Last of the loot - for this year

Sean of Newline Designs promised that the goods I ordered at Warfare last weekend would be delivered before my departure to Hong Kong and he was true to his word.  The parcel arrived together with Storm Bert this morning.  Altogether there are 7 unit packs of 20mm scale figures, 3 of Persians, 4 of Italiotes.  

The Persians are one batch of sparabara and two of archers in linen armour that matches up with my existing body of Zvezda Persians.  These will let me carry out my project of re-organizing the early Achaemenid heavy infantry, putting sparabara in the front rank and massed archers behind them rather than having them mixed together as they are at present.  It will also allow me to field a more substantial early Achaemenid army as most of the heavy infantry I have at the moment are the later Kardakes type with Greek style aspis shields rather than the rectangular wicker spara of Xerxes' time.

The Italiotes are 3 bags of Etruscans - a mix of heavy and light infantry - and one bag of advancing Samnites.  These will allow me to bring the forces for Etruscans and Samnites up to the point where each can happily face a single legion and, in alliance, can match up to all the Romans I have painted so far, giving me more gaming options while plans for a Carthaginian army remain a mere figment of the imagination.
 

The post has also brought some goodies from Irregular Miniatures, namely three starter packs for 10mm Mongol, Mamluk and Late Crusader armies.  I intended only to get the Mongols, to add variety and quantity to those bought earlier from Pendraken, but was led into temptation by the appearance of the figures and acquired the other two packs as well.  The late crusaders can double up as Lithuanian/Teutonic Knights to range against the Novgorodian army as well as opponents of the Mamluks.  The latter can also take on the Mongols.  So, without having yet painted a figure my plan for a carefully controlled Rus vs Mongols & Livonians project has started to migrate south.  Hey ho!  The good thing is that the figures look even better in reality than on the computer screen.  I am looking forward to painting them.