"Painting early Macedonians and Successors." Topic

He Guys,

I'm new here on the forum. Have been busy with my second army (Seleucid). My first army is a sizable Gallic force. I have been doing some research on the colours for the successor states.

No I know there has been alot of discussion on this. That there is not enough evidence for the colourfull armour and shields for the Seleucids. But from what I have been seeing in most of other peoples armies is the opposite form what I have been painting up intill know.

To come to the core of things…at the moment I have painted one of my phalanxes in the following way:

link

Would you guys say this could 'pass' as a Seleucid phalanx? Or is it to specific for earlier macedonian armies (like under Alexander and phillip).

I would like to field an army for the Seleucid list form the AOA2 book. I have 2 elephants and some agema cavalry lying ready to be painted. I am looking for a semi-historically based army, so I want the colours to more or less match reality. I am especially interested in the shield designs. Was the star still used by the Seleucids? Or the upside anchor? Or was it a mix of both?

I would appreciate your feedback (and excuse my English, its my 2nd languege).

Cheers,

Rory

If the figutre has ptruges, a cuirass and a long pointy stick, I'd say it can pass. Our knowledge of clothing ( not necessarily uniform) is so limited that almost anything will pass. I 'd stay away from bright colors expect maybe purple and yellow. As far as shield design, whatever you like. Heck I even have Calvin and Hobbes on a couple of my hoplons.

"Heck I even have Calvin and Hobbes on a couple of my hoplons."

Haha. I will raise you with my Hello Kitty Japanese rising sun flag.

@Rich Bliss, thanks for the answer. Anymore people have some ideas?

Regards

Rory

Have a look at Jeff Jonas' web site – lots of information on the Successors.

link

Star and Anchor are fine as well as others. There is quite a bit of evidence for Successor shield patterns – Osprey publications has a number of titles available. If you can get hold of the out of print "Armies and Enemies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars" by the Wargames Research Group it would be very useful (Amazon may have it but it may be expensive).

Have you tried a Search of TMP by the way, should throw up some material.

I hope you also have at least one scythed chariot, useless on the battlefield but a great Seleucid 'gimmick'.

Garry

Garry,

Yes I have been looking for alot of books and such on the subject. Inclusing Bar-Chovka's Seleucid Army and the Osprey book: Macedonian armies after Alexander. Was just wondering if I havent just painted 40 phalangites the 'wrong' way so to speak for a Seleucid army.

And NO I dont have a chariot, dont like them at all! I am combining the seleucids with some galatians for flank guarding. Have cretans and skirimishers also. It won't feature middle-eastern peoples, even though I know they formed a very large part of the light troopts.

Rory

Rory,

If you don't have Duncan Head's book (p112-3 is what you're after), take a look here:

link

and here

link

For some shield ideas.

Cheers, and good luck with the painting!
Aaron

Seleucid armies are noted for being lavishly equipped, what this probably means is uniform equipment and clothing for the regular units. Tunics are often depicted as a madder red (kind of pinky) tone. Elite units would be granted expensive cloaks sometimes purple. It's probably unlikely phalangites wore their cloaks into battle, but I like Polemarch's and the Aventine ones with cloaks to show a delineation from earlier units.

I think this is a great source:
link

JJartist,

Thanks for the link, very useful. Ofcourse there would also be a difference between early and late Seleucid armies. But I agree that its seems there where mostly bright colours. I just dont know if I like the bright colour schemes, just doesnt seem right to me. But I'd hate to be painting an entire army in a totally wrong colours.

I have ordered a box of 24 Macedonian guards from warlord, they are going to be my silver shields. I am prolly going to give them purple helmets though and silver shields do differentiate them form the rest of the pahalangites. And in my normal phalanx units the command figs have purple cloaks.

What do you guys think of the colours for my first unit of 40?

link

It is like the unit in the link. Maybe I could just paint the next regiment in another colour?

@ Aaron, thanks for the links!

Rory

I cant make out the details of that image

You can zoom in here:

link

@JJarist, what do you think about that colourscheme?

link

Seleucids won't be remotely right without a fair number of near-easterners. And some of these are quite useful too (admittedly the chariots are just there to frighten beginner opponents, but I think you've got to have them).