28mm Victrix Spartans and Osprey Spartan Warrior

     OK, now they are ganging up on me! I walked into the local brick & mortar to find (prominently displayed) both the Victix 28mm plastic Spartans and the new Osprey Warrior Series #163 title "Spartan Warrior". Being a sucker for the heroes of Thermopylae and for any ancient subject from Osprey I took this as sign from the powers on high to indulge myself in a sample of both. As they only sold by the book or by the box I soon left with one of each.

     As for the Osprey book:; it is a fine example of the the type of work that Osprey has been putting together under the Warrior series label. It provides a concisely written account of the life of a Spartan soldier, training, home life, the army. It also covers the equipment and the tactics that put this ensemble into action. The volume is well-illustrated with many original drawings and photographs of period pottery and equipment. If you are trying to save a few dollars getting your force of Spartans ready for the table-top you should buy this one book and this book alone as it provide a complete grounding in things Spartan.

Spartan Warrior 735-331 BC
Author   Duncan Campbell
Artist  Steve Noon
ISBN 978-1-84908-700-1


     Now we turn our gaze to the Spartan Hoplites by Victrix. Crisply cast in a hard medium gray plastic the box is brimming over with detailed parts that assemble into 48 figures. The box art is good with many painting ideas although it seems that the crew didn't read the Osprey book as the shields are all depicted bearing Lambdas. Inside you will find six sprues, each holding eight figures with all of the optional parts and accessories one could hope for. These are finely detailed and very well cast and will certainly assemble every bit as well as the previous products from Victrix (which is very well indeed!). Some people have remarked from time to time about the difficulty of assembling all of these "fiddly bits", I rather prefer plastic for that reason. It gives me the option to make each figure unique as well as being a darned sight easier to clear mold lines (not that there are many on these beauties!) from plastic models that it is lead ones. But enough prattl;ing on; here are the models!

the back of the box

contents

sprue, side A, look! more accessories than Barbie!

sprue, side B

ahhhh, gotta love the details

lots of heads to choose from....

....heads with hairy faces that is!

they even provide additional long hair

there was a day when any amount of detail behind a shield was remarkable,

not anymore

lotsa sidearms to boot

     There you have it, one book and a few boxes (well, only one if you are playing DBA) and you have an army ready to go into battle. I know I have blown this horn before but there simply isn't any metal figures that I have seen that can match these models.

     Very Highly Recommended,   John