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"Comparison of Rapier and Baccus 6mm phalangites." Topic


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williamb05 Mar 2017 8:15 p.m. PST

Both Baccus and Rapier make several packs of Macedonian and Successor phalangites. Rapier has four packs. Each pack contains 24 of one pose and helmet variant. The two poses have the pikes at either vertical or at a 45% angle, both with two different helmets. Rapier does include command figures in each pack replacing three phalangites with an officer, standard bearer, and musician. However, you can request that the packs do not have the command figures. Baccus also has four different packs, with 96 figures in each pack. Two without pikes and open hands for adding pikes and two with cast pikes. They are available with either standing poses holding the pike in a vertical position or advancing with strips of four different poses – two vertical and two at about a 45% angle.

I purchased a pack of the advancing phalangites with the cast pikes from Baccus a while back when I was starting the project for Raphia. The four pose strip is 20mm deep allowing eight strips to be placed on a 40mm wide by 20mm deep base. However, it would be necessary to cut the strip in half in order to avoid having a multiple base deep phalanx having alternating pairs of lines with vertical and sloped pikes.

Rapier''s phalangites are cast in strips also, but come in packs with singles, and either two, three, or sometimes four figures per strip. Each figure occupies about 8mm of depth, though some of the later molds have the figures spaced further apart. I ended up mounting them on several different sized bases. Some are on 80mm x 40mm, some on 40mm x 24mm, some on 40mm x 16mm, and some on 20mm x 40mm. Again 8 figures can be mounted side by side on a 40mm wide base.

Both Rapier and Baccus are the same size and could be combined in the same unit as I have done with my American Civil War figures, except for one major difference between the two. Although the photos are slightly out of focus, the casting quality and detail are equal. Pike lengths are the same. Rapier's other helmet is similar to the helmet on the Baccus figures. The Rapier figure is one I broke when removing it from a base. The Rapier figure is holding his pike with more of it behind him than the Baccus figures. Baccus uses a softer metal alloy resulting in the pikes bending more easily and becoming wavy instead of straight. Rapier's pikes will bend, but do not become wavy when straightened. All of the above are minor. The main problem with the Baccus figures is their shields. They are too large and flat. Their size is closer to that of a Hoplite's instead of the one used by phalangites. Both Hoplite and phalangite shields were convex and not flat.

Except for this one strip that was overlooked, I sold the Baccus phalangites to another club member and ended up painting about 4000 Rapier figures for Raphia. link If I had included or used Baccus there would have been another thousand or so to be painted.

picture

picture

Baccus 6mm06 Mar 2017 2:17 a.m. PST

Nice piece and informative, but for one major issue. The Baccus figures featured were retired and new figures introduced some years ago. The new figures retain exactly the same format as described, so all of that remains relevant and accurate. They are also more nicely detailed and posed. However, if the main criticism of the OP was that he didn't like the shields, the new versions are both smaller and slightly convex which I think addresses the points raised. Here's a nice piccy for you:

picture

Rapier Miniatures06 Mar 2017 3:05 a.m. PST

And my 2p worth as Rapier Miniatures, I find both types (new Baccus and ours) mix well (although I still prefer ours).

Indeed my advice with things like Ancient British is to actively mix them to increase variation.

williamb06 Mar 2017 5:53 a.m. PST

Looks like I will have to get a pack of the newer figures as the ones in the photos are from three years ago. I would also prefer that all the figures in the advancing pack have their pikes angled forward based on the description of the phalanx in Polybius' history.

Baccus 6mm06 Mar 2017 6:04 a.m. PST

' I would also prefer that all the figures in the advancing pack have their pikes angled forward based on the description of the phalanx in Polybius' history.'

As would I, but Polybius never had to cast the little buggars and the technical difficulties of manufacturing such a strip are enormous. We have to compromise somewhere along the line.

SleepyDragon06 Mar 2017 11:26 a.m. PST

Heroics and Ros also make advancing pikemen. They are in cast in files of 4 figures, the first 2 ranks with pikes lowered, the 3rd and 4th ranks angled forward. Though I believe the Rapier and Bacchus figures are larger. You can get an idea of how they look from: link

williamb22 Apr 2017 3:14 p.m. PST

this review has been updated at
TMP link
with Baccu's current figures.

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