"15mm Late T'ang Chinese" Topic

Excluding essex and Khurasan, if you were building 15mm late T'ang Chinese in 2023, which models would you choose?

Late T'ang or Later T'ang?

Late T'ang are quite late so maybe a mix of earlier Sung/Song figures with some T'ang figures. Fewer mounted, less well armed and armoured foot.

I don't know of a figure range that would be appropriate

Outpost are currently OOP. Otherwise, the two ranges you exclude are the best option.
The few other ranges around seem to be based on the WRG Chinese book which is not the best. Even the Essex Sung are not recommended.

To expand Dragon6's question, the Later Tang is a separate dynasty which only lasted 20 or so years around 930. At least the first emperor was a Shatuo Turk, so figures with at least Turkic influences would be appropriate. Some of the other dynasties in this period were also Shatuo led.

Late Tang is just the late part of the dynasty which lasts 619 – 907. FWIW, DBMM dates the late Tang as being from An Lushan's revolt.
Incidentally, if you are looking at the DBMM lists, there is a mistake where Late_r_ Tang has been used in the Late Tang list. This was apparently put in as a correction in the 2016 lists, despite this actually making it a mistake.

Miniature Figurines has also a range of Tang Chinese.

Unfortunately, I do not know of any other ranges that would be suitable and available.

I have the Khurasan figures, which are very good. However, the infantry shield looks waaaay too narrow. I would not like to have to stand behind one of them and face an enemy.

DBA Late Tang is what I'm looking for. Does anyone have experience with the miniature figurines line? The photos online are not good.

Miniature figurines are true 15mm. You can use next to Essex miniatures.

The Minifigs are one of the range based IIRC on the WRG Greer book. There may be some useful figures but on the whole I would be wary of the accuracy.

(Some other Minifigs range are very good, so no prejudice against them!)

"However, the [Khurasan] infantry shield looks waaaay too narrow."
In art from the period, they do look narrow. Pretty consistent across different media and styles, so I think it is more than an artistic convention. Great selection here link

Nice link, Swampster.

Swampster – thank you for the link – very interesting, so I stand corrected.

I still say that I wouldn't want to rely on one of them for protection though.

"I still say that I wouldn't want to rely on one of them for protection though."

I dare say governments economising is nothing new.

I know there are new Essex Sui/Tang, but does anyone know if the former Essex Tang line is still in production? You can access them on the Essex website but you can't do so directly (you have to type in the codes to view them).

Also, does anyone have experience with the old Essex Tang? Are they good quality? Would the moulds be getting worn out by now?

You can see the whole old range here link
They do have a 'buy' button but not sure why you would want to!
TA3, for instance, doesn't seem to be wearing any kind of armour I've seen in Chinese use.

The more recent range is so much better. I think some helmets for the armoured cavalry would have been good, but I have seen some of this range in the flesh and they paint up very nicely. Much of the Northern and Southern Dynasties range (which are also nice looking) will work for Tang though not necessarily right to the end.

Swampster, thank you. Yes, TA3 looks like he's wearing some kind of breastplate. I'm building a Tang army for the Battle of Talas.

I use the newer Essex figures wth Khurusan and have no problema. They look fine together. Another option fot contemporary Chinese miniature are the nice 15mm Nan Chao/Zhao from Eureka. The gaurdsman figure wears armor and has what I personally call a "temple door" shield. It is a seperate piece so can be used with the Khurusan models. Nan Chao was a southern sucessionist state in what is now Yunnan. There is nothing wildly different about the figures in my opinion. I rather like them.

Cool thanks rvandusen.

@ jeeves what rules are you using and what are you using for an OOB for Talas?

@Stosstruppen Just DBA 3 lists. No OOB.

I bought some figures from the old Essex Tang line earlier this year, no problems.

(As to why I wanted to: they're reinforcements for an old army, and the new range doesn't even have an equivalent code.)