My Sassanid Persians are one of my favourite armies: I love the combination of  veteran extraheavy cavalry and levy spearmen! 

The army comprises two brigades of cataphracts (some Clibanarii, some Guard Clibanarii), each with four bases; one brigade of ally light horse archers; and two brigades of levy infantry, one of which includes a light bolt shooter. Extra support for larger points battles comes anachronistically from my Successor elephants and Persian cavalry masquerading as the appropriate Sassanid and Arab troop types.

The key to success is to soften the enemy up with bowfire before slamming the cataphracts in. Ideally you want to be able to split the opposition up into brigades and hit each brigade in turn: otherwise you run the risk of your expensive cataphracts being overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers of cheaper troops.

The cataphract element of the army is all Essex figures: using every type of cataphract they have (Parthian, early and late cataphracts) to add variety. To paint the armour, I undercoated only the bits of the figure that weren't metal, and then washed the whole with smoke coloured ink. I also washed some of the armour with coloured inks to give different sheens, and added bands of bronze or gold for extra decoration. No two cataphracts are exactly alike. 

I actually bought the levy foot from a bring-and-buy, so I don't know what figures they are or how they were painted. Cheating, I know, but they were there, and I needed them! The light horse archers are Tin Soldier and are actually based to go with my Greeks. The General is an Essex Assyrian in his chariot, with an umbrella bought from Irregular miniatures.

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