Wargames Factory 28mm Persian Infantry

     With everybody and their brother making Greek Hoplites I was thrilled when Wargames Factory announced that they were going to do Persian Infantry and Cavalry. Well, Wargames Factory had some problems (the details of which I know next to nothing) and seems to have emerged intact, this delayed the introduction of the figures but they are now in my hands fresh from the shelf at Michigan Toy Soldier. The box art is better than in the past but still pretty grim, the box on the other hand is nice and sturdy and will protect the minis from all but the most aggressive shipper. Here is the box;

the back is blank cardboard

     Inside we find the same tiny sprues that were in the Amazon box (and the skeletons box, but I'm not buying them just yet). This box also shares some of the weapons and shields from the Amazon kit. The small sprues are probably a cost-cutting measure but they certainly make taking  photos a pain in the backside.

the contents of the box

     While counting out and stacking up the frames I noticed that there were enough for 32 figures instead of the 24 that the box claims, mind you, I'm not complaining. There doesn't seem a way for them not to give the 32 figs so they should just say as much on the box, it would help sales I am sure. In examining the figures I am reminded of the Games Workshop level of subdivision of the model, gone are the days of the almost one-piece casting that marked the Spanish War of Succession infantryman, sigh. On the upside the blurry details and odd proportions have been utterly banished as well, it is a trade-off that I can live with. With this level of sub-division I am not going to do any naming of the sprues; just present them as "front" and "back".

As always click on the picture for a closer look

front 

back

front

back

both sides

both sides

both sides

front

back

front

back 

faces

more faces

I am a geek for details, look at the bow-case closely

the sprue count (the last two are four each)

     The number of small bits may be off-putting to people used to one or two piece metal castings, and I will admit it is a little intimidating, but it provides a significant cost reduction and the ability to produce subtly different poses in your units without the trouble of trying bend metal figures. I look forward to the cavalry.

Recommended,   

 Keep Painting,  John