The Tanks of their age
09 June 2017
Even with a mobile mounted phalanx, the early Seleucid cavalry could not match up to the infantry.
The Xyston (long thrusting spear) was still not long enough to reach Sarissa (pike) phalanxs head on. The cavalry's weight of armour, restricted body movement and slow mobility along with having no shield for protection made the cavalry more vulnerable.
The need to match the phalanx was answered in part when Antiochus met the “Parthian” cavalry. These were heavily armed cavalry with scale armour on the rider, the same armour for the horse and longer weapons known as a Kontos (Long Wooden Lance). The cataphracts Kontos “almost” equalled the length of the Sarissa. while their armour protected them from missiles, arrows, spears and pikes. The Kontos allowed the cavalry to block attack on them from further away.
This gave the Seleucid cataphracts the ability to beat off attacks from both Ptolemaic cavalry and phalanxs. However, the cataphracts still had problems with attacks from the flank or rear. Infantry attacks could be fatal if they were allowed at the cataphracts from those areas as they attacked parts of the riders and horses that were unprotected by armour. In order to protect the cataphracts, other lighter cavalry were needed.
Once I have fully painted and based these Selucids, Collection Calculator says that they are going to worth £41.69 (3 Gen = £11.67 and the 4 Gen & 4 Cv = £30.32 or £15.16 each base)
General (4Cv - Cavalry), General (3Cv - Cavalry) and Cataphracts (4Kn - Knight)
3 bases, 12 mounted figures
Here is a generals base of three figures, another generals base of four figures and a Cavalry base four figures in close order on 3 bases. These are a fairly simple paint job, they are mostly covered in mail and bronze armour with a little brown, a little flesh and some brighter colours for the standards.
Stage One: Covered all of the mail areas using “Leadbelcher”
12:10 pm to 12:30 pm - Coat of mail armour applied 20 minutes, now drying.
Stage Two: Painted horses, spears and leather in brown using “Skrag Brown”
13:15 pm to 13:55 pm - Coat of brown where needed 40 minutes, these are still drying.
Stage Three: Hands and faces painted using “Cadian Fleshtone”
15:00 pm to 15:10 pm - Coat of flesh on the hands and faces of the Cavalrymen 15 minutes, now drying.
Stage Four: Covered the Riders armour, helmet and skirts using “Screaming Bell”
16:00 pm to 16:30 pm - Coat of bronze on the Cavalrymen where needed 30 minutes, now drying.
Stage Six: Painted standards. Mixed up a "Purple" and used "Cloak Grey"
Day 2 - 10:15 pm to 10:35 pm – Standards done in grey and purple on generals bases.
Stage Seven: Painted banners on the standard bearers. Blackwash applied "Nuln Oil"
Day 2 - 12:01 pm to 12:15 pm - applied a blackwash to figures.
Stage Eight: Painted bases, added sand, foundation wash and then flock to the base
Day 2 - 14:01 pm to 14:15 pm - Painted base Green, let dry. 14:40 pm to 15:05 pm - Applied a PVA glue and then sand to base, let dry. 15:30 pm to 15:40 pm - applied foundation wash to base, let dry. 16:50 pm to 17:10 pm Applied 50% water and 50% PVA mix to base and added flock, let dry. Job done!
Finished bases from the front
From the right flank
From the left flank
From the rear
I have enjoyed painting these Seleucid Catapharactoi Cavalry. It took me about an hour of actual painting time, but I would imagine a better painter looking for a better finish would take longer.