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 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: Centerpiece figures, small displays, collectors who prioritize visual impact over breadth.
Greek: The historical foundation
Greek hoplites occupy a fascinating middle ground. The phalanx formation — ranks of shield-bearing infantry — lends itself to formation displays almost as well as Roman legions, but with a different visual texture: bronze, aspis shields, and transverse-crested helmets.
Greek figures also have narrative versatility. You're not locked into a single conflict or era. Thermopylae, Marathon, Alexander's campaigns — the range of stories is broad.
Best for: Formation displays with a different aesthetic, collectors interested in Greek history specifically.
The honest recommendation
Start Roman. The product range is deepest, the display possibilities are richest, and the hierarchy gives your collection a natural structure to build around. Add Spartans as statement pieces. Add Greeks when you're ready to expand into a second formation army.
That's how most serious collectors end up building their collections anyway — Roman core, ancient world expansion.