15mm Poeni Citizen Infantry

The Carthaginian citizen infantry in the DBMM army lists represent city militia or settlers and are therefore rated as inferior troops. The later Carthaginian lists allow up to two hundred and forty figures or sixty elements of these which is something I don't think any sane DBMM player would actually contemplate, so I thought I would purchase enough for eighteen elements and leave it at that.

I then took a second look at the Early Carthaginian list and happily realised that it is possible to upgrade and field eight elements as "ordinary" or average auxilia, something that will I believe prove to be much more useful. Of course I only realised that after I had stuck the buggers on to their original bases, but at least I hadn't got any further than that.

Anyway here they are, eight elements of auxilia and twelve of inferior spear:

The auxilia I would surmise are representative of the citizen infantry trained by Xanthippus in the First Punic War, a Spartan mercenary whom Polybius tells us was overheard to say something along the lines of "these guys are rubbish", and who the Carthaginians then put in command. Xanthippus apparently instilled in them such confidence that they finally beat the Romans at the battle of Tunis, after having suffered two previous defeats:

These Xyston figures are quite easy to paint, depicted as they are without armour and carrying little equipment:

Although I noticed that they are all supplied with the Xyston long Gallic-style shield which I'm not particularly fond of. Thankfully I had a few round shields left over so could mix them in, which I believe enhances the citizen infantry look:

As to the citizen spear themselves, I am quite happy with the way the turned out and, as usual, the LBMS decals do their job admirably:

And a final picture of both options together:

Now to complete some Poeni cavalry, and then on to some elephants.