Wednesday, 26 March 2014

Cats


I thought I'd post another picture of Ian's 15mm cataphracts, that were on the edge of the shot yesterday. The central unit are Essex; nice minis! 

I have recently recived some lovely "cats" from Keith at Aventine, alas I just don't have time to paint them, quite yet.  :-(

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Thin red line


Mate Ian came around at the weekend, and helped me shoot some photos that will later be used to illustrate the rules that I'm currently developing.  The above shows his Successors attacking a Roman Consular army; cataphracts charge on the right! 

Monday, 24 March 2014

Relic Successor Cataphracts

Mike at Relic has sent me a pic of a rather splendid unit of his Successor cataphracts that he has painted.  I saw some of these at Simon MacDowall's place.  Mike has caught the two-handed lance pose very well, and the horses are substantial Nisean chargers.  Very impressive!


They are available here.


Sunday, 23 March 2014

Wargames Illustrated 318

I was also delighted that Wargames Illustrated arrived; not only does it include no less than four articles on Ancient Warfare, but one of them is my own!  The other three are by chum and author Simon MacDowall. 

My own image has made it into the magazine, twice, as (strangely) has that of my Galatians, in different articles.  I am, however, wearing more clothes than the latter. The book I am reading in one photo is not the rule book, as suggested in the caption; I was actually quoting from a dog-eared copy of Polybius.  As you do...


Please go forth and purchase; I'd love to think they'll commission another ancient special!

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Setting Sail

Legatus was asking me how I was planning to tackle the sails on my Swan-neck, so here we are!  Get them oars on, Legatus.  ;-)




The sails are attached to small rare-earth magnets, to help with storage, and give me options of furled or unfurled (I have plans to use her in-harbour).  I need to think about rigging; despite storage issues, I might manage a few ropes.  The steering oars are also attached with rare earth magnets, for storage purposes.  I still have a bit of snagging to do, but the build is essentially done (which is just as well as I am very tight for time!).  


Finally, a huge intercontinental thank you to Thomas Foss of Skull and Crown blog, who sent me the below resin cataphract liburnium.  This is exactly what I've been looking for as the basis for a scout ship, or Rhine patrol boat, and I've already been giving a deal of thought to how I'll convert/assemble it.


Thomas also sent me some of his lovely Napoleonic cut ply figures, which I look forward to painting in due course!

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Ford Dagenham, 55BC

This is an Essex-based British chariot assembly line, c.55BC, desperately building weapons to repel Caesar's invasion (at Salute in April).


Mate Nick has sent across the charioteers, just in "the nick", as they say, and the chariots, horses and bases are also underway.  It is going to be a busy week or so!

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Giraffe-necked trade ship

Here are a couple of snaps of the model I'm building for the Salute game I'm putting on with WS&S.




The model breaks down to fit into a Really Useful 7L box.  There's not a great deal more modelling to do; steering oars and sails, hopefully a single session of modelling.

Giraffe-necked, I hear you say?  I fear that I may have gone a little overboard with the swan...  ;-)

Monday, 17 March 2014

Goths

Around six months back, I bought some very nicely painted minis from mate Redzedz.  Some I've put by for later projects, but there were enough (with the addition of a few figures I painted myself) to complete a couple more Gothic units.  All photos are "clickable".


Above are the warriors.  Several of them are deserters, or carrying captured Roman shields; I added LBMS transfers to several of the minis.  I went for a suitably irregular basing style, similar to that on the Celts.  Most of the minis are Gripping Beast, from a variety of ranges, but a few are Musketeer and one or two are possibly Westwind.  


The skirmishers (above) also came out very well.  I added coloured borders on some of the tunics Shaun had painted, to match another unit I finished earlier, but I can't paint embroidery on them, as well as he can.


Finally, here is the war leader.  I based him at an angle, so that his sword would point upwards.  The shield transfer worked very well.  I might go back and add some detail to the draco.

These give me a total of 5 units of Goths; not yet an army, but definitely the beginning of an army.  

Friday, 14 March 2014

4Ground


I received a long-awaited package from 4Ground, today.  This is a component sprue from their Roman watchtower, and I have great plans for it (and its fellows).  It was kind of them to do a special run for me.  Watch this space...

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Seeing the back of my Celts!


At last, the final warband is complete! Above are the backs of yesterday's nobles, and below the new unit of warriors. Most of the warriors in this new unit are Renegade Miniatures Celts, a fine range once the swords have been cut down or removed. Almost all are eBay repaints. The standards are a converted from an Aventine Roman one, and from part of a charm bracelet.


The chap front and centre appears to have suffered an accident (misplaced basing material from the original painter). I like to think that he has spotted a pilum coming his way!

I still have a good few chariots to sort, and, over time, I'll need to re-base my existing Celts to match the new basing style.

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Celtic nobles


This (clickable) photo is of one of the two Celtic units, that I've just finished.  In my rules, a Celtic player can choose to either have the nobles mounted (horses or chariots), or dismount them to stiffen one of the warbands, giving it a slightly higher save than the others.  This unit depicts said dismounted Celtic nobles and their retinue, which is why most of the front rank warriors are armoured. In use (tonight), there will be another 24 warriors behind this front rank.

This unit marks a departure for me, as the troops are all based on a single stand, 18cm wide by 6 deep. I've come to think that there's no point in basing Celts on smaller elements.  I mean, it's not like they are going to form column, to march up a road!  

Minis are mostly Renegade and Black Tree designs, but with A&A shields with LBMS transfers. I painted half from scratch, and the others are eBay repaints.

Friday, 7 March 2014

A new project

Whilst yesterday's celts continue their all-to-stately progress towards completion, I've started another project.


I needed some small Roman boats for several of this year's games. I couldn't find any custom-designed Roman boats*, and so decided to convert some existing models. I found some cheap pirate rowing boats for a modest £5 each, and bought 8. The irritating Celt is only present for size comparison purposes.

Unfortunately, the rowing boats have square sterns which are wrong for the period, so I sawed them all in half, glued the halves together, and disguised the joins, leaving me 4 boats around 20cm long. Later, I may add removable masts.  They'll do; their first outing will be Salute.

I have 8 pirate rowing boat sterns, going cheap, if anyone should need them!  ;-)

*at least ones that that I could afford

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Latest shot of the irritating Celts

Now partially based; the largest bases I've ever made, with 24 irritating Celts on each, and a few singly based irritating "heroes".


Did I mention that I hate painting Celts?

Monday, 3 March 2014

Celtic update

I've made up shields for all of last week's celts.  I love the Little Big Man Studios transfers, in this case all applied on A&A shields which are delightfully thin.  Plus Steve is such a nice chap... and, in any case, I could never paint anything half as well.


Hopefully I'll have time tonight to matt varnish, and also to do the metallic highlight on the celts.

Friday, 28 February 2014

Chaeronea 86BC dress rehearsal

I'm putting on weekend at the Wargames Holiday Centre, in late June, and have been rehearsing some of the games I intend to run there.  Chareronea 86BC is one of my favourite battles, and last night Dr. Simon, Ian, Jay and a new visitor, Steve, fought it to a bloody (and somewhat unexpected) conclusion, using the rules I am developing.

Below are the Pontic host; General Archelaus leads his xystophoroi bodyguard and Scythian heavies forward, whilst scythed chariots and archers screen the Brazen Shields and Slave phalanx.


Below, the Roman lne is drawn up, below the acropolis of Chaeronea.


Both sides advanced and battle was joined along the length of the line.  The greek allied cavalry on the Roman left did a sterling job throughout the game, resisting and eventually defeating twice their number of superior-quality Pontic cavalry.


Below, the pert buttocks of the Galatian garrison of Mons Thurium; these were surprised and destroyed by an attack from the rear!


The Romans advanced quickly, but were pushed back by the enemy phalanx.  On the Pontic left, their horse archers and thureophoroi, units which have never previously so much as scratched a Latin, managed to kill several cohorts and the course of the battle began to turn against the Romans. 


Eventually Pontic pressure all along the line told, and the Romans broke.  It was a close-run thing, though, as by this time, much of the Pontic phalanx was, itself, ready to break.  A little more Roman luck might have seen an entirely different result.  This re-fight was the best ever showing for the Pontics, who have previously been very roughly handled by the Romans.

If you'd like a chance to play this game (amongst others), please drop Mark Freeth at the Wargames Holiday Centre a line.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Did I mention that I hate painting celts?


At least the blighters are all blocked in, now.  I just need:-

  • one session to paint in details on shields and scabbards, and wash with ink
  • two sessions to finish and fit an additional 27 shields with LBMS transfers
  • one session to highlight metallics, and snagging
Hopefully I will be basing by this time next week.  I have something special in mind, for the basing....

Saturday, 22 February 2014

More celts...


More celts hit the painting table.  I really hate painting celts.  :-(

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Ruspina 46BC

I fought the battle of Ruspina 46BC, with mate Ian, tonight (all pics clickable).


Ruspina is a really interesting engagement, as the forces were asymmetric; Caesarian Roman legionaries fought against very large numbers of Numidian light troops, under Labienus, who encircled them on a featureless plain.  I wanted to see whether the rules I am developing would work with this unusual engagement, and they did, rather well.  I set up a relatively large table with open flanks and a complete lack of terrain.


Initially the Numidians moved forward, but a bit too fast; they were soon pushed back by Roman charges, and several units were caught and destroyed. It wasn't going at all well!


Later, however (as shown below), gaps emerged in the thin Roman line, and Numidian units penetrated through these, and lapped around its left flank. The consequent flank and rear charges, and Numidian superior numbers, told, and we judged Labienus and Petreius would have been victorious in a turn or two. 


Learning points were that the Caesarians need to be in a double line (rather than a single one), the next time we try it. Reading between the lines of the Caesar's Civil Wars text, I really do think that they must have been in a double line, on the day, rather than the single line suggested in my translation. 

'Twas an enjoyable game, which threw up a few ideas that I'll build into the rules, tomorrow.

Monday, 17 February 2014

Room 101


In the UK, we have a TV show called Room 101, where guests are invited to discuss their pet hates, and the host decided if they should be consigned to a fate worse than death, in Room 101.

I would like to propose Celtic wargaming armies for inclusion in Room 101, because:- 
  • Celts are ridiculously hard to paint.  Much of their clothing should be chequered, or tartan; both insanely hard to paint. Their shields can be painted in elaborate patterns. They can be covered with tattoos. No two Celts should look the same. This is an army seemingly designed to be hard to paint; perhaps the last revenge of a doomed culture
  • After spending many months painting a Celtic army, you put them on the battlefield. Do they win? Do they 'eck! All Celts ever do on the gaming table, is to perish in vast numbers, under a hail of pila, at the hands of different flavours of Romans
I think there is a clear case for consigning the Celtic warrior to the dustbin of (wargaming) history. 

What do you reckon?  Is there a wargaming army that you would like to see consigned to Room 101? If so please post a link to it in comments (if you have trouble posting because of Google+, please drop me an email at the address on my blog and I'll post it for you).

(I am currently painting Celtic miniatures for a game at Salute.  I cannot abide painting Celts, so it is deeply that I need to paint 70 or so more over the next month)  

Thursday, 13 February 2014

The saddle


This is the other hill (clickable) I made for my Scottish themed terrain.  It is based on a Javis model I picked up cheaply on eBay, but I customised it heavily, and repainted the rocks.  It is around 40cm wide.  The heather on the slopes is glued in place, but the heather on the top can be moved so that troops can be placed there, as shown above.  The peak can also be removed, to make the saddle wider.

Happily heather seems to be quite widespread across Europe, so I should be able to use this piece reasonably frequently.