Sometime ago I ordered a number of possible proxies from Baccus to paint up as 'Middle' Byzantine troops (c.10th-13th C) - for me I was hoping to use them to represent the Byzantine forces of 11th century Italy and for the Norman-Byzantine wars.

Here I have one of Baccus' Anglo-Saxon Huscarls with a Spear. I clipped the axe away from his back, and used greenstuff to mould the leather 'pteryges' (for want of a better term) on the neck of the helm and to cover the 'axe-wound' (ha!) with the faux-lamellar/scale mail corselet and the leather pteryges above the red tunic.  I think that my greenstuff may be going out of date - it did not behave as I am used to, and so my results were rather poorer than I think I should be able to do. Now I know that I probably could do a reasonable job of it - and know which of my various proxies I think makes the best base -  I will probably commit to making a few 'whole' units.

I was very unsure how it was going to come out, but even with a hurried paintjob, I think it looks (close enough to) the part.

Let me know what you think. EDIT: Still need to paint the front!

That's very very impressive - not just the conversion but the painting too. Beats my attempts with a file and then trying to glue some 3d printed quivers and shields in the right place by light years.

Indeed, that does look more Byzantine than anything else for that period. 

Thank you both. David, I'd be very interested to see yours. I feel like having a 3D printer must be extremely handy for conversions. Below please find pictures of the finished paintjob, as well as the inspiration pictures - the armour and colouring of Nos. 1, 2 and the shield of kataphractos 3 respectively. I do wonder if I could build up the confidence to clip/drill out the spear and give him a longer one with a dress pin, but probably better left as is - and a shorter spear doesn't catch on things as easily.




 

I don't have the 3d printer myself. I just sent some rough designs using Powerpoint to matt@awesome3dprint.co.uk. He worked them into proper cad drawings and then produced them for me.

Roughly how much did that work out at cost per figure, David? Looking at similar projects at another 3D printing service (Shapeways) puts even the bulk economy of scale price at about three times the price of a metal figure.

They weren't figures Jimbo - just shields and quivers. Essentially I was looking to have some Roman cavalry with hexagonal and chopped oval shields - which I now have. I didn't think the price was too bad. Obviously a lot of the cost comes in the design work and unless this can be offset against really big production runs, the cost will be higher. Best bet is to send Matt an email with your ideas and see what sort of costs he comes back with. I might investigate the potential for some Roman Western Auxiliary archers with them later in the year.