Suitable 15mm figures for Sogdians?

[Denis Grey]

I'm thinking of building a small (DBA) Central Asian City States army in 15mm and would welcome suggestions for suitable figures for the various arms (chakars, dihqan, horse archers, foot bowmen and spear-waving rabble).  Not many manufacturers offer a specific CACS range.  Are there other ranges that are close alternatives?

Advice on plausible colour schemes would also be welcome.

[Duncan Head]

No-one does specifically Sogdian figures, except for Minifigs' ZC229, based on http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Persia/StPetersburg-Dish_with_hunting_scene.htm

http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Persia/Sogdian_murals_from_Panjakent-6-8C.htm is perhaps the best collection of coloured illustrations of Sogdian paintings on the web, which may give you ideas for colours.

The most distinctive Sogdian look, with mail armour under a long coat, doesn't really match any figures that I know of; other Sogdian paintings show long lamellar armour which you could reasonably match with several manufacturers' steppe figures in similar armour.

We know very little about how the infantry would have looked except perhaps for the cane (?) shield at https://hessamoddin.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/sogdiantactics.pdf figure 4.

[Swampster]

Eureka did some very nice Sogdian cavalry (based on the Osprey IIRC) as part of their request range. Unfortunately something happened which meant that they were never made generally available and I know some who have requested them have been rebuffed. Not very helpful, I'm afraid, but perhaps another request to release them may yield fruit.

[aligern]

Don't Khurasan do some?

Essex do some Sarmatians and Avars that are pretty close , no coat over armour though.

[Duncan Head]

Don't Khurasan do some?

I think they are among the ranges that he's announced but never (yet) released. Though some of Khurasan's Khurasanians might be worth a look.

[Denis Grey]

I had been hoping Khurasan would have something, but when I contacted Mr K, he said there was nothing in the range that was really suitable.  He is planning to produce some CACS figures at some point, but it unlikely to be this year. 

Thank you for the replies so far.  Further suggestions welcome.

[Swampster]

Did these ever get released?
http://lurkio.co.uk/blog/archives/1153
Some have a look which might work, though no topcoats.

[Denis Grey]

Thank you for these suggestions (and to others who replied elsewhere).

I have decided to go with Sassanians for the foot - Legio Heroica for the Bw because they look so beautifully posed and Essex for the Hd because no one seems to know much about the foot and at least the oblong shields will be correct.

I shall be using Legio Heroica Hun archers for the LH and, unless someone can persuade me it is a really ridiculous idea, Essex later heavy cavalry and cataphracts from the Northern and Southern Chinese dynasties range for the Cv and Kn.

Now "all" I have to do is get them painted in time.

Thanks again.

[Swampster]

Have you seen Legio Heroica next to Essex? To my eye, LH tend to be rather chunkier - this may look odd with if the cataphracts look smaller than the lights.

[Denis Grey]

Thanks for mentioning this, Swampster.

I haven't bought from Legio Heroica before.  If it looks as if the LH are riding dray horses, I'll use Huns from the Essex range instead.  (I've already placed my order with Legio, but it has yet to arrive.)

[Duncan Head]

For a Sogdian horse-archer from the Essex range, I'd use AEA6 Khorasanian from the Arab range, personally. Based on http://www.warfare.altervista.org/WRG/Dark_Ages-107-Khorasanian_Horse_Archer.htm The long coat and the headband are closer to the Sogdian look than are the Huns.

[Denis Grey]

Thank you, Duncan.  It looks as if my Legio Heroica Huns are doubly redundant before they have even got here.  i'll certainly have a look at the AEA6 as an alternative.

[Martin Smith]

For a Sogdian horse-archer from the Essex range, I'd use AEA6 Khorasanian from the Arab range, personally. Based on http://www.warfare.altervista.org/WRG/Dark_Ages-107-Khorasanian_Horse_Archer.htm The long coat and the headband are closer to the Sogdian look than are the Huns.

Well, that one reminds me of my Parthian LH (Outpost figures)....very similar look.

Martin

[Duncan Head]

Similar headband. Parthians mostly wear shorter jackets, crossed over in the front, and baggier over-trousers; the archery gear's different and of course they don't use stirrups.