A few more Italians

Have got a few more Italians done over the last couple of days. These chaps are (again) from the Strategia e Tattica Polybian Roman range, and although they are nominally hastati in attacking poses, they are going to be used primarily for my Roman Civil Wars armies, and have been based accordingly. With their mix of equipment and different coloured tunics they could be locally raised legions pulled together in a hurry, renegade Latins, slaves armed and fighting for their Roman masters - or slaves fighting against their Roman masters - Roman-trained Numidians, deserters in the east, disaffected Italians fled to Sertorius, Spanish armed as legionaries, ruffians gathered around Catiline, toughs pulled in to intimidate a crowd on voting day, etc etc. In short, they could be anyone or everyone. Should be quite useful, I think.

The painting is nothing special; I just wanted to get them done.

They can be fielded as six units of 12 if veterans, or four units of 18 when poorer quality.

15mm Roman cavalry

With the 'primed-and-ready-to-paint' boxes almost empty, I've been rummaging around in cupboards looking for figures that a) I feel like painting, b) might be useful and c) won't require spray priming in the current summer heat and humidity.

Fortunately, I found a box of Republican Romans I got in a deal with someone, and on looking more closely saw that all the cavalry was ready for paint, so I decided to make a start on those.

I actually feel a little guilty about this lot.  It is made up of a mixture of Chariot and Strategia e Tattica 15mm figures, which is a bit of an unusual combination. I know, because I did a post here suggesting that the two go together reasonably well.  Anyway, someone had bought selections of figures from the two lines, primed them, and then decided that they didn't really want to paint them up after all. I saw him advertise this fact, got in contact with the chap, and bought them off him.

The guilt comes from my wondering whether my original post (which I'd also put up to a wider audience on TMP) had been somehow instrumental in him making the purchase, and then of course in his being disappointed.

I hope not, but in any case, the best way to deal with the situation is to paint them up and use them!

So, to the painting.

These were done a little differently to my old style of painting Romans. I didn't bother with washes or stains prior to painting; my conversion to the dip method means that I now leave that to the end.

I did the horses in various shades, did the browns, the flesh, then cloaks in different reds. I did give a quick black wash on armour and spearheads, then painted on the bronze and silver. Shields were next, then plumes, belts, horse furniture and, finally, whites on the tunics and pteruges. There was a little highlight for cloaks and plumes, and then it was time for the dip.

There is quite an over-representation of command figures in this lot, but I'm sure I can find a use for them!

The photo above shows the problem that comes from skipping the pre-paint wash step I used to do - you can see I've missed a couple of spots on the hand and scabbard. If I'd used a brown wash to begin with those would not have been so obvious. Fortunately, due to the wonders of digital technology I've now seen them and can go and fix that up!

Here is a comparison with the older style painting.

You can see that the cloaks are darker and the folds more pronounced. I do quite like the slightly more cheerful look of the newer paint jobs though. Six of one, half a dozen of the other...

To finish these completely I'll bash out a few blazes and socks on the horses, then it's a case of waiting till autumn so I can give them a hit with the spray varnish.

Roman Civil War armies review

I decided tonight for kicks to set up my Roman Civil War armies and see how they look on the new(ish) terrain tiles I've been working on now and again.

Worth a game, I reckon!

WIP

It's been some time between painting posts, but with the New Year break approaching a light has appeared at the end of the work tunnel and instead of the grim struggle to get through each day, week and month dominating one's thought, there is a daily-strengthening interior voice that goes something like 'oh, good, game day is approaching!'

To that end, I've been clearing up a few odds and ends.

I tried to clear up about a hundred Celts, but that turned out to be beating a fragile head against a plaid wall, and I thought, to paraphrase Robert Plant, 'little Gauls, I'm gonna have to put you down for a while.'

Thankfully, there were a few Miniature Wars (ex-Strategia-e-Tattica) Crusaders in one of the primed boxes to get to grips with. These will do double duty as Normans (I know, a little dubious, but I don't have any other figures that can pass for Norman foot).

Another night or two should see them finished, and the painting tally may end up being added to before the year is done after all.

Samnites

Samnites. These guys have been a long time coming. They started out as some Strategia e Tattica figures I grabbed to make a unit or two for Sentinum, but after thinking that two units is a sad lot I ordered more from Old Glory to fill them out into a decent host.

Although I usually like the figures of both companies, for some reason these packs just rubbed me the wrong way. The Old Glories have an odd 'hoplite, forward!' pose where our man is head down, shield off to the side, and bursting forward eagerly. Naturally, his is the dominant pose in the pack.

Both sets are clumsily sculpted (or at least come out of the moulds in that way) and the greaves in particular are tricky to do without missing some bit you have to go back to later to touch up.

So, a bits and pieces mob, and a bits and pieces paint job. I've had these in some stage of go for about two years, and each time I opened the box and did a little bit I would get severely brassed off and then leave them.

There were also issues with colour choice and shield decoration policy that I couldn't quite settle.

They were like a stone in my shoe.

But I finally decided to fix them up, give them the dip, and just finish them, no matter how bad they looked. So here they are.

I'll do a proper shot after they are flocked, but this is my little celebratory signal to self that, to paraphrase Sir Edmund Hillary, we knocked the b******s off.

Whew!

Work in progress - Samnite horse

As a bit of a break from Gauls I've decided to make a start on the small Samnite contingent I need to do to be able to put on Sentinum with Lost Battles.

These horsemen are a real mixed bag: 8 Old Glory Samnite cavalry, 7 Strategia Nova (ex Strategia e Tattica) Samnites, 3 Strategia Nova Romans and - to further make up numbers - a Thracian cavalryman with his helmet trimmed down.

The Old Glory figures didn't come with shields, so I made some up with a plastic folder cover and a hole punch.  Crude, but if I don't mention it on the blog no one need be any the wiser... 

Anyway, these chaps will make 2 units of 9 and a commander.  They are nowhere near finished yet, but it's a nice change of pace after the recent Gallic frenzy!

Reinforcements from afar...

A box of goodies arrived from the UK, today; reinforcements for my Republican Romans.  I don't really need them, but as they are mostly the now sadly out of business Strategia e Tattica range I felt compelled to respond to an advertisement placed by one of the good fellows at theminiaturespage.com.

I feel like a got a good deal and I hope he does as well.

Ah hah!

Some bonus gladiators.  I think I can do something with these...

The lovely Strategia e Tattica range!

A minor jumble, but nothing is damaged thanks to some good packing.  I spy some Chariot/Magister Militum 15s in here as well...

And the foot.

I'm not sure when I'll get these painted, but they will be a good project for a rainy week.  Many thanks to a stand-up trader!

Roman Cavalry done, and thanks to you all!

It is amazing how much of a motivating factor blogging has become in my painting and gaming over the past year or so!  Post a few snaps of half-finished figures, receive some kind comments from worthy readers and a painting project that was bogged down suddenly no longer seems such a chore :)

I really must say thank you very much to all who read these ramblings, and offer especial thanks to those who leave a comment now and then.  It's greatly appreciated, and goes a long way towards making up for the lack of local wargamers!

So, some shots of the finished Strategia e Tattica figures, prior to their Future/Klear coats...

Scipio sends his regards to you all...

Slow progress with the Roman cavalry

I've made unexpectedly slow progress with the Roman cavalry this last week.  I'd expected to knock them off in a couple of days, but I've been using a different system from usual and haven't really clicked with it.  For various reasons it has been taking a lot longer than I thought - with some false steps along the way to compound the problem. 

Still, we're getting there, so I thought I'd post progress shots in an attempt to motivate myself to finish them off...

Again, the figures are Strategia e Tattica.  I don't like their cavalry as much as I do their infantry so far, although I'll reserve final judgement on that score until the figures are done.

They still need highlights for the cloaks, tunics and tack, a wash for the horses, a flesh highlight, with a touch up here and there to follow for a few little things.  Scipio (in the middle) needs some special treatment, so he is not as close to completion as the others.

Once the painting itself is done, there will be the usual two coats of Future/Klear, and the matt varnish. 

I will be heaving a sigh of relief when these chaps are finally done!

Republican Romans done

Here are some shots of the freshly painted Republican Romans from Strategia e Tattica, with a few left over velites from Chariot chucked in for good measure.  Completed are the velites, principes and triarii of the Latin allies.  The hastati were finished some time ago, hence the flock...

These fellows just need a spray of matt varnish and a bit of flock and they'll be ready to go.  Next thing to finish is the cavalry, and then it might be time to pick a battle....

Painting progress: more Republican Romans

I'm a couple of days into the painting of my last batch of Strategia e Tattica Romans.  There are 64 infantry and 19 cavalry underway, with these figures making up the numbers for the remainder of the allied legion and a 'blue shield' cavalry contingent.

Once these are done there will be enough figures for two consular armies at 48 figures per legion/ala (16 hastati and 16 principes, 8 triarii and 8 velites) or for one consular army at 96 figures per legion.  There will also be 27 'red shield' cavalry, 18 'blue shield' cavalry and 21 Minifigs chaps that can be pressed into service as needed.  With four command stands and 3 mounted commanders, I hope that this will have the Romans sorted for some time to come!

Here are some of the partially-completed principes, with triarii in the background.

These were undercoated gray and given a dark brown wash (mixture of Future, Tamiya black and brown).  Next was a dark flesh undercoat, mixing flesh with red brown.  Shield backs and pilum shafts were then painted wood brown and the mail given a coating of Tamiya smoke with a touch of black dribbled in.  The tunics were blocked in in white; the hair done; the straps and belts done in burnt umber; the shoes/sandals done in red brown.  Following that the helmet crests were hit with red, blue or black and the shield faces painted a darker blue.  The flesh has been given a second coat, so it's time to move onto the final stages.

Next up will be the greaves, helmets and shield bosses in yellow bronze.  The scabbards will be done in a red brown after that.  Then will come a touch up for the pilum shafts and shield backs, a highlight for the tunics, highlights for the helmet crests (the 'pop' feature on these figures) and silver for the pilum heads.  The velites will have wolf skins done, then all figures will have their bases painted grass green and the last flesh highlight added.  To seal the job a coat of my own 'dip' will be applied, followed by two coats of Future and a spray of matt varnish. 

After that it will be time to base them, and get a game underway!

They don't look like much now, but given another few days they will hopefully be in a more presentable condition...

Comparing Romans: Chariot 15s (Magister Militum) with Strategia e Tattica 15s (North Star)

As promised some time ago, here are some comparison shots of my Strategia e Tattica Polybian Romans matched up with some figures in the same scale from the Chariot range.  Chariot are of course sold by Magister Militum, while Strategia e Tattica can be found on their home site in Italy and are also carried in the UK by North Star.

First up are the hastati.  The Chariot figures are to the viewer's left, with the red shields; Strategia e Tattica figures are to the right, with the blue.  The height is a very good match, but the Chariot shields are more oval and are a touch thinner.  The figures are about the same level of chunkiness, though the SeT ones have slightly wider heads.    

Next we have the principes.  These figures are also a fairly good match height-wise, but the SeT figures are noticeably more chunky here and one of the poses is also somewhat more roughly sculpted than the others in the range.  There was actually a far better selection of poses in the second batch of SeT figures I ordered, so the roughly-sculpted figures are a much smaller proportion of the total figures in the second batch than they are here.

Moving on to the triarii now, you can see that the Chariot shields are very narrow here, even by comparison to the other figures in their range, and while the figures are quite nice to my eye the moulds are aging and there was terrible flash on the figures.  In the close up you can see there is still some unwanted flash on the shields and faces that I was unable to remove.  It's not quite so obvious to the naked eye, but it certainly is here.  The SeT triarii are again a good match in height and chunkiness.  They also have good variety in their standing poses, and make an impressive group, in my opinion.

Lastly, we have the velites (the cavalry will have to be posted another time - they aren't painted yet!).  These figures are a very good match, and I actually use them in the same unit. The shield are almost the same size and the height and chunk match well, as per usual.

In conclusion, the heavy infantry figures work quite well as different legions/alae in the same force, and the velites can be mixed together in the same unit to create a nice selection of compatible poses.  Overall, I prefer the SeT hastati and triarii, with the Chariot principes having the edge over their SeT counterparts at this stage.  That might change when the second batch, with its better overall sculpts, is painted up.

I would certainly recommend the Strategia e Tattica infantry for anyone looking for some different figures for their Polybian armies.

Pat's photos of our Magnesia games

Pat has very kindly sent me the photos he took of our Magnesia battle.  He has taken a series of close up shots, which I'm very pleased to post here.

Hastati from Magister Militum's Chariot range.  These were some of the first figures I painted, way back in 2005.

Xyston Antigonid phalangites, painted by Fernando in Sri Lanka.

Our Eumenes for the day.  Another Xyston figure, this time painted by myself.

The Antiochus of the day.  Xyston again.

Chariot equites.

Xyston peltasts, again painted by Fernando.

Old Glory Seleucid cataphracts.  I didn't do a very good job painting these and they could do with a touch up.  I do like the figures though; they have a certain air of nastiness about them.

Roman allies from the Strategia e Tattica range.  My new favourite Romans.

Antiochus with his guard of Old Glory xystophoroi.  As you might have gathered, I really like the cavalry of the Old Glory Successor range!

A jumbo from Chariot.

And lastly, the hand of doom...

A big thank you to Pat for these photographs!