Roman vs Spartan vs Greek: Which Ancient Warriors Should You Collect First?

If you're new to historical brick collecting and browsing custom minifigure sets, you've probably already hit the first fork in the road: Roman, Spartan, or Greek?

All three are iconic. All three have passionate collector followings. But they're different in ways that matter — for display, for storytelling, and for how your collection grows over time. Here's a straight comparison.

Roman: The collector's workhorse

Roman figures have the most depth of any ancient collection. The hierarchy is rich — Legionaries, Centurions, Optiones, Signiferi, Cornicenes, Aquilifers, Tribunes, Legate — and each role has a visually distinct look. That means your collection can grow without repetition. Every new figure adds something different.

Romans also lend themselves to formation displays better than any other ancient army. They fought in organized units, and that structure translates naturally to shelf arrangements. If you want a large, impressive display that tells a coherent story, Romans are the best starting point.

Best for: Formation displays, large collections, collectors who like rank and hierarchy.

Spartan: The statement piece

Spartans are the most immediately recognizable ancient warrior in popular culture — and that's both their strength and their limitation. The iconic crested helmet, red cloak, and round shield (aspis) make Spartan figures visually striking as individual pieces or small groups.

But the Spartan military had less internal visual diversity than Rome. You won't find the same depth of specialist roles. What you will find is incredible individual figure quality — and figures that work as display centrepieces, conversation starters, or gifts.

Best for: Statement displays, smaller collections, buyers who want maximum visual impact per figure.

Greek: The historian's choice

Greek hoplites predate Rome and Sparta in the historical timeline, and they attract a different kind of collector — one who's interested in the city-states, the Persian Wars, Marathon, Thermopylae. Greek figure sets often come with more historical context attached.

Visually, Greek hoplites share some similarities with Spartans (shield, spear, crested helm) but with more regional variation. Athenian blue versus Spartan red. Bronze versus painted shields. This variety keeps the collection interesting as it grows.

Best for: History-first collectors, those building narrative dioramas, collectors interested in the Persian Wars era.

So — which first?

Here's the honest answer: start with the army that tells the story you want to display.

If you want a large, evolving collection with depth and room to grow: Romans.
If you want a small, high-impact shelf display that looks great immediately: Spartans.
If you're drawn to a specific historical moment or conflict: Greeks.

Most serious collectors end up with all three. But starting with Romans gives you the most flexibility — the unit structure means you're always adding to something, never starting over.

Whatever you choose, prioritize command group figures first. They're the ones that make a display look intentional rather than assembled.