Greek skirmishers

 Greek skirmishers, these figures are First Corps which are lovely figures, although getting long in the tooth they are one of their best ranges. Again LBMS decals 

Cheers

Matt

More hairy Germanics

 Hairy Germanics 

More warlord Germanics completed with an odd foundry figure in the mix, a few foundry and first Corps hand painted shields. I am not a fan of the plastic spears and swords and even when photographing I managed to break two spears and a sword, all will be replaced in the next day or two. 

I have 40 odd foot and 12 cavalry to complete the army so I can more on to my Greeks… Napoleonic’s, moderns, and ww2 bits for DDay games. 

Warband 1, all warlord miniatures some foundry and first corps German shields  

Warband two, a foundry, and warlord with mixed shields from foundry, first corps and warlord

Hairy Foundry in the middle, I do love their Germanics 

Warband three, all warlord but mixed sheilds 

Warband Four, the fanatic on the left has a Victrix Viking head, again a mix of metals and plastics from Warlord games, again  mixed shield's from Foundry, First Corps and Warlord Games. 

Cheers

Matt

Roman Auxiliary cohort

 Cohor III Augusta Thracia Auxiliaries 

Next off the desk is a unit of Auxiliary’s for the Dacian campaign, I think I will rebase them on 60x60,  as I am not happy with the smaller base sizes recommended for Hail Caesar, spears and shields will get knocked around too much I think. Really happy with the green colour next units will be in cream or blue I think. Another entry for the analogue painting challenge. 

Cheers

Matt

Oh la Vache (holy cow!)

 Oh cow! 

One of my more favorite local French curses! After almost three weeks of low motivation I am back at it, completed a lot of all jobs and two large projects over the last two days.

First up cows, I know however I do use them in a few games and I now have a modest herd of 12 beasts, which will serve well my purposes plus can be used as table clutter for bigger games. Miniatures are from First Corps range but I cut off the neck hump which is more of a southern thing on cattle. 

Cheers

Matt

Caesarian Roman Project Part 1 fort

Caesarian Roman Project 

Part 1 Fort/Encampment

One of my major projects this year is a Caesarian Roman army to match my Gaulois project from last year. My plans are to build 28mm Caesarian Romans additions to my current republicans, I want to do another legion.....either the 6th or 13th, I have purchased most of the figures but need a box or Warlord figures and some artillery additions.

When you play impetus you normally need a camp for your table that the enemy can assault and take, I like to build pieces for all of my armies normally with a small scene that tells a story. With that in mind I purchased some figures and the wall pieces from First Corps Miniatures to make this encampment, with legionaries replacing a wall section and digging the trench deeper as a new centurion has arrived "and we must keep them men busy".

Roman Marching Fort

Roman Fort, the walls are interlaced wood filled with earth

The Roman ditch workers, accessories scratch built

Roman soldiers digging

I do plan on adding the 6 remaining walls and four corner towers and two gates at some stage in the future to make a complete square marching camp for my Punic wars and Gallic Wars roman armies collection. 

We have the remainders of three marching camps from the Gallic wars and Caesar's conquest of western Gaul within 40 mins of the Maison. Two in particular are impressive and were used by successive armies up to the early medieval period. One was located in 2010, the clearing of a forest found the remains of the walls and ditches, they suspect this was the fort that was sieged during Caesar's invasion of the west...... A guided tour is available to visit these forts, the Roman Museum and also wargame the Gallic wars at L'hotel de Hercé in our "Salon de Guerre". 

Full details are here

"walk the battlefield in the morning and wargame in the afternoon"

cheers

Matt

Republican Roman command II

 

 Republican Roman Command

Earlier last week I was getting a little jack of Medievals, tree renovation and Napoleonics, so I switched and opened up my project drawers and looked at my early republicans and decided to complete some more of my commands as I like to have spares in case of civil war etc for my early republican four urban legions. All figures are First corps figures except the dog who is warlord I think, decals VVV on the Roman shields, Impetus markers are Gallic pieces hand painted.

First up is a mounted Equites with his faithful dog, as a commander of my foreign and mercenary cavalry

A Simple legion commander base 

A foreign legion commander

Impetus disorder markers (as I like to do some every time I paint Ancient figures......)

and a supply train, more medieval than roman, a mix of brands and scratch built pack saddles

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Republican Roman Command

I like to paint commands first when I start a new army, so I have some 28mm First Corps Republican Roman command to go with the upcoming Wargames Factory Caesarian Romans. A little small to match but ok until I pick up some Foundry or Warlord figures. One consul with lictor and standard and one foot tribune with standard.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt 

Republican Roman Impetus markers

Completed some more markers this week, done them on the side while I was doing some transfers for some dark age figures. Again left over shields from first corps plus some first corps markers which are quite nice helmets shields and swords plus one with a stump. Again markers for impetus.

Cheers
Matt

Confederate Marines

The last remnants of 2019 projects are leaving my table this week, first up a rebase and touch up of some Confederate Marines that suffered during our move from Australia to France. Basically highlighted and touched up the scratches and dings and re-flocked the base.

The figures are from the first corps range and are the only 28mm confederate marines I know of on the market. They were originally built for our clubs Atlanta campaigns.

A rare unit, as they mostly only acted in companies, serving the the ships and gunboats with the Navy. But they served on land was along with ex ship crews at the siege of Atlanta, they were formed into a unit and manned Fort Ogeechee, manning the guns and defending the bastions until the Atlantas surrender. The other battles that they served on land include Fort Fischer and at Drewy's Bluff after the scuttling of the Viginia-Merrimac. The last battle they served in was at Saylors creek, a battalion was formed with ex naval personnel and marines defending the James River fortifications.

The flag references a 1861 company flag, as I am unaware of any marine unit or dismounted ship crew ever carrying a flag on land and is hand painted. These chaps will join the sale of my ACW collection in the coming months.

Cheers

Matt

ref Marine Corps Gazette, June 1978 Col T.J Saxon

Republican Roman command

A little command Of  Publius Licinius Crassus the younger, commander of the legion in the Armorican campaign

Republican Roman Legion

Finally after two years I have finished basing my republican romans for impetus, these chaps will possibly be sold in my reorganisation of my collection this year, another project off the to do list.

Pontic sythed chariot

Latest off the table is my Pontic four horsed sythed chariot, I can see it running down Romans, Celts and Greeks causing mayhem amoung undrilled troops at least! Although a one hit wonder in WAB I still had to have one! This is a lovely First Corps model which came out last year, somewhere at the back of my table is the yoke, when I find it I will attach the reins at some stage to finish it off, I also did think about adding some victims but decided against it. Some pike and more light infantry to come, later this week.

cheers
Matt

Sugar and Spice and all things nice Ticonderoga Moab

Well Australia's largest Sydney wargames convention MOAB (Mother Of All Battles Convention) has come and gone and its time to take stock of the purchases and sales.

I thought it was busier than most years on Saturday and Sunday, however Monday was quiter, talking to the trader the buyers seemed to have stayed away or kept thier money in thier pockets. I still however manged to pick up a few bargains, on the bring and buy I picked up the score of the show IMO 120 Perry and Foundry AWI figures for $65 I am still amazed by this now! I also picked up some 28mm Gripping Beast cathaginians and some A and A Late Roman infantry. On the Retail front I bought a bunch of Crusader Macedonians figs to flesh out some units I already have and add to some armies for variation, and a ECW building to add to my collection.

Between Scott, Nathan, Louis and myself we run a Ticonderoga participantion game, figs from Scots and my collection. We played the game each day to completion using British Grenadier rules. Enjoy the pics from Nathan. A mix of Front Rank, First Corps, Eureka and Conquest figures, terrain and table and barricades by me.

Mithridatic Cataphracts

Pontus, my continued obsession with the east for the 2011 build list. Mithradates IV Eupator was Rome's biggest threat in the east from 120BC to 63BC. Mithridates is remembered as one of Roman Republic’s most formidable and successful enemies, who engaged three of the prominent generals from the late Roman Republic in the Mithridatic Wars: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Lucullus and Pompey.
My Pontic army has now been completly purchased lead wise and all I need to do is put some paint on the figures, three pike blocks of 24 (two in trousers and armour, one in no armour (ex slaves), two units heavy cavalry both Cataphract, one Pontic and Cappadocian, two units of light cavalry, one Scythian and one Armenian, one four horse sythed chariot probably for the king himself!, Bosporan hill tribesmen warband, thracian mercenary light infantry, mercenary missile troops including cretan archers, Bactrian sligers, and finaly a Galatian warband (gaulish dressed types apparently!). I may add to the army some imitation legionarys (probaly cathaginian heavy inf figures)so the army can cover the whole period.

I have decided to use Greek mythology beasts for all of my unit standards for my pontic army, it is a chellenge freehand but I am happy so far at my first attempt, anybody guess what it is!!!!!

cheers
matt

Roman fort builders

Roman Fort Builders

I found these while digging through some boxes last week, it the First Corps marching Roman fort building set, I have painted them so they suit both my republican armies, I also found some stubborn markers, along with set was the foundry set they are waiting in cue, possibly this week.

Roman Fort builders

cheers
matt

Sulla's Legio XVIII Libyca

Sulla and Lictors

My Late Republican legion all First corps, post Marian reforms

Sulla and Lictors dismounted

Cheers
matt

Roman Auxilia

Roman Auxilia Infantry and Cavalry

I finished a lot of these guys last year for Craigs 40th birthday bash, I have started to revisit my early and late republican and imperial roman armies and some of their enemies and allies and finish off a number of half completed units. Some items that need to be done are all of my republicans shields need transfers, I am short shields for my celts and germans plus transfers, and I need finish my republican roman cavalry two Alae.

In the coming weeks I intend to start my mixed Warlord and (perry bros) foundry Roman Augustan 1st cent AD army, then move onto my third cent army over the Christmas period.

A good mix of figures below, Warlord metals and plastics, some Foundry, Blacktree and First corps.

First corps Germanic cavalry

Warlord Wardogs and Handler, some first corps dogs too!


Warlord Gallic Druid


Warlord Gallic Witch


Warlord Gallic Druid/ General


Black Tree Elephant with Numidian crew


Warlord metal and Plastic Imperial auxilia
Cohors II Britannorum


Warlord Belaric Slingers


First corps and Warlord Archers


First Corps Germanic Archers


First Corps and Warlord Eastern Archers
Cohors Augusta Nervia Pacensis


cheers
matt