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Figures for Sicilian Saracens

Started by Andreas Johansson, November 01, 2017, 03:10:59 PM

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Andreas Johansson

Quote from: Erpingham on November 01, 2017, 06:01:10 PM
The ones on the bronze doors are nearly a hundred years earlier.  The Angevins' are only 200 hundred strong, as opposed to the thousands used earlier.  So I'd speculate tranformation from massed units to smaller specialist groups who could be expected to have better kit.  Given there were elite groups earlier, these might also warrant the upmarket kit.
In the period I'm looking at, they're still reported in the thousands (supposedly 10,000 at Benevento 1266), so most being lightly armoured if at all seems a reasonable assumption.

An annoyance about the Mirliton Muslim range, BTW, is that they're significantly taller than the Communal Italian range (from which most of the rest of the army would hail). Not necessarily a deal-killer as they'd be on separate bases, but definitely a strike against them.
Lead Mountain 2024
Acquired: 44 infantry, 16 cavalry, 0 chariots, 5 other
Finished: 24 infantry, 0 cavalry, 0 chariots, 1 other

Swampster

Khurasan does some specifically Sicilian Arab archers. The shop is currently off-line but you can see the figures here
http://www.hourofwolves.org/?view=armies&which=norman&full=1
Khursan has gone for the unarmoured look, though provides an optional shield. I think they are a bit smaller than Mirliton.
The Old Glory Andalusian range has some which are pretty nice - again they are unarmoured. They are similar in size to the Mirliton Communal Italians.

Andreas Johansson

Quote from: Swampster on November 01, 2017, 07:50:00 PM
Khurasan does some specifically Sicilian Arab archers. The shop is currently off-line but you can see the figures here
http://www.hourofwolves.org/?view=armies&which=norman&full=1
Khursan has gone for the unarmoured look, though provides an optional shield. I think they are a bit smaller than Mirliton.
The Old Glory Andalusian range has some which are pretty nice - again they are unarmoured. They are similar in size to the Mirliton Communal Italians.
Ah, thanks. 8) I'd found the Old Glory ones earlier tonight, but the Khurasan ones are a nice find. If and when they're up again I guess I'll order a few samples to see how they are size-wise.
Lead Mountain 2024
Acquired: 44 infantry, 16 cavalry, 0 chariots, 5 other
Finished: 24 infantry, 0 cavalry, 0 chariots, 1 other

Andreas Johansson

I also learn that Baueda intend to expand their Norman Sicilian range with Saracens and Griffons, altho they did not want to give a date for when they may appear.
Lead Mountain 2024
Acquired: 44 infantry, 16 cavalry, 0 chariots, 5 other
Finished: 24 infantry, 0 cavalry, 0 chariots, 1 other

aligern

The original Donnington range had some nice figures for Saracens and Griffons in its medieval range.
They should fit with Mirliton.
Roy

Andreas Johansson

Quote from: aligern on November 02, 2017, 08:21:51 AM
The original Donnington range had some nice figures for Saracens and Griffons in its medieval range.
They should fit with Mirliton.
They don't seem to be available from the web store anymore. The only "Saracens" on offer are from the New Era "Armies of Islam", which includes some Andalusian cavalry and spearmen that may be useable for Sicilians but unfortunately no foot archers.
Lead Mountain 2024
Acquired: 44 infantry, 16 cavalry, 0 chariots, 5 other
Finished: 24 infantry, 0 cavalry, 0 chariots, 1 other

Swampster

Quote from: Andreas Johansson on November 02, 2017, 09:59:03 AM
Quote from: aligern on November 02, 2017, 08:21:51 AM
The original Donnington range had some nice figures for Saracens and Griffons in its medieval range.
They should fit with Mirliton.
They don't seem to be available from the web store anymore. The only "Saracens" on offer are from the New Era "Armies of Islam", which includes some Andalusian cavalry and spearmen that may be useable for Sicilians but unfortunately no foot archers.
That was the first place I looked. The range is pretty comprehensive so I'd expected to see some Andalusian archers.
Some of the Arab archers would work except they don't look like they are clean shaven.

aligern

Looks like he might have phased out the earlier range...a pity there were a few real gems in that.
R

Swampster

Quote from: Andreas Johansson on November 01, 2017, 08:09:50 PM
Quote from: Swampster on November 01, 2017, 07:50:00 PM
Khurasan does some specifically Sicilian Arab archers. The shop is currently off-line but you can see the figures here
http://www.hourofwolves.org/?view=armies&which=norman&full=1
Khursan has gone for the unarmoured look, though provides an optional shield. I think they are a bit smaller than Mirliton.
The Old Glory Andalusian range has some which are pretty nice - again they are unarmoured. They are similar in size to the Mirliton Communal Italians.
Ah, thanks. 8) I'd found the Old Glory ones earlier tonight, but the Khurasan ones are a nice find. If and when they're up again I guess I'll order a few samples to see how they are size-wise.
The Khurasan webstore is up again
http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/frankish.html

Nick Harbud

Quote from: Andreas Johansson on November 01, 2017, 03:10:59 PM
Mirliton do make Muslim archers for the High Medieval period, but I don't think they're appropriate because they look more Middle Eastern than Andalusian and they're too heavily armoured.

The main problem with most of the 'muslim' ranges is that they insist upon giving their archers turbans or head scarves, whereas the Monreale and other pictures seem to show a bareheaded archer.  Looking through various ranges, you might be better with a contemporary Armenian figure such as this from Donnington New Era range.
Nick Harbud

Duncan Head

Quote from: NickHarbud on November 21, 2017, 06:38:36 PMThe main problem with most of the 'muslim' ranges is that they insist upon giving their archers turbans or head scarves, whereas the Monreale and other pictures seem to show a bareheaded archer.

Not the Ravello and Trani archers discussed on the first page of this thread, though.
Duncan Head

Andreas Johansson

Since I've been thinking about this again, I noticed Baueda have added "Norman archers" to their Siculo-Norman range. The text on the website invokes the Bayeux Tapestry and the painter made most of them blond, but the dress and hip quiver is not very different from the unarmoured Saracen archer from Monreale. They appear to have self-bows, but so does Heath's Saracen.
Lead Mountain 2024
Acquired: 44 infantry, 16 cavalry, 0 chariots, 5 other
Finished: 24 infantry, 0 cavalry, 0 chariots, 1 other

Erpingham

For some reason, the figure on the left reminds me of Barney Rubble.

aligern

Donnington Originals do a nice figure in 15mm.
Based on Heath IIRC
Roy

Swampster

#29
Quote from: Andreas Johansson on April 19, 2020, 05:21:47 PM
Since I've been thinking about this again, I noticed Baueda have added "Norman archers" to their Siculo-Norman range. The text on the website invokes the Bayeux Tapestry and the painter made most of them blond, but the dress and hip quiver is not very different from the unarmoured Saracen archer from Monreale. They appear to have self-bows, but so does Heath's Saracen.
The Baueda figures are a touch smaller than the Mirliton Communal range, though the difference isn't as noticeable as with the Mirliton Arabs.

There is another representation of Sicilian Muslim archers here http://manuscriptminiatures.com/3966/11591/ (Same source Patrick linked to, but different picture).
Bare legs? Needs to pull his hose up?
Same tunic tucked in belt look seen on one of the bronze images.