A&A vs. Gripping Beast, who makes good Sassanids?

flameberge · Post by **flameberge** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:19 pm

I'm looking for a good manufacturer of Sassanid Persians and was wondering if I could get some feedback on A&A miniatures and Gripping Beast. I live in the U.S.A. and neither company has a supplier in the U.S. as far as I know. I have not seen either manufacturer's figures in person. Gripping Beast and A&A are about the same cost for cavalry with Gripping Beast being a little more expensive with their infantry and elephants. If anyone has any suggestions on a manufacturer I haven't mentioned that would be fine too but I don't know of any other than Old Glory and since I can't even find any pictures of their product I'm not going to buy something completely blindly. Thanks.

Delbruck · Post by **Delbruck** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:47 am

I have both. I prefer the A & A. I don't much care for the Gripping horses or casting, although this may have been a problem with the former US manufacturer. Gripping Beast does seem to be more popular.

Incidently, I LOVE the A & A Palmyrans and Late Romans. The Palmyran cataphracts can be used as Sassanids.

flameberge · Post by **flameberge** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:57 am

Thanks for the response. I noticed the Palmyrene Cataphracts have armor on the horse's face while the A&A Sassanid ones do not appear to. Am I having a problem seeing it in the picture or is it missing, and if so do you know why that would be?

flameberge · Post by **flameberge** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:12 am

Since you are also a fan of their late Roman line would you use the Sarmatian Heavy Cavalry for Equites Catafractarii in a Dominate Roman list or would something else be more appropriate?

Delbruck · Post by **Delbruck** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:41 pm

There is no armor covering the Sassanid horses head. A couple of cloth barded horses do have cloth on the head and face.

If I was starting a 28mm FoG Sassanid army I would probably use the sword & mace armed clibanarii on unarmored & cloth barded horses as the "armored horse archers". I wouldn't use the bow armed clibanarii because they are shooting to the side. I might have a command base in the unit with a standard and a kontos armed officer. For cataphracts I would use the Palmyrans. I would not use A & A's Sassanid cataphracts. For command bases I would use a mixture of Sassanids and Palmyrans.

The Sarmatians are nice too. I would use them as Late Romans and Early Byzantines. I am pretty easy going, but can't say how appropriate they are for Dominate Roman Equites Catafractarii.

footslogger · Post by **footslogger** » Sun Nov 02, 2008 2:23 pm

I have the A&A Sassanids also. I bought them a long time ago so they are all figures with lances. I'm using them for Sassanid now for FoG. If I were starting over I'd use the guys with upright lances for the armored horse archers. I'm still not sure what to do about the cataphracts. I don't particularly care for the Sassanid cataphract figures - maybe I'd use the Palmyrans. I would use the Palmyran light horse for all the light horse.

The A&A horses are really beautiful.

Mithridates · Post by **Mithridates** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 12:24 am

Why not use the A&A mid-Roman cavalry as catafractarii - with lances on unarmoured horses?

GB Cataphracts are not bad and you can also use Essex from either the Sasanid or Parthian ranges. Their light horse are also good as are those from the Perry Miniature range (especially for allied light horse).

Cheers

Garry