Libyans on base

There have been a few delays but we've finally got to the fun part - taking the freshly varnished figures off their temporary strips and arranging them on their bases. I think I've said it here before, but it's the part of the painting process I enjoy most. 

The hard work is done and the game - as it were - is almost afoot.

To delay things further, the reason it took about four weeks to get these chaps to this stage is two-fold: one, I decided to bolster the ranks a little, and two, it has been difficult to find the right paints I use during the basing process.

The extra figures I got are from Potbelly Miniatures, a 3d printing enterprise based in New Zealand, of whose existence Mike of Bucellarii kindly apprised me a few posts ago. They are nice figures, but the resin used presented a challenge - none of my glues would work! It took me a bit of time to find the solution, which turned out to be Cyanoacrylate from Avetek NZ. 

The other problem (still not resolved, unfortunately!) is paint. In Japan I used to finish figure bases in Tamiya Flat Green, cardboard bases in any variety of green or khaki, and the edges of said bases in Mr Hobby H58, Interior Green. In order to maintain consistency, I wanted to use the same colours over here, but had not got them yet. I therefore ordered a few pots of the H58. These took about a week to arrive. When I went to use them, I found to my surprise that it is no longer the same colour. I wondered if I'd ordered the wrong code, and went to check: apparently Mr Hobby changed the formula in 2019. 

So I was stuck. I had two pots of paint that won't do the business. Do I order some black and try to mix them to the right colour or find something from another manufacturer that's closer? In the interests of saving time and shipping costs I tried buying a Humbrol pot from a local store, but that is not quite right either. Hmm.

It wouldn't be so bad if this were Japan. It would take ten minutes to find an alternative hobby paint at the local Joshin, and even if you got things wrong it would cost you about $10 for the various paints and thinners I've picked up so far. In New Zealand these mis-steps have cost me $80 and I still don't have the right colour. Oh well. It's never going to do much for your equilibrium comparing prices of hobby products between NZ and Japan!

So I will just use the wrong colour in the meantime and hope it is only me that notices the difference.

The figures drying on their bases (with the offending H58 in the background!)

One thing I have reason to be thankful for is that I was able to bring my non-hobby acrylic paints back here from Japan with me, so it's rare for me to need to actually buy any paint. I shouldn't grumble too much!

Anyway, on to the flocking stage, and I have a game planned for tonight with SP, so it should be a good long weekend.

On the painting table

A little later in the year than I'd hoped, but we're finally making a spot of painting progress at the house of Prufrock.

I had planned to have these ready to do Ilipa for the Society of Ancients Battle Day, but as so often happens, the plan did not come to fruition!

These are work in progress Carthaginian spearmen with hoplon, who can be used as Sacred Band for earlier periods or Libyan infantry for Hannibal's war. They are from the Corvus Belli range, but produced in plastic by the Plastic Soldier Company. They are lovely figures. I'm a little pickier with their cavalry, but the Corvus Belli infantry ranges are superb. Unfortunately, they seem to be out of stock at the Plastic Soldier Company now, so when or whether they will be available again I don't know.

Getting close to completion...

Which means I'd best make the most of the ones I have. There are enough for four 16-man units, but as my initial purchase was a couple of figures short, they sent me an extra 8, meaning if I scrounge the bits box and repurpose some command figures I can probably field 72 altogether.

Batch 2 still has more work to do

I'm yet to decide whether to leave the shields as they are or add designs. 

Painting guide:

Dark grey undercoat

Mid brown for spear shafts, sandals, shield backs

Flesh for arms, legs, hands, faces

Light grey for linen armour and shields

Red brown for straps, scabbards

Red for tunics

Dark silver / iron for spearheads

Antique bronze for helmets, shield edges.

White highlight for linen armour, shields

Gold to highlight bronze, shield edges

Silver highlight for spearheads

Highlight for tunics

Green for bases

Magic wash

Highlight for flesh, other areas that might need a touch up

Spray varnish x 2

I haven't been in a painting routine for a long time so am just trying to do a bit each night before dinner and/or after the kids are in bed. I'd like to get some Greek cavalry done next and then try to make a dent in my Achaemenid Persians.

We'll see how we go!

More Gauls...

Another lot of Gauls done, and we're now just over a third of the way through the infantry.  These are a mix of Tin Soldier and Xyston, with a pack of Corvus Belli in there too.

The rainy season is coming up, so painting can get a bit icky from here on until autumn.  I want to get as much done as I can while spray primer and spray varnish are still reliable, so the nose is to the grindstone!

Ideally the next lot will be a portion of the cavalry, but I may just keep going with infantry while the force is with me.  We'll see how it goes...

More Gauls

The test lot of Gauls is almost done.  Here are a few shots post Klear coat but pre matt varnish (hence the shinyness).  Photos are a bit ropey, but the figures look quite lively in the lead, as it were.  I think the Tin Soldier / Xyston mix is going to turn out OK, but I'm going to have to clip off the stands on some of the taller TS figures to help them blend in a little better.

Some Carthaginians finished

The Carthaginian bits and pieces I've been working on are now finished, thankfully.  First up is a unit of Citizen cavalry made up of Corvus Belli figures supplemented by a Chariot standard bearer and Old Glory commander.

Next up we have some reconstituted units.  Here are some Old Glory Spanish cav touched up and rebased to include some newly painted Essex figures.

More reconstituted units - this time older Chariot Citizen spearmen rebased to add in Corvus Belli figures.

  Finally, some Chariot Italians that I got in an ebay deal years ago touched up and rebased for play.

I've been experimenting with basing troops as units, a la Basic Impetus, with infantry elements 80mm wide by 30/40 deep and some 40mm wide to add a bit more flexibility.   This is because I only really use unit-based rules these days, and I do like the look of the bigger elements.

I'm pretty pleased to have these guys out of the way.  Next task to tackle is the odds and ends Spanish - around 150 of them, I regret to say!

To finish, here's the lot of 'em:

Painting Progress

After quite a hiatus, I've started picking up the paint brushes again at nights.  I have so much stuff sitting in boxes ready to take its place on the table that it seems churlish to deny it the necessary lick of paint.

Just finished are a bunch of 32 Punic Citizen infantry from Corvus Belli, with officers and standard bearers from Chariot (Magister Militum).  These have been done quickly and to match other units, so they are only basic paint jobs and nothing to write home about.  Still, they're probably worth chucking on the blog as I've had so little else to report of late!

These have been given their first coat of Future/Klear, and after one more coat will be mixed in with existing Chariot figures, given a spray of matt varnish, and based.  Should see these on the table fairly soon, all going well...!