The Hoplites of the Messines

Until the Victrix Spartans are available, I've made space for them in the painting queue by completing the last of my current models for my Spartans; in this case a mixed batch of leftovers painted as an allied phalanx from Messinia:

The models are a mixture of Black Tree, Wargames Foundry and Immortal/Warlord Games; I had just enough for a unit.  The equipment as a result was too irregular to convincingly represent a true Spartiate unit, so it made sense to dress these as allies, nee Helots given new status in times of dire need.  With that new status comes captured and leftover equipment and shields given no more than a simple city state device, to identify them as members of the Lacedaemonian Empire.

Well it all makes for a justifiable back story, doesn't it.