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!

Saleh Persian from Gorgon Miniatures

Hank at Gorgon Miniatures ( http://www.gorgon-studios.com/?page_id=2 ) in the US was kind enough to send me some samples from their range of Steve Saleh-designed Spartans that were formerly sold through Amazon, and a Saleh Persian miniature that I believe is a giveaway with orders (rather than a precursor to a new range).

Now I've previously seen images of the excellent Spartans (I may do a size comparison shot, later) and one of the painted Persian, but not a size comparison photo of the Persian, so here he is sandwiched between an OOP Foundry Persian and a Polemarch Successor phalangite, also both sculpted by Saleh. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about Persian equipment so I won't comment on that; but the hand is designed to be drilled out for a spear, which marks a major improvement over the previous Persian, whose spear appears far too thick!

The Persian is a delightful figure, full of character. The detail is really crisp and, anatomically, it is superior to the previous Persian, IMHO. The height matches his other, larger 28mm ranges.

There were rumours, a year or so ago, that Steve was going to do a Persian range to complement the Spartans. Having seen this mini, it would be really great if he did! But I hope to see the Polemarch Successor range and the Gorgon early Etruscans finished first, especially the latter as I'm becoming very interested in the early Italina armies.

Saturday, 1 August 2009

Linky to the Zama Paintathon

Mon ami Greg yesterday, in one day, painted no less than 80 Carthaginian levy spearmen for the Zama project. Vive la France!

http://gloarmy.blogspot.com/2009/08/rattrapage.html

It has occurred to me that at this rate, he could finish all the minis we need for next April, by around Thursday lunchtime. ;-)

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...

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Palace of Tyresias

On Friday last, my boys + friends AD&D adventuring party stumbled back in time to 1984 and discovered my multilevel-dungeon.

This is a scanned and retouched image from the 1984 frontspiece. Whilst there are elements of "Tyresias" that I'm not entirely happy with (the Kobolds of the Golden parrot, for example!), much of it seems to have borne the passage of time really well and I'm refurbing (and even extending!) the place.

I wonder whether anyone else out there is writing for AD&D?