Simon's Big Parade

My friend “Gloarmy” Greg Privat has been organising a “Big Parade” online event on 14th July, coinciding, I believe, with Bastille day.  For this reason, tonight (I can't post tomorrow) seems like a great time to post pics of my Early Imperial Roman legion, all together on the table for the very first time (all pictures click-able).

I started work on my EIR Legion when I first got back into historical gaming around 2005.  The first cohort was originally a mix of Perry and Saleh minis, from an on-the-spur-of-the-moment eBay purchase.  Comparing the two types, I found that I slightly preferred the taller Saleh minis, even though the number of poses was extremely limited, and there were no available cavalry.  The Perry's were ruthlessly purged.  I put together a 16 man cohort, decided that they would look better as 24 man cohort, and then that I needed 9 more of the same!  I’ve added a couple of cohorts, and some supporting troops, each year.  Around half the minis I pained from scratch, and the balance are repainted from eBay purchases.

So the 10 Cohorts; the 1^st Cohort (above, left front, and below, in closeup) are BTD, with Foundry shields, and the other 9 are Foundry figures, with some Crusader (and Games Workshop!) officers.  The Foundry Caesarian range provided most of the signifiers and cornicers for the legion.   All the shield designs are LBMS.  

I recently added a couple of heavily converted Aventine minis as the Aquilifer and Cornicer (not quite finished, more anon), and the excellent Gorgon Miniatures Primis Pilus.  The 1^st Cohort is only a standard size cohort at the moment, and I will ultimately replace it with a 40-man Foundry Cohort, to represent the larger Trajanic formations.  I'll re-use the BTDs in another legion that I’m planning.

The Black Tree Roman cavalry are half decent sculpts.  I recently had the 6 cavalry of the legion (above) painted for me by a mate of Dr. Simons, and he did a fine job on them, too.  I merely gave them some highlights and a wash.  The basing is not yet finished, so I'll post a proper picture in a few days time.  The legion is very generously provided with artillery support (5 various ballistae), because I’ve always wanted to do the siege of Jerusalem.  Maybe next year... 

The legion represents Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix, that defeated Boudicca.  Unfortunately my Tribunes and Legate aren’t quite finished; they have missed the parade.  But I’ll post pics of them soon.  Also none of my Auxilia are posted; they will be parading separately, at a later date, after I've based some reinforcements.  Then I'll need to look at painting the Praetorians and some more riff-raff supporting troops, like these gladiators...  I eventually aspire to a couple more legions and a similar number of supporting troops.