Sunday, 24 June 2012

BigRedBat’s Mid-Year Review

An astonishing 6 months has passed, in a blur, since my resolutions for 2012, so I though it a suitable time for a quick review of progress.


My main objective for 2012 was “for my Early Imperial Romans, what I'm calling my sixty/sixty/one:sixty programmme.  This will involve building up my EIR Romans up to sixty cohorts of 8 legionaries, and sixty auxiliary cohorts/alae of either 8 infantry or 6 cavalry, which (with Praetorians and rif-raf) will give me around 1150 EIR figures, enabling me to fight a medium-sized 69/70 AD Civil War battle, at 1:60 scale.”  This is going really quite well, although I didn’t start it until May.  I added my big unit of rioters after Salute, and an additional unit of Gallic Auxiliaries in June, and my first Ala is about to roll off the production line.  I anticipate I’ll have all the auxiliaries completed by mid-September.

I’ve just scheduled by first big outing for them for Partizan on 2nd September- I’ll be working on this game with a couple of mates, Dr. Phil Hendry and Craig Davey; more anon.  Toward said game I do need to finish a lot more troops- as many as 8 more units, so there is a furious two months of brushwork and basing, ahead!
 
My secondary project was to” finish my projected 100-man cavalry division, described on my other blog.  ...and after that, whatever I fancy of several infantry formations I have underway.  I'd like to think I'll have a complete infantry brigade by the end of March, and at least 2 more by the end of the year.”  I still haven’t quite finished the cavalry division (now just a question of basing the final regiment, and painting some horse artillery) , but I did churn out the equivalent of a couple of infantry brigades for RTB’s spectacular Petit Borodino game, back in April.  I really need a set of rules that I feel I can get behind...
My third resolution was “to paint a unit or two for Glorantha, which I've not really touched for 2 years.”  This is a complete fail, so far- will review this in September!

I've enjoyed my wargaming this year, than last.  We are gaming locally on almost a weekly basis, again, and I've very much enjoyed my occasional forays to the "lead belt", where it has been great to meet some people I've been chatting to on line for donkeys' years, in t'flesh.  Onwards and upwards!

Friday, 22 June 2012

More Happy Legionaries

This is the second batch of Happy's (Gordon Smith's) Aventine Early Imperial Romans, which he has kindly let me host.  They were painted between Sunday and Wednesday, I gather, which is at least 5 times as fast as I can paint! All pics are clickable.



Gordon puts his rapid painting speed down to Devlan Mud washes.  He was more than a little distressed yesterday, when I told him that the product has been discontinued!  





These are all head-swaps on the standard legionary bods, as Gordon wanted an entire unit with crested helmets. He has added some Foundry casualty figures.  

I really love what Gordon has achieved here, each stand is a beautiful diorama in it's own right!  Also I'm liking the animated Aventine poses more and more, each time I see them.

Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Auxiliary Ala WIP shot

A terrible WIP photo but you get the drift.  Black Tree figures from Dr. Simon's Mystery Painter, with a little highlighting and such forth.  Basing tomorrow!


They are going to be Ala Siliana, from North Africa, who fought in the 69AD Civil War.

Monday, 18 June 2012

300!


A quick post to welcome Brent, who is my 300th follower, and to thank everyone else for popping by so regularly.  I am very much enjoying the blog at the moment, and there should be lots more posting in the months to come!

Cheers!  Simon

Saturday, 16 June 2012

Gordon Bennett!

This week people keep sending me pictures of their minis, which are invariably far better painted than my own;  it's becoming a positive curse.  ;-)

Today's minis are beautifully painted by Gordon Smith, and are from the new Aventine EIR Range for the Marcomannic wars.   Gordon took the pictures, too.  The shield designs are LBMS (specially re-sized by Steve from the ones for the A&A range).  All pictures are clickable.


Below is the full unit.  Gordon has wisely gone for 60mm deep bases as the Aventine's are in particularly animated poses.


I love the mini below with the crested helmet.  There are a very large number of helmet variations in this range.


Gordon deliberately went with a very grubby "or campaign" style, a good call!


The below pic shows how animated the minis are.  I usually go with very static poses, but the below looks brilliant!


And now, all together.


I also have bought enough minis for a couple of units of these, but they are resting in a box whlst I finish up basing all the BTD minis that have been painted, and rest in storage.  And yet, these minis are several orders of magnitude better sculpted than the BTDs; I really should get on with them! 

Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Coh. I et II Gallorum Eq.

I've finished Cohort I Gallorum, and the repaint/rebase of Cohort II and the Equites (mounted contingents) of both cohorts.  I scruffed the shields up a bit, too.  All pics clickable!


Below is a view of the cohorts from the rear.  These are cohorts of Gauls, and accordingly I've tried to give each a mild gallic flavour with boar and cockerel standards, and chequered cloaks.


Below is a closeup of the cloaks, I gave around 1/3 chequers.  I also went with different shades of metal in the helmets and muddy cloaks.


All the minis at Black Tree, and are not too shabby, given a little careful painting.

These are part of my continuing auxilia project- I'm now up to 10 auxiliary cohorts, more than half of what I need to re-fight some of the larger battles of 69/70AD.  Hopefully I'll have these and a few more cohorts to parade on Bastille Day (for Greg's Big Parade).  I'm currently working on an ala of cavalry.

Not my Middle Imperial Romans

These figures were splendidly painted by Richard Tartt, who has kindly sent me photos that I could post on t'Blog.  They are of some of the beautiful A&A Miniatures range sculpted by Adam Smith (now of Aventine Miniatures).  


 The armoured archers have bags of character, and are beautifully painted, with added bowstrings.



I think these are from the A&A 4th Century Range.  I do love the scale armour.


Finally some archers supporting some more legionaries.  I like the red-painted rawhide edging on these shields, an idea to nick!   ;-)   Richard's basing style is very effective.


Thanks for the lovely photos, Richard!

If anyone else who doesn't run their own blog, would like me to host pictures of their ancients minis, please do drop me an email at the address above.  Cheers, Simon