Ancient Germans and Sisters Repentia!

Now how about that for a random combo? First up here's the first models in the "opfor" that'll be facing my Early Imperial Romans... they're ancient Germans from Wargames Foundry.

Great models, these. Ancient Germans rarely wore shirts apparently and one of these guys is an early adherent of the... ahem... "naturist" lifestyle.

Painting was pretty easy once I figured out an easy flesh technique. The Romans I did with a really drastic "Dallimore" style of Cadian Flesh over Doombull Brown, but I wanted to do something quicker for the Germans. So I started with Doombull, then used a heavy drybrush of Doombull mixed with Cadian, Mixed with Kislev Flesh, up to straight Kislev Flesh, all in gradual steps. Pretty quick and looks OK I think. The axe handle is Mournfang Brown highlighted with Vallejo New Wood.

Here they are with one of the Foundry legionaries. More to come on this one!

Next up here's a couple more Sisters Repentia for the Sisters of Battle. I wanted to get these done before New Year's Day and the annual game - this year it's 40K fifth ed. with Sisters vs. Tyranids. These two were also done before the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge but never fear, today I finished seven more that were started before 21 December, so they'll go on the Challenge blog.

Super fun figures - not my favourites ever to paint, but they look cool when they're done.  
 

Early Imperial Roman Veteran Legionaries!

OK! Here's the start of a new project well underway, it's 28mm Early Imperial Romans!

Here's the first unit in the army done. The project will be early Imperial Romans and (one of) their traditional opponents, ancient Germans (coming soon). This is kind of a full-circle project for me as nearly 25 years ago, after I'd first moved to Winnipeg from the distant countryside, I acquired painted Early Imperial Roman and ancient German armies. They came from either the TMP classifieds or Bartertown (remember those sites?) and I bought 'em sight unseen - not even pictures.

Of course I asked questions before hand, like "who's the manufacturer of these figures?" and the answer came back "Wargames Foundry I think." Well as we say nowadays, the words "I think" did a lot of work in that answer. The models were decidedly NOT Foundry models, more like Minifigs or something - they were not good. I put a wash on them to make 'em presentable, we played one big Thursday game with them, and they were moved on. But I always really liked the period and those two armies.

Fast forward nearly 25 years and I'm back to the project! These Romans are (mostly) the plastic EIR Veteran Legionaries box from Warlord Games. I didn't buy the box, but just have accumulated sprues from various Warlord sprue sales. I likely spent less than half the retail price on the unit. 

Anyway these Veteran Legionary plastics are really super. They're easy to assemble (just right arm, head and shield to stick on), nicely detailed, have good variety, and are easy to paint - just what you want from plastics. And on sale I think I paid about 70 cents each for them. This is the Centurion, leader of the unit, carrying the traditional vine stick.

At the right above is the Cornicen with his horn, but at left is the sole metal model in the unit - the Aquilifer, also from Warlord. This one puzzled me a bit - he came with the Aquila (eagle) standard of the Legion, but is wearing a lion headdress. What's weird about that? Well, from everything I've read (ranging from Phil Barker's classic Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome to Ospreys), the Aquilifer, in the early Imperial era at least, was always bare-headed. So rather than offend sensibilities (my own mainly) I gave the Aquilifer model the plastic standard from the plastic Veteran sprue. I had to convert that a bit too since it had a spike on it and not the "hand" that the Manipular standard traditionally bore. But no worries, I cut one out of plasticard and stuck it on. I think it looks OK. 

Some really nice detail on the standard bearer. The lion skin looks great.

I gave the Aquila to the plastic model from the Veteran sprue. He has a head from the bits box onto which I sculpted a Romanesque hairstyle. He's pictured here with metal Foundry models.

The Veterans, like I said earlier, are great. Some of the heads are bearded, unhelmeted, or otherwise battle-weathered. Likewise their scuta (shields) are hammered and worn, some with holes or with the wood showing through. They look great. Of course the designs were hand-painted :-)

Honestly the idea with this project was to paint enough models to just do a skirmish game - SPQR or something similar - maybe 30-40-ish models a side. But as I started accumulating, the goalposts shifted somewhat (as they do), and now I'm thinking Warhammer Ancient Battles. That would REALLY bring things full circle as that's the game we played with my original armies all those years ago!

Test Models!

So we are preparing for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge and that means some new projects!

Above you can see the first three models I've painted for a new Early Imperial Romans/Ancient Germans project. I've had these Foundry models for a decade? or more? and decided it's time to get going (I've also got some Warlord plastic Veteran Legionaries and Auxilia to paint). Lorica segmentata has always been my favourite form of Roman armour and the scutum insignia is hand-painted. And while I intend to play mostly skirmish games with them (SPQR maybe?) I put them on square bases just because square bases... and Warhammer Ancient Battles is still a thing!

Next up is a test for another Space Marine Legion for Horus Heresy gaming. The impetus for this was buying the new Legiones Astartes Battle Group deal, thirty MKIII Space Marines, a Deredeo Dreadnought and a Land Raider Proteus. Since I already have a cubic yard of Iron Warriors and many many Blood Drinkers for Heresy gaming, as well as Black Templars, Deathwing and Howling Griffons for 40K, the rational (!) response was to start a new Legion for Heresy gaming. 

And the winner was... the VI Legion, the Space Wolves. This is coming full circle in a way because the first RTB-01 Space Marines I painted back in the late '80s were... Space Wolves. This model is a resin assault Marine in MKV armour equipped with chainsword, bolt pistol and jump pack. I like the new MKIII Marines - mostly - with the exception of the spiked helmets which are cool for Death Guard but for any other Legion, to me look kinda dumb. And while the models themselves are bigger than the old MKIIIs, the helmets are somehow smaller? I don't get that. My MKIII Marines will use the helmeted heads I've already had 3D printed.

The paint scheme starts with Mechanicus Standard Grey, washed with Agrax, then overpainted Fenris Grey, washed with Nuln Oil, then brightened up again with a bit of Fenris. Brassy bits are Scorpion Brass.

I reckon these projects (among others) should keep me going over the winter...

Painting Challenge entry: Roman Hopolomachius

 

I have been wanting to set up another Zoom game for the Fawcett Avenue Conscripts. I dug out Timothy Peterson’s Roman ‘Arena Combat’ rules, which were themselves a variant of Steve Jackson’s ‘Melee’. Being hex based, it is fairly easy to see how to move around the arena, and how to attack and defend the front, sides, and rear of each other’s models. The models I have available are mostly pre-painted gladiators from em4 Miniatures. This past weekend I also assembled and painted up a Hopolomachius, a heavily armoured swordsman kitted out like a Greek hoplite, with helmet, breastplate, greaves. aspis (large round shield with bronze facing over a wooden core), and gladius.

The figure was assembled from parts from both the Greek Hoplite Infantry and Command sprues, both available from Warlord (ex Immortal Miniatures). For a multi-part figure, there's some nice anatomy in the pose and some good detailing like the suspension rig of the aspis.

I was working fast, so I primed it with Chaos Black, and did a rough spray bomb zenithal highlight with Corax White. I laid the base colours in with various acrylics, using Vallejo's Non Metallic Metal set for the browns, yellows, and white. Finished off with some oils for quick blending and highlighting. The amphora is a decal, applied with decal solvent and setting solutions, and suitably distressed. The front three hex sides of the base are painted dark grey, since facing is a very important feature of the Melee rules.

Below, some other em4 Miniatures gladiators on a Melee mousepad style game mat. We had 3 one-on-one fights. No one's gladiator dies, and after a suitable recovery period we had a small battle of the three victors vs. the three losers. 

Below, the Hopolomachius seen facing off against a common pairing, a Myrmillus.

Painting Challenge Submission 1 - Byzantine Heavy Cavalry

Byzantine cavalry ready for battle!

 

Our friend Curt in Regina has fired up yet another edition of Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. Several Conscripts will be taking part this year, and while you can catch our work over on the Painting Challenge Blog, I expect you will see it posted here as well.

My first submission, was this group of Byzantine Kataphractoi cavalry. These are 28mm figures from Gripping Beast, with shield transfers and banners from Little Big Men Studios.

Commander, musician and standard bearer.

As one might expect, there is a heavy religious feel to the iconography - definitely an aspect of the Byzantine setting that I enjoy, it adds to their aura.

These figures are based individually - a departure from previous efforts in this area. I hope to use them for skirmish games like "Lion Rampant" as well as mass battle rules like "Warhammer Ancient Battles" or "Hail Caesar" (or even "Swordpoint" if I can finish the requisite university degrees needed to decipher the rules). These individual bases make that possible. 

I had totally forgotten that Dallas has already painted up a sizeable contingent of Norman warriors in 28mm...I am hoping they will serve as opponents for this force as it takes shape.

Super long "kontos" - the spears of ancient heavy cavalry.

These castings from Gripping Beast are hefty suckers, and remain a joy to paint. I went with red and green as the accent colours as I thought it matched the holiday season...and also I had the red and green paint handy on the painting table because of something else I was working on, that I hope to share shortly :)

Lots of maces handy for up-close smashing and bashing work...

The Kataphractoi were the heavy, heavy hitters of the armies from the "Thematic" Byzantine era (which I believe is a reference to the "Themes" - or provinces/districts - used as administrative divisions within the empire at that time...something like the 9th/10th century although I'm not 100% certain). Well armed, heavily armored, drilled, disciplined and experienced in war, they would be present on the battlefield once the Byzantines had exhausted their sizeable bag of usual tricks (bribery of the enemy, bribe someone else to attack said enemy, assassination of said enemy ruler or key advisor(s), delay via negotiation, outmaneuver or other trickery etc.) and force or arms would be the only way to settle things.

Some of the riders are equipped the long fighting spears used by the ancient heavy cavalry, while others are brandishing maces. And of course, as the heaviest of the heavy cavalry, these fellows are covered head-to-toe in armour, as are the poor horses. The LMBS stickers are fiddly as heck, but are still so worth it in in the end. That said, I do wish LBMS would make straight up waterslide transfers...those would be so much easier to work with.

Another view of the unit leader...his barding, mace and helmet are all a touch fancier than the others...

That's all from me for now - I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and that everyone has a nice and relaxing New Year's Eve. Talk to you all in 2021! Cheers and thanks for reading.

Mega-DBA - The Battle of Dertosa, 215 B.C.E.

The Battle of Dertosa, also known as the Battle of Ibera, was fought in the spring of 215 BCE on the south bank of the Ebro River, across from the town of Dertosa. Historically, a Roman army, under the command of Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus and Publius Cornelius Scipio, engaged a similarly sized Carthaginian army under Hasdrubal Barca.

The Romans, under Gnaeus Scipio, had established themselves in Hispania after winning the Battle of Cissa in 218 BC. Hasdrubal Barca's expedition to evict them had ended in the defeat of the Iberian contingent of the Carthaginian navy at the Battle of Ebro River in 217 BC. Barca launched another expedition in 215 BC 215 BC. He moved north with some 25,000 foot, 4,000 horse and 21 elephants. The Scipio brothers massed 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry to bar his path at the Ebro River. Hasdrubal's objective was to defeat the main Roman field army so that he could cross into Italy while still maintaining Carthaginian control of Spain. The Scipio brothers likewise aimed to defeat Barca in open battle to prevent his crossing into Italy and to break his grip on the Iberian Peninsula

(Historically, the Carthaginians defeat at Dertosa cost them a chance to reinforce Hannibal at a critical juncture, and the Romans gained the initiative in Hispania.)

***

Dallas mentioned how it's been awhile since we have done some big battle De Bellis Antiquitatis ("Mega-DBA") ancients, and Conscript Sylvain is in town for a little while, so Thursday night I organized an ancients game based upon the above-noted battle, using DBA version 2.2. For years DBA was popular locally, then people drifted away. I know of only one local person who has painted up a DBA 3.0 army. DBA 2.2 is what our group is familiar with.

Each side ended up having the equivalent of 2 complete DBA armies. We had an historical "matched pairs" encounter: the defenders were 15mm DBA Late Carthaginians, the attacking Roman side was  represented on the table by 15mm Polybian Roman armies of the mid-Republic. The figures were painted by Conscripts Frederick and Kevin (each had painted a Roman and a Carthaginian army; Kevin's figs now reside in my collection).

Brian played the C-in-C of the Carthaginians, Hasdrubal Barca, and Dallas was his subordinate (his brother-in-law, maybe?). Each Carthaginian general had an Elephant stand; Brian was hoping for great things from his elephant, nicknamed "Sparkles" for the evening. Frederick was the C-in-C for the Romans, playing Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus ("Scipio the Elder"), and Sylvain played his subordinate, his brother Publius Cornelius Scipio ("Scipio Junior"). Each C-in-C wold roll both command dice each bound, and apportion the dice as they saw fit between themselves and their subordinate.

Who would win this dust-up between two consuls of the Roman Republic and one of the scions of the uber-rich Carthaginian Barca clan?

***

The Battle

Below, looking southward, Dallas and Brian can be seen sitting behind their deployed Carthaginians.

(Click the pictures to enlarge.)

Below, Sylvain and Frederick sit behind the northern edge of the table, overseeing long lines of Roman legionaries.



Below, closer shot of the Romans commanded by Frederick's Scipio the Elder.



Below, looking west, both sides drawn up for battle. Frederick rolled a "1" and a "4" for PIPs. He kept the 1 as his forces were in one long line.



 The Carthaginians advance north.



Both sides sent some cavalry to try and flank the forest seen to the far west.



The Carthaginians divide their forces to meet the Roman lines.



The Carthaginian eastern edge was held by Spears in ranks on the road, with their flanks anchored by a small cliff, and some light infantry in the marsh. The Roman cavalry declined to attack and these small forces shouted invective at each other all game.



The Carthaginians seized the initiative by advancing to contact all up and down the lines. To the west some Roman Blades are in danger from the flanking Light Cavalry.



To the west, some Roman Cavalry fence with Carthaginian Auxilia in the woods. Neither side could afford to lose because of the placement of friendly units; of course their battle was a draw!



Sparkles ground down a stand of Blades and moves forward to fill the gap!



Some of Brian's Celtic Warband  tried to kill the Roman C-inC, but were slain for their trouble. The rest of the Carthaginians bounced off the Roman shield wall.



With the support of some friends, the Roman Cavalry rode the Carthaginian Auxilia down.



Below, some legionary Blades try and flank the Carthaginian sub commander. Dallas rolled hot and drove off his attackers.



Below, the Roman players contemplate their next moves.



Brian's  Barca, with the help of Sparkles, tried to nail another stand of Blades who had Psiloi support, but the Romans' swordplay and javelins forced off their attackers.



Below, in response, some Roman Triarii move to face off against Sparkles. The rest of the line advanced on the Carthaginians, pushing back Barca's stand, and destroying another stand of Cav.



Below, a panorama of the land south of the Ebro River, at this final point of the battle.



The casualties below tell the tale. Barca's half of the army reached its breaking point, and the Romans had only lost one stand so far. The Carthaginians threw in the towel, and, as in history, the Carthaginians retreated off the table. Barca somehow survived, leaving the Scipios the masters of the field.



All agreed that it was fun to push around figures using DBA again. I have both Scythian and  Mongolian armies ready for cleanup and painting. The Scythians in particular would make great opponents for the various Greek Hoplite and Roman armies several of us have.


Hordes of the Things

The game prompted me to finally finish off the shields on some HotT Wood Elf Knights that I painted up and have been playing for years. Cheated a bit, using some Eldar Harlequin decals and some thin green glazes to make the white look like it was painted a little unevenly on the shields.



It's a fun army, with figures from Chariot Miniatures. It's constituted of: 1 x Magician General, 1 x Magician, 1 x Hero, 2 x Knights, and 4 x Shooters (and a Toad for when the Magicians' magic goes horribly wrong).