Sunday, 13 February 2011

Cohors IX et X, Leg. XIV Gemina Martia Victrix

This weekend I've managed to finish the last 2 cohorts of my EIR Legion, the XIIII Gemina.  Above is the IXth...

  ...and here is the Xth.  All photos are clickable.  

Both units are largely built of the same 3 poses of my favourite Saleh Foundry minis.  I painted half from scratch, and repainted the other half from an ebay purchase (I  notice that I still have a bit of snagging to do on a couple of faces).

...and now both together.   

I am really delighted to have painted all the 240 legionaries; next I need to paint a few personality figures, some more artillery and the legionary cavalry, and then I'll have the legion complete and can take a photo.  

Then I'll start another one.  ;-)

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....