From GrahamB - Loads more Ancients (555 points)

More IT problems have delayed me posting these. I can’t find the settings on my iPad to enable me to upload photos to blogger so I have resorted to uploading photos from my telephone.

Anyway, in the meantime I have still been painting more ancients for my classical army’s for the Mithradatic wars and other Successor army’s. Firstly here is a unit of Successor Agema heavy cavalry. They can also serve as Cataphracts.  I don’t know the manufacturer as they were bought 2nd hand and given long spears from Aventine Miniatures and a spare Victrix Greek standard.

Secondly I have completed a small unit of 4 Scythian horse archers who will see service with various armies. I think they are A &A miniatures. The riders have separate legs and torsos allowing multiple poses.

Next are two Caesarian Roman units from Wargames Factory so have been in the plastic pile for years. I have enough Caesarian Romans already mainly in Red, so these have yellow and white tunics as well as a variation in shields to represent either Pompeys troops or imitation Legionaries or even Italian allies of the Romans or Successors.

Next up are a unit of 16 Greek Hoplites from Victrix Miniatures. They paint up and rank up very easily.

I have added three units of 6 generic ancient skirmishers, a mix of spare metal figures and cobbled together plastics giving one unit of bows, one old slingers and one unit of javelin men. 

Finally I have completed a unit of 16 Theurokitai from Aventine Miniatures for service with my Successors. They could also double up as imitation Legionaries.

So 16 x 28mm cavalry @ 10 pts = 120 points and 79 foot 28mm figures @ 5 points each = 395 points giving a total of 555points.

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That is...a lot of horses, a lot of riders, and a lot of guys...for a lot of points...

555 points it is!

GregB

From GrahamB: Greeks and Roman Camels (210 points)

This week's submission has been in the lead pile for a long time.  These are the first Greek Hoplites I have ever painted in over 50 years of wargaming and have come out OK.  They are Old Glory figures that I purchased over 15 years ago when the figures were ridiculously good value, especially with a USD/GBP exchange rate, the Old. Glory army card discount and a stupidly cheap deal on.

Secondly here are some Hinchliffe ancient camels and camel riders.  These can appear as a small Roman unit or even substitute for several other classic army’s that used camels.    

30 Hoplites @ 5 pts = 150 plus 6 mounted @ 10 pts = 60 points.

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Very nice to see a Challenger tackle a subject they have been waiting on for a long time. Brings to mind my constant pledges to paint some 28mm Romans. I mean, I'll get to it one of these days... 

GregB

From MartinN: 3rd Century AD Roman Legionaries/ Limbo (70 points)

This week too I'm running with the Middle Imperial/ Late Roman theme from last week. This time I've brought with me a base of Legionaries, which can clearly be dated to the first half of the 3rd century by their old style semi-cylindrical shield. Also the broad leather balteus, from which the Spatha was suspended, which had by then superseded the earlier Gladius short sword. Most of the Legionaries are sporting the -in my humble opinion- rather fashionable Niederbieber type helmet, also dating to the 2nd to 3rd century. As for armour they're wearing a hodgepodge of Lorica Squamata (scales), Lorica Hamata (chainmail) and the rather famous Lorica Segmental (banded metal strips), that is featured in so many Hollywood movies.

The figures themselves are a mix of Armorum & Aquila Miniatures, which by now are rather dated but almost the only commercially available figures for the 3rd century. Then there's a single Wargames Atlantic miniature from their Late Roman Legionaries set. The set fits the 3rd century almost perfectly with the inclusion of the Niederbieber helmet, but I find the details on the plastic rather soft and the Spathae much too large. That said they paint up OK. Also included are three heavily converted figures from Victrix Limited' Late Romans. To make them suitable I gave them heads from Aventine Miniatures, sculpted on the broader Balteus and designed and 3D printed  Spathae/ appropriate scabbards and Pugiones, the famous Roman daggers. Despite being noticeably larger than the other figures I do think they work together rather well. Shields are a mix of Aventine and A&A.

Painting wise I tried to give them a somewhat uniform appearance by using broadly the same colours, without painting them all the same. Personally I find it highly doubtful that Roman Legionaries ever wore anything approaching a uniform. For the shields I went with free hands and frankly, I had a blast. While at first I found it a rather daunting undertaking, I quickly realized I quite liked the look. So much so that by now I have more of those shields already painted than Legionaries waiting in the painting queue. First world problems I guess.

As some of the figures were already started before the challenge, in fact they had lain partly painted in my cupboard for a few years already, I'm claiming the Limbo bonus for this bunch.

So what do we have here?

Eight 28mm infantry plus the Limbo Bonus should give me 60 points plus whatever our dear minion is prepared to throw in for the hand painted shields and conversions.

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Well Nick, I have no doubt that I speak for all Challengers when I say "holy crap, this looks f**king amazing!" Your brushwork is, as ever, top shelf stuff. The conversions are amazing - and you know this because, absent you telling me/us about the conversions, we would not realize they were present, so seamless and smooth does everything look. 

In particular I am impressed that you managed to squeeze Victrix models in there. While I appreciate the quality of the Victrix sculpts, their giant size has turned me away from making purchases as they seem to loom of every other type of sculpt out there. 

Seeing your Romans always inspires me to say "one, day, I'll paint some Romans!". One day...

I award 10 bonus points for hand painting shields (!!), conversions and general amazing-ness. 

70 points for you in total!

GregB

From AndrewB: Artsy and housey Romans and Pirates?(Arthouse)(135pts)

Ladies and Gentlemen, a whole raft of 28mm odd figures here! As a part of my efforts to finish random projects and cover lead, I’ve jumped on some figures that reminded me of some old ‘Arthouse’ sort of movies, namely Caligula and Roman Polanski’s Pirates.  Fortunately all of my figures are clothed and playable!   

First, we have a group of lady pirates, ready to gut some greasy buccaneers attempting to grab some booty! These ladies are a mix of Old Glory and Irregular figures, and the scale matched quite well! I paint my pirate groups in different colors to distinguish loyalties, with red, blue, and green already existing. These ladies will have their own ship, and have thus formed the white crew! If their ship is something you’d like to see painted, let me know. But now, pictures!

Next up, a group of Roman civilians, mostly servant types. If we’re going to compare them to Caligula, it’s got to be close to the beginning of the movie, as  they’ve still got their clothes on   I think these are foundry, but I honestly have no idea. I got them second hand years ago, and cannot recall if the original owner told me the manufacturer!  

I think my favorite out of these folks are this trio, mainly due to the opportunity to splash some extra colors into the mix!

In retrospect this also added 14 females I should have been using to bounce around in Lady Sarah’s awesome limo, but that’s alright.  I’ll look for some others. With this, Superheros is my last studio on the blue level, and then we’re off to the red Director’s Chair!

Points for this post should be 115 for the 23 28mm figures, and 20 for the Arthouse, bringing me to 135! More soon!

From TeemuL: 135 points it is! Red Director's Chair is just a Superhero movie away, let's see what you find from you lead pile to cover there. Those lady pirates might find themselves comfortable with the Caligula, I guess, even though they seem to have some clothes on. Lots of white and lots of females here.

From MattW: Lady Sarah, Fantasy, Swords and Sandals, Yellow Brick Road, Gift Shop (302 points)

 Lady Sarah Limo, Fantasy, Swords and Sandals, Yellow Brick Road, Giftshop

A busy week at the desk, almost 5 days with 8 hours a day, getting sick of painting Romans, but I have nearly broken their back…never again attempt 80 miniatures at once rather than batchs… so a break next week after I post the remainder and a change of gears to ww2. I have completed the Green studios so I am heading into the Blue for a turn about. 

Lady Sarah

First up up A ride in Lady Sarah’s limousine if possible from Under Construction to Fantasy, I offer one cranky german…”my wife found out I purchased more models” ..miniature from the Foundry Germanic range. 

28mm Female Miniature 5 points,

Lady Sarah limo ride 20 points

Fantasy Studio 

I think this is the second Gandalf GW I have painted, the first is dismounted in my sons collection and this is where this one will end up also. A lovely sculpt, although the Shadowfax miniature may sag with weight  as time goes on. 

Mounted 28mm miniatures 10 points

Fantasy studio 20 points  

Swords and Sandals Studio

What is more epic than a Roman units in a  story…..

Maximus Mounted with Bob, again I am not a fan of this sculpt, very small compared to the rest of the Warlord range, I think I will gift this to one of my gaming mates 

28mm Mounted figure and Bob 15 points

A Roman Ballista again from Warlord games

3 28mm figures figs artillery piece 25 points 

Four scorpions from Warlord Games 

12 28mm figures and four artillery 100 points

An Onager again from Warlord Games 

3 28mm figures and artillery piece 25 points 

Sword and Sandals Studio 20 Points

Points for Swords and Sandals studio

28mm Roman’s 165 points

Studio 20 points 

Yellow brick road

Then a stroll down the yellow brick road, a repainted matchbox car ready for car wars

20mm vehicle 1x 20mm figures 15 points + 4 points figure 

Yellow Brick Road  20 points 

Gift Shop

A visit to the Gift shop, a fine gift for my online Scottish fellow red headed friend JamesM, 

I hear he is a fan of Spear Chuckers (lol) so I thought a fitting figure for his collection! 

28mm A fine Red Haired Germanic Chieftain miniature 5 points 

Gift Shop 20 points 

Total points

Lady Sarah Limousine                                                    25 points

Fantasy studio                                                                 30 points

Swords and Sandals                                                      185 points

Yellow Brick Road.                                                        39 points

Gift Shop                                                                        25 Points

Total Points.                                                                 304 points

Side  Duel

SPQR total points                                                        165 points

Cheers

Matt

Well, those Romans are the star of this show, Matt! Lovely artillery. Just one little correction to your points claim - the driver of that "carrocodile" is a half figure and gets half points.

Tamsin