Saturday, 5 February 2011

WIP shot

The last 18 minis are almost finished.  Above, I'm in the process of painting the black-primed shields white, ready to take the LBMS transfers.  I'll put a coat of varnish over the white, tonight, which will help the transfers to adhere.

I've been surprised how much more quickly I can paint the legionaries, relative to the command figures.  It's easy to get a production-line going with them.  They are lovely figures to paint.

I don't suppose anyone has a spare Foundry Praetorian standard bearer I could swap for,  please (for another project)?

Saturday, 29 January 2011

Tirones

The final 18 new recruits (or Tirones) have arrived for the last 2 cohorts of my legion, and are spray primed and ready to go.  I've almost finished the 8 command figures at the front; I estimate it'll take 2-3 weeks to finish the unit.  

I have just remembered why I like to get others to paint my minis for me.  ;-)


Sunday, 23 January 2011

Legionary Cohorts IX & X, WIP

These are roughly half of the legionaries for the final 2 cohorts of my first EIR legion; they are a substantial repaint of an eBay purchase.  Tonight I start on the second, harder half of the job, the 25 legionaries that I need to paint from scratch.  Roughly 3 weeks work, I reckon.  

I just love that LBMS shield design....     

Saturday, 22 January 2011

Equites Singulares Praetoriae Command

This week, I've finished the command stand for my Praetorian cavalry.  All pics are clickable.


The riders are BlackTree, shields trimmed down from Warlord Games, horses A&A, and transfers VVV.  I'd like to thank Steve from the WAB Forum for sending me the Wargames Factory standard (I'm not 100% sure it is historic, but it looks great!).  Allan Curtis is sending me an imago, which I'm going to use with another, cavalry Ala that I intend to start in a month or so.  A full cavalry Ala in 1:20 would have 24 figures and would look very fine, indeed, on the table.

The A&A horses, which I think were sculpted by Adam (now of Aventine) are superb.

Here are all the Praetorian cavalry, deployed together; a fine sight!  I'm very enthused with the Black Tree cavalry riders and have ordered an awful lot more of them.

Monday, 17 January 2011

Romans are Red

A quick in-progress shot of the figures that I bought on eBay, and which I amcurrently retouching.  It takes a fair bit of time to tart up two dozen even quite respectably painted figures!  It'll take a lot longer to paint up the other 2 dozen figures from scratch.  Happlily, the original painter, like 90% of all others that paint Romans, went for red tunics. 

In the backgroung are the 3 figures for the command stand of the Praetorian Equites.  Steve Marshall from the WAB forum has kindly sent me some nice Wargames Factory standards (perhaps of dubious archaeological provenance, but very pretty).  If I can find a suitable imago I may stick this on top of the same pole.  Allen Curtis is sending me one, but I want to use that with the next cavalry unit I'm planning...

Sunday, 16 January 2011

Tin Soldier vs Black Tree Design Romans

Someone was asking on TMP whether BTD Romans fit with Tin Soldier's.  I have a few Tin Soldiers and have shot a couple above (2&4) next to some BTDs (1&3). 

I think one could just about get away with it, although I find the Tin Soldiers crude by comparison with the BTDs (big heads and stocky legs; something of the dwarf about them.  And that horn!).  Having said that, I have 6, they are painted and I might just base them up.

Friday, 14 January 2011

Equites Singulares Praetoriae

I've finally finished my Praetorian cavalry (except the command stand, which I hope to start this weekend).  The riders are Black Tree and the steeds A&A; shields from Warlord Games, spears North Star and transfers VVV.

I'm really pleased with them.  I think the BTD rider figures are very nice (especially the helmets, have a click), and I plan to paint an awful lot more, especially as the proportion of cavalrymen in a Roman army was rather high.  Most of the others will be scruffier equites cohortales, though.