Sunday, 5 August 2012

Fabius Valens revisited...


Fabius Valens was Vitellius' second subordinate General during his revolt against Otho, and commanded the column that advanced towards Italia, through Gaul.  It was the imminent arrival of this force that spurred the younger Caecina to ambush the Othonians at Ad Castores, in the hope of winning a prestigious solo victory.  Valens helped to defeat the Othonians, but was later executed by the victorious Flavians.


I originally tackled this subject back in 2011, but realised recently that the figure I'd used was rather too young to represent this seasoned general, and so have replaced him with another, more mature Aventine general.   The vexilla bearer is from Relic.


I do like these Aventine Republican generals, and very much look forward to the mounted generals that will presumably come out with their coming EIRs, as the ones on foot are so nice...

Thursday, 2 August 2012

Aulus Caecina Alienus and Salonina


Caecina was one of Vitellius' two subordinates, and commanded an independent column that unexpectedly invaded Italy from Switzerland over passes that the Othonians had considered blocked by snow.   He commanded at the battle of Ad Castores, that Phil Hendry, Craig Davey and I will refight at Partizan.


Tacitus describes his scandalous arrival in History Book 2: 20. "Caecina, who seemed to have left his cruelty and profligacy on the other side of the Alps, advanced through Italy with his army under excellent discipline. The towns and colonies, however, found indications of a haughty spirit in the general's dress, when they saw the cloak of various colours, and the trews, a garment of foreign fashion, clothed in which he was wont to speak to their toga-clad citizens. And they resented, as if with a sense of personal wrong, the conduct of his wife Salonina, though it injured no one that she presented a conspicuous figure as she rode through their towns on horseback in a purple habit."

Caecina is an Aventine general, with lightly converted cloak and trews.   Salonina is heavily converted from a Lady Godiva!  I've a few more commanders to post over the next week...


Tuesday, 31 July 2012

Praetorian WIP


These proud (and clickable) guardsmen are half of the two Praetorian cohorts I hope to deploy at Partizan.  They were superbly painted by Nick Speller; I added the transfers and touched up the shields.  Hopefully Nick is beavering away at the command stands... when I base the second lot, I'll add the static grass.

Steve Saleh only sculpted a single pose of Praetorian, so the unit is necessarily very uniform!  IMHO this uniformity doesn't matter quite so much in the case of spit and polish guardsmen.

Courtesy of recent purchases, I should be able to deploy a couple more cohorts next year (and I'll certainly be buying the later EIR Praetorians from Aventine, too, when the standing poses come out).  Happily, a lot of Praetorian cohorts were deployed in 69AD...

Sunday, 29 July 2012

Templum

Yesterday I started work on this piece from Monolith Designs, which is destined to be the temple of the twins at the eponymous battle of Ad Castores.  I fancied a smaller temple, without pillars, as the battle was fought in the countryside.


I really like the design of this piece, although there are a lot of tiny air bubbles on the tiled roof (you can see them if you click).  I've filled the worst of them, and am hoping that the remainder won't be particularly noticeable, once painted.

Saturday, 28 July 2012

Vine Stakes


I’ve finished 2 of the four vine-stake terrain pieces- it took a surprisingly long time to carefully flock them, do please click for a closeup.  I’m very pleased with how they came out.  I’ll have all 4 ready for the game at Partizan on 2/9/12.

Friday, 27 July 2012

Booty!

 

A huge thank-you to Legatus Hedlius, of this parish, who responded to my recent appeal, by selling me (at a modest price) no less than 132 more Foundry Saleh EIRs, around half of whom are quite nicely painted, and also some BTD command figures.  In due course I should be able to carve 2 cohorts each of legionaries and auxiliaries out of these, and a cohort each of Praetorians and archers.  Great stuff!

If anyone else has any spare Saleh Romans (especially the auxiliaries or Optios/Centurions), do please drop me a line.

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...