Painting the Legendary Cretan Archers - NML On Tour
From the time of Homer to the campaigns of Alexander and Rome, Cretan archers earned a reputation across the ancient world as elite mercenaries — light infantry who could harass, outflank, and survive. They were not tribal skirmishers, but highly trained professionals — reliable enough to fight alongside Athenians, Spartans, the Diadochi, and later as auxiliaries in the Roman legions.
Living on a rugged, mountainous island shaped by centuries of conflict, the men of Crete learned to master the terrain, pick their moments, and fire with lethal effect.
In honour of these historical warriors, I’ve painted a set of 15mm Cretan Bowmen from Xyston Miniatures — perfect for use in my Art de la Guerre (ADLG) armies.
These sculpts are brilliantly dynamic, with bows mid-draw and cloaks in motion.
Tunic Colours: Warm Greys and beige tones.
Bows: Layered wood tones with highlights for realism and contrast.
Quivers & Belts: Leather effects, aged with soft washes to reflect use in campaign.
Basing: Terrain textured to match the rocky hills and coastal dust I’ve walked across near Kastelli Hill and the Venetian walls of Chania.
Chania, West Crete
Painting these miniatures while in Chania, looking out across the Byzantine and Venetian ruins, has grounded the project in a deeply personal way. I stood on Kastelli Hill, above the ancient heart of Kydonia — a city that predates Rome and whose strategic importance endured through Minoan, Classical, Byzantine, and Venetian eras.
The Byzantine walls, rebuilt after the 961 AD reconquest from Arab rule, stand atop older stones that may have witnessed the real Cretan archers training or watching the horizon.
The Venetian arsenals behind me once repaired galleys that carried Cretan troops to foreign wars.
Even the Lighthouse at the harbour, now Egyptian-Ottoman in style, began as a Venetian structure — a symbol of Crete’s long-standing role as a frontier outpost for larger powers.
In ADLG terms, Cretan archers are fielded as Elite Light Infantry Bow. That may sound minor — but they can be game-changers. I use mine to:
Screen cavalry or heavy infantry blocks
Disrupt enemy flanks early, forcing costly repositioning
Control terrain, especially rough ground, where heavy infantry flounder
They don’t win games in one turn — but over the course of a battle, their presence shapes the field.
As I walk these ancient streets, I’ll be sharing more of my completed works including Byzantine and WW2 miniatures alongside images of the landscape that inspired them. You’ll see the sea through stone arches, the sunlight on old fortifications, and the textures that shaped these forces.
Whether you’re a historian, painter, or wargamer, I hope you’ll find something in these figures — and in Crete itself.
More blog posts to come!
Matt
