A number of years ago I added a plea onto the Baccus forums for the esteemed Mr Berry to create a range of early Byzantines so I could replace my venerable Irregular Miniatures army. At the time the response was that it may happen but not in the immediate future. However, I wanted a Byzantine army, specifically one for the 5th - 6th centuries, so I decided to proxy other Baccus figures to that very end. Sassanid regular infantry had a suitably large shield so I started there and though I say so myself they don't look too bad, yet they were not perfect. In my mind's eye I had an image of the old Hinchcliffe 25mm figures but in glorious 6mm, but needs must and all that. At 'The other Partisan' last month I bought some of Mr B's Hunnic Noble to serve as, well, Hunnic Nobles, but also to proxy for Boukellariioi for Belisarius or Narses. This week in a fit of enthusiasm I started to work on a second unit of Skoutatoi. No sooner had I started then 'bingly bong' goes my mobile phone to alert me to the fact that Baccus 6mm have launched a new range for a new period. Yes you guessed it the period is 'Late Antiquity' and the range 'Early Byzantines'.
So this is the cause of my mixed emotions the infantry are exactly what I was dreaming of but I already have proxy troops for that role. I almost wish that they were not what I wanted, but the entire range is perfect! Damn you Mr Berry, now I think I may be falling prey to some form of compulsive behaviour disorder. This is caused by knowing that the exact figures I want are out there so my lovingly proxied Sassanids are no longer ticking the right boxes. I must have proper Byzantines, I need proper Byzantines!!!
 |
| Not 'proper Byzantines' but I was happy with them until..... |
So in due course I will, of course, weaken and buy said 'proper Byzantines' the only question remaining is what to do with the demobilised Sassanid proxies, other than use them as Sassanid regular infantry (well that would be too easy wouldn't it).
 |
| Proper Byzantines! (image from the Baccus 6mm catalogue) |
Other than the above mixed emotions the new range looks really useful. It will cover Justinian Byzantines and Maurikian Byzantines, it has the Avar influenced half armoured cavalry (drool)) as well as lance and bow armed heavy cavalry. At a push it would cover Byzantine armies through to the introduction of the kite shield in the late 10th Century. The castings look excellent, you can see them here Baccus 6mm and the later Byzantines from the early Medieval range are here Baccus 6mm. I now have a terrible stabbing pain in my wallet!
