I Didn't Want This Army - But It Keeps Getting Bigger

(S range Egyptian heavy spearmen from the John Tuckey trove. These are the original 1968 figures. They were redesigned c.1970/71 with chainmail shirts and in an advancing pose)

When Stephen and I first decided to refight Charles Grant's Apocryphal Well scenario I'd thought we'd just do a switcheroo on the armies and make it Assyrians v Persians instead of Assyrians v Egyptians. However, having photographed a few of the John T Tuckey Egyptians for this blog I took it into my head to opt for the armies Grant used in his battle. I already had a couple of close order Egyptian spear units and two units of skirmishing archers serving under the Great King. By painting up a few figures - 40, 50, 60, there's not much to them, really - I could quickly make up the forces required. Chariots? I had a bag full of the original Minifigs S range Egyptian chariots that Tony Wade had brought to the Durham Show back in 2004. They are small and primitive compared to the later redesign, but they looked like they'd do. I didn't have any horse to go with them, but I did have lots of spare Persian chariot steeds that would look OK. A couple week of painting, merging under strength units, rebasing and juggling command figures and I find I now have 200 close order spearmen, 80 close order archers and 84 skirmishers. The chariots I'm still working on, but there seems no reason why I shouldn't finish up with 16....And then I just need an army for them to fight against...

(Below: S range Egyptian spearmen, from the later redesigned range. The original of this figure wears a loincloth and carries a "peep hole" shield)