Saturday, 12 February 2011

Primus Pilus

This is a lovely miniature that was generously sent to me by Hank of Gorgon Miniatures.  He is now Primus Pilus (senior centurion) of my almost-finished legion. 


I'm very chuffed with him. Thanks, Hank!

Conscripted Aventines

I was casting the lead-mountain around for some personality figures for my legion, and I came across some lovely figures from Aventine's Republican range.  Luckily, Roman centurion and the standard-bearer gear didn't change much into the early Imperial era.   I've lightly converted these for what I need, by giving them Foundry standards and green-stuff lion skins, and replaced the centurion's leaf-shaped sword with a pilum.

These are very classy figures which I'm looking forward to painting!

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Praetorian Prototype

Whilst my final 2 EIR cohorts grind grimly onwards towards completion, I've started to think about the next unit I'll paint, a cohort (maybe two) of Praetorian guards.

Most of the unit will be the Foundry Saleh Praetorian in the above pose, with a few other minis mixed in for variety; some surprises, I hope.  I've decided to paint coloured bands on the pila, as one sees bands on carvings of praetorians (I hope this is a wargaming first), and give him a white horsehair plume.  I'm a big fan of the LBMS shield design.

Here's the back; nothing controversial there.  I will go for red, as I think it is a suitably military colour.  I can see Praetorians wearing brilliant white for parades in Rome, but not out in the field.

If anyone has 8-12 of the above figures spare, I'd love to buy them or swap for them, as I'd really like to be able to paint 2 cohorts.

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.