Seleucid Archers

[Zephyr40k]

Hello,

I have another question that has arisen in my mind as I slowly piece together my Seleucid army. In the FOG rules, the Later Seleucids can have core archers either as MF or LF. Now, I would presume that the MF and the LF archers would look and dress significantly different, the former being regimented troopers and the latter being skirmishers. Now in many later seleucid armies I see people play their MF using these kinds of figures:



However, it seems to me that these fellows - looking a bit amateurish as it were - would lend themselves to LF. I'm thinking using "classic" (that is, Achamenind) Persian archers as my MF. Something like this:



What do you folks think? Would using Achamenid Persian archers as MF archers in a Later Seleucid army be just shockingly wrong?

[titanu]

I have seen a refernce to them using Persian archers but only for garison duties. Seleucids used 'local' archers.
There are references to them using Cretan archers - probably LF

Also to Scythians who would probably be MF (the Essex range also refers to these)

And general archers either MF or LF

All are Xyston figures who are superb.

[hazelbark]

What do you folks think? Would using Achamenid Persian archers as MF archers in a Later Seleucid army be just shockingly wrong?

Maybe not shockingly. But wrong from a historical point of view I would think.

[Zephyr40k]

OK so "historically-wrong" is a good reason for me to keep looking. In the Later Seleucid lists Cretan archers and Scythians both get their own line items in the army listing, under "optional troops." I'd like to have the core MF archers look different from the optional LF archers (who I presume were mercenaries), if for no other reason than for my own sanity and ease of recognition.

Here we go... a little Google-fu gives us this image, from the inestimable St. Petersburg collection:



Which is described as a "Seleucid Archer." For you folks who know more about the Seleucids than I do, does this look historically accurate?

Now if I can find a 15mm scale figure that is the equivalent of this, I'll be in business. Anyone know of any? Perhaps the Roman Auxilia ranges might be my best bet.

Here we go, maybe something like this:



Problem, though, is they sure don't look "unprotected." I guess the look I'm going for is uniformed and professional but unarmored.

[berthier]

I have seen a refernce to them using Persian archers but only for garison duties. Seleucids used 'local' archers.
There are references to them using Cretan archers - probably LF

Also to Scythians who would probably be MF (the Essex range also refers to these)

And general archers either MF or LF

All are Xyston figures who are superb.

The bottom picture here (ANC20123 Elymaian Archers would probably be a good fit and just paint them in a semi-uniform.

The St. Peterburgs fig is highly speculatic bordering on fantasy. The others are Romans by the look of their dress.