Wednesday, 17 October 2012

One hundred Spartans (and some Greeks)

Last night we had another play test of the ancient rule set I've been working on.  We pitted Wabby George's newly restored Thessalian army, against my own Spartans, generalled by Ian as King Agis.  All the below pictures are clickable.


Above, Wabby George, the Thessalian Hegemon, looks rather nervously across the table towards the elite Spartiates on the right wing of the Spartan host (as well he might!).  Below is the Spartan army, with 3 mora of allies in the foreground and two of Spartans, beyond them.



The Spartans and their allies advanced quickly (above).  The allied hoplites, left foreground, suffered heavy losses from accurate (lucky!) fire from the Thessalian psiloi.  The Spartan hoplites inclined to the right in an attempt to run down the Thessalian cavalry, and a gap opened in the line, between the Spartans and allies, through which a unit of Thessalian psiloi penetrated.  The psiloi outflanked the rightmost mora of allied hoplites, and peppered it from two sides with slingshot and javelins, until it was on the very edge of disintegration (below).



The Spartan situation, above, became desperate as a succession of melees went badly, and all 3 of the allied units were on the verge of flight. 

On the Spartan right, however, things were going better.  Rather than tackle the Spartiates frontally, the Thessalian cavalry fled from the table.  The right hand Spartan unit had a good deal of trouble passing a movement test to turn through 90 degrees...



...but eventually they, and the neighbouring unit, managed to re-align and they were able to start to roll up the enemy line (as in the battle of Coronea), enabling the Spartans to snatch a (rather expensive) victory from the jaws of defeat.

The game was good natured and very enjoyable.  I took away a few actions to adjust the rules, which I've done, and I hope to be able to play another test game in a week or so.  It was great to see George's new troops, and I'm now resisting the impulse to add a bunch of hoplites to the burgeoning painting queue...

Monday, 15 October 2012

Article on "Rome"


No pics to post as my various current projects are all slowly grinding along in parallel, a fair way from completion.

Eldest son sent me this article on the veracity of the military scenes in HBO's Rome.  It has reminded me why I enjoyed the series so much!  Must watch it again... it had me gripped from the very first scene.


Friday, 12 October 2012

Surplus Hoplites


These chaps are Foundry Hoplites (plus 1 Essex miniature) that served as Blue Dragoons in my Hordes of the Things Lunar army.  I'm planning to repaint them, shortly, for use as regular hoplites...

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

A rare night's gaming


Last night a near-full muster of the local Muswell Militiamen gave my draft rules a bit of an outing along with my Celts, who haven't seen daylight since Zama.  The game went pretty well; despite losing their flanking cavalry, the superior discipline of the legions eventually told, and led to them breaking the line of warbands.  I have a handful of revisions to make to the rules, and expect to give them another outing next Tuesday, with Gorgeous George's Greeks.

My painting table is below.  Inexplicably an unexpected Gothic invasion is delaying work on the chariots.  The Goths, who have languished unnoticed in amongst a box of Vikings for 3 or 4 years, charged forth with a shout of "Paint me! Paint me!" and are consequently in the process of being tarted up and expanded to 24.  Worse still, some part-painted Celtic foot have pushed in behind them... and there is a chap carrying a tray of what look to be unripe tomatoes....


Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Chariot frames


My chariot project is proceeding slowly.  Above are the primed frames and wheels.  You may just be able to make out that I've added javelin quivers and severed head tropies to some of the frames.

I used an Army Painter primer on these, and it gave a very grainy finish, with the paint adhering particularly poorly to the metal parts, such that I can rub it off with my fingers.  Other minis I primed with Halfords sprays in the same session, were perfect.  This is far from the first time that I have had trouble with AP primers, and, despite the convenience of being able to prime in their useful base colours,  I won't be buying any more.

The horses are also primed, the bases made and the charioteers are off with Nick to be painted, so this project is, gradually, coming together.  I'd have got the chariots assembled if it wasn't for an incursion of Gothic intruders (of which more anon).

Monday, 8 October 2012

Surplus Crusaders


These stalwarts are Gripping Beast Normans or First Crusaders, and I'm parting with them as part of my plan to focus on the armies and enemies of Rome.  

There are based on 60x60mm card, with magnetic sheet underneath.  They could be easily removed (I'd be happy to do this for you) and rebased for Saga, etc.  I'm looking for £30 plus postage at cost.  My other for sale items are here.

Friday, 5 October 2012

Coh. V Dalmatorum


This is the last cohort of Romans I'll produce for a while; they are an auxiliary cohort I started just before Partizan, that I wanted to wrap up.  They are a bog-standard unit of auxiliaries of Dalmatian origin, all Black Tree miniatures, and, for once, almost exclusively* painted by me!  This is one of my favourite LBMS auxiliary shield designs.  As ever, pics are fully clickable.

They are my 15th auxiliary infantry unit and I now, albeit temporarily, have more auxiliaries than legionaries (something that very few wargamers can say!).  Once I have based one final auxiliary cavalry unit, I'll have hit my resolution target of 60 double elements of auxiliaries (414 minis), and I'll be able to move on to expand the legions.  I do prefer to paint auxiliaries to legionaries, though, I find them more varied and interesting.



*Three of Legatus Hedlius command figures crept in