Rigged and posed Mardonier. Some screencaps of two poses that I was testing. Pose B, the pose where the pistol is held high, seems, to me, a commonly-seen pose – path of least resistance and all.
So, I’d probably go with Pose A, which seems more low-key.
Or I might do something totally different.
EDIT: based my wife’s critique, I’ve modified Pose A and made it slightly more aggressive or confrontational. Pose C shows Mardonier in mid-step with the pistol held slightly higher and the body tending forward, almost trying to get itself ahead of the weapon.
