Friday 9 October 2009

Later Pre-Islamic Arabs...Sorta...

Good evening,

As stated earlier, I've been pottering around with bits and pieces while finishing stuff, and one thing I've been meaning to do for ages is replace some of my psuedo Pre Islamic Arab camel riders for Araby dudes who were less armored.


These started life as Italeri Saracen Warriors.

Yes, I've got some Normans that I'm planning to morph into Early Crusaders (at some point), but, as most of my armies are from DBA Book II (Classical Ancients), I wanted an ancient Arab army - with camels! So, that's what I built. II/23a Later Pre Islamic Nomadic Arabs.

The trouble is, most of these Saracens are appropriately dressed as, well, Saracens. They're really wearing too much metal to be Pre Islamic. So, to try to minimize this problem, I got hold of some Esci Arab Warriors (from their set to fight the Colonial British in the North West Frontier), selected some poses, chopped them in half and glued them to some legs that were all ready to sit astride a camel thusly...






The more observant of you will notice that that last converted figure doesn't actually have a left arm! Hence, the big shield (probably too big at that). It's integral to my approach to wargaming with plastic figures - don't waste anything!

And I know that they still look too well attired to accurately represent Pre Islamics, and that Caesar have now produced Bedouins, but...I've already got these guys, and, well, I'm cheap!

Nick

12 comments:

  1. Oh yeah.. go baby.. you're in the groove now Nick.. just gotta base them eh??LOL

    Keep up the good work.. reminds me I have a Hun army that just needs tarting up before it's ready.. i really should get that finished.

    Cheers
    Robin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, yeah!

    You do realize that that's it for the next 10 or so weeks, don't you?!

    Now, if only I could get that EIR Cv element finished before the year is out I may actually have a complete DBA EIR Army...well, so long as one doesn't count the second Cv option...

    Ho hum.

    Nick

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've got figures set aside for a Hun army too, I'll just bide my time for the HaT LIR Cv before pulling it together...I've already got the LIR infantry just waiting in their wee box...

    So many figures, so little time!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Or should that be so many figures, so many other distractions, so little time...?

    ReplyDelete
  5. They're great! I'm currently painting up a bunch of interchangeable medieval Islamic armies using the new HaT figures. Thanks for all the inspiration on your site and blog - it was one of the things that got me back into wargaming c.2003. I owe you a debt for inspiring the name of my blog as well...

    Regards from across the Tasman.
    Alan.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Alan,

    Great looking Normans you've got there. Those paint jobs look brilliant

    And that Sarmation Knight element for your Dacians is inspired! I've assembled a motley crew of my own for a Sarmation army. I've chopped and changed them a bit since last posting pictures of them, I must dig them out.

    And thanks for the kind words.

    From one 40 year old to another (Dexy's Midnight Runners? We are showing our age! :-) )

    Nick

    ReplyDelete
  7. Some things never age... Great to see that you are a school teacher as well. Enjoy your holidays.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cheers Alan,

    Are you a teacher as well?

    Back to school on Monday. Just got to sort out what we're doing for maths...and topic...

    Nick

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Nick,

    Yep, I'm an Assistant Principal at a high school in Sydney (and history teacher). I've been off for 5 weeks on paternity leave and heading back on Monday - it's going to be tough after so much time with family at home.
    Alan.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Alan,

    Good on you.

    I tried to enroll for training as a High School history teacher, but they told me I had done too much history at Varsity, and not enough of anything else! They suggested that I go back and do some English papers to broaden my versatility, but I went away and did something else instead.

    I went primary once I had done a couple of things with my son at Cubs (early Scouts) and I found out that young kids are cool!

    The rest, as they say, is history!

    http://room3ola.blogspot.com

    Nick

    ReplyDelete
  11. Whenever I have to take a primary class they scare the hell out of me...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ha! I feel the same about about the thought of teaching teenagers!

    Nick

    ReplyDelete