Ancient Greek Infantry

ZVEZDA 1:72 Scale Figure Review

Ancient Greek Infantry, 1:72 Miniatures ZVEZDA 8005.

Zvezda 1:72 scale Ancient Greek Infantry features an officer, musician, 30 heavy infantry hoplites, five peltasts and eight psiloi in convincing wargame poses.

Contents

45 Figures in 15 Poses – 24 mm equal 173 cm Height

  • Strategos in Chlamys, pointing (1)
  • Aulist with Double Flute (1)
  • Hoplite with Dory and Aspis (Athens), advancing (4)
  • Hoplite with Dory and Aspis (Korinth), aiming (4)
  • Hoplite with Dory and Aspis (Korinth), receiving (4)
  • Hoplite with Dory and Aspis (Crete), throwing (4)
  • Hoplite with Xiphos and Aspis (Syracuse, Sicily), attacking (4)
  • Hoplite with Kopis, separate Aspis, attacking (4)
  • Hoplite with Kopis (Sparta), advancing (3)
  • Hoplite with Kopis (Thebes, Boeotia), kneeling (3)
  • Peltasts
    • Thrakian Peltast with Javelins and Pelta, throwing (3)
    • Mantineian Peltast with Javelins, advancing (2)
  • Psiloi
    • Sfendonitai
      • Sfendonites with Sling (2)
    • Toxotai
      • Archer (Crete), standing, shooting (3)
      • Toxotes with Shield (Argos), kneeling, shooting (3)

Evaluation

Excellent choice of subject, Zvezda Greek Infantry set a new milestone in this scale when it was released in 2000. The set impresses with exceptional sculptural perfection, diverse historical poses, and high casting quality.

Ancient Greek Infantry, 1:72 Miniatures ZVEZDA 8005.

The spear-armed hoplites fit together nicely in a phalanx. One serious problem, however, is that all of the hoplites‘ shields are decorated with Greek shield designs. This may be perfect for toy soldier fans, but not for wargamers who want to play with painted troops. These shield designs are too bulky to be compatible with 1:72 scale, they are difficult to paint, and severely limit the usefulness of these figures unless we are prepared to recruit soldiers from seven different cities or city-states into the same phalanx. There are now beautiful decals of Greek shield designs, which unfortunately can only be used on these figures after the laborious removal of the superimposed designs.

The hoplite pictured on the left wears a rare Attic helmet with the cheek guards folded up, which is quite dangerous in combat and therefore rather unlikely.

Ancient Greek Infantry, 1:72 Miniatures ZVEZDA 8005.

These four hoplites have lost their spears and are now fighting with the Xiphos or the curved Kopis. They are really nice and active poses that unfortunately do not fit into the same phalanx as the previous four hoplites. If a spear broke or the spearhead was chopped off by an opponent, the hoplite would turn the spear around and fight with the Sauroter (“lizard killer”) on the back end of the spear. Wargamers who need 16 or 24 phalangites for a phalanx will want to upgrade these four poses with the Dory as well.

Ancient Greek Infantry, 1:72 Miniatures ZVEZDA 8005.

The Psiloi and Peltasts in this set are excellent figures, but there are far too few poses for them. The trouble is that duplicate poses in the same unit, or even on the same stand, are particularly obvious in the more dynamic light infantry. Skirmishers are individualists, not synchronized dancers. This fact can hardly be concealed even by painting the duplicate poses differently; light infantry simply thrives on the variety of available poses. Zvezda would have done well to dedicate a separate set to the light infantry.

Possible Conversions

Bibliography

Zvezda Greek Infantry is a must-have for wargamers and collectors of the classical period of the 5th and 4th centuries BC.

Ancient Miniatures