Sunday, 22 July 2012

A brief diversion into terrain, part III

2 cans of spray paint and 4 coats of drybrushing later (do click for a better view)...


The jute string works very well for the woodier vine stems.  Now I need to await an order of clump foliage!  In the meanwhile, I had better get back to painting some Romans...

Friday, 20 July 2012

A brief diversion into terrain, part II


This is the second installment of my vineyard project, with some figures added to give an idea of scale.  There are now 4 blocks of vine props, and I've added "vines" made from unravelled jute twine, soaked in white glue (have a click, for a closeup).  I just need to add a few more vines to the block in the foreground, and then I'll get on with painting.  Ultimately I'll add clump foliage which will make them less stark.

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

A brief diversion into terrain, part I

For the game at Partizan (of which more, anon), I'm going to need to make up some vineyards, of a type used by the Romans- tall poles, on which the grapes would grow, overhead. A Syrian neighbour built something very similar in his garden, one year.  These need to be able to accomodate troops but also to store away neatly, hopefully 4 to a 7L Really Useful box.


I pushed bamboo skewers through a 5mm sheet of foamcore, on a 70mm grid, to make a template.  I then cut 45mm lengths of skewer as the uprights, and cut beams of spruce and bamboo to go across them.  I stuck everything together with wood glue, it is reasonably rigid, and will become more so, as I plan to reinforce it.


Above are the first 2 frames, of 4 planned.  They are going to be freestanding, so troops can easily be placed under the vines.  A promising start!  Also a nice change from painting and basing.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Desperately Seeking Salehs


As part of my continuing Early Imperial Roman project, I’m after as many of the Wargames Foundry Early Imperial Romans as I can lay my hands on (especially the Auxilia with the oval shields).  I wonder whether any of you have any, spare, in your lead mountains?  The Saleh miniatures are the ones with the cast-on shields (see below, legionary centre in top photo, or auxiliaries on the flanks in the bottom photo), and are larger than the other Foundry Perry range.  They are going to look like hulking brutes if you are collecting Warlord or the smaller Perry range...



I’d be happy to buy, or swap for miniatures from my own substantial and varied lead mountain.  Unpainted would be good, but will also look at painted ones.  If you have any, do please drop me a line at the email address on the front page of the blog!

Saturday, 14 July 2012

Mon Big Parade

Figgybloggy Greg organises an annual parade of miniatures to coincide with Bastille Day.  It only just dawned on me that today is the very day!  Vive la France!

Last year I posted my Early Imperial Roman Legion, and today I've decided to parade my mostly-new auxiliary forces in front of my newish buildings from Paul Darnell.  The pics aren't my best ever, but they do give an impression of what I'm up to.


Above are the 13 cohorts of auxiliaries, the ex-marines of I Adiutrix and my first Ala of Auxiliary cavalry.  This is clickable!


Above front left, two British Cohorts, and front-right two German.  Behind them are the newly-prromoted marines of I Adiutrix.


Front left, beyond the tribunal, are two cohorts of Batavians, and behind them their cavalry contingent.  Front right are a cohort of Dalmatians and one of Noricans, and behind them Ala Siliana. 


Above left are two cohorts of Gauls, and behind them, their cavalry contingent.   Front right are a cohort of Raetians, and behind them a cohort of Roman Citizens and finally beyond them a cohort of Palmyran archers.

Finally, below a blurry shot of a very nice reviewing stand that I bought from Paul Darnell.


Next year, hopefully I'll stage a rather smaller but no doubt very shiny parade of Praetorians and associated troops.

Friday, 13 July 2012

Coh. I et II Sugambrorum


Latest recruits to the Army of Germania Inferior; two more cohortes peditatae from the Sugambrorii tribe, painted by Dr. Simon's mystery painter (highlighting and basing by me).  I'm now just about finished with Auxiliary infantry (have 13 cohorts), but may perhaps do one or two more cohorts before Partizan, if time permits. Do have a click, they look quite acceptable in closeup.


I love these (mainly) Saleh minis (if anyone has any sitting around unpainted, I'd love to do a swap).  I've mixed in a few Foundry and Crusader command figures, and a couple of BTDs.  The (ahistoric) unit standards are Aventines' Hercules (who the Germans worshipped), and a boar.

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Praetorians WIP


Mate Nick Speller recently sent me the first of two planned instalments of Praetorians, and I just couldn’t resist getting transfers onto their shields (on which I still need to do just a little highlighting and detailing).  These are all Foundry models from the Saleh range, which I do love passionately, even though there are no varied poses.  In the background are the newest two cohorts of auxiliaries which I need to grit my teeth, and flock!

Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Coh. I Voluntariorum Civium Romanum Eq.



In the manpower crisis following the crisis in Dalmatia in 6AD-9AD, and Teutoberger Wald in 9AD, Augustus raised perhaps 30-40 independent cohorts that didn’t form part of the legions.  Some of these were entitled Coh. Ingenuorum Civium Romanum (free-born Roman citizens) or Coh. Italica Voluntariorum C.R.  (Italian Roman citizen volunteers).  According to Cheeseman, the former were recruited from Roman citizens, and the latter were recruited from freedmen, who were not eligible to serve in the legions.  These retained a higher status than auxiliary units, being paid a donative equivalent to that of legionaries, in Augustus’ Will.


Over time, it is thought that recruitment standards were relaxed and non-citizens were recruited (slaves or foreigners), who received citizenship after twenty five years service, as if auxiliaries.  Paradoxically auxiliary units that performed exceptionally well on campaign, were granted Roman Citizenship, which is why many have C.R. after their unit name.


I don’t believe that anything specific  is known about how C. R. troops were equipped, relative to other Roman forces.  From Instinct, I’ve chosen to give this particular unit, which was based in lower Germany,  the same red tunics I give most of my legionaries (rather than the off white most of my auxiliaries get), and a legionary shield design that LBMS conveniently makes to fit an oval shield.  I also gave them a legionary signum.


Most of the miniatures are Black Tree, except for the Centurion who is the Warlord mini that came with Hail Caesar, and two Foundry signifiers and a cornicen.  I did a little light conversion work including a couple of head swaps.  I particularly pleased with the way that the cavalry contingent came out, as all were badly painted, and some horses broken at the ankles, when I got them.  Unfortunately the photos aren't the best; they don't bring out the rich reds of the shields.  You'll have to come to Partizan to see them.


I’ve been basing a couple of regular auxiliary cohorts in parallel with these, of which more, anon.

Saturday, 7 July 2012

Yet More Romans

2 more cohorts painted by Dr. Simon's mystery painter, who has handpainted all the shields, very nicely.  I'm going to do a little shading, weathering and paint the bases in an earthshade; hopefully basing, from tomorrow, in time for Greg's parade on the 17th.  These are going to be German cohorts.  Only one more cohors pedita remains to be painted after these, for the game... although I did buy enough BTD minis to complete one more cohort at a later date, in the sale, this week. 


Today I'm also basing the red-tunic auxiliaries- photos in a day or so.

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

More Romans, WIP 2

Five long painting sessions has these boys painted up, barring shields (the transfers are hopefully on the way from LBMS).



This is the first time I've painted the cavalry contingent up alongside the unit's infantry, I quite enjoyed it, although 30 is a lot of minis to handle at the same time.  I've used a lot of Devlan Mud; am belatedly becoming quite attached to it.  I think the weather might be just about good enough to spray a coat of gloss varnish on them... 

Saturday, 30 June 2012

More Romans WIP...


This is a unit I bought (poorly painted) on eBay, with a dozen additional figures primed and added.  They are going to be a Cohors Equitata, but not a standard auxilary unit... more anon.  Since the above photo they have had 2 more painting sessions and are now pretty well blocked in.

Before the game on 2/9, I have these and another similar cohort to paint and base.  I also have 2 painted cohorts of auxiliaries to retouch and base, two cohorts of Praetorians to add shield designs and base, and hopefully 42 more cavalry to finish/base if they come back from the painters, in time.   Lastly, I need to paint some command stands: busy, busy, busy!

Thursday, 28 June 2012

Ala Siliana


A recent article in Ancient History Magazine (Vol V, Issue2) suggests that the Sillian horse were originally of Gallic origin, from Lugdenesis (Lyons) but were based in North Africa from around 20AD.  Their original commander may have been an Equestrian named Gaius Silius Aviola, and his name may have stuck with the unit for the next half century, even as the original Gallic recruits were presumably completely replaced by North Africans.  All pics are clickable.


“The Silians had served in Africa during the governorship of Vitellius.  Subsequently summoned by Nero to be sent ahead to Egypt, and then recalled on account of the war with Vindex, they bided their time in Italy.”  Tacitus, Histories 1:70.
When the rebel General Caecina was approaching Italy across the Alps, from Switzerland, this unit, stationed in Northern Italy, promptly deserted the Othonian cause for the Vitellian (presumably because of their earlier connection with him).  They fought at Ad Castores and 1st (and possibly 2nd?) Cremona, and were awarded citizenship for their valour becoming Ala Siliana Civium Romanum.


Alae (or “wings”) in this period would have had a theoretical strength of around 530 men, organised into 16 Turmae (“swarms” or troops) of 30-32 men each.  In 1:20 scale, I think that the best way of representing this is a unit of 24 figures that can be split (if necessary) into 2 or 4 subdivisions.


These Black Tree minis were very nicely painted by Dr. Simon’s mystery painter.  I retouched and stained some of the horses, and highlighted the riders, then based.  I gave them an Aventine Vexillum with LBMS transfer and a spare Foundry Imago.  I’m very pleased with how they came out, particularly the hand-painted shields, which make a bold splash of colour.  These will be supporting the Vitellian cause on 2nd September, at Partizan, by which time I need to paint/retouch/base another 48 various cavalry and around 150 infantry... gulp.

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