Saturday, 3 November 2012

Mountain of Shame

Legatus Hedlius has bravely shown his mountain of unpainted metal miniatures, and I felt that, in the interest of disclosure, I should respond by showing (most) of my own.  The below are my unpainted metal miniatures storage areas.


Above is the core of the lead mountain; Foundry boxes, full of Foundry miniatures (mostly Copplestone and Saleh), on top of a bookcase.  I once suffered an avalanche, when a box at the bottom gave way under the weight; the aftermath wasn't pretty.  Perhaps 2000 28mm metal miniatures.

Below is the one of the foothills, on top of another bookcase, this time including quite a few Perrys, some lovely Foundry Saleh Persians, and a generous force of Aventines.  Perhaps 800 unpainted miniatures.


I almost forgot this next heap, on the right- here are more Aventines, A&A miniatures MIR Romans, and others, including some Native Americans (never going to get painted, those!).  Also in this pile are quite a few painted but un-based miniatures (oh the horror!).  At least 500 unpainted miniatures.

Finally there are the miniatures stored in the loft; I reckon that there are at least 1000 up there, that I can't fit in downstairs.  These include fantasy figures, a couple hundred more Foundry Romans, Perry metal Napoleonics and such forth.

In total I estimate that I have 4300+ unpainted 28mm metals (and perhaps 1000 unpainted Perry and Victrix plastics).  My unpainted miniatures actually outnumber my painted!

Oh the shame...

Friday, 2 November 2012

Striking Gold

...so I suspected that I had a few Foundry Spartans left, lurking somewhere deep in the lead mountain.  A major excavation discovered no less than 100 Spartans!  Moreover, one of the test pits struck gold; I came across no less than 5 of the recent Foundry Celtic chariots,hidden at the very core of the mountain.  This completely forgotten purchase will be directly useful in the big chariot project that I have slowly burning away in the background.

Life has been interfering with art, recently.  My mother-in-law is moving nearer to us and I'm doing a lot of the organising, which means I'm not going to have much time to game over the next month.  I'm still getting plenty of painting time, though, and have several projects inching toward completion, of which more, anon.

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Chariots- Pole to pole


This week I was lucky enough to pick up my first Warlord chariots, and I thought I'd post a couple of shots.  The Warlord is on the right, next to the best chariot I've found, from Relik, on the left. 

The Warlord is noticeably longer in the body, and very much longer in the pole.  A charioteer would get knackered running up and down that!  I'll be cutting mine down to the same length as the Relik model. I like the wicker bodywork of the chariot, the pole is nice and slender, and the yoke has great detail.  The wheels are nicely proportioned- almost as nice as Relik's (just feeling a tiny tad too small, perhaps because the chariot body is larger?).


Like Relik's, the Warlord horses are well proportioned and nicely animated.  As with many chariot horse models, I cannot help but wish that they be a bit more pony-like, but I'll certainly be very pleased to use them.  I've not photographed the crew, but they are well animated, too.

All in all I'm very pleased with my Warlords.  Someone clearly did some research before sculpting them.  They will form a valuable addition to my force; I may even pick up a few more!


Saturday, 27 October 2012

Either with this or on this


We played another Greek on Greek hoplite game this week, using the grid-based rules I'm developing.  My Spartans are on the right, and this time George fielded a Theban force, on the left.


Again the Spartiates were deployed on the extreme right.  That's King Agis and his panel of advisers, in the front.


The Spartans attacked on the right, but one of the Theban units unexpectedly drove forward in the centre, pushing back the opposing unit of Spartan allies.


Above, on their left, the Spartan skirmishers pushed forward, past some Cretans hiding in the vineyard.  Epaminondas failed a lot of activation roles, and the Thebans weren't able to execute their planned flank attack.  In particular, their elite unit, the particularly deep unit in their centre, remained stubbornly stationary.  Bad omens?


King Agis was slain by a lucky javelin throw; there was an animated discussion about reducing the mortality rates amongst generals...  His body was carried away on his shield.


...but the Spartan right smashed the opposing Theban allies and then successfully turned to flank the Thebans.

The Thebans struggled to make activation rolls (partly due to atrocious luck and partly due to out of command distance); I'll be giving some thought to the activation system, prior to the next play test in a few week's time.

Friday, 26 October 2012

Bucolic Interlude


... slaves bring in the grape harvest, during a lull in Civil War campaigning.



('ave a click; Foundry slaves, scratch-built vine stakes.  Now, where can I find Cincinnatus and his plough?)

Monday, 22 October 2012

Revolting Goths


I've just finished painting my first unit of Gothic deserters, please have a click.

In all honesty I hadn't planned to paint a unit of Goths, but I was stripping apart my old Viking army in order to sell it, and discovered 16 bounty Germans hiding in the rear rank.  I couldn't resist adding a couple more elements and some lovely LBMS shield designs to round them off.  Most of the minis are Gripping Beast, with a few Black Trees amongst them.

They are destined to become enemies for my (alas so far largely projected) Late Roman army.  I like them slightly more from this angle, where it's easier to see the new shield designs.


Sunday, 21 October 2012

Chalons, 451 AD

Yesterday I played a fine game using the Comitatus rules, with their author, Simon MacDowell.  We refought the battle of Chalons as a rehearsal for the game that he has planned for the Society of Ancients Battle Day in Bletchley, next April 13th.  Simon was a generous host and I frothed over the miniatures in his display cabinets...

Simon has started to write the battle up here.  Rather than steal his thunder, I'll show some shots of his excellent miniatures.  These were 15's, but have more detail than many of my 28's.  I played the Romans, or rather the side that included a few token Romans amongst a host of Germans!  This unit were some of my Auxilia Palatina. 


Below is Flavius Aetius, last of the great Western Roman generals, and his Comitatus.


...and here is Attila, Scourge of God!


Unfortunately I forgot to take a closeup picture of King Theooric I, the Visigothic leader, who also played a siignificant role in the battle, but here he is, charging at the head of his Comitatus (left, below).  Simon had suggested that I hold him in reserve, but I preferred to use him in the manner of Theoden King, at the Pelennor fields...


The shields of the Visigothic foot, beyond him, are splendid!

EDIT- Simon McD reminded me that there is, indeed, a closeup of the impetuous Theodoric:-