HaT 8059 Persian Heavy Infantry
[Production] Sprue Scans

(box art reproduced with kind permission)

(scanned at 72dpi - this is pretty much their actual size)

The Webmaster at Hat very kindly sent me a production sprue of their new HaT8059 Persian Heavy Infantry that have just been released in Europe. They aren't due Down Under for a while yet, so he took pity on me!!

These are really nice figures, they have good detail and sensible poses. I especially like the archer taking time to identify his target.

(Apple Bearer's as Archers - Apple Bearer as Spearman)

(Kadakes - Apple Bearer as Archer - Standard Bearer, probably another Apple Bearer)

(Close ups - aprox. @ 200%)

(Apple Bearer's as Spearmen - Kardakes)

(Kardakes - Apple Bearer as Spearman - Apple Bearer as Archer)

So you get...

• 8 Apple Bearers - 4 as Archers, 4 as Spearmen
• 1 Standard Bearer (also probably another Apple Bearer)
• 3 Kardakes
• (3 Seperate Spears)

...per sprue. 4 Sprues per pack, so that's 48 miniatures per box.

Each Spearman figure is moulded with what looks like a bow case hanging off his belt (either that or he's got a really big sword!),so, as near as I can figure it, the archer figures are Apple Bearers who just happen to be shooting their bows instead of wielding their spears. These Apple Bearers, according to Duncan Head in his book Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars...

...were the royal foot guard, so called from the golden apples decorating their spearbutts, an elaboration of the traditional spherical counterweight of the short Persian infantry thrusting-spear... [In the Issos mosaic, there appear to be two fallen Apple Bearers...] One has a shield of the type carried by Greek hoplites while the other carries a bow, so we may deduce that the unit was armed with bow, spear and shield (or possibly was a mixed force of spearmen and archers).

The Kardakes appear to have formed a sort of military training corps, comprising of rich young men who used to scream around with the king when he went hunting. Was 'sposed to be good training for warfare, apparently (!). I guess having a lion bear down on you does tend to prove your mettle.

In battle, they operated alongside the Persian's Greek Mercenaries as a native Persian heavy infantry force designed to support the Greeks, being supported in their turn by the Persian Lights. Those who survived that would have then graduated to become cavalrymen, the elite arm of the Persian army.

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