hoplite complaining to his mother that he hadn't killed anyone in a certain battle because his opponents spears were longer than his. The game old bird replied "well, you should have got closer". Nice work Simon & good luck with Raphia
Regards HGA.

Ray Rousell said...

Great looking Spartans!

Prufrock said...

Lovely, and that basing really suits them.

Phil said...

Wonderful spartans!
Phil.

BigRedBat said...

Thanks very much, everyone! I'm very pleased with the new basing, although I might later revisit the rear bases and replace the few remaining standing figures with miniatures in attacking poses...

El Senyor Verd said...

Amazing unit!

Neil Scott said...

Excellent looking unit, really need to get my Greeks completed.

Adelaide Gamer said...

Fearsome fighting figures! Like the way your work is evolving. And I lived the story. If, indeed.

BigRedBat said...

Thanks again all.

There is something rather splendid about the Spartan red and bronze...

I am now back on Raphia, painting phalangites, like a good boy.

Tarty said...

Yes they look great now Simon, well done.