From HarryV: 28mm Hannibal's Veteran Carthaginian Spearmen (380 pts)

 Hi everybody, for my second post I have four units of Veteran Carthaginian Spearmen 

Across the units are 76 figures in 28mm scale at 5 pts each, coming to a total of 380 pts. The figures are a mix of multiple manufacturers. The largest part are from aventine miniatures, but there are victrix, agama, lucid eye, and warlord games all present as well. 

These figures represent Hannibal's veterans over the course of their 10 years saga in Southern Italy, along with their return to Africa for Zama. They are for the "To the Strongest Ruleset". 

The first unit is the most aggressive, and has the biggest concentration of victrix figures. All the veterans are rated as Veteran Legionaries in standard sized units for the To the Strongest Ruleset. 

I chose figures mainly in standing poses as I was envisioning them at the Battle of Zama where they formed Hannibal's third line. They are surveying the battlefield, watching the first lines in action and determinedly awaiting the battle's conclusion. 

In terms of equipment I wanted a diverse, yet cohesive look to the units. I tried to tie the units together with the mostly scutum shields and Carthaginian shield designs. However, I wanted the figures to have a wide variety of equipment. 

The eagle eyed will notice Gallic figures mixed in. This is taking from a lecture by Adrian Goldsworthy, who describes how while initially fighting in their ethnic contingents, over time Hannibal's troops converged together into mixed units over their many years fighting together.

"You might fancy that the Africans were for the most part a body of Romans from the way they were armed, they were so completely equipped with the arms, some of which they had taken at the Trebia..."

Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, 22.46

As well as figures marketed as Carthaginians, I used a lot of Roman figures in these units to simulate the looting of Roman equipment. I think given that Livy describes them as looking very Roman, this points to the use of the scutum. Over many years of campaigning, cut off from supply, I imaged the veterans would be using what they could find locally in Italy.

In terms of painting and modeling, this was more on the speed painted side of the spectrum. I wanted to use a lot of white cloth and shields to give them a Carthage look. Carthaginians are described with white shields in the Sicilian Wars, but mainly this choice is from playing too much Rome: Total War. There is light conversion work throughout, mainly on the plastic figures - lots of kit bashing. I am not a huge fan of the agema plastics, mainly the heads look weird on the bodies.

Thats it from me this week. Next week I will have my Libyan Skirmishers completed. 

More lovely looking ancients Harry.  Love the mix of figure manufacturers and the varried equipment within the units.   They look fantastic all lined up too.  We've had good luck with TtS using my Late Romans vs Picts etc collections. 

 

From RossM: 6mm Greek Bolt Throwers 8 pts

They say that at a beginning is a delicate time, well as this is my first post for AHPC XII it is indeed that. The pictures below are of 6mm Greek Bolt Throwers from Baccus Miniatures and are not the 15mm EIR Legionnaires originally planned for this post

It always amazes me how much detail that 6mm figure producers can show in their product and these are no exception. The actual bolt throwers are two part kits easily assembled and I even managed not to glue myself to them - it's happened before on bigger kits to be fair. 

On the tabletop these may seen as hard hitters however in terms of points for the challenge they are the first step of many. What is important is that they are that first step allowing more to follow. 

Based on 40mm squares for DBA and ADLG these will be a part of the ongoing Macedonian and Punic Wars project that has been bubbling under for several years now. 

As my first entry these 6mm warmachines and crew will net 8 points (1.6% of my challenge total). 

Looking forward to picking up some pace now on the painting front and working on both those pesky EIR Legions and some 28mm Wars of the Roses Men at Arms for future entries. 

Cheers for now, Ross

Ross Varus where are my Legions?!?!  Please excuse the Brian Blessed moment.

Lovely little bolt shooters Ross, they turned out very well and you've based them nicely.  They should do good service clearing Scythians from river banks, as Anti-Elephant weapons and skewering Cataphracts.  There seem to be a lot of varied Ancient and Dark Age Late Antiquity/Early Medieval projects on the hoof this year which is always great to see.  

I heart you on the fiddly little bits and gluing fingers together challenges.

KenR : 28mm The Triarii are here - 160 points

Well that's it I'm done 👍, I'd like to say I'm outta here too but more on that below ! The final unit, this time of Triarii is done and the Allied Italian Legion Project is finished !

At this stage in the Project there really aren't any surprises, its 32 x 28mm Victrix figures on 4 60mm square bases, shield transfers by LBMS.

So that's 32 x 5 for a 160 point haul, which really annoyingly leaves me just short of my 1500 target. So this won't be my last post of the Challenge. I've started on some Wars of the Roses just to tip me over the line so I will post them on the last day, it might not be a full unit but I'll get enough based to get done.

And of course here is the Project Done Picture 

And the whole lot in a short video detailing the whole Project.

So thanks very much for your kind words during the course of this Project, I love how the Challenge spurs me on to do these things. Its been a pleasure, just need to think of an idea for next year now 🤔 one thing is for sure, it won't be white !

A superb way to finish off a project that we have all enjoyed watching come together. In a single challenge you have completed what takes many sane people much longer to do (of course there are many more less sane people in this challenge, but that is a sea story for another day...). Great work Ken!

Cap'n Wednesday

KenR - 28mm Allied Legion General - 30 points

 

The Big Boss is in da House ! The Allied Italian Legion is finally staggering to an end, all the figures are painted and first to be based is the overall Legion Commander.

Three figures from the 28mm Victrix Roman Commanders set with heads from the Allied Italian Legion Box form the base which is 100mm in diameter.

So 3 x 10 points gives me 30 more and really annoyingly I've realised that with all the figures for the Project done I will fall short of my target 🙃  I'm busy searching the house for some unpainted figures 😄

So with a week to go I have got the Triarii painted and being based, because you all love them so much here's the progress photo, 4 bases to go.

KenR : 28mm Allied Italian Legion Velite Deserters : 40 pts

 

Those of you with good memories will recall back in December my first unit post of the Project was short of a few chaps, the deserters as they are better know, 8 Velite having been built and primed disappeared somewhere in the house and I have been searching for them since.

So because Victrix only do boxes of 60 figures for Allied Italian Legion I have been looking for alternatives and after a massive search I settled on these Gripping Beast Punic War figures, their Velites have wolf heads on the troops which I didn't want for the Italians, so I went for the Levy figs. I bought the 8 and snuk in a unit of Turcopiles for my Crusades stuff.

So 8 28mm foot figures at 5 points each nets me 40 points and just leaves me with the Triarii and a command base to do in the couple of three weeks remaining. Work has been really busy and I've hit a bit of a brick wall with painting at exactly the wrong time so it will be a big push to get the last bit done by the end.

So here are the new recruits in with the old sweats ! The Victrix are a bit larger but its a reasonable compromise and it will do. So I will see you soon with the Triarii. And finally below the obligatory progress photo 

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Glad you found those sculking scallywags Ken - hiding down in the bilges where they? A dozen lashes at Captains mast and back to work for them!

That army is looking superb - I hope that work eases up or you to focus on the Triarii, pride of the Legions as they are! On on!

Cap'n Wednesday

KenR : 28mm Italian Allied Cavalry Part 2 : 120 points

Its been a while since I posted anything ! I just did a 9 days out of 10 working stretch which put the painting and commenting on posts for the Challenge to the back of the pile.

Thankfully I managed to get through the vast majority of the Italian Allied Legion Project at the start of the Challenge so I have a bit of slack time and I am well on target to finish the Legion

So here is the second group of Cavalry for the Project, 12 x 28mm Aventine Miniatures at 10 points a piece for a grand total of 120 points.

Here is the fan favourite, Project Progression Picture and there is not a lot of MDF left, the 8 missing Velite are next up (I've picked some up from Gripping Beast) which will just leave the Triarii and the Main Commander to do. I'm going to do a Utubes painting tutorial for the Triarii if that is of interest to anyone.

Above is all 24 Cavalry together. If you enjoy Yarkshire Gamer I have entered the world of Podcasts and would love to have you all along as listeners. Search for Yarkshire Gamer on Spotify or click the link below which will take you in via Podbean. See you soon with some Velites.

https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-zcg95-fb3ef2

KenR : 28mm Principes Part Deux - 160 points

 

No alarms and no surprises with this entry, guess what, it's more Allied Italian Legion ! We are nearly done know just 1 Cavalry, 1 Triarii unit and a Command Base to go.

This is the second group of 32 Principes for the Legion, 8 figs a base on 60 x 60 bases, Victrix figures (with one Agema Miniatures to make up numbers) and LBMS Shield transfers. Definitely one of the best things I did 8n this Challenge was doing all the shield transfers in one day at the start, made life so much easier later

Points wise its nice and easy to work out, 32 x 28mm figures at 5 points a piece is a nice round 160 points.

On the plus side I haven't run out of white paint yet 🙃 

Just to finish is the Project progress picture, not much MDF left. Things will slow down a bit for the next couple of weeks as work takes over but looking at the above photo I'm confident that the Project will be completed in time for March 21st.

KenR - 28mm Allied Legion General - 20 pts

 

A quick General Post 😉 today as I stick well and truly to my schedule and knock out the second of the two sub Commander bases.

Figures are Victrix as usual, however on thing I have noticed is how huge the horses are ! For Ancients I base 3 Cavalry on a 60 x 60 base, generally no problems at all (check out my last unit of Aventine Cavalry) these won't fit 3 up on a 60 x 60 base, mostly due to the width of the horses. I need to remember that when I start building my Carthaginians up.

Nice and easy calculation for the points, 2 x 28mm Cavalry at 10 a piece is 20 points.

Slowed a bit this week with the painting, the white is really starting to drag but I'm halfway through the 2nd batch of Principes so should have those done before I go back to work next week and then onto Cavalry unit number 2. 

Progress shot below with new General in place.

From NoelW: Guardroom (80 points)

“You don’t want to follow Gnawbone into there,” says Merlissa, trying to hold them back. “It’s the Guardroom.”

“And what will we find in there?”

“I’ll give you three guesses.”

Elfbow considers thoughtfully.

“Antique halberds and quaint Swish stripy uniforms for us all to dress up in?”

“Guards, Tinkerbelle! Guards!”

“Definitely what it looks like,” says Getrude, as Gerald forces open the door. “They look like guards to me. Rows and rows of them.”

“Gnawbone may’ve put on a little weight. And height. But even with a shiny blue sword and a handful of mad orcs, he surely doesn’t stand a chance against that vast array of spears and shields.”

“Perhaps someone should explain that to him. Because he’s charging straight at them, like a bargain hunter on Black Friday.”

“I’ve never seen human skittles before…”

“He’s carving through them like a hot starlet through teenage fanboys...”

Leading his herd of scruffy goblins, who don’t seem all that aware of how outnumbered they are, but nevertheless continue to beat a rhythm on their drums that Gene Krupa/Ginger Baker/Dave Grohl (delete according to generation of upbringing) would be proud of, Gnawbone sweeps the horde of invading guardsmen before them.

“With that new improved Gnawbone ahead of us, these scurvy Challenge Islanders don’t stand a chance!” exclaims Titchy, “we simply have to tag along behind, and the treasure will surely be ours.”

“Gerald thinks we should lend a hand,” Getrude says, edging towards the fray. “Gerald reckons those bronze-header warriors could benefit from a tap on the noggin.”

“Gerald should keep his opinions to himself. Hold her back, Elbow.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. Give the elf the impossible job of restricting the insane woman with a homicidal cudgel.”

But already it’s all over bar the shouting. And, in a moment, the shouting is over, too, as the last of the armed guardsmen flees the chamber pursued by an orcish rendition of “Another one bites the dust.”

As the last stunted goblin departs in embiggened Gnawbone’s wake, complete silence emerges from the chamber beyond.

“Tell me,” says Elfbow, “What kind of silence would you say is the kind of silence currently emerging from the chamber beyond? It wouldn’t. by any chance, be a deathly silence?”

“Woof!” suggests Scruff.

***

My guards are 12 Republican Romans, to be added to my gradually growing Punic collection. They’re Victrix figures: a little fiddly to put together, but nice models and quite decent to paint. Shields are by Little Big Men – I could never create something like this freehand, so there’s not much point in trying.

Score: 12 x 28mm figures: 60 points

Guardroom: 20 points

Total: 80 Points

1 Squirrel point

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Another fantastic tale from Noel. And some smart-looking Romans to illustrate it. I don't think anyone is going to top that write-up today (unless you have another entry lurking in your pockets).

Tamsin