Nick did a fine job of painting this Foundry mini as the commander of the right wing Thessalian mercenary cavalry, for Raphia (I based and added a shield transfer). In the original battle, Echecrates somehow managed to turn the Seleucid wing and made a valuable contribution to the Ptolemaic victory. In our game he also managed to turn the wing, but not, alas, before the battle had been lost in the centre.
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Alexander!
I've had these miniatures for 5 or 6 years, and I believe were painted by Andy Bryant; superb paint work. Last week I was finally inspired to base them, but I need to paint three more to form a third rank of the wedge, and indeed a couple more wedges to go alongside them. The rounded front edge of the wedge is to indicate the presence of a general.
Saturday, 8 June 2013
More Revolting Goths
After a very long interval, I've completed a unit of Gothic skirmishers to go with the Gothic warband I painted last year.
These minis are a mixture of Gripping Beast and Black Tree miniatures. Some have looted Roman shields (mostly from LBMS). Interestingly, three of the miniatures (3rd, 5th and 8th from the left) have been in my odds-and-ends box since 2005, when I picked them up at the Bristol Tabletop sale, along with some Normans; I'd love to know who originally painted them! The minis came out OK, but the basing came out particularly well, I think because I used static grass alongside the tufts, and sealed the lot with matt spray varnish.
Every few months I hope to add another late-Roman era unit to my slowly growing collection. You never know, one day, I may even have enough for a game!
Friday, 7 June 2013
New Projects
I've laid aside pikemen (for the time being), to get back to some projects that have been on hold for 6 months. First I have half a legion-worth of Caesarian Romans. The minis in the front were beautifully painted by Nick, last year, and the ones at the rear (needing some TLC) are from eBay. Plan is to bring the eBay ones up to Nick's standard, or as close as I can get them...
Below are a unit of Gothic skirmishers, that I finished this week and am basing up. Beyond them are a load of Riders of Rohan horses that I've prepped for yet another project. They are very nice steeds, and were cheap as chips.
Monday, 3 June 2013
Pikes, pachyderms and Partizan
Yesterday we played the long-planned game of Raphia at Partizan.
I was far too busy to take many photos, but I did get a few good shots of the setup, and one of the team involved; so here goes! This is a view down the 14' long table; the Seleucids being on the right.
Below, this is my phalanx, with first the agema/peltastoi, then the libyans, the five chalkaspides and three deeper machimoi taxis; some 600 minis with long pointy sticks! There were 11 lovely Aventine elephants on the table, and Craig's phalanx was very colourful in pink and blue.
Below, Craig's lovely converted arabs stare across the plain towards the Egyptian phalanx, no doubt with considerable trepidation...
A view from behind the Seleucid left flank.
There seems to be something wrong with our elephants today... an African elephant routs through the King's Companions.
And below, an Indian routs through the Seleucid mercenary phalanx.
Eventually the Seleucid cavalry were able to turn onto the exposed wing of the Ptolemaic phalanx, and roll it up.
I hope to get some more shots of the battle, later. My "To the Strongest!") rules worked very well, in their largest test to date, and Keith and Craig had a couple of very interesting suggestions, that I am pondering...
Craig has posted a fuller AAR here.
Here are the various involved parties: Keith, Adam, Craig, John, yrs. truly and Dug.
Partizan was great fun; very well organised, as ever, and I love the high ceiling of the main hall. Sadly I didn't have time to see many of the other games, or even spend any money. I did meet lots of bloggers and gamers, though, and enjoyed chatting with the WSS crew on the next table, too, as well as catching up with Keith, Adam, Dug and Craig.
Now... what to do next? ;-)
Friday, 31 May 2013
You wait six months for a Ptolemy, and then two come along at the same time...
A hurried WIP shot of the remaining command stands for Sunday; flocking today!
I seem to have 2 Ptolemys. I can't decide whether to go with the effete youth (front left) or the dashing cavalry commander (rear right). Strangely, Alexander the Great has also joined his less illustrious heirs.
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Temporarily Echecrates
Echecrates the Thessalian commanded the mercenary horse on the Ptolemaic right, and contributed to their victory by defeating the opposing Seleucid cavalry wing.
This is a lovely Aventine Pyrrhus casting, superbly painted by Raglan, who will proxy for Echecrates. Gareth has a very interesting painting style, which I intend to study a little later on... reminds me of the Fauves. I love his cloaks!
This is a lovely Aventine Pyrrhus casting, superbly painted by Raglan, who will proxy for Echecrates. Gareth has a very interesting painting style, which I intend to study a little later on... reminds me of the Fauves. I love his cloaks!
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Raphia Commanders
I’m frantically basing up the officers that I have, for command roles in the Ptolemaic army on Sunday. They are somewhat rushed, but will look fine from afar. Just don’t click! ;-)
The first stand, left, is the guard commander, Eurylochus the Magnesian. I've used Polemarch figures with a converted Foundry Perseus as a standard bearer, holding an Aventine standard.
The second stand, right, represents Phoxidas the Achaean, who led the Ptolemaic mercenaries
(thureophoroi, I
have assumed). He played a key role in
the battle, as it was their attack that routed the riff-raff on the Seleucid
left. Polemarch minis, with a Foundry standard bearer.
Ptolemy, himself, will be travelling in the Royal Mail today, from Nick. In the finest traditions of show games, the varnish will, no doubt, be drying as I drive up the motorway! :-)
Monday, 27 May 2013
The last phalanx...
...for the time being.
This is an unusual unit, as only the front 2 elements are fully based. The rear 4 bases are temporary, and consist of 32 figures in the same pose. When the figures that are still off with the painter arrive, I'll mix them together with these, and re-base.
I plan to carry on with the phalanx in a more low-key manner, after Raphia. At some point, I'll want to build a late Macedonian or Seleucid phalanx, too.
Sunday, 26 May 2013
500K!
I’m delighted to report that the counter on the front page of the BigRedBatCave ticked past half a million, last night. Can I say a huge thank you to everyone who
pops by and makes it worth my while posting!
It is a great pleasure to run the blog, and I have some ambitious plans
for games and other ventures, during the rest of this year...
I’m minded to celebrate with a promotion, but
WargamingGirl’s is still running, and I don’t want to clash with that; also I’m
frantic in the run up to Raphia at Partizan on Sunday. But I will
do something in due course... please watch this space.
In the meanwhile, in the finest tradition of the
BigRedBatCave, I shall celebrate by posting some minis that someone else has painted,
far better than I ever could. I bought
these lovely Aventine Roman Allied cavalry from Redzed last year (as part of a small Republican Roman army), and gave them suitable shields and based them, yesterday. Luvverly!
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Dug's Stalingrad
My mate Dug has been sending me shots of the stunning Stalingrad game that he and mates ran at the recent Milton Keynes show. All the models are 1/35th scale; many were made by his mate Mark. As usual, all photos are clickable.
Above and below, Germans massing for the attack; note the snipers on top of the oil tanks, and the .
Below, the Russian defenders, some in the tank factory.
I beleive they play it using the "Crossfire" rules. I am very much looking forward to seeing the game, in the flesh, at Colours in Newbury, in the Autumn.
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Assyrian cavalry
Here are the cavalry from my small Assyrian force. The miniatures above were professionally painted by Phil Riley of NyrOld, and the below are partly and eBay purchase, and partly by me. Phil's are excellent, and the others aren't too shabby, either. When time permits, I'll slap some decorative bands on the helmets, and some more tuftage and dust on the bases, so that they match my current standard.
The small army of which these form a part, is potentially for sale, please drop me a line at the address on the front page, if interested.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Ptolemaic Elephant Corp
Last night I completed basing the Ptolemaic Elephant Corp, for Raphia. Ptolemy deployed 73 of these African elephants in an attempt to counter the rather larger number of rather larger Seleucid Indians. Unfortunately he failed to put them through the elephant equivalent of assertiveness training, and most of them subsequently routed back, through his own forces. As usual, all photos are clickable.
The magnificent beasts and crews are from Aventine's range. I painted the elephants, and my good friend Nick Speller, the crews (beautifully).
Nick also painted the escorting Cretan and NeoCretan archers, who are a mixture of Foundry and Gorgon miniatures. You may be able to see that they are in several different shades of red. In the game these will form 5 units, each of one elephant and two stands of escorts.
Friday, 17 May 2013
Dress rehearsal for Raphia
On Tuesday a couple of friends helped me rehearse the Raphia game, and test my rules. The rehearsal went well (although I've subsequently tweaked the elephant rules, as the nellies needed more "oomph"). The above picture is clickable, so hopefully you can see the forest of pikes is starting to come together, even though I have less than half of the minis we'll deploy on the day, on a table just half as long. I'm getting near to the end of my preparations and Craig has been painting and posting furiously on his blog, too.
The game itself will be held at Partizan in Kelham Hall, near Newark on 2nd June 2012. If you'd like to play, we can accommodate several players... just leave a message in comments, below.
Thursday, 16 May 2013
Another day, another phalanx...
These are the based rear-rankers for my Machimoi phalanx, that I showed (unbased) a few days ago.
Machimoi were recruited from amongst the native Egyptians, and I've given some of them a slightly darker skin tone, accordingly. Most are un-armoured (the armoured minority were painted by Craig, thanks!), and I based the tunic colours on those shown in Stephane Thions's Soldat Lagide. I really love the Foundry WotG pikemen, and the un-armoured ones are so very easy to paint.
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
...the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea
I bought elements of a small Eureka/Irregular Assyrian army some years ago, and have recently revisited them, with a view to either completing the army and using it, or selling it on. I'll post a few shots over the next week , in between the pikemen.
These are the guards. I've replaced the standard with one from Foundry, and given them iron helmets with the characteristic bronze band. Oh, and I re-did the spearheads!
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Not my machomoi
These minis have been lent to me by Dr. Simon, and I'm using them, along with the 40 minis lent me by Wabby George, to close my "pike gap". Totting up on my fingers, I reckon that, once I've finished painting a final half dozen minis, I may even have more pike than I need!
Sunday, 12 May 2013
Makin' basin'
...a quick WIP Shot of the last Machimoi for Raphia, in the early stages of basing. These include the 40 I showed previously, 8 kindly donated by Craig, 12 more I just painted and the final scrapings of my eBay purchases.
Friday, 10 May 2013
German Invasion!
The most illustrious Ironmitten, has very kindly (and unexpectedly) sent me this wonderful cartoon this morning. Many thanks, Simon!
I suspect that he picked a German, because he knows that I have been on the scrounge, recently, for Germans for my next project. Post Partizan, I want to assemble a small German army of 250 or so miniatures. I've been able to pick up some painted minis from eBay, some from friends (watch this space) and hopefully some from painter mate Nick Speller, who painted my sole German infantry unit, so far (below).
They will be a nice change, from pikes!
Thursday, 9 May 2013
Painting furiously...
I've still not received the phalanx minis I was hoping to get from my painter, so I have been redoubling my painting efforts in order to close the gap. Here are 40 more Ptolemaic peasants, ready to fill the rear ranks of the machimoi phalanx. I'm desperately painting another batch, and am also going to borrow a phalanx off mate George, tonight.
Craig Davey has been busy, with the opposition...
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