Macedonian Phalanx
This is the first phalanx I've painted of the newer large 28mm figures available today (I really have 30 of them but this army could only afford 24 so the last rank is left off. These are Old Glory 28mm figures, and include some figures from the command pack. I prefer to put musicians one rank back as I like the shieldwall nice and solidly locked to inspire fear in the opposition! These are my Veterans now, but Foundry's figure releases will most likely knock them down to regulars when their line ever comes out...if ever.....like before I'm too old to paint......
These fellows can represent almost any Macedonian or early Successor
Phalangite, some levies also wore more national dress including trousers for some
Pantodapoi (levies) raised in Asia (OG has a figure for this also). The Leukaspides (White
shields) are a famous unit in the later Antigonid dynasty that was established in
Macedonia by Demetrius' son Antigonos II Gonatos (Knock-knees?). My wild extrapolation
here is that Antigonos 'One-Eyed' also fielded a "Leukaspides" phalanx
which then became a hereditary shield device for the Antgonids. The Antigonids also had a
phalanx of Chalkaspides (Bronze shields), but others including the Seleucids used this
term also. The Argyaspides (Silver Shields) phalanx were recruited by Eumenes from
Alexander's veterans, some of these men were over 60 when they defeated Antigonos numerous
times. Finally Eumenes was betrayed and the Argyaspides were assimilated into Antigonos'
army but many were so old and treacherous that he distributed them to garrisons on his
frontiers and they disappeared from history... the Later Seleucids revived the
Silver Shields title for their Elite phalanx.
The pikes are made from Floral wire with smashed ends, it's a nice touch to paint the
double rings on the point haft as depicted on the Issus Mozaic. The shields are Veni Vedi
Vici transfers and a few old (very old) REVO transfers. I did paint the Officer's shield
by hand just to show that I'm not a complete slacker! Wait till I finished my OG
Hypaspists, they are going to have some of Dark Age Design's Rockin' beautiful new
transfers!
Oh, by the way, I make these sleds out of Bass wood, then put a metal sheet on top, then cover than with some properly colored or painted paper...this makes transport easy, since all these figures are magnetized. (This is key to protect nice paint jobs and fragile spears).