"28mm Hoplite army in metal" Topic

Greeings Chaps. I'm looking to paint up a new WAB army of Hoplites for the Peloponnesian wars. However, I want to use metal figures so no plastic.

I'd apriciate your sugestions, what range(s) would you use if starting from scratch?

I'd recommend the Immortal Miniatures range. It offers both armored and un-armored Hoplites, Psiloi and Cavalry. The figures do require some patience to assemble though.

I would suggest the following 28mm Foundry (w.o.g.range)Crusader, Gorgon. I have figures from these ranges and they look good!! Mike Adams

The Foundry has a very large line of Hoplites, but not cheap!

You want a cheap selection with correctly sized hoplon – then I recommend Essex.

All standing but a good mix of helemts.

I have an Army myself plus about 50 Unpainted.

They also work well with my OOP Bronze Goat stuff…

The Old Glory ones aren't bad for rear ranks (& definitely economical – maybe even cheaper than some plastics). Size-wise they should be close to Foundry – for front ranks. You could even buy spare OG shields for the Foundry ones to match the rest. Just a thought. Oh, 1st Corps would also fit in (with the shield swap too). Dean

I built an army about 18 months ago.

I have mostly Gorgon which I really like. I used brass spears. Crusader are OK but there is not much variety.

Here are some of them
link

I do have a few Immortal metals but they have two seperate arms and seperate heads and take ages to assemble.

I suggest you buy the excellent waterslide transfers from Immortal.

Foundry were out because of the prices (they are very expensive in the UK but vastly more expensive on the continent.)

Mick

Outpost do a good range

Let's narrow this down. If one were interested (as the OP is) in the Peloponnesian War, and wished to have appropriate figures for that conflict, in which ranges would one find them?

Allen

The Foundry range, whilst nice, isn't complete for the Peloponnesian war… not enough later helmets.

Simon

Not sure about that. Over the years, as I accumulated Foundry hoplite deals and packs, I'd break them down; toss the early helmets with armor into one box, later helmets with armor into another box, early and later helmets with no armor into more boxes, and useless nekkid guys into yet another; and I'd stock up from time to time on proper shields. Spartans got their own box, too.

As a result, I do have a stash suitable for doing the Peloponnesian War, if I ever get around to it. And I have a shedload of fairly useless figures.

That's why I asked if there's a more sane strategy for someone starting out. The way I did it is not the way to do it!

Allen

useless nekkid guys

say it ain't so, Allen; those are the heroes with multiple attacks!

That is a large question.

You have many options in metal…. new slimmer 28mm figures and older hefty 28mm. I prefer the latter since that is what is in my collection.

First off you have factions, the Peloponnesians themsleves, led by the Spartans, and the Athenians and their allies, and the satellite armies of Thebes, smaller city-states (aka poleis if you want to talk fancy). There is the rub.
They're going to be a bit different from place to place.

One of the issues of the wars is that factions began to carry identifying shields to reduce 'blue on blue' casualties-- a situation that occured to the Athenians at one of their battles with Thebes.

Other than that and the Spartan legacy of crimson cloaks you are going to find little uniformity. Over the years in wargaming there has been a tendency to uniformize the Greeks in various stages… certain armor does appear to become less common, but uniformity of helmets and armor never seems to be factor. You will find armored folks and unarmored folks in the same units. tactics changes and unarmored folks are actually embedded to be out runners to help the phalanx stave off nasty skirmishers. Still some of these may wel have been armored as well.

Generally in the Spartan side there is a tendency to lighter gear and the lighter Pilos helmet, but again folks get caried away by uniformity. The Thebans could probably have more of their local favorite Boeotian style helmets. Athenians probably wore whatever was in fashion.

Every side had their haves and have nots armed. So the Spartans had armor for their volunteer helot units, that could have been cast offs, caputured gear, or the older stuff, who knows… a polyglot of armor. Same goes for the Athenians and their metic second line forces.

So choosing and army to start can lead you to the right choices. I like Foundry and Gorgon for Spartans (even though they are a bit too hairly at times). I like figures in the front ranks to be armored, and the back ranks can be lesser armored or only carry shields. My preference is all have helmets, even though that may not be toally 'accurate.'

Some of the Foundry shields are not quite right so I would replace these with better shaped ones. I like the Gorgon shields.

Other brands that work in my collection:

Newline Designs- fit well with Gorgon and Foundry.

Old Glory, these are cheap, they work on their own, I don't mix them with my newer stuff.

Crusader have some nice plain generic hoplites.

Vendel has some very large 28+mm figures if you wish to go jumbo.

Gorgon:
link

Some samples:
link

Unarmored Spartan by Newline,did he intend to fight this way or was it because he got bushwhacked in the middle of the night by an Athenian amphibious assault?

picture

Tony Edward's Argives with custom shields:
picture

A polyglot mix of unarmored mercenaries, Foundry and Newline:
link

JJ

Hi Allen, I meant that I'd like to see a lot more minis in pilos (that aren't Spartans) and some of the Boeotian helmets that come to more of a point rather than just the rounded tops of the Foundry ones.

I had a similar sorting system to you, until I dropped the box from a height of 6'. It now has about 250 mixed poses of later hoplites in it!

Simon

OK, I see, Simon. Yep, I agree with that. For variety, it's hard to beat the Bronze Goat range that Porkmann mentions. They'd be my choice for non-front rank hoplites of the period, if I ever goy around to them; and JJ has a nice unit of them painted on his site. Pity those never were continued with armored versions.

"You have many options in metal…. new slimmer 28mm figures and older hefty 28mm."

And don't forget good, old-fashioned "true 25s". I have a box of Garrison and Ral Partha hoplites--all still available!--staring at me from a garage shelf, too. Spartans in crested pilos, strange "Phrygians" in trousers, some neat Tom Meier early work…

There are some Hinchliffe hoplites in leather spolas, but best not to talk about them.

Anyone have the 30mm "Thermopolites" that Custom Cast did in the mid-70s? Oh, yes… They'd almost be standard now!

Allen

Allen,
for "true 25's", you forgot Minifigs!
I still have around 100 of them somewere.

They are replaced by huge amounts of Foundry now, with some Newline, Vendel, etc.

I sold all my Foundry hoplites (more than 500) two months ago and am painting a new hoplite army using a mix of Immortalminiatures metal and plastic hoplites. I like them for being taller and slimmer and carrying larger shields which improve the look of the battleline enormously. I'm fitting them on big chunky 12x4cm bases to achieve the desired effect of a compact line of shields and spears. I'll make pictures in a couple of weeks and put a link on this thread. I have seen very few pictures of painted Immortal hoplites on the Internet so far but you should consider them as well. It's true that they need some assembling and are slightly more difficult to paint but they look like more realistic than many other ranges. Holger.