As I'm getting towards the end of this part of my 'Fire in the East' project, I'm wondering what to do next? I need some desertified terrain boards if I'm going to play any good-looking games with them. I can use the figures on my 'temperate' boards, but they look pretty naff. I probably need other stuff too - like rocky ground, palm trees (I have some of the Pegasus Models kits sitting around waiting to be used), more buildings, and maybe an oasis. But then, 1,000 points a side isn't exactly a lot - heck, with high-value troops like the Sasanians and Romans, it's only four units each side - 56 figures for the Romans and 49 plus a jumbo for the Sasanians, so more figures would be in order too - and I bought another elephant from Gripping Beast on Sunday, so I have to buy at least another 1,000 points of Sasanians to go with him.
So, for the Romans, a unit of light, skirmishy, cavalry, some archers, some auxilia and maybe another unit of legionaries (perhaps from another legion, to show the 'rag-tag' nature of armies in this period), and maybe a spot of artillery. There's lots of stuff I'd like to do, but 1,000 points isn't all that much to go at (heck, I never dreamed, 18 months ago, that I'd ever say that!) - for instance, I'd love some camels!
For the Sasanians, more infantry (cheap in points, so should get quite a lot I think), more Savaran (super-heavy cavalry), and the other jumbo. Hmm, probably ought to get more horse archers, but I don't want to build the exact same units again. Archers are important to the Sasanians though - they were used to 'soften up' the opposition before sending in the tanks (sorry, Clibanarii). So maybe more infantry archers too.
I do have other things I want to do though - I'm fancying Napoleonics again (and I have a box of Victrix Brits staring accusingly at me), my lad wants to do some ultra-modern skirmishing (for which desertified terrain would be good), etc! But I probably ought to stay focussed on 'Fire in the East' for the moment.