Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Salute?

I went to buy my Salute 2013 queue busters earlier tonight, and found that the ship has sailed; apparently they stop selling them 2 weeks before the event.  Doh.  

I could still buy at the door, but I now find myself in two minds about whether or not to go this year, partly because of the expense, and partly because there's nothing that is really saying "you must see this" or "you must buy this", to me.  I don't tend to play in the participation games at Salute, either, I prefer to do that with friends, or at more intimate venues.  

Shall I have a lay-in and paint some minis, instead?  Hmmm...

EDIT- I have now located a ticket, and thought of a couple of good reasons for making the trip, so I'll be there, Saturday week!

Sunday, 7 April 2013

Ghost phalanx...

...being the final 80-something phalangite minis I need to paint from scratch for the phalanx, by the end of April.  There are another 200 minis off with painters, too, that will need to be finished and based in May.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Aventine African Elephants WIP II

Since my last post, I have finished the howdahs, stained and varnished.  I was very pleased with how the howdahs came up, Rawhide!  Now they just need crews, and escorts...


I based the trapping colours on those of a rug I bought in Marrakech 10 years ago, that is on our lounge floor.  Post Raphia, when time permits, I will probably go back and add some more detail to the trappings.


When the crew are added, I might add a very fine dry-brush of dust to the completed models.

Friday, 5 April 2013

Agemata Basilikoi

I've not had a chance to photograph these until now, these are the Ptolemaic guard, with the Agemata on the right, and the Peltastoi on the left, they are clickable.  


The peltastoi are the junior unit.  There is some controversy about how they were equipped; whether with a full length or shortened sarissa, or even as light infantry.  I went for the full 100mm.

A lousy photo, I'm afraid, I'll take a proper one when they are finished (they aren't flocked yet).      The minis are a mix of Foundry (mostly) and Polemarch.  Flocking will have to wait, as I want to focus on painting all the remaining pike minis, first (6 down, 5 to go).  Then I'll have a week or two of flocking hell, to face.

Thursday, 4 April 2013

Aventine African Elephants WIP


A quick WIP shot of my new Africans.  The beasts and the cloths are painted and stained.  I've added padding under the howdahs, as suggested by Olicana Lad.  Hopefully I'll finish the howdahs tonight, and then the project can wait until Nick can do the crews for me.  At the moment I'm not going to bother with shields, we'll assume that the rawhide towers offer sufficient protection to the crew.

Monday, 1 April 2013

A change of scale...

I've been painting 28mm pikemen for my Raphia project, continuously for the last four months, and have rather reached the end of my tether.  In fact the whole 28mm thing is starting to pee me off: I've at least 4000 unpainted, most of whom will never get painted, the whole house is full of lead, and I've been fighting a rearguard action for space with the family for the past decade.

I have plan "B" in mind; sell all my 28's and shift to 2mm, instead.   

Here's my Alexandrian 2mm army, all from Irregular Miniatures.  


On the left (below) are the Companions, in 8 squadrons, including the larger Royal squadron with the man himself, screened by Agrianes.


In the centre of the army, the Pezhetairoi (below).  Each of the 12 blocks has 240 pikemen in it, giving a much better impression of mass, than 28mm do.


On the right, the Thessalians, and Prodromoi.


Here are some pike blocks I've modeled as deeper formations of less well drilled Machimoi, for Raphia.


Fianlly, below, the elephant and Cretan skirmisher screen.


The entire 2mm army fits into a large matchbox, unlike my 28mm collection, which would fit into a shipping container, (just about!).   

So there we have it, plan "B"...

Sunday, 31 March 2013

Nelliphants II

These will be the "tanks" of my Ptolemaic army,  Unfortunately, as they are relatively small and skittish African Forest elephants, they are fated to be M13/40's to the Seleucid's Matildas.


These are Africans from the excellent Aventine range.  I'm falling behind in my painting plan, so will need to work out a way of painting these VERY quickly... luckily they are relatively simple models.