Showing posts with label Aventines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aventines. Show all posts

Thursday, 19 November 2009

Numidian Cavalry ready for basing


30 yes 30 cavalry!  And I painted all but 2.  I'm going to need to leave them for a while before basing, as the linseed oil on some of the horses is still not fully dried.


My Aventine reinforcements have arrived.  The left two columns are my two new Pyrrhic nellies, and a selection of spare parts that Keith has sent me which I'll use for conversions... more anon.  I appear to have enough crew for 5 elephants!  The centre two columns are reinforcements for Zama, and on the right are a host of beautiful transfers from LBMS.

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Zama Bruttians

Mon ami Greg has painted Hannibal's Bruttian veterans for the third line at Zama.  Bruttium is a region in the toe of Italy that allied with Hannibal, and many of the Bruttian veterans accompanied him when his army was recalled to Africa to fight Scipio.  These will form the three units on the right of the rear line at the SOA battle day http://www.soa.org.uk/, and at Salute 2010.



(Photo shamelessly nicked from Greg's website).  The minis are a mix of Crusader Oscans and Aventine Etruscans (the ones in the Italo-Corinthian helmets).  I'll do shields and spears when the minis arrive here, later this year.

Greg's website is below; always worth a visit!  I hear rumours that he is working on a large, secret project...

http://gloarmy.blogspot.com/

Friday, 6 November 2009

New Aventine Nellies

Keith at Aventine has sent me some very exciting pictures of their beautiful new elephants.  He's posted a couple on TMP, but not this one, which I like best:



Really excellent painting...  the cloths, shield designs and the painted armour are very frothworthy.  The Aventine shop is at http://www.aventineminiatures.co.uk/catalog/ ; I shall be wending my way there, later this weekend!

Tuesday, 27 October 2009

Operation Zama- The legions are massing!

We've been making steady progress with the painting of the Romans and Italian allies for our Command and Colors Zama game at Bletchley and Salute in April 2010.

Keith at Aventine http://www.aventineminiatures.co.uk/ has been a staunch supporter of the Zama Project, and is painting two legions of their miniatures (216 minis).  Above, the first legion is completed aside from the 32 Velites (all pictures are clickable). 

Another shot of Keith's Italians; the  allied cavalry, with LBMS designs, look particularly fine!

These Principes have been painted by Craig Davey, who has volunteered to base one of the remaining 2 legions; like me, he has finished 2 units.

Finally, above are the Aventine Legionaries I painted in the summer, before I became lost in the plains and deserts of Numidia. I have planned time to paint the remaining 5 units early next year.

A particular thanks to Keith, who recently and kindly rebased his miniatures to match mine!  I'm really please with the way all the units match because of the shield transfers, red tunics and common basing style.

Thursday, 8 October 2009

Aventine and Empire Models Elephant Size Comparison

Mithridates on TMP was asking how the Aventine http://www.aventineminiatures.co.uk/catalog/ and Empire elephants compare sizewise. 

Accordingly, I've bluetacked the Aventine Royal elephant together, sans trunk and tusks.  It is supposed to be rearing, but I've put all 4 feet on the ground for comparison purposes; it is the unpainted model at the front.



From the above view, you'll see that they are both pretty well the same size to the shoulder; roughly 53mm.



The build of the two elephants torsoes is not dissimilar.  The legs and feet are similar sizes.  The Empire body is rather longer, at 58mm to the Aventine's 49mm.

The big difference between the two is in the heads.  The volume of the Empire head is perhaps twice that of the Aventine, largely because is is very much broader, with a bigger forehead and eyes set wider (perhaps rather too wide) apart.  The elephant has a very large helmet and crest on the beast.  I prefer the smaller Aventine head, but can live with the bigger head on the Empire model because it is such an imposing beast overall, with excellently depicted armour.

Broadly speaking, the two elephants would work well together.  I'll be adding Aventine elephants to my Seleucid elephant corp as soon as they can sculpt them, and I can get around to painting them!

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

Aventine Hastati Completed

Last night I finished the first of 2 units of Hastati.  With the quicker painting method, and the red primer, they took 15 painting/basing sessions, comparing favourably with the 20-odd for the Triarii.
This is another unit that looks better from behind!  I do like the active pose of these Aventine minis.

...and here they are with the earlier Triarii.  I think the LBMS shield designs set them off, nicely.

Only another 80 minis to go to complete the legion!  Gulp.

Tuesday, 15 September 2009

Aventine meets Gorgon

Hank at Gorgon Miniatures in the USA http://www.gorgon-studios.com/?page_id=2 has very kindly sent me a few more samples; this time of the new Etruscan range.  I thought it might be useful to post a couple of shots next to the recent Aventine range http://www.aventineminiatures.co.uk/


Above are two of the Gorgon "second class citizen spearmen" Etruscans, flanked by two of the Aventine Volscians.  I still know relatively little about this period, but what is apparent to me is that, as I had hoped, the two ranges are an excellent match for height and build.  Indeed, at one stage, I got the minis mixed up and couldn't tell which range they came from!  They come with a tidy rectangular shield (not shown), and are finely sculpted with very little flash, indeed.


Above are two hoplites and a phalangite; from left to right Foundry, Gorgon and Crusader (I couldn't lay my hands on a Crusader hoplite).  It is a pity that the light was poor because I couldn't catch all the detail on the Gorgon Etruscan 1st Class hoplite figure.  If you click, you still should be able to see the trim around the cheek plates on the helmet, and the scales on the composite cuirass are fantastic; the detail on this mini is exceptional.  These figures can also be used as Greek Hoplites.

So I'm delighted with my new minis; thanks Hank! It's likely that the next year (post-Zama) I'll paint up some units of mixed Aventine and Gorgon minis.

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

Hasty Hastati 6 - Mostly there!

These chaps are getting seriously close to completion!  I'm 11 sessions in and 3 more should finish them, including basing.  This is rather faster than the Triarii and should enable me to finish one legion by Salute.

In other news... Greg has kindly offered to paint some more miniatures, Hannibal's Bruttian veterans from Southern Italy.  These are going to be a mix of Aventine and Crusader miniatures.  Also, I've identified the materials for the base boards and will get on with them once I've finished my dissertation.

Monday, 31 August 2009

Hasty Hastati 3

Here are the Aventine hastati after the second painting session:-

And here they are again after the third (retouched reds around pectorals (thanks Keith!), painted iron and started flesh):-

They are coming on very nicely, and happily rather quickly!

Saturday, 29 August 2009

Hasty Hastati 2

I've decided I'm going to tackle this unit with a different technique, partially using washes; more like Greg's method. In a long session 1 last night, I blocked in the red tunics, the black primer for the chain, the pectorals, pila shafts and some of the straps.

Wednesday, 26 August 2009

Hasty Hastati

I'm about to start my second unit of Aventines, this time Hastati. I spent far too long on the previous Triarii at 3 weeks, and have decided that I need to get this lot finished in around 2 weeks. To this end I'm going with a red primer, as I used with the Galatians back in the Spring- I'm hoping this will save me a few days! Also the figures are much less complex to paint than the Triarii.

The Aventine figures again prepped very quickly, having very little flash. I'm not a great fan of attached spears, but the hands are open and do provide a firm cup into which to glue them into (unlike some Gripping Beast figures, for example).

I'm finishing basing the Tegeans (from July) tonight; Hastati painting starts tomorrow...

Saturday, 22 August 2009

Aventines sorted!

I'm back from hols and managed to do the finishing touches on the Aventine Etruscans, which is just as well as another 40 or so just arrived!

I'm really pleased with them. You can see I'm going with a horse theme on this legion.

They actually look better from behind, where you can see the detail on the armour. Pics are clickable.

Shortly I'm going to start a unit of Aventine Principes. I'm particularly pleased with these latter, because Keith and Adam apparently designed them after I suggested that I'd need some for my Allied legion. They are tidy little minis, in animated attacking poses, and should be a relatively straightforward paint.

Thursday, 6 August 2009

...for a ha'porth of tar

They say "Do not spoil the SHIP for a ha'porth of tar."

I'm off on hols at dawn, and was desperately hoping to be able to finish the unit of Aventine Etruscans before I left. Unfortunately, I ran out of Testor's Dullcoat around 4 weeks ago and haven't been able to source more from my supplier, so I've not been able to varnish them (which I always do before basing as it is far easier). So I'll base them in late August.

Here are their shields, which are finished. I've decided to go with a horse motif for the entire legion, and am using some of the excellent LBMS transfers designed to accompany the range; they have a battle damaged look, which I'm quite taken with.

I'll be away for a couple of weeks; happy gaming!

ps Just a second after I posted this, I got an electronic despatch note from my supplier for the Dullcoat!

Saturday, 1 August 2009

Aventines Day 14

Just as one unit approaches completion...

Another 5 arrive!

Life just works like that, sometimes.

I'm really delighted with the new Aventine minis Keith has sent (the principes and equites for my Italian legion, and a bunch of Volscian hillmen), which are of the same high quality (nary a hint of flash) as the last bunch, and even as neatly packed as I've ever seen! He even chucked in the newest Volscian command pack, which looks brilliant. The Volcians have a real sense of movement that one rarely sees in a 28mm mini and I'm itching to paint them; dare I squeeze a unit into my schedule?

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

Aventine; Day 10

Four days since my last post and I feel have suffered for my art. It took me no less than 3 evenings (7-8 hours!) to paint the leather edging on the lammellar armour and the bands that hold the greaves in place! With the advantage of hindsight I may have been a bit anal about it, but I want this unit to be splendid.

On the other hand, last night I managed to block in the linen pteurges relatively quickly, and they are starting to look like painted minis at last. Tonight it's the red tunics, and after that it is just the shields and snagging. I have splashed out on the LBMS shield designs for these minis; morover, I have even bought the white battle-worn transfers; paying for white shield covers, utter madness!

I've also ordered most of the rest of the Italian Legion (32 Hastati, 32 Principes), and enough cavalry to finish a squadron. I couldn't resist buying a couple of units worth of the Volscians, including the splendid command pack. This is not going to help with my New Years Resolutions...

Saturday, 25 July 2009

Onwards with Aventines

I'm going to post occasional updates on the progress of my Aventine Etruscans. This (unfortunately slightly blurry) image shows progress after the 6th painting session. The first 4 were on flesh tones, the fifth tidied up edges with black and painted steel/iron, and the sixth sorted out the bronze. I guess I've spent about 12 hours in total on them, so far.

The minis are a pleasure to paint. There is quite a lot of detail, but it is in good relief. They remind me somewhat of the Saleh WotGs, which suits me nicely. I think it's going to take me the best part of 3 weeks to finish and base them (but hopefully the more simply equipped Hastati and Velites will be faster to paint).

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Honest, I have been painting stuff...

I've regrouped after my brief holiday refurbing 1980's D&D Minis, and am back in the saddle with the ancients painting.

Above are the Tegeans, that have long been lurking on the painting table; they are all retouched and ready for varnishing. Unfortunately I have been waiting 2 weeks for the Testors Dullcoat that I need for the next step, so they are in a holding pattern! Grrr.

I'm very excited about these minis; my first unit of the excellent Aventine minis ( http://www.aventineminiatures.co.uk ), and at the same time the first unit I'm specifically painting for the SOA Zama game. They are going to be a long job, but I'll make sure that I work on them every day until they are finished.

They represent the Triarii of an allied legion; this will ultimately include 16 Triarii, 32 Hastati, 32 Principes and 32 Velites. Keith at Aventine is painting a matching allied legion; we'll need 2 Roman legions, later on. There's more information about the Zama project here: http://bigredbat.blogspot.com/search/label/Operation%20Zama

Sunday, 5 July 2009

On the Painting Table...

It's been a slow week painting-wise, because Mrs Bat has been suffering from the dreaded lurgi.

However, the Tegean unit (Spartan allies, above) is approaching completion; I've painted 7 figures to match 20 very nicely painted minis I bought on eBay (I'd love to know who originally painted them, please let me know if you recognise them). I just need to finish the shields and do the basing.

And above, primed, are the long-awaitied Aventine North Etruscan League minis, which are also the first unit of my Allied Italian legion, for Zama!